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Written by StockBrokers.com
January 31, 2024
Is Vanguard better than TD Ameritrade? After testing 18 of the best online brokers, our analysis finds that Vanguard (80.3%) is better than TD Ameritrade (N/A). Vanguard is aimed squarely at buy-and-hold investors, and its platform reflects that focus. Vanguard is known for its low-cost funds, and the investment platform is really built for those looking to invest solely in mutual funds and ETFs.
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- check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxAlly Invest
- check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCharles Schwab
- check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCiti Self Invest
- check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxE*TRADE
- check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxeToro
- check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFidelity
- check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFirstrade
- check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxInteractive Brokers
- check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxJ.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing
- check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxMerrill Edge
- check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxPublic.com
- check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxRobinhood
- check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxSoFi Invest
- check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxtastytrade
- check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTD Ameritrade
- check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTradeStation
- check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTradier
- check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxVanguard
- check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxWebull
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Overall Rating | Vanguard | TD Ameritrade | |
---|---|---|---|
Overall | |||
Commissions & Fees | |||
Investment Options | |||
Platforms & Tools | |||
Mobile Trading Apps | |||
Research | |||
Customer Service | |||
Education | |||
Ease Of Use | |||
Winner | check_circle | ||
Review | Vanguard Review | TD Ameritrade Review |
Broker Screenshots | Vanguard | TD Ameritrade | |
---|---|---|---|
Trading Platform & Tools Gallery (click to expand) | |||
Research Gallery (click to expand) | |||
Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand) | |||
Education Gallery (click to expand) |
|
Trading Fees | Vanguard | TD Ameritrade | |
---|---|---|---|
Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
Penny Stock Fees (OTC)info | $0.00 | $6.95 | |
Mutual Fund Trade Fee | Varies | Varies | |
Options (Per Contract) | $1.00 | $0.65 | |
Futures (Per Contract) | (Not offered) | $2.25 | |
Broker Assisted Trade Fee | $25 | $25 |
Margin Rates | Vanguard | TD Ameritrade | |
---|---|---|---|
Margin Rate Under $25,000 | 13.75% info | 14.75% info | |
Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 | 13.25% | 14.25% | |
Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 | 12.75% | 13.25% | |
Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 | 12.25% | 13% | |
Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 | 11.75% | 12.75% | |
Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 | 10.5% | Varies info | |
Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 | Varies info | Varies info |
Account Fees | Vanguard | TD Ameritrade | |
---|---|---|---|
IRA Annual Fee | $20.00 | $0.00 | |
IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
Account Transfer Out (Partial)info | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
Account Transfer Out (Full)info | $0.00 | $75.00 | |
Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Investment Options | Vanguard | TD Ameritrade | |
---|---|---|---|
Stock Tradinginfo | Yes | Yes | |
