Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Hargreaves Lansdown vs XTB, 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, XTB 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 XTB would cost £0 per year.
12 trades per year - Hargreaves Lansdown would cost £143.40 / £188.40 if in ISA. per year, while XTB would cost £0 per year.
36 trades per year - Hargreaves Lansdown would cost £430.20 / £475.20 if in ISA. per year, while XTB would cost £0 per year.
120 trades per year - Hargreaves Lansdown would cost £1,074 / £1,119 if in ISA. per year, while XTB would cost £0 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Hargreaves Lansdown would cost £1 per year, while XTB 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.
Hargreaves Lansdown and XTB both serve as reliable online brokers, but they cater to different investment needs. Hargreaves Lansdown offers a comprehensive range of investment options, excelling with share trading, ETF trading, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds, and investment trusts. They also provide valuable advisor services, making them suitable for investors who prefer a broad spectrum of traditional investment products. The platform's extensive offerings have earned Hargreaves Lansdown a 5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com, placing it 4th out of 18 brokers for investment choices.
In contrast, XTB also facilitates share and ETF trading but lacks in several other traditional offerings such as funds and bonds. However, XTB differentiates itself by enabling CFD trading, which is particularly appealing to more active traders interested in potentially leveraging positions. Despite not presenting as diverse a choice as Hargreaves Lansdown, XTB still holds a commendable 4.5-star rating and ranks 13th among investment choice providers according to UK.StockBrokers.com, showcasing its strengths in other key areas.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No |
| 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 charting tools, both Hargreaves Lansdown and XTB provide features that can enhance your trading experience. Both platforms allow users to display corporate events like earnings, splits, and dividends directly on the charts, making it easier to stay informed about key market activities. While Hargreaves Lansdown offers 11 drawing tools and 15 technical indicators, XTB surpasses this by offering 20 drawing tools and 39 technical indicators, catering to those who prefer a more robust charting setup. Additionally, only XTB allows users to add notes to charts, offering more flexibility in tracking investment strategies.
However, Hargreaves Lansdown takes the lead with the ability to add both index and stock overlays on charts, a feature XTB does not offer. Both brokers provide browser-based trading platforms, facilitating easy access without need for additional software. Furthermore, they both enable the creation of alerts for stock price updates and offer real-time market data, ensuring traders are always equipped with the latest market information. These platforms excel in different areas, giving traders the freedom to choose based on their specific needs and preferences.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 15 | 39 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 11 | 20 |
| Charting - Notes | No | Yes |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
When comparing the online brokers Hargreaves Lansdown and XTB in terms of available retirement accounts, there are notable differences. Hargreaves Lansdown offers both ISA (Individual Savings Accounts) and SIPP (Self-Invested Personal Pension) accounts, providing investors with flexible options for saving and investing towards retirement. On the other hand, XTB also offers ISA accounts, but lacks SIPP account options. This makes Hargreaves Lansdown a more comprehensive choice for those seeking diverse retirement account offerings. Both brokers support ISAs, but if you're specifically looking for a SIPP account, Hargreaves Lansdown is the broker that accommodates this need.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
Hargreaves Lansdown and XTB both offer mobile trading apps that are accessible on iPhone and Android devices, catering to the needs of investors who prefer to manage their portfolios on the go. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, both brokerages have received a strong rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars for their respective mobile apps. When it comes to rankings among 18 brokers, Hargreaves Lansdown is positioned at #10, whereas XTB is ranked slightly higher at #6, indicating a slight edge in overall user satisfaction and functionality.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing the educational resources provided by online brokers Hargreaves Lansdown and XTB, novice investors seeking a comprehensive learning experience may find Hargreaves Lansdown to be a more robust choice. They offer client webinars and a variety of educational content, covering crucial topics like share trading, funds, and retirement planning. While XTB also provides resources on share trading, it falls short in other areas. Notably, XTB does not host client webinars or provide instruction on funds or retirement. Despite these differences, both brokers earn high ratings for their educational offerings, with Hargreaves Lansdown achieving a stellar 5-star rating and a ranking of 4th out of 18 brokers by UK.StockBrokers.com, while XTB scores 4.5 stars and ranks 9th. Whether you prioritize webinars or broad topic coverage, these distinctions can help identify which broker aligns best with your learning preferences.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing the market research features between Hargreaves Lansdown and XTB, both brokers provide comprehensive portfolio allocation insights by asset class as well as robust research for shares and ETFs. However, Hargreaves Lansdown stands out by offering detailed research reports for funds and bonds, areas where XTB does not. On the other hand, XTB shines in providing research for CFDs, a feature that Hargreaves Lansdown lacks. This makes Hargreaves Lansdown a better choice for investors seeking in-depth analysis on traditional investment products like funds and bonds, while XTB is more suited for those interested in exploring CFD markets.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, Hargreaves Lansdown or XTB? 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.
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XTB
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When comparing online brokers Hargreaves Lansdown and XTB, both platforms do not offer crypto trading options.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Hargreaves Lansdown | XTB | |
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| Review | Hargreaves Lansdown Review | XTB Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Hargreaves Lansdown | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | No | |
| 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 | No | |
| Spread Betting | No | Yes | |
| Crypto Trading | No | No | |
| Advisor Services | Yes | No |
| Trading Fees | Hargreaves Lansdown | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £11.95 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £8.95 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £5.95 | £0 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £59.75 / £104.75 if in ISA. | £0 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £143.40 / £188.40 if in ISA. | £0 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £430.20 / £475.20 if in ISA. | £0 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £1,074 / £1,119 if in ISA. | £0 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £135 | N/A | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | Up to £1,125 | 0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | Up to £625 | 0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | Up to £1,250 | 0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | Up to £1,000 | 0 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £20 - £50 | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £20 - £50 | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £5.95 - £11.95 | £0 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £5.95 - £11.95 | N/A | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £20 - £50 | N/A |
| Broker Screenshots | Hargreaves Lansdown | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Platforms & Tools | Hargreaves Lansdown | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 15 | 39 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 11 | 20 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
| Research | Hargreaves Lansdown | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | No | Yes | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | No | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Hargreaves Lansdown | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Overall Summary | Hargreaves Lansdown | XTB | |
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| Review | Hargreaves Lansdown Review | XTB Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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