Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Saxo 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 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.
Saxo vs Halifax for UK investors: both offer share dealing plus a wide range of investments, including ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts), and investment trusts. Saxo also supports crypto trading and CFD trading, which Halifax does not. If you prefer guidance, Halifax provides adviser services, while Saxo is execution‑only.
On investment choice, UK.StockBrokers.com rates Saxo 5/5 stars (ranked #2 of 21) and Halifax 4.5/5 stars (ranked #8). In short, choose Saxo if you want the broadest market access including crypto and CFDs; choose Halifax if built-in advice matters and you don’t need crypto or CFD trading.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
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 |
|
|
Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Comparing Saxo vs Halifax for UK traders, both offer browser-based platforms with price alerts, but neither provides real-time market data, corporate events on charts, or index overlays. If you need those specific features, you’ll have to look elsewhere or use companion tools.
For charting, Saxo includes 20 drawing tools and 64 technical indicators, plus the option to add stock overlays. Halifax supplies fewer drawing tools (8) but a larger indicator set (95) and lets you add notes to charts. In short, choose Saxo if you value more drawing tools and stock overlays, or Halifax if you prefer more indicators and the ability to annotate your charts.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
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 |
For UK investors seeking a retirement account, both Saxo and Halifax stand as viable options, each providing Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs). These account types allow you to efficiently plan for your retirement while enjoying potential tax benefits. Whether you favor the innovative platforms and tools offered by Saxo or prefer the familiarity and longstanding reputation of Halifax, both services aim to meet your financial goals with flexible options for account management and investment strategies.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
Comparing Saxo vs Halifax for mobile trading in the UK: both brokers offer iPhone and Android apps, but UK.StockBrokers.com rates Saxo’s app higher at 5 stars and ranks it #1 out of 21 brokers, while Halifax’s app is rated 3.5 stars and ranked #15. If a top-tier mobile experience is a priority, Saxo stands out, though Halifax still supports both major platforms.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK beginners comparing Saxo vs Halifax on investor education, Saxo clearly offers more: it runs client webinars and makes them available on demand, while Halifax offers no webinars. Both cover share trading, funds and retirement, but ratings differ—UK.StockBrokers.com gives Saxo 5/5 stars and ranks it #2 of 21 brokers for beginner education, versus Halifax’s 4/5 stars and #12 ranking. If you prefer structured learning with live and catch-up sessions alongside topic guides, Saxo is the stronger option; Halifax suits those who only need written help without webinar support.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
Comparing Saxo vs Halifax for market research, both brokers offer UK investors wide coverage across shares, ETFs, funds, and bonds, and both include research reports for funds. The main difference is portfolio insight: Saxo lets you view your portfolio allocation by asset class, making it easier to see how your money is spread, while Halifax does not provide this allocation view. If you value clear allocation tracking alongside broad research, Saxo has the edge; if you just need core research on shares, ETFs, funds, and bonds, Halifax still delivers.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
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 or Halifax? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Saxo 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
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
|
| Charges & Fees |
|
|
| Investment Choices |
|
|
| Mobile App |
|
|
| Website |
|
|
| Ease of Use |
|
|
| Education |
|
|
In the Saxo vs Halifax comparison, online broker Saxo supports crypto trading, while Halifax does not.
Select Brokers
↓×Compare
0 of 5| Overall Rating | Saxo | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Charges & Fees |
|
| |
| Investment Choices |
|
| |
| Mobile App |
|
| |
| Website |
|
| |
| Ease of Use |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Review | Saxo Review | Halifax Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Saxo | 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 | 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 | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Gallery (click to expand) |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand) |
|
| |
| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
|
|
| Platforms & Tools | Saxo | 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 | 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 | 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 | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Charges & Fees |
|
| |
| Investment Choices |
|
| |
| Mobile App |
|
| |
| Website |
|
| |
| Ease of Use |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Review | Saxo Review | Halifax Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
Trading 212 Review
IG Group Review
Interactive Brokers Review
Freetrade Review
XTB Review
Hargreaves Lansdown Review
Saxo Review
eToro Review
Halifax Review
Vanguard Review
CMC Invest Review