Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Fidelity International 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 Fidelity International 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 - Fidelity International would cost £127.50 per year, while Vanguard UK Investor would cost N/A per year.
12 trades per year - Fidelity International would cost £108 or £180 per year, while Vanguard UK Investor would cost N/A per year.
36 trades per year - Fidelity International would cost £144 or £360 per year, while Vanguard UK Investor would cost N/A per year.
120 trades per year - Fidelity International would cost £270 or £990 per year, while Vanguard UK Investor would cost N/A per year.
3 fund trades per year - Fidelity International would cost £1000 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.
Fidelity International and Vanguard UK Investor offer different investment options for UK investors. Fidelity International stands out with a wider range of choices, allowing clients to trade shares, ETFs, funds, and investment trusts. It also provides advisor services to guide investors through their financial decisions. Vanguard UK Investor, on the other hand, limits its offerings to ETFs and funds, lacking share trading, investment trusts, or advisory services. Neither platform supports more advanced trading activities such as crypto trading, spread betting, or CFDs.
According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Fidelity International scores higher with 4.5 stars for investment choices, ranking 12th out of 18 brokers. Conversely, Vanguard UK Investor is rated at 3.5 stars, placing it 18th in the same lineup. Considering these ratings, Fidelity International may appeal more to investors seeking diverse investment avenues and personalized advice, while Vanguard UK Investor might suit those focused primarily on ETF and fund investments.
| Feature |
Fidelity International
|
Vanguard UK Investor
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | No |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | 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.
Fidelity International stands out for UK investors seeking comprehensive charting tools and trading features. With the ability to display corporate events such as earnings, splits, and dividends directly on charts, Fidelity provides insightful data that Vanguard UK Investor does not. Additionally, Fidelity offers users five drawing tools and access to 21 technical indicators for more sophisticated chart analysis, whereas Vanguard UK Investor provides none in these areas. Although both platforms offer browser-based trading access, only Fidelity allows for index and stock overlays on charts and the ability to create stock price alerts, giving investors deeper insights and more timely information.
While both Fidelity International and Vanguard UK Investor lack real-time market data and the ability to add personal notes to charts, Fidelity offers a more enriched trading experience tailored to investors keen on maximizing market opportunities through technical analysis. Given these features, Fidelity International's trading tools are designed to enhance the user experience significantly, providing powerful insights that UK investors might find useful when making informed investment decisions. In comparison, Vanguard UK Investor's limited offering may appeal more to those who prefer simplicity over advanced functionality.
| Feature |
Fidelity International
|
Vanguard UK Investor
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 21 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 5 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | No | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
Fidelity International and Vanguard UK Investor both provide Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), making them suitable choices for UK investors planning for retirement. Fidelity International offers a user-friendly platform with various investment options to manage your ISA and SIPP effectively. Similarly, Vanguard UK Investor also enables access to both ISAs and SIPPs, with a straightforward approach focusing on simplicity and low-cost index and mutual funds. Both brokers cater to UK residents looking to invest tax-efficiently and prepare for retirement, but your choice may depend on specific investment needs and preferences in fund selection and platform usability.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
For UK investors comparing Fidelity International to Vanguard UK Investor, both offer mobile apps compatible with iPhone and Android devices, making on-the-go management accessible. Fidelity International's app, however, edges out with a four-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com and ranks 15th among 18 brokers. Meanwhile, Vanguard UK Investor's app holds a slightly lower rating of 3.5 stars and is positioned at 19th. Both brokers provide solid mobile solutions, but Fidelity International offers a slightly more favorable mobile experience according to these ratings and rankings.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
Fidelity International and Vanguard UK Investor provide educational resources for beginner investors, but notable differences set them apart. Fidelity International excels by offering live and archived webinars, providing an engaging way to learn at your own pace. They cover fundamental topics such as share trading, funds, and retirement, ensuring a broad understanding for newcomers. On the other hand, Vanguard UK Investor does not provide live webinars and lacks resources on share trading but offers educational materials on funds and retirement. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Fidelity International is a top choice for beginners, earning a 5-star rating and ranking 7th among 18 brokers, while Vanguard UK Investor falls short with a 3.5-star rating and a 17th place ranking. For UK investors, Fidelity International seems to be the stronger option for comprehensive beginner education.
| Feature |
Fidelity International
|
Vanguard UK Investor
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | 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 market research features between Fidelity International and Vanguard UK Investor, both platforms offer research reports for funds and allow users to view portfolio allocation by asset class. Fidelity International stands out by providing shares research and bonds research, services not offered by Vanguard UK Investor. While both offer research on ETFs and funds, neither platform provides CFDs research. This makes Fidelity International a more comprehensive option for investors interested in a wider array of research tools, particularly those focused on shares and bonds, compared to Vanguard UK Investor.
| Feature |
Fidelity International
|
Vanguard UK Investor
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | No |
| Research - CFDs | No | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, Fidelity International or Vanguard UK Investor? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Fidelity International to be a better trading platform overall.
Fidelity offers thousands of investments to choose from and also offers financial advice for those wanting more direction. It's best suited to traditional investors who hold a range of accounts through the platform, enjoy the great research material available and who may also use Fidelity for financial advice. The platform can be expensive for those with portfolios of less than £20,000 and those with portfolios above £40,000.
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Vanguard UK Investor
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Both Fidelity International and Vanguard UK Investor do not offer crypto trading, making them comparable options for investors focused on traditional investment assets.
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↓×Compare
0 of 5| Overall Rating | Fidelity International | Vanguard UK Investor | |
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| Review | Fidelity International Review | Vanguard UK Investor Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Fidelity International | 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 | No | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | No | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | No | No | |
| Advisor Services | Yes | No |
| Trading Fees | Fidelity International | Vanguard UK Investor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1000 | £500 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £1.50 or £7.50 | N/A | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £1.50 or £7.50 | N/A | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £1.50 or £7.50 | N/A | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £127.50 | N/A | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £108 or £180 | N/A | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £144 or £360 | N/A | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £270 or £990 | N/A | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £105 | £108 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £90 - £875 | Under £32,000: £48 / Over £32,000: 0.15% | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £500 - £1,000 | £375 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £1,000 - £2,000 | £375 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £2,000 | £375 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | N/A | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £7.50 | 0.02% to 0.14% | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £7.50 | N/A | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £30 | N/A |
| Broker Screenshots | Fidelity International | Vanguard UK Investor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Platforms & Tools | Fidelity International | Vanguard UK Investor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 21 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 5 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
| Research | Fidelity International | 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 | Yes | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Fidelity International | Vanguard UK Investor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Overall Summary | Fidelity International | Vanguard UK Investor | |
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| Review | Fidelity International Review | Vanguard UK Investor Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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