Updated September 28, 2026 · SumCue Editorial Team
Nutmeg vs Vanguard Investor UK
Nutmeg
Higher score in this comparison
Vanguard Investor UK
Where Nutmeg and Vanguard Investor UK differ
| Compare | NutmegReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives | Vanguard Investor UKReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| Management fee | 0.25% to 0.75% | 0.2%Lower |
| Minimum investment | £100 to £500Lower | £500 |
| Regulators | Financial Conduct Authority | Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) |
| Account types | ISA, SIPP | ISA, SIPP, JisaCovers more |
| Portfolio types | ETF, ESG, CashCovers more | ETF |
Same on both: Investor protection (FSCS up to GBP 85,000).
We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings. Partners with a live offer in your country come first, then every other brand by score.
Key differences
- Nutmeg scores higher overall: 9.2 vs 8.8.
- Regulators: only Nutmeg offers Financial Conduct Authority.
- Regulators: only Vanguard Investor UK offers Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
- Founded is lower at Vanguard Investor UK: 1975 vs 2012.
- Management fee is lower at Vanguard Investor UK: 0.2% vs 0.25% to 0.75%.
- Minimum investment is lower at Nutmeg: £100 to £500 vs £500.
- Account types: only Vanguard Investor UK offers Jisa.
- Portfolio types: only Nutmeg offers ESG, Cash.
- Support channels: only Nutmeg offers Email, Chat, Help centre.
Our verdict on each
Nutmeg
Nutmeg keeps the running cost of a managed portfolio low and the paperwork light, which suits UK savers who want an ISA or SIPP without choosing investments themselves. The catch sits in the entry bar: the minimum deposit is £500 and fees of 0.25% to 0.75% a year apply.
Vanguard Investor UK
Vanguard Investor UK is a low-cost, fund-first platform for beginners, charging a management fee of 0.2% a year on ISA, SIPP and JISA accounts. It suits savers who want a set-and-forget portfolio, though the account fee of £48 makes it weaker for those who trade in small, frequent amounts.
Score breakdown
| Area | Nutmeg | Vanguard Investor UK |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.2HigherCosts are the management fee of 0.25% to 0.75% a year, with trading adding £0 and no set-up, trading or exit fees. | 8.2Management fee of 0.2% against a site median of 0.35%, plus an account fee of £48. |
| Offer | 9.5Higher | 8.8 |
| Trust | 9.1 | 9.2Higher |
Feature by feature
| Portfolio types | Nutmeg | Vanguard Investor UK |
|---|---|---|
| ETF | Yes | Yes |
| ESG | Yes | No |
| Cash | Yes | No |
| Account types | Nutmeg | Vanguard Investor UK |
|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes |
Cost in a real example
10,000 invested for a year
Nutmeg
25 to 75
0.25% to 0.75% of 10,000
Vanguard Investor UK
20
0.2% of 10,000
Vanguard Investor UK comes out 5 lower in this example.
Worked out from the stated prices and rates; your own total depends on how you use it. Facts checked September 26, 2026.
Also worth a look
Plum has minimum investment at £1, against £100 to £500 for Nutmeg and £500 for Vanguard Investor UK.
Plum reviewHow they place
| Ranking | Nutmeg | Vanguard Investor UK |
|---|---|---|
| Investing | 133 of 654 | 287 of 654 |
| Stock and ETF brokers | 94 of 358 | 209 of 358 |
| Robo-advisors | 33 of 154 | 89 of 154 |
| Stocks and shares ISAs | 5 of 25 | 13 of 25 |
| Pensions and SIPPs | 3 of 23 | 9 of 23 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Nutmeg | Vanguard Investor UK |
|---|---|---|
| Legal entity | J.P. Morgan Personal Investing Limited | Vanguard Asset Management |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom | Not confirmed |
| Founded | 2012 | 1975Lower |
| Support channels | Email, Chat, Phone, Help centreCovers more | Phone |
Brokers
| Fact | Nutmeg | Vanguard Investor UK |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | £500 | £500 |
| Stock trade fee | £0 | Not confirmed |
| Account fee | Not confirmed | £48 |
| Markets | ETFs, Funds, Stocks, BondsCovers more | ETFs, Funds |
| Features | Mobile app | Not confirmed |
| Pricing model | Commission free | Low fees |
| Audience | Not confirmed | Beginners |
| Deposit and withdrawal fees | no set-up, trading or exit fees | Not confirmed |
| Platforms | Web, Mobile app | Not confirmed |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Nutmeg | Vanguard Investor UK | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Management fee | 0.25% to 0.75%below the median | 0.2%below the median | 0.35 |
| Minimum investment | £100 to £500above the median | £500above the median | £50 |
Median across 86 listed providers.
