Share Trading comparison
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.
Choose
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
- ›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)
Choose
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
- ›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) |
Verdict
Pick IG for global trading and advanced tools; pick Vanguard for low-cost, hands-off investing in Vanguard ETFs.
Cost calculator
What would IG Australia vs Vanguard Personal Investor actually cost you?
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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 |