Charles Stanley Direct vs Plum - BrokerCue
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Broker Comparison

Charles Stanley Direct vs Plum

Compare Charles Stanley Direct and Plum 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
Plum

Plum

Automated savings and beginner investors

Plum is a UK savings and investment app that automates saving, offers ISA, SIPP, mutual funds, and 3,000+ ind…

Head-to-head comparison

Charles Stanley Direct vs Plum
Feature Charles Stanley Direct Plum
Minimum deposit - -
Stock trading fee £10 per online trade; telephone dealing 1% (min £25, max £100) 2 free lifetime trades then: £0.50/trade (Basic), £0.15/trade (Plus), £0.05/trade (Boost), £0.00/trade (Max); FX fee 0.60% (Basic), 0.45% (Plus), 0.30% (Boost), 0.15% (Max) per trade
Regulators FCA FCA
Best for UK long-term investors and fund holders Automated savings and beginner investors
Markets & account
Stocks
ETFs
-
Bonds
-
Funds
Isa
Sipp
Investment Plans
Ready Made Portfolios
Business Account
-
Fractional Shares
-
Money Market Funds
-
Savings Vaults
-

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
Plum

Plum

Pros

  • Free Basic plan with automated savings and stock access
  • Stocks and Shares ISA and SIPP available on paid tiers
  • Fractional stock investing from £1
  • 3,000+ individual US company stocks available
  • 26 curated mutual funds from Vanguard and BlackRock
  • FCA-regulated with FSCS protection up to £85,000 on investments
  • Automated savings powered by spending analysis
  • Multiple savings account types including Cash ISA and Lifetime ISA

Cons

  • Individual stocks cannot be held inside the Stocks and Shares ISA - only mutual funds are ISA-eligible, leaving stock gains potentially subject to capital gains tax
  • Only 26 mutual funds available, a narrower range than dedicated investment platforms
  • Stacked fees on paid tiers: subscription fee plus platform fee plus fund manager fee
  • Two free lifetime trades then a per-trade charge on Basic and Plus plans
  • Crypto available only for EU/Cyprus users via Bitpanda; not available to UK customers
  • No demo or practice account
  • Fund access requires a paid subscription; Basic plan is limited
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.

Plum

Plum

Plum is a UK savings and investment app that automates saving, offers ISA, SIPP, mutual funds, and 3,000+ individual stocks via a tiered subscription model.

Visit Plum Read review

Your capital is at risk. Other fees apply.

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