Head to head
Fidelity vs Vanguard Brokerage Services
Both platforms are scored with the same methodology and the same category rubric. Nothing on this page is influenced by advertising.
54/100 | 62/100Higher score | |
|---|---|---|
| Category rank | #3 | #1 |
| Confidence | High confidence | High confidence |
| External Reputation | 34 | 92 |
| AI Authority | 77 | 40 |
| Web Authority | 45 | 45 |
| Expert Assessment | 68 | 63 |
| TOP10 User Score | — | — |
| Pricing | USD 0 per online stock or ETF trade · free tier: No account fees and no minimums to open a retail brokerage account including IRAs; $0 stock/ETF commissions; Fidelity Go advisory fee $0 under $25,000 | $0 online stock/ETF commission; $25 annual account service fee (waivable) · free tier: No account minimum stated in the fee schedule; $0 online commissions on US stocks, ETFs and Vanguard mutual funds at all tiers; $25 annual account service fee waived by electing e-delivery |
| Pricing model | Commission-free trading with per-contract, per-bond and percentage advisory fees | Commission and fee schedule tiered by Qualifying Assets |
| Best for | Long-term, buy-and-hold US investors building a core portfolio of stocks, ETFs and index funds who want zero holding cost, zero minimums, low-cost online bond access and the option to add a robo or human advisor later without changing institutions. | US passive investors with a taxable account and an IRA who buy broad-market ETFs or index funds monthly, elect e-delivery, self-serve online, ladder new-issue Treasuries or CDs, and intend to hold for decades — best of all above $1M in Qualifying Assets. |
| Avoid if | You are an active or professional options trader who needs platform reliability in fast markets, you anticipate large or deadline-sensitive outbound transfers and withdrawals, you rely mainly on rep-assisted bond trading, or you cannot complete smartphone-based identity verification. | You are an active, options-heavy or margin trader, want non-US market access or advanced tooling, need responsive phone support for estate/trust/complex transfers, trade third-party transaction-fee funds under $1M, or may move brokers soon given the $100 transfer-out fee. |
| Markets | Retail investors, Retirement savers, High-net-worth / private wealth | Retail investors, Retirement savers, High-net-worth (Wealth Management tier) |
| Founded | — | — |
| Headquarters | 245 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02210-1133, USA | Malvern, Pennsylvania, USA |
A higher TOP SCORE means more of the evidence favours that platform on this methodology — it is not a recommendation, and it does not account for your specific requirements. Advertisers are never declared the winner of a comparison.