Updated September 28, 2026 · BrokerCue Editorial Team
Nutmeg vs Vanguard Investor UK
What sets them apart
| Compare |  Nutmeg | Vanguard Investor UK ReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| Management fee | 0.25% to 0.75% | 0.2%Lower |
| Minimum investment | £100 to £500Lower | £500 |
| Regulators | Financial Conduct Authority | Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) |
| Account types | ISA, SIPP | ISA, SIPP, JisaCovers more |
| Portfolio types | ETF, ESG, CashCovers more | ETF |
Same on both: Investor protection (FSCS up to GBP 85,000).
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Key differences
- Nutmeg scores higher overall: 9.2 vs 8.8.
- Regulators: only Nutmeg offers Financial Conduct Authority.
- Regulators: only Vanguard Investor UK offers Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
- Founded is lower at Vanguard Investor UK: 1975 vs 2012.
- Management fee is lower at Vanguard Investor UK: 0.2% vs 0.25% to 0.75%.
- Minimum investment is lower at Nutmeg: £100 to £500 vs £500.
- Account types: only Vanguard Investor UK offers Jisa.
- Portfolio types: only Nutmeg offers ESG, Cash.
- Support channels: only Nutmeg offers Email, Chat, Help centre.
Our verdict on each
Nutmeg
Nutmeg suits UK investors who want a managed portfolio held in an ISA or SIPP rather than a self-directed dealing account. The cost of that convenience is a single management fee of 0.25% to 0.75%, with a £0 stock trade fee and FSCS protection of FSCS up to GBP 85,000 in place.
Vanguard Investor UK
Vanguard Investor UK suits beginners who want a simple fund and ETF portfolio inside an ISA, SIPP or Junior ISA, backed by a long-established UK regulated provider. The trade-off is the entry price: a minimum deposit of £500 and a flat account fee place it behind rivals that ask for less to start.
Score breakdown
| Area | Nutmeg | Vanguard Investor UK |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.0HigherManagement fees of 0.25% to 0.75% run above the robo-adviser median of 0.35%, and the entry floor is high. | 8.2Cost rests on a £48 account fee and a £500 minimum deposit, both above the cheapest entries in the field. |
| Offer | 9.6Higher | 8.8 |
| Trust | 9.1 | 9.2Higher |
What it costs in practice
10,000 invested for a year
Nutmeg
25 to 75
0.25% to 0.75% of 10,000
Vanguard Investor UK
20
0.2% of 10,000
Vanguard Investor UK comes out 5 lower in this example.
Worked out from the stated prices and rates; your own total depends on how you use it. Facts checked September 26, 2026.
Licences and countries
| Country | Nutmeg | Vanguard Investor UK |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Financial Conduct Authority 552016 |
Available in 1 country for both.
Also worth a look
Moneybox has minimum investment at £1, against £100 to £500 for Nutmeg and £500 for Vanguard Investor UK.
Moneybox reviewHow they place
| Ranking | Nutmeg | Vanguard Investor UK |
|---|---|---|
| Stock and ETF brokers | 92 of 490 | 181 of 490 |
| Investment platforms and apps | 20 of 85 | 38 of 85 |
| Robo-advisors | 31 of 153 | 79 of 153 |
| Stocks and shares ISA providers | 3 of 21 | 10 of 21 |
| SIPP providers | 3 of 22 | 9 of 22 |
| Junior ISA providers | 2 of 14 | 6 of 14 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Nutmeg | Vanguard Investor UK |
|---|---|---|
| Legal entity | J.P. Morgan Personal Investing Limited | Vanguard Asset Management |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom | Not confirmed |
| Founded | 2012 | 1975Lower |
| Support channels | Email, Chat, Phone, Help centreCovers more | Phone |
Brokers
| Fact | Nutmeg | Vanguard Investor UK |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | £500 | £500 |
| Stock trade fee | £0 | Not confirmed |
| Account fee | Not confirmed | £48 |
| Markets | ETFs, Funds, Stocks, BondsCovers more | ETFs, Funds |
| Features | Mobile app | Not confirmed |
| Pricing model | Commission free | Low fees |
| Audience | Not confirmed | Beginners |
| Deposit and withdrawal fees | no set-up, trading or exit fees | Not confirmed |
| Platforms | Web, Mobile app | Not confirmed |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Nutmeg | Vanguard Investor UK | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Management fee | 0.25% to 0.75%below the median | 0.2%below the median | 0.35 |
| Minimum investment | £100 to £500at the median | £500above the median | £100 |
Median across 67 listed brokers.
