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VERDICT

Should I use Hargreaves Lansdown (HL)?

UK investment platform for funds, shares, ISAs and SIPPs - hl.co.uk

Depends. Buy if you are a UK beginner or buy-and-hold fund investor who values guides and hand-holding over cost. Skip it if your portfolio is large or trade-heavy — percentage fees and the 2026 charge changes make flat-fee rivals cheaper.

Confidence

Medium. Based on ~15 public sources. Many 'HL' search results were unrelated (golf irons, Hecla Mining, Half-Life) and excluded.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityNo independent support evidence found
  • Security posture

Pricing

Percentage and per-deal fees

Fund & Share Account / ISA / SIPP

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierNo

Best for

  • UK ISA and SIPP beginners
  • Buy-and-hold fund investors
  • Ready-made portfolio starters (£25/month)
  • Investors who want hand-holding

Not for

  • Large portfolios — percentage fees compound brutally
  • Frequent share and ETF traders
  • Cost-first DIY investors
  • Anyone already priced out by the 2026 fee changes

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

Percentage platform fee punishes large balances; flat-fee rivals cheaper over time

high

2026 fee changes hit Share/ETF ISAs specifically; existing customers affected mid-hold

high

Third-party catalog reports ~515.9k accounts breached Jan 2026 — unverified, verify independently

medium

Dedicated transfer-out process exists; moving platforms takes effort

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Long-running UK platform with positive client testimonials
  • Broad coverage: funds, shares, ISAs, SIPPs, ready-made portfolios
  • Ready-made pension available from £25 per month
  • Dedicated security centre with account-protection guidance
  • Website quality praised even by users who left

Cons

  • Percentage fees scale painfully; £2m portfolios called 'shocking'
  • 2026 fee shake-up triggered client exits to rivals
  • New Share/ETF ISA charge caps upset existing customers
  • Long-standing customers publicly hunting alternative platforms
  • Revamped website drew complaints about buy-and-sell problems

Sources & method

Analyzed 10/01/2026 - 12 sources - Official security centre active; one unverified third-party report of a 515.9k-account breach in January 2026.

official x3review x6security x1news x2
  • Reported data breach — 515.9k accounts, A third-party breach catalog claims.uk accounts were exposed on January 16, 2026. Not confirmed by primary sources.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 2/5

    Rating

  • Percentage and per-deal fees

    Starting price

  • 12

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 2/5. Fee complaints, 2026 hikes, client exits
  • Ease of use: 3/5. Praised website, but revamp caused complaints
  • Feature depth: 4/5. Funds, shares, ISAs, SIPPs, ready-made portfolios
  • Support quality. No independent support evidence found
  • Security posture: 2/5. Reported breach unverified; official security centre exists
  • 515.9k Accounts in reported breach Jan 2026, third-party catalog, unverified
  • £25/month Ready-made pension minimum Per HL funds page
  • 11+ Published alternatives Listed in one 2026 alternatives guide

Pricing

Fund & Share Account / ISA / SIPP

Percentage and per-deal fees

  • Percentage platform fee on fund holdings
  • Per-deal charges for shares and ETFs
  • New 2026 charges apply to existing accounts

Security

Official security centre active; one unverified third-party report of a 515.9k-account breach in January 2026.

  • Reported data breach — 515.9k accountsA third-party breach catalog claims.uk accounts were exposed on January 16, 2026. Not confirmed by primary sources.⁷

What users say

UK investors on Reddit like HL's platform and hand-holding but are increasingly angry about fees and leaving for cheaper rivals.

“Moving from HL to II has been magnificent”
Reddit, r/UKInvesting
“Hargreaves Lansdown Fees are shocking”
Reddit, r/FIREUK
“HL has a decent website”
Reddit, r/UKInvesting
Full analysis

Based on ~15 public sources. Many 'HL' search results were unrelated (golf irons, Hecla Mining, Half-Life) and excluded.

Solid UK investing platform for beginners, but percentage fees and 2026 price hikes push big portfolios to flat-fee rivals.

Methodology

Based on ~15 public sources. Many 'HL' search results were unrelated (golf irons, Hecla Mining, Half-Life) and excluded.

Sources

  1. Hargreaves Lansdown Trustpilot reviewstrustpilot.com
    review
  2. HL charges, fees and limitshl.co.uk
    official
  3. Rivals benefit from Hargreaves client exits after fee shake-up (FT)ft.com
    news
  4. Hargreaves Lansdown new charges: AJ Bell comparisonajbell.co.uk
    news
  5. Reddit: HL fees are shockingreddit.com
    review
  6. Reddit: Moving from HL to IIreddit.com
    review
  7. hl.co.uk breach catalog entry (unverified)lunarcyber.com
    security
  8. HL Security Centrehl.co.uk
    official
  9. Yodelar Hargreaves Lansdown Fund Review 2025yodelar.com
    review
  10. SIPPs compared: ii vs Hargreaves Lansdownii.co.uk
    review
  11. Citywire: problems with revamped HL websitemoneyforums.citywire.com
    review
  12. HL complaints and transfer processhl.co.uk
    official

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