Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Investor vs Halifax, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, investment options, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
Alongside the cost per trade, most UK online brokers also charge a monthly, quarterly, or annual management fee, which varies based on the account type and balance. Based on our thorough review, Interactive Investor offers better pricing than Halifax for share dealing.
Assuming a £30,000 portfolio size, here are the total annual costs for share dealing with both brokers, given different monthly activity scenarios.
5 trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £79.83 per year, while Halifax would cost £83.50 per year.
12 trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £59.88 / £107.76 per year, while Halifax would cost £150 per year.
36 trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £59.88 / £203.52 per year, while Halifax would cost £378 per year.
120 trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £59.88 / £538.68 per year, while Halifax would cost £1,176 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £0 per year, while Halifax would cost £0 per year.
What type of trader are you?
New to the world of investing? See our picks for the Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners. More experienced traders should read our guide to the Best UK Trading Platforms for Active Traders.
When comparing investment options, Interactive Investor and Halifax stand out by offering a variety of choices for UK investors. Interactive Investor provides the ability to trade shares and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), along with funds, corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts), and investment trusts. While Halifax matches this wide range of offerings—aside from share trading and sans crypto trading, spread betting, and contracts for difference (CFD) options—it does offer advisor services, which could be a plus for those seeking guidance.
Both platforms have earned a 5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com for their investment choices. However, Interactive Investor holds a slightly higher rank, positioned third among 21 brokers, while Halifax comes in at seventh place. This distinction could make Interactive Investor a more attractive option for those prioritizing share trading, despite Halifax’s advantage of providing advisory services to guide investors through their journeys.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | No |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | Yes |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | No |
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
When comparing the trading tools of Interactive Investor and Halifax, UK investors might note significant differences in their offerings. Interactive Investor provides a comprehensive set of features for charting, including the ability to display corporate events like earnings, splits, and dividends directly on charts. They offer 18 drawing tools and a remarkable 104 technical indicators, allowing users to make detailed analyses. Furthermore, users can add notes, index overlays, and stock overlays to enhance their charting experience. By contrast, Halifax lacks these advanced functionalities, providing no drawing tools or technical indicators and no options for chart annotations or overlays.
Both brokers offer a browser-based trading platform and come with the capability to create alerts for stock price updates, ensuring users stay informed. While Interactive Investor provides real-time market data, a crucial feature for making timely trading decisions, Halifax does not support this service. Investors who prioritize comprehensive charting tools and real-time updates might find Interactive Investor to be a more suitable choice for enhancing their trading strategies.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 18 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
When considering retirement account options for UK investors, both Interactive Investor and Halifax present solid choices with their Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs). Interactive Investor provides a comprehensive platform with accessible ISA and SIPP accounts, catering to a wide range of investment needs. Similarly, Halifax offers ISA and SIPP accounts designed to help individuals plan effectively for retirement. Investors looking for reliable options will find both platforms accommodating, as they provide the essential accounts to help manage and potentially grow their retirement savings.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
For UK investors choosing between online brokers Interactive Investor and Halifax, both platforms provide convenient mobile apps compatible with iPhone and Android devices, catering to on-the-go trading needs. Interactive Investor's mobile app stands out with a higher rating of 4.5 stars from UK.StockBrokers.com, placing it at number 7 among 21 brokers for mobile app quality. In contrast, Halifax's mobile app holds a rating of 3.5 stars, ranking it 18th, indicating a less favorable user experience compared to Interactive Investor. These ratings suggest that those prioritizing mobile app performance may find Interactive Investor a more appealing choice over Halifax.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing the educational resources for beginner investors, Interactive Investor stands out over Halifax. Interactive Investor offers a comprehensive range of educational client webinars, which are also available on demand for convenient viewing. In contrast, Halifax does not provide webinars. For those keen on learning about share trading, funds, and retirement, Interactive Investor covers all these topics extensively, whereas Halifax does not offer such educational content. Reflecting this strong educational offering, Interactive Investor has been awarded a stellar 5-star rating by UK.StockBrokers.com for beginner education, ranking 2nd out of 21 brokers. Halifax, on the other hand, holds a 3.5-star rating and is positioned at 18th, indicating fewer resources available for newcomers. These differences make Interactive Investor a more appealing choice for those starting their investment journey in the UK.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | No |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No |
| Education |
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|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing Interactive Investor and Halifax for market research features, Interactive Investor stands out with its offer of research reports for funds, which Halifax does not provide. Both platforms allow you to research shares, ETFs, funds, and bonds, ensuring comprehensive coverage across these investment types. Interactive Investor also enables you to view portfolio allocation by asset class, a feature that Halifax lacks. Neither broker offers research on CFDs, maintaining a focus on other investment options. For UK investors seeking detailed market insights, Interactive Investor may offer a slight edge, especially for those interested in fund reports and portfolio analysis.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | No | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
Which broker is better overall, Interactive Investor or Halifax? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Interactive Investor to be a better trading platform overall.
The standout feature at Interactive Investor (ii) is its low flat-rate fees. Other investment platforms typically favour percentage fees for fund investing, although more brokers are now opting for flat fees. Our view is that Interactive Investor is a great platform for any investor, offering a wide range of investments for cheap prices on the whole.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
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Halifax
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| Overall Rating |
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| Charges & Fees |
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| Mobile App |
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Both Interactive Investor and Halifax do not offer crypto trading options for their users.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Interactive Investor | Halifax | |
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| Review | Interactive Investor Review | Halifax Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Interactive Investor | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | No | |
| CFD Trading | No | No | |
| Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | No | No | |
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Trading Fees | Interactive Investor | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £3.99 | £9.50 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £3.99 | £9.50 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £3.99 | £9.50 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £79.83 | £83.50 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £59.88 / £107.76 | £150 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £59.88 / £203.52 | £378 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £59.88 / £538.68 | £1,176 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £71.85 | £64.50 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £59.88 - £143.88 | £36 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £143.88 | £36 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £143.88 | £36 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £143.88 | £36 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £3.99 | £9.5 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £3.99 | £9.5 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £3.99 | £9.5 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £3.99 | £9.5 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £49 | £25 |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Investor | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Platforms & Tools | Interactive Investor | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 18 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
| Research | Interactive Investor | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | No | No | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | Yes | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
| Education | Interactive Investor | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Overall Summary | Interactive Investor | Halifax | |
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| Review | Interactive Investor Review | Halifax Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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