Freetrade vs Hargreaves Lansdown (HL)

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

George Sweeney, DipFA's headshot

By

George Sweeney, DipFA

Updated

Fact checked
Compare side by side Compare platforms
Overall winner Our verdict

Freetrade vs Hargreaves Lansdown: At a glance

Freetrade logoHargreaves Lansdown logo
Finder Score9.5Excellent8.7Great
Customer satisfaction survey★★★★★★★★★★
Fees score9.3Excellent6.6Standard
Stocks and shares ISA available?
Go to SiteGo to Site

Round 1: Accounts

Freetrade 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

Freetrade logoHargreaves Lansdown logo
Investment choice score9.4Excellent9.1Excellent
Available markets 34+
Number of investments6,500+11,000+
Number of ETFs/funds4001,500
Fractional shares
Min. initial deposit£0£1
Keep in mindCapital at riskCapital at risk
Go to SiteGo to Site

Round 3: Fees

Freetrade logoHargreaves Lansdown logo
Fees score9.3Excellent6.6Standard
Platform fees£00.35%
Price per trade£0£6.95
Funds/ETFs£0
£1.95 funds
£6.95 ETFs (frequent trader discounts apply)
Foreign exchange fee0.99%0.99%
Regular investingYes (recurring orders Standard/Plus)
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

Freetrade logoHargreaves Lansdown logo
Ease of use score8.9Great10Excellent
Apple iOS rating4.3/54.7/5
Google Play rating 3.9/53.2/5
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

Freetrade 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 Freetrade better than Hargreaves Lansdown?

It’s hard to separate these two platforms because they take different approaches.

When looking at Freetrade vs Hargreaves Lansdown (HL), it’s clear that HL offers a much more rounded investing experience to suit people at all stages, however its fees are a major drawback.

You can navigate HL’s fees to get better value, but you need to know what you’re doing.

Freetrade is much easier to pick up and use, and you don’t need to do much to keep your investing experience cheap.

Winner: Tie

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

George's expertise
George has written 278 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Investing
  • Personal finance
  • Tax
  • Pensions
  • Mortgages
  • Cryptocurrency
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