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Interactive Brokers vs Hargreaves Lansdown 2025

StockBrokers.com

Written by StockBrokers.com

July 31, 2025

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

Interactive Brokers
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, Interactive Brokers 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

Interactive Brokers vs Hargreaves Lansdown: both let UK investors trade shares, ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, gilts, and investment trusts. Interactive Brokers also offers crypto trading, while Hargreaves Lansdown does not. Neither supports CFD trading in this comparison, and spread betting isn’t listed. If you want access to crypto, Interactive Brokers has the edge; if you prefer advisor services, Hargreaves Lansdown provides them while Interactive Brokers does not.

Both earn 5 stars for investment choices from UK.StockBrokers.com. In the latest rankings out of 21 brokers, Interactive Brokers is placed #2 for Investment Choices, while Hargreaves Lansdown is #4.

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

Featured Offers


IG
4.5/5 Stars

Low-cost US and UK shares.

Interactive Brokers
4.5/5 Stars

Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.

Trading Tools

For charting, Interactive Brokers offers 16 drawing tools and 94 technical indicators, but it cannot display corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends), add notes, or apply index or stock overlays. Hargreaves Lansdown provides 11 drawing tools and 109 technical indicators; like Interactive Brokers it doesn’t show corporate events or allow notes or index overlays, but it does support stock overlays. Put simply, Hargreaves Lansdown wins on indicator count and the option to compare shares on the same chart, while Interactive Brokers offers more drawing tools.

Both brokers have a browser-based trading platform and support price alerts. A key difference is market data: Hargreaves Lansdown offers real-time quotes, while Interactive Brokers does not. If live pricing and stock overlays matter most, Hargreaves Lansdown is the better fit; if you value a wider range of drawing tools, Interactive Brokers may suit.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Hargreaves Lansdown logoHargreaves Lansdown
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Stock Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 94 109
Charting - Drawing Tools info 16 11
Charting - Notes info No No
Charting - Display Corporate Events info No No
Charting - Stock Overlays info No Yes
Charting - Index Overlays info No No

ISAs and SIPPs

When comparing Interactive Brokers to Hargreaves Lansdown for retirement accounts in the UK, both online brokers provide Individual Savings Accounts (ISA) and Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) accounts to help you reach your financial goals. This makes each a versatile option for those looking to manage their investments while planning for retirement. Interactive Brokers and Hargreaves Lansdown allow investors to take advantages of tax-efficient savings plans, adding flexibility and control over your retirement planning strategy.

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

Mobile App

Comparing Interactive Brokers vs Hargreaves Lansdown mobile apps for UK investors: both offer iPhone and Android apps, but UK.StockBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers higher at 5 stars and ranks it 4th of 21 for Mobile Apps, while Hargreaves Lansdown receives 4 stars and ranks 10th. If you want a higher-rated trading app, Interactive Brokers edges ahead, while Hargreaves Lansdown remains a familiar choice for straightforward investing on the go.

Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.

Beginners and Education

For UK beginners comparing online brokers, both Interactive Brokers and Hargreaves Lansdown offer educational client webinars, keep sessions archived for on-demand viewing, and provide clear guides on share trading, funds, and retirement. UK.StockBrokers.com rates both 5 out of 5 for beginner education, but Hargreaves Lansdown ranks higher overall (#4 of 21) than Interactive Brokers (#8 of 21). If you want accessible webinars and straightforward learning on core investing topics, either is a strong pick; if ranking is your tie-breaker, Hargreaves Lansdown edges ahead.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Hargreaves Lansdown logoHargreaves Lansdown
Client Webinars info Yes Yes
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes Yes
Education (Share Trading) info Yes 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

For UK investors seeking extensive market research features, both Interactive Brokers and Hargreaves Lansdown provide a comprehensive suite of options. Each platform offers research reports for funds, ensuring investors have access to detailed insights. They also both allow users to view portfolio allocation by asset class, aiding users in maintaining a balanced investment portfolio. Additionally, research capabilities for shares, ETFs, funds, and bonds are available on both platforms, ensuring that investors have ample resources to make informed decisions across different investment types.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Hargreaves Lansdown logoHargreaves Lansdown
Research - Shares info Yes Yes
Research - ETFs info Yes Yes
Research - Bonds info Yes Yes
Research - Funds info Yes Yes
Fund Research - Research Reports info Yes Yes
Portfolio Allocation Breakdown info Yes Yes

Interactive Brokers vs Hargreaves Lansdown Winner

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

Interactive Brokers is a sophisticated trading platform aimed at confident and institutional-grade investors. For newer investors, Interactive Brokers is more intimidating, though it's worth exploring the platform to see if you could save money or access more investments compared to other brokers.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
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 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with Interactive Brokers or Hargreaves Lansdown?

