Head to head

comdirect vs Hargreaves Lansdown — which broker is better?

comdirect or Hargreaves Lansdown? Fees, regulation, platform and product range compared side by side — with a verdict drawn from the data.

Risk warning: CFDs and leveraged products are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly. Investments can fall in value. Past performance is not an indicator of future results.

comdirect

Germany's most complete online broker — every product, every platform, and a price list to match.

3,9

Group index 93/100Protection depends on your legal entity

BaFinECB

Stocks (per order): 0.25 %
Minimum deposit: None
FX conversion: 1 %

Visit broker Full review

Hargreaves Lansdown

The UK's biggest investment platform: superb service and research, at a price you can measure.

3,8

Group index 69/100Protection depends on your legal entity

FCA

Stocks (per order): £6.95
Minimum deposit: None
FX conversion: 0.99 %

Visit broker Full review

Advertising disclosure: where a partnership is active, we may earn a commission through broker links. The provider’s terms apply. Commissions do not influence our ratings; paid placements are separately labelled as sponsored.

The verdict in numbers

Four decision axes, each derived from the recorded data.

Overall comdirect takes it, 3.9 against 3.8 out of 5. Hargreaves Lansdown is the cheaper of the two: a reference EUR 5,000 stock order costs €8.13 there against €12.50. comdirect scores 93 against 69 out of 100 on the group index. Your account's protection depends on its legal entity. comdirect covers more ground with 10 of 14 asset classes against 6. On platform and app comdirect is ahead, 4.4 against 4.2 out of 5. Which one is right depends on which of these axes matters for your trading profile.

Overall score

comdirect: 3.9 — Better
Hargreaves Lansdown: 3.8

Costs

comdirect: €12.50
Hargreaves Lansdown: €8.13 — Better

Group indexNo winner

comdirect: 93 of 100
Hargreaves Lansdown: 69 of 100

Product range

comdirect: 10/14 — Better
Hargreaves Lansdown: 6/14

Platform & app

comdirect: 4.4 — Better
Hargreaves Lansdown: 4.2

Compare brokers side by side

Up to four brokers at once — every row a decision point.

Data as of: 30 Aug 2026

Best value in the row

comdirect · Hargreaves Lansdown
Criterion	comdirect 3,9 Visit broker	Hargreaves Lansdown 3,8 Visit broker

Overall score	3.9 — Better	3.8
Group index	93 of 100	69 of 100
Best for	Investors who want one full-service accountEurex options and futures tradersActive traders needing a real deskAnyone prioritising deposit protectionClients who also want a German Girokonto	UK investors who want service and researchFirst-time ISA and SIPP saversFund-led portfolios under GBP 60,000Lifetime ISA and Junior ISA saversInvestors who value a strong mobile app

Regulation	BaFinECB	FCA
Top-tier licences	2 — Better	1
Investor protection	€100,000 — Better	£85,000
Listed group	Yes	No
Banking licence	Yes	No
Segregated client accounts	Yes	Yes
Negative balance protection	Yes	Yes
Audited financials	Yes	Yes
Disclosed regulatory actions	1	2
Founded	1994	1981
Headquarters	Quickborn, DE	Bristol, GB

Fees	2.9 — Better	2.8
Safety & regulation	4.6 — Better	4.3
Trading platform	4.4 — Better	4.0
Product range	4.6 — Better	3.0
Mobile app	4.3	4.3
Research	4.2	4.6 — Better
Customer support	2.4	4.4 — Better
Deposit & withdrawal	4.0	4.2 — Better
Account opening	4.0	4.5 — Better
Education	4.0	4.5 — Better

