Vanguard vs Wealthfront

Vanguard is a good choice for ETF and mutual fund investors interested in Vanguard-sponsored investments. How does it compare to Wealthfront? 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 Wealthfront has a low fee of 0.25% and a minimum of $500 to open an account. Wealthfront offers advanced planning tools to help provide a complete picture of your financial health and track your goals. However, there are no human advisors.

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

	Vanguard	Wealthfront
	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
Options Trading	Less than $500,000: $7 + $1 per contract. $500,000+: $2 + $1 per contract
Annual Fee		0.25%
Minimum Deposit	$0	$500
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+
Commission Free ETFs	Around 1,800 ETFs from about 100 other companies
Phone Support		Yes
Live Chat Support		No
Email Support		Yes
Human Advisors		No
Robo Advisor
Assets Under Management		$10+ Billion
Tax Loss Harvesting		Yes
Goal Tracker		Yes
Automatic Deposits		Yes
Broker Assisted Trades	$25.00
Customer Service	Monday-Friday 8am -10pm ET
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
Locations	No
Online Community	No
Seminars	Yes
Virtual Trading	No
Single Stock Diversification		Yes
Fractional Shares		No
Taxable Accounts		Yes
401k Plans		No
IRA Accounts		Yes
Roth IRA Accounts		Yes
SEP IRA Accounts		Yes
Trust Accounts		Yes
529 Plans		Yes
	CreditDonkey® Reviews
Stock Trading
Options Trading
Mutual Fund Trading
Mobile App
Commissions and Fees
Ease of Use
Research
Annual Fee
Minimum Deposit
Customer Service
Investment Types
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: Minimal opening deposit & fees Advanced goal tracker Tax loss harvesting Cons: No human advisors No fractional shares
Bottom Line	Good choice for ETF and mutual fund investors interested in Vanguard-sponsored investments... Read full review	Good robo-advisor for hands-off investor. Fees are low, but lack human advisors... 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 09/15/2019. Wealthfront: Pricing information from published website as of 04/04/2018

Which is Better: Vanguard or Wealthfront?

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.

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 Fidelity
• Vanguard vs Charles Schwab
• Vanguard vs Betterment

Articles on Wealthfront

Wealthfront
Wealthfront simplifies long-term, low-cost investing with a diversified portfolio. But is it safe? Read on to learn if Wealthfront is worth it.
• Wealthfront vs Acorns
• Wealthfront vs Robinhood
• Wealthfront vs WealthSimple

Which Do You Think is Best?

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