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IG vs Hargreaves Lansdown 2026

StockBrokers.com

Written by StockBrokers.com

July 31, 2025

In this head to head comparison of IG vs Hargreaves Lansdown, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, investment options, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.

IG
4.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: £0
  • ISA: Yes
  • SIPP: Yes
Hargreaves Lansdown
4.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: £100
  • ISA: Yes
  • SIPP: Yes

Your capital is at risk.

Fees

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.

query_stats 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.

Investment Choices

IG vs Hargreaves Lansdown: both let UK investors trade shares, ETFs, and investment trusts. IG also offers crypto and CFD trading, which Hargreaves Lansdown does not. By contrast, Hargreaves Lansdown provides access to funds, corporate bonds, and government bonds (gilts), plus optional adviser services—none of which are available with IG.

For investment choices, UK.StockBrokers.com rates both brokers 5 stars. In its rankings, Hargreaves Lansdown is 5th out of 21 brokers, while IG is 6th. In short, IG suits those who want crypto or CFDs, while Hargreaves Lansdown is better if you need funds, bonds, or professional advice.

Feature IG logoIG
Hargreaves Lansdown logoHargreaves Lansdown
Share Trading info Yes Yes
CFD Trading info Yes No
ETFs info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds info No Yes
Bonds - Government (Gilts) info No Yes
Investment Trusts info Yes Yes
Spread Betting info Yes No
Crypto Trading info Yes No
Advisor Services info No Yes
Investment Choices 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars

Featured Offers


4.5/5 Stars

Low-cost US and UK shares.

4.5/5 Stars

Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.

Trading Tools

Comparing IG and Hargreaves Lansdown for trading tools and charting? IG lets you display corporate events like earnings, splits and dividends directly on charts; Hargreaves Lansdown does not. IG also provides 19 drawing tools (vs 11 on Hargreaves Lansdown), while Hargreaves Lansdown offers a larger set of technical indicators (109 vs 33 on IG).

For everyday platform features, both brokers offer a browser-based platform, real-time market data and price alerts. IG lets you add notes to charts and apply index overlays, as well as stock overlays; Hargreaves Lansdown supports stock overlays but not chart notes or index overlays.

Feature IG logoIG
Hargreaves Lansdown logoHargreaves Lansdown
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Stock Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 33 109
Charting - Drawing Tools info 19 11
Charting - Notes info Yes No
Charting - Display Corporate Events info Yes No
Charting - Stock Overlays info Yes Yes
Charting - Index Overlays info Yes No

ISAs and SIPPs

When considering online brokers in the UK for retirement accounts, both IG and Hargreaves Lansdown offer appealing options. Each provides Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), making it easy for investors to plan their financial futures. IG's platform offers a streamlined approach that caters to those seeking simplicity in managing their investments. Meanwhile, Hargreaves Lansdown is renowned for its extensive research resources and customer service, particularly beneficial for those who prefer comprehensive support alongside their investment tools. Both brokers cater to a range of investment needs, but the choice between them may hinge on the user’s preference for either IG’s straightforward platform or Hargreaves Lansdown’s in-depth resources.

Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.

Mobile App

For UK investors comparing online brokers, IG and Hargreaves Lansdown both offer iPhone and Android mobile apps. UK.StockBrokers.com rates IG’s mobile app 5 stars and ranks it #2 out of 21 brokers, while Hargreaves Lansdown’s app receives 4 stars and ranks #11, suggesting IG is the stronger choice if you prioritise app quality and rankings.

Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.

Beginners and Education

For UK beginner investors comparing IG and Hargreaves Lansdown, both online brokers run educational webinars and keep them available on demand, and both cover funds and retirement. Hargreaves Lansdown also teaches share trading, while IG does not. Even so, UK.StockBrokers.com rates both 5/5 for beginner education; IG ranks #1 of 21 brokers and Hargreaves Lansdown ranks #5. If you want on-demand webinars plus fund and retirement learning, either fits, but for share trading lessons choose Hargreaves Lansdown, while IG leads overall in the rankings.

