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eToro vs Hargreaves Lansdown: Which Is Better for UK Investors in 2026?
A side by side comparison of a low cost multi asset investing app and the UK's largest investment platform, covering fees, ISAs, pensions, investment choice and who each one actually suits.
☆☆☆☆☆ Rated 4.3 out of 5
eToro
0% ISA dealing | CopyTrader | ISA via Moneyfarm
eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk. Terms & Conditions apply.
☆☆☆☆☆ Rated 4.5 out of 5
Hargreaves Lansdown
ISA, SIPP, LISA and Junior ISA | 3,000+ funds
Capital at risk.
0% ISA dealing | CopyTrader | ISA via Moneyfarm
ISA, SIPP, LISA and Junior ISA | 3,000+ funds
Quick verdict
eToro is cheaper to run for most DIY ISA investors. Its ISA charges no dealing commission or custody fee, against HL's 0.35% account charge, capped at £150 a year on shares and ETFs, and £6.95 share deals. Choose Hargreaves Lansdown if you need a SIPP, Lifetime ISA or Junior ISA, a wide fund range with research behind it, or UK phone support.
Details from our eToro and Hargreaves Lansdown reviews and HL's published charges, checked July to October 2026. Always confirm current terms with the provider.Read our full verdict
Brief overview
eToro is a multi asset investing platform founded in 2007 and listed on Nasdaq since May 2025, with more than 40 million registered users worldwide. UK clients are served by eToro (UK) Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. ETF dealing is commission-free, and since 29 July 2026 the eToro Stocks and Shares ISA, powered by Moneyfarm, has charged no dealing commission and no custody fee. The main account is priced in US dollars, and the conversion charge on assets priced in another currency is 0.70%.
Its distinguishing features are social: CopyTrader lets you mirror another investor’s trades, and Smart Portfolios bundle assets around a theme with no management fee. It also offers real cryptoassets and CFDs outside the ISA. There is no SIPP, Lifetime ISA or Junior ISA. Our full eToro review goes through each feature.
Hargreaves Lansdown, usually shortened to HL, is the UK’s largest investment platform, with more than two million clients and a history going back to 1981. It is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under firm reference number 115248. HL is a full service platform rather than a low cost app: it covers every mainstream tax wrapper, offers over 3,000 funds alongside shares, ETFs, investment trusts and bonds, and runs its own research team and a UK phone helpdesk in Bristol.
You pay for that through a percentage account charge of 0.35% a year, capped at £150 a year on shares and ETFs, plus £6.95 per online share trade and £1.95 per fund trade. Whether you search eToro vs Hargreaves Lansdown or Hargreaves Lansdown vs eToro, the real question is whether the extra accounts, range and support are worth that charge to you. Our full Hargreaves Lansdown review covers the platform in more depth.
eToro vs Hargreaves Lansdown at a glance
| Criteria | eToro | Hargreaves Lansdown |
|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | ||
| Best for | Low cost DIY ISA and social investing | Every account type, funds, research and phone support |
| Regulator | FCA (eToro (UK) Ltd, FRN 583263) | FCA (Hargreaves Lansdown Asset Management Ltd, FRN 115248) |
| ISA provided by | Moneyfarm (MFM Investment Ltd) | Hargreaves Lansdown |
| Platform or account fee | £0 in the ISA (since 29 July 2026) | 0.35% a year; capped at £150 a year on shares and ETFs |
| Share dealing | £0 in the ISA; or on some stock trades outside it | £6.95 online, or £3.95 after 20+ trades a month |
| Fund dealing | £0 in the DIY ISA | £1.95 per online trade |
| Regular investing | Recurring investments | Free by monthly Direct Debit |
| Currency conversion fee | 0.70% | 0.99% up to £10,000 per trade; 0.50% to £25,000; 0.20% above |
| Account types | General account, DIY and Managed ISA, Cash ISA | ISA, SIPP, Lifetime ISA, Junior ISA, Junior SIPP, Fund and Share Account, Cash ISA |
| SIPP | No | Yes, with drawdown |
| Lifetime ISA and Junior ISA | No | Yes; Junior ISA has no account charge |
| Investment range | 1,000+ shares, ETFs, bonds and funds in the ISA | 3,000+ funds, plus shares, ETFs, trusts, bonds and gilts |
| Minimum investment | Typically first deposit | £100 lump sum or £25 a month |
| Crypto and CFDs | Yes, outside the ISA | No |
| Inactivity fee | None | None |
| Withdrawal or exit fee | None from GBP account; from USD account | None |
| FSCS protection | £85,000 (ISA via MFM Investment Ltd) | £85,000 investments; £120,000 per bank on savings |
| Customer support | In platform support and Tori AI assistant, with human agents | Bristol phone team, Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm, plus secure message |
| Demo account | Yes, 0,000 in virtual funds | No |
Fees and product details checked July to October 2026, taken from our eToro and Hargreaves Lansdown reviews and Hargreaves Lansdown's published charges. Always confirm current terms on the provider’s own site.
