1. Home
  2. /
  3. ETrade vs Vanguard: Trading Platform Comparison 2023

ETrade vs Vanguard: Trading Platform Comparison 2023

Vanguard vs ETrade: Which Is Best For You?
Table of Contents

‘Vanguard vs ETrade’ should be termed as the debate of the month, all thanks to the popularity of both trading platforms.

The online trading platform Vanguard offers a full-service stock trading app but is best known for its wide selection of investment trusts. Undoubtedly the beginning of the modern age of online finance, ETRADE offers a streamlined, easy-to-use day trading app that allows investors to trade stocks, exchange-traded funds, futures and options.

Each product is aimed at two different types of investors. Here’s what you need to know about each feature, from pricing to features. Again, it is wise to work directly with a financial adviser who can provide more information about what to look for on the platform.

What is Vanguard?

What is Vanguard?

Vanguard is the world’s largest issuer of mutual funds and the second largest issuer of exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Vanguard founder John Bogle launched the first index fund to track the S & P 500 in 1975.

Low-fee index funds are a good investment for the majority of investors. Index funds allow investors to enter the market with a single, simple, and easy-to-trad investment vehicle. Vanguard funds are known to have the lowest cost ratio in the industry. In this way, investors can save fees and increase profits.

What is ETRADE?

What is ETRADE?

ETRADE is a pioneer in online retail trading and is now part of Morgan Stanley, one of the world’s leading financial services companies known for its wealth management, investment advice, research and quality of market insights.

ETRADE was one of the first online brokers in the United States. In October 2019, we joined the list of online brokers that have transitioned to fee-free trading of equities, ETFs and options.

Born in the early ’80s when physicists and inventors developed a way to do retail online. This was the first online transaction sent to the exchange, paving the way for all prominent street investors to manage their investments online without the need for a human broker.

Today, ETRADE specialises in providing a premium experience for digitally savvy investors and traders.

Vanguard vs ETrade: Trading Experience

The most crucial factor of knowing who will win the battle Vanguard vs ETrade is to look out for its trading environment.

Vanguard provides a real trading experience, and most of its technology focuses on retirement analysis, long-term investments and investment trusts. E-Trade provides a more robust trading experience on a fluid platform from websites to desktops and mobile apps. There are plenty of streaming options, customisable feeds, and analysis tools to help you make the right decisions. In addition, E Trade’s desktop and mobile apps make it easy to enter orders.

You can use E-Trade to trade stocks, bonds, ETFs, derivatives, mutual funds and futures. You can also access E-Trade IPOs that are not available on ETRADE.

Vanguard is Forex Trading, and all severance pay accounts are available for both. Vanguard has a slightly better post-tax ROI than E-Trade. E-Trade has more trading options and better trading execution.

Vanguard vs ETrade: Mobile Platform and New Technology

Vanguard vs ETrade: Mobile Platform and New Technology

Both brokers offer investors some of the best mobile apps, but E-Trade has updated the app several times over the years to add tools and stream real-time data. In addition, E-Trade offers two platforms so that you can do even more. The first is called Power ETrade and is modelled on a desktop platform.

You can set up watchlists, market indexes, Level II lists, and option chain contracts. You can also trade futures contracts on mobile, which Vanguard’s mobile app does not have at all. The second E-Trade mobile app gives you access to customisable charts that appear horizontally, making it easy to see streaming prices for Bloomberg’s business news. You can set the chart to appear automatically in the E-Trade mobile app.

Vanguard’s mobile app aims to review portfolios and make simple transactions without streaming quotes or real-time data. For example, you cannot create a watchlist, but you can deposit by mobile check. There are no teaching materials, but you can download the bank statement as a PDF.

Vanguard vs ETrade: Education, Research, News, and Stock Trends Compared

Vanguard gives you access to more tools for retirement planning and long-term investments. Through Vanguard Personal Advisor Services, investors have access to additional goal planning resources such as how-to articles, computers, retirement cost planning, and long-term forecasts.

By comparison, E-Trade offers Vanguard Personal Advisor Services, but it’s not as robust to retirement plans as Vanguard. For example, a portfolio cannot be split into different goals. Instead, the E-Trade core portfolio allows you to assess risk using a variety of tools that provide more insight than Vanguard calculators. In addition to retirement planning, ETrade offers other educational resources such as streaming news, fundamental analysis and metrics, technical analysis tools, charts, reports and complex option strategies.

These strategies can be tested via the Power ETrade desktop platform. These tools are easy to use and contain updated real-time information not available in Vanguard.

Some stock and ETF screeners are available at Vanguard, but options are limited to option chains only. These tools also do not use real-time data, so some information may be out of date compared to other online brokers. In addition, ETrade is known for offering additional training courses to assist beginners and advanced traders. Through courses that Vanguard is not currently offering on its website, you can learn different ways and start active trading.