Margin Trading | Yes | Yes | |
Fractional Sharesinfo | No | No | |
OTC Stocksinfo | Yes | Yes | |
Options Tradinginfo | Yes | Yes | |
Complex Options Max Legsinfo | 4 | 4 | |
Futures Tradinginfo | No | Yes | |
Forex Tradinginfo | No | Yes | |
Crypto Tradinginfo | No | No | |
Crypto Trading - Total Coinsinfo | 0 | 0 | |
Mutual Funds (No Load)info | N/A | 3698 | |
Mutual Funds (Total)info | N/A | 5876 | |
Bonds (US Treasury)info | Yes | Yes | |
Bonds (Corporate)info | Yes | Yes | |
Bonds (Municipal)info | Yes | Yes | |
Traditional IRAsinfo | Yes | No | |
Roth IRAsinfo | Yes | No | |
Advisor Servicesinfo | Yes | Yes | |
International Countries (Stocks)info | 0 | 0 |
Order Types | Vanguard | TD Ameritrade | |
---|---|---|---|
Order Type - Marketinfo | Yes | Yes | |
Order Type - Limitinfo | Yes | Yes | |
Order Type - After Hoursinfo | Yes | Yes | |
Order Type - Stopinfo | Yes | Yes | |
Order Type - Trailing Stopinfo | No | Yes | |
Order Type - OCOinfo | No | Yes | |
Order Type - OTOinfo | No | Yes | |
Order Type - Broker Assistedinfo | Yes | Yes |
Beginners | Vanguard | TD Ameritrade | |
---|---|---|---|
Education (Stocks)info | Yes | Yes | |
Education (ETFs)info | No | Yes | |
Education (Options)info | No | Yes | |
Education (Mutual Funds)info | No | Yes | |
Education (Bonds)info | No | Yes | |
Education (Retirement)info | Yes | Yes | |
Retirement Calculatorinfo | Yes | Yes | |
Investor Dictionaryinfo | No | Yes | |
Paper Tradinginfo | No | Yes | |
Videosinfo | Yes | Yes | |
Webinarsinfo | No | Yes | |
Webinars (Archived)info | No | Yes | |
Progress Trackinginfo | No | Yes | |
Interactive Learning - Quizzesinfo | No | Yes |
Stock Trading Apps | Vanguard | TD Ameritrade | |
---|---|---|---|
iPhone Appinfo | Yes | Yes | |
Android Appinfo | Yes | Yes | |
Apple Watch Appinfo | No | Yes | |
Trading - Stocksinfo | Yes | Yes | |
Trading - After-Hoursinfo | No | Yes | |
Trading - Simple Optionsinfo | No | Yes | |
Trading - Complex Optionsinfo | No | Yes | |
Order Ticket RT Quotesinfo | Yes | Yes | |
Order Ticket SRT Quotesinfo | No | Yes |
Stock App Features | Vanguard | TD Ameritrade | |
---|---|---|---|
Market Movers (Top Gainers)info | No | Yes | |
Stream Live TVinfo | No | Yes | |
Videos on Demandinfo | No | Yes | |
Stock Alertsinfo | No | Yes | |
Option Chains Viewableinfo | No | Yes | |
Watch List (Real-time)info | No | Yes | |
Watch List (Streaming)info | No | Yes | |
Watch Lists - Create & Manageinfo | No | Yes | |
Watch Lists - Column Customizationinfo | No | Yes | |
Watch Lists - Total Fieldsinfo | 9 | 514 |
Stock App Charting | Vanguard | TD Ameritrade | |
---|---|---|---|
Charting - After-Hoursinfo | No | Yes | |
Charting - Can Turn Horizontallyinfo | No | Yes | |
Charting - Multiple Time Framesinfo | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Technical Studiesinfo | 0 | 400 | |
Charting - Study Customizationsinfo | No | Yes | |
Charting - Stock Comparisonsinfo | No | Yes |
Trading Platforms | Vanguard | TD Ameritrade | |
---|---|---|---|
Active Trading Platforminfo | N/A | thinkorswim | |
Desktop Trading Platforminfo | No | Yes | |
Desktop Platform (Mac)info | No | Yes | |
Web Trading Platforminfo | Yes | Yes | |
Paper Tradinginfo | No | Yes | |
Trade Journalinfo | No | Yes | |
Watch Lists - Total Fieldsinfo | 9 | 514 |
Stock Chart Features | Vanguard | TD Ameritrade | |
---|---|---|---|
Charting - Adjust Trades on Chartinfo | No | Yes | |
Charting - Indicators / Studiesinfo | 9 | 429 | |
Charting - Drawing Toolsinfo | 0 | 24 | |
Charting - Notesinfo | No | Yes | |
Charting - Index Overlaysinfo | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Historical Tradesinfo | No | Yes | |
Charting - Corporate Eventsinfo | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Custom Date Rangeinfo | No | Yes | |
Charting - Custom Time Barsinfo | No | Yes | |
Charting - Automated Analysisinfo | No | Yes | |
Charting - Save Profilesinfo | No | Yes | |
Trade Ideas - Technical Analysisinfo | No | Yes | |
