Written by StockBrokers.com
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.
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.
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 - Interactive Brokers would cost £15 per year, while Hargreaves Lansdown would cost £59.75 / £104.75 if in ISA. per year.
12 trades per year - Interactive Brokers would cost £36 per year, while Hargreaves Lansdown would cost £143.40 / £188.40 if in ISA. per year.
36 trades per year - Interactive Brokers would cost £108 per year, while Hargreaves Lansdown would cost £430.20 / £475.20 if in ISA. per year.
120 trades per year - Interactive Brokers would cost £360 per year, while Hargreaves Lansdown would cost £1,074 / £1,119 if in ISA. per year.
3 fund trades per year - Interactive Brokers would cost £0 per year, while Hargreaves Lansdown would cost £1 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.
Interactive Brokers and Hargreaves Lansdown both excel in offering diverse investment choices, each boasting a 5-star rating by UK.StockBrokers.com. However, when stepping into the world of modern investments, Interactive Brokers holds a slight edge. While both platforms provide opportunities for share trading, ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds, and investment trusts, Interactive Brokers widens the scope by also offering crypto trading and CFDs—two areas where Hargreaves Lansdown doesn't compete. This gives Interactive Brokers a distinct appeal, particularly for those interested in a more varied portfolio.
Despite these differences, Hargreaves Lansdown sets itself apart by offering advisor services, a feature absent from Interactive Brokers. This is a valuable resource for investors seeking professional guidance in their investment decisions. Ranked as the second-best for investment choices by UK.StockBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers is a great option, especially if you prefer a broader range of trading options without the need for advisory support. Meanwhile, Hargreaves Lansdown stands solidly at rank four, appealing to those prioritizing advisory services alongside traditional investment avenues.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | Yes |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | 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.
For UK investors comparing the online trading tools of Interactive Brokers and Hargreaves Lansdown, both platforms excel in offering essential features like displaying corporate events on charts and providing browser-based platforms. Interactive Brokers comes out ahead with an impressive array of 80 drawing tools and 96 technical indicators, compared to Hargreaves Lansdown's 11 drawing tools and 15 indicators. This makes Interactive Brokers particularly appealing for those interested in extensive chart analysis. Additionally, Interactive Brokers supports the addition of notes to charts, a feature absent in Hargreaves Lansdown’s toolset.
Both brokers offer functionalities like index and stock overlays on charts, and tools to create alerts for stock price changes, providing traders with the ability to personalize and control their trading environment. While Interactive Brokers offers an extensive range of charting options, it lacks real-time market data, unlike Hargreaves Lansdown which provides this crucial feature. This could be a deciding factor for those who value up-to-the-minute market insights. Ultimately, traders may choose between the two based on their specific needs for advanced charting capabilities or immediate market data access.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 96 | 15 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 80 | 11 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | Yes |
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.
In the comparison of online brokers, both Interactive Brokers and Hargreaves Lansdown provide mobile apps compatible with iPhone and Android phones, catering to the needs of modern investors seeking flexibility on-the-go. Examined by UK.StockBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers shines with a full five-star rating and secures the fourth spot out of 18 brokers for its mobile app performance, reflecting an exceptional user experience. Meanwhile, Hargreaves Lansdown, with a commendable 4.5-star rating, is positioned at the 10th rank, offering a solid app experience for its users. For UK traders seeking reliable mobile trading solutions, Interactive Brokers holds a slight edge in ranking and user satisfaction according to these evaluations.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For beginner investors in the UK looking to enhance their financial knowledge, both Interactive Brokers and Hargreaves Lansdown provide a variety of educational resources. Both platforms offer webinars aimed at clients, although Interactive Brokers archives these sessions for on-demand viewing, whereas Hargreaves Lansdown does not. When it comes to educational material on share trading, funds, and retirement, both brokers cover these essential topics. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars and is ranked 8th out of 18 brokers for beginner education. In comparison, Hargreaves Lansdown boasts a higher rating of 5 stars and is ranked 4th, making it a slightly more favored choice for newcomers seeking educational support.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
Interactive Brokers and Hargreaves Lansdown both provide comprehensive market research features for UK investors, including research reports for funds, portfolio allocation insights by asset class, and research coverage for shares, ETFs, and bonds. However, Interactive Brokers stands out by also offering research on CFDs, a feature not available with Hargreaves Lansdown. Whether you're interested in diversified portfolio strategies or specific asset research, both platforms provide valuable tools, with Interactive Brokers offering a slightly wider scope in terms of CFD research.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
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.
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Hargreaves Lansdown
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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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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Interactive Brokers | Hargreaves Lansdown | |
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| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Hargreaves Lansdown Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Interactive Brokers | Hargreaves Lansdown | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No | |
| Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | No | |
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Trading Fees | Interactive Brokers | Hargreaves Lansdown | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £1 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £3 | £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) | £15 | £59.75 / £104.75 if in ISA. | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £36 | £143.40 / £188.40 if in ISA. | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £108 | £430.20 / £475.20 if in ISA. | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £360 | £1,074 / £1,119 if in ISA. | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 / £14.85 | £135 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £0 | Up to £1,125 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £0 | Up to £625 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £0 | Up to £1,250 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £0 | Up to £1,000 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) | £20 - £50 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) | £20 - £50 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £3 | £5.95 - £11.95 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | N/A | £5.95 - £11.95 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £25 | £20 - £50 |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | Hargreaves Lansdown | |
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| Platforms & Tools | Interactive Brokers | Hargreaves Lansdown | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 96 | 15 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 80 | 11 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | Hargreaves Lansdown | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | No | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | Yes | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | Hargreaves Lansdown | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Overall Summary | Interactive Brokers | Hargreaves Lansdown | |
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| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Hargreaves Lansdown Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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