Fees and charges
1. Platform and account fees
eToro
Inside the eToro Stocks and Shares ISA there has been no dealing commission and no annual custody fee since 29 July 2026, covering UK and US shares, ETFs, mutual funds, bonds and European shares. On the main account, ETF trades are commission-free and share trades are commission-free in many markets, although a $1 or $2 commission may apply depending on the exchange. There is no platform fee and no inactivity fee.
Hargreaves Lansdown
HL charges an annual account charge, calculated and billed monthly. Funds are tiered at 0.35% on the first £250,000, 0.25% from £250,000 to £1m, 0.10% from £1m to £2m and nothing above, applied to each account separately. Shares, ETFs, investment trusts and bonds are charged at 0.35% but capped at £12.50 a month, so £150 a year at most. On £10,000 of ETFs that is £35 a year, where the eToro ISA charges nothing.
2. Dealing charges
eToro
Buying and selling inside the DIY ISA costs nothing in commission, whether you place one trade a month or twenty. eToro passes on the 0.5% Stamp Duty Reserve Tax on purchases of UK listed shares, as every UK broker does. The Managed ISA is priced separately from the DIY ISA, so the 0% dealing terms do not carry across to it.
Hargreaves Lansdown
Online share trades, which include ETFs and investment trusts, cost £6.95 if you placed 19 or fewer trades in the previous month, falling to £3.95 for 20 or more. One off online fund trades cost £1.95. Investing by monthly Direct Debit carries no dealing charge on funds or on selected shares, ETFs and trusts, so a regular saver can avoid dealing costs entirely. Phone and postal deals cost £29.
3. Currency conversion and other costs
eToro
eToro charges 0.70% on assets priced in a currency other than sterling, and the rate can vary by eToro Club tier. On a £5,000 purchase of US shares that is £35, and it applies again when you sell. Withdrawals are free from a GBP account but cost a flat $5, with a $30 minimum, from the USD investment account. Cryptoassets cost 1% per position for most Club tiers.
Hargreaves Lansdown
HL adds a foreign exchange charge on top of the dealing fee for overseas shares: 0.99% on trades up to £10,000, 0.50% from £10,000 to £25,000 and 0.20% above that. A £5,000 US share purchase therefore costs £6.95 plus £49.50, or £56.45, against £35 at eToro. Above £10,000 per trade the picture reverses, since both of HL’s higher tiers are below 0.70%. You can model either platform with our broker fees calculator.
Account types and minimums
1. Available account types
eToro
eToro offers a general investing account, a DIY Stocks and Shares ISA, a Managed ISA and a Cash ISA, all opened and viewed inside the eToro app. The ISAs are provided by Moneyfarm through MFM Investment Ltd rather than by eToro itself. There is no SIPP, no Lifetime ISA and no Junior ISA, so eToro can only cover part of a household’s tax wrappers.
