Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Hargreaves Lansdown 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, Hargreaves Lansdown offers better pricing than Vanguard UK Investor 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.
Hargreaves Lansdown stands out in the realm of online brokers in the UK with its comprehensive selection of investment choices. It offers trading in shares, ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, government gilts, and investment trusts, as well as providing advisor services. This broad array of options has earned Hargreaves Lansdown a shining 5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com, securing a prestigious 4th position out of 21 brokers for investment choices. However, if you're seeking CFD or crypto trading, both Hargreaves Lansdown and Vanguard UK Investor fall short in this department.
Meanwhile, Vanguard UK Investor caters primarily to investors interested in ETFs and funds, providing a more streamlined yet limited investment selection. Without options for share trading or bonds and lacking advisory services, Vanguard UK Investor receives a 3.5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com, placing it at 18th among 21 brokers for investment choices. While both brokers neglect crypto and spread betting markets, Hargreaves Lansdown offers a more diverse platform suitable for those looking for a wider investment scope.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
Vanguard UK Investor
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | No |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual 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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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Comparing trading tools, Hargreaves Lansdown offers far more for UK investors who like to analyse charts: 11 drawing tools, 109 technical indicators, and the option to add stock overlays. Vanguard UK Investor has no drawing tools, no indicators, and no stock overlays. Both providers lack corporate events on charts (earnings, splits, dividends), do not support chart notes, and do not offer index overlays.
Both brokers provide a browser-based platform. However, Hargreaves Lansdown also includes price alerts and real-time market data, while Vanguard UK Investor does not. If you want hands-on charting and live prices, Hargreaves Lansdown has more to offer; if you prefer a simpler setup, Vanguard UK Investor may suit.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
Vanguard UK Investor
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 109 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 11 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | No | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
When comparing Hargreaves Lansdown and Vanguard UK Investor, both brokers offer Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), catering to those interested in saving for retirement. Hargreaves Lansdown provides a wide array of options, making it ideal for investors seeking flexibility and a range of fund choices. Meanwhile, Vanguard UK Investor is known for its low-cost approach, offering a simplified selection of funds, which can be attractive for cost-conscious savers. Both platforms are reputable choices in the UK for managing retirement savings, each with unique features to suit different investment styles and financial goals.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
Comparing online brokers Hargreaves Lansdown and Vanguard UK Investor for UK mobile investing: both offer iPhone and Android apps, but UK.StockBrokers.com rates Hargreaves Lansdown higher at 4/5 stars with a mobile app ranking of 10th out of 21 brokers, while Vanguard UK Investor scores 3.5/5 stars and ranks 19th. If mobile experience is a priority, Hargreaves Lansdown edges ahead; if you simply need access on both iOS and Android, either will suit.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For beginner investor education in the UK, Hargreaves Lansdown vs Vanguard UK Investor shows clear differences: Hargreaves Lansdown runs live client webinars and offers an on-demand library, with guides on share trading, funds and retirement. Vanguard UK Investor does not host live webinars but does provide on-demand recordings, focusing on funds and retirement (no share-trading content). Independently, UK.StockBrokers.com rates Hargreaves Lansdown 5/5 stars and ranks it 4th of 21 for beginner education, while Vanguard UK Investor scores 3.5/5 stars and ranks 17th.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
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 the market research features of online brokers Hargreaves Lansdown and Vanguard UK Investor, both provide research reports for funds and allow investors to view portfolio allocation by asset class. However, Hargreaves Lansdown stands out with its additional research offerings, including shares and bonds research, which Vanguard UK Investor does not provide. Both platforms offer research for ETFs, ensuring investors have access to essential insights for these investment types. While both brokers serve UK investors with solid fund research, Hargreaves Lansdown differentiates itself with broader research tools, making it a more comprehensive choice for those seeking in-depth market analysis.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
Vanguard UK Investor
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | 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, Hargreaves Lansdown or Vanguard UK Investor? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Hargreaves Lansdown to be a better trading platform overall.
As the U.K.’s biggest investment platform for individual investors, Hargreaves Lansdown offers a wide range of investment choices for either beginners or seasoned investors. However, its fees are generally more expensive than rival brokers, which can become an issue for large investment pots.
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Vanguard UK Investor
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Neither Hargreaves Lansdown nor Vanguard UK Investor offers crypto trading, making them comparable choices for investors seeking traditional investment options without the inclusion of cryptocurrency trading.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Hargreaves Lansdown | Vanguard UK Investor | |
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| Review | Hargreaves Lansdown Review | Vanguard UK Investor Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Hargreaves Lansdown | Vanguard UK Investor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | No | |
| CFD Trading | No | No | |
| Mutual 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 | |||
| Advisor Services | Yes | No |
| Trading Fees | Hargreaves Lansdown | Vanguard UK Investor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100 | £500 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £11.95 | N/A | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £8.95 | N/A | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £5.95 | N/A | |
| 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 | Up to £1,125 | Under £32,000: £48 / Over £32,000: 0.15% | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £1125 - £1750 | £375 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £1750 - £3000 | £375 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £3,000 - £4,000 | £375 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £20 - £50 | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £20 - £50 | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £11.95 | 0.02% to 0.14% | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £11.95 | N/A | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £20 - £50 | N/A |
| Broker Screenshots | Hargreaves Lansdown | Vanguard UK Investor | |
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| Platforms & Tools | Hargreaves Lansdown | Vanguard UK Investor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 109 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 11 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | Hargreaves Lansdown | Vanguard UK Investor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | No | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Hargreaves Lansdown | 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 | Hargreaves Lansdown | Vanguard UK Investor | |
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| Review | Hargreaves Lansdown Review | Vanguard UK Investor Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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