Charting - Study Customizationsinfo | 1 | 9 | |
Charting - Custom Studiesinfo | No | Yes |
Day Trading | Vanguard | TD Ameritrade | |
---|---|---|---|
Streaming Time & Salesinfo | No | Yes | |
Streaming TVinfo | No | Yes | |
Direct Market Routing - Stocksinfo | No | Yes | |
Ladder Tradinginfo | No | Yes | |
Trade Hot Keysinfo | No | Yes | |
Level 2 Quotes - Stocksinfo | No | Yes | |
Trade Ideas - Backtestinginfo | No | Yes | |
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Advinfo | No | Yes | |
Short Locatorinfo | No | No | |
Order Liquidity Rebatesinfo | No | No |
Research Overview | Vanguard | TD Ameritrade | |
---|---|---|---|
Research - Stocksinfo | Yes | Yes | |
Research - ETFsinfo | Yes | Yes | |
Research - Mutual Fundsinfo | Yes | Yes | |
Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBBinfo | Yes | Yes | |
Research - Bondsinfo | Yes | Yes | |
Screener - Stocksinfo | Yes | Yes | |
Screener - ETFsinfo | Yes | Yes | |
Screener - Mutual Fundsinfo | Yes | Yes | |
Screener - Bondsinfo | Yes | Yes | |
Misc - Portfolio Allocationinfo | Yes | Yes |
Stock Research | Vanguard | TD Ameritrade | |
---|---|---|---|
Stock Research - PDF Reportsinfo | 2 | 6 | |
Stock Research - Earningsinfo | Yes | Yes | |
Stock Research - Insidersinfo | No | Yes | |
Stock Research - Socialinfo | No | Yes | |
Stock Research - Newsinfo | Yes | Yes | |
Stock Research - ESGinfo | No | No | |
Stock Research - SEC Filingsinfo | No | Yes |
ETF Research | Vanguard | TD Ameritrade | |
---|---|---|---|
ETFs - Strategy Overviewinfo | No | Yes | |
ETF Fund Facts - Inception Dateinfo | No | Yes | |
ETF Fund Facts - Expense Ratioinfo | No | Yes | |
ETF Fund Facts - Net Assetsinfo | No | Yes | |
ETF Fund Facts - Total Holdingsinfo | No | No | |
ETFs - Top 10 Holdingsinfo | No | Yes | |
ETFs - Sector Exposureinfo | No | Yes | |
ETFs - Risk Analysisinfo | No | Yes | |
ETFs - Ratingsinfo | No | Yes | |
ETFs - Morningstar StyleMapinfo | No | Yes | |
ETFs - PDF Reportsinfo | No | Yes |
Mutual Fund Research | Vanguard | TD Ameritrade | |
---|---|---|---|
Mutual Funds - Strategy Overviewinfo | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - Performance Chartinfo | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - Performance Analysisinfo | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - Prospectusinfo | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - 3rd Party Ratingsinfo | No | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdowninfo | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdingsinfo | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - Asset Allocationinfo | No | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - Sector Allocationinfo | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - Country Allocationinfo | No | No | |
Mutual Funds - StyleMapinfo | Yes | Yes |
Options Trading | Vanguard | TD Ameritrade | |
---|---|---|---|
Option Chains - Basic Viewinfo | Yes | Yes | |
Option Chains - Strategy Viewinfo | No | Yes | |
Option Chains - Streaminginfo | No | Yes | |
Option Chains - Total Columnsinfo | 9 | 35 | |
Option Chains - Greeksinfo | 0 | 5 | |
Option Chains - Quick Analysisinfo | No | Yes | |
Option Analysis - P&L Chartsinfo | No | Yes | |
Option Probability Analysisinfo | No | Yes | |
Option Probability Analysis Advinfo | No | Yes | |
Option Positions - Greeksinfo | No | Yes | |
Option Positions - Greeks Streaminginfo | No | Yes | |
Option Positions - Adv Analysisinfo | No | Yes | |
Option Positions - Rollinginfo | No | Yes | |
Option Positions - Groupinginfo | No | Yes |
Banking | Vanguard | TD Ameritrade | |
---|---|---|---|
Bank (Member FDIC)info | No | No | |
Checking Accountsinfo | No | Yes | |
Savings Accountsinfo | No | No | |
Credit Cardsinfo | No | Yes | |
Debit Cardsinfo | No | Yes | |
Mortgage Loansinfo | No | No |
Customer Service | Vanguard | TD Ameritrade | |
---|---|---|---|
Phone Support (Prospect Customers)info | Yes | Yes | |
Phone Support (Current Customers)info | Yes | Yes | |
