Our Bottom Line
Hargreaves Lansdown touts that it’s “the UK’s No.1 investment platform for private investors” Considering it manages over £155bn in client assets across over 1.9 million investors, it’s hard to argue with that statement. In terms of its Stocks and Shares ISA specifically, those numbers sit at 1.3 million and £60bn, respectively.
Its Stocks and Shares ISA lets you invest in a wide range of asset classes like stocks (both UK and international), funds, ETFs, investment trusts, gilts, and bonds.
The platform isn’t really designed for day traders who need highly technical tools. Instead, Hargreaves Lansdown provides only the essentials needed for long-term investors. This greatly simplifies the investing process, making the platform clear, functional, and easy to use – perfect for beginners.
It’s not the cheapest in terms of fees, especially for investors with small sums of capital. But opening a Stocks and Shares ISA account opens the door to the HL research hub, which offers a wealth of knowledge, including investment research as well as exclusive analysis.
Pros & Cons
Here’s what we like about Hargreaves Lansdown Stocks and Shares ISA:
- Strong reputation and track record.
- Uninvested cash earns interest.
- Access to thousands of UK and international investments
- Active investors enjoy reduced trading charges.
- No inactivity or withdrawal fees.
- Intuitive platform and mobile app.
- Free access to investment research and market insights.
Potential downsides to consider:
- Standard dealing charges are higher than average.
- Limited charting and technical tools.
- Relatively high annual fees for fund, shares, and ETF holdings.
- No support for fractional share trading.
Key Features and Services
The Hargreaves Lansdown Stocks and Shares ISA offer a wide range of essential features, allowing investors to trade stocks and funds in real-time.
- Wide range of investments – Choose from thousands of UK and global shares, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, venture capital trusts, gilts, and corporate bonds.
- Real-time trading – View live share prices, execute trades instantly during market hours, and set stop loss or limit orders.
- Watchlists & virtual portfolios – Build virtual portfolios to try out new strategies and craft custom watchlists to keep tabs on interesting investments.
- Research hub – Includes original award-winning HL research and market insights, ShareCast broker tips, stock screeners, fund shortlists, market data, alerts, and more.
- App and web access – Manage investments from a desktop web platform or on the go from your phone with the HL mobile App.
- Customer support – UK-based helpdesk with responsive email support and additional clear FAQs.
Fees and Trading Costs in 2025
The Hargreaves Lansdown Stocks and Shares ISA has a variety of fees investors must consider that change depending on certain conditions. The fee structure is slightly different compared to its Fund and Share Account. And similarly, it’s not the cheapest, but the fee structure is transparent and the platform offers a lot of convenience in exchange.
- Share dealing (online) – By default, HL charges £11.95 per trade. However, if you execute 10 or more trades in a single month, this rate drops to £8.95, or £5.95 if you execute 20 or more trades.
- Share dealing (phone & post) – HL charges 1% of the trade value as a fee when trading via the phone or through postal dealing. There is a minimum £20 trading fee, but the maximum charge is £50 per trade.
- Foreign exchange – When trading internationally, HL charges a foreign currency exchange fee depending on the size of the transaction. This fee is 1% for the first £5,000, 0.75% for the next £5,000, 0.5% for the next £10,000, and 0.25% for any amount over £20,000.
- Fund charges – When holding investment funds in an account, HL charges an annual holding fee. The amount is based on the value of your investment. The first £250,000 incurs a 0.45% fee. If investments are worth between £250,000 and £1m, the fee decreases to 0.25%. If investments are worth between £1m and £2m, the fee decreases again to 0.1%. And any value beyond £2m incurs no fees.
- Account charges – Beyond the previously mentioned Fund charges, investors also have to pay a 0.45% annual fee for all non-fund investments up to a maximum of £3.75 per month.
- Deposit fee – None.
- Withdrawal fee – None.
Stocks and Shares ISA Requirements
Here are the minimum requirements for investors to be eligible for an HL Stocks and Shares ISA.
- Minimum opening amount – Accounts can be opened with as little as £1.
- Minimum trading amount – There is no minimum trading amount set by the HL platform. The exception is for funds that require a minimum of £100. Note that, depending on the investment or asset class, there may still be a minimum investment requirement not set by Hargreaves Lansdown.
