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.
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.
XTB and Halifax both let UK investors buy and sell shares and ETFs, and neither supports crypto. XTB also offers CFD trading, but it does not provide funds, corporate or government bonds (gilts), or investment trusts, and it has no adviser services. Halifax does not offer CFDs, but it does provide funds, corporate bonds, gilts, investment trusts, and access to adviser services. Spread betting availability was not specified for either broker.
For investment choice, UK.StockBrokers.com rates both at 4.5/5 stars; Halifax ranks 8th of 21 brokers, while XTB ranks 12th. In short: choose XTB if you want share, ETF and CFD trading; pick Halifax if you want a wider range for long‑term investing, including funds and bonds, plus the option of advice.
| Feature |
XTB
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | No | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | Yes |
| Investment Trusts | No | 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.
XTB vs Halifax for trading tools: XTB lets you show corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends) directly on charts and supports both index and individual stock overlays, plus simple notes. Halifax also supports notes, but doesn’t show corporate events or offer index/stock overlays. For pure charting depth, Halifax provides more drawing tools (8 vs 4) and many more technical indicators (95 vs 13), which may suit detail‑oriented UK investors.
Both brokers offer a browser-based platform. If you want price alerts, Halifax has them while XTB does not. If you need real-time market data in your platform, XTB offers it and Halifax does not. Your choice comes down to whether you prefer richer chart studies and alerts (Halifax) or real-time data and clearer context on charts via events and overlays (XTB).
| Feature |
XTB
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 13 | 95 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 4 | 8 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
When comparing online brokers XTB and Halifax for UK investors interested in retirement accounts, it's essential to consider the types of accounts each offers. XTB provides ISA accounts, allowing you to save or invest up to a certain limit each year without paying tax on gains. However, XTB does not support SIPP accounts, which are specifically designed for self-managed personal pensions. On the other hand, Halifax offers both ISA and SIPP accounts, providing a more comprehensive range of options for retirement savings and investment. Thus, if having access to a SIPP is important for your retirement strategy, Halifax might be a more suitable choice.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
For UK mobile trading, both XTB and Halifax offer iPhone and Android apps, but UK.StockBrokers.com rates XTB higher at 4.5/5 stars versus Halifax at 3.5/5. In the site’s Mobile Apps ranking of 21 brokers, XTB places #9 while Halifax is #15, suggesting XTB’s mobile app is more highly regarded overall.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
XTB and Halifax both skip live or on-demand client webinars, but each offers beginner-friendly guides on share trading. For broader learning, Halifax adds resources on funds and retirement, while XTB does not cover those topics. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, XTB scores 4.5/5 and ranks 8th of 21 for beginner education, ahead of Halifax at 4/5 and 12th of 21—making XTB the stronger pick for core trading education, while Halifax suits UK beginners seeking extra help with funds and retirement.
| Feature |
XTB
|
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.
For UK investors comparing XTB vs Halifax on market research, both brokers offer shares research and ETF research, but only Halifax provides fund research, bond research, and research reports for funds—features XTB lacks. If you need analysis on mutual funds or fixed income, Halifax is the stronger pick, while XTB suits those focused mainly on shares and ETFs. Note that neither platform shows portfolio allocation by asset class.
| Feature |
XTB
|
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 | No | No |
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 is a low-cost investing platform best known for its commission-free stock and ETF trading, free ISA, and strong educational content for newer investors.
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Halifax
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Both XTB and Halifax do not offer cryptocurrency trading options to their users, making them similar in this regard for those considering online brokers based on crypto trading availability.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | XTB | Halifax | |
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| Review | XTB Review | Halifax Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | XTB | 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 | No | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | |||
| Advisor Services | No | 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) | |||
| 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 | N/A | £36 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | N/A | £36 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | N/A | £36 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | N/A | £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 | N/A | £0 / £3.50 / £9.50 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | N/A | £25 |
| Broker Screenshots | XTB | Halifax | |
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| Platforms & Tools | XTB | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 13 | 95 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 4 | 8 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
| Research | XTB | 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 | No | No |
| Education | XTB | 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 | XTB | Halifax | |
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| Review | XTB Review | Halifax Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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