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.
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.
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 - Charles Stanley Direct would cost £57.50 per year, while Vanguard UK Investor would cost N/A per year.
12 trades per year - Charles Stanley Direct would cost £138 per year, while Vanguard UK Investor would cost N/A per year.
36 trades per year - Charles Stanley Direct would cost £414 per year, while Vanguard UK Investor would cost N/A per year.
120 trades per year - Charles Stanley Direct would cost £1,380 per year, while Vanguard UK Investor would cost N/A per year.
3 fund trades per year - Charles Stanley Direct 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 Charles Stanley Direct and Vanguard UK Investor, Charles Stanley Direct emerges as a versatile option with a wide array of investment choices. It offers share trading, ETF trading, funds trading, corporate and government bonds (gilts) trading, and investment trusts, alongside advisory services. On the other hand, Vanguard UK Investor focuses primarily on ETFs and funds trading, lacking options such as share trading, bonds, and advisory services. Both platforms do not trade in cryptocurrencies, do spread betting, or engage in CFD trading.
According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Charles Stanley Direct receives an impressive 5-star rating for its investment choices, showcasing its broad offering and customer satisfaction. Meanwhile, Vanguard UK Investor garners a moderate 3.5 stars, ranked 16th out of 18 brokers, indicating room for improvement in its investment options. This comparison clearly highlights Charles Stanley Direct as a broker with expansive offerings, whereas Vanguard UK Investor provides a more focused array of investment choices.
| Feature |
Charles Stanley Direct
|
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 |
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Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Low-cost US and UK shares.
When comparing the trading tools available with Charles Stanley Direct and Vanguard UK Investor, Charles Stanley Direct clearly offers a more robust set of charting features. While neither platform displays corporate events such as earnings, splits, or dividends on charts, Charles Stanley Direct provides 14 technical indicators and one drawing tool for charting, whereas Vanguard offers none. Furthermore, Charles Stanley Direct enhances the user experience by allowing index and stock overlays on charts, a feature not available with Vanguard UK Investor.
Both Charles Stanley Direct and Vanguard UK Investor offer a browser-based trading platform, but Charles Stanley Direct stands out with additional advantages. Users of Charles Stanley Direct can benefit from creating custom alerts for stock price updates and access to real-time market data, two features that Vanguard UK Investor does not provide. For those seeking a comprehensive charting and trading toolset, Charles Stanley Direct is the preferable choice.
| 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 retirement account options, both Charles Stanley Direct and Vanguard UK Investor stand out as reliable online brokers offering Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs). Charles Stanley Direct provides both ISA and SIPP accounts, making it an excellent choice for UK investors seeking flexible and tax-efficient investment solutions for retirement planning. Similarly, Vanguard UK Investor offers a range of options with competitive costs, allowing investors to benefit from ISA and SIPP accounts tailored to their long-term financial goals. By choosing either Charles Stanley Direct or Vanguard UK Investor, individuals can efficiently manage their retirement savings with accounts that cater to diverse investment preferences and needs, ensuring a comprehensive approach to building a secure financial future.
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 brokers provide apps for iPhone and Android devices, making investing on-the-go accessible for users with either platform. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, both Charles Stanley Direct and Vanguard UK Investor receive a mobile app rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars, indicating a satisfactory user experience for each. However, in terms of ranking among 18 brokers, Charles Stanley Direct's mobile app does not appear in the listings while Vanguard UK Investor ranks 17th, suggesting room for improvement for both brokers in this competitive space.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing educational resources for beginner investors, Charles Stanley Direct and Vanguard UK Investor offer distinct options. Both platforms provide archived webinars accessible on-demand, but neither hosts live educational client webinars. Charles Stanley Direct provides detailed educational material on share trading, an area Vanguard UK Investor does not cover. Both brokers offer comprehensive resources for understanding investment funds and retirement planning. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Charles Stanley Direct impresses with a 4.5-star rating for beginner education, though its specific rank among 18 brokers isn't available. Vanguard UK Investor holds a 3.5-star rating and is placed 14th in the same comparison.
| Feature |
Charles Stanley Direct
|
Vanguard UK Investor
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| 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 Charles Stanley Direct and Vanguard UK Investor, both platforms provide research reports for funds and offer insight into portfolio allocation by asset class, ensuring investors can make informed decisions. However, Charles Stanley Direct has an edge in shares research, which Vanguard UK Investor does not offer. Both platforms provide research for ETFs and funds, but neither offers research on CFDs or bonds. For investors seeking comprehensive market insights across various asset classes while considering shares, Charles Stanley Direct might be the preferable choice; meanwhile, Vanguard UK Investor stands robust for fund-centric research needs.
| Feature |
Charles Stanley Direct
|
Vanguard UK Investor
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | No |
| Research - CFDs | No | No |
| 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, 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.
| Feature |
Charles Stanley Direct
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Vanguard UK Investor
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Charges & Fees |
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| Investment Choices |
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| Mobile App |
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| Website |
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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 | |
| 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 | 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) | £57.50 | N/A | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £138 | N/A | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £414 | N/A | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £1,380 | N/A | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £90 - £102 | £108 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £60 - £600 | Under £32,000: £48 / Over £32,000: 0.15% | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £600 | £375 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £600 | £375 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £600 | £375 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £25 | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £25 | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £10 | 0.02% to 0.14% | |
| 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 | No | No | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | No | 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 | Yes |
| Overall Summary | Charles Stanley Direct | Vanguard UK Investor | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Mobile App |
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| Website |
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| Ease of Use |
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| Education |
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| Review | Charles Stanley Direct Review | Vanguard UK Investor Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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