Email Supportinfo | Yes | Yes | |
Live Chat (Prospect Customers)info | No | Yes | |
Live Chat (Current Customers)info | No | Yes | |
24/7 Supportinfo | No | Yes |
Overall | Vanguard | TD Ameritrade | |
---|---|---|---|
Overall | |||
Commissions & Fees | |||
Investment Options | |||
Platforms & Tools | |||
Mobile Trading Apps | |||
Research | |||
Education | |||
Ease Of Use | |||
Winner | check_circle | ||
Review | Vanguard Review | TD Ameritrade Review |
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Vanguard vs TD Ameritrade Comparison
Comparing brokers side by side is no easy task. We spend hundreds of hours each year testing the platforms, mobile apps, trading tools and general ease of use among online brokerages, as well as comparing commissions and fees, to find the best online broker.
Though many U.S. brokers offer basic trading features, such as an app, charting tools, stock research and educational content, the depth of those features can vary widely. Let's compare Vanguard vs TD Ameritrade.
Is Vanguard or TD Ameritrade better for beginners?
In stock trading, the more you know, the better you’ll do. Taking advantage of resources like articles, webinars, videos and interactive elements is a great way to shorten the learning curve. In our analysis, we examine the availability of several different types of educational materials.
For 2024, our review finds that Vanguard offers more comprehensive new investor education for beginning investors than TD Ameritrade. Vanguard offers investors access to Videos, Education (Stocks) and Education (Retirement), while TD Ameritrade offers investors access to Paper Trading, Videos, Education (Stocks), Education (ETFs), Education (Options), Education (Mutual Funds), Education (Bonds) and Education (Retirement).
What about Vanguard vs TD Ameritrade pricing?
Vanguard and TD Ameritrade charge the same amount for regular stock trades, $0.00. Option contracts are pricier at Vanguard, costing $1.00 per contract versus $0.65 per contract at TD Ameritrade. For futures, TD Ameritrade charges $2.25 per contract and Vanguard charges (Not offered) per contract. For a deeper dive, see our best brokers for free stock trading or options trading guides
Does Vanguard or TD Ameritrade offer a wider range of investment options?
Looking at a full range of investment options, including order types and international trading, our research has found that Vanguard offers a more comprehensive offering than TD Ameritrade. Vanguard ranks #9 out of 18 brokers for our Investment Options category, while TD Ameritrade ranks #N/A.
Vanguard offers investors access to Stock Trading, Options Trading, OTC Stocks, Mutual Funds and Advisor Services, while TD Ameritrade offers investors access to Stock Trading, Options Trading, OTC Stocks, Mutual Funds, Futures Trading, Forex Trading and Advisor Services. Neither have Fractional Shares Looking at Mutual Funds, Vanguard trails TD Ameritrade in its offering of no transaction fee (NTF) mutual funds, with TD Ameritrade offering 3610 and Vanguard offering .
Do Vanguard and TD Ameritrade offer cryptocurrency?
In our analysis of top U.S. brokerages, we research whether each broker offers the ability to trade cash cryptocurrency, such as bitcoin and ethereum. Though crypto has risen steadily in popularity, availability still varies from broker to broker. Our review finds that neither Vanguard and TD Ameritrade offer crypto trading.
Which trading platform is better: Vanguard or TD Ameritrade?
To compare the day trading platforms of Vanguard and TD Ameritrade, we focused on trading tools and functionality across both web and desktop-based platforms. Popular day trading platform tools include streaming real-time quotes, stock alerts, trading hotkeys, direct market routing, streaming time and sales, customizable watch lists, backtesting, and fully functional charting packages, among many others. For day trading, Vanguard offers a better experience.
