Bestinvest vs Hargreaves Lansdown (HL)

Ever wondered who would come out on top in a battle between Bestinvest vs Hargreaves Lansdown (HL)? Well, read on to find out how they compare for features, fees and much more.

Bestinvest vs Hargreaves Lansdown: At a glance

Bestinvest logoHargreaves Lansdown logo
Finder Score8.9Great8.7Great
Customer satisfaction survey★★★★★★★★★★
Fees score7.9Great6.6Standard
Stocks and shares ISA available?
Go to SiteGo to Site

Round 1: Products

Bestinvest logoHargreaves Lansdown logo
Stocks and shares ISA
Lifetime ISA (LISA)
Interest on cash balances
Keep in mindCapital at riskCapital at risk
Go to SiteGo to Site

Round 2: Investment choice

Bestinvest logoHargreaves Lansdown logo
Investment choice score8.5Great9.1Excellent
Available markets 34+
Number of investments3,700+11,000+
Number of ETFs/funds1,9301,500
Fractional shares
Min. initial deposit£0£1
Keep in mindCapital at riskCapital at risk
Go to SiteGo to Site

Round 3: Fees

Bestinvest logoHargreaves Lansdown logo
Fees score7.9Great6.6Standard
Platform fees0% - 0.4%0.35%
Price per tradeUK: £4.95
US: £0
£6.95
Funds/ETFs£0
£1.95 funds
£6.95 ETFs (frequent trader discounts apply)
Foreign exchange fee0.95%0.99%
Regular investingYes (free but no commission discounts)
Yes from £25/month (no commission)
£3.95 (20 or more trades in previous month)
Withdrawal fee£0£0
Deposit fee£0£0
Inactivity fee£0£0
Keep in mindCapital at riskCapital at risk
Go to SiteGo to Site

Round 4: Ease of use

Bestinvest logoHargreaves Lansdown logo
Ease of use score9.6Excellent10Excellent
Apple iOS rating4.8/54.7/5
Google Play rating 3.4/53.2/5
UI/UXGoodGood
Desktop or web access
Mobile app
Keep in mindCapital at riskCapital at risk
Go to SiteGo to Site

Round 5: Tools, resources and features

Bestinvest logoHargreaves Lansdown logo
Features score8.3Great8.3Great
Analysis features
Social features
Learning resources
Keep in mindCapital at riskCapital at risk
Go to SiteGo to Site

Overall winner: Is Bestinvest better than Hargreaves Lansdown?

It’s tough to separate these two, but depending on how you invest, each comes with lower fees.

However, if you want all the account types available, a larger investment choice and plenty of research and tools to dig into – you might prefer HL.

Both platforms provide good value for different types of investors, so the winner is going to depend largely on how you plan to invest and what’s most important to you.

There are ways to invest more cheaply with HL, for example sticking to funds or setting up a regular monthly investment. But it you plan on ad-hoc share trading, steer clear because the commissions are sky-high.

Winner: Hargreaves Lansdown

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.


George Sweeney, DipFA's headshot
Deputy editor

George is a deputy editor at Finder. He has previously written for The Motley Fool UK, Nasdaq, Freetrade, Investing in the Web, MoneyMagpie, Online Mortgage Advisor, Wealth, and Compare Forex Brokers. He's focused on making personal finance and investing engaging for everyone. To do this he draws from previous work and his Level 4 Diploma for Financial Advisers (DipFA), sharing what he’s learnt. When he’s not geeking out about money, you’ll find him playing sports and staying active. See full bio

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