Vanguard vs Fidelity

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

Vanguard offers low stock trade prices (starting at just $2) for investors with account balances over $500k. For those with smaller balances, it's best for less active traders, as trade prices go up after 25 trades/year. Vanguard offers 125+ no-transaction-fee mutual fees and 55+ commission-free ETFs. There is no minimum deposit and service fees can be waived by signing up for electronic statements.

While Fidelity offers stock trades at $0 per trade and more than 180 branch locations. There is no minimum deposit.

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

	Vanguard	Fidelity
	Norton Internet Security 60-day free subscription - Learn More Read Vanguard Review	SPECIAL OFFER Commission-Free Trading - Online Stock, ETF and Option Trades - Learn More Read Fidelity Review
	Benefits and Features
Stock Trading	Less than $50,000: $7 per trade for the first 25 trades per year, then $20. $50k - $500k: All trades $7. $500k - $1M: All trades $2. $1M - $5M: First 25 trades per year free, then $2. $5M+: First 100 trades per year free, then $2	$0 per trade
Options Trading	Less than $500,000: $7 + $1 per contract. $500,000+: $2 + $1 per contract	$0 per online trade, plus $0.65 per contract
Minimum Deposit	$0	$0
Mutual Fund Trading	$0 for no-transaction-fee funds. For transaction-fee funds: $20 for account balances less than $500,000; $8 for account balances $500,000+	$0 transaction fee for Fidelity funds $0 on purchase for NTF (no transaction fee) non-Fidelity funds. ($49.95 on redemption if held less than 60 days) $49.95 on purchase for non-Fidelity funds; $0 on redemption. (Certain funds may have a $75 transaction fee).
Commission Free ETFs	Around 1,800 ETFs from about 100 other companies	357 including 28 Fidelity factor, sector, stock, and bond ETFs and 329 iShares® ETFs
Broker Assisted Trades	$25.00	$32.95 per trade for representative-assisted trades.
Customer Service	Monday-Friday 8am -10pm ET	(800) 343-3548
Inactivity Fee	$0	$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	$0 account service fee
Banking	No	Fidelity Cash Management Account includes reimbursed ATM fees, no monthly fee, no minimum balance requirement, FDIC insurance, mobile check deposit, free billpay and free checkwriting.
Mobile App	Yes
Desktop App	Yes	Active Trader Pro (requires you trade 36 times or more in a rolling 12 month period)
Forex Trading	Yes
Futures Trading	No
Locations	No	More than 180
Online Community	No
Seminars	Yes
Virtual Trading	No
	CreditDonkey® Reviews
Stock Trading
Options Trading
Mutual Fund Trading
Mobile App
Commissions and Fees
Ease of Use
Research
Banking
Pros & Cons	Pros: 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: Research reports Beginner-friendly tools Mobile app Cons: Restricted platform
Bottom Line	Good choice for ETF and mutual fund investors interested in Vanguard-sponsored investments... Read full review	Comprehensive online broker with in-depth research... Read full review
		Commission-Free Trading - Online Stock, ETF and Option Trades
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 09/15/2019. Fidelity: Pricing information from published website as of 04/05/2020.

Which is Better: Vanguard or Fidelity?

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

In short: Fidelity's stock trading, mobile app, and research are notable. In particular, the research is excellent.

Articles on Vanguard

Vanguard Brokerage 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.
• Vanguard vs Charles Schwab
• Vanguard vs Betterment
• Vanguard vs Wealthfront

Articles on Fidelity

Fidelity Review
Thinking of opening a brokerage account with Fidelity? There are many reasons to love Fidelity and a few reasons to think about going elsewhere.
• Fidelity vs E*TRADE
• Fidelity vs TD Ameritrade
• Fidelity vs Scottrade

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