Both are FCA-regulated and FSCS-protected. The real difference is fees, account types and how each platform feels to use. Verified against each provider’s published charges.
Fees verified July 2026. Capital at risk. Information, not financial advice.
Beginners who want a simple app and are happy with shares and ETFs.
Hands-off investors happy to hold only Vanguard index funds and LifeStrategy.
Tick what you need. No account, no email. The answer is on this page.
Tick what you need above and we'll tell you which of the two covers it.
Account availability verified July 2026. Capital at risk. Information, not financial advice.
Around seven in ten reviewers rate it excellent, citing the clean app and helpful customer service.
Critical reviews focus on the 0.99% FX fee on the free plan and features being moved behind subscriptions.
Read Freetrade reviews on TrustpilotLong-term investors praise the low fund costs and the simplicity of LifeStrategy portfolios.
The £4 minimum monthly fee frustrated smaller investors when it landed, and some reviews mention slow customer service.
Read Vanguard reviews on Trustpilot| Fee | Freetrade | Vanguard |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee | £0 on Basic; Standard £4.99/month; Plus £9.99/month (annual billing) | £4/month minimum below £32k; 0.15% above £32k, capped at £375/year |
| Share dealing | £0 commission | Not available (funds and Vanguard ETFs only) |
| Fund dealing | Free; FX fee applies on non-sterling trades | Free |
| FX fee | 0.99% Basic, 0.59% Standard, 0.39% Plus | None (GBP funds) |
| Stocks & Shares ISA | Included on all plans | Platform fee applies |
| SIPP | Included on all plans | Platform fee applies |
| Withdrawals | Free | Free |
| Minimum to start | £2 | £100/month or £500 lump sum |
A 0.25% yearly fee gap sounds small. On £50,000 over 20 years it is about £5,900 (illustrative). Add your ISA and pension balances to Delphina yourself and see what your charges cost by retirement and whether you're on track.
See what my fees costIllustrative: £50,000, 5% a year growth before charges, 0.25% vs 0.50% a year in charges, no further contributions. Not a recommendation of Freetrade or Vanguard. Delphina is guidance, not financial advice.
Freetrade helped bring commission-free investing to the UK and keeps a free tier that now includes an ISA and a SIPP. The app is one of the simplest ways to buy your first share.
The catch is the FX fee. On the free plan you pay 0.99% every time you buy or sell a US stock, which adds up quickly. If most of your money goes into US shares, either upgrade to a paid plan for lower FX fees or compare against Trading 212's flat 0.15%.
Vanguard UK is the default answer for one-fund index investing. If your plan is a LifeStrategy or FTSE Global All Cap fund and nothing else, the combination of cheap funds and a capped 0.15% platform fee is excellent, especially above £32,000.
Below £32,000 the £4 monthly minimum changes the maths, and a free platform like Trading 212 or Prosper holding a similar Vanguard ETF can work out cheaper. You also cannot hold individual shares or other fund managers' products.
It depends on what you hold and how often you trade. Freetrade's platform fee is £0 on Basic; Standard £4.99/month; Plus £9.99/month (annual billing), against £4/month minimum below £32k; 0.15% above £32k, capped at £375/year at Vanguard. On dealing, Freetrade charges £0 commission for shares and free; FX fee applies on non-sterling trades for funds, while Vanguard charges not available (funds and Vanguard ETFs only) for shares and free for funds. Fees verified July 2026.
Freetrade is best for beginners who want a simple app and are happy with shares and ETFs. Vanguard is best for hands-off investors happy to hold only Vanguard index funds and LifeStrategy. Both are FCA regulated and covered by the FSCS.
On Freetrade's ISA: Included on all plans. On Vanguard's ISA: Platform fee applies. Both offer a flexible ISA, so you can withdraw and replace money in the same tax year without using up allowance. Minimums are £2 at Freetrade and £100/month or £500 lump sum at Vanguard.
Freetrade offers a SIPP (included on all plans). Vanguard offers a SIPP (platform fee applies).
Freetrade scores 4.2 out of 5 on Trustpilot (Great) from over 7,000 reviews. Vanguard scores 4.8 out of 5 (Excellent) from 5,332 reviews (checked 12 October 2026). Critical reviews focus on the 0.99% FX fee on the free plan and features being moved behind subscriptions. The £4 minimum monthly fee frustrated smaller investors when it landed, and some reviews mention slow customer service.
Yes. UK platforms accept ISA and SIPP transfers in, and you start the transfer with the receiving provider rather than the one you are leaving. Freetrade charges free on withdrawals and Vanguard charges free. Transfer as cash and you are out of the market while it settles; transfer in specie and you keep your holdings but it takes longer.
Freetrade or Vanguard, the account is the easy part. What decides when you can retire is how much goes in and for how long. Delphina works that out from what you already hold and what you pay in each month.
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