Hargreaves Lansdown is the UK's largest fund platform and remains a popular choice among UK investors. While it offers a good range of products, useful tools and excellent insight and research, investors should be aware that there are cheaper alternatives. In this article, we look at 5 best alternatives to Hargreaves Lansdown and give our views on which platform is best for a number of different investing scenarios.
Best all-round alternative to Hargreaves Lansdown
Subscription plan priced at £9.99 or £19.99 per month (No annual management charge)
Cheaper than Hargreaves Lansdown if investing more than £27,000
SIPP offer - Investors pay no fee for the first 6 months* - a saving of £78
Check out our full independent Interactive Investor review
Best alternative to Hargreaves Lansdown if investing in ready-made portfolios
Annual charge on its 'smart' and 'expert' ready-made portfolios of 0.20% up to £500,000 and 0.10% up to £1m with no extra charge over £1m
No dealing charges for funds
Free coaching sessions with a qualified financial planner
Check out our full independent Bestinvest review
Best alternative to Hargreaves Lansdown if investing for children
No charge for Junior ISAs or Junior SIPPs (Hargreaves Lansdown charges 0.45%)
Annual service fee starts at just 0.35% (compared with 0.45% from Hargreaves Lansdown)
No dealing charges
Check out our full independent Fidelity review
Best alternative to Hargreaves Lansdown if investing in shares
No charge for trading shares (Hargreaves Lansdown charges £5.95 - £11.95 depending on the number of trades)
Simple user-friendly app
Check out our full independent Freetrade review
Best alternative to Hargreaves Lansdown for passive investors
- AJ Bell*
Good for passive investors who are happy to buy and hold investments (Fund switches cost £1.50 per deal)
Annual charge of 0.25% up to £250,000, 0.10% £250,000 to £1 million, 0.05%, £1 million to £2 million, no annual charge over £2 million
Maximum charge of £3.50 per month if investing in shares
Check out our full independent AJ Bell review
Alternatively, if you are happy to passively invest just in Vanguard funds then Vanguard Investor charges a platform fee of 0.15% per annum on investments up to £250,000 while over £250,000 there is no fee. That means that the maximum platform fee is £375 per year. However, you do not have the wide investment choice enjoyed by AJ Bell customers. Read our full Vanguard Investor review.
Summary
Hargreaves Lansdown* is a popular choice for UK investors and you only need to take a look at independent customer review site Trustpilot to see why. Many of the reviews are from loyal Hargreaves Lansdown customers that champion its user-friendly website and helpful staff. Dig a little deeper, however, and you will find that many of the negative reviews cite its fees as the reason for submitting their low score.
Hargreaves Lansdown is likely to be a good option for investors that prioritise service and efficiency. Those that are seeking the cheapest option and who are happy to spend a little more time investigating alternative options could be best served looking at the alternatives to Hargreaves Lansdown mentioned in this article.
If a link has an * beside it this means that it is an affiliated link. If you go via the link, Money to the Masses may receive a small fee which helps keep Money to the Masses free to use. The following link can be used if you do not wish to help Money to the Masses or take advantage of any exclusive offers - Hargreaves Lansdown, Interactive Investor, AJ Bell, Fidelity, Bestinvest, Freetrade
