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Vanguard vs Betterment

Vanguard is a good choice for ETF and mutual fund investors interested in Vanguard-sponsored investments. How does it compare to Betterment? Read our comparison chart below.

Vanguard offers $0 commission on stock and ETF online trades, $0 commission on Vanguard mutual funds, and no minimum deposit.

While Betterment offers automatic investing starting at $4/month for accounts with less than $20,000. There is no fee to open an account and no minimum deposit required. All balances get automatic rebalancing, tax loss harvesting, and access to financial experts.

Compare Vanguard with Betterment, side-by-side. Read on for an in-depth look, including ratings, reviews, pros and cons.

 

Vanguard

Betterment

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Benefits and Features

Savings 
Check
Stock Trading
$0
 
Options Trading$0 + $1-per-contract fee. Discounts available if you have more than $1 million assets invested in Vanguard ETFs and mutual funds 
Annual Fee 
  • Digital: 0.25% annual fee for accounts with $20,000 or more or with monthly recurring deposits of $250 or more, $4/month for accounts with less than $20,000
  • Premium: 0.40% for accounts $100,000 or more
Minimum Deposit
$0
$0
Checking 
No-Fee Checking
Mutual Fund Trading
$0 for Vanguard mutual funds
 
Commission Free ETFsAround 1,800 ETFs from about 100 other companies 
Phone Support 
Yes
Live Chat Support 
No
Email Support 
Yes
Human Advisors 
Yes ($100k minimum)
Robo Advisor 
Check
Assets Under Management 
$40+ Billion
Tax Loss Harvesting 
Yes
Goal Tracker 
Yes
Automatic Deposits 
Yes
Broker Assisted Trades
$25.00
 
Inactivity Fee
$0
 
Maintenance Fee$20/year. Waived if account owner signs up for e-delivery service OR have at least $10,000 in Vanguard ETFs and mutual funds 
Online Platform 
Yes
iPhone App 
Yes
Android App 
Yes
Banking
No
 
Mobile App
Yes
Yes
Desktop App
Yes
 
Forex Trading
Yes
 
Futures Trading
No
 
Customer Service
Monday-Friday 8am -10pm ET
 
Locations
No
 
Online Community
No
 
Seminars
Yes
 
Virtual Trading
No
 
Single Stock Diversification 
No
Fractional Shares 
Yes
Taxable Accounts 
Yes
401k Plans 
Yes
IRA Accounts 
Yes
Roth IRA Accounts 
Yes
SEP IRA Accounts 
Yes
Trust Accounts 
Yes
529 Plans 
No
 

CreditDonkey® Reviews

Stock TradingStarStarStarEmpty StarEmpty Star
Options TradingStarStarStarStarEmpty Star
Mutual Fund TradingStarStarStarStarStar
Mobile AppStarStarStarEmpty StarEmpty Star
Commissions and FeesStarStarStarStarEmpty Star
Ease of UseStarStarStarStarStar
ResearchStarStarStarHalf StarEmpty Star
Annual FeeStarStarStarStarHalf Star
Minimum DepositStarStarStarStarStar
Human AdvisorsStarStarStarEmpty StarEmpty Star
Customer ServiceStarStarStarStarEmpty Star
Pros & ConsPros:
  • Large selection of mutual funds and commission-free ETFs
  • Broker assistance is available at no additional cost
  • Easy to use
Cons:
  • Commission structure penalizes frequent traders
  • Customer service wait times
  • Commission costs on non-Vanguard investment options
Pros:
  • No minimum investment
  • Customized portfolios
  • Automatically invest extra funds
Cons:
  • Limited investment options
  • High fees for large investors
Bottom LineGood choice for ETF and mutual fund investors interested in Vanguard-sponsored investments... Read full reviewGreat robo-advisor for beginners with low fees, good tools, and tax strategies... Read full review

Blank fields may indicate the information is not available, not applicable, or not known to CreditDonkey. Please visit the product website for details.

Vanguard: Pricing information from published websites as of 10/17/2023.

Betterment: Pricing information from published website as of 04/04/2018

Which is Better: Vanguard or Betterment?

Still need help deciding which investing is better? Read the in-depth reviews below. You may also be interested in comparing Vanguard or Robinhood.


Articles on Vanguard

Vanguard Review

Vanguard Brokerage may be a full-service broker, but typically long-term investors preferring ETFs and mutual funds see the greatest return on their investment with them.

Articles on Betterment

Betterment

Betterment offers low fees and good returns. But there are risks you should NOT ignore. Read this review to see if Betterment is better.

Betterment Fees

Betterment offers no minimum deposit and good returns. But are the fees worth it? Read on to learn about this robo-advisor's costs.

Is Betterment Safe

Betterment offers low fees, no minimum balance and good returns. But is it a good idea? Find out if it's safe to invest your money with this robo-advisor.

Is Betterment Worth The Fee

Betterment will manage your investments, but they charge a fee. Is Betterment worth the fee? Read on to answer all your questions.

Betterment Roth IRA

Is Betterment a good way to invest for retirement? What about the fees and withdrawals? Read on to learn how Betterment's Roth IRA account works.

Betterment vs Wealthfront

Betterment and Wealthfront are two of the oldest and most popular robo-advisors. Is there a difference? Which is better for you? Read on to find out.

Which Do You Think is Best?





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