Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Vanguard UK Investor vs Charles Stanley Direct, 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.
Comparing investment choices, Vanguard UK Investor and Charles Stanley Direct both let you buy ETFs and funds and both offer access to adviser services. Neither platform supports crypto or CFD trading. The key difference is shares: Vanguard UK Investor does not offer share dealing, while Charles Stanley Direct does.
If you want fixed income or wider options, Charles Stanley Direct also offers corporate bonds, UK government bonds (gilts), and investment trusts, none of which are available with Vanguard UK Investor. For investment choice, UK.StockBrokers.com rates Vanguard UK Investor 3.5/5 (ranked 16th of 21), while Charles Stanley Direct earns 5/5 (ranking not listed). Choose Vanguard for a simple fund-and-ETF setup, or Charles Stanley Direct for a broader range including shares, bonds, and trusts.
| Feature |
Vanguard UK Investor
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | No | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | Yes |
| 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.
For UK investors comparing trading tools, Vanguard UK Investor vs Charles Stanley Direct shows clear differences. Both offer a browser-based platform and neither plots earnings, splits or dividends on charts. But Charles Stanley Direct provides more features, including live prices and price alerts, while Vanguard’s charting is very basic.
Vanguard UK Investor has no drawing tools or technical indicators, and it doesn’t support notes, index overlays, stock overlays, alerts or real-time market data. Charles Stanley Direct includes 1 drawing tool, 14 technical indicators, index and stock overlays, price alerts, and real-time market data, though it also lacks the ability to add notes to charts.
| Feature |
Vanguard UK Investor
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 14 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 1 |
| Charting - Notes | No | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | Yes |
Vanguard UK Investor and Charles Stanley Direct both offer ISA and SIPP accounts, giving UK investors tax-efficient ways to save and invest for the long term, including retirement. When choosing between these online brokers, compare fees, investment choice, platform ease of use, and customer support to find the best fit for your goals.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
UK investors comparing Vanguard UK Investor and Charles Stanley Direct will find both brokers offer iPhone and Android apps. UK.StockBrokers.com rates each mobile app at 3.5 out of 5; Vanguard UK Investor is ranked 16th out of 21 brokers for Mobile Apps, while Charles Stanley Direct has no ranking available. With app access the same on iOS and Android, the key difference is Vanguard’s published rank versus Charles Stanley Direct’s N/A status.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK beginner investors comparing online brokers, Charles Stanley Direct offers broader learning than Vanguard UK Investor. Neither broker runs live client webinars; however, Charles Stanley Direct provides an on-demand archive, while Vanguard does not. In terms of topics, Charles Stanley Direct covers share trading as well as funds and retirement, whereas Vanguard focuses on funds and retirement only. Independent ratings from UK.StockBrokers.com reflect this: Vanguard scores 3.5/5 stars (ranked 14th of 21 for beginner education), while Charles Stanley Direct scores 4.5/5 stars, with an official ranking not available.
| Feature |
Vanguard UK Investor
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| 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.
For UK investors comparing market research features, Vanguard UK Investor and Charles Stanley Direct both offer fund research reports, ETF and fund research tools, and the ability to view portfolio allocation by asset class. Charles Stanley Direct also provides shares research, while Vanguard does not cover shares. Vanguard does not offer bond research, and bond coverage for Charles Stanley Direct is not specified. If you want stock research, Charles Stanley Direct has the edge; for fund and ETF investors, either platform will suit.
| Feature |
Vanguard UK Investor
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | No | Yes |
| 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, Vanguard UK Investor or Charles Stanley Direct? 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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Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
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Vanguard UK Investor and Charles Stanley Direct are UK online brokers that do not offer cryptocurrency trading, so investors seeking crypto exposure will need to use a dedicated exchange or another platform.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Vanguard UK Investor | Charles Stanley Direct | |
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| Review | Vanguard UK Investor Review | Charles Stanley Direct Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Vanguard UK Investor | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | No | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | No | Yes | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | No | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | |||
| Advisor Services | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Fees | Vanguard UK Investor | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £500 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | N/A | £0 - £10 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | N/A | £10 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | N/A | £10 | |
| 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 | £60 - £600 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £375 | £600 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £375 | £600 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £375 | £600 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | £25 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | N/A | £25 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £0 | £10 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | N/A | £10 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | N/A | £25 minimum |
| Broker Screenshots | Vanguard UK Investor | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 14 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 1 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | Yes |
| Research | Vanguard UK Investor | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | No | Yes | |
| 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 | Vanguard UK Investor | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | No | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| Overall Summary | Vanguard UK Investor | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Review | Vanguard UK Investor Review | Charles Stanley Direct Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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