Reference order EUR 5,000	€12.50	€8.13 — Better
Minimum deposit	None	None
Stocks (per order)	0.25 %	£6.95 — Better
US stocks	0.25 %	£6.95 — Better
ETFs	0.25 %	£6.95 — Better
Options	€1.50	Not offered
Futures	€4.50	Not offered
Crypto	Not offered	Not offered
Bonds (order)	0.25 %	£6.95 — Better
Funds (order)	0.25 %	£1.95 — Better
EUR/USD spread	n/a	n/a
Index CFD spread	n/a	n/a
FX conversion	1 %	0.99 % — Better
Inactivity fee	None	None
Custody fee	None — Better	0.35 % p.a.
Withdrawal fee	free	free
Deposit fee	free	free
Overnight financing	n/a	n/a
Other fees	Custody fee (accounts opened from 15 July 2026): EUR 0.00 per month Custody fee (accounts opened up to 14 July 2026): EUR 1.95 per month (EUR 5.85 per quarter), waived with 2+ trades in the quarter, a Girokonto under the same customer number, or at least one savings plan execution in the quarter Venue fee: 0.0025% min EUR 2.50 at Xetra, Tradegate, gettex, LS Exchange, Quotrix, Stuttgart and Frankfurt Zertifikate AG; 0.005% min EUR 5 at the regional exchanges; none in LiveTrading Savings plan: 1.50% of the amount invested per execution for ETF, share and certificate plans Telephone, fax or letter order: EUR 14.90 surcharge Viel-Trader discount: 15% off commissions in the following half-year from 125 trades in the prior half-year; excludes venue fees, savings plans, promotions and Eurex +8	Inactivity fee: None Account opening / closing: Free Transfer out: Free, including in-specie transfers Holding cash: Free, and uninvested cash earns interest Phone or postal dealing: GBP 29 per trade Overseas dividend conversion: 1% spread over the interbank rate +2

Asset classes (of 14)	10 — Better	6
Exchanges	n/a	20
Stocks	Yes	Yes
ETFs	Yes	Yes
Options	Yes	No
Futures	Yes	No
Forex	No	No
CFDs	Yes	No
Crypto	No	No
Bonds	Yes	Yes
Funds	Yes	Yes
Commodities	Yes	Yes
Indices	Yes	Yes
Warrants	Yes	No
Spread betting	No	No
Social trading	No	No

Platforms	comdirect web (Persönlicher Bereich)ProTradercomdirect Appcomdirect trading AppCFD Trader and CFD AppO&F-TraderREST APIstock3, TraderFox and Quant4you	HL websiteHL mobile appHL Active Savings
Demo account	Yes	No
Fractional shares	Yes	No
Maximum leverage	1:30	n/a
Account opening	Fully online in a few minutes with identity verification and photoTAN activation; the Eurex O&F account is a separate paper application	Fully online in roughly 10 minutes with a National Insurance number and UK bank details; the account can be funded from GBP 1
Account types	comdirect DepotPure DepotJunior DepotZweit-DepotCFD-KontoO&F-Kontocominvest	Fund and Share AccountStocks and Shares ISALifetime ISAJunior ISASelf-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP)Active Savings

Payment methods	Bank transferSEPA	Bank transferDebit card
Account currencies	EUR	GBP
Deposit time	SEPA credit transfer, typically same day to 1 business day; instant if transferred from a comdirect Girokonto	Debit card is effectively instant; bank transfer and Direct Debit typically same day to 2 business days
Withdrawal time	1–2 business days to the reference account	Usually 1–3 business days to a nominated UK bank account
Free withdrawals	n/a	n/a

Languages	German	English
Channels	PhoneEmailLive chat	PhoneEmailTicket system
Availability	24/7 by phone, e-mail and live chat; the CFD desk runs Mon–Fri 08:00–22:00, Sat 10:00–18:00 and Sun 12:00–20:00	Weekdays, UK business hours, from HL's Bristol helpdesk

Strengths and weaknesses side by side

Editorial assessment based on the recorded data.

comdirect

Germany's most complete online broker — every product, every platform, and a price list to match.

3,9

Pros

The broadest product range of the three German incumbents: shares, ETFs, funds, bonds, certificates, warrants, CFDs and direct Eurex options and futures in one depot
Excellent platform stack — ProTrader for real-time multi-monitor trading, O&F-Trader with a margin simulator, CFD Trader with a free demo, plus a documented REST API and stock3, TraderFox and Quant4you integrations
Cash sits behind Commerzbank AG: statutory EdB cover of EUR 100,000 plus the voluntary BdB Einlagensicherungsfonds protecting private individuals up to EUR 3 million, with direct ECB supervision as a significant institution
Custody is now free for depots opened from 15 July 2026, and the second depot has always been free
Cheap Eurex derivatives pricing: EUR 1.50 per single-stock option contract and EUR 1.50 for the MicroDAX future, each with a EUR 9.90 execution minimum
Fully tax-simple for German residents — automatic Abgeltungsteuer withholding, Freistellungsauftrag, loss-offset pots and free annual tax certificates
A EUR 1.00 Pure Depot exists for investors who only need gettex and savings plans, and a 15% Viel-Trader discount rewards 125+ trades per half-year

