Hargreaves Lansdown vs eToro

Hargreaves Lansdown and eToro are both share trading platforms for investing in stocks and exchange traded funds (ETFs) on a broad range of stock exchanges. eToro is a commission-free platform with a few tucked-away fees, while Hargreaves Lansdown charges a fairly hefty commission per trade. In exchange for a higher commission, investors do get some additional tools, research and features. We’ve pitted these platforms against one another to find out which comes out on top.

Hargreaves Lansdown vs eToro: trade calculator

Got a specific trade in mind? Pick your stock, select a quantity and our calculator will give you a guide to the total cost using each of these platforms. We regularly check fees, but bear in mind that stock prices, exchange rates and spreads fluctuate in real-time.

Stock

Quantity of shares

1000

Platform	Finder Score	Account fee	Min. initial deposit	Trade cost	Link
	4.2 ★★★★★	£0	£1	£4,467.12	Go to siteCapital at risk
	4.3 ★★★★★	£0	$100	£4,521.99	Go to siteCapital at risk

Full comparison of share dealing platforms

Hargreaves Lansdown vs eToro: Vital stats


Finder score	★★★★★	★★★★★
Customer satisfaction survey	★★★★★	★★★★★
Stocks and shares ISA available?
FSCS protected?
Costs score	★★★★★	★★★★★
Keep in mind	Capital at risk	Capital at risk. 51% of retail CFD accounts lose money
	Go to site More Info	Go to site More Info

Both Hargreaves Lansdown (HL) and eToro scored well when we tested and analysed them, with HL scoring 4.2 out of 5 and eToro with a slightly higher 4.4 out of 5. Hargreaves Lansdown is a winner in the Finder Customer Satisfaction Awards 2024.

One major benefit of Hargreaves Lansdown over eToro is that it offers an individual savings account (ISA) and some other tax-efficient accounts, which means that you can invest up to £20,000 in the 2024/2025 without having to pay tax on most profits. Your allowance is reset each year. eToro doesn’t offer an ISA at the moment.

eToro has a better fees score than Hargreaves Lansdown as it offers commission-free trading, but it does have some additional fees to consider.

Both providers are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), which means that your deposits are protected by up to £85,000 if your platform were to go bust.

Round 1: Stock exchanges


Exchanges covered score	★★★★★	★★★★★
UK - London Stock Exchange
US - NASDAQ
US - New York Stock Exchange
Canada - Toronto Stock Exchange
Japan - Japan Exchange Group
Euronext
Germany - Deutsche Börse
Keep in mind	Capital at risk	Capital at risk. 51% of retail CFD accounts lose money
	Go to site More Info	Go to site More Info

Both Hargreaves Lansdown and eToro have most of the main stock exchanges available on their platforms. This means that you can trade virtually all the stocks that you can name. Neither platform has stocks on the Japan Exchange Group, but you’ll have a hard time finding a platform that does offer it.

Winner: Tie

Round 2: Financial instruments


Financial instruments score	★★★★★	★★★★★
Shares
ETFs
Bonds
Funds
Keep in mind	Capital at risk	Capital at risk. 51% of retail CFD accounts lose money
	Go to site More Info	Go to site More Info

Both Hargreaves Lansdown and eToro offer shares and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Hargreaves Lansdown also offers bonds and funds, which eToro does not have. eToro also lets you invest in fractional shares, which can get you access to pricier shares if you’re only investing small amounts. Hargreaves Lansdown does not offer fractional shares.

Winner: Hargreaves Lansdown

Round 3: Fees


Costs score	★★★★★	★★★★★
Minimum deposit	£1	£50
Standard trading fee	£11.95	£0.00
Best trading fee	£5.95	£0.00
Foreign exchange fee	1%	1.5%
Keep in mind	Capital at risk	Capital at risk. 51% of retail CFD accounts lose money
	Go to site More Info	Go to site More Info

eToro is commission free for real stock positions, which is a pretty big bonus. Hargreaves Lansdown charges £11.95 per trade, or £5.95 if you trade regularly enough. Both providers charge foreign exchange (FX) fees — eToro charges 1.5% and Hargreaves Lansdown charges 1%.

eToro does have additional fees, such as for withdrawals and inactivity, which you won’t find with Hargreaves Lansdown. It also insists that all funds deposited are converted to US dollars, so there’s no escaping that FX fee.

