Hargreaves Lansdown is the UK's largest fund platform and remains a popular choice among UK investors. On 1st March 2026, Hargreaves Lansdown overhauled its fees, cutting account charges for millions of investors while introducing new costs for fund trading.
While it offers a good range of products, useful tools and excellent insight and research, the recent fee changes have attracted criticism from investors and our own research confirms that cheaper alternatives exist. 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. The fees quoted are based on Hargreaves Lansdown's new fees, set to commence on 1st March 2026.
Best all-round alternative to Hargreaves Lansdown
- 
Regular Cashback offers. Check out our Interactive Investor review for more information
Subscription plan priced at £5.99, £14.99 or £39.99 per month (No annual management charge)
Cheaper than Hargreaves Lansdown if investing more than £20,500
Pay just £3.99 per trade for shares, ETFs and investment trusts (compared to the new charge of £6.95 with Hargreaves Lansdown)
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
Pays 2.98% interest on uninvested cash
No dealing charges for funds (Hargreaves Lansdown charges £1.95 per fund trade)
Free coaching sessions with a qualified financial planner
Check out our full independent Bestinvest review
Best alternative to Hargreaves Lansdown if investing in ETFs
- Build and manage your own ETF portfolio with no platform charges
£1 minimum investment
No dealing charges
Check out our full independent Trading review
Best alternative to Hargreaves Lansdown if investing in shares
- Get a FREE SHARE worth up to £100* when you deposit at least £50 into a Freetrade flexible ISA (capital at risk) or Freetrade basic account (capital at risk). T&Cs apply
No charge for trading shares (compared to the new charge of £6.95 with Hargreaves Lansdown)
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 with AJ Bell. Hargreaves Lansdown charges £1.95)
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 who 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 who prioritise service and efficiency. Those seeking the cheapest option and willing to spend a little more time investigating alternative options may be best served by considering the alternatives to Hargreaves Lansdown mentioned in this article.
When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested. Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results.
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, Bestinvest, Freetrade,
MTTM AI (beta) 