Cons

Standard commissions are among the highest in the market: EUR 4.90 plus 0.25% of order value, minimum EUR 9.90 and maximum EUR 59.90, plus a EUR 2.50 venue fee — roughly four times what flatex charges on a EUR 10,000 order
Savings plans cost 1.50% of the amount invested per execution. On a EUR 500 monthly ETF plan that is EUR 7.50 a month, or EUR 90 a year, where Consorsbank and flatex both charge zero
Customer service is the standout failure: 1.4 out of 5 on Trustpilot across 4,117 reviews, dominated by complaints about extremely long telephone hold times and unhelpful responses, despite the advertised 24/7 desk
The advertised EUR 3.90 per trade applies only to new depot customers for 36 months, after which the full tariff returns — the headline number is not the price you end up paying
The cheap Pure Depot is heavily restricted: gettex only, no off-exchange trading, no derivatives, no IPOs, no ProTrader, no securities credit, no joint or second depot
No spot cryptocurrency and no wallet — exposure is limited to crypto certificates and ETNs, and foreign trades settle at Commerzbank reference rates rather than a published percentage markup; comdirect's own cost disclosure estimates the conversion at 1%

Best for

Investors who want one full-service accountEurex options and futures tradersActive traders needing a real deskAnyone prioritising deposit protectionClients who also want a German Girokonto

Hargreaves Lansdown

The UK's biggest investment platform: superb service and research, at a price you can measure.

3,8

Pros

The UK's largest platform by assets — over GBP 172bn administered for more than two million clients, with a 45-year track record
Wealth Shortlist fund research and in-house analyst coverage that no execution-only rival matches for depth
The best mobile app among the large UK platforms, with near-complete parity to the website across all account types
UK-based Bristol helpdesk with a strong service reputation — support is consistently the top theme in positive reviews
No inactivity fee, no account opening or closing fee, free transfers out including in specie, and free cash holding that still earns interest
Share dealing repriced to GBP 6.95 (GBP 3.95 from 20 deals a month) with the annual charge on shares capped at GBP 12.50 a month
Free monthly regular investing by Direct Debit on both funds and shares, from GBP 25 a month
Full UK tax-wrapper range in one login — ISA, Lifetime ISA, Junior ISA, SIPP, Junior SIPP and drawdown — plus the Active Savings cash marketplace

Cons

Still the most expensive of the three large UK platforms: 0.35% a year on funds is uncapped until GBP 250,000, where AJ Bell charges 0.25% and interactive investor charges a flat GBP 71.88
The 0.99% foreign exchange charge on the first GBP 10,000 of every overseas trade is punitive for anyone building a US or European portfolio in small increments
No options, futures, spread betting, CFDs, direct crypto or fractional shares — HL cannot serve a trader or anyone wanting sub-GBP 100 exposure to a high-priced US stock
Only around 20 exchanges reachable (US, Canada and 14 European venues), against 24 international markets at AJ Bell
No demo account, so there is no way to test the platform before committing money
The Woodford Equity Income Fund remains a live reputational issue: roughly 130,000 of the fund's investors held it through HL, and a High Court group claim brought in 2022 had passed 9,600 claims after registration closed on 30 April 2025

Best for

UK investors who want service and researchFirst-time ISA and SIPP saversFund-led portfolios under GBP 60,000Lifetime ISA and Junior ISA saversInvestors who value a strong mobile app

Open an account with either

A demo account costs nothing and answers the platform question in ten minutes.

Visit broker: comdirect Visit broker: Hargreaves Lansdown

More comparisons

Alternatives people weigh up alongside these two.

comdirect vs Hargreaves Lansdown — which broker is better?

comdirect or Hargreaves Lansdown? Fees, regulation, platform and product range compared side by side — with a verdict drawn from the data.

The verdict in numbers

Four decision axes, each derived from the recorded data.

comdirect · Hargreaves Lansdown
Criterion	comdirect 3,9 Visit broker	Hargreaves Lansdown 3,8 Visit broker

Overall score	3.9 — Better	3.8
Group index	93 of 100	69 of 100
Best for	Investors who want one full-service accountEurex options and futures tradersActive traders needing a real deskAnyone prioritising deposit protectionClients who also want a German Girokonto	UK investors who want service and researchFirst-time ISA and SIPP saversFund-led portfolios under GBP 60,000Lifetime ISA and Junior ISA saversInvestors who value a strong mobile app

Regulation	BaFinECB	FCA
Top-tier licences	2 — Better	1
Investor protection	€100,000 — Better	£85,000
Listed group	Yes	No
Banking licence	Yes	No
Segregated client accounts	Yes	Yes
Negative balance protection	Yes	Yes
Audited financials	Yes	Yes
Disclosed regulatory actions	1	2
Founded	1994	1981
Headquarters	Quickborn, DE	Bristol, GB

