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.
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, Lloyds Bank offers better pricing than Interactive Brokers 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.
Interactive Brokers and Lloyds Bank both let UK investors buy shares, ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts) and investment trusts, so each gives you a wide choice of mainstream investments. Interactive Brokers also offers CFD trading, which Lloyds Bank does not, while neither provider offers crypto trading or spread betting in this comparison. For investment choices, UK.StockBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers 5 stars and ranks it #1 out of 21 brokers, compared with Lloyds Bank’s 4.5 stars and #7 ranking.
The main difference is that Lloyds Bank includes advisor services, which may suit beginners who want more guidance, while Interactive Brokers is more self-directed. If you want a wider trading range and do not need advice, Interactive Brokers stands out; if you prefer a bank-backed option with support, Lloyds Bank may be the better fit.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Lloyds Bank
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | Yes |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | ||
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
If you’re choosing between Interactive Brokers and Lloyds Bank for trading tools, Interactive Brokers has the deeper charting feature set. It shows corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends) on charts, offers 85 drawing tools (Lloyds Bank doesn’t state a total), and includes 155 technical indicators versus Lloyds Bank’s 93. Both let you add notes to charts.
Interactive Brokers also supports index and stock overlays on charts, which Lloyds Bank does not. Each provides a browser-based trading platform and price alerts. Neither offers real-time market data by default, so expect delayed prices unless you add paid data where available.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Lloyds Bank
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 155 | 93 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 85 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
For UK residents looking to compare retirement account options, both Interactive Brokers and Lloyds Bank offer Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs). Interactive Brokers provides a versatile platform for those interested in managing their investments with an array of options for both ISAs and SIPPs. Similarly, Lloyds Bank also offers comprehensive ISA and SIPP accounts, catering to individuals seeking the stability of a traditional banking institution. Each provider presents valuable options for retirement planning, allowing you to choose according to your investment preferences and comfort level with online vs. traditional banking services.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
For UK investors comparing mobile options, both Interactive Brokers (online broker) and Lloyds Bank offer iPhone and Android apps; however, UK.StockBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers’ mobile trading app 5/5 stars and ranks it 5th out of 21 brokers, while Lloyds Bank’s app scores 3.5/5 stars and ranks 14th. If app quality and performance are priorities, Interactive Brokers currently leads, though Lloyds Bank still provides convenient mobile access for everyday use.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK beginners, Interactive Brokers beats Lloyds Bank on investor education: it runs client webinars, lets you watch them on demand, and offers learning on share trading, funds and retirement. Lloyds Bank does not provide webinars, on-demand archives or education on those topics. Matching this, UK.StockBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers 5 out of 5 stars and ranks it #4 of 21 brokers for beginner education, while Lloyds Bank earns 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #11.
| 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 for UK investors, both platforms offer comprehensive research reports for funds and provide in-depth analysis of shares, ETFs, funds, and bonds. However, a key difference lies in portfolio management capabilities: Interactive Brokers offers the ability to view portfolio allocation by asset class, a feature not available with Lloyds Bank. This distinction may appeal to investors seeking detailed insights into their investment portfolio structure for diversified investment strategies. Overall, both brokers provide a wealth of research options, though Interactive Brokers could be more appealing for those prioritizing detailed asset allocation analysis.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Lloyds Bank
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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.
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Interactive Brokers offers crypto trading through select products and regions, while Lloyds Bank does not currently provide direct crypto trading, making Interactive Brokers the more suitable choice for investors seeking cryptocurrency access.
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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 | |
| 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 | Yes | ||
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Trading Fees | Interactive Brokers | Lloyds Bank | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £1 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £3 | £9.50 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £3 | £8 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £3 | £8 | |
| 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 | £0 | £36 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £0 | £36 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £0 | £36 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £0 | £36 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) | £9.50 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) | £9.50 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £3 | £9.50 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £3 | N/A | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | $30 | £35 |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | Lloyds Bank | |
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| 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 | 155 | 93 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 85 | ||
| Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | |||
| 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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