Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Saxo UK 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, Vanguard UK Investor offers better pricing than Saxo UK 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.
Saxo UK gives UK investors a wider range of account investment choices than Vanguard UK Investor. With Saxo, you can trade shares, ETFs, funds, CFDs, corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts) and investment trusts, while Vanguard UK Investor focuses on ETFs and funds only. Saxo also does not offer adviser services, whereas Vanguard UK Investor does.
That broader range is reflected in UK.StockBrokers.com’s ratings and rankings: Saxo UK scores 5 stars for investment choices and ranks #2 out of 21 brokers, while Vanguard UK Investor scores 3.5 stars and ranks #16. For anyone who wants access to more markets and asset types in one place, Saxo UK is the more flexible option; for simpler investing with advice available, Vanguard UK Investor may suit better.
| Feature |
Saxo UK
|
Vanguard UK Investor
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|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | No |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | ||
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Saxo UK vs Vanguard UK Investor: for trading tools and charting, Saxo UK offers far more. You get a browser-based platform with 20 drawing tools, 64 technical indicators, stock overlays and price alerts. Vanguard UK Investor also runs in your browser but has no drawing tools, no indicators, no stock overlays and no price alerts. Neither broker shows corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends) on charts, supports index overlays or note-taking, and neither provides real-time market data.
If you want to analyse price moves and set alerts, Saxo UK is the stronger choice. If you mainly buy and hold and don’t need charts or alerts, Vanguard UK Investor may suit you. Always check fees and data options before you trade.
| Feature |
Saxo UK
|
Vanguard UK Investor
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 64 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 20 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | No | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
Comparing Saxo UK and Vanguard UK Investor for UK savers, both platforms offer tax-efficient accounts: a Stocks and Shares ISA and a SIPP (Self-Invested Personal Pension). That means you can use either provider to grow investments within an ISA and build your pension through a SIPP. Since both Saxo UK and Vanguard UK Investor support these account types, the better fit often comes down to fees, investment choice, and ease of use—so check costs and features before opening an account.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
Comparing online brokers in the UK, both Saxo UK and Vanguard UK Investor offer iPhone and Android trading apps, but UK.StockBrokers.com rates Saxo UK’s mobile app 5 stars and ranks it #1 out of 21 brokers, while Vanguard UK Investor’s app earns 3.5 stars and ranks #16—making Saxo UK the higher-rated choice for mobile investing.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK beginner investors comparing online brokers, Saxo UK clearly leads Vanguard UK Investor on education: Saxo runs client webinars and offers them on-demand, while Vanguard provides no webinars; Saxo also covers share trading alongside funds and retirement, whereas Vanguard focuses on funds and retirement but not share trading. Independent ratings back this up—UK.StockBrokers.com gives Saxo UK 5 stars and a #2 ranking out of 21 for beginner education, versus Vanguard’s 3.5 stars and #14 ranking.
| Feature |
Saxo UK
|
Vanguard UK Investor
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| 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.
Comparing online brokers Saxo UK and Vanguard UK Investor for market research: both provide fund research reports and let you view portfolio allocation by asset class. Saxo UK goes further with shares research and bonds research, alongside ETFs and funds research. Vanguard UK Investor offers ETFs and funds research and clear allocation tools, but does not provide shares or bonds research.
| Feature |
Saxo UK
|
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, Saxo UK or Vanguard UK Investor? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Saxo UK to be a better trading platform overall.
Saxo’ trading platform is highly sophisticated and offers a huge range of international shares and funds. The biggest downside is the cost, as its charges are higher than its U.K. competitors. It's best suited for experienced investors rather than beginners.
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Saxo UK
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Vanguard UK Investor
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|---|---|---|
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Saxo UK offers crypto trading, while Vanguard UK Investor does not, making Saxo UK the better option for investors looking to trade cryptocurrencies through a UK online broker.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Saxo UK | Vanguard UK Investor | |
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| Review | Saxo UK Review | Vanguard UK Investor Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Saxo UK | Vanguard UK Investor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | No | |
| CFD Trading | Yes | 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 | No | Yes |
| Trading Fees | Saxo UK | Vanguard UK Investor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £500 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | $1 / £3 / €3 | N/A | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | $1 / £3 / €3 | N/A | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | $1 / £3 / €3 | 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 | 0.4%, 0.2%, 0.1% | £48 - £375 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | 0.4%, 0.2%, 0.1% | £375 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | 0.4%, 0.2%, 0.1% | £375 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | 0.4%, 0.2%, 0.1% | £375 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | €20 minimum | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | €20 minimum | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | From $1 | £0 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | 0.03/0.06/0.08% | N/A | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £50 | N/A |
| Broker Screenshots | Saxo UK | Vanguard UK Investor | |
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| Website Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Platforms & Tools | Saxo UK | Vanguard UK Investor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 64 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 20 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | Saxo UK | 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 | Saxo UK | Vanguard UK Investor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Overall Summary | Saxo UK | Vanguard UK Investor | |
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| Review | Saxo UK Review | Vanguard UK Investor Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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