Both are FCA-regulated and FSCS-protected. The real difference is fees, account types and how each platform feels to use. Verified against each provider’s published charges.
Fees verified July 2026. Capital at risk. Information, not financial advice.
Investors who want the fullest service, research and support and will pay a premium for it.
Index fund investors who want the lowest possible total cost and are comfortable with a newer app.
Tick what you need. No account, no email. The answer is on this page.
Tick what you need above and we'll tell you which of the two covers it.
Account availability verified July 2026. Capital at risk. Information, not financial advice.
Service quality is the recurring theme: phone answered quickly, knowledgeable staff, smooth transfers.
Price. Even after the cuts, reviewers and commentators note cheaper alternatives for the same investments.
Read Hargreaves Lansdown reviews on TrustpilotEarly adopters praise the zero fees and responsive founding team; roughly 84% of reviews are five stars.
The review base is small and some users want more account types and a web version.
Read Prosper reviews on Trustpilot| Fee | Hargreaves Lansdown | Prosper |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee | 0.35% on funds up to £250k (tiered lower above); shares capped at £45/year in an ISA and £150/year in a SIPP | £0 |
| Share dealing | £6.95 per trade (cut from £11.95 in March 2026) | Not applicable (funds and ETFs) |
| Fund dealing | £1.95 per trade (free via regular investing) | Free |
| FX fee | 1% on the first £5k, tiered lower above | None on GBP fund classes |
| Stocks & Shares ISA | Platform fee applies | Free |
| SIPP | Platform fee applies | Free |
| Withdrawals | Free | Free |
| Minimum to start | £25/month or £100 lump sum | No minimum |
Hargreaves Lansdown is the UK's largest DIY investment platform and leans into service: fast phone support, deep research and every account type you might need. The March 2026 fee cuts made it meaningfully cheaper, with fund fees down to 0.35% and share dealing at £6.95.
It is still rarely the cheapest option. You are paying for service and breadth, so the honest question is whether you will use them. If not, AJ Bell offers similar range for less.
Prosper's pitch is the cheapest total cost of ownership in the UK: no platform fee, no dealing fees, and refunded fund fees on a list of mainstream index funds. For a straightforward global tracker in an ISA or SIPP, the all-in cost really can be zero.
The counterweight is maturity. It is a young platform with a small (if very positive) review base and no individual shares. If that trade-off suits you, the price is unbeatable.
It depends on what you hold and how often you trade. Hargreaves Lansdown's platform fee is 0.35% on funds up to £250k (tiered lower above); shares capped at £45/year in an ISA and £150/year in a SIPP, against £0 at Prosper. On dealing, Hargreaves Lansdown charges £6.95 per trade (cut from £11.95 in March 2026) for shares and £1.95 per trade (free via regular investing) for funds, while Prosper charges not applicable (funds and ETFs) for shares and free for funds. Fees verified July 2026.
Hargreaves Lansdown is best for investors who want the fullest service, research and support and will pay a premium for it. Prosper is best for index fund investors who want the lowest possible total cost and are comfortable with a newer app. Both are FCA regulated and covered by the FSCS.
On Hargreaves Lansdown's ISA: Platform fee applies. On Prosper's ISA: Free. Prosper offers a flexible ISA and Hargreaves Lansdown does not. Minimums are £25/month or £100 lump sum at Hargreaves Lansdown and No minimum at Prosper.
Hargreaves Lansdown offers a SIPP (platform fee applies). Prosper offers a SIPP (free).
Hargreaves Lansdown scores 4.3 out of 5 on Trustpilot (Excellent) from over 21,000 reviews. Prosper scores 4.6 out of 5 (Excellent) from around 300 reviews. Price. Even after the cuts, reviewers and commentators note cheaper alternatives for the same investments. The review base is small and some users want more account types and a web version.
Yes. UK platforms accept ISA and SIPP transfers in, and you start the transfer with the receiving provider rather than the one you are leaving. Hargreaves Lansdown charges free on withdrawals and Prosper charges free. Transfer as cash and you are out of the market while it settles; transfer in specie and you keep your holdings but it takes longer.
Hargreaves Lansdown or Prosper, the account is the easy part. What decides when you can retire is how much goes in and for how long. Delphina works that out from what you already hold and what you pay in each month.
Free to check. No card required. Takes about two minutes.