Pros and cons
Nutmeg
Pros
- Trading adds £0, and set-up, trading and exit fees do not run on the account, so moving money in or out costs nothing extra.
- Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, with investor protection of FSCS up to GBP 85,000 behind the balance.
- Support runs on email, chat and phone, so help is available by phone and live chat as well as in writing.
Cons
- A £500 minimum deposit and a minimum investment of £100 to £500 put Nutmeg above Axos Invest, which lists $100.
- A quarter of robo-advisors charge 0% in management fees, so fees of 0.25% to 0.75% a year are not the lowest rate around.
- Account choice is limited to isa and sipp, with no general investment account in the range.
Vanguard Investor UK
Pros
- ISA, SIPP and JISA are all available, as isa, sipp and jisa shows, so one platform covers a pension, a junior account and a tax-free wrapper.
- Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, per Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), with Financial Services Compensation Scheme cover on investments.
- Portfolios are built from ETFs, as etf shows, keeping the range in etfs and funds narrow and focused on funds and ETFs.
Cons
- The account fee of £48 a year ranks 125 of 142 brands on that measure.
- The minimum deposit of £500 sits at 192 of 218 brands compared, which is a high bar for a small first payment.
- Support runs on phone only, so anyone who prefers written or live chat help has a single route.
Who each suits
Nutmeg
Who it suits
- UK beginners who want an ISA or SIPP opened without choosing individual investments.
- Savers who can fund a £500 deposit and hold the account for years rather than months.
- People happy to hand asset allocation to an algorithm across the etf, esg and cash range.
Who should look elsewhere
- eToro, which lists a management fee of 0%, if the annual charge is the number that decides it.
- Axos Invest, where a starting amount of $100 suits anyone below the £500 deposit Nutmeg asks for.
- Empower Personal Dashboard for savers who want 0% management fees rather than 0.25% to 0.75% a year.
Vanguard Investor UK
Who it suits
- Beginners who want a set-and-forget portfolio, matching the beginners focus in beginners.
- Savers who want a tax-free or pension wrapper, since ISA, SIPP and JISA sit in isa, sipp and jisa.
- Long-term investors who prefer broad funds and ETFs over single shares, per etfs and funds.
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone after an active trading platform with a very low entry point: CFI takes a minimum deposit of $0 and suits traders rather than fund buyers.
- People who want a plain cash account instead of an investment account: bunq opens from a minimum deposit of €10 with no portfolio to hold.
- Borrowers rather than investors: Fiesta Credito MX is supervised by CONDUSEF, as CONDUSEF shows, and serves Mexican credit needs.
Current offers
Nutmeg
Current offer
Bonus
Earn £100 when you invest £1,000: GBP 100 cash reward
Invest at least £1,000 in one payment into a General Investment Account, Stocks and Shares ISA, Lifetime ISA, Junior ISA or Personal Pension and keep it invested for at least 6 months; new contributions only, transfers excluded; reward paid as unallocated cash within 55 days; new clients only, cannot be combined with other new-client offers
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Country by country
| Country | Nutmeg | Vanguard Investor UK |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Yes | Yes |
Questions about each
Nutmeg
What does Nutmeg cost to run?+
The yearly cost is a management fee of 0.25% to 0.75% a year, taken from the account. Trading adds £0, and set-up, trading and exit fees do not run on the account, so moving money in or out costs nothing extra. That annual charge is the number to compare across robo-advisors.
How much do I need to open an account?+
The minimum deposit is £500, and once the account is open the minimum investment is £100 to £500. The deposit is the amount the account has to start with, while the investment range covers the size of a single contribution or holding. Contributions above the minimum can be added as the balance grows.
Vanguard Investor UK
What does Vanguard Investor UK charge?+
The platform takes a management fee of 0.2% on your holdings, plus an account fee of £48 for the ISA, SIPP and JISA accounts listed in isa, sipp and jisa. The total charge therefore works out as a percentage of what you hold plus a flat amount each year, which is easy to compare with flat-fee rivals.
Is my money protected at Vanguard Investor UK?+
Vanguard Investor UK is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, as Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) shows, which means it must follow UK rules on client money. Investor protection runs through the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, covering eligible claims up to the cap the provider states rather than the full value of a portfolio.
Other options to compare
Other matchups
Nutmeg
Vanguard Investor UK