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IG vs Hargreaves Lansdown 2023

StockBrokers.com

Written by StockBrokers.com

February 23, 2023

Is IG better than Hargreaves Lansdown? After scoring the best share dealing accounts across 46 different variables, our analysis finds that IG is better than Hargreaves Lansdown. IG stands out as a top U.K. broker, thanks largely to its excellent online trading platform. Strong functionality comes with industry-standard commission rates and fees, a huge variety of trading tools, and user-friendly mobile apps.

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Overall RatingIGHargreaves Lansdown
Overall Rating 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Offering of Investments 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 4/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Review IG Review Hargreaves Lansdown Review
Winner check_circle
InvestmentsIGHargreaves Lansdown
ISA Yes Yes
SIPP Yes 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 Yes Yes
Spread Betting Yes No
Crypto Trading No No
Advisor Services No Yes
Trading FeesIGHargreaves Lansdown
Minimum Deposit £0.0 £1.0
Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month £3 to £8 £11.95
Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month £3 £8.95
Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month £3 £5.95
5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) £30-£40 £59.75
12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) £96 £143.4
36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) £108 £430.2
120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) £360 £1074
3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) £24 £135
Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 £96 (can reduce by trading) 0.45%
Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K £96 0.25%
Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m £96 0.25%
Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over £96 0.10%
Bonds - Corporate - Fee N/A 1% (20-50) or £11.95
Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee N/A 1% £20 minimum
ETFs - Fee £8 £11.95
Investment Trusts - Fee £8 £11.95
Telephone Dealing Fee £40-£50 1% of the trade value, mininmum £20 maximum £50
Platforms & ToolsIGHargreaves Lansdown
Web Platform Yes Yes
iPhone App Yes Yes
Android App Yes Yes
Stock Alerts Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies 33 20
Charting - Drawing Tools 19 1
Charting - Notes Yes No
Charting - Display Corporate Events Yes Yes
Charting - Stock Overlays Yes Yes
Charting - Index Overlays Yes Yes
ResearchIGHargreaves Lansdown
Research - Shares Yes No
Research - CFDs Yes No
Research - Funds Yes Yes
Fund Research - Research Reports No Yes
Research - ETFs Yes Yes
Research - Bonds No Yes
Portfolio Allocation Breakdown No Yes
EducationIGHargreaves Lansdown
Has Education - Share Trading Yes Yes
Has Education - Funds Yes Yes
Has Education - Retirement Yes Yes
Client Webinars Yes Yes
Client Webinars (Archived) Yes No
Overall SummaryIGHargreaves Lansdown
Overall Rating 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Offering of Investments 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 4/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Review IG Review Hargreaves Lansdown 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
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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 IG and Hargreaves Lansdown.

IG vs Hargreaves Lansdown Comparison

For our 2022 Review, we assessed the best trading platforms in the UK for online share dealing. Let's compare IG vs Hargreaves Lansdown.

Is IG a good broker?

IG stands out as a top U.K. broker, thanks largely to its excellent online trading platform. Strong functionality comes with industry-standard commission rates and fees, a huge variety of trading tools, and user-friendly mobile apps.

Is Hargreaves Lansdown a good broker?

Hargreaves Lansdown has a wide range of sophisticated research accompanied by a comprehensive selection of investment options and a user-friendly mobile app. However, pricing is expensive, the charting tools are average and educational resources are only in line with industry standards.

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, IG offers better pricing than Hargreaves Lansdown 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 - IG would cost £30-£40 per year, while Hargreaves Lansdown would cost £59.75 per year.

12 trades per year - IG would cost £96 per year, while Hargreaves Lansdown would cost £143.4 per year.

36 trades per year - IG would cost £108 per year, while Hargreaves Lansdown would cost £430.2 per year.

120 trades per year - IG would cost £360 per year, while Hargreaves Lansdown would cost £1074 per year.

3 fund trades per year - IG would cost 0 per year, while Hargreaves Lansdown would cost 1 per year.

How do IG and Hargreaves Lansdown compare in terms of minimum deposits required?

IG requires a minimum deposit of £0, while Hargreaves Lansdown requires a minimum deposit of £1. From our testing we found for accounts between £0 - £250,000 IG charges annual custody fees of £96 (can reduce by trading), while Hargreaves Lansdown charges annual custody fees of 0.45%.

Which broker offers a wider range of investment options?

IG offers investors access to ISA, SIPP, Share Trading, CFD Trading, ETFs, Investment Trusts and Spread Betting, while Hargreaves Lansdown offers investors access to ISA, SIPP, Share Trading, Funds, ETFs, Bonds - Corporate, Bonds - Government (Gilts), Investment Trusts and Advisor Services. Neither have 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 IG and Hargreaves Lansdown 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 Both IG and Hargreaves Lansdown offer SIPP and ISA accounts.

Do IG and Hargreaves Lansdown 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 IG and Hargreaves Lansdown offer crypto investing.

Which broker offers better research?

Our testing concluded that Hargreaves Lansdown is better for research than IG. Hargreaves Lansdown offers more research options, including research reports, articles, and analyst ratings.

Which trading platform is better?

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

Do IG and Hargreaves Lansdown 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 IG offers traders access to Client Webinars, Client Webinars (Archived), Has Education - Share Trading, Has Education - Funds and Has Education - Retirement, while Hargreaves Lansdown offers access to Client Webinars, Has Education - Share Trading, Has Education - Funds and Has Education - Retirement.

Overall winner: IG

Read Next: Best UK Trading Platforms 2022


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