Freetrade and Vanguard are two of the cheapest investing providers available to UK retail investors. So, it make sense to pit Vanguard vs Freetrade against each other in a head-to-head battle. Both Freetrade and Vanguard offer a decent range of investments and a few account options, including a stocks and shares ISA and a self-invested personal pension (SIPP).
However, they are slightly different in terms of the key investments offered. So, check out our breakdown of Vanguard vs Freetrade 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.
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| Finder Score | 9.1Excellent | 9.1Excellent |
| Customer satisfaction survey | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ |
| Fees score | 9.5Excellent | 9.2Excellent |
| Stocks and shares ISA available? | ||
| Go to Site |
Vanguard and Freetrade are pretty neck and neck when it comes to their Finder score, with Freetrade scoring an impressive 9.1 out of 10, and Vanguard scoring 9.1 out of 10.
Both platforms offer stocks and shares ISA, and both come with full Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) protection of up to £120,000.
Vanguard and Freetrade both received positive feedback in our most recent Finder Investing Customer Satisfaction Awards 2025 results.
When it comes to the fees score, these are two of the best platforms around. Vanguard has a fee score of 9.5 out of 10 and Freetrade as an equally impressive 9.2 out of 10.
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| Stocks and shares ISA | ||
| Lifetime ISA (LISA) | ||
| Interest on cash balances | ||
| Keep in mind | Capital at risk | Capital at risk |
| Go to Site |
Freetrade and Vanguard both offer a solid range of account types and tax-efficient wrappers.
Both offer a stocks and shares ISA and a SIPP, however, it’s worth pointing out that you need to subscribe to Freetrade’s Standard plan for the stocks and shares ISA, and the Plus plan if you want the ISA and the SIPP.
With Vanguard, you can access all its account for the same, low 0.15% fee. Vanguard also offers a junior stocks and shares ISA (JISA), but Freetrade doesn’t.
Unfortunately, neither platform offers a lifetime ISA (LISA). Both pay interest on cash, but Freetrade has more restrictions and limits, putting its best rates behind a paywall.
Winner: Vanguard
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| Investment choice score | 7.8Great | 9.1Excellent |
| Available markets | 4+ | 3 |
| Number of investments | 85+ | 6,500+ |
| Number of ETFs/funds | 85 | 400 |
| Fractional shares | ||
| Min. initial deposit | £500 lump sum (or £100/month) | £0 |
| Keep in mind | Capital at risk | Capital at risk |
| Go to Site |
Vanguard’s choice of investments pales in comparison to Freetrade. With Vanguard, you can only invest in Vanguard’s index funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
With Freetrade, you can invest in Vanguard ETFs, but you can also invest in stocks, investment trusts, REITs, UK treasury bill and more from the US, UK and Europe.
Vanguard has around 85+ investments whereas Freetrade has over 6,500+. Although, to access the full range of Freetrade investments, you need to be on Standard or Plus.
You can invest in fractional shares with Vanguard or Freetrade but Freetrade has a lower barrier to entry for investors as you can deposit from £1 and invest in US stocks from just £2.
Winner: Freetrade
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| Fees score | 9.5Excellent | 9.2Excellent |
| Platform fees | 0.15% | £0 |
| Price per trade | £0 | |
| Funds/ETFs | £0 | £0 |
| Foreign exchange fee | 0% | 0.99% |
| Regular investing | Yes | Yes (recurring orders Standard/Plus) |
| Withdrawal fee | £0 | £0 |
| Deposit fee | £0 | £0 |
| Inactivity fee | £0 | £0 |
| Keep in mind | Capital at risk | Capital at risk |
| Go to Site |
Although Freetrade offers 0% commission investing, it does have some other fees scattered about. If you want to get the most from the platform and use all the accounts and features, you’ll need to subscribe to one of its paid plans. The Freetrade plan you’re on will also dictate which FX fee you qualify for.
Vanguard is extremely cheap all round. The platform fee is just 0.15% for any of the accounts and this is capped at a maximum of £375 per year. There are no extra hidden fees or anything like that. You can pay an extra fee of 0.25% if you want a managed portfolio but that’s up to you.
Winner: Vanguard
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| Ease of use score | 9.6Excellent | 8.9Great |
| Apple iOS rating | 4.4/5 | 4.3/5 |
| Google Play rating | 3.7/5 | 3.9/5 |
| UI/UX | Good | Good |
| Desktop or web access | ||
| Mobile app | ||
| Keep in mind | Capital at risk | Capital at risk |
| Go to Site |
Both these platforms are pretty comparable when it comes to ease of use, Vanguard and Freetrade are both accessible for beginners – Freetrade probably slightly more so.
Recently, Vanguard launched a mobile app and Freetrade launched a desktop app, putting them on a level field in this area too.
Winner: Tie
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| Features score | 6.7Standard | 8.3Great |
| Analysis features | ||
| Social features | ||
| Learning resources | ||
| Keep in mind | Capital at risk | Capital at risk |
| Go to Site |
This is an area where Vanguard and Freetrade are both fairly limited but Freetrade offers investors more tools for investing research and analysis, it also has trading tools and social features – something Vanguard lacks.
Winner: Freetrade
Both platforms are excellent options for UK investors but Vanguard and Freetrade are slightly different in terms of their approach and target audience.
If you want a 0% commission platform for investing in stocks, ETFs and other assets, Freetrade might suit you (especially if you’re a beginner). However, it’s not the cheapest platform around because some features are behind a paywall.
Vanguard is best suited if you only want to invest in index funds and ETFs, and you’re looking for a range of account options and low fees. Although Freetrade offers a more diverse platform, Vanguard is hard to beat for value – but both are great starting points for investors.
Winner: Tie
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.
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