Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Barclays vs Vanguard UK Investor, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, investment options, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
Alongside the cost per trade, most UK online brokers also charge a monthly, quarterly, or annual management fee, which varies based on the account type and balance. Based on our thorough review, Barclays offers better pricing than Vanguard UK Investor for share dealing.
Assuming a £30,000 portfolio size, here are the total annual costs for share dealing with both brokers, given different monthly activity scenarios.
5 trades per year - Barclays would cost £105 per year, while Vanguard UK Investor would cost N/A per year.
12 trades per year - Barclays would cost £75 or £147 per year, while Vanguard UK Investor would cost N/A per year.
36 trades per year - Barclays would cost £75 or £291 per year, while Vanguard UK Investor would cost N/A per year.
120 trades per year - Barclays would cost £75 or £795 per year, while Vanguard UK Investor would cost N/A per year.
3 fund trades per year - Barclays would cost £0 per year, while Vanguard UK Investor would cost £500 per year.
What type of trader are you?
New to the world of investing? See our picks for the Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners. More experienced traders should read our guide to the Best UK Trading Platforms for Active Traders.
When comparing Barclays and Vanguard UK Investor for investment choices available to UK investors, Barclays emerges as a more versatile option. Barclays offers share trading, ETFs, funds, corporate and government bonds, and investment trusts, along with advisor services, making it a comprehensive platform for diverse investment needs. In contrast, Vanguard UK Investor focuses on ETFs and funds trading, omitting options like share trading and bonds, and does not provide advisory services. This difference in offerings is reflected in the ratings by UK.StockBrokers.com, where Barclays achieves a perfect 5-star rating, ranking 9th out of 21 brokers for investment choices, while Vanguard UK Investor receives a 3.5-star rating, ranking 18th.
Both brokers do not support crypto trading, spread betting, or CFD trading, keeping the focus on more traditional investment paths. For investors in the UK seeking a platform with a wide range of available options, Barclays may be the preferred choice due to its expansive offerings. However, those who wish to follow a more limited investing approach, particularly focusing on ETFs and funds, might find Vanguard UK Investor sufficient for their needs.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
Vanguard UK Investor
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | No |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | No |
| Advisor Services | Yes | No |
| Investment Choices |
|
|
Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
When it comes to the trading tools offered by Barclays and Vanguard UK Investor for UK investors, both platforms provide basic functionalities, yet there are key differences to consider. Neither Barclays nor Vanguard UK Investor support displaying corporate events like earnings, splits, or dividends on charts, and both lack drawing tools, technical indicators, the ability to add notes, and the capability to overlay indexes or stocks directly onto charts. However, both platforms are accessible via browser-based trading, enabling users to manage their investments online with ease.
Barclays sets itself apart by offering the ability to create alerts for stock price updates, a feature that can be quite beneficial for active traders staying on top of market movements. On the other hand, neither platform delivers real-time market data, which could be a significant consideration for those seeking the most timely trading information. In summary, while both Barclays and Vanguard UK Investor cater to basic trading needs, Barclays might offer a slight edge for those who prioritize price alert functionality.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
Vanguard UK Investor
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | No | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
When comparing Barclays and Vanguard UK Investor, both offer attractive online investment options for UK residents planning for retirement. Barclays provides Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), allowing investors to benefit from tax-efficient savings and a wide array of investment choices. Similarly, Vanguard UK Investor also offers both ISAs and SIPPs, empowering individuals to grow their retirement savings with low-cost index funds and ETFs. Whether you choose Barclays or Vanguard, both platforms enable flexible retirement planning, catering to different investment styles and needs while ensuring tax benefits through ISAs and SIPPs.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
When comparing the mobile apps of Barclays and Vanguard UK Investor for online brokerage services, both offer applications compatible with iPhone and Android devices. However, when it comes to user satisfaction assessed by UK.StockBrokers.com, Barclays' app scores a modest 2.5 out of 5 stars, placing it at the bottom rank of 21 broker apps reviewed. In contrast, Vanguard UK Investor fares slightly better, with a rating of 3.5 stars and a ranking of 19th out of 21. For UK investors prioritizing mobile access to their investment accounts, Vanguard UK Investor appears to offer a more favourable app experience compared to Barclays.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing the beginner investor educational resources offered by Barclays and Vanguard UK Investor, key differences stand out. Barclays provides education on share trading, funds, and retirement, while Vanguard UK Investor focuses only on funds and retirement. Although neither offers live educational client webinars, Vanguard UK Investor stands out by archiving webinars for on-demand viewing. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Barclays earns a higher rating of 4.5 stars compared to Vanguard UK's 3.5 stars for beginner education. Additionally, Barclays is ranked 10th out of 21 brokers for beginner education, whereas Vanguard UK Investor is ranked 17th. This information suggests that Barclays may have a more comprehensive beginner educational offering, although Vanguard offers flexibility with archived webinars.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
