Vanguard vs Hargreaves Lansdown (HL)

Ever wondered who would come out on top in a battle between Vanguard vs Hargreaves Lansdown (HL)? Well, read on to find out how they compare for features, fees and much more.

Vanguard vs Hargreaves Lansdown: At a glance

Vanguard logoHargreaves Lansdown logo
Finder Score8.9Great8.7Great
Customer satisfaction survey★★★★★★★★★★
Stocks and shares ISA available?
Fees score9.3Excellent6.6Standard
Keep in mindCapital at riskCapital at risk
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Round 1: At a glance

Vanguard logoHargreaves Lansdown logo
Stocks and shares ISA
Lifetime ISA (LISA)
Interest on cash balances
Keep in mindCapital at riskCapital at risk
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Round 2: Investment choice

Vanguard logoHargreaves Lansdown logo
Investment choice score7.8Great9.1Excellent
Available markets 4+
4+
Tradeable assets85+11,000+
Number of ETFs/funds861,500
Fractional shares
Min. initial deposit£500 lump sum (or £100/month)£1
Keep in mindCapital at riskCapital at risk
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Round 3: Fees

Vanguard logoHargreaves Lansdown logo
Fees score9.3Excellent6.6Standard
Platform fees0.15% (£4/month min.)0.35%
Price per trade£0£6.95
Funds/ETFs£0£1.95 funds
£6.95 ETFs (frequent trader discounts apply)
Foreign exchange fee0%0.99%
Regular investingYes
Yes from £25/month (no commission)
£3.95 (20 or more trades in previous month)
Withdrawal fee£0£0
Deposit fee£0£0
Inactivity fee£0£0
Keep in mindCapital at riskCapital at risk
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Round 4: Ease of use

Vanguard logoHargreaves Lansdown logo
Ease of use score9.6Excellent10Excellent
Apple iOS rating4.4/54.7/5
Google Play rating 3.7/53.2/5
UI/UXGoodGood
Desktop or web access
Mobile app
Keep in mindCapital at riskCapital at risk
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Round 5: Tools, resources and features

Vanguard logoHargreaves Lansdown logo
Features score6.7Standard8.3Great
Analysis features
Social features
Learning resources
Keep in mindCapital at riskCapital at risk
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Overall winner: Is Vanguard better than Hargreaves Lansdown?

Vanguard is an excellent platform and it’s hard to beat for fees and value but it does have quite a lot of limitations.

Hargreaves Lansdown is a much more well-rounded investing platform with so much more being offered for slightly more in fees. Yes, HL’s fees are steep for share dealing but Vanguard doesn’t even offer investors the ability to buy or sell individual stocks and shares.

So if we’re judging Vanguard vs Hargreaves Lansdown on what they offer investors as an apples to apples comparison, it’s only really the fees where Vanguard wins. In almost every other area, Hargreaves Lansdown just provides so much more and gives investors much more freedom.

Winner: Hargreaves Lansdown

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

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 347 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Investing
  • Personal finance
  • Tax
  • Pensions
  • Mortgages
  • Cryptocurrency

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