B

td ameritrade

7/10

Vanguard Investments

6.9/10
10/10WinnerRegulation5/10
1/10FeesWinner10/10
9/10PlatformsTied9/10
0/10Education & ResearchWinner6/10
10/10WinnerDeposits & Withdrawals4/10
10/10SupportTied10/10

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Overview

td ameritrade was founded in 2016 and is headquartered in Malta, while Vanguard Investments was established in 2008 and is based in United States. td ameritrade holds licences including Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), while Vanguard Investments is regulated by Office of the Comptroller of the Currency among others. td ameritrade serves 10,000+ clients worldwide; Vanguard Investments has 10,000+. The minimum deposit is $250 at td ameritrade and $0 at Vanguard Investments.

td ameritrade wins this category
Featuretd ameritradeVanguard Investments
Min. Deposit$250$0
RegulationFinancial Conduct Authority (FCA), Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC), Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), Pepperstone Markets Limited is incorporated in The Bahamas (number 177174 B), Licensed by the Securities Commission of The Bahamas (SCB) number SIA-F319Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
Founded20162008
CountryMaltaUnited States
Clients10,000+10,000+

Fees

Fees are a critical factor when choosing between td ameritrade and Vanguard Investments, directly affecting your bottom line as a trader. Vanguard Investments has a lower barrier to entry with a minimum deposit of $0 (vs $250 at td ameritrade). Vanguard Investments charges withdrawal fees while td ameritrade does not, giving td ameritrade an edge for frequent withdrawers. Vanguard Investments applies inactivity fees on dormant accounts; td ameritrade does not. Overall, Vanguard Investments scores higher on fees in our assessment.

Vanguard Investments wins this category
Featuretd ameritradeVanguard Investments
Min. Deposit$250$0
Withdrawal FeesNoYes
Inactivity FeesNoYes
Deposit FeesNoNo
CFD FeesNoNo

Platforms

td ameritrade offers MT4, MT5, cTrader, while Vanguard Investments supports MT4, MT5, cTrader. Both brokers provide mobile trading apps for iOS and Android. Vanguard Investments supports social and copy trading features, which td ameritrade does not offer. The two brokers are closely matched on platform offering.

Tied
Featuretd ameritradeVanguard Investments
MT4YesYes
MT5YesYes
cTraderYesYes
Windows AppYesYes
iOS AppYesYes
Android AppYesYes
Trading PlatformsMT4, MT5, Mac, ZuluTrade, Web Trader, cTrader, Tablet & Mobile appsMT4,Desktop,Android,iPhone,Mac

Education & Research

Education and research tools help traders at every level make more informed decisions, and here's how td ameritrade and Vanguard Investments compare. Vanguard Investments runs regular live webinars; td ameritrade does not. Vanguard Investments has a video library; td ameritrade does not. Vanguard Investments publishes daily market commentary; td ameritrade does not. Vanguard Investments integrates third-party research tools (Trading Central); td ameritrade does not. Vanguard Investments maintains an archive of past webinars for on-demand viewing. Vanguard Investments scores higher overall in education and research.

Vanguard Investments wins this category
Featuretd ameritradeVanguard Investments
Forex EducationNoNo
CFD EducationNoYes
Weekly WebinarsNoYes
Daily CommentaryNoYes
Trading CentralNoYes
AutochartistNoNo

Deposits & Withdrawals

Convenient deposit and withdrawal options reduce friction for traders, especially important when managing positions across time zones. td ameritrade accepts 5 of the tracked payment methods (bank transfer, credit/debit card, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller), while Vanguard Investments supports 2 (bank transfer, credit/debit card). td ameritrade uniquely supports PayPal and Skrill and Neteller among the two brokers. td ameritrade scores higher on deposit and withdrawal flexibility.

td ameritrade wins this category
Featuretd ameritradeVanguard Investments
Bank TransferYesYes
Credit CardYesYes
PayPalYesNo
SkrillYesNo
NetellerYesNo

Support

Responsive customer support matters most when you're locked out of your account or need urgent help with a trade. Both td ameritrade and Vanguard Investments offer live chat support. Both provide phone support. Email support is available at both brokers. td ameritrade supports 8 languages and Vanguard Investments supports 2, giving td ameritrade broader global reach. Both brokers are comparable on support quality.

Tied
Featuretd ameritradeVanguard Investments
Live ChatYesYes
Phone SupportYesYes
Email SupportYesYes
LanguagesEnglish, Spanish, Polish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, and ArabicEnglish, and Chinese