Charles Stanley Direct vs Freetrade - BrokerCue
BrokerCue

Select your country to see eligible brokers

Account eligibility and broker availability depend on your country of residence. Setting this now allows us to hide brokers that do not accept clients from your country.

Broker Comparison

Charles Stanley Direct vs Freetrade

Compare Charles Stanley Direct and Freetrade 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
Freetrade

Freetrade

Low-cost long-term investors

Freetrade is an investing platform with £0 dealing commissions, free ISA and SIPP access, stocks, ETFs, funds…

Head-to-head comparison

Charles Stanley Direct vs Freetrade
Feature Charles Stanley Direct Freetrade
Minimum deposit - -
Stock trading fee £10 per online trade; telephone dealing 1% (min £25, max £100) £0 dealing commission per trade
Regulators FCA FCA
Best for UK long-term investors and fund holders Low-cost long-term investors
Markets & account
Stocks
ETFs
Crypto
-
Bonds
Funds
Isa
Sipp
Investment Plans
-
Ready Made Portfolios
Business Account
-
Fractional Shares
-

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
Freetrade

Freetrade

Pros

  • £0 dealing commission per trade
  • Basic plan has no monthly subscription fee
  • ISA and SIPP available on the £0 Basic plan
  • FX fees fall from 0.99% to 0.39% on Plus
  • US fractional shares support smaller orders
  • Cash earns 1% to 3.5% AER on plan-based limits
  • Recurring, limit and stop-loss orders are available
  • Eligible cash protection is listed up to £120,000

Cons

  • Basic FX fee is 0.99% on non-GBP trades
  • Standard costs £5.99 per month when billed monthly
  • Plus costs £11.99 per month when billed monthly
  • Fractional share elements cannot be transferred
  • Direct Debit cash is not usually withdrawable for 3 working days
  • Crypto ETNs are not protected by FSCS
  • Treasuries cannot be sold before maturity
  • Cash additions must be in pounds sterling
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.

Freetrade

Freetrade

Freetrade is an investing platform with £0 dealing commissions, free ISA and SIPP access, stocks, ETFs, funds, gilts, ready-made portfolios and Crypto ETNs.

Visit Freetrade Read review

Your capital is at risk. Other fees apply.

Not the right match?

Line up any two brokers side by side, or browse the full list to find your next platform.

Compare another broker Browse all brokers