Fees	2.9 — Better	2.8
Safety & regulation	4.6 — Better	4.3
Trading platform	4.4 — Better	4.0
Product range	4.6 — Better	3.0
Mobile app	4.3	4.3
Research	4.2	4.6 — Better
Customer support	2.4	4.4 — Better
Deposit & withdrawal	4.0	4.2 — Better
Account opening	4.0	4.5 — Better
Education	4.0	4.5 — Better

Reference order EUR 5,000	€12.50	€8.13 — Better
Minimum deposit	None	None
Stocks (per order)	0.25 %	£6.95 — Better
US stocks	0.25 %	£6.95 — Better
ETFs	0.25 %	£6.95 — Better
Options	€1.50	Not offered
Futures	€4.50	Not offered
Crypto	Not offered	Not offered
Bonds (order)	0.25 %	£6.95 — Better
Funds (order)	0.25 %	£1.95 — Better
EUR/USD spread	n/a	n/a
Index CFD spread	n/a	n/a
FX conversion	1 %	0.99 % — Better
Inactivity fee	None	None
Custody fee	None — Better	0.35 % p.a.
Withdrawal fee	free	free
Deposit fee	free	free
Overnight financing	n/a	n/a
Other fees	Custody fee (accounts opened from 15 July 2026): EUR 0.00 per month Custody fee (accounts opened up to 14 July 2026): EUR 1.95 per month (EUR 5.85 per quarter), waived with 2+ trades in the quarter, a Girokonto under the same customer number, or at least one savings plan execution in the quarter Venue fee: 0.0025% min EUR 2.50 at Xetra, Tradegate, gettex, LS Exchange, Quotrix, Stuttgart and Frankfurt Zertifikate AG; 0.005% min EUR 5 at the regional exchanges; none in LiveTrading Savings plan: 1.50% of the amount invested per execution for ETF, share and certificate plans Telephone, fax or letter order: EUR 14.90 surcharge Viel-Trader discount: 15% off commissions in the following half-year from 125 trades in the prior half-year; excludes venue fees, savings plans, promotions and Eurex +8	Inactivity fee: None Account opening / closing: Free Transfer out: Free, including in-specie transfers Holding cash: Free, and uninvested cash earns interest Phone or postal dealing: GBP 29 per trade Overseas dividend conversion: 1% spread over the interbank rate +2

Asset classes (of 14)	10 — Better	6
Exchanges	n/a	20
Stocks	Yes	Yes
ETFs	Yes	Yes
Options	Yes	No
Futures	Yes	No
Forex	No	No
CFDs	Yes	No
Crypto	No	No
Bonds	Yes	Yes
Funds	Yes	Yes
Commodities	Yes	Yes
Indices	Yes	Yes
Warrants	Yes	No
Spread betting	No	No
Social trading	No	No

Platforms	comdirect web (Persönlicher Bereich)ProTradercomdirect Appcomdirect trading AppCFD Trader and CFD AppO&F-TraderREST APIstock3, TraderFox and Quant4you	HL websiteHL mobile appHL Active Savings
Demo account	Yes	No
Fractional shares	Yes	No
Maximum leverage	1:30	n/a
Account opening	Fully online in a few minutes with identity verification and photoTAN activation; the Eurex O&F account is a separate paper application	Fully online in roughly 10 minutes with a National Insurance number and UK bank details; the account can be funded from GBP 1
Account types	comdirect DepotPure DepotJunior DepotZweit-DepotCFD-KontoO&F-Kontocominvest	Fund and Share AccountStocks and Shares ISALifetime ISAJunior ISASelf-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP)Active Savings

Payment methods	Bank transferSEPA	Bank transferDebit card
Account currencies	EUR	GBP
Deposit time	SEPA credit transfer, typically same day to 1 business day; instant if transferred from a comdirect Girokonto	Debit card is effectively instant; bank transfer and Direct Debit typically same day to 2 business days
Withdrawal time	1–2 business days to the reference account	Usually 1–3 business days to a nominated UK bank account
Free withdrawals	n/a	n/a

Languages	German	English
Channels	PhoneEmailLive chat	PhoneEmailTicket system
Availability	24/7 by phone, e-mail and live chat; the CFD desk runs Mon–Fri 08:00–22:00, Sat 10:00–18:00 and Sun 12:00–20:00	Weekdays, UK business hours, from HL's Bristol helpdesk

