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Interactive Brokers vs Vanguard UK Investor 2025

StockBrokers.com

Written by StockBrokers.com

April 17, 2025

In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs Vanguard UK Investor, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, investment options, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.

Interactive Brokers
4.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: £0
  • ISA: Yes
  • SIPP: Yes
Vanguard UK Investor
4/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: £500
  • ISA: Yes
  • SIPP: Yes

Fees

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, Interactive Brokers 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 - Interactive Brokers would cost £15 per year, while Vanguard UK Investor would cost N/A per year.

12 trades per year - Interactive Brokers would cost £36 per year, while Vanguard UK Investor would cost N/A per year.

36 trades per year - Interactive Brokers would cost £108 per year, while Vanguard UK Investor would cost N/A per year.

120 trades per year - Interactive Brokers would cost £360 per year, while Vanguard UK Investor would cost N/A per year.

3 fund trades per year - Interactive Brokers would cost £0 per year, while Vanguard UK Investor would cost £500 per year.

query_stats 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.

Investment Choices

Interactive Brokers stands out for UK investors looking for a diverse range of investment options. The platform supports trading in shares, cryptocurrencies, ETFs, CFDs, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds, and investment trusts. It's no surprise that it has been rated 5 stars for investment choices by UK.StockBrokers.com, securing the impressive position of #2 out of 21 brokers. This comprehensive suite of options makes Interactive Brokers a versatile choice for those wanting to explore various investment avenues.

On the other hand, Vanguard UK Investor offers a more limited selection but still covers essential bases with trading in ETFs and funds. While it doesn't provide direct share or crypto trading, nor options like spread betting or investment in bonds, it suits individuals focused on straightforward, long-term investment strategies. Vanguard UK Investor has received a 3.5-star rating and ranks #18 for investment choices, reflecting its more tailored approach to meeting investor needs in the UK.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Vanguard UK Investor logoVanguard UK Investor
Share Trading info Yes
CFD Trading info Yes
ETFs info Yes Yes
Funds info Yes Yes
Bonds - Government (Gilts) info Yes
Investment Trusts info Yes
Spread Betting info
Crypto Trading info Yes
Advisor Services info
Investment Choices 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars

Featured Offers


4.5/5 Stars

Low-cost US and UK shares.

4.5/5 Stars

Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.

Trading Tools

Interactive Brokers stands out in the realm of trading tools with its ability to display corporate events such as earnings, splits, and dividends directly on charts, a feature not available with Vanguard UK Investor. While Interactive Brokers provides an extensive suite of 80 drawing tools and 96 technical indicators for charting, Vanguard UK Investor does not offer any, making Interactive Brokers particularly appealing for those who value detailed charting capabilities in their trading endeavors.

Additionally, Interactive Brokers allows users to add notes, index overlays, and stock overlays to their charts, enhancing the analytical experience. Both brokers offer a browser-based trading platform, but Interactive Brokers adds further value by enabling users to create alerts for stock price updates, a feature that seems absent with Vanguard UK Investor. These functionalities make Interactive Brokers a more comprehensive choice for those who seek a wide array of trading tools.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Vanguard UK Investor logoVanguard UK Investor
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Stock Alerts info Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 96 0
Charting - Drawing Tools info 80 0
Charting - Notes info Yes
Charting - Display Corporate Events info Yes
Charting - Stock Overlays info Yes
Charting - Index Overlays info Yes

ISAs and SIPPs

When comparing online brokers Interactive Brokers and Vanguard UK Investor for UK retirement accounts, both platforms offer Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), catering well to needs for tax-efficient savings and retirement planning. Interactive Brokers is known for its wide range of investment choices and competitive pricing, making it suitable for active investors seeking broad market access. In contrast, Vanguard UK Investor emphasizes low-cost funds, simplicity, and long-term investment horizons, appealing to those who favor a straightforward approach with a focus on index and mutual funds. Both brokers ensure comprehensive options for retirement planning through their offerings of ISAs and SIPPs, catering to diverse investor preferences and strategies.

Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.

Mobile App

For UK investors comparing mobile trading apps, both Interactive Brokers and Vanguard UK Investor offer iOS and Android apps, but their performance and user ratings differ significantly. Interactive Brokers shines with a stellar 5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com, ranking 4th out of 21 brokers for its mobile app experience, highlighting its efficiency and user-friendliness. In contrast, Vanguard UK Investor lags behind with a 3.5-star rating and a 19th place ranking, indicating room for improvement in its mobile app offerings. This makes Interactive Brokers a preferred choice for those prioritizing top-tier mobile trading tools.

Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.

