Franklin Silva
Asset 1Last Update: April 13, 2023

Hargreaves Lansdown is a famous financial company with the goal of helping their clients save and invest money profitably. They accomplish this by providing investment and portfolio management services for your savings and investments.

As a client, they evaluate your preferences and risk tolerance level and help you make guided decisions on which stocks, bonds, ETFs, and venture capital trusts to own. Spread betting involves derivative trading and requires that specific measures are met for your trading to proceed correctly. 

Unfortunately, Hargreaves Lansdown does not offer spread betting services. But here are some alternatives you should consider.

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This article will discuss the spread betting availability in Hargreaves Lansdown and some helpful alternatives. We will dive deep into spread betting and how to choose a suitable broker.

What Is Spread Betting?

Spread betting operates on a simple principle: there are two prices displayed on the trading chart: the first is the bid price, which is the price at which you can buy the asset, and the second is the ask price, which is the price at which you can sell the asset. The minor difference between the bid and ask price is called the spread. And this is where spread bettors make their money.

Two factors make spread betting attractive: it’s tax-free and commission-free. And for citizens in the UK, it’s legal and available on different online brokerage platforms. However, you should be careful about which broker you trade on.
Although Hargreaves Lansdown does not offer spread betting, they provide similar trading alternatives, including CFD trading.

CFD (Contract for Differences) are derivatives used to trade many assets, similar to spread betting. When trading CFDs, you profit from the difference between your entry and selling prices. You can use leverage to open any position and increase your profits. However, other alternatives exist if spread betting is the exact service you need.

Does Hargreaves Lansdown Offer Spread Betting?

Hargreaves Lansdown does not include spread betting as part of its financial services. Unlike other trading types, spread betting doesn’t involve directly owning any stock, bond, or ETF, yet you can still profit maximally. It involves betting on the possibility of an asset’s price increasing or decreasing. In short, although Hargreaves Lansdown is the biggest player in the UK, it does not offer riskier financial products such as spread betting or crypto.

Hargreaves Lansdown Alternatives for spread betting

  • Pepperstone

    Peoperstone is an award-winning broker who aims to expose tech-enabled trading opportunities like spread betting to traders worldwide. It was founded in 2010 and is among the top preferred brokers, going on to win TradingView’s Broker of the Year award.

  • IG

    Launched in 1974 and operating for more than 40 years, IG is among the world’s leading virtual trading providers, offering spread betting and CFD trading, among others. The platform has earned multiple awards to its name, including the “Best Multi-Platform Provider” award from ADVFN International Financial Awards.

  • FxPro

    FxPro is a UK-based financial service that provides different trading instruments to traders, including CFD trading and spread betting. You can rest assured you’ll get the best trading experience with the myriad of assets, responsive web interface, and little to zero fees.

Products: Forex, Crypto, Metals, Stocks, ETFs, CFDs and Indexes.

Regulatory Entities: Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK, the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) in the UAE, and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) in Australia.

Minimum Deposit: $200

Spread: From 0.0 pips

Leverage: 30:1

Account Currency: AUD, USD, JPY, GBP, EUR, CAD, CHF, NZD, SGD, and HKD

Margin Call/ Stop Out: 90%/20%

Demo Account: Available for one month

Inactivity Fee: No inactivity fee

Pros

✔️ Licensed and regulated by top-tier authorities.
✔️ Attractive spreads and commissions.
✔️ Fast execution.
✔️ Variety of trading platforms.
✔️ Wide choice of trading tools.
✔️ Interoperability across multiple devices

Cons

❌ Does not offer options trading
❌ Lesser number of markets and instruments to trade
❌ Demo account is invalid only after 30 days.

Pepperstone was founded in 2010, with its headquarters in Melbourne, Australia. Pepperstone is best known for providing a smooth trading experience. You can execute spread betting on Pepperstone using the MT4 or MT5, and cTrader platforms.

There are two types of accounts; the first is the Razor account, with an average spread of 0 to 0.3 pips. If you prefer scalping and auto-trading, you should choose a Razor account. The second option is the standard account with a spread of 1 to 1.3 pips. There’s no commission on your trading, but you must pay $3.5 per lot per $100,000. The max leverage is 1:400, and the minimum deposit is $200.

You can deposit into your account using bank transfer, debit & credit cards, and e-wallets. You’re charged $20 for international transfers and $1 for Skrill or Neteller. The interface is easy to use and intuitive, and you can access customer service 24 hours on weekdays. Your funds are secure as the company has set up security measures to safeguard your assets.

Products: Forex, Crypto, Commodities

Regulatory Entities: ASIC, FCA, MAS, NFA, FSCA, FINMA, FMA

Minimum Deposit: $300

Spread: 0.6

Leverage: 30:1

Account Currency: EUR, USD, JPY

Margin Call/ Stop Out: 50%

Demo Account: Yes

Inactivity Fee: $12 inactivity fee

Pros

✔️ No tax on capital gains
✔️ No stamp duty for citizens in the UK
✔️ Security on funds via segregation of accounts
✔️ More than 18000 markets and assets to trade
✔️ Fast execution of trades
✔️ Good educational tools

Cons

❌ $12 is charged when your account is inactive
❌ Limited range of products
❌ High stock CFD trading fees

IG was founded in 1964, and its main office is in London, United Kingdom. It’s best known for having many trading assets, providing over 1800 instruments. You need a minimum of £250 for deposits through bank transfer, credit & debit cards, or HK FPS. The trading interface is user-friendly, and you can reach their customer service 24/7.

