Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of XTB 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, XTB 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 - XTB would cost £0 per year, while Halifax would cost £83.50 per year.
12 trades per year - XTB would cost £0 per year, while Halifax would cost £150 per year.
36 trades per year - XTB would cost £0 per year, while Halifax would cost £378 per year.
120 trades per year - XTB would cost £0 per year, while Halifax would cost £1,176 per year.
3 fund trades per year - XTB 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.
When choosing an online broker in the UK, comparing XTB to Halifax highlights distinct advantages for each based on their available investment choices. XTB offers share trading, ETF trading, and CFDs, making it a solid option for traders interested in these areas. Receiving a commendable 4.5-star rating for investment choices from UK.StockBrokers.com, XTB ranks 13th out of 21 brokers. This positions XTB as a competitive choice for investors looking to engage with shares and ETFs, including a wide array of CFDs for more diverse trading strategies.
In contrast, Halifax stands out with a perfect 5-star rating for its investment offerings, ranking 7th among 21 brokers according to UK.StockBrokers.com. While XTB focuses on certain areas, Halifax excels by providing a broader range of investment options, including trading in ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts), and investment trusts. Additionally, Halifax offers advisory services that can appeal to investors seeking guidance, making it a compelling option for those who appreciate a more traditional investment approach and diverse portfolio choices.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | Yes | |
| Crypto Trading | ||
| Advisor Services | Yes | |
| Investment Choices |
|
|
Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
When comparing the trading tools of XTB and Halifax, it becomes evident that XTB offers a more feature-rich experience for traders in the UK. XTB allows users to display corporate events like earnings, splits, and dividends directly on their charts, enhancing data visualization. It also provides 20 drawing tools and 39 technical indicators to assist traders in conducting detailed analysis. Moreover, XTB supports adding notes to charts, a helpful feature for tracking personal insights and strategies. In contrast, Halifax does not support displaying corporate events on charts, and it lacks drawing tools and technical indicators, which may limit the depth of analysis possible on its platform.
Both XTB and Halifax offer browser-based trading platforms, facilitating easy access to trading from anywhere. Additionally, they provide the ability to create alerts for stock price updates, ensuring traders stay informed about market movements. However, XTB further distinguishes itself by offering real-time market data, a crucial feature for making timely trading decisions. As both platforms cater to different needs, traders who prioritize comprehensive charting tools and real-time data may find XTB to be a more suitable choice.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 39 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 20 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | ||
| Charting - Index Overlays |
When comparing the retirement account offerings of online brokers XTB and Halifax for UK investors, both platforms provide Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs), making them suitable options for tax-efficient savings. However, if you're considering a Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) to build a retirement fund, Halifax has the edge, as it offers SIPP accounts, whereas XTB does not. This distinction is essential for investors focusing on long-term retirement planning and seeking comprehensive account options.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
When comparing the mobile apps of online brokers XTB and Halifax, both are compatible with iPhone and Android devices, ensuring accessibility regardless of your smartphone preference. However, XTB takes the lead with a higher customer rating of 4.5 stars according to UK.StockBrokers.com, while Halifax trails behind with a 3.5-star rating. Users looking for a top-tier app experience may favor XTB, which is ranked 6th among 21 brokers for mobile apps, significantly outperforming Halifax, which is ranked 18th. These differences highlight XTB's edge in providing a more highly regarded mobile trading experience for users in the UK.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing the educational resources for beginner investors offered by online brokers XTB and Halifax, it's clear that each firm has different strengths. XTB provides educational client webinars, although they are not available to view on demand. Their educational resources cover share trading, but lack content on funds and retirement topics. Halifax, on the other hand, does not offer client webinars, either live or archived. While Halifax's educational offerings for share trading, funds, and retirement are unspecified, XTB's targeted lessons place it higher in the educational rankings. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, XTB is rated 4.5 stars and ranks 9th out of 21 brokers for beginner education. In contrast, Halifax scores 3.5 stars and ranks 18th, making XTB a more highly recommended option for those new to investing.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | ||
| Client Webinars (Archived) | ||
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | ||
| Education (Retirement) | ||
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing market research features between XTB and Halifax, there are notable differences to consider. XTB provides tools to view portfolio allocation by asset class, alongside research offerings for shares, ETFs, and CFDs, but it lacks research reports for funds and bonds. Conversely, Halifax offers comprehensive research for shares, ETFs, funds, and bonds, though it does not provide insights on portfolio allocation by asset class or CFDs research. This contrast makes XTB appealing for those focused on a varied financial instrument overview, while Halifax caters more to investors interested in traditional asset research.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | ||
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, XTB or Halifax? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found XTB to be a better trading platform overall.
XTB has set itself up as a strong competitor in commission-free share trading. Its low fees and solid educational content will make XTB particularly attractive to newer investors. It does not, however, offer an ISA or SIPP.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
|
| Charges & Fees |
|
|
| Investment Choices |
|
|
| Mobile App |
|
|
| Website |
|
|
| Ease of Use |
|
|
| Education |
|
|
While XTB provides options for cryptocurrency trading, Halifax does not offer the same service, making XTB a suitable choice for those interested in trading digital currencies.
Select Brokers
↓×Compare
0 of 5| Overall Rating | XTB | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Charges & Fees |
|
| |
| Investment Choices |
|
| |
| Mobile App |
|
| |
| Website |
|
| |
| Ease of Use |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Review | XTB Review | Halifax Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | XTB | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | ||
| Share Trading | Yes | ||
| CFD Trading | Yes | ||
| Funds | Yes | ||
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | ||
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | ||
| Investment Trusts | Yes | ||
| Spread Betting | Yes | ||
| Crypto Trading | |||
| Advisor Services | Yes |
| Trading Fees | XTB | 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 | XTB | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Gallery (click to expand) |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand) |
|
| |
| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
|
|
| Platforms & Tools | XTB | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 39 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 20 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | ||
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | ||
| Charting - Stock Overlays | |||
| Charting - Index Overlays |
| Research | XTB | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | ||
| Research - Funds | Yes | ||
| Fund Research - Research Reports | |||
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | ||
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes |
| Education | XTB | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | ||
| Education (Funds) | |||
| Education (Retirement) | |||
| Client Webinars | |||
| Client Webinars (Archived) |
| Overall Summary | XTB | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Charges & Fees |
|
| |
| Investment Choices |
|
| |
| Mobile App |
|
| |
| Website |
|
| |
| Ease of Use |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Review | XTB Review | Halifax Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
Trading 212 Review
Interactive Brokers Review
Hargreaves Lansdown Review
XTB Review
IG Group Review
eToro Review
Saxo Review
CMC Invest Review
Freetrade Review
Halifax Review
Vanguard Review