City Index vs Hargreaves Lansdown - BrokerCue
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Broker Comparison

City Index vs Hargreaves Lansdown

Compare City Index and Hargreaves Lansdown side by side: fees, regulation, platforms.

City Index

City Index

Active CFD and spread betting traders

City Index is a UK-founded spread betting and CFD broker offering 13,500+ markets across forex, indices, shar…

VS
Hargreaves Lansdown

Hargreaves Lansdown

UK long-term ISA and SIPP investors

Hargreaves Lansdown is the UK's largest retail investment platform, offering ISAs, SIPPs, funds, shares, ETFs…

Head-to-head comparison

City Index vs Hargreaves Lansdown
Feature City Index Hargreaves Lansdown
Minimum deposit - -
Stock trading fee - £6.95 per online trade (0-19 trades/month); £3.95 per trade (20+ trades/month); £29 by phone; free via monthly Direct Debit regular investing
Regulators FCA, ASIC, CySEC, MAS FCA
Best for Active CFD and spread betting traders UK long-term ISA and SIPP investors
Markets & account
Stocks
-
ETFs
-
Forex
-
CFDs
-
Bonds
Options
-
Futures
-
Spread Betting
-
Demo Account
-
Margin
-
Funds
-
Ready Made Portfolios
-
Isa
-
Sipp
-
Investment Plans
-
Money Market Funds
-

Pros & cons

City Index

City Index

Pros

  • Regulated by FCA, ASIC, CySEC and MAS
  • FSCS investor protection for UK clients
  • No account opening, deposit or standard withdrawal fees
  • 13,500+ tradeable markets including forex, indices, shares and commodities
  • Spread betting is tax-free for UK residents
  • TradingView integration with direct trade execution
  • Free demo account with £10,000 virtual funds
  • Negative balance protection for retail clients

Cons

  • Inactivity fee of £12 per month after 12 months
  • Stock CFD commissions apply on every trade
  • Demo account expires after 12 weeks
  • Crypto CFDs unavailable to UK retail clients under FCA rules
  • No MetaTrader 5 support for most regions
  • No copy trading or social investing features
  • No passive investment options such as ready-made portfolios
Hargreaves Lansdown

Hargreaves Lansdown

Pros

  • UK's largest retail investment platform with over 2 million clients
  • Wide product range: funds, shares, ETFs, bonds, gilts, investment trusts, VCTs
  • ISA, SIPP, Lifetime ISA, Junior ISA, and Junior SIPP accounts available
  • No inactivity or withdrawal fees
  • Free monthly Direct Debit regular investing for both shares and funds
  • Extensive research tools, analyst ratings, and educational content
  • Segregated client funds and FSCS protection up to £85,000
  • No account charge for Junior ISA holders

Cons

  • No demo account available
  • Share dealing fee of £6.95 is higher than several UK competitors
  • Fund annual charge is uncapped for smaller portfolios and can be expensive at scale
  • New £1.95 fund dealing fee introduced from March 2026 where trades were previously free
  • Annual share charge cap raised to £150 per year per account from £45
  • FX conversion fees apply on all overseas share trades
  • No CFDs, forex, crypto, or spread betting products
City Index

City Index

City Index is a UK-founded spread betting and CFD broker offering 13,500+ markets across forex, indices, shares, commodities and options, regulated by the FCA, ASIC, CySEC and MAS.

Visit City Index Read review

Your capital is at risk. Other fees apply.

Hargreaves Lansdown

Hargreaves Lansdown

Hargreaves Lansdown is the UK's largest retail investment platform, offering ISAs, SIPPs, funds, shares, ETFs and ready-made portfolios to over 2 million clients.

Visit Hargreaves Lansdown Read review

Your capital is at risk. Other fees apply.

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