Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Vanguard UK Investor vs Bestinvest, 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, Vanguard UK Investor offers better pricing than Bestinvest 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.
Comparing Vanguard UK Investor and Bestinvest: if you want to buy individual shares, Bestinvest allows share trading, while Vanguard does not. Both let you invest in ETFs and funds, and neither supports crypto, CFDs, corporate bonds or gilts. Bestinvest also offers investment trusts, which Vanguard doesn’t. Both firms provide adviser services.
For investment choice, UK.StockBrokers.com rates Vanguard UK Investor 3.5/5 (ranked 16th of 21) and Bestinvest 4.5/5 (ranking not available). Broadly, Bestinvest suits investors who want shares and investment trusts alongside funds and ETFs, whereas Vanguard UK Investor fits those happy focusing on ETFs and funds with guidance available.
| Feature |
Vanguard UK Investor
|
Bestinvest
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | No | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | No |
| Investment Trusts | No | Yes |
| 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.
Vanguard UK Investor vs Bestinvest: trading tools. Both offer a browser-based platform and neither shows corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends) on charts or supports index overlays. Charting is far stronger on Bestinvest, with 9 drawing tools, 36 technical indicators, the ability to add notes, and stock overlays. Vanguard offers none of these charting features.
For monitoring, Bestinvest lets you set price alerts, while Vanguard does not. Real-time market data isn’t available on either platform. If you’re a UK investor who wants deeper chart analysis and alerts, Bestinvest is the more capable option; Vanguard may suit those who don’t need advanced tools.
| Feature |
Vanguard UK Investor
|
Bestinvest
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 36 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 9 |
| Charting - Notes | No | Yes |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
Vanguard UK Investor and Bestinvest both offer ISA and SIPP accounts, giving UK investors tax‑efficient ways to save and invest for retirement. Each provider lets you open a Stocks and Shares ISA for flexible investing and a SIPP for pension savings, so the choice between them is more likely to come down to fees, fund range, platform features, and customer service than account availability.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
Comparing Vanguard UK Investor and Bestinvest for mobile investing in the UK, both offer iPhone and Android apps and each earns 3.5 out of 5 stars from UK.StockBrokers.com. Vanguard UK Investor is ranked #16 of 21 brokers for Mobile Apps, while Bestinvest’s ranking is not available, so based on star scores alone their app quality appears similar. If you’re looking for an iOS or Android app, either broker provides one with the same independent rating.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
Comparing beginner education at online brokers Vanguard UK Investor and Bestinvest: Bestinvest offers live and on‑demand educational webinars and covers share trading, funds and retirement, while Vanguard UK Investor has no webinars or replays and does not cover share trading, but does provide learning on funds and retirement. UK.StockBrokers.com rates Vanguard UK Investor 3.5/5 for beginner education and ranks it 14th of 21 brokers; Bestinvest is rated 5/5 (no ranking available). For webinars and share trading know‑how, Bestinvest is the stronger pick; for straightforward guidance on funds and retirement, Vanguard UK Investor may suit.
| Feature |
Vanguard UK Investor
|
Bestinvest
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| Education (Share Trading) | No | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
Comparing Vanguard UK Investor vs Bestinvest for market research features: both providers publish research reports for funds and offer ETF and fund research, plus tools to view your portfolio allocation by asset class. Bestinvest goes further with shares research, which Vanguard UK Investor does not provide. Neither platform currently offers bond research. If you mainly invest in funds and ETFs, both suit well; if you want stock-specific insights, Bestinvest has the edge.
| Feature |
Vanguard UK Investor
|
Bestinvest
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | No | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | No | No |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, Vanguard UK Investor or Bestinvest? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Vanguard UK Investor to be a better trading platform overall.
Vanguard U.K. Investor is a long-term investing platform best known for its low-cost index funds and ETFs, simple account structure, and focus on passive investing.
| Feature |
Vanguard UK Investor
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Bestinvest
|
|---|---|---|
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Vanguard UK Investor vs Bestinvest: neither online broker offers crypto trading, so UK investors must use alternative platforms for cryptocurrency and rely on these services for traditional investments.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Vanguard UK Investor | Bestinvest | |
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| Review | Vanguard UK Investor Review | Bestinvest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Vanguard UK Investor | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | No | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | No | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | No | |
| Investment Trusts | No | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | |||
| Advisor Services | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Fees | Vanguard UK Investor | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £500 | £50 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | N/A | £0 - £4.95 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | N/A | £0 - £4.95 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | N/A | £0 - £4.95 | |
| 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 | £48 - £375 | Up to £500 or £1,000 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £375 | £500 - £1,000 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £375 | £100 - £1,000 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £375 | £0 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | £4.95 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | N/A | £4.95 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £0 | £4.95 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | N/A | £4.95 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | N/A | £30 |
| Broker Screenshots | Vanguard UK Investor | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Platforms & Tools | Vanguard UK Investor | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 36 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 9 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | Vanguard UK Investor | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | No | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | No | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Vanguard UK Investor | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | No | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| Overall Summary | Vanguard UK Investor | Bestinvest | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Review | Vanguard UK Investor Review | Bestinvest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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