Hargreaves Lansdown vs Skilling - BrokerCue
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Broker Comparison

Hargreaves Lansdown vs Skilling

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

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…

VS
Skilling

Skilling

CFD and forex traders, multiple platforms

Skilling is a CySEC-regulated CFD and forex broker offering 1,200+ instruments across forex, stocks, indices,…

Head-to-head comparison

Hargreaves Lansdown vs Skilling
Feature Hargreaves Lansdown Skilling
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 CySEC, FSA
Best for UK long-term ISA and SIPP investors CFD and forex traders, multiple platforms
Markets & account
Stocks
ETFs
-
Forex
-
CFDs
-
Crypto
-
Bonds
-
Funds
-
Ready Made Portfolios
-
Isa
-
Sipp
-
Investment Plans
-
Money Market Funds
-
Margin
-
Demo Account
-
Multi Currency
-

Pros & cons

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
Skilling

Skilling

Pros

  • Choice of three trading platforms: Skilling Trader, MT4 and cTrader
  • 1,200+ CFD instruments including 70+ forex pairs, 900+ shares, indices, commodities and crypto
  • Standard account minimum deposit of $100
  • Commission-free Standard account with spreads from 0.7 pips on EUR/USD
  • Free demo account with $10,000 virtual balance
  • Copy trading available via Skilling cCopy
  • Negative balance protection for retail clients
  • CySEC-regulated with ICF investor compensation up to EUR 20,000

Cons

  • No direct ownership of shares or crypto - all positions are CFDs
  • Premium account requires $5,000 minimum deposit
  • Research tools are limited compared to larger brokers
  • E-wallet withdrawals (Skrill, Neteller) carry third-party percentage fees
  • Customer support limited to weekdays (approximately 06:00-22:00 CET)
  • No US clients accepted
  • MT4 instruments limited to around 200 compared to 800+ on cTrader and Skilling Trader
  • Offshore FSA entity provides weaker investor protection than the CySEC entity
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.

Skilling

Skilling

Skilling is a CySEC-regulated CFD and forex broker offering 1,200+ instruments across forex, stocks, indices, commodities and crypto via MT4, cTrader and its proprietary Skilling Trader.

Visit Skilling Read review

Your capital is at risk. Other fees apply.

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