Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Robinhood UK 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, Robinhood UK 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 - Robinhood UK would cost £0 per year, while Halifax would cost £83.50 per year.
12 trades per year - Robinhood UK would cost £0 per year, while Halifax would cost £150 per year.
36 trades per year - Robinhood UK would cost £0 per year, while Halifax would cost £378 per year.
120 trades per year - Robinhood UK would cost £0 per year, while Halifax would cost £1,176 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Robinhood UK 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.
For UK investors weighing their options, the differences between Robinhood UK and Halifax can be significant. Robinhood UK allows share trading, offering users a straightforward avenue to invest in stock markets. However, it lacks the ability to trade in other areas, such as ETFs, funds, bonds, and investment trusts, which Halifax does support. Additionally, Halifax offers advisory services, giving users access to professional guidance, a feature absent in Robinhood UK.
When it comes to investment choices, Halifax stands out with a five-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com, ranking seventh among 21 brokers. In contrast, Robinhood UK receives a more modest three-star rating, placing it twentieth. While Halifax provides a broader range of investment opportunities, Robinhood UK may appeal to those focused solely on share trading. Thus, choosing between these brokers largely depends on your investment needs and whether you value a variety of financial products or a simplified focus on stock trading.
| Feature |
Robinhood UK
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | No |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | No | Yes |
| Funds | No | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | Yes |
| Investment Trusts | No | 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 it comes to charting tools, both Robinhood UK and Halifax fall short in some areas. Neither platform offers the ability to display corporate events like earnings, splits, or dividends on charts, nor do they provide any drawing tools or the capability to add notes. While Robinhood UK stands out slightly with three technical indicators available for charting, Halifax offers none. Both platforms lack the ability to add index or stock overlays, limiting the depth of visual chart analysis.
In terms of platform accessibility and market updates, both Robinhood UK and Halifax provide browser-based trading platforms, allowing trades to be executed directly from your web browser. They each support the creation of alerts for stock price updates, keeping investors informed of the latest market shifts. However, Robinhood UK sets itself apart by offering real-time market data, a feature not available with Halifax, making it a more appealing choice for those who prioritize staying updated with the latest market trends.
| Feature |
Robinhood UK
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 3 | 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 |
When comparing the online brokerage options for retirement accounts in the UK, Halifax emerges as a leader over Robinhood UK. Robinhood UK does not provide Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) or Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), making it less attractive for those focusing on retirement savings. In contrast, Halifax offers both ISAs and SIPPs, providing customers with tax-efficient ways to save for their future. For UK investors looking to maximize their retirement savings, Halifax's comprehensive range of account options can offer more financial planning flexibility than Robinhood UK.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
When comparing the mobile app offerings of Robinhood UK and Halifax for investors in the United Kingdom, both provide applications compatible with iPhone and Android devices. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Robinhood UK's mobile app receives a commendable rating of 4 out of 5 stars, ranking it 13th out of 21 brokers. Meanwhile, Halifax's mobile app is rated at 3.5 stars, placing it 18th in the same assessment. This suggests that Robinhood UK may offer a slightly more user-friendly mobile trading experience compared to Halifax for UK investors.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing the beginner investor educational resources of Robinhood UK and Halifax, it's clear that both platforms share some commonalities and differences. Neither Robinhood UK nor Halifax offers educational client webinars or on-demand archives for such events. However, Robinhood UK provides some educational content specifically centered around share trading, while Halifax does not cover this topic. Neither platform offers educational content on funds or retirement investment strategies. Interestingly, both Robinhood UK and Halifax each hold a 3.5-star rating for beginner education according to UK.StockBrokers.com, though Halifax slightly outpaces Robinhood UK in overall rank, placing 18th out of 21 brokers, compared to Robinhood UK's 20th spot. Despite these nuances, beginners might find that both platforms offer equal footing in terms of educational quality for starting their investment journey.
| Feature |
Robinhood UK
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | No |
| Education (Funds) | No | No |
| Education (Retirement) | No | No |
| Education |
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|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
For UK investors comparing the market research features between Robinhood UK and Halifax, both platforms provide shares and ETFs research, making them accessible for those interested in these investment types. However, while Halifax extends its research offerings to include funds and bonds, Robinhood UK does not. Neither platform offers research specifically for CFDs, nor do they provide the option to view portfolio allocation by asset class. Additionally, both lack research reports for funds, though Halifax's broader research capabilities might appeal to investors seeking more diverse financial insights. This comparison highlights Halifax as a more comprehensive choice for market research, especially for those interested in funds and bonds.
| Feature |
Robinhood UK
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | No | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | No | Yes |
| Research - Funds | No | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | No |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | No | No |
Which broker is better overall, Robinhood UK or Halifax? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Robinhood UK to be a better trading platform overall.
| Feature |
Robinhood UK
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Charges & Fees |
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| Investment Choices |
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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 Robinhood UK and Halifax do not offer crypto trading, making neither platform suitable for investors seeking to trade cryptocurrencies.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Robinhood UK | Halifax | |
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| Review | Robinhood UK Review | Halifax Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Robinhood UK | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | No | Yes | |
| SIPP | No | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | No | |
| CFD Trading | No | No | |
| Funds | No | Yes | |
| ETFs | No | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | No | Yes | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | No | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | No | No | |
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Trading Fees | Robinhood UK | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £0 | £9.50 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £0 | £9.50 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £0 | £9.50 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £83.50 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £150 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £378 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £1,176 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | N/A | £64.50 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £0 | £36 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £0 | £36 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £0 | £36 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £0 | £36 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | £9.5 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | N/A | £9.5 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £0 | £9.5 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | N/A | £9.5 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | N/A | £25 |
| Broker Screenshots | Robinhood UK | 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 | Robinhood UK | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 3 | 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 | Robinhood UK | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | No | No | |
| Research - Funds | No | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | No | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | No | Yes | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | No | No |
| Education | Robinhood UK | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Funds) | No | No | |
| Education (Retirement) | No | No | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Overall Summary | Robinhood UK | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Charges & Fees |
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| Investment Choices |
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| Mobile App |
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| Ease of Use |
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| Education |
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| Review | Robinhood UK Review | Halifax Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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