Criterion

3,9

3,8

Overall score

3.9

3.8

Group index

93 of 100

69 of 100

Best for

Investors who want one full-service accountEurex options and futures tradersActive traders needing a real deskAnyone prioritising deposit protectionClients who also want a German Girokonto

UK investors who want service and researchFirst-time ISA and SIPP saversFund-led portfolios under GBP 60,000Lifetime ISA and Junior ISA saversInvestors who value a strong mobile app

Regulation

BaFinECB

FCA

Top-tier licences

Investor protection

€100,000

£85,000

Listed group

Banking licence

Segregated client accounts

Negative balance protection

Audited financials

Disclosed regulatory actions

Founded

1994

1981

Headquarters

Quickborn, DE

Bristol, GB

Fees

2.9

2.8

Safety & regulation

4.6

4.3

Trading platform

4.4

4.0

Product range

4.6

3.0

Mobile app

4.3

Research

4.2

4.6

Customer support

2.4

4.4

Deposit & withdrawal

4.0

4.2

Account opening

4.0

4.5

Education

4.0

4.5

Reference order EUR 5,000

€12.50

€8.13

Minimum deposit

None

Stocks (per order)

0.25 %

£6.95

US stocks

0.25 %

£6.95

ETFs

0.25 %

£6.95

Options

€1.50

Not offered

Futures

€4.50

Not offered

Crypto

Not offered

Bonds (order)

0.25 %

£6.95

Funds (order)

0.25 %

£1.95

EUR/USD spread

n/a

Index CFD spread

n/a

FX conversion

1 %

0.99 %

Inactivity fee

None

Custody fee

None

0.35 % p.a.

Withdrawal fee

free

Deposit fee

free

Overnight financing

n/a

Other fees

Custody fee (accounts opened from 15 July 2026): EUR 0.00 per month
Custody fee (accounts opened up to 14 July 2026): EUR 1.95 per month (EUR 5.85 per quarter), waived with 2+ trades in the quarter, a Girokonto under the same customer number, or at least one savings plan execution in the quarter
Venue fee: 0.0025% min EUR 2.50 at Xetra, Tradegate, gettex, LS Exchange, Quotrix, Stuttgart and Frankfurt Zertifikate AG; 0.005% min EUR 5 at the regional exchanges; none in LiveTrading
Savings plan: 1.50% of the amount invested per execution for ETF, share and certificate plans
Telephone, fax or letter order: EUR 14.90 surcharge
Viel-Trader discount: 15% off commissions in the following half-year from 125 trades in the prior half-year; excludes venue fees, savings plans, promotions and Eurex
+8

Inactivity fee: None
Account opening / closing: Free
Transfer out: Free, including in-specie transfers
Holding cash: Free, and uninvested cash earns interest
Phone or postal dealing: GBP 29 per trade
Overseas dividend conversion: 1% spread over the interbank rate
+2

Asset classes (of 14)

Exchanges

n/a

Stocks

ETFs

Options

Futures

Forex

CFDs

Crypto

Bonds

Funds

Commodities

Indices

Warrants

Spread betting

Social trading

Platforms

comdirect web (Persönlicher Bereich)ProTradercomdirect Appcomdirect trading AppCFD Trader and CFD AppO&F-TraderREST APIstock3, TraderFox and Quant4you

HL websiteHL mobile appHL Active Savings

Demo account

Fractional shares

Maximum leverage

1:30

n/a

Account opening

Fully online in a few minutes with identity verification and photoTAN activation; the Eurex O&F account is a separate paper application

Fully online in roughly 10 minutes with a National Insurance number and UK bank details; the account can be funded from GBP 1

Account types

comdirect DepotPure DepotJunior DepotZweit-DepotCFD-KontoO&F-Kontocominvest

Fund and Share AccountStocks and Shares ISALifetime ISAJunior ISASelf-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP)Active Savings

Payment methods

Bank transferSEPA

Bank transferDebit card

Account currencies

EUR

GBP

Deposit time

SEPA credit transfer, typically same day to 1 business day; instant if transferred from a comdirect Girokonto

Debit card is effectively instant; bank transfer and Direct Debit typically same day to 2 business days

Withdrawal time

1–2 business days to the reference account

Usually 1–3 business days to a nominated UK bank account

Free withdrawals

n/a

Languages

German

English

Channels

PhoneEmailLive chat

PhoneEmailTicket system

Availability

24/7 by phone, e-mail and live chat; the CFD desk runs Mon–Fri 08:00–22:00, Sat 10:00–18:00 and Sun 12:00–20:00

Weekdays, UK business hours, from HL's Bristol helpdesk