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Vanguard

Investing for your future

As of 30 August 2026, Vanguard's pricing is not published; the vendor quotes on request. Vanguard is a leading investment company known for low-cost index funds and investor-friendly principles. Softwr lists it under Personal Finance. Vanguard is made by Vanguard Group, launched in 1975, available on Web, iOS, Android.

Overview

What Vanguard does

Vanguard is a leading investment company known for low-cost index funds and investor-friendly principles. Offers brokerage, retirement, and advisory services.

What people use it for

  • Holding low cost index mutual funds and ETFs for long term investing
  • Running IRAs and taxable brokerage accounts
  • Employer retirement plan participation

The honest half

Where it falls short

Concrete and checkable, so you can decide whether any of them matter to you. This is the half of a review a vendor will not write about Vanguard.

  • A 25 USD annual account service fee applies unless the account uses e-delivery, is a Cash Plus Account, is enrolled in an advisory service, or holds 1 million USD or more in qualifying assets
  • Broker assisted trades cost 25 USD each, waived only at 1 million USD in qualifying assets or with an advisory service
  • Options trades carry a 1 USD per contract fee on top of zero commission
  • Transaction fee mutual funds cost 20 USD per online trade below 1 million USD in qualifying assets, falling to 8 USD only at higher tiers
  • Outgoing wire transfers cost 10 USD unless the account is a retirement account or holds 1 million USD or more
  • Commission levels are tied to a Qualifying Assets balance, so the cheapest rates require 1 million USD or more

Cross-shopped

What people choose instead of Vanguard

Each pairing was judged by two reviewers asking whether a buyer would genuinely weigh the two against each other. The ones that failed were deleted rather than published.

Pricing

What Vanguard costs

Taken from the vendor's own pricing page. Prices move, so check before you buy.

Self-Directed Investor

On request

  • Low-cost index funds
  • Commission-free trading

Advisory Services

On request

  • All Self-Directed features
  • Financial advisors

Capabilities

Features

  • Low-cost index funds

  • Commission-free trading

  • Retirement accounts

  • Financial advisors

  • Bank accounts

    Integration with Bank accounts

  • Investment accounts

    Integration with Investment accounts

  • Web support

    Available on Web

  • IOS support

    Available on iOS

  • Android support

    Available on Android

Answered, with sources

Questions people ask

Each answer names the page it came from, so you can check it rather than take our word for it.

How much are Vanguard's expense ratios?

Vanguard's average ETF and mutual fund expense ratio is 0.07%, compared to the industry average of 0.44%, representing significantly lower fees.

Source
Does Vanguard offer advisory services?

Yes. Vanguard Advisers, Inc. provides retail direct investment advisory strategies, though specific advisory costs are not disclosed on the public pages and require direct inquiry.

Source

Behind it

Who makes Vanguard

Company
Vanguard Group
Based in
Malvern, Pennsylvania
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Softwr does not host reviews and shows no star rating for Vanguard, because a rating we did not collect is not ours to publish. What is here is the pricing and platform detail from the vendor’s own pages, limitations we could state concretely, and alternatives a reviewer confirmed people weigh against it. Tell us if any of it is wrong.

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