Hargreaves Lansdown vs St James's Place for drawdown: fees and features compared (2026)
A side-by-side comparison of what Hargreaves Lansdown and St James's Place charge for pension drawdown, and what you get for it. On published charges alone, Hargreaves Lansdown works out cheaper at all three pot sizes modelled below.
Quoted yearly charges; what each covers differs (see below).
What each one charges
Provider
Published fee structure
What it covers
Fees checked
Hargreaves Lansdown
0.35% first £250k, 0.25% £250k-£1m, 0.10% £1m-£2m, 0% over £2m (£150 annual cap for shares)
Platform charge only; fund charges extra
23 Sept 2026
St James's Place
Ongoing: 0.80% advice + 0.35% product (tiered to 0.25%) + fund 0.09-0.69%; initial advice 3%/2%/1% (from Aug 2025)
Includes ongoing advice; fund charges extra
23 Sept 2026
Annual cost by pot size
Pot size
Hargreaves Lansdown
St James's Place
Cheaper
£100,000 pot
£350
£1,150
Hargreaves Lansdown is cheaper
£250,000 pot
£875
£2,875
Hargreaves Lansdown is cheaper
£500,000 pot
£1,500
£5,750
Hargreaves Lansdown is cheaper
Hargreaves Lansdown is cheaper than St James's Place at every pot size between £10k and £1m.
Anything a fee does not cover, such as fund charges, dealing or withdrawal fees, is extra. Platform charges assume you hold funds. Some platforms cap charges on shares, ETFs and investment trusts, which can be much lower. See how we compare.
Features compared
Feature
Hargreaves Lansdown
St James's Place
What the charge covers
Platform charge only; fund charges extra
Includes ongoing advice; fund charges extra
Investment range
14,000+
100+
Ready-made portfolios
Yes
Yes
Regular income payments
No extra charge
No extra charge
One-off withdrawals
No charge
Not confirmed
UFPLS lump sums
No charge
Not confirmed
Minimum pot to start drawdown
Not confirmed
Not confirmed
FSCS protected
Yes
Yes
Fees checked
23 Sept 2026
23 Sept 2026
“Not confirmed” means the provider does not publish the figure or we have not yet checked it; it does not mean the charge is zero.
Which suits you?
Choose Hargreaves Lansdown if you…
want the lower quoted yearly charge at every pot size we model (£100,000 to £500,000)
want a wider choice of investments (14,000+ against 100+)
Choose St James's Place if you…
want ongoing financial advice included in the fee
This is comparison information, not advice.
Free, impartial guidance:Pension Wise offers free appointments to people aged 50 or over with a defined contribution pension, and MoneyHelper’s investment pathways comparison tool compares drawdown providers’ ready-made options. Both are backed by the government.
Pros and cons
Hargreaves Lansdown
Pro: Best-in-class research and analysis
Pro: Excellent mobile app experience
Pro: Market-leading customer service
Pro: Extensive fund research
Pro: Strong brand trusted by millions
Con: Higher fees than competitors
Con: Expensive for smaller pots
Con: Share dealing charges higher
Con: Can be overwhelming for beginners
St James's Place
Pro: Comprehensive face-to-face financial advice
Pro: Holistic wealth planning approach
Pro: Dedicated Partner adviser relationship
Pro: Strong heritage and brand (since 1991)
Pro: Extensive adviser network across UK
Pro: Integrated financial planning services
Pro: High-touch personal service
Pro: FCA regulated with FSCS protection
Con: Among the higher all-in costs (~1.4–1.7%)
Con: Early withdrawal charges removed for new business (Aug 2025); legacy pre-2025 plans may retain them
Con: Limited investment choice (mostly SJP funds)
Con: Fee structure complex and not transparent
Con: Ongoing FCA scrutiny and customer redress issues
Which is cheaper for drawdown, Hargreaves Lansdown or St James's Place?
Hargreaves Lansdown is cheaper at all three pot sizes we model. Quoted yearly charges for Hargreaves Lansdown and St James's Place are £350 and £1,150 on a £100,000 pot; £875 and £2,875 on £250,000; and £1,500 and £5,750 on £500,000. Hargreaves Lansdown is cheaper than St James's Place at every pot size between £10k and £1m. Anything a fee does not cover, such as fund charges, dealing or withdrawal fees, is extra.
What does Hargreaves Lansdown charge for drawdown?
0.35% first £250k, 0.25% £250k-£1m, 0.10% £1m-£2m, 0% over £2m (£150 annual cap for shares). Platform charge only; fund charges extra. Regular income payments: no extra charge. One-off withdrawals: no charge. UFPLS lump sums: no charge. We last checked these fees on 23 September 2026.
What does St James's Place charge for drawdown?
Ongoing: 0.80% advice + 0.35% product (tiered to 0.25%) + fund 0.09-0.69%; initial advice 3%/2%/1% (from Aug 2025). Includes ongoing advice; fund charges extra. Regular income payments: no extra charge. One-off withdrawals: not confirmed. UFPLS lump sums: not confirmed. We last checked these fees on 23 September 2026.
What can I invest in with Hargreaves Lansdown and St James's Place?
Hargreaves Lansdown: 14,000+, including ready-made portfolios. St James's Place: 100+, including ready-made portfolios.
How do customers rate Hargreaves Lansdown and St James's Place?
Hargreaves Lansdown has a Trustpilot score of 4.4 out of 5 (checked 8 September 2026). St James's Place has a Trustpilot score of 4.2 out of 5 (checked 8 September 2026). Scores change over time, and they do not affect our cost comparison.
How do I choose between Hargreaves Lansdown and St James's Place?
Start with the yearly cost at your own pot size, then check what you want to hold, how you plan to take income and whether you want ready-made portfolios. This page is comparison information, not advice. Free, impartial guidance on your options is available from MoneyHelper's Pension Wise service.