IG Australia vs Vanguard Personal Investor
IG Australia and Vanguard Personal Investor both offer $0 brokerage on ASX trades, but they serve completely different investors. IG is a full-service trading platform with access to US and UK markets, CFDs, and advanced order types — all under a custodial model. Vanguard is a narrow, low-touch platform built almost exclusively for buying Vanguard ETFs and managed funds, with zero brokerage on buys and a simple set-and-forget approach.
- ›You want to trade US and UK shares directly from the same account — IG supports US, UK, German and Irish markets with a USD sub-account
- ›You need advanced order types like stop-loss and conditional orders, which Vanguard doesn't offer
- ›You want access to IPOs and after-hours trading
- ›You prefer a full desktop trading platform with a demo account to test strategies
- ›You want to trade CFDs alongside your share portfolio (though that's a different risk profile)
- ›You're building a long-term portfolio around Vanguard ETFs and managed funds — buys are $0 and sells cost just $9 flat
- ›You want automated investing with multiple DCA schedules — Vanguard's Auto Invest lets you set up recurring buys of Vanguard ETFs and funds
- ›You want a kids/minor account, which IG doesn't offer
- ›You don't need international shares or complex order types and prefer a simple, low-friction platform
- ›You want to avoid any platform fee — IG charges 0.25% p.a. on holdings, Vanguard charges zero
Where they differ
| Fact | IG Australia | Vanguard Personal Investor |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee | 0.25% p.a. on holdings value | $0 (no platform fee) |
| International shares | US, UK, Germany, Ireland | ASX only (no international shares) |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Not available | Yes — multiple recurring schedules |
| Minimum deposit | $0 | $200 |
| Account model | Custodial (no HIN) | Custodial (no HIN) |
Pick IG for global trading and advanced tools; pick Vanguard for low-cost, hands-off investing in Vanguard ETFs.
Common questions
How do IG Australia and Vanguard Personal Investor compare on platform fee?
IG Australia: 0.25% p.a. on holdings value. Vanguard Personal Investor: $0 (no platform fee). IG's fee eats into returns over time; Vanguard has no ongoing fee at all.
How do IG Australia and Vanguard Personal Investor compare on international shares?
IG Australia: US, UK, Germany, Ireland. Vanguard Personal Investor: ASX only (no international shares). IG is the clear choice if you want global diversification in one account.
How do IG Australia and Vanguard Personal Investor compare on auto-invest / dca?
IG Australia: Not available. Vanguard Personal Investor: Yes — multiple recurring schedules. Vanguard is built for dollar-cost averaging; IG has no automated investing.
When is IG Australia the better choice over Vanguard Personal Investor?
Pick IG Australia if you want to trade US and UK shares directly from the same account — IG supports US, UK, German and Irish markets with a USD sub-account; you need advanced order types like stop-loss and conditional orders, which Vanguard doesn't offer; you want access to IPOs and after-hours trading; or you prefer a full desktop trading platform with a demo account to test strategies.
When is Vanguard Personal Investor the better choice over IG Australia?
Pick Vanguard Personal Investor if you're building a long-term portfolio around Vanguard ETFs and managed funds — buys are $0 and sells cost just $9 flat; you want automated investing with multiple DCA schedules — Vanguard's Auto Invest lets you set up recurring buys of Vanguard ETFs and funds; you want a kids/minor account, which IG doesn't offer; or you don't need international shares or complex order types and prefer a simple, low-friction platform.
IG Australia or Vanguard Personal Investor — what's the verdict?
Pick IG for global trading and advanced tools; pick Vanguard for low-cost, hands-off investing in Vanguard ETFs.
Punch in your trade size and frequency. We'll do the full brokerage + FX + fees maths.
All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | IG Australia | Vanguard Personal Investor |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | custodian | custodian |
| Individual HIN | No | No |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | Yes | Yes |
| Company account | Yes | Yes |
| Trust account | Yes | Yes |
| SMSF account | Yes | Yes |
| Kids / minor account | — | Yes |
| asset coverage | ||
| ASX shares supported | Yes | Yes |
| ASX ETFs supported | Yes | Yes |
| US shares supported | Yes | No |
| US ETFs supported | Yes | No |
| Other markets supported | United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland | |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | No |
| Options trading | No | No |
| CFDs supported | Yes | No |
| Managed funds | No | Yes |
| Bonds supported | No | No |
| IPO access | Yes | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.7% | — |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 0.7% | — |
| Holds USD account | Yes | — |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | $0 |
| Corporate action fees | Corporate actions (dividends, splits, rights issues, takeovers) for shares held in custody are processed by IG via Citicorp Nominees; cash dividends are credited net of withholding to client ledger. SPP/rights elections are limited under the custodial model and detailed fees are disclosed in the IG Share Trading Customer Agreement / FSG. | Participation in voluntary corporate actions (rights issues, SPPs, takeovers) is NOT available through Vanguard Personal Investor for ETFs or direct shares - investors cannot participate. Mandatory corporate actions (e.g. dividends) flow through automatically. No corporate action fees disclosed. |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $0 | $0 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 0% | 0% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $10,000 | — |
| ASX free trade conditions | $0 commission on all ASX shares and ETFs on the IG Share Trading account (no conditions/minimum trade count). A 0.25% p.a. platform fee on holdings value applies; 0.7% FX fee applies to international trades. | $0 brokerage on all buys of Vanguard ETFs (Vanguard managed funds incur no brokerage at all). $0 brokerage on Vanguard ETFs/funds purchased via Auto Invest. Sells of Vanguard ETFs incur $9 flat. ASX direct (non-Vanguard) shares: $9 flat both ways. |
| US brokerage minimum | US$0 | — |
| US brokerage percentage | 0% | — |
| Monthly platform fee | $0/month | $0/month |
| Annual platform fee | $0/year | $0/year |
| Inactivity fee | $0 | $0 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | $0 |
| Off-market transfer fee | — | $0 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | IG Australia Pty Ltd | Vanguard Investments Australia Ltd |
| AFSL number | 515,106 | 227,263 |
| Year founded | 2,002 | 2,020 |
| Parent / ownership | IG Group Holdings plc (LSE: IGG) | The Vanguard Group, Inc. (US) - mutual structure owned by US-domiciled Vanguard fund investors |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | public | private |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $0 | $200 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | — | $1 |
| Deposit methods | bank transfer, BPAY, debit card, credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay | BPAY, Direct credit (EFT), Direct debit |
| Settlement period | T+2 (ASX), T+1 (US) | T+2 (ASX) |
| Withdrawal time | 1-3 business days | Up to 3 business days from processing date (processed same day if requested before 4pm AET) |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | Yes | No |
| Demo account | Yes | No |
| Free real-time market data | No | No |
| Free research reports | Yes | No |
| 2FA support | authenticator app | SMS |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live chat, social media | Phone, Secure message (in-app) |
| Support hours (AU time) | 24/5 Monday to Friday (closed weekends) | Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm AET (phone) |
| Education content | video + courses | structured |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | — | Yes |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | Yes |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | — | Yes |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | Yes | Yes |
| Limit orders | Yes | Yes |
| Stop loss orders | Yes | No |
| Conditional orders | Yes | No |
| Auto-invest / DCA | No | Yes |
| Auto-invest sophistication | none | multiple |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | No | No |
| After-hours / overnight trading | Yes | No |