Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Saxo UK vs Halifax, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, investment options, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
Your capital is at risk.
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 Saxo UK for share dealing.
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.
Comparing investment choices, both Saxo UK and Halifax let you trade shares, ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, gilts, and investment trusts. Saxo UK also supports crypto and CFD trading, which Halifax does not. Halifax offers adviser services, while Saxo UK does not. Details on spread betting aren’t specified for either provider.
For investment choices, UK.StockBrokers.com rates Saxo UK 5/5 (ranked 2nd of 21) and Halifax 4.5/5 (ranked 8th of 21), signalling a broader menu at Saxo UK, while Halifax suits those who want core investments with access to advice.
| Feature |
Saxo UK
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | Yes |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | 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.
Comparing trading tools at Saxo UK and Halifax: both provide a browser-based platform and let you set price alerts, but neither offers real-time market data. On charts, neither shows corporate events such as earnings, splits, or dividends, and index overlays are also not available.
For charting, Saxo UK supplies 20 drawing tools and 64 technical indicators, plus the option to add stock overlays; Halifax offers 8 drawing tools but a larger library of 95 indicators. Halifax also lets you add notes to charts, which Saxo UK lacks. Choose Saxo UK if you want more drawing tools and stock overlays, or Halifax if you prefer more indicators and in-chart notes.
| Feature |
Saxo UK
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 64 | 95 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 20 | 8 |
| Charting - Notes | No | Yes |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
Saxo UK vs Halifax: both UK online brokers offer an ISA and a SIPP, covering tax‑efficient investing and pension saving. With either provider, you can open a Stocks and Shares ISA to shelter returns from Income Tax and Capital Gains Tax, and a SIPP to build a personal pension with tax relief. Since both have these account types, choose based on costs and features—compare dealing charges, account fees, investment range, minimums, and transfer terms before you decide.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
Saxo UK vs Halifax: both online brokers offer iPhone and Android trading apps, but their mobile experience scores differ. UK.StockBrokers.com rates Saxo UK’s app 5 stars and ranks it #1 out of 21 brokers for Mobile Apps, while Halifax’s app earns 3.5 stars and ranks #15. For UK investors focused on mobile trading, Saxo UK stands out, though Halifax still provides iPhone and Android access.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For beginner investor education in the UK, Saxo UK has a clear edge over Halifax: it offers live client webinars and an on‑demand archive, while Halifax has no webinars. Both cover core topics—share trading, funds and retirement—but Saxo UK’s programme is rated 5 stars and ranked #2 of 21 by UK.StockBrokers.com, compared with Halifax’s 4 stars and #12 ranking. If you want webinars and flexible, on‑demand learning, choose Saxo UK; if you only need basic guides on key topics, Halifax still does the job.
| Feature |
Saxo UK
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
Comparing Saxo UK and Halifax for market research: both brokers provide research reports for funds and offer research across shares, ETFs, funds, and bonds. The key difference is portfolio insight—Saxo UK lets you see your portfolio allocation by asset class, while Halifax does not. If you want full market research plus a clear view of how your investments are split, Saxo UK has the edge; for core research coverage alone, Halifax matches well.
| Feature |
Saxo UK
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
Which broker is better overall, Saxo UK or Halifax? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Saxo UK to be a better trading platform overall.
Saxo’ trading platform is highly sophisticated and offers a huge range of international shares and funds. The biggest downside is the cost, as its charges are higher than its U.K. competitors. It's best suited for experienced investors rather than beginners.
| Feature |
Saxo UK
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Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
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In a head-to-head comparison of online brokers, Saxo UK supports cryptocurrency trading whereas Halifax does not, making Saxo UK the better choice for investors seeking crypto exposure.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Saxo UK | Halifax | |
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| Review | Saxo UK Review | Halifax Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Saxo UK | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No | |
| Mutual 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 | |||
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Trading Fees | Saxo UK | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | $1 / £3 / €3 | £9.50 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | $1 / £3 / €3 | £9.50 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | $1 / £3 / €3 | £9.50 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £0 - £250,000 | 0.4%, 0.2%, 0.1% | £36 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | 0.4%, 0.2%, 0.1% | £36 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | 0.4%, 0.2%, 0.1% | £36 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | 0.4%, 0.2%, 0.1% | £36 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | €20 minimum | £9.50 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | €20 minimum | £9.50 | |
| ETFs - Fee | From $1 | £0 / £3.50 / £9.50 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | 0.03/0.06/0.08% | £0 / £3.50 / £9.50 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £50 | £25 |
| Broker Screenshots | Saxo UK | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Platforms & Tools | Saxo UK | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 64 | 95 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 20 | 8 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | Saxo UK | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | Yes | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
| Education | Saxo UK | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Overall Summary | Saxo UK | Halifax | |
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| Review | Saxo UK Review | Halifax Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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