Hargreaves Lansdown
HL offers a wider range of accounts than almost any other UK platform: a Stocks and Shares ISA, a SIPP with drawdown, a Lifetime ISA, a Junior ISA, a Junior SIPP, a Fund and Share Account, a Bare Trust Account, a Cash ISA and the Active Savings service, all under one login. The Junior ISA carries no account charge and no online dealing charge, and the Lifetime ISA is charged at 0.25% capped at £3.75 a month.
2. Minimum investment
eToro
For most UK clients the first deposit on the main account is typically $50, though it varies by country and payment method. eToro does not publish a headline minimum on its ISA pages. Fractional shares are available, and recurring investments can automate regular contributions once you are set up.
Hargreaves Lansdown
You can start with £100 as a lump sum or £25 a month by Direct Debit. There is no charge to open an account, and you can hold money as cash at no cost while you decide what to buy. Because the account charge is a percentage, a small pot pays a small amount: £1,000 in funds costs about £3.50 a year.
Platform and app experience
1. Interface and ease of use
eToro
eToro’s web platform is built for a multi asset audience. Charts, watchlists, market data and a news feed sit alongside your portfolio, and the ISA is reached through the same login. That breadth is useful if you want it, but it also means CFDs and crypto sit one tap away from your ISA holdings, which takes some discipline to ignore.
Hargreaves Lansdown
HL is polished and heavily signposted, and written for a general audience rather than a trading one. The fund and share research pages are among the most detailed available to UK retail investors, and the checkout style dealing flow is hard to get wrong. The amount of content is a strength if you want research and a mild distraction if you already know what you are buying.
2. Mobile app
eToro
eToro rebuilt its mobile app in July 2026 around Tori, an AI assistant that surfaces portfolio and market information without being asked, and added sub-accounts for separate goals. eToro states that Tori does not provide investment advice, and not every new feature has reached UK clients yet.
Hargreaves Lansdown
The HL app is well established and covers dealing, valuations, research and account admin, including the fund research notes, which is unusual for a platform app. It is designed for periodic checking and occasional dealing rather than constant monitoring, which suits a long term investor.
3. Tools and automation
eToro
Recurring investments automate contributions, CopyTrader mirrors another investor’s positions with an amount you choose, and Smart Portfolios offer themed baskets with no management fee. CopyTrader is not an ISA feature. Our guide to eToro copy trading explains how it works.
Hargreaves Lansdown
Free monthly Direct Debit investing and automatic dividend reinvestment are the main automation features. Ready Made Investments let you pick a goal and a risk level and leave the selection to HL’s team, and the Ready Made Pension Plan adjusts your pension investments automatically as you approach retirement.
Get up to £500 in free shares with eToro
New UK customers get free shares worth £40 to £500, set by the size of a first deposit of £500 or more. The deposit must stay in your account for at least 90 days.
eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk. Terms & Conditions apply.
Investment choice
1. Shares and ETFs
eToro
A wide range of shares and ETFs on the main account. Inside the DIY ISA the universe is over 1,000 UK, US and European shares, ETFs, bonds and mutual funds on eToro’s own figure, which is a narrower list of shares than the main account offers. Check that the holdings you want are available in the ISA before you transfer.
Hargreaves Lansdown
A very wide range of UK and overseas shares, ETFs and investment trusts, covering the main UK market plus US, European and other international exchanges. HL reports finding a better than quoted share price on 95% of trades. Remember the foreign exchange charge when you buy outside the UK.
2. Funds and bonds
eToro
The DIY ISA holds bonds and mutual funds alongside shares and ETFs, so a conventional multi asset portfolio fits inside the wrapper, and a Managed ISA is available if you would rather delegate. The fund list is far shorter than HL’s, so check that a specific fund you want is on it.
Hargreaves Lansdown
This is HL’s clearest advantage. Over 3,000 funds sit alongside bonds, gilts and Venture Capital Trusts, and HL negotiates discounts on the ongoing charges of more than 500 funds, which it says average around 17%. The Wealth Shortlist and HL Building Blocks offer a researched starting point if you do not know where to begin.
