Updated September 28, 2026 · BrokerCue Editorial Team
Charles Stanley Direct vs WH SelfInvest
What sets them apart
| Compare |  Charles Stanley Direct |  WH SelfInvest |
|---|---|---|
| Stock trade fee | £10 | $1.90 |
| Account fee | £60 to £600 | €0 |
| Markets | Stocks, ETFs, Funds | Stocks, ETFs, Forex, CFDs, Options, Futures, Bonds |
| Platforms | Charles Stanley Direct Trading | NanoTrader, TradingView, Trader Workstation, Mobile Apps |
| Minimum deposit | £1 | Not confirmed |
| Inactivity fee | Not confirmed | €0 |
| Regulators | Financial Conduct Authority | Not confirmed |
| Investor protection | FSCS up to GBP 85,000 | Not confirmed |
| Retail accounts that lose money | Not confirmed | 76% |
| Account types | ISA, SIPP | Not confirmed |
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Key differences
- WH SelfInvest scores higher overall: 9.3 vs 8.9.
- Markets: only Charles Stanley Direct offers Funds.
- Markets: only WH SelfInvest offers Forex, CFDs, Options.
- Platforms: only Charles Stanley Direct offers Charles Stanley Direct Trading.
- Platforms: only WH SelfInvest offers NanoTrader, TradingView, Trader Workstation.
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.
WH SelfInvest
WH SelfInvest sits in Luxembourg and covers stocks, ETFs, forex, CFDs, options, futures and bonds under an account fee of €0 and an inactivity fee of €0, which suits investors who want many asset classes without a standing charge. Stock dealing is the cost to watch, at $1.90 a trade.
Score breakdown
| Area | Charles Stanley Direct | WH SelfInvest |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 8.4Ranks 126 of 138 brands on account fee and 159 of 161 on stock trade fee. | 9.1HigherThe standing fees are flat, at €0 and €0, while the dealing charge of $1.90 a trade pulls the score down. |
| Offer | 8.8 | 9.5Higher |
| Trust | 9.3 | Not confirmed |
Positions in our rankings
| Ranking | Charles Stanley Direct | WH SelfInvest |
|---|---|---|
| Stock and ETF brokers | 155 of 471 | 86 of 471 |
What each covers
| Markets | Charles Stanley Direct | WH SelfInvest |
|---|---|---|
| Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Forex | No | Yes |
| CFDs | No | Yes |
| Options | No | Yes |
| Futures | No | Yes |
| Bonds | No | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | No |
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
WH SelfInvest
- whselfinvest.com: 9 facts, checked September 26, 2026
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Charles Stanley Direct | WH SelfInvest |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Not confirmed | Demo account, Fractional shares, Copy trading, Mobile app |
| Legal entity | Raymond James Wealth Management Limited | Not confirmed |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom | Luxembourg |
| Founded | 1792 | Not confirmed |
| Support channels | Email, Phone | Email, Phone |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Charles Stanley Direct | WH SelfInvest | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | £1below the median | Not confirmed | £20 |
| Inactivity fee | Not confirmed | €0below the median | €2.45 |
| Retail accounts that lose money | Not confirmed | 76%highest quarter | 72.13% |
Median across 48 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.
WH SelfInvest
Pros
- The account fee is €0 and the inactivity fee is €0, so an account left open or left idle is not billed, and the standing cost sits level with Vantage at $0.
- A single account covers stocks, etfs and forex, so shares, forex, CFDs, options, futures and bonds can be held and traded together.
- The platform choice runs from NanoTrader, TradingView and Trader Workstation, so the same account can be worked from a desktop terminal or from mobile apps.
Cons
- Stock dealing costs $1.90 a trade, where eToro charges $0 for its stock dealing.
- That dealing charge ranks 123 of 161 on our data, while the account fee sits at 1 of 138 and inactivity at 1 of 56, so the standing costs lead the table while dealing sits near the back of it.
- Support runs on email and phone, so a live chat window and a help centre are not part of the contact options.
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.
WH SelfInvest
Who it suits
- Investors who want shares and leveraged products side by side, since stocks, etfs and forex puts forex, CFDs, options, futures and bonds in the same account.
- People who split activity between a desktop terminal and mobile apps, since NanoTrader, TradingView and Trader Workstation covers both.
- Traders who want to test before committing, since demo account, fractional shares and copy trading includes a demo account and fractional shares.
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone who mainly wants cheap stock dealing: eToro charges $0 for stock dealing against $1.90 here.
- Crypto traders, since crypto is missing from stocks, etfs and forex although CFI covers stocks, etfs and forex.
Country by country
| Country | Charles Stanley Direct | WH SelfInvest |
|---|---|---|
| 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.
WH SelfInvest
Does WH SelfInvest charge an account fee?+
The account fee is €0 and the inactivity fee is €0, so there is nothing to pay for holding the account open and nothing for leaving it idle. That is why the brand ranks 1 of 138 on our data for the account fee and 1 of 56 for inactivity.
What does it cost to buy a stock?+
A stock trade costs $1.90, and that is the charge which scales with how often you trade. It ranks 123 of 161 on our data, so anyone dealing in shares regularly will feel it far more than the flat fees. Multiply it by the number of trades you expect.
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