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Vanguard vs Tradier 2024

StockBrokers.com

Written by StockBrokers.com

October 30, 2024

In this head to head comparison of Vanguard vs Tradier, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, investment options, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.

Vanguard
4/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0.00
  • Stock Trades: $0.00
  • Options (Per Contract): $1.00
Tradier
4/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0.00
  • Stock Trades: $0.00
  • Options (Per Contract): $0.35 info

Investment options

When evaluating Vanguard and Tradier for their investment options, potential investors will find both brokers offer robust platforms for stock, margin, mutual funds, and options trading. However, Vanguard holds a slight edge with a 4.5-star rating compared to Tradier’s 4-star rating, attributed to its offering of OTC stocks and the presence of advisor services, which Tradier lacks. Ultimately, Vanguard ranks #9 and Tradier at #13 on StockBrokers.com among 18 brokers, demonstrating Vanguard's slight advantage over Tradier in a competitive market.

Vanguard and Tradier both provide standard stock and margin trading, enabling investors to engage in traditional market activities. They offer access to mutual funds and options trading, appealing to those who are interested in diversified portfolio management. While both platforms refrain from offering fractional shares, forex, or cryptocurrency trading, Tradier provides futures trading, adding a layer of opportunity for specific traders that Vanguard does not offer. This distinctive feature of Tradier may attract investors interested in futures despite their lack of OTC stock availability.

Both Vanguard and Tradier accommodate retirement planning by offering traditional and Roth IRA accounts, catering to long-term investment strategies. Nevertheless, Vanguard extends its services with comprehensive advisor offerings, guiding investors through decision-making processes, unlike Tradier. While each platform has its strengths, Vanguard's inclusion of OTC stock trades and advisory services contributes to its higher overall rating, making it an appealing option for those seeking extensive investment guidance and over-the-counter market exposure.

Feature Vanguard logoVanguard
Tradier logoTradier
Stock Trading info Yes Yes
Margin Trading Yes Yes
Fractional Shares info No info No
OTC Stocks info Yes No
Mutual Funds info Yes Yes
Options Trading info Yes Yes
Futures Trading info No Yes
Crypto Trading info No No
Crypto Trading - Total Coins info 0 0
Investment Options 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best Options Trading Platforms for 2024, Best Futures Trading Platforms for 2024

Trading platforms and tools

When comparing the trading platforms and tools of Vanguard and Tradier, Tradier takes the lead with a more comprehensive offering. Tradier provides a significant range of 95 technical indicators for charting, far surpassing Vanguard's 9 indicators, and includes paper trading, which Vanguard lacks. Despite the absence of a desktop downloadable trading platform for both services, Tradier's platform flexibility and variety of chart editing options make it more appealing for traders seeking depth in their analysis tools.

Vanguard and Tradier both offer browser-based trading platforms. However, while Vanguard allows the display of corporate events and index overlays on its charts, it lacks Tradier's ability to show historical trades and incorporate notes into charts. Additionally, while Tradier offers 7 customization fields for editing SMA studies, Vanguard offers only 1, providing less opportunity for personalization in technical analysis. These differences contribute to Tradier's higher rating of 3.5 stars compared to Vanguard's 2.5 stars.

Neither platform offers the ability to download for Mac or Windows, nor do they support custom date ranges for charts, drawing tools, or the saving of multiple chart profiles. Both Vanguard and Tradier also lack features for automated technical analysis and custom chart study creation. However, with its more robust selection of technical indicators and paper trading support, Tradier earns a better overall ranking from StockBrokers.com, positioned at #10 out of 18, whereas Vanguard is ranked at #18.

Feature Vanguard logoVanguard
Tradier logoTradier
Web Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Trading Platform info No No info
Desktop Platform (Mac) info No No info
Paper Trading info No Yes
Watch Lists - Total Fields info 9 3
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 9 95
Charting - Drawing Tools info 0 0
Platforms & Tools 2.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best Stock Brokers & Trading Platforms for 2024, Best Paper Trading Platforms for 2024

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Beginners and education

When comparing Vanguard and Tradier in terms of beginner and investor education capabilities, Vanguard emerges as the more favorable option for novice investors. Vanguard offers stock education and features educational videos, providing a foundational platform for individuals new to investing. The brokerage, however, does not extend its educational services to ETFs, options, mutual funds, or bonds. Vanguard's absence of paper trading, webinars, educational quizzes, and tools to track learning progress limit its overall educational appeal. Despite these limitations, Vanguard maintains a respectable 3.5-star rating and ranks 13th out of 18 brokers for education by StockBrokers.com.

