Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs Lloyds Bank, 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 Lloyds Bank 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 Lloyds Bank would cost £95 per year.
12 trades per year - Interactive Brokers would cost £36 per year, while Lloyds Bank would cost £40 - £172 per year.
36 trades per year - Interactive Brokers would cost £108 per year, while Lloyds Bank would cost £40 - £328 per year.
120 trades per year - Interactive Brokers would cost £360 per year, while Lloyds Bank would cost £40 / £1,000 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Interactive Brokers would cost £0 per year, while Lloyds Bank 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.
Both Interactive Brokers and Lloyds Bank offer robust options for investors, each providing access to share trading, ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds, and investment trusts. However, while both platforms have a strong offering in traditional investment choices, Interactive Brokers distinguishes itself with additional features. This includes CFD trading, which Lloyds Bank does not provide. On the other hand, Lloyds Bank offers advisor services, a feature absent from Interactive Brokers, catering to investors who prefer a bit more guidance in their investment journey.
In expert evaluations, both brokers earn an impressive five-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com for their investment choices, signaling high-quality options for investors. However, Interactive Brokers is ranked slightly higher, securing the second spot out of 18 brokers, compared to Lloyds Bank's eighth place. This suggests that while both offer excellent investment opportunities, Interactive Brokers may deliver a slight edge in terms of variety and depth in investment offerings.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Lloyds Bank
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | No | No |
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Investment Choices |
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Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Low-cost US and UK shares.
Interactive Brokers stands out in the realm of online trading tools, offering a wealth of advanced charting features that surpass those provided by Lloyds Bank. With the ability to display corporate events like earnings, splits, and dividends directly on charts, Interactive Brokers provides a significant advantage for traders seeking detailed insights. Moreover, Interactive Brokers is equipped with an extensive array of 80 drawing tools and 96 technical indicators, enabling users to conduct comprehensive technical analysis. In contrast, Lloyds Bank does not provide drawing tools or technical indicators, limiting its charting capabilities.
For traders who prioritize customization and detail, Interactive Brokers offers functionalities such as adding notes, index overlays, and stock overlays to charts, which are not available with Lloyds Bank. Both platforms, however, provide a browser-based trading platform and the ability to create alerts for stock price updates, catering to basic trading needs. Despite both platforms lacking real-time market data, Interactive Brokers’ expansive charting tools and features create a more robust and flexible trading environment than Lloyds Bank, making it a more appealing choice for traders who value extensive chart functionality.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Lloyds Bank
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 96 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 80 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
When considering online brokers and banks for retirement accounts, both Interactive Brokers and Lloyds Bank present solid options with their offerings. Interactive Brokers provides Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), making it a versatile choice for UK users looking to both save and invest for retirement. Similarly, Lloyds Bank also offers ISAs and SIPPs to its customers, ensuring that users have access to tax-efficient savings and pension planning. With both institutions offering these popular account types, potential investors can focus on other distinguishing factors, such as fees and customer service, to make the best choice for their retirement planning needs.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
When comparing the mobile apps of Interactive Brokers and Lloyds Bank, both offer iPhone and Android compatibility, making them accessible to users across popular platforms. However, when it comes to user satisfaction, there is a noticeable difference in their ratings. Interactive Brokers shines with an impressive 5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com, placing it #2 out of 18 brokers for mobile app performance. In contrast, Lloyds Bank holds a 3.5-star rating and ranks #15 in the same category. This suggests that users may enjoy a more robust and satisfying experience with Interactive Brokers' mobile app compared to Lloyds Bank.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For beginner investors looking to enhance their educational journey, Interactive Brokers offers a wealth of resources that stand out compared to Lloyds Bank. Interactive Brokers provides live and on-demand webinars, along with comprehensive educational content covering share trading, funds, and retirement, making it a versatile choice for novices in the investment world. In contrast, Lloyds Bank does not offer any webinars or specific educational material on these topics. Rated at 4.5 stars for beginner education by UK.StockBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers ranks 12th among 18 brokers, while Lloyds Bank holds a 4-star rating and ranks 15th. Choosing a broker with robust educational resources can significantly impact the learning curve for new investors.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Lloyds Bank
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | No |
| 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 of Interactive Brokers and Lloyds Bank, both offer comprehensive research reports for funds, shares, ETFs, and bonds, enhancing informed investment decisions. However, notable distinctions become clear as Interactive Brokers allows users to view portfolio allocation by asset class, a feature missing with Lloyds Bank. Furthermore, Interactive Brokers extends its research capabilities to CFDs, whereas Lloyds Bank does not, offering more extensive market analysis for investors seeking diverse asset insights.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Lloyds Bank
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
Which broker is better overall, Interactive Brokers or Lloyds Bank? 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
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Lloyds Bank
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Both Interactive Brokers and Lloyds Bank do not offer crypto trading options to their users, highlighting a shared limitation in cryptocurrency accessibility between these two financial institutions.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Interactive Brokers | Lloyds Bank | |
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| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Lloyds Bank Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Interactive Brokers | Lloyds Bank | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Lloyds Bank | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £3 | £8, £10, £11 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £3 | £8 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £3 | £8 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £15 | £95 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £36 | £40 - £172 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £108 | £40 - £328 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £360 | £40 / £1,000 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 / £14.85 | £44.50 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £0 | £40 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £0 | £40 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £0 | £40 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £0 | £40 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) | £8 - £11 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) | £8 - £11 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £3 | ||
| Investment Trusts - Fee | N/A | ||
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £25 | £35 |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | Lloyds Bank | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Platforms & Tools | Interactive Brokers | Lloyds Bank | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 96 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 80 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | Lloyds Bank | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | Lloyds Bank | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Overall Summary | Interactive Brokers | Lloyds Bank | |
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| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Lloyds Bank Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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