Vanguard vs. Fidelity: 2025 Comparison
Vanguard and Fidelity are both retirement powerhouses, but Fidelity offers a more well-rounded platform that also caters to active traders.
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If you’re on the hunt for a new brokerage account, the two biggest names in the field — Vanguard and Fidelity — might come to mind first.
You might be curious, as we were, about how these two stack up side by side. We’ve put Vanguard and Fidelity in a head-to-head battle to help you decide who should win your money.
There’s one thing to get clear right upfront. Both Vanguard and Fidelity are retirement powerhouses — their proprietary mutual funds line many 401(k)s, and Fidelity is a leading 401(k) record-keeper. (View our list of the best IRA accounts.)
But Fidelity also caters to active traders, with robust trading platforms and tools. Vanguard, not so much: The company doesn’t offer a trading platform. So some people may be able to quit this comparison right here: Are you an active stock or options trader? Fidelity is your answer.
» See our roundup of the best brokers for stock trading
The tension between these two starts for those investors who are looking to compare mutual funds, fees, account minimums and investment offerings. For that, read below.
Side note: Both Vanguard and Fidelity offer robo-advisor services, but we're focusing on their self-directed brokerage accounts here. To learn more about the robo-advisors, read our reviews of Fidelity Go and Vanguard Digital Advisor.
Nerdy Perspective
I've had an IRA through Vanguard and a 401(k) through Fidelity for many years, and both institutions make it perfectly easy to set it and forget it, which is the point of these types of accounts. The one thing I would have done differently is chosen one or the other for all my retirement accounts. And I really love how well Fidelity combines all of its different account types, from workplace retirement plans to taxable brokerage accounts, into a single app. Fidelity definitely has the edge over Vanguard in the app user experience arena, but it's not quite enough of an incentive for me to transfer my IRA over to Fidelity (at this time, at least).
Fidelity is best for:
Frequent traders.
Beginner investors.
Research and data.
Retirement planning assistance.
Fidelity at a glance
Account minimum | $0 |
Stock trading costs | $0 |
Options trades | $0.65 per contract |
Account fees (annual, transfer, closing, inactivity) | Annual fee: $0 Inactivity fee: $0 Outgoing transfer fee: $0 |
Interest rate on uninvested cash | Over 4%. |
Number of no-transaction-fee mutual funds | Over 3,300 |
Tradable securities | Stocks, mutual funds, ETFs, options, bonds and fixed income, precious metals, crypto |
Trading platform | Three: Fidelity.com, mobile app, Active Trader Pro |
Mobile app | Available for iOS and Android |
Research and data | Several data providers, including Argus, Zacks, CFRA and S&P Global |
Customer support options (includes how easy it is to find key details on the website) | 24/7. Hours vary by contact method, but you can get help via phone, email, chat, over social media or at a physical branch. |
Vanguard is best for:
Long-term or retirement investors.
Those who prefer low-cost investments.
Index fund and ETF investors.
Vanguard at a glance
Account minimum | $0; however some fund minimums are as high as $1,000 |
Stock trading costs | $0 |
Options trades | $1 per contract |
Account fees (annual, transfer, closing, inactivity) | Annual fee: $25 Inactivity fee: $0 Outgoing transfer fee (partial): $0 Outgoing transfer fee (full): $100 |
Interest rate on uninvested cash | Over 4% |
Number of no-transaction-fee mutual funds | Over 3,600 |
Tradable securities | Stocks, mutual funds, ETFs, options, bonds, CDs |
Trading platform | Two: Website and mobile app |
Mobile app | Available for iOS and Android |
Research and data | Two: Argus and Market Grader |
Customer support options (includes how easy it is to find key details on the website) | Phone support Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern; email support |
NerdWallet rating 4.8 /5 | NerdWallet rating 4.6 /5 | NerdWallet rating 4.5 /5 |
Fees $0 per online equity trade | Fees $0 | Fees $0 per trade |
Account minimum $0 | Account minimum $0 | Account minimum $0 |
Promotion None no promotion available at this time | Promotion Earn up to $10,000 when you transfer your investment portfolio to Public. | Promotion Get up to $700 when you open and fund a J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing account with qualifying new money. |
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