ABInvesting is a trading app that helps you stay ahead of the game by taking advantage of trading opportunities as they emerge. Trade from whichever device is most relevant at the time: Phones and tablets powered by iOS or Android, as well as PCs and web browsers.

Vanguard vs ETrade: Mutual Funds and Retirement

Vanguard vs ETrade: Mutual Funds and Retirement

ETrade may not be able to catch up with Vanguard, known as the King of Retirement Savings, with access to over 16,000 investment trusts.

ETrade offers 4,400 transaction fee-free investment trusts. Funds not on the fee-free list will cost $ 19.99 per transaction.

E-Trade also features featured mutual funds in its regularly updated All-Star Funds Report. However, E Trade’s retirement tools are not very robust.

Vanguard vs ETrade: Safety and Security

Vanguard vs ETrade: Safety and Security

ETrade provides up-to-date security coverage for online, desktop and mobile apps. Security queries and two-factor authentication block fraudulent attempts. Additional third-party coverage is available to cover costs resulting from account abuse.

ETrade’s complete protection guarantee covers all fraudulent use of your customer accounts and allows you to add more security software at a higher account level.

Vanguard offers some insurance and security challenges, but it feels almost outdated when compared to E Trade’s secure login. We have already mentioned that both brokers are regulated by the SEC and FINRA. In addition, both Vanguard and E-Trade are SIPC investor protection schemes that protect consumers from cash and securities losses in the event of a broker’s bankruptcy. The SIPC protection limit is $ 500,000, including a $ 250,000 cash limit.

Yes, these brokers are considered safe because they have a long track record and are overseen by leading financial authorities.

Vanguard vs ETrade: Customer Support

Vanguard vs ETrade: Customer Support

If you have a higher-level account with Vanguard, you’ll receive more attention and support from a dedicated account manager in some cases. However, regular phone support is only offered Monday through Friday, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM during trading hours.

In contrast, ETRADE has improved its customer support and online service options in the past year. However, customers with larger accounts still receive more help and priority service, as well as dedicated asset management.

Investing with ABInvesting offers you a considerable advantage: quick registration, instant access to 10.000 markets, continuous bid control, and complete market tracking. If you’re a trader seeking lightning-fast market performance, ABInvesting has the experience you’re looking for.

Vanguard vs ETrade: Trading Cost & Fees

Vanguard vs ETrade: Trading Cost & Fees

With no account balance requirements, stock and ETF fees, and investment trusts with no transaction fees over 4,400, ETrade is a successful low-cost discount broker for self-investing accounts. If you are an options trader, you do not have to pay $ 0.65 per contract in addition to the basic fees. This is reduced for large numbers of traders.

E-Trade charges only include a $ 75 full transfer fee or a $ 25 partial transfer fee. You can trade stocks, bonds, investment trusts, ETFs, options and futures. All of these tools are free to use and have no step-by-step support. You can always see current promotions that may include caching with eligible deposits on the E-Trade website.

Vanguard is still quite outdated when it comes to pricing and costs. This is mainly because brokerage includes long-term investments and severance pay accounts. As a result, traders are required to pay $ 7 for trading stocks and ETFs. The basic options are $ 7 and $ 1 per contract. These costs increase for account balances of less than $ 50,000. However, if your account balance exceeds $ 500,000, the investor will not pay too much, and the fee per transaction will drop to $ 2.

Vanguard vs ETrade: Services and Features

Both ETrade and Vanguard are full-service brokers. This means that almost all popular assets, technical indicators, and transaction data are available on both platforms.

Vanguard offers a wide range of investments, from investment trusts to stocks and CDs. However, the range of investment funds is huge and very cheap. Vanguard’s average trust cost is 83% below the industry average. For example, Vanguard’s Total Stock Market Index Admiral Shares fund has an expense ratio of 0.04%, also known as the operating expense ratio. So an investment of $ 100,000 costs only $ 40 a year.

E-TRADE provides users with a free screener to find companies that fit portfolios, real-time streaming market data, interactive charts and stock quote pages. E TRADE users also have access to Options House, a powerful platform for trading options and other securities. In addition to stocks, E-TRADE clients can also trade bonds and options. In addition, E TRADE provides access to ETFs and investment funds. Many of these funds charge a fee for buying and selling, but ETRADE offers hundreds of fee-free funds.

Both E TRADE and Vanguard have research reports to help investors make informed decisions. Vanguard offers surveys from Thomson Reuters, First Call, and Standard & Poor’s. E-TRADE offers surveys from S & P Capital IQ, Thomson Reuters, and Morningstar.