3. What else is available
eToro
Real cryptoassets, CFDs on shares, indices, forex, commodities and crypto, CopyTrader and Smart Portfolios, all outside the ISA. 55% of retail investor accounts lose money trading CFDs with eToro. Crypto cannot be held in an ISA and sits outside FSCS protection.
Hargreaves Lansdown
A Cash ISA and the Active Savings service, which gives access to savings rates from several banks in one place. There is no CFD or leveraged trading and no cryptocurrency: HL is a long term investment platform rather than a trading venue.
Safety and regulation
1. Regulation
eToro
eToro (UK) Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under firm reference number 583263. The ISA is another firm’s product: your ISA money and investments sit with MFM Investment Ltd, Moneyfarm’s regulated entity, FCA number 629539. eToro Group has been listed on Nasdaq since May 2025 and reports results quarterly.
Hargreaves Lansdown
Hargreaves Lansdown Asset Management Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under firm reference number 115248. HL was listed on the London Stock Exchange from 2007 until March 2025, when it was taken private in a £5.4bn deal by a consortium of CVC Capital Partners, Nordic Capital and Platinum Ivy, a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. Its FCA authorisation and client asset protections were unaffected.
2. How your money is protected
eToro
Investments with eToro (UK) Ltd are covered by the FSCS up to £85,000. ISA investments are covered up to £85,000 via MFM Investment Ltd, and that limit is shared across all brands operating under MFM Investment Ltd, so an existing Moneyfarm account would share it. Cryptoassets are not covered.
Hargreaves Lansdown
Client investments are held separately from HL’s own money and covered by the FSCS up to £85,000 per person if HL were to fail. Cash in the Cash ISA and Active Savings, provided by Hargreaves Lansdown Savings Limited, sits with partner banks, where deposit protection of £120,000 applies per bank. Neither limit protects you against investments falling in value.
Customer support
1. How to get in touch
eToro
Support is handled through the platform, with Tori answering platform and account questions instantly and a human agent available when you need one. Higher eToro Club tiers come with more dedicated support.
Hargreaves Lansdown
HL’s Bristol based helpdesk is open by phone Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm, alongside secure messaging from inside your account and a detailed online help centre. Phone support is one of the clearest reasons investors stay with HL, particularly for pension queries.
2. What to expect
eToro
ISA questions can involve both eToro and Moneyfarm, so a transfer or corporate action query may take longer than a platform one. We could not verify published response times or telephone support hours for the ISA.
Hargreaves Lansdown
Service is generally well regarded and consistently rated well in independent surveys. Waiting times lengthen at busy periods such as the run up to the ISA deadline in April, and transfers in from other providers commonly take several weeks, which is normal across the industry.
Learning resources
1. Guides and research
eToro
eToro Academy, News and Analysis, and the Digest and Invest series cover written guides, video and podcasts, free to account holders. A fair amount of it addresses trading, crypto and CopyTrader rather than long term ISA investing.
Hargreaves Lansdown
Research is HL’s strongest suit. Its in house team publishes fund and share analysis, market commentary and a regular newsletter at no extra cost, and the Wealth Shortlist gives a curated starting point for fund selection. It is research rather than personal advice, but it is more substantial than most platforms offer.
2. Practice and demo accounts
eToro
eToro’s demo account comes with $100,000 in virtual funds. It is useful for learning where things are, including CopyTrader, before real money is involved.
Hargreaves Lansdown
There is no demo account, because HL is not aimed at short term trading. Instead it offers calculators, fund factsheets, retirement planning tools and worked examples showing exactly how a monthly charge is calculated.
3. Who it suits
eToro
Best for someone who wants breadth and is curious how other investors build portfolios, and who is prepared to skip past the trading and crypto material.
Hargreaves Lansdown
Best for someone who wants research and guidance built into the platform and would rather read a fund note before buying. Our guide to dollar cost averaging pairs well with HL’s free monthly investing.
Which platform suits which investor
1. Best for
eToro
DIY ISA investors who want the lowest platform cost: no dealing commission and no custody fee, against HL’s 0.35% account charge and £6.95 share deals. Also anyone interested in copy trading or real cryptoassets alongside their shares.