Does Vanguard or TD Ameritrade offer a better stock trading app?
After testing 25 features across the stock trading apps of Vanguard and TD Ameritrade, we found Vanguard to be better overall. The best stock market apps are easy to use, have excellent design, and deliver a fully featured online trading experience. Vanguard ranks #18 out of 18 brokers, while TD Ameritrade ranks #N/A.
Vanguard Trading App Gallery
TD Ameritrade Trading App Gallery
Which broker is better for researching stocks?
For research, Vanguard offers superior market research than TD Ameritrade. Vanguard ranks #9 and TD Ameritrade ranks #N/A.
Over the years, we've found that the best brokers provide rich market commentary, a variety of third-party research reports, and thorough quote screens that are not just easy to navigate, but that also include a comprehensive selection of fundamental data. Robust stock, ETFs, and mutual fund screeners are also must-haves for trade idea generation.
How do Vanguard and TD Ameritrade compare in terms of minimum deposit required?
Vanguard requires a minimum deposit of $0.00, while TD Ameritrade requires a minimum deposit of $0.00. From our testing, we found that SoFi is the only broker that requires a minimum deposit.
Which broker offers better margin rates for accounts under $25,000?
Vanguard charges 13.75% for accounts under $25,000 while TD Ameritrade charges a margin rate of 14.75%. The industry average of the 18 brokers we track is 9%.
Does Vanguard offer fractional shares? Does TD Ameritrade?
Fractional shares are not offered by either broker. Our research has found that 43% of brokers offer fractional shares investing. Fractional shares allow traders to buy a part of a whole share of stock. For example, if Amazon is trading at $1,000, you could buy half a share for $500.
Can you trade penny stocks with Vanguard or TD Ameritrade?
Both Vanguard and TD Ameritrade allow you to trade penny stocks. Vanguard charges $0.00 per trade while TD Ameritrade charges $6.95. Penny stocks are companies whose shares trade for under $5 and are listed over the counter (OTC). For brokers that do offer penny stock trades, the average commission is $3.
Does either broker offer banking?
Online banking can be a benefit for investors, and some brokerages do provide banking services to customers. neither of these are offered by Vanguard while TD Ameritrade offers Checking Accounts, Debit Cards and Credit Cards. Neither have Savings Accounts and Mortgage Loans.
Which broker offers stronger customer service?
StockBrokers.com partners with customer experience research group Confero to conduct phone tests from locations across the United States to thoroughly evaluate the quality and speed of brokerage customer service. (Read more about How We Test.) Here are the results of our current testing.
Vanguard was rated 6th out of 13 brokers, with an overall score of 8.33 out of 10.
TD Ameritrade was rated 1st out of 14 brokers, with an overall score of 9.3 out of 10.
Is Vanguard good?
Vanguard is aimed squarely at buy-and-hold investors, and its platform reflects that focus. Vanguard is known for its low-cost funds, and the investment platform is really built for those looking to invest solely in mutual funds and ETFs.
Is TD Ameritrade good?
TD Ameritrade delivers $0 trades, fantastic trading platforms, excellent market research, industry-leading education for beginners and reliable customer service, making it one of our top overall brokers in 2023. Note, however, that TD Ameritrade was acquired in 2020 by Charles Schwab and TD Ameritrade client accounts are currently being migrated in batches to Schwab, which has retained the standout thinkorswim platform.
In the 2023 StockBrokers.com Annual Review, TD Ameritrade was rated No. 1 for Platforms & Tools, Mobile Trading Apps, Ease of Use, Beginners, and Customer Service. It also ranked among Best in Class for Commissions & Fees, Research, Investment Options, Education, Active Trading and Overall. TD Ameritrade also won two StockBrokers.com Industry Awards: No. 1 for Phone Support and Trader App.
Vanguard vs TD Ameritrade Winner
Overall winner: Vanguard
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