Updated October 21, 2026 · SumCue Editorial Team
Plum vs Vanguard Investor UK
Plum
Higher score in this comparison
Vanguard Investor UK
What sets them apart
| Compare | PlumReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives | Vanguard Investor UKReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | £2Lower | £500 |
| Account fee | £0Lower | £48 |
| Markets | Stocks, ETFs, FundsCovers more | ETFs, Funds |
| Regulators | Financial Conduct Authority | Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) |
| Account types | ISA, SIPP, Lisa | ISA, SIPP, Jisa |
| Stock trade fee | £0 | Not confirmed |
| Platforms | Mobile app | Not confirmed |
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
- Plum scores higher overall: 8.9 vs 8.8.
- Regulators: only Plum offers Financial Conduct Authority.
- Regulators: only Vanguard Investor UK offers Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
- Founded is lower at Vanguard Investor UK: 1975 vs 2016.
- Minimum deposit is lower at Plum: £2 vs £500.
- Account fee is lower at Plum: £0 vs £48.
- Markets: only Plum offers Stocks.
- Account types: only Plum offers Lisa.
- Account types: only Vanguard Investor UK offers Jisa.
- Support channels: only Plum offers Email, Help centre.
Our verdict on each
Plum
Plum suits beginners in the UK who want to start small and pay nothing to deal, with a minimum deposit of £2. The trade-off is a short market list, confined to stocks, etfs and funds, and an overall score of 6.5 that leaves the case resting on price rather than choice.
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 | Plum | Vanguard Investor UK |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.3HigherCosts are the strongest suit: account fee £0, stock trade fee £0, management fee 0.15% to 0.6%. | 8.2Management fee of 0.2% against a site median of 0.35%, plus an account fee of £48. |
| Offer | 8.9Higher | 8.8 |
| Trust | 8.5 | 9.2Higher |
Pick Plum if, pick Vanguard Investor UK if
Pick Plum if cost, minimum deposit, account fee, and markets matter most.
Pick Vanguard Investor UK if trust matter most.
How they place
| Ranking | Plum | Vanguard Investor UK |
|---|---|---|
| Investing | 243 of 654 | 287 of 654 |
| Stock and ETF brokers | 176 of 358 | 209 of 358 |
| Robo-advisors | 68 of 154 | 89 of 154 |
| Stocks and shares ISAs | 9 of 25 | 13 of 25 |
| Pensions and SIPPs | 6 of 23 | 9 of 23 |
Sources behind this comparison
Plum
- withplum.com: 10 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- finextra.com: 3 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk: 2 facts, checked September 26, 2026
Vanguard Investor UK
- moneytothemasses.com: 7 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- vanguardinvestor.co.uk: 4 facts, checked September 26, 2026
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Plum | Vanguard Investor UK |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Fractional shares, Mobile app | Not confirmed |
| Pricing model | Commission free | Low fees |
| Audience | Beginners | Beginners |
| Legal entity | Plum Fintech Limited | Vanguard Asset Management |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom | Not confirmed |
| Founded | 2016 | 1975Lower |
| Support channels | Email, Help centre | Phone |
Savings
| Fact | Plum | Vanguard Investor UK |
|---|---|---|
| Headline rate | 3.05% to 3.65% | Not confirmed |
| Rate type | Variable | Not confirmed |
| Deposit protection | FSCS up to GBP 85,000 | Not confirmed |
| Access terms | Same day access, no lock-in, no notice period | Not confirmed |
| Monthly fee | £0 | Not confirmed |
| Account kind | Easy access | Not confirmed |
Robo-advisors
| Fact | Plum | Vanguard Investor UK |
|---|---|---|
| Management fee | 0.15% to 0.6%Lower | 0.2% |
| Minimum investment | £1Lower | £500 |
| Portfolio types | ETF, CashCovers more | ETF |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Plum | Vanguard Investor UK | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | £2below the median | £500highest quarter | £15 |
| Stock trade fee | £0at the median | Not confirmed | £0 |
| Account fee | £0at the median | £48highest quarter | £0 |
Median across 24 listed providers.
Pros and cons
Plum
Pros
- Fractional shares are offered, so £2 is enough to hold a slice of a company rather than whole shares.
- Eligible money is covered by the protection scheme, with the ceiling given as FSCS up to GBP 85,000.
- The account types cover isa, sipp and lisa, so investing, retirement saving and a home deposit pot sit with the same provider.
Cons
- Markets stop at stocks, etfs and funds, so there is no dealing in listed bonds, overseas currency or crypto through the account.
- Help runs on email and help centre only, so a stuck withdrawal or transfer has no phone route.
- Managed portfolios charge 0.15% to 0.6%, which takes a slice from every pot you hand over.
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
Plum
Who it suits
- Beginners in the UK who want to begin with £2 and see share dealing in plain terms.
- Investors building an ISA or pension habit on a phone, since access runs through Mobile app.
- Anyone happy with a market list of stocks, etfs and funds for a starter portfolio.
Who should look elsewhere
- eToro is the place to check if the market list here, stocks, etfs and funds, is too tight for what you want to trade.
- bunq if you are starting from a €10 minimum rather than buying shares.
- cfi if you want no minimum deposit, since its floor is $0 against £2 here.
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.
Country by country
| Country | Plum | Vanguard Investor UK |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Yes | Yes |
Questions about each
Plum
What does it cost to trade and hold with Plum?+
Dealing is commission-free and the stock trade fee is listed as £0. The account fee is £0 and the monthly subscription is £0, so holding an account costs nothing. Managed portfolios are the exception, charging 0.15% to 0.6% on the money you put into them. That covers the charging picture on the investment side.
Is my money protected if something goes wrong?+
Eligible investments sit under the protection scheme, and the stated ceiling is given as FSCS up to GBP 85,000. Cash held in the app is listed the same way under FSCS up to GBP 85,000. The figure is a limit rather than a promise of returns, and it applies to eligible money rather than to every balance on the account. Read the terms for the eligibility conditions before you rely on it.
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
Plum
Vanguard Investor UK