Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Lloyds Bank 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, Halifax offers better pricing than Lloyds Bank 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 - Lloyds Bank would cost £95 per year, while Halifax would cost £83.50 per year.
12 trades per year - Lloyds Bank would cost £40 - £172 per year, while Halifax would cost £150 per year.
36 trades per year - Lloyds Bank would cost £40 - £328 per year, while Halifax would cost £378 per year.
120 trades per year - Lloyds Bank would cost £40 / £1,000 per year, while Halifax would cost £1,176 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Lloyds Bank 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.
If you're exploring investment options with Lloyds Bank and Halifax in the UK, both online brokers provide a solid selection of products tailored to various investor needs. Lloyds Bank offers a wide range of choices such as share trading, ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds, and investment trusts. Like Lloyds, Halifax also supports ETF trading, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds, and investment trusts, but differs by not offering share trading. Notably, neither broker supports crypto trading, spread betting, or CFD trading, providing a more traditional investment avenue for clients.
Aside from the array of investment products, both Lloyds Bank and Halifax provide advisor services to guide clients through their financial decisions. This comprehensive service has earned each broker a five-star rating for investment choices from UK.StockBrokers.com. While both secure a high rank, Halifax narrowly edges out Lloyds by placing 7th out of 18 brokers, compared to Lloyds' 8th position. Regardless of these rankings, both brokers present strong choices for investors seeking extensive investment portfolios in the UK market.
| Feature |
Lloyds Bank
|
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 | Yes | Yes |
| Investment Choices |
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Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Low-cost US and UK shares.
When comparing the trading tools of Lloyds Bank and Halifax, it becomes clear that both online brokers offer similar features. Neither provides the ability to display corporate events such as earnings, splits, or dividends on charts, and both lack drawing tools and technical indicators for charting. Additionally, neither Lloyds nor Halifax allows users to add notes or overlays—whether index or stock—to their charts, which might limit the depth of chart analysis for traders relying heavily on visual data interpretation.
Despite these similarities, both Lloyds Bank and Halifax offer a browser-based trading platform and the useful feature of creating alerts for stock price updates, ensuring investors can stay informed about potential market movements. However, traders seeking real-time market data will find that neither platform currently supports this function, which could be a consideration for those who prioritize having instant access to market information.
| Feature |
Lloyds Bank
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | No | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
Lloyds Bank and Halifax are popular choices for UK investors seeking online brokerage services, each offering a similar range of retirement-focused accounts. Both platforms provide Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), allowing investors to save for retirement while enjoying tax benefits. Whether you choose Lloyds Bank or Halifax, you can expect a straightforward experience in managing your retirement savings with the ability to invest in a range of assets tailored to your financial goals. The choice between the two may ultimately come down to specific service preferences or additional features offered by each platform.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
Lloyds Bank and Halifax both cater to mobile users with apps available on iPhone and Android platforms. In a review by UK.StockBrokers.com, the mobile apps for each bank received an identical rating of 3.5 out of five stars. Despite this, Lloyds Bank slightly edges out Halifax by ranking 17th among 18 brokers for mobile apps, while Halifax is positioned at 18th. These rankings suggest that both banks offer a comparable mobile experience, sharing similar strengths and deficiencies in their app offerings.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For those seeking educational resources for beginner investors, both Lloyds Bank and Halifax may leave room for improvement, as neither offers client webinars or on-demand webinars. Additionally, neither provides educational content specifically focusing on share trading, funds, or retirement topics. Despite these gaps, Lloyds Bank edges ahead with a 4-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com compared to Halifax's 3.5 stars, reflecting a slightly better offering for novice investors. In terms of rankings, Lloyds Bank stands at 14th out of 18, while Halifax trails at the 18th spot, suggesting that while both could enhance their educational resources, Lloyds Bank offers a marginally stronger support for beginners.
| Feature |
Lloyds Bank
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | No | No |
| Education (Funds) | No | No |
| Education (Retirement) | No | No |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing Lloyds Bank and Halifax for their online broker market research features, investors will find both similarities and differences to consider. Lloyds Bank stands out by providing research reports for funds, a feature not available with Halifax, giving Lloyds a slight edge for those interested in detailed fund insights. However, both platforms fall short when it comes to viewing portfolio allocation by asset class, as neither offers this capability. On the brighter side, both Lloyds Bank and Halifax offer comprehensive research capabilities for shares, ETFs, and funds, as well as bonds, providing well-rounded options for investors in these areas. Neither offers research for CFDs, keeping them on equal footing there. Overall, the choice between Lloyds Bank and Halifax might boil down to specific research needs and preferences in other services offered by these brokers.
| Feature |
Lloyds Bank
|
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 | No | No |
Which broker is better overall, Lloyds Bank or Halifax? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Lloyds Bank to be a better trading platform overall.
It's easy for current Lloyds Bank customers to open a Lloyds Bank Share Dealing investment account. But there are other platforms that are easier, more comprehensive and cheaper to use, including Halifax, which is also owned by Lloyds Banking Group.
| Feature |
Lloyds Bank
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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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| Website |
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| Ease of Use |
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| Education |
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Both Lloyds Bank and Halifax online brokerage platforms do not offer crypto trading options, ensuring a straightforward approach for investors focused on traditional financial products.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Lloyds Bank | Halifax | |
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| Review | Lloyds Bank Review | Halifax Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Lloyds Bank | 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 | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Fees | Lloyds Bank | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £8 - £11 | £9.50 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £8 | £9.50 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £8 | £9.50 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £95 | £83.50 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £40 - £172 | £150 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £40 - £328 | £378 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £40 / £1,000 | £1,176 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £44.50 | £64.50 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £40 | £36 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £40 | £36 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £40 | £36 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £40 | £36 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £8 - £11 | £9.5 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £8 - £11 | £9.5 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £8 - £11 | £9.5 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £8 - £11 | £9.5 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £35 | £25 |
| Broker Screenshots | Lloyds Bank | Halifax | |
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| 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 | Lloyds Bank | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | Lloyds Bank | 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 | No | No |
| Education | Lloyds Bank | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | No | No | |
| Education (Funds) | No | No | |
| Education (Retirement) | No | No | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Overall Summary | Lloyds Bank | Halifax | |
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| Review | Lloyds Bank Review | Halifax Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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