Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Investor 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, Interactive Investor 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 Investor would cost £79.83 per year, while Vanguard UK Investor would cost N/A per year.
12 trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £59.88 / £107.76 per year, while Vanguard UK Investor would cost N/A per year.
36 trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £59.88 / £203.52 per year, while Vanguard UK Investor would cost N/A per year.
120 trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £59.88 / £538.68 per year, while Vanguard UK Investor would cost N/A per year.
3 fund trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £0 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.
Interactive Investor and Vanguard UK Investor offer distinct choices for UK investors. Interactive Investor supports share trading, a feature absent in Vanguard UK Investor’s offerings. Both platforms provide access to ETF and fund trading, yet Interactive Investor also facilitates trading in corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts), and investment trusts—areas where Vanguard falls short. Neither provider offers crypto trading, spread betting, CFD trading, or advisor services, making them comparable in those respects.
When evaluated for their investment choices, Interactive Investor shines with a 5-star rating and secures the 3rd rank out of 18 brokers, according to UK.StockBrokers.com. In contrast, Vanguard UK Investor receives a 3.5-star rating, ranking last at the 18th position. This stark difference in ranks and ratings highlights Interactive Investor as a more versatile option for those seeking a broader range of investment opportunities.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Vanguard UK Investor
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | No |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | No |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Investment Choices |
|
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
When comparing the trading tools of Interactive Investor and Vanguard UK Investor, there's a noticeable difference in features. Interactive Investor provides a comprehensive charting experience with the ability to display corporate events such as earnings, splits, and dividends directly on charts, while Vanguard lacks this feature. Additionally, Interactive Investor offers an array of 18 drawing tools, making it ideal for those who like to customize and analyze their charts extensively. They also support a substantial 104 technical indicators, providing an advanced insight into market trends, whereas Vanguard UK Investor does not offer any drawing tools or technical indicators. Moreover, Interactive Investor further enhances user experience by allowing notes, index overlays, and stock overlays to be added to charts, capabilities not available with Vanguard UK Investor.
Both platforms offer a browser-based trading platform, ensuring accessibility from anywhere, yet Interactive Investor continues to stand out with features such as the ability to create alerts for stock price updates, enabling users to stay informed about market movements. Furthermore, they provide real-time market data, a crucial tool for active traders looking to make informed decisions swiftly. Without real-time data or alert capabilities, Vanguard UK Investor may appeal to investors less focused on immediate market responses. In essence, for UK traders looking for detailed and interactive charting tools, Interactive Investor offers a significantly more equipped platform compared to Vanguard UK Investor.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
Vanguard UK Investor
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 18 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
Interactive Investor and Vanguard UK Investor both provide attractive options for those in the UK looking to invest for retirement through accounts like ISAs and SIPPs. Interactive Investor offers both these retirement account types, giving investors the flexibility to save tax efficiently through an Individual Savings Account (ISA) or manage their pension with a Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP). Likewise, Vanguard UK Investor also provides access to ISAs and SIPPs, making it a viable alternative for those seeking straightforward investment solutions for their retirement planning. Both platforms aim to simplify investment experiences, allowing UK investors to build their retirement savings effectively. By offering these account types, both Interactive Investor and Vanguard UK Investor position themselves as strong contenders in the online brokerage sphere, catering to the specific retirement needs of UK investors.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
Comparing the mobile app offerings of Interactive Investor and Vanguard UK Investor reveals some differences that UK investors might consider when choosing an online broker. Both brokers provide mobile apps for iPhone and Android devices, ensuring accessibility for users on the go. However, in terms of user satisfaction and ranking, Interactive Investor stands out, receiving a 4.5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com and securing the 7th spot out of 18 brokers for its mobile app. In contrast, Vanguard UK Investor receives a 3.5-star rating and ranks 19th, indicating a noticeable gap in customer experience and app quality between the two providers.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When it comes to educational resources for beginner investors in the UK, Interactive Investor and Vanguard UK Investor offer contrasting options. Interactive Investor provides live client webinars, which are recorded for on-demand viewing, whereas Vanguard UK Investor does not host live webinars but makes archived content available. For those interested in share trading education, Interactive Investor covers this topic, distinguishing itself as Vanguard UK Investor does not offer such resources. Both platforms provide educational materials on investing in funds and planning for retirement, catering to beginner investors. Reflecting the comprehensiveness of their educational offerings, Interactive Investor is rated 5 stars and ranks 2nd out of 18 brokers by UK.StockBrokers.com, while Vanguard UK Investor receives a 3.5-star rating and holds the 17th position for beginner education.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
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 of Interactive Investor and Vanguard UK Investor, both platforms provide detailed research reports for funds and allow users to view portfolio allocation by asset class. However, Interactive Investor stands out by offering research on shares and bonds, services that Vanguard UK Investor does not support. Both platforms offer research on ETFs, but if you are seeking comprehensive market analysis including shares and bonds, Interactive Investor may cater to your needs better than Vanguard UK Investor. Note that neither platform provides research on CFDs.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
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, Interactive Investor or Vanguard UK Investor? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Interactive Investor to be a better trading platform overall.
The standout feature at Interactive Investor (ii) is its low flat-rate fees. Other investment platforms typically favour percentage fees for fund investing, although more brokers are now opting for flat fees. Our view is that Interactive Investor is a great platform for any investor, offering a wide range of investments for cheap prices on the whole.
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Interactive Investor
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Vanguard UK Investor
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Both Interactive Investor and Vanguard UK Investor do not offer crypto trading options to their customers.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Interactive Investor | Vanguard UK Investor | |
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| Review | Interactive Investor Review | Vanguard UK Investor Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Interactive Investor | 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 | Yes | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | No | No | |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Trading Fees | Interactive Investor | Vanguard UK Investor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £500 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £3.99 | N/A | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £3.99 | N/A | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £3.99 | N/A | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £79.83 | N/A | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £59.88 / £107.76 | N/A | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £59.88 / £203.52 | N/A | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £59.88 / £538.68 | N/A | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £71.85 | £108 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £59.88 - £143.88 | Under £32,000: £48 / Over £32,000: 0.15% | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £143.88 | £375 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £143.88 | £375 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £143.88 | £375 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £3.99 | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £3.99 | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £3.99 | 0.02% to 0.14% | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £3.99 | N/A | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £49 | N/A |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Investor | Vanguard UK Investor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Platforms & Tools | Interactive Investor | Vanguard UK Investor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 18 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
| Research | Interactive Investor | 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 | Interactive Investor | 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 | Interactive Investor | Vanguard UK Investor | |
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| Review | Interactive Investor Review | Vanguard UK Investor Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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