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.
Your capital is at risk.
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.
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.
Barclays vs Vanguard UK Investor for UK investors: Barclays lets you deal in shares, ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts) and investment trusts. Vanguard UK Investor offers ETFs and funds, but does not support share dealing, corporate or government bonds, or investment trusts. Neither platform offers crypto or CFD trading.
Both provide adviser services. For investment choice, UK.StockBrokers.com rates Barclays 5 out of 5 stars (ranked 9th of 21) and Vanguard UK Investor 3.5 out of 5 stars (ranked 18th of 21).
| Feature |
Barclays
|
Vanguard UK Investor
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | No |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | No |
| Advisor Services | Yes | Yes |
| Investment Choices |
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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.
For UK beginners comparing education, neither Barclays nor Vanguard UK Investor runs client webinars or offers on-demand webinar archives. Barclays covers share trading, funds and retirement, while Vanguard focuses on funds and retirement but not share trading—useful to know if you want to learn how to buy and sell individual shares. Reflecting this breadth, UK.StockBrokers.com rates Barclays higher for beginner education (4.5/5, ranked 10th of 21) than Vanguard (3.5/5, ranked 17th of 21). In short, Barclays suits newcomers seeking wider topic coverage, whereas Vanguard fits long-term investors concentrating on funds and retirement basics.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
Vanguard UK Investor
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | No |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing the market research features of Barclays and Vanguard UK Investor, both platforms offer substantial resources, particularly in fund research capabilities. Barclays sets itself apart by providing extensive research covering shares, ETFs, funds, and bonds, whereas Vanguard UK Investor also provides detailed research for funds and ETFs but lacks research on shares and bonds. Both brokers allow users to view portfolio allocation by asset class, which is beneficial for investors looking to diversify their portfolios. Ultimately, while both options present valuable tools for the diligent investor, Barclays provides a slightly broader spectrum of research options, making it a potentially more comprehensive choice for those seeking in-depth analysis across various investment types.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
Vanguard UK Investor
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | 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.
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Vanguard UK Investor
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Both Barclays and Vanguard UK Investor do not offer crypto trading options, so investors seeking cryptocurrency investment platforms may need to explore alternative options.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Barclays | Vanguard UK Investor | |
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| 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 | |
| Mutual 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 | |||
| Advisor Services | Yes | Yes |
| 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) | |||
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £0 - £250,000 | £0 - £525 | £48 - £375 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £525 - £650 | £375 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £650 - £850 | £375 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £850 and up | £375 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £6 | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £6 | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £6 | £0 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £6 | N/A | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £25 | N/A |
| Broker Screenshots | Barclays | Vanguard UK Investor | |
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| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
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| 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 | |||
| 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 | No |
| Overall Summary | Barclays | Vanguard UK Investor | |
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| Review | Barclays Review | Vanguard UK Investor Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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