Hargreaves Lansdown
Anyone who needs a SIPP, Lifetime ISA or Junior ISA alongside their ISA, fund investors who want a very wide choice with research behind it, and people who value a UK phone number. The Junior ISA, with no account or online dealing charge, is a genuine standout.
2. Less suited to
eToro
Anyone who needs a pension, Junior ISA or Lifetime ISA, since eToro offers none of them, and anyone who wants their ISA held by the platform they signed up with. On eToro’s own terms, an ISA transfer in may mean holdings are sold and moved as cash rather than transferred as they are.
Hargreaves Lansdown
Cost conscious investors with a simple ETF portfolio, who pay up to £150 a year in account charges plus dealing fees for range and support they may not use. Large fund portfolios also get expensive, because the 0.35% fund charge is not capped below £250,000.
3. A note on costs
eToro
eToro’s DIY ISA is now genuinely cheap to run for sterling assets, but the 0.70% conversion charge applies to US shares and other overseas holdings, and eToro does not publish a cash interest rate for the ISA.
Hargreaves Lansdown
HL is cheaper than it looks for listed investments once the £12.50 monthly cap applies, at roughly £43,000 and above. It is the more expensive of the two for most portfolios below that, and for funds. Our compound interest calculator shows how small fee differences add up over time.
What would each platform cost you?
Compare the yearly cost of eToro, Hargreaves Lansdown and other UK platforms with our broker fees calculator.
Pros and cons
eToro
Cons
Pros
Hargreaves Lansdown
Cons
Pros
Verdict
1. The short answer
eToro
For a DIY Stocks and Shares ISA, eToro is the cheaper platform to run for most investors. Its ISA charges no dealing commission and no custody fee, while HL takes 0.35% a year, up to £150 on shares and ETFs, plus £6.95 per online share trade. eToro is also cheaper on currency for overseas trades up to £10,000.
Hargreaves Lansdown
Hargreaves Lansdown is the stronger choice if you want every account in one place, including a SIPP, a Lifetime ISA and a Junior ISA with no account charge, if you invest in funds and want research behind them, or if you value a UK phone team. You pay a percentage for that, but for many investors the breadth is worth it.
2. Who should choose it
eToro
You want a low cost ISA with shares, ETFs, funds and bonds, you are comfortable with an app and online support, or social investing appeals. Our eToro review covers each feature, and our Trading 212 vs eToro and eToro vs XTB comparisons set it against other low cost apps. If you open an account, our eToro bonus page explains the current welcome offer of up to £500 in free shares for new UK customers, including the deposit tiers and the 90 day rule.
Hargreaves Lansdown
You want a pension and ISAs for the whole family under one login, a wide fund choice and someone to call. The detail is in our Hargreaves Lansdown review, our Hargreaves Lansdown vs Interactive Investor comparison covers the flat fee alternative, and our broker matching tool can narrow the field. You can also browse all our broker comparisons.
Risk disclaimer
This article is for general information and education. It is not personal financial advice and does not take account of your circumstances. When you invest, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than you put in. Past performance is not a guide to future returns.
eToro also offers CFDs and cryptoassets, which cannot be held in an ISA and sit outside the main scope of this comparison. eToro discloses that 55% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. Cryptoassets are high risk and are not covered by the FSCS or the Financial Ombudsman Service. Hargreaves Lansdown offers neither.
Tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and ISA and pension rules may change. If you are unsure whether a product is right for you, seek advice from an FCA authorised adviser.
Fees and product details are taken from our eToro and Hargreaves Lansdown reviews and Hargreaves Lansdown's published charges, checked between July and October 2026, and may have changed since. Always confirm current terms on the provider's own website.
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☆☆☆☆☆ Rated 4.3 out of 5
eToro
Up to £500 in free shares | 0% ISA dealing
eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk. Terms & Conditions apply.
☆☆☆☆☆ Rated 4.5 out of 5
Hargreaves Lansdown
Every account type | Phone support
Capital at risk.
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