Hargreaves Lansdown (HL) vs Trading 212

Find out what we thought when we compared two of the biggest share trading platforms in the UK.

Hargreaves Lansdown vs Trading 212: At a glance

Hargreaves Lansdown logoTrading212 logo
Finder Score8.7Great10Excellent
Customer satisfaction survey★★★★★★★★★★
Stocks and shares ISA available?
Fees score6.6Standard9.8Excellent
Keep in mindCapital at riskCapital at risk. 77% of retail CFD accounts lose money
Go to SiteGo to Site

Round 2: Investment choice

Hargreaves Lansdown logoTrading212 logo
Investment choice score9.1Excellent9.8Excellent
Shares
ETFs
Bonds
Funds
Keep in mindCapital at riskCapital at risk. 77% of retail CFD accounts lose money
Go to SiteGo to Site

Round 3: Fees

Hargreaves Lansdown logoTrading212 logo
Fees score6.6Standard9.8Excellent
Min. initial deposit£1£1
Price per trade£6.95 £0
Frequent trader rate£3.95 £0
Foreign exchange fee0.99%0.15%
Keep in mindCapital at riskCapital at risk. 77% of retail CFD accounts lose money
Go to SiteGo to Site

Round 4: Ease of use

Hargreaves Lansdown logoTrading212 logo
Features score8.3Great10Excellent
iPhone app
Android app
Desktop/web app
Notifications
Watch lists
Community or forums
Keep in mindCapital at riskCapital at risk. 77% of retail CFD accounts lose money
Go to SiteGo to Site

Round 5: Learning resources

Hargreaves Lansdown logoTrading212 logo
Resources rating★★★★★★★★★★
Guides
Videos and walkthroughs
Demo account
In-depth learning tools
Keep in mindCapital at riskCapital at risk. 77% of retail CFD accounts lose money
Go to SiteGo to Site

So, is Hargreaves Lansdown better than Trading 212?

While these platforms have a lot of the same features, stocks and tools available, Trading 212 comes out significantly cheaper per trade compared with Hargreaves Lansdown, which is a huge aspect of investing, so we’d say that Trading 212 is better than Hargreaves Lansdown.

Keep in mind, this is just a snapshot. Hargreaves Lansdown is very comprehensive, offers great customer service and has lots of accounts available, but on the whole, we don’t think it’s worth the additional high commissions.

Winner: Trading 212

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

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 345 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Investing
  • Personal finance
  • Tax
  • Pensions
  • Mortgages
  • Cryptocurrency

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