Pros and cons
Nutmeg
Pros
- One ongoing charge to read: management fees of 0.25% to 0.75%, with no set-up, trading or exit fees on top.
- Holdings span etfs, funds and stocks, so a managed basket can still cover a wide spread of asset types.
- Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, with FSCS protection of FSCS up to GBP 85,000 behind the account.
Cons
- Management fees of 0.25% to 0.75% sit above the robo-adviser median of 0.35%, and the cost rises as the balance grows.
- The opening deposit is £500 and later money goes in from £100 to £500, higher than the robo-adviser median of €60.06.
- The portfolio range is etf, esg and cash only, so there is no crypto or thematic option to tilt towards.
Vanguard Investor UK
Pros
- A 0.2% management fee keeps the ongoing fund charge low, which fits the low-cost model listed in low fees.
- Investor protection is FSCS up to GBP 85,000 under Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), so the money sits inside a UK regulated structure.
- The audience named is beginners, and the range of etfs and funds keeps the choice simple for a first account.
Cons
- The £48 account fee is a fixed platform charge, where the account fee at eToro is $0.
- A £500 minimum deposit sits far above the $0 minimum deposit at CFI and the $5 minimum deposit at Vantage.
- Support runs on phone only, so anyone expecting written help or a live chat route has a single line.
Who each suits
Nutmeg
Who it suits
- UK investors who want a managed portfolio inside an ISA or a SIPP and accept a single ongoing charge for the service.
- People who would rather not research individual funds, since the holdings run to etf, esg and cash approaches chosen and held for you.
- Investors who want a phone line as well as written support, since email, chat and phone includes phone, chat, email and a help centre.
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone starting with a small first payment, since the £500 deposit is well above the robo-advisor lower quartile of €0, and Axos Invest begins at $100 in US dollars.
- Shoppers who want the lowest ongoing charge, since eToro runs a 0% management fee and Vivid Standard charges 0.5% to 1.5%, against Nutmeg's 0.25% to 0.75%.
- Investors who want accounts in US dollars, because Axos Invest takes $100 in dollars while Nutmeg's £100 to £500 sits in pounds.
Vanguard Investor UK
Who it suits
- UK beginners, the audience named in beginners, who would rather hold etfs and funds than pick shares, and who can commit £500 at the outset rather than the $0 CFI asks for.
- Parents opening a Junior ISA and adults building a retirement pot, since isa, sipp and jisa all come from one provider with FSCS up to GBP 85,000 behind the money. That matters more here than a lower entry level at Vantage, where the minimum deposit is $5.
- Savers who value a flat £48 fee and a 0.2% management fee over the $0 account fee at eToro, and who are content with support on phone.
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone starting small: £500 is far above the $0 minimum deposit at CFI and the $5 minimum deposit at Vantage.
- Savers who want no fixed platform charge, since the account fee here is £48 against $0 at eToro.
Current offers
Nutmeg
Current offer
Bonus
Earn £100 when you invest £1,000: GBP 100 cash reward
Invest at least £1,000 in one payment into a General Investment Account, Stocks and Shares ISA, Lifetime ISA, Junior ISA or Personal Pension and keep it invested for at least 6 months; new contributions only, transfers excluded; reward paid as unallocated cash within 55 days; new clients only, cannot be combined with other new-client offers
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Country by country
| Country | Nutmeg | Vanguard Investor UK |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Yes | Yes |
Questions about each
Nutmeg
What does Nutmeg charge to manage my money?+
The charge is a single management fee of 0.25% to 0.75%, which sits above the robo-adviser median of 0.35% in this group. There are no set-up, trading or exit fees to add on top. Money can go in from £100 to £500, so the cost is a percentage of what you hold rather than a price per deal.
How much do I need to open an account?+
The minimum deposit is £500, and once the account is open money can go in from £100 to £500. That first payment is the step most readers notice, and it sits above the lower quartile of €0 across robo-advisers here.
Vanguard Investor UK
What does Vanguard Investor UK charge to hold an account?+
The platform charges an account fee of £48, and money has to be committed at a minimum deposit of £500 before the account opens. On top of that sits the management fee of 0.2% on the funds and ETFs held. The cost picture is therefore a fixed platform charge plus an ongoing fund charge, rather than a charge on each trade.
How much do I need to deposit to open an account?+
The stated minimum deposit is £500, and the minimum investment is £500, so the money has to be in place before the account gets going. A saver starting with a smaller balance would have to look elsewhere: CFI lists a minimum deposit of $0 and Vantage a minimum deposit of $5.