Tradier, on the other hand, provides no educational resources for stocks or other investment types like ETFs, options, mutual funds, and bonds, which might leave beginner investors seeking additional knowledge. However, Tradier does offer a paper trading feature, allowing users to experiment with trading strategies without any financial risk. Without educational videos, webinars, or quizzes, Tradier's educational offerings are sparse, leading to a lower rating of 2 stars and a ranking of 17 out of 18 brokers by StockBrokers.com. In essence, Vanguard's educational resources, albeit limited, offer a more substantial starting point for new investors compared to Tradier.

Feature Vanguard logoVanguard
Tradier logoTradier
Education (Stocks) info Yes No
Education (ETFs) info No No
Education (Options) info No No
Education (Mutual Funds) info No No
Education (Bonds) info No No
Paper Trading info No Yes
Videos info Yes No
Webinars info No No
Education 3.5/5 Stars 2/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Platforms for Beginners of 2024

Stock trading apps

When comparing the mobile stock trading app capabilities of Vanguard and Tradier, Tradier emerges ahead with a wider range of features, earning it 4 out of 5 stars compared to Vanguard's 3 stars. Tradier is known for mobile options trading and streaming quotes, contrasting with Vanguard's more limited functionalities. Tradier is ranked 15th out of 18 by StockBrokers.com, slightly outperforming Vanguard, which occupies the last position.

Both Vanguard and Tradier offer stock trading apps for iPhone and Android users, although neither supports Apple Watch integration. While each broker offers the capability to view multiple time frames for charting via their mobile apps, neither provides after-hours charting or landscape mode chart views. Despite offering no technical studies or stock comparisons on charts, Tradier enables users to create custom watch lists, a feature absent from Vanguard's offerings.

Vanguard and Tradier both lack streaming live TV, videos on demand, and stock alerts within their apps, which could be limiting for users seeking comprehensive, all-in-one solutions. Tradier users benefit from the ability to manage options trades directly from the app, a significant distinction from Vanguard, which does not provide this feature. Overall, while Tradier offers more dynamic toolsets through its mobile application than Vanguard, there remain areas for improvement in both platforms to enhance the mobile trading experience fully.

Feature Vanguard logoVanguard
Tradier logoTradier
iPhone App info Yes Yes
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple Watch App info No No
Stock Alerts info No No
Charting - After-Hours info No No
Charting - Technical Studies info 0 0
Mobile Trading Apps 3/5 Stars 4/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps for 2024

Fees

When evaluating Vanguard versus Tradier on fees and charges, Tradier comes out ahead for traders focusing on options due to its lower cost per contract. However, Vanguard has a slight edge for investors looking for lower ancillary fees with no charges for options exercise, assignment fees, and partial account transfers, alongside no cost for regular stock trades. The choice between these two platforms ultimately depends on the investor's specific trading habits and whether they prioritize lower transaction costs or fewer account maintenance fees.

Both Vanguard and Tradier offer a $0 minimum deposit and charge nothing for regular stock trades, making them accessible choices for budget-conscious investors. When it comes to options trading, Tradier charges a competitive $0.35 per contract compared to Vanguard's $1.00. This significant difference could be a decisive factor for active options traders leaning towards Tradier for their trading needs.

On the margin balances front, Tradier again offers lower rates across the different tiers, starting at 9.5%, while Vanguard's rates begin from 12.75% for higher balance categories. However, Vanguard maintains a more favorable fee structure for IRA-related transactions, charging lower annual fees and no closure charges, compared to Tradier's higher fees. Furthermore, Vanguard offers free account partial transfers, although its full account transfer fee is $25 more than Tradier's. These distinctions highlight the importance of aligning one's financial strategies with each broker's unique fee structure.

