What you need to know
Hargreaves Lansdown (HL) is the UK's largest and best-known investment platform, offering Stocks & Shares ISAs, SIPPs, Junior accounts and a general investment account under one roof. Following major fee cuts effective from March 2026, HL has repositioned itself to compete more directly with lower-cost rivals while retaining its broad range of accounts, in-house research and access to personal financial advice — features not available on newer commission-free platforms.
- Share dealing fee cut from £11.95 to £6.95 per trade from March 2026 (£3.95 for frequent traders, 20+ trades/month)
- ISA and SIPP platform fee reduced from 0.45% to 0.35% for portfolios under £250,000
- Annual cap on share-based holdings (shares, ETFs, investment trusts) in a SIPP now £150/year
- Wide account range: Stocks & Shares ISA, SIPP, Junior ISA, Junior SIPP, Lifetime ISA and Cash ISA
- Access to personal financial advice and an FX service, not available on most low-cost platforms
- Fund dealing now costs £1.95 (previously free), still cheaper than AJ Bell's £1.50 comparison point on some plans
Strengths
- Widest range of account types among major UK platforms, including Junior SIPP and Lifetime ISA
- Share/ETF platform fee capped at £150/year (SIPP) or £45/year (ISA), competitive for larger portfolios
- Free regular investing via direct debit
- Access to personal financial advice and an FX service
- Established, well-resourced customer support including telephone
Limitations
- £6.95 dealing fee for ad-hoc share/ETF trades outside regular investing, higher than commission-free rivals
- More expensive than InvestEngine or Trading 212 for typical accumulation-phase portfolios (£10,000–£200,000)
- Percentage-based platform fee on funds, unlike interactive investor's flat monthly subscription
- Fund dealing now costs £1.95, having previously been free
Fees in detail
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Share/ETF trade (standard) | £6.95 |
| Share/ETF trade (20+ trades/month) | £3.95 |
| Fund trade | £1.95 |
| ISA platform fee (under £250k) | 0.35%, capped at £45/year for shares/ETFs |
| SIPP platform fee | 0.35%, capped at £150/year for shares/ETFs |
| Regular investing (direct debit) | Free of dealing charges |
Regular investing plan
HL's regular investing service lets you set up monthly contributions via direct debit with no dealing fee, across shares, funds, ETFs and investment trusts — a genuine advantage over ad-hoc trading where the £6.95 fee applies per trade. For investors building a diversified ETF portfolio with monthly contributions, this removes the main cost disadvantage HL previously had against commission-free platforms like InvestEngine or Trading 212.
Safety and regulation
Hargreaves Lansdown is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Client cash is protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) up to £85,000 per person, per authorised firm, and investments are held separately from HL's own assets, meaning they remain yours even if the firm were to fail.
Customer support
HL offers phone-based customer support alongside its digital channels, plus access to personal financial advice for clients who want professional guidance — a service not commonly available on app-first, low-cost platforms.
Frequently asked questions
How to open an account
- Go to the official Hargreaves Lansdown website and select the account type you want to open
- Enter your personal and tax details to complete the application
- Complete identity verification as required by UK regulation
- Fund your account by bank transfer, debit card, or by transferring an existing ISA/SIPP
- Choose your shares, funds or ETFs, or set up a regular investing plan