Updated September 28, 2026 · BrokerCue Editorial Team
Charles Stanley Direct vs Public
Where Charles Stanley Direct and Public differ
| Compare |  Charles Stanley Direct |  Public |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | £1 | $0 |
| Stock trade fee | £10 | $0 |
| Markets | Stocks, ETFs, Funds | Stocks, ETFs, Crypto, Options, Bonds |
| Regulators | Financial Conduct Authority | FINRA, SEC |
| Investor protection | FSCS up to GBP 85,000 | SIPC up to USD 500,000 |
| Account types | ISA, SIPP | IRA, Roth IRA |
| Account fee | £60 to £600 | Not confirmed |
| Margin rate | Not confirmed | 4.2% |
| Options contract fee | Not confirmed | $0.060 to $0.18 |
| Platforms | Charles Stanley Direct Trading | Not confirmed |
| Interest on cash | Not confirmed | 3.3% |
We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings.
Key differences
- Public scores higher overall: 9.4 vs 8.9.
- Regulators: only Charles Stanley Direct offers Financial Conduct Authority.
- Regulators: only Public offers FINRA, SEC.
- Markets: only Charles Stanley Direct offers Funds.
- Markets: only Public offers Crypto, Options, Bonds.
- Account types: only Charles Stanley Direct offers ISA, SIPP.
- Account types: only Public offers IRA, Roth IRA.
- Support channels: only Charles Stanley Direct offers Phone.
- Support channels: only Public offers Help centre.
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.
Public
Public suits people building a retirement account who care most about what a trade costs and where the money sits. Stock trades are $0, the account opens from $0, and protection runs to SIPC up to USD 500,000 in the US.
Score breakdown
| Area | Charles Stanley Direct | Public |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 8.4Ranks 126 of 138 brands on account fee and 159 of 161 on stock trade fee. | 9.6HigherStock trades cost $0, options contracts run $0.06 to $0.18 and margin borrowing starts at 4.2%. |
| Offer | 8.8 | 9.2HigherA ira and roth ira account covers stocks, etfs and crypto plus a mobile app and fractional shares. |
| Trust | 9.3 | 9.5Higher |
Feature by feature
| Markets | Charles Stanley Direct | Public |
|---|---|---|
| Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Options | No | Yes |
| Crypto | No | Yes |
| Bonds | No | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | No |
| Account types | Charles Stanley Direct | Public |
|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | No |
| SIPP | Yes | No |
| IRA | No | Yes |
| Roth IRA | No | Yes |
Where these facts come from
Charles Stanley Direct
- charles-stanley-direct.co.uk: 5 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- tradingbrokers.com: 3 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- en.wikipedia.org: 2 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- moneytothemasses.com: 2 facts, checked September 26, 2026
Public
- public.com: 11 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- brokercheck.finra.org: 2 facts, checked September 26, 2026
How they place
| Ranking | Charles Stanley Direct | Public |
|---|---|---|
| Stock and ETF brokers | 155 of 471 | 58 of 471 |
| Investment platforms and apps | 33 of 86 | 15 of 86 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Charles Stanley Direct | Public |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Not confirmed | Crypto, Fractional shares, Options, Mobile app |
| Pricing model | Not confirmed | Commission free |
| Legal entity | Raymond James Wealth Management Limited | Open to the Public Investing, Inc. |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom | Not confirmed |
| Founded | 1792 | Not confirmed |
| Support channels | Email, Phone | Email, Help centre |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Charles Stanley Direct | Public | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Account fee | £60 to £600highest quarter | Not confirmed | £0 |
| Margin rate | Not confirmed | 4.2%lowest quarter | 8.75% |
| Options contract fee | Not confirmed | $0.060 to $0.18lowest quarter | $0.625 |
| Interest on cash | Not confirmed | 3.3%above the median | 3% |
Median across 43 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.
Public
Pros
- Stock trades cost $0, so a regular monthly purchase is not eaten by commission.
- The account opens from $0, which is below the €4.64 typical minimum across the brokers on our data.
- Cash parked in the high-yield account earns 3.3% while it waits to be invested.
Cons
- Options contracts add a fee of $0.06 to $0.18 each, on top of the premium you pay for the option itself.
- Margin borrowing runs at 4.2%, so borrowed positions carry an interest charge that keeps accruing.
- Support runs on email and help centre only, so there is no phone line for questions about a transfer or a tax form.
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.
Public
Who it suits
- You are saving for retirement in the US and want commission-free stock trades in one account
- You want to hold spare cash at a stated rate while you decide what to buy
- You are starting with small amounts and want fractional shares rather than whole shares
Who should look elsewhere
- You need forex, CFDs or futures, which CFI and eToro both list in stocks, etfs and forex and stocks, etfs and forex
- You want a UK ISA or SIPP wrapper, neither of which appears in ira and roth ira
- You want to talk to a broker on the phone, since support covers email and help centre
Current offers
Public
Current offer
Bonus
Transfer your portfolio. Earn an uncapped 1% match.: 1% match
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Country by country
| Country | Charles Stanley Direct | Public |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Yes | No |
| United States | No | Yes |
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.
Public
Is Public really commission free for stock trades?+
Yes. A stock trade costs $0, so buying shares itself carries no charge. The costs sit elsewhere: options contracts cost $0.06 to $0.18 each, and margin borrowing runs at 4.2%. A simple monthly share purchase only pays the trade charge of $0.
What is the minimum deposit at Public?+
The minimum deposit is $0, so an account can be opened and funded from a very small amount. That is well under the €4.64 typical minimum across the brokers on our data, where the upper quartile sits at €87.70. No threshold has to be cleared before the first trade.
Other options to compare
Other matchups
- Public vs Nexo
- Charles Stanley Direct vs Trading 212
- Charles Stanley Direct vs Vanguard
- Charles Stanley Direct vs Vanguard Investor UK
- Charles Stanley Direct vs Hfm Partners
- Charles Stanley Direct vs Freedom24
- Charles Stanley Direct vs Deriv
- Charles Stanley Direct vs Just2Trade
- Charles Stanley Direct vs Optimus Futures
- Charles Stanley Direct vs RoboForex
- Charles Stanley Direct vs tastytrade
- Charles Stanley Direct vs LYNX
- Charles Stanley Direct vs Saxo
- Charles Stanley Direct vs Nutmeg
- Charles Stanley Direct vs InvestEngine
- Charles Stanley Direct vs FP Markets
- Charles Stanley Direct vs ActivTrades
- Public vs XTB
- Charles Stanley Direct vs eToro
- Charles Stanley Direct vs Mintos
- Public vs Bitpanda
- Charles Stanley Direct vs Robinhood
- Charles Stanley Direct vs Empower Personal Dashboard
- Public vs EBC Financial Group
- Charles Stanley Direct vs CapTrader
- Public vs Traders Place
- Charles Stanley Direct vs Lightyear