Vanguard UK Investor
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | No |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing the market research features offered by Barclays and Vanguard UK Investor, Barclays clearly provides a broader range of resources for investors. Both platforms offer research reports for funds as well as the ability to view portfolio allocation by asset class, making it easier for investors to assess their investments. Barclays, however, stands out by also providing research on shares and bonds, which Vanguard UK Investor does not offer. While both offer research on ETFs, neither Barclays nor Vanguard UK Investor delve into CFDs research. For UK investors seeking comprehensive market insights, Barclays may provide a more extensive suite of research options.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
Vanguard UK Investor
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | No |
| Research - CFDs | No | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, Barclays or Vanguard UK Investor? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Barclays to be a better trading platform overall.
Barclays Smart Investor offers a wide range of investments and accounts and is a good value for those with a midsize portolio who like flat fees. On the downside, it can be complicated to open an account as a non-Barclays bank customer, and you can’t buy or sell investments through the app if you don’t have a Barclays bank account.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
Vanguard UK Investor
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
|
| Charges & Fees |
|
|
| Investment Choices |
|
|
| Mobile App |
|
|
| Website |
|
|
| Ease of Use |
|
|
| Education |
|
|
Both Barclays and Vanguard UK Investor do not offer crypto trading options, so investors seeking cryptocurrency investment platforms may need to explore alternative options.
Select Brokers
↓×Compare
0 of 5| Overall Rating | Barclays | Vanguard UK Investor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Charges & Fees |
|
| |
| Investment Choices |
|
| |
| Mobile App |
|
| |
| Website |
|
| |
| Ease of Use |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Review | Barclays Review | Vanguard UK Investor Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Barclays | Vanguard UK Investor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | No | |
| CFD Trading | No | No | |
| Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | No | No | |
| Advisor Services | Yes | No |
| Trading Fees | Barclays | Vanguard UK Investor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £500 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £6 | N/A | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £6 | N/A | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £6 | N/A | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £105 | N/A | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £75 or £147 | N/A | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £75 or £291 | N/A | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £75 or £795 | N/A | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £75 | £108 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £0 - £525 | Under £32,000: £48 / Over £32,000: 0.15% | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £525 - £650 | £375 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £650 - £850 | £375 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £850 and up | £375 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £6 | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £6 | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £6 | 0.02% to 0.14% | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £6 | N/A | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £25 | N/A |
| Broker Screenshots | Barclays | Vanguard UK Investor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Gallery (click to expand) |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand) |
|
| |
| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
|
|
| Platforms & Tools | Barclays | Vanguard UK Investor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | Barclays | Vanguard UK Investor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | No | |
| Research - CFDs | No | No | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Barclays | Vanguard UK Investor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| Overall Summary | Barclays | Vanguard UK Investor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Charges & Fees |
|
| |
| Investment Choices |
|
| |
| Mobile App |
|
| |
| Website |
|
| |
| Ease of Use |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Review | Barclays Review | Vanguard UK Investor Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
Trading 212 Review
Interactive Brokers Review
Hargreaves Lansdown Review
XTB Review
IG Group Review
eToro Review
Saxo Review
CMC Invest Review
Freetrade Review
Halifax Review
Vanguard Review
