UK.StockBrokers.com is committed to the highest ethical standards and reviews services independently. Learn How We Make Money

Trading 212 vs Halifax 2023

StockBrokers.com

Written by StockBrokers.com

February 23, 2023

Is Trading 212 better than Halifax? After scoring the best share dealing accounts across 46 different variables, our analysis finds that Trading 212 is better than Halifax. Trading 212 offers low-cost trading without lots of bells and whistles. Though tools, research and investments are limited, its user-friendliness and pricing may be an attractive option for the beginner trader.

Select Brokers

×
Overall RatingTrading 212Halifax
Overall Rating 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Offering of Investments 2.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 3.5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Research 2/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4/5 Stars N/A
Education 3/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Review Trading 212 Review
Winner check_circle
InvestmentsTrading 212Halifax
ISA Yes Yes
SIPP No Yes
Share Trading Yes Yes
CFD Trading Yes No
Funds No Yes
ETFs Yes 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 FeesTrading 212Halifax
Minimum Deposit £1.0 £0.0
Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month 0 £9.5
Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month 0 £9.5
Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month 0 £9.5
5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) £196 £83.5
12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) £196 £150
36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) £196 £450
120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) £196 £1500
3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) N/A £64.5
Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 £0 (Other Fees Apply) £36
Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K £0 (Other Fees Apply) £36
Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m £0 (Other Fees Apply) £36
Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over £0 (Other Fees Apply) £36
Bonds - Corporate - Fee N/A £36
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
Platforms & ToolsTrading 212Halifax
Web Platform Yes Yes
iPhone App Yes Yes
Android App Yes Yes
Stock Alerts Yes No
Charting - Indicators / Studies 54 83
Charting - Drawing Tools 25 17
Charting - Notes Yes Yes
Charting - Display Corporate Events No No
Charting - Stock Overlays No No
Charting - Index Overlays No No
ResearchTrading 212Halifax
Research - Shares Yes Yes
Research - CFDs No Yes
Research - Funds No Yes
Fund Research - Research Reports No No
Research - ETFs No Yes
Research - Bonds No Yes
Portfolio Allocation Breakdown Yes Yes
EducationTrading 212Halifax
Has Education - Share Trading Yes Yes
Has Education - Funds No Yes
Has Education - Retirement No Yes
Client Webinars No Yes
Client Webinars (Archived) No Yes
Overall SummaryTrading 212Halifax
Overall Rating 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Offering of Investments 2.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 3.5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Research 2/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4/5 Stars N/A
Education 3/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Review Trading 212 Review
Winner check_circle
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxAJ Bell
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxBarclays
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCapital.com
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxDEGIRO
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxeToro
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFineco Bank
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFreetrade
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxHalifax
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxHargreaves Lansdown
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxIG
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxInteractive Brokers
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxInteractive Investor
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxLloyds Bank
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxSaxo Markets
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTrading 212

Compare

0 of 5
arrow_upward

Comparing online share dealing platforms side by side is no small task. For our 2022 review of U.K. brokers, nearly 600 data points were collected over a 10-week period and used to score each broker. Let’s compare Trading 212 and Halifax.

Trading 212 vs Halifax Comparison

For our 2022 Review, we assessed the best trading platforms in the UK for online share dealing. Let's compare Trading 212 vs Halifax.

Is Trading 212 a good broker?

Trading 212 offers low-cost trading without lots of bells and whistles. Though tools, research and investments are limited, its user-friendliness and pricing may be an attractive option for the beginner trader.

Is Halifax a good broker?

Halifax offers competitive pricing for reoccurring and infrequent traders, sound charting, and proper research. That said, Halifax provides no dedicated mobile application and, overall, trails industry leaders.

Which broker is less expensive?

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, Trading 212 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 - Trading 212 would cost £196 per year, while Halifax would cost £83.5 per year.

12 trades per year - Trading 212 would cost £196 per year, while Halifax would cost £150 per year.

36 trades per year - Trading 212 would cost £196 per year, while Halifax would cost £450 per year.

120 trades per year - Trading 212 would cost £196 per year, while Halifax would cost £1500 per year.

3 fund trades per year - Trading 212 would cost 1 per year, while Halifax would cost 0 per year.

How do Trading 212 and Halifax compare in terms of minimum deposits required?

Trading 212 requires a minimum deposit of £1, while Halifax requires a minimum deposit of £0. From our testing we found for accounts between £0 - £250,000 Trading 212 charges annual custody fees of £0 (Other Fees Apply), while Halifax charges annual custody fees of £36.

Which broker offers a wider range of investment options?

Trading 212 offers investors access to ISA, Share Trading, CFD Trading and ETFs, while Halifax offers investors access to ISA, SIPP, Share Trading, Funds, ETFs, Bonds - Corporate, Bonds - Government (Gilts), Investment Trusts and Advisor Services. Neither have Spread Betting and Crypto Trading. Investing encompasses a wide variety of asset classes, so finding a broker that offers every investment type you are interested in is important.

Do Trading 212 and Halifax offer ISA or SIPP accounts?

Self-invested personal pensions (SIPPs) and individual savings accounts (ISAs) are tax-advantaged savings accounts that are an important tool for many individual investors. You can read more about how these accounts operate at Gov.UK: Click here for SIPP information and here for ISA information. Our analysis finds that Trading 212 offers traders access to ISA accounts, while Halifax offers traders access to SIPP and ISA accounts.

Do Trading 212 and Halifax offer cryptocurrency?

In our analysis of top brokers for share dealing in the U.K., we research whether each broker offers the ability to trade cash cryptocurrency, such as bitcoin and ethereum, which is still a somewhat rare offering amongst major U.K. brokers. Our review finds that neither Trading 212 and Halifax offer crypto investing.

Which broker offers better research?

Our testing concluded that Trading 212 is better for research than Halifax. Trading 212 offers more research options, including research reports, articles, and analyst ratings.

Which trading platform is better?

To compare the trading platforms of both Trading 212 and Halifax, we tested each broker's website, trading platform, trading tools and stock trading app. All features compared, our analysis finds that Trading 212 offers a better share dealing platform and Trading 212 offers a better stock app for mobile trading.

Do Trading 212 and Halifax offer educational resources?

Educational offerings are of particular importance to those who are newer to investing, and we examine the availability of several different types of educational materials in our analysis. Our research finds that Trading 212 offers traders access to Has Education - Share Trading, while Halifax offers access to Client Webinars, Client Webinars (Archived), Has Education - Share Trading, Has Education - Funds and Has Education - Retirement.

Overall winner: Trading 212

Read Next: Best UK Trading Platforms 2022


Was this helpful?
Yes or No

close