- Experts commend Hargreaves Lansdown’s Investing App for its robust security and comprehensive features, highlighting its FCA regulation and user-friendly interface. The app offers a wide range of investment options, although it can be costly for larger portfolios, with fees for share transactions being relatively high.
- Across 1779 user reviews on Good Money Guide, averaging 3.8/5, customers frequently praise the app’s ease of use, excellent customer service, and the variety of investment options available. However, some users express concerns over high transaction fees and occasional difficulties with the app’s navigation, alongside frustrations regarding customer support responsiveness.
Hargreaves Lansdown's Investing App Expert rating
Our expert rating is the average of the areas listed here, each scored out of 5 by our team.Our experts have rated Hargreaves Lansdown's Investing App across five key areas of our review framework.
- Pricing4.5
- Market Access5.0
- Online Platform5.0
- Customer Service5.0
- Research & Analysis5.0
Pros
- Thousands of UK and international shares, bonds & funds
- Ready-made portfolios with different levels of risk
- Excellent research and analysis
- An established company that's listed on the LSE
Cons
- Can be expensive for large fund portfolios
See full expert review
Our verdict
The Hargreaves Lansdown (HL) app is suitable for anyone, from absolute beginners to experienced active investors, as you get a huge amount of information, data, research, market access and order types. This app was the best investing app in our 2022 awards. Capital is at risk.
Is your Money Safe in the HL app?
Yes, HL’s investing app is one of the best and most secure apps for investing, as the company is authorised and regulated by the FCA. Hargreaves Lansdown is one of the most popular investing apps in the UK. For instance, did you know that at its peak, the app and website were used every 9.6 seconds to top up an HL Stocks & Shares ISA.
Fees: There is no account charge for shares in a general account with HL. Funds are charged at 0.45% for the first £250,000. There is no charge for buying funds, but shares are charged at a relatively high £11.95 per deal or £5.95 if you do over 20 deals per month.
Hargreaves Lansdown has recently improved it’s app and now allows users to open several products directly. The HL app now allows clients to open its ISA, LISA and Fund & Share accounts through the app, with more products to become accessible shortly.
In a LinkedIn post revealing the update, Hargreaves Lansdown product leader Michael Loberman said it came as part of the company’s “wider efforts to transform our app and web experience”.
He added: “Keep an eye out for further changes in the coming months. Exciting times ahead!”
In its latest quarterly trading update in November, Hargreaves Lansdown reported client numbers grew by 18,000 in the second financial quarter, up from 8,000 in Q1.
The growth was attributed to new clients setting up SIPP, ISA and Active Savings accounts.
The firm also revealed its clients had been switching their investments to cash in that update. Client cash balances rose to £12.7 billion during the three months to the end of September, up from £12.4 billion.
The £300 million shift towards cash was driven by net selling of investments by clients in September on fears the government’s annual Budget could include a tax raid, which largely failed to materialise.
Earlier in November, Hargreaves Lansdown launched its Global Income fund on the platform, bringing another easy-to-use portfolio building tool to do-it-yourself investors.
The new Global Equity Income fund invests in a portfolio of dividend-paying companies around the world favoured by selected expert managers.
In February the firm teamed up with rival platform Interactive Investor to open up the UK Gilt-edged or government bond auctions to retail traders through a partnership with market marker Winterflood Securities.
The group’s revenue rose to £196.5 million in the second quarter of this financial year from £183.8 million in the previous three months, driven by increased dealing volumes and higher assets under administration levels.
What is the App Like to Use?
Customer reviews for Hargreaves Lansdown
Customer ratings come from reviews left on this site. Every review is read and approved before it is published.Based on 1,779 reviews
- Excellent27%
- Very good38%
- Basic24%
- Poor7%
- Bad4%
Read customer reviews
Good, quite expensive for foreign…
Good, quite expensive for foreign trades, expensive SIPP charges
Good service but I would…
Good service but I would like to see a wider range of investments
Easy platform to navigate. Customer…
Easy platform to navigate. Customer support readily available and easy to talk to
Good and easy to…
Good and easy to use but expensive
NA
NA
Expensive
Expensive
Very good custome service
Very good custome service
could be cheaper compared to…
could be cheaper compared to others
a bit costly and they…
a bit costly and they don’t hold all the shares you might want
Good mobile app, easy to…
Good mobile app, easy to use but the website could be made more user friendly
Super tool for investing
Super tool for investing
OK
OK
Platform is too 'clunky' and…
Platform is too ‘clunky’ and unnecessarily complex. Charges are high and unjustifiably so for holding funds
To expensive
To expensive
Very good platform that is…
Very good platform that is user friendly
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Expensive and inflexible
Expensive and inflexible
Not the cheapest but using…
Not the cheapest but using the platform is simple. They cut costs a year or so, and there was a downturn in customer service
Rapid access and trading.
Rapid access and trading.
Some serious functionality issues with…
Some serious functionality issues with their Watchlists
- Expert opinion: Hargreaves Lansdown full review