- Minimum Direct Debit amount – Direct Debit payments can be made starting from a minimum of £25 a month.
- Eligibility – The Stocks and Shares ISA is available to all UK residents aged 18+. You’ll need a National Insurance number and a debit card to get started. You also need to be free from any significant debts (excluding mortgages). Non-UK residents may still be able to open an account, but need to contact Hargreaves Lansdown directly.
- Account opening time – Opening an account online only takes a few minutes. However, you may be asked to perform ID verification, which can take up to three working days.
Platform and App Experience in 2025
The HL investment platform (rated 4.3/5 on Trustpilot) remains refreshingly consistent. Navigating through the platform is incredibly easy, with all options clearly displayed with the ability to seamlessly switch between multiple portfolios and accounts. You can customise the way holdings are displayed, create custom watchlists to keep tabs on interesting opportunities or craft a virtual portfolio to practice your investing skills.
The HL mobile app (rated 4.8/5 on Google Play and 4.7/5 on the Apple App Store) has gradually improved since its launch. Similar to the web-based platform, you can customise and organise investment dashboards and execute trades with ease.
Both the web platform and HL app provide easy access to a ton of in-house research content, particularly for UK shares and popular funds. This includes daily market updates, broker ratings, sector analysis, IPO launch information, and real-time price data for equities.
As research packages go, it’s a pretty generous toolkit for DIY investors, although it’s not tailored as personalised advice. And with filtering features available, you can select which updates interest you the most to stop your email inbox from being bombarded with content.
Turning our attention to customer support services, the HL website has a plethora of FAQs and detailed guides to help customers solve most problems, such as changing passwords, buying and selling investments, completing account transfers, etc.
However, if these resources don’t prove helpful, you can call the UK-based help desk between 8am and 5pm Monday to Friday or 9.30am to 12.30pm on Saturdays. The helpdesk is closed on a Sunday.
Is A Hargreaves Lansdown Stocks and Shares ISA Right For You?
There’s little to fault with the Hargreaves Lansdown Stocks and Shares ISA. It’s a reliable mainstream investment platform offering real human support and helpful investor tools. For most long-term investors, HL offers seemingly all the essentials, although, for short-term traders looking to establish complex strategies and hedges, it’s likely not a great fit.
Yes, the fees are slightly higher than other trading platforms, but that doesn’t appear to be putting people off, given the additional perks provided, such as its research hub.
But for investors who already have access to other 3rd party investment research, these additional benefits may not justify the higher cost. That’s why it’s important to compare all fees and any potential hidden charges (HL is transparent, but not all platforms are the same) when deciding which platform to use.
Remember, whenever you invest — be it directly in shares, ETFs, bonds, tracker funds or managed funds, your capital is put at risk, and you may not get back all the money you originally invested. So, if you’re ever unsure about the suitability of an investment for your circumstances, please consider obtaining appropriate independent financial advice prior to investing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Hargreaves Lansdown platform good for beginners?
Yes. The Hargreaves Lansdown investment platform is considered to be one of the most beginner-friendly investing solutions in the UK. The online platform and mobile app are easy to use, and come with plenty of guides and research tools to help novices get started.
Can I trust Hargreaves Lansdown?
Yes. Hargreaves Lansdown is a FTSE 100 company used by over 1.9 million clients and is regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
Is Hargreaves Lansdown too expensive?
It can be. Investors who trade frequently or hold large fund-focused portfolios can end up paying significantly higher fees compared to other platforms. However, this higher cost does come with the advantage of additional research tools that other platforms don’t provide.
Is there a fee to close a Hargreaves Lansdown account?
No. Even when transferring stocks to another account, there are no fees.
What happens if the Hargreaves Lansdown investment platform were to go bust?
All investments are held in your name and separate from Hargreaves Lansdown assets. Therefore, if the company failed, all of your investments would be safe, although you may not be able to access them for a short period of time. Any remaining cash held in your account is protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) up to £85,000.
Alternatives To Consider
If you’re interested in platforms that are of great value for frequent and regular investors and have some excellent research materials for beginners, you should also take a look at: