Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Freetrade 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, Freetrade offers better pricing than Vanguard UK Investor 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 - Freetrade would cost £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) per year, while Vanguard UK Investor would cost N/A per year.
12 trades per year - Freetrade would cost £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) per year, while Vanguard UK Investor would cost N/A per year.
36 trades per year - Freetrade would cost £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) per year, while Vanguard UK Investor would cost N/A per year.
120 trades per year - Freetrade would cost £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) per year, while Vanguard UK Investor would cost N/A per year.
3 fund trades per year - Freetrade would cost £1 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.
Freetrade and Vanguard UK Investor both cater to UK investors, but their investment offerings have notable distinctions. Freetrade allows for share trading and investment in ETFs and investment trusts, appealing to those interested in a diverse investment portfolio. However, it does not support crypto trading, spread betting, or trading in funds and bonds. On the other hand, Vanguard UK Investor is limited in share trading and investment trust options but offers ETF and funds trading, catering more to those focused on traditional investment vehicles.
For potential UK investors evaluating these platforms, it's important to consider their UK.StockBrokers.com ratings. Freetrade garners a solid four-star rating for its investment choices, standing at 17th among 21 brokers, indicating a strong performance in offering a variety of options within its limited categories. Conversely, Vanguard UK Investor, with a 3.5-star rating and a rank of 18th, highlights a more focused approach, primarily excelling in ETF and funds trading.
| Feature |
Freetrade
|
Vanguard UK Investor
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | ||
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | ||
| Investment Trusts | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | ||
| Crypto Trading | ||
| Advisor Services | ||
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
When diving into the world of online trading, comparing the tools offered by Freetrade and Vanguard UK Investor reveals distinct experiences. Both platforms provide a browser-based trading platform, making it easy for users to access their services online. Freetrade stands out by offering real-time market data and the capability to create alerts for stock price updates, ensuring traders remain informed about market fluctuations.
However, both Freetrade and Vanguard UK Investor fall short in several areas. Neither platform allows users to display corporate events like earnings or dividends on charts, nor do they offer drawing tools, technical indicators, or the option to add notes, index overlays, or stock overlays to charts. This limitation might be a consideration for those looking for more detailed and customizable charting tools in their trading journey.
| Feature |
Freetrade
|
Vanguard UK Investor
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | ||
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | ||
| Charting - Stock Overlays | ||
| Charting - Index Overlays |
For UK investors evaluating online brokers for their retirement savings, Freetrade and Vanguard UK Investor both present viable options. Both platforms offer Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs), allowing tax-efficient saving and investing. Additionally, they each provide Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), giving investors the flexibility to manage their pension savings more effectively. While Freetrade is known for its user-friendly app experience, attracting beginners and tech-savvy investors, Vanguard UK Investor is celebrated for its long-standing reputation in the investment world, with a focus on low-cost index funds. Understanding these differences can help investors decide which platform aligns better with their financial goals and preferences.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
For UK investors seeking mobile trading solutions, both Freetrade and Vanguard UK Investor offer dedicated apps for iPhone and Android devices. Freetrade's mobile app stands out slightly with a 4-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com, positioning it at 12th out of 21 brokers for mobile applications. In comparison, Vanguard UK Investor's app, rated 3.5 stars, ranks 19th in the same evaluation. This suggests that while both platforms provide accessible mobile options, Freetrade may deliver a slightly more polished mobile experience for users on the go.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When it comes to beginner-friendly educational resources, Freetrade and Vanguard UK Investor have unique offerings for UK investors. Freetrade does not provide live webinars but covers key topics such as share trading, funds, and retirement in its educational materials. On the other hand, Vanguard UK Investor offers archived webinars for on-demand viewing, focusing on funds and retirement, but lacks tailored content for share trading. Both platforms are rated at 3.5 stars by UK.StockBrokers.com for beginner education; however, Freetrade is slightly ahead, ranked at #16 compared to Vanguard's #17 among 21 brokers. These insights help new investors decide which platform might better suit their learning needs.
| Feature |
Freetrade
|
Vanguard UK Investor
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | ||
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing Freetrade and Vanguard UK Investor for market research features, UK investors will find distinct offerings with each platform. Freetrade provides research capabilities for shares and ETFs, along with the ability to view portfolio allocation by asset class, but it lacks research reports for funds, bonds, or CFDs. On the other hand, Vanguard UK Investor offers comprehensive research reports for funds and ETFs, along with insights into portfolio allocation by asset class, but does not extend its research to shares, bonds, or CFDs. This makes Vanguard UK Investor a stronger choice for those specifically interested in fund research, while Freetrade caters to investors focused on individual shares and ETFs.
| Feature |
Freetrade
|
Vanguard UK Investor
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | ||
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | ||
| Research - Funds | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, Freetrade or Vanguard UK Investor? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Freetrade to be a better trading platform overall.
Overall Freetrade is a great platform to help you get to grips with investing. Costs are low, and its user-friendly mobile app offers great investment inspiration. Sophisticated investors, however, may find that other platforms offer a wider range of investment options and tools.
| Feature |
Freetrade
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Vanguard UK Investor
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|---|---|---|
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When comparing online brokers, Freetrade does not offer crypto trading, whereas Vanguard UK Investor also does not provide crypto trading options.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Freetrade | Vanguard UK Investor | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Review | Freetrade Review | Vanguard UK Investor Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Freetrade | Vanguard UK Investor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | ||
| CFD Trading | |||
| Funds | Yes | ||
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | |||
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | |||
| Investment Trusts | Yes | ||
| Spread Betting | |||
| Crypto Trading | |||
| Advisor Services |
| Trading Fees | Freetrade | Vanguard UK Investor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1 | £500 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £0 | N/A | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £0 | N/A | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £0 | N/A | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | N/A | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | N/A | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | N/A | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | N/A | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | N/A | £108 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | Under £32,000: £48 / Over £32,000: 0.15% | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | £375 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | £375 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | £375 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | N/A | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £0 | 0.02% to 0.14% | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £0 | N/A | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | N/A | N/A |
| Broker Screenshots | Freetrade | Vanguard UK Investor | |
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| 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 | Freetrade | Vanguard UK Investor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | ||
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | |||
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | |||
| Charting - Stock Overlays | |||
| Charting - Index Overlays |
| Research | Freetrade | Vanguard UK Investor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | ||
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | Yes | ||
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | ||
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | |||
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Freetrade | Vanguard UK Investor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | ||
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | |||
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes |
| Overall Summary | Freetrade | Vanguard UK Investor | |
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| Review | Freetrade Review | Vanguard UK Investor Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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