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Broker Comparison

Charles Stanley Direct vs EC Markets

Compare Charles Stanley Direct and EC Markets side by side: fees, regulation, platforms.

Charles Stanley Direct

Charles Stanley Direct

UK long-term investors and fund holders

Charles Stanley Direct is a UK investment platform launched in 2013, offering stocks, ETFs, funds, bonds, ISA…

VS
EC Markets

EC Markets

Active forex and CFD traders

EC Markets is a multi-regulated forex and CFD broker offering over 100 instruments across STD, ECN and PRO ac…

Head-to-head comparison

Charles Stanley Direct vs EC Markets
Feature Charles Stanley Direct EC Markets
Minimum deposit - -
Stock trading fee £10 per online trade; telephone dealing 1% (min £25, max £100) -
Regulators FCA FCA, ASIC, FSA, FSC, FMA, FSCA, CMA
Best for UK long-term investors and fund holders Active forex and CFD traders
Markets & account
Stocks
-
ETFs
-
Forex
-
CFDs
-
Crypto
-
Bonds
-
Funds
-
Isa
-
Sipp
-
Investment Plans
-
Ready Made Portfolios
-
Business Account
-
Margin
-
Multi Currency
-
Demo Account
-

Pros & cons

Charles Stanley Direct

Charles Stanley Direct

Pros

  • FCA regulated with FSCS protection
  • Wide range of accounts: ISA, SIPP, Junior ISA, GIA, business account
  • Access to 12,500+ UK and international investments
  • No inactivity fee
  • No deposit or withdrawal fees
  • £50 trading credit every six months offsets dealing costs
  • In-house research and market commentary
  • Flexible ISA feature uncommon among competitors

Cons

  • No demo account
  • £10 per trade for shares, ETFs and investment trusts is among the highest of UK platforms
  • Annual platform fee minimum of £60 disadvantages smaller portfolios
  • Annual fee cap raised to £600 in 2024, increasing costs for mid-size portfolios
  • FX conversion charge of 1% on trades under £10,000
  • Bonds and gilts available by telephone only
  • No fractional shares
  • Basic mobile app lacks advanced charting and research tools
EC Markets

EC Markets

Pros

  • Regulated by FCA (UK) and ASIC (Australia)
  • ECN spreads from 0.0 pips
  • Low ECN commission of $1.50 per lot per side
  • No inactivity fee
  • No deposit or withdrawal fees for most payment methods
  • Low minimum deposit of $10 on STD and ECN accounts
  • Supports MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5
  • Free demo account available

Cons

  • No individual stock or ETF trading
  • No proprietary web trading platform
  • PRO account requires $5,000 minimum deposit
  • STD account spreads from 1.0 pip are wider than ECN
  • POLi deposits carry a 4% processing fee
  • Limited educational resources
  • USA, Canada and Japan residents not accepted
  • Crypto available as CFDs only - no direct ownership
Charles Stanley Direct

Charles Stanley Direct

Charles Stanley Direct is a UK investment platform launched in 2013, offering stocks, ETFs, funds, bonds, ISA, SIPP and Junior ISA accounts with in-house research.

Visit Charles Stanley Direct Read review

Your capital is at risk. Other fees apply.

EC Markets

EC Markets

EC Markets is a multi-regulated forex and CFD broker offering over 100 instruments across STD, ECN and PRO account types on MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5.

Visit EC Markets Read review

Your capital is at risk. Other fees apply.

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