IG does not charge commissions, but they receive an amount related to your spreads. Spreads for betting begin at 0.6 pips on various markets, and you can maximise your gains using a leverage of up to 30:1 for major currency pairs.

IG has been a central trading platform with over 40 years of operations, and they have a good track record of providing a secure and safe trading experience for users. Top-tier organisations, like the ASIC, FCA, MAS, NFA, FSCA, FINMA, and FMA, regulate the company. In 2022, IG won the “Best Spread Betting Provider” award by Online Money Awards.

Products: Forex, Crypto, Options, CFDs, Stocks, Metals, and Indexes

Regulatory Entities: CySEC (Cyprus), Bahamas SCB, FCA (UK), and South African FSCA

Minimum Deposit: $100

Spread: From 0.1 pips

Leverage: 30:1

Account Currency: GBP, EUR, USD, EUR, CHF, JPY, ZAR, PLN, AUD

Margin Call/ Stop Out: 50%/50% in cTrader & MetaTrader

Demo Account: Yes

Inactivity Fee: No inactivity fee

Pros

✔️ Access to tested and trusted advisors
✔️ Personal manager for VIP account holders
✔️ Free deposit and withdrawals
✔️ No inactivity fees
✔️ Low minimum deposit
✔️ Zero withdrawal and deposit fees

Cons

❌ Non-competitive pricing
❌ Non-anonymous demo account

FxPro was founded in 2006 in London, England and is well known for offering the best currency pair trading. The minimum deposit is $100, and you can use bank transfers, credit & debit cards and e-wallets to fund your account. FxPro does not request withdrawal or deposit fees, but traders pay $3.5 per lot per 100,000 USD.

The trading interface is a customisable widget-based user interface allowing traders to design a unique trading environment. Spread betting is available, and the spreads begin from 0.1 pips. You can use a maximum leverage of 30:1 to increase your profitability.

Customer service is open 24 hours on weekdays, and your account is kept secure using the latest tech integrations. FxPro is fully licensed to operate in the UK, and they’re regulated by CySEC (Cyprus), Bahamas SCB, FCA (UK), and South African FSCA.

How to choose the best broker for spread betting

As a spread bettor, your main goal is to make profits using the safest, most reliable, and a most profitable broker. You need to keep two things in mind: safety and cost. If the broker you choose is unsafe, your funds are also not secure. And if the broker has high costs on transactions, your capital can get drained quickly.

We carefully selected our list of spread betting providers after in-depth research. We want to ensure you choose a platform you can trust that will provide a great trading experience.

These platforms have been audited by different tiers of regulatory authorities, including the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK. Aside from these platforms’ licences, they also have high-security systems to ensure your funds are safe and always available.

They all possess a demo account where you can practise trading before setting up a cash-based trade. In addition, your profits from spread betting are tax-free, so you get to keep all your wins. Each of these brokers has unique features and is top-rated among users.

Comparison Table & Conclusion

PepperstoneIGFxPro
Best ForTrading experienceWide variety of trading assetsBest for currency pair trading
Trading PlatformMT4, MobileTrading, WebTrader, cTraderMT4, IG Trading Platform, L2 dealerMT4, MobileTrading, MT5, cTrader
Financial InstrumentsForex, Crypto, Metals, Stocks, ETFs, CFDs and IndexesForex, Crypto, CommoditiesForex, Crypto, Options, CFDs, Stocks, Metals, and Indexes
Trading Assets1200+19000+2100+
Spread BettingAvailable for UK citizensAvailable for UK citizensAvailable for UK citizens

Although Hargreaves Lansdown offers savings, investment, and trading services, they don’t offer spread betting in the available options for clients. The closest trading service to spread betting that you’ll find on the platform is CFD trading. However, if spread betting is precisely what you want, consider Pepperstone, IG, and FxPro. They offer low trading costs, tax-free profits on spread betting, and a licensed and regulated marketplace so you can trade safely and profitably.

FAQs

What is spread betting?

Spread betting involves analysing the financial markets and predicting the price movement of digital assets. You can speculate on a currency pair, stock, index, or commodity without owning them. If the market moves in line with your speculation, you profit from the price difference, which can be magnified depending on the leverage you use.

Do you pay tax on spread betting in the UK?

No. In the UK, spread betting is tax-free on brokerage platforms as it is regarded by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) as a speculative bet rather than an investment.

Is spread betting good for the long term?

There are two things to consider: spread betting is better with a short-term strategy where you can profit from slight price changes. In the long term, being a spread betting trader can be profitable if you master the skill.

What are the differences between spread betting and CFDs?

Profits from CFD trading are called “capital gains” and are subject to taxes, while profits from spread betting are not subject to taxes because the HMRC does not consider them investments. Another difference between the two is how they work: CFDs are derivatives that mimic the price movement of another asset. At the same time, spread betting is a trading strategy that involves predicting the price direction of an asset without actually owning it.

Is IG good for spread betting?

Yes. IG has a platform designed specifically for spread betting and CFD trading. This makes trading much more straightforward and rewarding as you’re open to more tools and resources.