| Feature | eToro | Hargreaves Lansdown | Interactive Investor | Trading 212 | Freetrade | Plus500 |
|---|
| Stock Commission | 0%* | £11.95 | Free (flat fee) | 0% | 0% | N/A (CFD only) |
| US Stocks | 3,000+ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Limited | CFDs only |
| Fractional Shares | From $10 | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Crypto (Real) | 70+ coins | ✗ | ✗ | Limited | Limited | ✗ |
| CFDs | 2,000+ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | 2,800+ |
| Copy Trading | CopyTrader™ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Social Features | 35M community | ✗ | ✗ | Forums | Forums | ✗ |
| Smart Portfolios | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Pies | ✗ | ✗ |
| ISA | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| SIPP | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mobile App Rating | 4.4★ | 4.1★ | 3.8★ | 4.5★ | 4.3★ | 4.0★ |
| FCA Regulated | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
🏛️ Hargreaves Lansdown
💪 Strengths
- Dominant UK brand — trusted for decades
- Full ISA/SIPP/pension offering
- Comprehensive research & analysis
- Massive AUA creates trust
⚠️ Weaknesses
- High fees — £11.95/trade, % platform fee
- No crypto, no CFDs, no social features
- Dated app/UX vs modern competitors
- Older demographic — losing millennials
🎯 eToro Attack Strategy
- Target price-conscious HL users: "Stop paying £11.95/trade"
- Google Ads: "Hargreaves Lansdown alternative"
- Comparison content: side-by-side fee comparison
- Highlight features HL doesn't have: crypto, copy trading, social
📱 Trading 212
💪 Strengths
- Free stocks — same USP as eToro
- Strong mobile UX
- ISA offering (eToro doesn't have this)
- Popular with younger UK investors
⚠️ Weaknesses
- Limited crypto offering
- No copy trading / social features
- Smaller global brand than eToro
- Interest on cash is their main revenue
🎯 eToro Attack Strategy
- Differentiate on social: "35M community" vs T212's limited social
- CopyTrader™ as unique feature
- Broader crypto offering (70+ vs limited)
- Highlight CFD market access
💰 Plus500
💪 Strengths
- Pure CFD focus — deep market coverage
- Clean, simple platform
- Strong UK brand awareness (football sponsorships)
⚠️ Weaknesses
- CFDs only — no real stocks, no real crypto
- No social/copy trading features
- Limited educational content
🎯 eToro Attack Strategy
- eToro offers CFDs AND real assets
- For Plus500 users: "Why just trade CFDs? Own real stocks too."
- Social features as differentiator
🆓 Freetrade
💪 Strengths
- UK-focused — ISA, SIPP
- Simple, clean app
- Low fees — free basic tier
⚠️ Weaknesses
- Limited asset coverage
- No CFDs, limited crypto
- No social/copy trading
- Smaller scale — less liquidity
🎯 eToro Attack Strategy
- More assets, more features, bigger community
- "Outgrown your trading app? eToro has everything."
- Global perspective vs UK-only view