Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Hargreaves Lansdown vs Saxo UK, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, investment options, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
Your capital is at risk.
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, Hargreaves Lansdown offers better pricing than Saxo UK for share dealing.
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.
Hargreaves Lansdown and Saxo UK both let you invest in shares, ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, gilts, and investment trusts. Key differences: Hargreaves Lansdown does not offer crypto or CFD trading but does provide adviser services, while Saxo UK offers crypto and CFD trading but no adviser services. Details on spread betting for both are not specified.
For investment choices, both earn 5 out of 5 stars from UK.StockBrokers.com. In the latest rankings of 21 brokers, Saxo UK places #2 and Hargreaves Lansdown ranks #5. If you want crypto or CFDs, Saxo UK may suit you; if you prefer adviser support, Hargreaves Lansdown could be the better fit.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
Saxo UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | Yes |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | Yes |
| Advisor Services | Yes | No |
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Hargreaves Lansdown vs Saxo UK: for charting tools, both let you add stock overlays but not corporate events, notes, or index overlays. Hargreaves Lansdown includes 109 technical indicators and 11 drawing tools, while Saxo UK offers 64 indicators and 20 drawing tools—so HL leans toward indicator-heavy analysis and Saxo UK toward drawing flexibility.
Both brokers provide browser-based trading platforms and price alerts. A key difference is market data: Hargreaves Lansdown supplies real-time data, whereas Saxo UK does not. In short, HL may suit UK traders who want live pricing and a wide set of indicators, while Saxo UK may appeal if you favour more drawing tools and can manage without real-time feeds.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
Saxo UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 109 | 64 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 11 | 20 |
| Charting - Notes | No | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
Hargreaves Lansdown vs Saxo UK: both offer ISA and SIPP accounts for UK investors, providing tax-efficient ways to build retirement savings; with these options available at each broker, compare fees, investment choice, platform ease of use, and customer support to decide which suits your goals.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
For UK investors comparing mobile trading apps, both Hargreaves Lansdown and Saxo UK offer iPhone and Android options, but Saxo UK takes the lead on quality: UK.StockBrokers.com rates Saxo UK 5/5 stars and ranks it #1 out of 21 brokers for Mobile Apps, while Hargreaves Lansdown earns 4/5 stars and ranks #11. If you want the top-rated experience, Saxo UK stands out; if you already use Hargreaves Lansdown, its app remains a solid, user-friendly choice on iOS and Android.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
Hargreaves Lansdown and Saxo UK both suit beginners, offering live and on-demand educational webinars plus clear resources on share trading, funds and retirement. UK.StockBrokers.com rates each 5 out of 5 for beginner education, though Saxo UK ranks higher overall at #2 of 21, compared with Hargreaves Lansdown at #5. If ranking is your tie-breaker, Saxo UK edges it; for topics and formats, both provide similar support for new investors.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
Saxo UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| 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.
Hargreaves Lansdown vs Saxo UK: both online brokers offer key market research features for UK investors, including research reports for funds, the ability to view portfolio allocation by asset class, and research coverage for shares, ETFs, funds and bonds. With these core tools available on each platform, your choice may come down to fees, platform usability and other account features rather than research capabilities.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
Saxo UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| 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, Hargreaves Lansdown or Saxo UK? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Hargreaves Lansdown to be a better trading platform overall.
Hargreaves Lansdown is a leading U.K. investment platform best known for its extensive range of investments, wide selection of account types, and strong support for long-term investors.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
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Saxo UK
|
|---|---|---|
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Compared with Hargreaves Lansdown, which does not offer crypto trading, Saxo UK supports cryptocurrency trading, making it the better choice for investors seeking crypto exposure.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Hargreaves Lansdown | Saxo UK | |
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| Review | Hargreaves Lansdown Review | Saxo UK Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Hargreaves Lansdown | Saxo UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | No | Yes | |
| Mutual 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 | |||
| Advisor Services | Yes | No |
| Trading Fees | Hargreaves Lansdown | Saxo UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £11.95 | $1 / £3 / €3 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £8.95 | $1 / £3 / €3 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £5.95 | $1 / £3 / €3 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £0 - £250,000 | Up to £1,125 | 0.4%, 0.2%, 0.1% | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £1125 - £1750 | 0.4%, 0.2%, 0.1% | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £1750 - £3000 | 0.4%, 0.2%, 0.1% | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £3,000 - £4,000 | 0.4%, 0.2%, 0.1% | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £20 - £50 | €20 minimum | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £20 - £50 | €20 minimum | |
| ETFs - Fee | £11.95 | From $1 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £11.95 | 0.03/0.06/0.08% | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £20 - £50 | £50 |
| Broker Screenshots | Hargreaves Lansdown | Saxo UK | |
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| Platforms & Tools | Hargreaves Lansdown | Saxo UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 109 | 64 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 11 | 20 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | Hargreaves Lansdown | Saxo UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | Yes | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Hargreaves Lansdown | Saxo UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Overall Summary | Hargreaves Lansdown | Saxo UK | |
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| Review | Hargreaves Lansdown Review | Saxo UK Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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