But even with those slightly annoying, not-hidden-but-also-not-obvious fees, eToro is the cheaper option in all but a handful of very specific scenarios.

Winner: eToro

Round 4: Mobile and web features


Features rating	★★★★★	★★★★★
iPhone app
Android app
Desktop/web app
Notifications
Watch lists
Community or forums
Keep in mind	Capital at risk	Capital at risk. 51% of retail CFD accounts lose money
	Go to site More Info	Go to site More Info

These providers both offer most of the features you’d expect from a share trading platform, including mobile apps and share price notifications. Both Hargreaves Lansdown and eToro have desktop trading and great charting tools.

eToro has a community and a lot of social features, including an excellent social trading feature.

Winner: eToro

Round 5: Learning resources


Resources rating	★★★★★	★★★★★
Guides
Videos and walkthroughs
Demo account
In-depth learning tools
Keep in mind	Capital at risk	Capital at risk. 51% of retail CFD accounts lose money
	Go to site More Info	Go to site More Info

Learning resources allow beginner investors to learn the ropes as they invest. One of the best ways to learn is to use a demo account, which both Hargreaves Lansdown and eToro offer. Both of them also have investment guides and videos to help you learn about investing.

Winner: Tie

Bottom line

So, is Hargreaves Lansdown better than eToro?

This is a close one, but we’d say that eToro takes home the win. Our experts thought that low fees are a key consideration when choosing a platform. There are still some downsides to eToro, like its lack of ISA and extra fees, like inactivity fees and withdrawal fees.

If you’re still not sure, you can read our full reviews of both Hargreaves Lansdown and eToro to find out more.

Thank you for your feedback!

To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by George Sweeney, DipFA as part of our fact-checking process.

Written by

Zoe Stabler DipFA

Senior writer

Zoe was a senior writer at Finder specialising in investment and banking, and during this time, she joined the Women in FinTech Powerlist 2022. She is currently a senior money writer at Be Clever With Your Cash. Zoe has a BA in English literature and a Diploma for Financial Advisers. She has several years of experience in writing about all things personal finance. Zoe has a particular love for spreadsheets, having also worked as a management accountant. In her spare time, you’ll find Zoe skating at her local ice rink. See full bio

Zoe's expertise

Zoe has written 176 Finder guides across topics including:

Share dealing
Reviews and comparisons of trading platforms
Robo-advisors
Pensions
Banking

More resources on Finder

Alternatives to Revolut Trading Hargreaves Lansdown vs Trading 212

More guides on Finder

How to buy SPDR FTSE UK All Share UCITS ETF Acc
Ever wondered how to invest in FTAL ETF? Learn more about it now and find out where you can invest in it. Compare ETF brokers to start investing today.
How to buy Franklin FTSE United Kingdom ETF
Ever wondered how to invest in FLGB ETF? Learn more about it now and find out where you can invest in it. Compare ETF brokers to start investing today.
How to buy HSBC FTSE 100 UCITS ETF
Ever wondered how to invest in HUKX ETF? Learn more about it now and find out where you can invest in it. Compare ETF brokers to start investing today.
How to buy Flutter Entertainment shares
Thinking about buying shares in Flutter Entertainment? We explain how to do it and compare a range of providers who will give you access to global markets.
How to buy Dettol shares | 4408p
Sales of Reckitt Bencksier products like Dettol have risen due to coronavirus. Here’s how you can invest in Dettol, by buying Reckitt Benckiser shares.
How to buy AT&T shares
Ever wondered how to buy shares in AT&T? We explain how and compare a range of providers that can give you access to many brands, including AT&T.
How to buy Wincanton shares
Ever wondered how to buy shares in Wincanton? We explain how and compare a range of providers that can give you access to many brands, including Wincanton.
How to buy United Utilities Group shares
Ever wondered how to buy shares in United Utilities? We explain how and compare a range of providers that can give you access to many brands, including United Utilities.
How to buy Relx shares
Find out how to buy shares in RELX, see its share prices over the last three months and check out our must-do checklist if you’re looking to invest.
How to buy Reach shares
Ever wondered how to buy shares in Reach? We explain how and compare a range of providers that can give you access to many brands, including Reach.