Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Charles Stanley Direct 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, Vanguard UK Investor offers better pricing than Charles Stanley Direct 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.
For UK investors comparing online brokers, Charles Stanley Direct offers a much wider set of investment choices than Vanguard UK Investor. Charles Stanley Direct supports share trading, ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts), and investment trusts. Vanguard UK Investor focuses on a simpler menu of ETFs and funds and does not offer share dealing, bonds, or investment trusts.
Neither platform supports crypto or CFD trading, and both provide access to advisor services. On investment choice, UK.StockBrokers.com rates Charles Stanley Direct 5 stars (ranked 6th of 21), while Vanguard UK Investor earns 3.5 stars (ranked 18th of 21). If you want a broader menu, Charles Stanley Direct is the stronger pick; if you only need ETFs and funds—especially Vanguard’s own range—Vanguard UK Investor may suit you.
| Feature |
Charles Stanley Direct
|
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 comparing the trading tools of Charles Stanley Direct and Vanguard UK Investor, there are several noticeable differences. Charles Stanley Direct provides a more feature-rich experience for chart enthusiasts, offering 14 technical indicators and one drawing tool, compared to Vanguard's absence of both. Moreover, Charles Stanley Direct allows users to enhance their chart analysis by adding index and stock overlays, a feature not supported by Vanguard UK Investor. Both platforms, however, do not display corporate events or allow notes to be added on charts.
For those keen on staying updated with market changes, Charles Stanley Direct offers both a browser-based trading platform and the ability to set alerts for stock price updates, along with real-time market data. Vanguard UK Investor also offers a browser-based platform, but lacks the alert functionality and only provides delayed market data. Overall, for UK investors who value comprehensive charting tools and real-time updates, Charles Stanley Direct stands out as the more equipped platform.
| Feature |
Charles Stanley Direct
|
Vanguard UK Investor
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 14 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 1 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | No | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
When comparing Charles Stanley Direct and Vanguard UK Investor, both platforms provide UK residents with the opportunity to invest in Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs). Each broker allows you to set up these retirement accounts with the aim of growing your savings in a tax-efficient manner. Whether you are focusing on flexible tax-free investment options through an ISA or building your retirement pot with a SIPP, both Charles Stanley Direct and Vanguard UK Investor offer these versatile account types to suit your financial planning needs.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
When comparing the mobile app offerings of Charles Stanley Direct and Vanguard UK Investor, both platforms provide apps for iPhone and Android users in the UK. Each app holds a rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars according to UK.StockBrokers.com. While Vanguard UK Investor slightly edges out Charles Stanley Direct in the rankings, placing 19th out of 21 brokers for mobile apps compared to Charles Stanley Direct's 20th position, both apps offer similar ratings and accessibility for UK investors seeking on-the-go portfolio management.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK beginner investors comparing online brokers, Charles Stanley Direct outshines Vanguard UK Investor for education: neither runs live educational webinars, but only Charles Stanley Direct offers an on-demand archive. Charles Stanley Direct also covers share trading, funds, and retirement, while Vanguard UK Investor focuses on funds and retirement only. Reflecting this, UK.StockBrokers.com rates Charles Stanley Direct 4.5/5 (ranked 12 of 21) versus Vanguard UK Investor at 3.5/5 (ranked 17 of 21).
| Feature |
Charles Stanley Direct
|
Vanguard UK Investor
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | 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 it comes to market research features, both Charles Stanley Direct and Vanguard UK Investor offer valuable tools for investors in the UK, but there are some differences worth noting. Both platforms provide research reports for funds, as well as the ability to see portfolio allocation by asset class. However, Charles Stanley Direct offers a more comprehensive research offering by including shares research, whereas Vanguard UK Investor does not. Additionally, while both brokers provide ETFs and funds research, Vanguard UK Investor lacks bonds research, which Charles Stanley Direct does not specify as available either. These distinctions highlight that Charles Stanley Direct may cater to investors seeking a broader range of research options.
| Feature |
Charles Stanley Direct
|
Vanguard UK Investor
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | No | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, Charles Stanley Direct or Vanguard UK Investor? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Charles Stanley Direct to be a better trading platform overall.
Charles Stanley Direct allows you to invest in a wide range of products, including stocks and ETFs, using various accounts like tax-advantaged ISAs and SIPPs. However, fees are more expensive than similar platforms, although clients receive £50 worth of credit every six months to bring down the overall trading cost.
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Charles Stanley Direct
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Vanguard UK Investor
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Both Charles Stanley Direct and Vanguard UK Investor do not offer crypto trading services, making them similar in this aspect for investors looking to trade cryptocurrencies.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Charles Stanley Direct | Vanguard UK Investor | |
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| Review | Charles Stanley Direct Review | Vanguard UK Investor Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Charles Stanley Direct | 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 | Charles Stanley Direct | Vanguard UK Investor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £500 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £0 - £10 | N/A | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £10 | N/A | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £10 | 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 | £60 - £600 | £48 - £375 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £600 | £375 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £600 | £375 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £600 | £375 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £25 | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £25 | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £10 | £0 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £10 | N/A | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £25 minimum | N/A |
| Broker Screenshots | Charles Stanley Direct | Vanguard UK Investor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Charles Stanley Direct | Vanguard UK Investor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 14 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 1 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
| Research | Charles Stanley Direct | 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 | No | ||
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Charles Stanley Direct | Vanguard UK Investor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Overall Summary | Charles Stanley Direct | Vanguard UK Investor | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Review | Charles Stanley Direct Review | Vanguard UK Investor Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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