Moneybox vs Vanguard

Ever wondered who would come out on top in a battle between Moneybox vs Vanguard? Well, read on to find out how they compare for fees, accounts and plenty more.

Overall winner Our verdict
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Vanguard and Moneybox are two popular investing platforms available to UK retail investors. They’re slightly different in their approach as Moneybox offers a stripped-back investing experience with some share dealing available, and Vanguard is a platform where you get to hand-pick your index funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs). However, there is some crossover, so we’re going to pit Moneybox vs Vanguard against each other in a head-to-head battle.

Both Vanguard and Moneybox offer a limited range of investments and plenty of account options, including a stocks and shares ISA and a self-invested personal pension (SIPP). So, check out our breakdown of Moneybox vs Vanguard and hopefully this will help you pick who’s best, depending on what’s most important to you – whether that’s fees, investment choice, account types or anything else.

Moneybox vs Vanguard: At a glance

Moneybox logoVanguard logo
Finder Score8.1Great9.1Excellent
Customer satisfaction survey★★★★★★★★★★
Fees score8.4Great9.5Excellent
Stocks and shares ISA available?
FSCS protected?
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More info
More info

Vanguard and Moneybox are pretty similar when it comes to their Finder score, with Vanguard scoring a solid 9.1 out of 10, and Moneybox scoring a slightly lower 8.1 out of 10.

Both platforms offer stocks and shares ISA, and both come with full Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) protection of up to £85,000.

Moneybox trumped Vanguard in the most recent Finder Investing Customer Satisfaction Awards. 97% of Vanguard customers said they’d recommend the platform to a friend, compared to 100% for Moneybox.

The platforms also go slightly different ways with their fees score. When you look at Moneybox fees vs Vanguard fees – Moneybox has a fee score of 8.4 vs Vanguard’s 9.5 score for fees (both out of 10).

Round 1: Products

Moneybox logoVanguard logo
General investment account
Stocks and shares ISA
Lifetime ISA (LISA)
Pension (SIPP)
Junior ISA (JISA)/Junior SIPP (JSIPP)
Interest on cash balances
Keep in mindCapital at riskCapital at risk
Go to site
More info
More info

Both platforms have plenty of account options available, including the option to use a junior stocks and shares ISA (JISA).

However, what sets Moneybox apart is that it also offers both a cash, and an investment lifetime ISA (LISA), something Vanguard doesn’t have. And although Moneybox doesn’t pay cash on investment balances, it does have separate savings products that pay interest like a savings account and cash ISA.

Winner: Moneybox

Round 2: Investment choice

Moneybox logoVanguard logo
Investment choice score6.9Standard7.8Great
Available markets 2+
4+
Number of investments45+85+
Number of ETFs/funds2485
Fractional shares
Min. initial deposit£1£500 lump sum (or £100/month)
Keep in mindCapital at riskCapital at risk
Go to site
More info
More info

Moneybox and Vanguard are fairly limiting in the investment options available, but both platforms are designed for simplicity.

Moneybox mostly focuses on cheap, global funds but it does offer some individual shares too (but only a few handfuls, about 20 US stocks). Vanguard is all about funds, that’s its bread and butter. And Vanguard does offer a wider selection of funds (but you can only use Vanguard’s own funds).

The good thing about Moneybox is that you can get started with just £1, so it’s extremely accessible to just about everyone, whereas Vanguard has a slightly higher barrier to entry.

Winner: Tie

Round 3: Portfolios

Moneybox logoVanguard logo
Portfolios rating★★★★★★★★★★
Risk assessment quiz
Number of portfolios on offer321
Ethical portfolios on offer
Managed portfolios on offer
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More info
More info

Moneybox and Vanguard are fairly even when it comes to ready-made portfolios, but Vanguard offers many more options.

The 3 starting options for Moneybox are helpful for complete beginners, whereas with Vanguard you’ll need a little bit of investing knowledge to pick your portfolio.

Winner: Vanguard

Round 4: Fees

Moneybox logoVanguard logo
Fees score8.4Great9.5Excellent
Platform fees0.45% + £1/month0.15%
Price per trade0
Funds/ETFs0£0
Foreign exchange fee0.45%0%
Regular investingYes (including round ups)
Yes
Withdrawal fee£0£0
Deposit fee£0£0
Inactivity fee£0£0
Keep in mindCapital at riskCapital at risk
Go to site
More info
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These are two of the cheapest investing platforms around, but Vanguard takes the crown when you put them side-by-side.

Moneybox charges a 0.45% platform fee, plus a £1 monthly subscription fee if you want one of its investment accounts.

Vanguard on the other hand simply charges a cheap 0.15% platform fee. And these differences are reflected in the Finder fee score for each.

Winner: Vanguard

Round 5: Ease of use

Moneybox logoVanguard logo
Ease of use score8.9Great9.6Excellent
Apple iOS rating4.8/54.4/5
Google Play rating 4.7/53.7/5
Ways to contact customer serviceEmail and in-app chatSecure message, email, phone, chatbot
UI/UXGoodGood
Desktop or web access
Mobile app
Keep in mindCapital at riskCapital at risk
Go to site
More info
More info

Vanguard edges out Moneybox in the ease of use category because Moneybox is app-only and has limited ways to contact the customer service team.

Moneybox and Vanguard are both excellent platforms to use, but Vanguard offers a desktop or mobile experience and has a customer service team you can actually phone if you need.

Winner: Vanguard

Round 6: Tools, resources and features

Moneybox logoVanguard logo
Features score6.7Standard6.7Standard
Analysis features
Tools for investing/trading
Social features
Learning resources
Keep in mindCapital at riskCapital at risk
Go to site
More info
More info

Both Moneybox and Vanguard offer a fairly limited selection of tools and resources making them difficult to separate in this area.

Winner: Tie

Overall winner: Is Moneybox better than Vanguard?

Moneybox and Vanguard both offer a fantastic (if limited) investing experience. Looking at both platforms side-by-side, its Vanguard that comes out on top due to lower fees, more portfolios and investments, and it’s easy to use for desktop and mobile investors.

Winner: Vanguard

All investing should be regarded as longer term. The value of your investments can go up and down, and you may get back less than you invest. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. If you’re not sure which investments are right for you, please seek out a financial adviser. Capital at risk.


George Sweeney, DipFA's headshot
Deputy editor

George is a deputy editor at Finder. He has previously written for The Motley Fool UK, Nasdaq, Freetrade, Investing in the Web, MoneyMagpie, Online Mortgage Advisor, Wealth, and Compare Forex Brokers. He's focused on making personal finance and investing engaging for everyone. To do this he draws from previous work and his Level 4 Diploma for Financial Advisers (DipFA), sharing what he’s learnt. When he’s not geeking out about money, you’ll find him playing sports and staying active. See full bio

George's expertise
George has written 241 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Investing
  • Personal finance
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  • Mortgages

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