Vanguard vs ETrade: Online Mobile Experience

Vanguard vs ETrade: Online Mobile Experience

Two business people in one office, Vanguard’s mobile app gives clients access to all their accounts, allowing them to see balances, investment results, transaction history, prices, earnings and more. Users can also use the device’s camera to buy, sell, exchange investments, or deposit checks directly into their accounts.

The Vanguard mobile app also includes educational features to help users learn more about the market, keep financial news up to date and improve their investment skills.

The ETrade mobile app allows clients to view balances, investment results, transaction history, prices, earnings and more. You can also buy, sell, or trade your investment and deposit your check directly into your account using your device’s camera.

Vanguard vs ETrade: Who Should Use It?

Vanguard is the best choice for investors who are ready to construct an investment portfolio and can contribute at least $500 per month to their investments regularly. Vanguard, in other words, is suited for a long-term, buy-and-hold investor who will not trade regularly. For frequent traders, ETRADE is the ideal option.

Its mobile app and trading platform, OptionsHouse, are primarily aimed at active traders. However, it can also benefit newcomers by allowing them to purchase commission-free ETFs and mutual funds.

Vanguard vs ETrade: Which Is Better?

Vanguard and ETrade are difficult to compare due to their utterly different investment approaches. However, when it comes to retirement planning and long-term investment, Vanguard provides solid investment tools and post-retirement goal setting.

However, almost everything else is inadequate. Due to the lack of educational resources, tools and risk analysis within the Vanguard platform, ETrade is renowned for offering more free tools and educational courses to investors.

If you’re a do-it-yourself investor or a beginner who wants to be more proactive about stocks and ETFs, E-Trade may be a better choice. Vanguard’s lack of streaming quotes and real-time data is not satisfying and frustrates most investors. In addition, E-Trade is more cost-effective and makes it easy to set up transactions online or on mobile.

Conclusion

That’s all in our detailed analysis of Vanguard vs ETrade debate. No matter which platform you choose, every investment should start with a well-thought-out financial plan and a reasonable investment strategy. In either area, you should consult your financial adviser for professional help.

Despite being popular trading platforms, both Vanguard and ETrade lacks at some points, such as educational resources, fee structure, security, etc. If these factors are your primary concerns, switching to a better option like Capitalix is a good idea. The broker offers great trading conditions with over 200 assets to trade in. Other features include rich educational material, top-class security, demo account and round-the-clock customer support.

FAQs

ETRADE or Vanguard: Which Is Better For Beginners?

E TRADE is better for beginners than Vanguard. E TRADE provides investors with access to paper trading, video and educational resources.

What About ETRADE vs Vanguard Fees?

E TRADE and Vanguard have equal fees for trading stocks, which are $ 0 per trade. For options trading, both E TRADE and Vanguard charge the same base charge of $ 0. However, e TRADE’s rate per contract is $ 0.65, which is lower than Vanguard’s $ 1.00. For a complete summary of fees, see our guide to the best discount brokers.

ETRADE or Vanguard: Who Offer More Comprehensive Range of Investment Iptions?

E TRADE offers more investment options than Vanguard. Vanguard provides clients with access to 10,000 different mutual funds, while ETrade has 7,242 available funds, a difference of 2,758.

Which Trading Platform Is Better: ETRADE vs Vanguard?

We tested each broker’s trading tools, research capabilities and mobile apps to compare E TRADE and Vanguard trading platforms. For trading tools, E TRADE offers a better experience. In addition, e TRADE provides excellent market research through research. Finally, we discovered that E TRADE offers a better mobile trading app.

Does Either Broker Offer Banking?

Online banking can be beneficial to investors, and some brokers provide banking services to their clients. For example, ETrade customers can use check accounts, savings accounts, debit cards, credit cards, and mortgages, but Vanguard customers can’t.

Is Vanguard same as Etrade?

Vanguard and ETrade are two different trading platforms with few same services.

Does Etrade have Vanguard funds?

Vanguard maintains multiple agreements with firms such as TD Ameritrade, E-Trade, and Interactive Brokers.

Is Etrade better than Vanguard?

Yes, Etrade is somewhat better than Vanguard as it provides extensive and rich educational & research resources.

Can I buy Vanguard through Etrade?

Yes, you can buy Vanguard mutual funds through Etrade.

Can I buy fractional shares on vanguard?

Yes, you can buy fractional shares on Vanguard. Vanguard allows investors to purchase fractional shares of many of its ETFs and mutual funds through a brokerage account with Vanguard. Some funds may not be eligible for fractional share purchases, and there may be minimum investment requirements for certain funds.

Get a Callback

A trusted broker will contact you today.

Trading View

Top Brokers

Latest Articles