Feature Vanguard logoVanguard
Tradier logoTradier
Minimum Deposit $0.00 $0.00
Stock Trades $0.00 $0.00
Options (Per Contract) $1.00 $0.35 info
Options Exercise Fee $0.00 $9.00
Options Assignment Fee $0.00 $9.00
IRA Annual Fee $25.00 info $30.00 info
IRA Closure Fee $0.00 $60.00
Commissions & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best Free Trading Platforms for 2024

Day Trading

When comparing the day trading capabilities of online brokers Vanguard and Tradier, both platforms exhibit significant similarities, particularly in the features they lack. Neither Vanguard nor Tradier provides streaming time and sales data for stocks, streaming live TV, direct market routing, ladder trading, or trading hotkeys for keyboard trade entry. Additionally, both platforms do not offer level 2 quotes or tools for both basic and advanced strategy backtesting, which might be essential for active traders looking to optimize their trading strategies with comprehensive market insights.

Further examining their offerings, neither Vanguard nor Tradier includes a short locator tool for real-time availability of shares available to short, nor do they provide order liquidity (maker/taker) rebates. This makes both brokers less appealing to traders who rely on these critical day trading functionalities to execute high-frequency trades and optimize their trading performance. Consequently, traders seeking a robust suite of day trading tools and advanced technical capabilities might find both Vanguard and Tradier lacking when it comes to supporting complex trading needs.

Feature Vanguard logoVanguard
Tradier logoTradier
Streaming Time & Sales info No No
Streaming TV info No No
Direct Market Routing - Stocks info No No
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks info No No
Trade Ideas - Backtesting info No No
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv info No No
Short Locator info No No

Dive deeper: Best Day Trading Platforms for 2024

Market Research

Vanguard and Tradier both provide essential market research capabilities, but Vanguard has a more comprehensive offering that may be more appealing to investment-focused users. Ranked #9 by StockBrokers.com with a rating of 3.5 stars, Vanguard stands out for its comprehensive research tools across multiple investment product types, including stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, pink sheets, OTCBB, and bonds. Tradier, ranked #16 and with a rating of 2.5 stars, offers basic research tools for stocks and ETFs but lacks coverage in mutual fund and bond research, among others.

Vanguard excels with its versatile research capabilities offering detailed insights into a variety of investment avenues. Its research spans across stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and bonds, providing investors with the ability to access multiple resources such as stock research, ETF research, and crucially, mutual fund and bond screeners for trade ideas. Additionally, Vanguard provides tools to visualize portfolio allocation by asset class, further allowing clients to manage their investment strategy effectively. Although it lacks in certain modern data points like social media sentiment and ESG research, it still delivers robust traditional research options including two downloadable PDF reports for stocks.

In contrast, Tradier's research is comparatively limited. It focuses primarily on stocks and ETFs, providing essential stock research without the enhancements seen in Vanguard's offerings. Features such as downloadable PDF reports and screeners for trade ideas are notably absent from Tradier’s platform. Furthermore, Tradier does not support research for mutual funds or bonds, which could be a limitation for investors seeking a wider array of investment insights. While both Vanguard and Tradier offer core research services, those seeking a more extensive research experience might find Vanguard's offerings more aligned with their needs.

Feature Vanguard logoVanguard
Tradier logoTradier
Research - Stocks info Yes Yes
Screener - Stocks info Yes No
Research - ETFs info Yes Yes
Screener - ETFs info Yes No
Research - Mutual Funds info Yes No
Screener - Mutual Funds info Yes No
Research - Bonds info Yes No
Screener - Bonds info Yes No
Research 3.5/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars

Banking

When comparing banking capabilities between online brokers Vanguard and Tradier, it is clear that both lack in offering standard banking services such as checking accounts, savings accounts, debit cards, credit cards, and mortgage loans. Neither Vanguard nor Tradier provides these banking features, highlighting their focus on investment services rather than traditional banking options. However, one notable difference is that Vanguard offers Certificates of Deposit (CDs), while Tradier does not, providing a slight advantage for customers seeking secure, interest-earning investment options through CDs. Overall, Vanguard holds a singular edge in this specific area of banking services compared to Tradier.

Feature Vanguard logoVanguard
Tradier logoTradier
Checking Accounts info No No
Savings Accounts info No No
Debit Cards info No No
Credit Cards info No No
Mortgage Loans info No No
CDs info Yes No

Dive deeper: Best Bank Accounts for Trading Stocks for 2024

Winner

After opening live accounts and testing 18 of the best online brokers, our research and live account testing finds that Vanguard is better than Tradier. Vanguard finished with an overall score of 80.3%, while Tradier finished with a score of 77.0%.

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.

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with Vanguard or Tradier?

