If you are specifically looking for the best way to invest directly in shares, you may be considering investment platforms Freetrade or Hargreaves Lansdown. While Freetrade offers a low-cost way to invest straight from your mobile phone, Hargreaves Lansdown - the largest platform in the UK - also provides a way to invest in shares, as well as a wide range of other investment types.
In this article we weigh up the key features of both Freetrade* and Hargreaves Lansdown*. We also show you how you could get a free share worth between £10 and £100* with our reader offer with Freetrade (capital is at risk).
Freetrade vs Hargreaves Lansdown - which is better?
| Freetrade | Hargreaves Lansdown | |
| Services | Accessed through smartphone app
Stock performance information 6,500+ Global equities, ETFs, and investment trusts 28 Vanguard mutual funds (Standard and Plus plans only) |
Invest in funds and shares
Wealth Shortlist Master Portfolios Foreign currency exchange Spread betting and CFDs |
| Products | ISA, GIA, SIPP | Active Savings
Cash ISA Fund and share account Ready-made investments ISA, LISA, JISA, SIPP, Junior SIPP |
| Minimum investment | No minimum investment requirement | £1 for a fund and share account
£100 for an ISA or SIPP (or a regular £25 per month) |
| Fees | Basic account - Free - FX fees 0.99%
Freetrade Standard - £5.99 per month - FX fees 0.59% Freetrade Plus (Includes ISA & SIPP) - £11.99 per month - FX fees 0.39% All plans include access to an ISA & SIPP |
Up to £250,000 - 0.35% per annum charge
Between £250,000-£1m - 0.25% per annum charge Between £1m-£2m - 0.10% per annum charge Over £2m - 0% per annum charge Additional underlying fund charges Reduced fees of 0.25% for Lifetime ISA (capped at £45 per year) No charge for Junior ISAs Account charge for holding shares, ETFs, investment trusts and bonds in a fund and share account, ISA or SIPP - 0.35% capped at £150 per year Dealing charges for shares, ETFs, investment trusts and bonds (based on deals completed in previous month): 0-20 deals - £6.95 20+ deals - £3.95 A dealing charge of £1.95 for funds was introduced on 1st March 2026 |
| Customer reviews (Trustpilot) | 4.3/5.0 | 4.4/5.0 |
| Money to the Masses Offer | Receive a free share worth between £10 and £100* when you sign up for a basic account and deposit a minimum of £50 (Terms and conditions apply) | n/a |
Freetrade vs Hargreaves Lansdown - services
As a platform designed solely for buying and selling shares, ETFs and bonds, Freetrade doesn't offer as many services as Hargreaves Lansdown. However, it does provide the information and tools needed for users to search for shares, look at performance data, buy and sell shares and monitor portfolio performance from their smartphones.
For Hargreaves Lansdown, there is a wealth of information for investors, as well as model portfolios, ready-made portfolios, foreign currency exchange and spread betting and CFDs. It's structured in a more traditional format though, without the speed and efficiency of Freetrade's offering.
Freetrade vs Hargreaves Lansdown - products
Freetrade has a much more streamlined offering than Hargreaves Lansdown, with a General Investment Account (GIA), Stocks & Shares ISA and SIPP. Hargreaves Lansdown has a greater degree of choice, with cash and stocks and shares ISAs, GIA, LISA, JISA, SIPP and Junior SIPP. It also has separate savings accounts.
Freetrade vs Hargreaves Lansdown - minimum investment
There is no minimum investment requirement with Freetrade and Hargreaves Lansdown allows you to start investing with a minimum investment of just £1. The £1 minimum investment gives you access to a fund and a shares account with Hargreaves Lansdown, an ISA or SIPP requires at least £100 from the outset, or £25 per month as a regular investment. With Freetrade you can open an account with no minimum investment requirement and you can access a General Investment Account (GIA), General Investment Account (GIA) and SIPP via its 'Basic' account for free. Investors can upgrade to the 'Standard' subscription plan, which gives access to cheaper FX fees (0.59%) and higher rates of interest on uninvested cash, and this comes at a cost of £5.99 per month (or £59.88 if paying annually). Those upgrading to a Freetrade 'Plus' account at a cost of £11.99 per month (or £119.88 if paying annually) will be rewarded with even lower FX fees (0.39%) and 3.5% interest on up to £3,000 of uninvested cash.
Freetrade vs Hargreaves Lansdown - fees
As a platform designed exclusively to allow investors to buy and trade shares, the fees for Freetrade are structured quite differently than those for Hargreaves Lansdown. At its core is the principle that buying and selling shares is free and this is the case even with its basic account.
For Hargreaves Lansdown, the charging model is more traditional, with investors charged a percentage of the total amount invested in funds, which works on a sliding scale. For those with under £250,000, the charge is 0.35%. The fee for holding shares, ETFs, investment trusts and bonds is capped at £150 per year. Hargreaves Lansdown also charges trading fees of £6.95 for shares, ETFs, investment trusts and bonds, reduced to £3.95 if you place more than 20 trades the previous month. It also charges £1.95 for trading funds.
Freetrade vs Hargreaves Lansdown - customer reviews
Based on the results on customer review site Trustpilot, both Hargreaves Lansdown* and Freetrade* are rated highly by their customers. Hargreaves Lansdown has an overall rating of 4.4 out of 5.0 stars based on around 20,000 reviews, while Freetrade is rated 4.3 out of 5.0 based on over 7,100 reviews. Of those, 69% claimed Freetrade was "Excellent", compared with 65% for Hargreaves Lansdown.
Freetrade gets good reviews for the ease of use and low cost of its proposition, while Hargreaves Lansdown was praised for its customer service.
Summary: Freetrade vs Hargreaves Lansdown
If you are looking specifically to buy and sell shares, Freetrade is an attractive option as it is low cost and easy to manage direct from your phone. In comparison, Hargreaves Lansdown's more traditional platform, with a wide range of products and services, may appeal to a slightly older demographic than Freetrade's target audience. The benefit of a more old-school approach is that Hargreaves Lansdown has more resources available to enable investors to create well-balanced portfolios. Freetrade has recently overhauled its subscription plans, providing access to its Stocks & Shares ISA and SIPP via its 'Basic' plan, meaning investors no longer have to pay a monthly fee to invest in a tax-efficient way. This, combined with the fact that there is no minimum investment required, means it is a solid option for beginner investors.
For more detailed explanations of each of the platforms, read our Freetrade review and Hargreaves Lansdown review.
When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested. Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results.
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