Interactive Brokers provides investors the option to trade cryptocurrencies, a feature not available with Hargreaves Lansdown, appealing to traders seeking exposure to digital assets.

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Overall Rating Interactive Brokers 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 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Review Interactive Brokers Review Hargreaves Lansdown Review
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Investments Interactive Brokers Hargreaves Lansdown
ISA info Yes Yes
SIPP info Yes Yes
Share Trading info Yes Yes
CFD Trading info No No
Mutual Funds info Yes Yes
ETFs info Yes Yes
Bonds - Corporate info Yes Yes
Bonds - Government (Gilts) info Yes Yes
Investment Trusts info Yes Yes
Spread Betting info No No
Crypto Trading info Yes info
Advisor Services info No Yes
Trading Fees Interactive Brokers Hargreaves Lansdown
Minimum Deposit info £0 £100
Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month info £3 £11.95
Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month info £3 £8.95
Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month info £3 £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 £0 Up to £1,125
Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K info £0 £1125 - £1750
Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m info £0 £1750 - £3000
Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over info £0 £3,000 - £4,000
Bonds - Corporate - Fee info 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) £20 - £50
Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee info 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) £20 - £50
ETFs - Fee info £3 £11.95
Investment Trusts - Fee info £3 £11.95
Telephone Dealing Fee info £25 £20 - £50 info
Broker Screenshots Interactive Brokers Hargreaves Lansdown
Website Gallery (click to expand)
The home page of the Interactive Brokers website (demo account). The order ticket on the IBKR website. List of available indicators for the charts when viewing a share price on the IBKR website.
Comparing two stock charts on the Hargreaves Lansdown website. Hargreaves Lansdown website key stock financials Hargreaves Lansdown website stock chart Hargreaves Lansdown website set limit order Searching for investments on the Hargreaves Lansdown website. Hargreaves Lansdown website portfolio analysis Hargreaves Lansdown website Active Savings Hub
Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand)
The home screen of the IBKR mobile app. The customisation screen for the homepage of the IBKR mobile app. The watchlist on the IBKR mobile app. Share price information for Barclays stock on the IBKR mobile app. Viewing a stock chart for Lloyds Bank on the IBKR mobile app. The order ticket on the IBKR mobile app (slide to buy). Order fulfillment screen on the IBKR mobile app. Various order types available on the IBKR mobile app. Setting advanced order conditions on the IBKR mobile app. The Learn page of the IBKR mobile app. IBKR GlobalTrader home page. The trade ticket on the IBKR GlobalTrader mobile app. Order preview for purchasing Apple stock on the IBKR GlobalTrader app.
The home page of the Hargreaves Lansdown mobile app. Watchlist tab of the Hargreaves Lansdown mobile app. A chart of Apple on the Hargreaves Lansdown mobile app. News and Insights tab of the Hargreaves Lansdown mobile app. Curated investment ideas on the Hargreaves Lansdown mobile app.
Education Gallery (click to expand)
Platforms & Tools Interactive Brokers 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 94 109
Charting - Drawing Tools info 16 11
Charting - Notes info No No
Charting - Display Corporate Events info No No
Charting - Stock Overlays info No Yes
Charting - Index Overlays info No No
Research Interactive Brokers Hargreaves Lansdown
Research - Shares info Yes Yes
Research - CFDs info
Research - Funds info Yes Yes
Fund Research - Research Reports info Yes Yes
Research - ETFs info Yes Yes
Research - Bonds info Yes Yes
Portfolio Allocation Breakdown info Yes Yes
Education Interactive Brokers Hargreaves Lansdown
Education (Share Trading) info Yes Yes
Education (Funds) info Yes Yes
Education (Retirement) info Yes Yes
Client Webinars info Yes Yes
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes Yes
Overall Summary Interactive Brokers 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 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Review Interactive Brokers Review Hargreaves Lansdown Review
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