Updated September 29, 2026 · BrokerCue Editorial Team
Charles Stanley Direct vs IG
Where Charles Stanley Direct and IG differ
| Compare |  Charles Stanley Direct |  IG |
|---|---|---|
| Stock trade fee | £10 | £0Lower |
| Account fee | £60 to £600 | €0 |
| Markets | Stocks, ETFs, Funds | Stocks, ETFs, Forex, CFDs, Options, Futures, Crypto, Spread betting |
| Regulators | Financial Conduct Authority | Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin), SIPC |
| Investor protection | FSCS up to GBP 85,000 | EU ICS up to EUR 20,000 |
| Platforms | Charles Stanley Direct Trading | Mobile trading, L2 Dealer, ProRealTime, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, TradingView |
| Minimum deposit | £1 | Not confirmed |
| Retail accounts that lose money | Not confirmed | 69% |
| Account types | ISA, SIPP | Not confirmed |
| Interest on cash | Not confirmed | 2.5% |
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Key differences
- IG scores higher overall: 9.5 vs 8.9.
- Regulators: only Charles Stanley Direct offers Financial Conduct Authority.
- Regulators: only IG offers Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin), SIPC.
- IG is licensed in 1 more country.
- Stock trade fee is lower at IG: £0 vs £10.
- Markets: only Charles Stanley Direct offers Funds.
- Markets: only IG offers Forex, CFDs, Options.
- Platforms: only Charles Stanley Direct offers Charles Stanley Direct Trading.
- Platforms: only IG offers Mobile trading, L2 Dealer, ProRealTime.
Our verdict on each
Charles Stanley Direct
Charles Stanley Direct suits UK savers who want a pension or ISA wrapper from a long established provider rather than a trading app. Investor protection is stated as FSCS up to GBP 85,000, and a SIPP account fee runs £60 to £600 a year.
IG
IG suits traders who want shares, ETFs, forex, contracts for difference, options, futures, crypto and spread betting under a single roof, with an account fee of €0 and cash interest of 2.5% on uninvested balances. Share dealing runs commission-free, while the retail loss rate is 69%.
Score breakdown
| Area | Charles Stanley Direct | IG |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 8.4Ranks 126 of 138 brands on account fee and 159 of 161 on stock trade fee. | 9.3Higher |
| Offer | 8.8 | 9.6HigherCommission-free share dealing, a stock trade fee of £0, an account fee of €0 and cash interest of 2.5%. |
| Trust | 9.3 | 9.5Higher |
What each covers
| Markets | Charles Stanley Direct | IG |
|---|---|---|
| Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Forex | No | Yes |
| CFDs | No | Yes |
| Options | No | Yes |
| Futures | No | Yes |
| Crypto | No | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | No |
| Spread betting | No | Yes |
Licences and countries
| Country | Charles Stanley Direct | IG |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | Not confirmed | Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) MiCA CASP 213800HFC5G4V293BN91 |
| United Kingdom | Financial Conduct Authority 124412 | Not confirmed |
| United States | Not confirmed | SIPC SIPC member 71021 |
How they place
| Ranking | Charles Stanley Direct | IG |
|---|---|---|
| Stock and ETF brokers | 155 of 471 | 48 of 471 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Charles Stanley Direct | IG |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Not confirmed | Demo account, Mobile app, Fractional shares |
| Pricing model | Not confirmed | Commission free |
| Legal entity | Raymond James Wealth Management Limited | IG Europe GmbH |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom | Germany |
| Founded | 1792 | Not confirmed |
| Support channels | Email, Phone | Not confirmed |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Charles Stanley Direct | IG | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | £1below the median | Not confirmed | £20 |
| Stock trade fee | £10highest quarter | £0at the median | £0 |
| Retail accounts that lose money | Not confirmed | 69%below the median | 72.21% |
| Interest on cash | Not confirmed | 2.5%below the median | 3% |
Median across 49 listed brokers.
Pros and cons
Charles Stanley Direct
Pros
- Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, and investor protection is stated as FSCS up to GBP 85,000.
- A minimum deposit of £1 keeps the first contribution small, and it ranks 82 of 213 on our minimum deposit data.
- The group has been running since 1792, so the name sits behind a long investment history.
Cons
- A SIPP account fee of £60 to £600 a year is the heaviest cost here, and the stock trade fee of £10 is higher than the $0 eToro lists.
- Support runs on email and phone only, with no live chat listed.
- The listed account types are isa and sipp, so there is no general investment account or joint option here.
IG
Pros
- Markets list stocks, etfs and forex, so shares, ETFs, forex, contracts for difference, options, futures, crypto and spread betting sit together.
- Regulated by Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) and SIPC, with client protection of EU ICS up to EUR 20,000.
- Platform choice runs Mobile trading, L2 Dealer and ProRealTime.
Cons
- Retail accounts that lose money come to 69%.
- The commission-free model in commission free applies to share dealing, and it does not extend to trading costs on forex, contracts for difference, options or futures.
- Accounts sit with IG Europe GmbH in Germany, so compensation stops at EU ICS up to EUR 20,000.
Who each suits
Charles Stanley Direct
Who it suits
- SIPP holders who self-invest in funds and shares and want a familiar name with Financial Conduct Authority oversight.
- ISA investors who want to top up an existing holding without a large first payment, given the £1 minimum.
- People who prefer phone and email contact, since support runs on email and phone.
Who should look elsewhere
- eToro, where the stock trade fee is listed as $0, if you trade often rather than hold a pension.
- CFI, whose minimum deposit is listed as $0 in US dollars, if your budget is set in sterling.
- Vantage, whose minimum deposit is $5 in US dollars, if you want to start with a larger first payment.
IG
Who it suits
- Traders who want stocks, etfs and forex reachable from the same account rather than several platforms.
- Share buyers who want dealing on a commission-free basis, since commission free covers their trades.
- EU clients who weight regulation and compensation, given Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) and SIPC and EU ICS up to EUR 20,000.
Who should look elsewhere
- Buyers who want a platform built around share dealing and crypto alone should compare CFI, whose stocks, etfs and forex is a shorter, simpler list.
- Investors priced in dollars rather than euros should weigh eToro, where the stock trade fee is $0.
- Anyone weighing only the account charge should know Vantage lists $0, so IG's €0 is not the only way to hold an account cheaply.
Country by country
| Country | Charles Stanley Direct | IG |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Yes | No |
Questions about each
Charles Stanley Direct
What does it cost to run a Charles Stanley Direct account?+
A SIPP carries an annual account fee of £60 to £600 and each stock trade costs £10. The account opens from a minimum deposit of £1, so the entry point is small, but the yearly charge is the number that shapes the total cost of holding. Both fees are quoted in pounds.
Is Charles Stanley Direct regulated, and is my money protected?+
The account is run by Raymond James Wealth Management Limited and authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority under licence 124412. Investor protection is stated as FSCS up to GBP 85,000, which is the scheme limit the provider publishes. That protection sits with the UK regulator, so eligible claims run through the UK compensation system.
IG
What does it cost to trade shares with IG?+
Share dealing runs on a commission-free model, with a stock trade fee of £0 and an account fee of €0. Those are the two figures that matter for holding and trading, and both sit at the floor of the site tables. Trading costs on forex, contracts for difference, options and futures are quoted apart from share dealing.
Who regulates IG and is my money protected?+
The regulators are Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) and SIPC, and the licences listed are MiCA CASP 213800HFC5G4V293BN91 and SIPC member 71021. Client protection in the EU is EU ICS up to EUR 20,000, so a claim against the firm is covered only up to that ceiling. Any balance above the cap is your own exposure.
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