Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Trading 212 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, Trading 212 offers better pricing than Halifax 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.
Trading 212 and Halifax both let UK investors buy and sell shares, ETFs and investment trusts. Trading 212 also offers CFD trading, but it doesn’t support crypto, funds, corporate bonds or gilts, and it has no adviser services. Halifax skips CFDs and crypto, but adds funds plus corporate bonds and UK government bonds (gilts), and it provides access to adviser services. Spread betting is not listed for either provider.
On Investment Choices, UK.StockBrokers.com rates both brokers 4.5 out of 5 stars, with Halifax ranked #8 of 21 and Trading 212 ranked #10. In short, pick Trading 212 if you want CFDs alongside shares and ETFs; choose Halifax if you prefer funds, bonds and optional advice.
| Feature |
Trading 212
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Halifax
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|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | No | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | Yes |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | 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.
Comparing Trading 212 and Halifax for trading tools in the UK: both platforms are browser-based, support price alerts, and let you add notes to charts. Neither shows corporate events (like earnings, splits, or dividends) on charts, and neither supports index or stock overlays.
For charting features, Halifax offers eight drawing tools and 95 technical indicators. Trading 212 doesn’t state how many drawing tools or indicators it provides in this summary. However, Trading 212 does include real-time market data, while Halifax does not—useful if live pricing is important to your trading.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 95 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 8 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
When comparing online brokers Trading 212 and Halifax for UK investors interested in retirement accounts, there are key differences to consider. Trading 212 provides Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs), making it a viable option for those looking to save and invest tax-efficiently. However, it does not offer Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) accounts, which might be a drawback for investors focused on building their pension. On the other hand, Halifax caters to both needs by offering both ISAs and SIPP accounts, providing a more comprehensive range of retirement investment options. This flexibility makes Halifax an attractive choice for individuals planning for long-term financial goals through both ISAs and SIPPs.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
Trading 212 vs Halifax: both offer iPhone and Android apps for UK investors, but Trading 212 scores much higher for mobile experience. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Trading 212’s app is rated 5 stars and ranks 3rd out of 21 brokers for Mobile Apps, while Halifax’s app holds 3.5 stars and ranks 15th. If mobile app quality matters, Trading 212 is the stronger choice on both iOS and Android.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK beginner investors comparing online brokers, Trading 212 and Halifax both lack live or on-demand client webinars, and both provide education on share trading. Halifax adds guidance on funds and retirement, which Trading 212 does not cover. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Trading 212 scores 4.5/5 for beginner education and ranks 10th of 21 brokers, while Halifax scores 4/5 and ranks 12th. Choose Halifax if you want learning on funds and retirement; pick Trading 212 for higher-rated, share-focused beginner resources.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | No | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | No | Yes |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
Trading 212 vs Halifax for market research: Trading 212 offers research on shares and ETFs and lets you see your portfolio allocation by asset class, but it doesn’t provide fund research, bond research, or research reports for funds. Halifax delivers research on shares, ETFs, funds and bonds, including fund research reports, but it lacks a portfolio allocation by asset class view. Choose Trading 212 if you want an easy snapshot of how your investments are split; pick Halifax if you need fuller coverage of fund and bond research.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | No | Yes |
| Research - Funds | No | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
Which broker is better overall, Trading 212 or Halifax? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Trading 212 to be a better trading platform overall.
Trading 212 is a popular investing platform best known for its commission-free trading, easy-to-use mobile app, and support for low-cost investing in stocks and ETFs.
| Feature |
Trading 212
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Halifax
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When comparing online brokers Trading 212 and Halifax, it is important to note that neither platform currently offers crypto trading options.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Trading 212 | Halifax | |
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| Review | Trading 212 Review | Halifax Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Trading 212 | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | No | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds | No | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | No | Yes | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | |||
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Trading Fees | Trading 212 | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1 | £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) | |||
| 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 | £36 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £0 | £36 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £0 | £36 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £0 | £36 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | £9.50 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | N/A | £9.50 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £0 | £0 / £3.50 / £9.50 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £0 | £0 / £3.50 / £9.50 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | N/A | £25 |
| Broker Screenshots | Trading 212 | Halifax | |
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| Platforms & Tools | Trading 212 | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 95 | ||
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 8 | ||
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | Trading 212 | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | No | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | No | Yes | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
| Education | Trading 212 | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | No | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | No | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Overall Summary | Trading 212 | Halifax | |
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| Review | Trading 212 Review | Halifax Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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