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Hargreaves Lansdown alternatives

Hargreaves Lansdown is a popular and comprehensive trading platform, but if you're not quite convinced, here are some alternatives.

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By

Zoe Stabler DipFA

Updated

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Hargreaves Lansdown is the most comprehensive investment platform in the UK, offering more than 8,000 shares on its platform from stock exchanges all over the world. Trades are a little pricey, coming in at £11.95 per trade, but this is reduced if you trade regularly. If you’re tempted by Hargreaves Lansdown but want to check out some alternatives, we’ve pulled together a list of Hargreaves Lansdown alternatives in the UK.

IG: the UK’s closest alternative

Hargreaves Lansdown Fund and Share AccountIG Share Dealing
Finder rating★★★★★★★★★★
Customer satisfaction rating★★★★★★★★★★
FSCS protected?
Stocks and shares ISA available?
Standard trading fee£11.95£8
Foreign exchange fees1%0.5%
UK - London Stock Exchange
US - New York Stock Exchange
US - NASDAQ
App
Desktop or web access
Keep in mindCapital at riskCapital at risk. 75% of retail CFD accounts lose money
Go to site
More Info		Go to site
More Info

IG is a close match to Hargreaves Lansdown, also offering a huge number of shares (more than 12,000), and allowing you to invest in a number of different accounts. IG is a little cheaper, with a trading commission of £10 for US shares and £8 for UK shares. Like Hargreaves Lansdown, you can get cheaper commission for trading regularly — US trades are commission free and UK trades cost £3 if you traded 3 times in the previous month.

You can check out our full review of IG if you want to find out more.

eToro: a commission free alternative

Hargreaves Lansdown Fund and Share AccounteToro
Finder rating★★★★★★★★★★
Customer satisfaction rating★★★★★★★★★★
FSCS protected?
Stocks and shares ISA available?
Standard trading fee£11.95£0.00
Foreign exchange fees1%0.5%
UK - London Stock Exchange
US - New York Stock Exchange
US - NASDAQ
App
Desktop or web access
Keep in mindCapital at riskCapital at risk. 77% of retail CFD accounts lose money
Go to site
More Info		Go to site
More Info
If Hargreaves Lansdown’s fees are holding you back, you could opt for a commission-free platform, such as eToro. There are some additional charges, which we detail in our eToro review.

eToro charges a lower foreign exchange fee than Hargreaves Lansdown, coming in at 0.5%. You’re not able to invest in an individual savings account with eToro, so you could be subject to capital gains tax if you make a profit of more than £6,000 in each tax year.

You can read our comprehensive review of eToro if you’d like to learn more about its features and fees.

Hargreaves Lansdown Fund and Share AccountFreetrade
Finder rating★★★★★★★★★★
Customer satisfaction rating★★★★★★★★★★
FSCS protected?
Stocks and shares ISA available?
Standard trading fee£11.95£0
Foreign exchange fees1%0.59%
UK - London Stock Exchange
US - New York Stock Exchange
US - NASDAQ
App
Desktop or web access
Keep in mindCapital at riskCapital at risk
Go to site
More Info		Go to site
More Info

Freetrade is a beginner friendly choice if you’re just starting out. It doesn’t have professional charting tools or expert research, but it’s commission free and charges a low foreign exchange fee of 0.45%. You can invest in an ISA with Freetrade for £3 per month, which lets you make use of your £20,000 ISA allowance in the 2023/2024 tax year.

Unlike Hargreaves Lansdown, Freetrade is app-only, but it’s reportedly testing a desktop platform with Plus users.

We have a full review of Freetrade if you’d like to know more.

Bottom line

Finding the Hargreaves Lansdown alternative that suits you depends on what feature of Hargreaves Lansdown you’re not convinced by, and which features you’re looking for. If you’d prefer lower fees, a commission-free platform like eToro could be suitable. If you’d prefer a beginner friendly platform, you may prefer Freetrade. IG is a close alternative to Hargreaves Lansdown and offers many of the same features.

If you’ve still not found “the one”, you can compare share dealing accounts with our comparison table. It lets you choose what’s important to you to narrow down your options.

All investing should be regarded as longer term. The value of your investments can go up and down, and you may get back less than you invest. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. If you’re not sure which investments are right for you, please seek out a financial adviser. Capital at risk.

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