Neither Vanguard nor Tradier offers crypto trading, with both platforms providing access to 0 cryptocurrencies.

Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers for Crypto Trading in 2024

Does Vanguard or Tradier offer IRAs?

Both Vanguard and Tradier offer traditional and Roth IRA accounts; however, Vanguard charges a lower annual fee of $25 compared to Tradier's $30, and Vanguard does not charge a closure fee, whereas Tradier imposes a $60 fee for closing IRA accounts.

Dive deeper: Best IRA Accounts for 2024

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Compare

0 of 5
Overall Rating Vanguard Tradier
Overall 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Options 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 2.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading Apps 3/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 3.5/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars
Customer Service 3/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Education 3.5/5 Stars 2/5 Stars
Ease Of Use 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Winner check_circle
Review Vanguard Review Tradier Review
Broker Screenshots Vanguard Tradier
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 Tradier
Minimum Deposit $0.00 $0.00
Stock Trades $0.00 $0.00
Penny Stock Fees (OTC) info $0.00 N/A
Mutual Fund Trade Fee Varies info $30 info
Options (Per Contract) $1.00 $0.35 info
Futures (Per Contract) (Not offered) $1.50 info
Broker Assisted Trade Fee $25 info $10
Margin Rates Vanguard Tradier
Margin Rate Under $25,000 13.75% info 9.5%
Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 13.25% 9.5%
Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 12.75% 9.5%
Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 12.25% 9.5%
Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 11.75% 9.5%
Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 10.5% 9.5%
Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 Varies info 9.5%
Account Fees Vanguard Tradier
IRA Annual Fee $25.00 info $30.00 info
IRA Closure Fee $0.00 $60.00
Account Transfer Out (Partial) info $0.00 $75.00
Account Transfer Out (Full) info $100.00 info $75.00
Options Exercise Fee $0.00 $9.00
Options Assignment Fee $0.00 $9.00
Investment Options Vanguard Tradier
Stock Trading info Yes Yes
Margin Trading Yes Yes
Fractional Shares info No info No
OTC Stocks info Yes No
Options Trading info Yes Yes
Complex Options Max Legs info 4 4
Futures Trading info No Yes
Forex Trading info No No
Crypto Trading info No No
Crypto Trading - Total Coins info 0 0
Mutual Funds (No Load) info N/A 0
Mutual Funds (Total) info N/A 0
Bonds (US Treasury) info Yes No
Bonds (Corporate) info Yes No
Bonds (Municipal) info Yes No
Traditional IRAs info Yes Yes
Roth IRAs info Yes Yes
Advisor Services info Yes No
International Countries (Stocks) info 0 0
Order Types Vanguard Tradier
Order Type - Market info Yes Yes
Order Type - Limit info Yes Yes
Order Type - After Hours info Yes Yes
Order Type - Stop info Yes Yes
Order Type - Trailing Stop info No No
Order Type - OCO info No Yes
Order Type - OTO info No Yes
Order Type - Broker Assisted info Yes Yes
Beginners Vanguard Tradier
Education (Stocks) info Yes No
Education (ETFs) info No No
Education (Options) info No No
Education (Mutual Funds) info No No
Education (Bonds) info No No
Education (Retirement) info Yes No
Retirement Calculator info Yes No
Investor Dictionary info No No
Paper Trading info No Yes
Videos info Yes No
Webinars info No No
Webinars (Archived) info No No
Progress Tracking info No No
Interactive Learning - Quizzes info No No
Stock Trading Apps Vanguard Tradier
iPhone App info Yes Yes
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple Watch App info No No
Trading - Stocks info Yes Yes
Trading - After-Hours info No Yes
Trading - Simple Options info No Yes
Trading - Complex Options info No Yes
Order Ticket RT Quotes info Yes Yes
Order Ticket SRT Quotes info No No
Stock App Features Vanguard Tradier
Market Movers (Top Gainers) info No Yes
Stream Live TV info No No
Videos on Demand info No No
Stock Alerts info No No
Option Chains Viewable info No Yes
Watch List (Real-time) info No Yes
Watch List (Streaming) info No No
Watch Lists - Create & Manage info No Yes
Watch Lists - Column Customization info No No
Stock App Charting Vanguard Tradier
Charting - After-Hours info No No
Charting - Can Turn Horizontally info No No
Charting - Multiple Time Frames info Yes Yes
Charting - Technical Studies info 0 0
Charting - Study Customizations info No No
Charting - Stock Comparisons info No No
Trading Platforms Vanguard Tradier