Feature IG logoIG
Hargreaves Lansdown logoHargreaves Lansdown
Client Webinars info Yes Yes
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes Yes
Education (Share Trading) info No Yes
Education (Funds) info Yes Yes
Education (Retirement) info Yes Yes
Education 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.

Market Research

Comparing IG and Hargreaves Lansdown for market research, both let you view portfolio allocation by asset class and offer research on shares and ETFs, plus each provides research reports for funds. However, Hargreaves Lansdown goes further with dedicated research on funds and bonds, while IG does not offer bond research and lacks a fuller funds research section beyond its fund reports. For UK investors seeking broader coverage across asset types, Hargreaves Lansdown has the edge; if you mainly need shares and ETF insights with basic fund reports and allocation tools, IG covers the essentials.

Feature IG logoIG
Hargreaves Lansdown logoHargreaves Lansdown
Research - Shares info Yes Yes
Research - ETFs info Yes Yes
Research - Bonds info No Yes
Research - Funds info No Yes
Fund Research - Research Reports info Yes Yes
Portfolio Allocation Breakdown info Yes Yes

IG vs Hargreaves Lansdown Winner

Which broker is better overall, IG or Hargreaves Lansdown? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found IG to be a better trading platform overall.

IG is an investment platform aimed at experienced investors looking to make frequent trades on the stock market, with thousands of shares, trusts and ETFs to trade. It offers a comprehensive and easy-to-use trading platform that is used by both private and professional investors.

Feature IG logoIG
Hargreaves Lansdown logoHargreaves Lansdown
Overall Rating 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Choices 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Mobile App 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Website 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with IG or Hargreaves Lansdown?

IG vs Hargreaves Lansdown: the online broker IG offers cryptocurrency trading, whereas Hargreaves Lansdown does not.

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Compare

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Overall Rating IG Hargreaves Lansdown
Overall Rating 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Choices 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Mobile App 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Website 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Review IG Review Hargreaves Lansdown Review
Winner check_circle
Investments IG Hargreaves Lansdown
ISA info Yes Yes
SIPP info Yes Yes
Share Trading info Yes Yes
CFD Trading info Yes No
Mutual Funds info No Yes
ETFs info Yes Yes
Bonds - Corporate info No Yes
Bonds - Government (Gilts) info No Yes
Investment Trusts info Yes Yes
Spread Betting info Yes No
Crypto Trading info
Advisor Services info No Yes
Trading Fees IG Hargreaves Lansdown
Minimum Deposit info £0 £100
Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month info £0 info £11.95
Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month info £0 info £8.95
Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month info £0 info £5.95
5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info
12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info
36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info
120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info
3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) info
Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £0 - £250,000 info N/A info Up to £1,125
Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K info N/A info £1125 - £1750
Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m info N/A info £1750 - £3000
Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over info N/A info £3,000 - £4,000
Bonds - Corporate - Fee info N/A £20 - £50
Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee info N/A £20 - £50
ETFs - Fee info £0 £11.95
Investment Trusts - Fee info £0 £11.95
Telephone Dealing Fee info £50 £20 - £50 info
Broker Screenshots IG Hargreaves Lansdown
Website Gallery (click to expand)
Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand)
Education Gallery (click to expand)
Platforms & Tools IG Hargreaves Lansdown
Web Platform info Yes Yes
iPhone App info Yes Yes
Android App info Yes Yes
Stock Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 33 109
Charting - Drawing Tools info 19 11
Charting - Notes info Yes No
Charting - Display Corporate Events info Yes No
Charting - Stock Overlays info Yes Yes
Charting - Index Overlays info Yes No
Research IG Hargreaves Lansdown
Research - Shares info Yes Yes
Research - CFDs info
Research - Funds info No Yes
Fund Research - Research Reports info Yes Yes
Research - ETFs info Yes Yes
Research - Bonds info No Yes
Portfolio Allocation Breakdown info Yes Yes
Education IG Hargreaves Lansdown
Education (Share Trading) info No Yes
Education (Funds) info Yes Yes
Education (Retirement) info Yes Yes
Client Webinars info Yes Yes
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes Yes
Overall Summary IG Hargreaves Lansdown
Overall Rating 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Choices 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Mobile App 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Website 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Review IG Review Hargreaves Lansdown Review
Winner check_circle
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