Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Hargreaves Lansdown vs IG, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, investment options, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
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 - Hargreaves Lansdown would cost £59.75 / £104.75 if in ISA. per year, while IG would cost £136 per year.
12 trades per year - Hargreaves Lansdown would cost £143.40 / £188.40 if in ISA. per year, while IG would cost £96 per year.
36 trades per year - Hargreaves Lansdown would cost £430.20 / £475.20 if in ISA. per year, while IG would cost £108 per year.
120 trades per year - Hargreaves Lansdown would cost £1,074 / £1,119 if in ISA. per year, while IG would cost £360 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Hargreaves Lansdown would cost £1 per year, while IG 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 it comes to online brokers, Hargreaves Lansdown and IG offer a variety of options for traders. Both platforms support share and ETF trading, and they also allow you to trade investment trusts. However, Hargreaves Lansdown distinguishes itself by providing access to funds, corporate bonds, government bonds, and advisor services—a wider range of traditional investment products compared to IG. On the other hand, IG offers CFD trading, which Hargreaves Lansdown does not, catering to those interested in speculative trading without the need to own underlying securities.
Despite IG's broader market for CFDs, Hargreaves Lansdown secures a stronger rating from UK.StockBrokers.com at 5 stars, compared to IG's 4.5-star rating for investment choices. This is reflected in their rankings, with Hargreaves Lansdown positioned at #4 and IG at #10 out of 18 brokers. While both platforms offer strong features, Hargreaves Lansdown's comprehensive selection of conventional investment options might appeal more to those focused on long-term growth, whereas IG serves as a solid choice for traders seeking strategic leverage through CFDs.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
IG
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | Yes |
| Crypto Trading | No | No |
| Advisor Services | Yes | No |
| Investment Choices |
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Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Low-cost US and UK shares.
When it comes to trading tools, both Hargreaves Lansdown and IG offer comprehensive features that cater to traders' needs. Both platforms allow users to display corporate events, such as earnings, splits, and dividends, on their charts. However, they differ in some specific functionalities. IG stands out with a more extensive range of charting tools, offering 19 drawing tools compared to Hargreaves Lansdown's 11, and 33 technical indicators versus 15 from Hargreaves Lansdown. Additionally, IG allows traders to add notes to their charts, a feature that isn't available with Hargreaves Lansdown.
Hargreaves Lansdown presents its unique advantages as well. Unlike IG, it provides the capability to add index and stock overlays to charts, which can be critical for detailed analysis. Both platforms offer browser-based trading platforms, stock price update alerts, and real-time market data, ensuring traders have access to essential trading functionalities. In choosing between the two, prospective users should consider whether they prioritize the broader drawing and indicator options of IG or the overlay features available with Hargreaves Lansdown.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
IG
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 15 | 33 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 11 | 19 |
| Charting - Notes | No | Yes |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
When comparing the retirement account offerings of online brokers Hargreaves Lansdown and IG, both provide comprehensive options for savers seeking to grow their investments with tax advantages. Hargreaves Lansdown and IG each offer Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs), allowing investors to benefit from tax-free growth and withdrawals. Moreover, both platforms provide Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), giving individuals a flexible and efficient way to manage their retirement savings, with contributions benefiting from tax relief. This affordable access to ISAs and SIPPs makes both Hargreaves Lansdown and IG viable options for those looking to secure their financial future.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
Both Hargreaves Lansdown and IG offer user-friendly mobile apps available for iPhone and Android devices, catering to a broad spectrum of online trading needs. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, IG's mobile app is rated a perfect 5 stars, while Hargreaves Lansdown's app follows closely with a 4.5-star rating. However, when considering overall rankings among 18 brokers, Hargreaves Lansdown claims the higher spot at #4, whereas IG is positioned at #6. These ratings and rankings highlight both brokers' strong mobile offerings, with Hargreaves Lansdown taking a slight lead in overall rankings despite IG's slightly superior app rating.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing the beginner investor educational resources offered by Hargreaves Lansdown and IG, both platforms offer valuable insights but cater to different learning preferences. Hargreaves Lansdown provides educational webinars, although they are not available on demand, focusing on topics like share trading, funds, and retirement. IG, on the other hand, excels with webinars that can be accessed anytime and covers share trading and retirement, though it lacks a focus on funds. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, both platforms are highly rated, each earning five stars for their educational offerings. However, Hargreaves Lansdown holds a slightly higher rank at #4 compared to IG's #7 among 18 brokers for beginner education.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
IG
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing Hargreaves Lansdown and IG for market research features, both online brokers provide research reports for funds. Hargreaves Lansdown stands out by offering a detailed look at portfolio allocation by asset class, a feature not available with IG. Both brokers excel in shares and ETFs research, but only Hargreaves Lansdown provides comprehensive funds and bonds research. In contrast, IG uniquely provides CFDs research, which Hargreaves Lansdown does not. This makes Hargreaves Lansdown more suitable for investors interested in a broad range of traditional asset research, while IG caters well to those focused on CFDs.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
IG
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | No | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No |
| Research - Funds | Yes | No |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
Which broker is better overall, Hargreaves Lansdown or IG? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Hargreaves Lansdown to be a better trading platform overall.
As the U.K.’s biggest investment platform for individual investors, Hargreaves Lansdown offers a wide range of investment choices for either beginners or seasoned investors. However, its fees are generally more expensive than rival brokers, which can become an issue for large investment pots.
| Feature |
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IG
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When comparing online brokers Hargreaves Lansdown and IG, neither platform offers crypto trading, making them similar in terms of cryptocurrency investment options.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Hargreaves Lansdown | IG | |
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| Review | Hargreaves Lansdown Review | IG Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Hargreaves Lansdown | IG | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | No | Yes | |
| Funds | Yes | No | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | Yes | |
| Crypto Trading | No | No | |
| Advisor Services | Yes | No |
| Trading Fees | Hargreaves Lansdown | IG | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £11.95 | £0-£10 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £8.95 | £3 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £5.95 | £3 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £59.75 / £104.75 if in ISA. | £136 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £143.40 / £188.40 if in ISA. | £96 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £430.20 / £475.20 if in ISA. | £108 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £1,074 / £1,119 if in ISA. | £360 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £135 | N/A | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | Up to £1,125 | £0 / £96 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | Up to £625 | £0 / £96 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | Up to £1,250 | £0 / £96 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | Up to £1,000 | £0 / £96 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £20 - £50 | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £20 - £50 | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £5.95 - £11.95 | £0 - £8 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £5.95 - £11.95 | £0 - £8 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £20 - £50 | £50 |
| Broker Screenshots | Hargreaves Lansdown | IG | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Platforms & Tools | Hargreaves Lansdown | IG | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 15 | 33 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 11 | 19 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
| Research | Hargreaves Lansdown | IG | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | No | Yes | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | No | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
| Education | Hargreaves Lansdown | IG | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| Overall Summary | Hargreaves Lansdown | IG | |
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| Review | Hargreaves Lansdown Review | IG Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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