Active Trading Platform info N/A TradeHawk
Desktop Trading Platform info No No info
Desktop Platform (Mac) info No No info
Web Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Paper Trading info No Yes
Trade Journal info No No
Watch Lists - Total Fields info 9 3
Stock Chart Features Vanguard Tradier
Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart info No No
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 9 95
Charting - Drawing Tools info 0 0
Charting - Notes info No Yes
Charting - Index Overlays info Yes No
Charting - Historical Trades info No Yes
Charting - Corporate Events info Yes No
Charting - Custom Date Range info No No
Charting - Custom Time Bars info No No
Charting - Automated Analysis info No No
Charting - Save Profiles info No No
Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis info No No
Charting - Study Customizations info 1 7
Charting - Custom Studies info No No
Day Trading Vanguard Tradier
Streaming Time & Sales info No No
Streaming TV info No No
Direct Market Routing - Stocks info No No
Ladder Trading info No No
Trade Hotkeys info No No
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks info No No
Trade Ideas - Backtesting info No No
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv info No No
Short Locator info No No
Order Liquidity Rebates info No No
Research Overview Vanguard Tradier
Research - Stocks info Yes Yes
Research - ETFs info Yes Yes
Research - Mutual Funds info Yes No
Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB info Yes No
Research - Bonds info Yes No
Screener - Stocks info Yes No
Screener - ETFs info Yes No
Screener - Mutual Funds info Yes No
Screener - Bonds info Yes No
Misc - Portfolio Allocation info Yes No
Stock Research Vanguard Tradier
Stock Research - PDF Reports info 2 0
Stock Research - Earnings info Yes No
Stock Research - Insiders info No No
Stock Research - Social info No No
Stock Research - News info Yes No
Stock Research - ESG info No No
Stock Research - SEC Filings info No No
ETF Research Vanguard Tradier
ETFs - Strategy Overview info No No
ETF Fund Facts - Inception Date info No No
ETF Fund Facts - Expense Ratio info No No
ETF Fund Facts - Net Assets info No No
ETF Fund Facts - Total Holdings info No No
ETFs - Top 10 Holdings info No No
ETFs - Sector Exposure info No No
ETFs - Risk Analysis info No No
ETFs - Ratings info No No
ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap info No No
ETFs - PDF Reports info No No
Mutual Fund Research Vanguard Tradier
Mutual Funds - Strategy Overview info Yes No
Mutual Funds - Performance Chart info Yes No
Mutual Funds - Performance Analysis info Yes No
Mutual Funds - Prospectus info Yes No
Mutual Funds - 3rd Party Ratings info No No
Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdown info Yes No
Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdings info Yes No
Mutual Funds - Asset Allocation info No No
Mutual Funds - Sector Allocation info Yes No
Mutual Funds - Country Allocation info No No
Mutual Funds - StyleMap info Yes No
Options Trading Vanguard Tradier
Option Chains - Basic View info Yes Yes
Option Chains - Strategy View info No No
Option Chains - Streaming info No No
Option Chains - Total Columns info 9 8
Option Chains - Greeks info 0 1
Option Chains - Quick Analysis info No Yes
Option Analysis - P&L Charts info No No
Option Probability Analysis info No No
Option Probability Analysis Adv info No No
Option Positions - Greeks info No No
Option Positions - Greeks Streaming info No No
Option Positions - Adv Analysis info No No
Option Positions - Rolling info No No
Option Positions - Grouping info No No
Banking Vanguard Tradier
Bank (Member FDIC) info No No
Checking Accounts info No No
Savings Accounts info No No
Credit Cards info No No
Debit Cards info No No
Mortgage Loans info No No
Customer Service Vanguard Tradier
Phone Support (Prospect Customers) info Yes Yes
Phone Support (Current Customers) info Yes Yes
Email Support info Yes Yes
Live Chat (Prospect Customers) info No No
Live Chat (Current Customers) info No No
24/7 Support info No No
Overall Vanguard Tradier
Overall 4/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Options 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 2.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading Apps 3/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 3.5/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars
Education 3.5/5 Stars 2/5 Stars
Ease Of Use 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Winner check_circle
Review Vanguard Review Tradier Review
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