Beginners and Education

For UK investors just starting out, Interactive Brokers and Vanguard UK Investor offer differing educational resources. Interactive Brokers provides live webinars and an extensive archive for on-demand viewing, covering topics like share trading, funds, and retirement. In contrast, while Vanguard UK also archives its webinars and covers funds and retirement, it lacks content specifically on share trading. Reviews from UK.StockBrokers.com reflect these differences, with Interactive Brokers earning 4.5 stars and ranking 8th out of 21 for beginner education, whereas Vanguard UK Investor receives 3.5 stars and ranks 17th, indicating a more limited educational offering for novice investors.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Vanguard UK Investor logoVanguard UK Investor
Client Webinars info Yes
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes Yes
Education (Share Trading) info Yes
Education (Funds) info Yes Yes
Education (Retirement) info Yes Yes
Education 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.

Market Research

When comparing the market research features of Interactive Brokers and Vanguard UK Investor, both platforms provide valuable research reports for funds and allow users to view their portfolio allocation by asset class. Interactive Brokers distinguishes itself by offering a wider array of research options, including shares, ETFs, funds, and bonds. In contrast, while Vanguard UK Investor offers research on ETFs and funds, it does not provide research on shares, CFDs, or bonds, potentially making it less comprehensive for investors seeking in-depth market insights across all possible asset types.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Vanguard UK Investor logoVanguard UK Investor
Research - Shares info Yes
Research - CFDs info Yes
Research - ETFs info Yes Yes
Research - Bonds info Yes
Research - Funds info Yes Yes
Fund Research - Research Reports info Yes Yes
Portfolio Allocation Breakdown info Yes Yes

Interactive Brokers vs Vanguard UK Investor Winner

Which broker is better overall, Interactive Brokers or Vanguard UK Investor? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Interactive Brokers to be a better trading platform overall.

Interactive Brokers is a sophisticated trading platform aimed at confident and institutional-grade investors. For newer investors, Interactive Brokers is more intimidating, though it's worth exploring the platform to see if you could save money or access more investments compared to other brokers.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Vanguard UK Investor logoVanguard UK Investor
Overall Rating 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Choices 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Mobile App 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Website 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with Interactive Brokers or Vanguard UK Investor?

Interactive Brokers offers crypto trading, setting it apart from Vanguard UK Investor, which does not provide this service.

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Compare

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Overall Rating Interactive Brokers Vanguard UK Investor
Overall Rating 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Choices 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Mobile App 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Website 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Review Interactive Brokers Review Vanguard UK Investor Review
Winner check_circle
Investments Interactive Brokers Vanguard UK Investor
ISA info Yes Yes
SIPP info Yes Yes
Share Trading info Yes
CFD Trading info Yes
Funds info Yes Yes
ETFs info Yes Yes
Bonds - Corporate info Yes
Bonds - Government (Gilts) info Yes
Investment Trusts info Yes
Spread Betting info
Crypto Trading info Yes info
Advisor Services info
Trading Fees Interactive Brokers Vanguard UK Investor
Minimum Deposit info £0 £500
Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month info £3 N/A
Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month info £3 N/A
Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month info £3 N/A
5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info £15 N/A
12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info £36 N/A
36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info £108 N/A
120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info £360 N/A
3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) info £0 / £14.85 info £108
Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 info £0 Under £32,000: £48 / Over £32,000: 0.15%
Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K info £0 £375
Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m info £0 £375
Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over info £0 £375
Bonds - Corporate - Fee info 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) N/A
Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee info 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) N/A
ETFs - Fee info £3 0.02% to 0.14%
Investment Trusts - Fee info N/A N/A
Telephone Dealing Fee info £25 N/A
Broker Screenshots Interactive Brokers Vanguard UK Investor
Website Gallery (click to expand)
Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand)
Education Gallery (click to expand)
Platforms & Tools Interactive Brokers Vanguard UK Investor
Web Platform info Yes Yes
iPhone App info Yes Yes
Android App info Yes Yes
Stock Alerts info Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 96 0
Charting - Drawing Tools info 80 0
Charting - Notes info Yes
Charting - Display Corporate Events info Yes
Charting - Stock Overlays info Yes
Charting - Index Overlays info Yes
Research Interactive Brokers Vanguard UK Investor
Research - Shares info Yes
Research - CFDs info Yes
Research - Funds info Yes Yes
Fund Research - Research Reports info Yes Yes
Research - ETFs info Yes Yes
Research - Bonds info Yes
Portfolio Allocation Breakdown info Yes Yes
Education Interactive Brokers Vanguard UK Investor
Education (Share Trading) info Yes
Education (Funds) info Yes Yes
Education (Retirement) info Yes Yes
Client Webinars info Yes
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes Yes
Overall Summary Interactive Brokers Vanguard UK Investor
Overall Rating 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Choices 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Mobile App 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Website 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Review Interactive Brokers Review Vanguard UK Investor Review
Winner check_circle
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