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.
Hands-off investors happy to hold only Vanguard index funds and LifeStrategy.
Index fund investors who want the lowest possible total cost and are comfortable with a newer app.
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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.
Long-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 TrustpilotEarly adopters praise the zero fees and responsive founding team; roughly 84% of reviews are five stars.
The review base is small and some users want more account types and a web version.
Read Prosper reviews on Trustpilot| Fee | Vanguard | Prosper |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee | £4/month minimum below £32k; 0.15% above £32k, capped at £375/year | £0 |
| Share dealing | Not available (funds and Vanguard ETFs only) | Not applicable (funds and ETFs) |
| Fund dealing | Free | Free |
| FX fee | None (GBP funds) | None on GBP fund classes |
| Stocks & Shares ISA | Platform fee applies | Free |
| SIPP | Platform fee applies | Free |
| Withdrawals | Free | Free |
| Minimum to start | £100/month or £500 lump sum | No minimum |
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.
Prosper's pitch is the cheapest total cost of ownership in the UK: no platform fee, no dealing fees, and refunded fund fees on a list of mainstream index funds. For a straightforward global tracker in an ISA or SIPP, the all-in cost really can be zero.
The counterweight is maturity. It is a young platform with a small (if very positive) review base and no individual shares. If that trade-off suits you, the price is unbeatable.
It depends on what you hold and how often you trade. Vanguard's platform fee is £4/month minimum below £32k; 0.15% above £32k, capped at £375/year, against £0 at Prosper. On dealing, Vanguard charges not available (funds and Vanguard ETFs only) for shares and free for funds, while Prosper charges not applicable (funds and ETFs) for shares and free for funds. Fees verified July 2026.
Vanguard is best for hands-off investors happy to hold only Vanguard index funds and LifeStrategy. Prosper is best for index fund investors who want the lowest possible total cost and are comfortable with a newer app. Both are FCA regulated and covered by the FSCS.
On Vanguard's ISA: Platform fee applies. On Prosper's ISA: Free. Prosper offers a flexible ISA and Vanguard does not. Minimums are £100/month or £500 lump sum at Vanguard and No minimum at Prosper.
Vanguard offers a SIPP (platform fee applies). Prosper offers a SIPP (free).
Vanguard scores 4 out of 5 on Trustpilot (Great) from around 5,000 reviews. Prosper scores 4.6 out of 5 (Excellent) from around 300 reviews. The £4 minimum monthly fee frustrated smaller investors when it landed, and some reviews mention slow customer service. The review base is small and some users want more account types and a web version.
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. Vanguard charges free on withdrawals and Prosper 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.
Vanguard or Prosper, 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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