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 to Vanguard UK Investor, UK investors will find notable differences in the variety of investment options available. Charles Stanley Direct provides a broad spectrum of choices, including share trading, ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds, and investment trusts, offering a comprehensive service for diverse investment needs. Though Vanguard UK Investor also supports ETF and funds trading, it does not extend into share trading, corporate and government bonds, or investment trusts. Additionally, Charles Stanley Direct offers advisor services, an option not available with Vanguard UK Investor.
In terms of performance ratings, Charles Stanley Direct stands out with a 5-star rating for investment choices and a ranking of 6th out of 18 brokers by UK.StockBrokers.com. In contrast, Vanguard UK Investor is rated 3.5 stars, placing it at 18th position. For investors seeking a wider range of investment options, Charles Stanley Direct appears the more compelling choice. However, Vanguard UK Investor may still appeal to those focused primarily on ETFs and funds without the need for additional services or asset types.
| 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 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 mobile app offerings from online brokers Charles Stanley Direct and Vanguard UK Investor, both offer iPhone and Android apps to cater to their users. For those in the UK looking for mobile solutions, Charles Stanley Direct received a 3.5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com, the same as Vanguard UK Investor. Despite these ratings, Charles Stanley Direct is ranked 20th and Vanguard UK Investor 19th out of 18 brokers by UK.StockBrokers.com for Mobile Apps, indicating they have room for improvement in this competitive landscape.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing the educational resources for beginner investors between Charles Stanley Direct and Vanguard UK Investor, several differences emerge. Both brokers provide on-demand webinars to their users, although neither offers live sessions. In terms of specific investment education, Charles Stanley Direct covers share trading, funds, and retirement topics, while Vanguard UK Investor focuses only on funds and retirement, lacking in share trading content. Charles Stanley Direct edges ahead with a higher rating from UK.StockBrokers.com, earning 4.5 stars for beginner education compared to Vanguard's 3.5-star rating. This is reflected in their rankings among UK brokers, with Charles Stanley Direct positioned 12th and Vanguard UK Investor at 17th out of 18 brokers. For UK readers seeking comprehensive beginner education in investing, Charles Stanley Direct seems to offer a broader range of resources and insights.
| 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 Charles Stanley Direct and Vanguard UK Investor for their market research features, both platforms provide research reports for funds and tools to view portfolio allocation by asset class. However, a notable distinction is in shares research, where Charles Stanley Direct supports it, making it a more equipped option for those interested in this area, whereas Vanguard UK Investor does not. Both brokers offer research for ETFs and funds but do not support research for CFDs and bonds. For UK investors interested in a comprehensive research experience, particularly in shares, Charles Stanley Direct holds an edge over Vanguard UK Investor.
| 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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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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| Review | Charles Stanley Direct Review | Vanguard UK Investor Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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