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Ally Invest vs Vanguard 2023

StockBrokers.com

Written by StockBrokers.com

April 11, 2023

Is Ally Invest better than Vanguard? After testing 17 of the best online brokers over three months, Ally Invest (84.59%) is better than Vanguard (71.94%). For current Ally customers looking to invest in stocks, Ally's universal-accounts experience and easy-to-use website offer a convenient solution. Its website is far stronger than the mobile app.

Select Brokers

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  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxAlly Invest
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCharles Schwab
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxE*TRADE
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxeToro
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFidelity
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFirstrade
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxInteractive Brokers
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxJ.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxMerrill Edge
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxRobinhood
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxSofi Invest
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxtastytrade
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTD Ameritrade
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTradeStation
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTradier
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxVanguard
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxWebull

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Overall RatingAlly InvestVanguard
Overall 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Options 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 3.5/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading Apps 4/5 Stars 2/5 Stars
Research 4/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars
Customer Service 4/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Education 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Ease Of Use 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Winner check_circle
Review Ally Invest Review Vanguard Review
Trading FeesAlly InvestVanguard
Minimum Deposit $0.00 $0.00
Stock Trades $0.00 $0.00
Penny Stock Fees (OTC) $4.95 info $0.00
Mutual Fund Trade Fee $0.00 Varies
Options (Base Fee) $0.00 $0.00
Options (Per Contract) $0.50 $1.00
Futures (Per Contract) N/A N/A
Broker Assisted Trade Fee $20 $25
Margin RatesAlly InvestVanguard
Margin Rate Under $25,000 12.50% 13.25% info
Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 12.25% 12.75%
Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 11.50% 12.25%
Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 10.25% 11.75%
Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 9.25% 11.25%
Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 8.75% 10.00%
Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 8.00% Varies info
Account FeesAlly InvestVanguard
IRA Annual Fee $0.00 $20.00
IRA Closure Fee $25.00 $0.00
Account Transfer Out (Partial) $50.00 $0.00
Account Transfer Out (Full) $50.00 $0.00
Options Exercise Fee $0.00 $0.00
Options Assignment Fee $0.00 $0.00
Investment OptionsAlly InvestVanguard
Stock Trading Yes Yes
Margin Trading Yes Yes
Fractional Shares No No
OTC Stocks Yes Yes
Options Trading Yes Yes
Complex Options Max Legs 4 4
Futures Trading No No
Forex Trading Yes No
Crypto Trading No No
Crypto Trading - Total Coins 0 0
Mutual Funds (No Load) 13000 N/A
Mutual Funds (Total) 14000 N/A
Bonds (US Treasury) Yes Yes
Bonds (Corporate) Yes Yes
Bonds (Municipal) Yes Yes
Advisor Services Yes Yes
International Countries (Stocks) 0 0
Order TypesAlly InvestVanguard
Order Type - Market Yes Yes
Order Type - Limit Yes Yes
Order Type - After Hours Yes Yes
Order Type - Stop Yes Yes
Order Type - Trailing Stop No No
Order Type - OCO No No
Order Type - OTO No No
Order Type - Broker Assisted Yes Yes
BeginnersAlly InvestVanguard
Education (Stocks) Yes Yes
Education (ETFs) Yes No
Education (Options) Yes No
Education (Mutual Funds) Yes No
Education (Bonds) Yes No
Education (Retirement) Yes Yes
Retirement Calculator No Yes
Investor Dictionary Yes No
Paper Trading No No
Videos No Yes
Webinars No No
Webinars (Archived) Yes No
Progress Tracking No No
Interactive Learning - Quizzes No No
Stock Trading AppsAlly InvestVanguard
iPhone App Yes Yes
Android App Yes Yes
Apple Watch App No No
Trading - Stocks Yes Yes
Trading - After-Hours Yes No
Trading - Simple Options Yes No
Trading - Complex Options Yes No
Order Ticket RT Quotes Yes Yes
Order Ticket SRT Quotes No No
SB Gallery - Mobile Apps
Stock App FeaturesAlly InvestVanguard
Market Movers (Top Gainers) Yes No
Stream Live TV No No
Videos on Demand No No
Stock Alerts No No
Option Chains Viewable Yes No
Watch List (Real-time) Yes No
Watch List (Streaming) No No
Watch Lists - Create & Manage Yes No
Watch Lists - Column Customization No No
Watch Lists - Total Fields 21 9
Stock App ChartingAlly InvestVanguard
Charting - After-Hours No No
Charting - Can Turn Horizontally Yes No
Charting - Multiple Time Frames Yes Yes
Charting - Technical Studies 17 0
Charting - Study Customizations No No
Charting - Stock Comparisons Yes No
Trading PlatformsAlly InvestVanguard
Active Trading Platform N/A N/A
Desktop Trading Platform No No
Desktop Platform (Mac) No No
Web Trading Platform Yes Yes
Paper Trading No No
Trade Journal No No
Watch Lists - Total Fields 21 9
Stock Chart FeaturesAlly InvestVanguard
Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart No No
Charting - Indicators / Studies 117 9
Charting - Drawing Tools 36 0
Charting - Notes Yes No
Charting - Index Overlays Yes Yes
Charting - Historical Trades No No
Charting - Corporate Events No Yes
Charting - Custom Date Range No No
Charting - Custom Time Bars No No
Charting - Automated Analysis Yes No
Charting - Save Profiles Yes No
Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis Yes No
Charting - Study Customizations 5 1
Charting - Custom Studies No No
Day TradingAlly InvestVanguard
Streaming Time & Sales No No
Streaming TV No No
Direct Market Routing - Stocks No No
Ladder Trading No No
Trade Hot Keys No No
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks No No
Trade Ideas - Backtesting No No
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv No No
Short Locator No No
Order Liquidity Rebates No No
Research OverviewAlly InvestVanguard
Research - Stocks Yes Yes
Research - ETFs Yes Yes
Research - Mutual Funds Yes Yes
Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB Yes Yes
Research - Bonds No Yes
Screener - Stocks No Yes
Screener - ETFs Yes Yes
Screener - Mutual Funds No Yes
Screener - Bonds Yes Yes
Misc - Portfolio Allocation No Yes
Stock ResearchAlly InvestVanguard
Stock Research - PDF Reports 2 2
Stock Research - Earnings Yes Yes
Stock Research - Insiders Yes No
Stock Research - Social Yes No
Stock Research - News Yes Yes
Stock Research - ESG No No
Stock Research - SEC Filings Yes No
ETF ResearchAlly InvestVanguard
ETFs - Strategy Overview Yes No
ETF Fund Facts - Inception Date Yes No
ETF Fund Facts - Expense Ratio Yes No
ETF Fund Facts - Net Assets Yes No
ETF Fund Facts - Total Holdings Yes No
ETFs - Top 10 Holdings Yes No
ETFs - Sector Exposure No No
ETFs - Risk Analysis Yes No
ETFs - Ratings Yes No
ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap No No
ETFs - PDF Reports Yes No
Mutual Fund ResearchAlly InvestVanguard
Mutual Funds - Strategy Overview Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - Performance Chart Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - Performance Analysis Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - Prospectus No Yes
Mutual Funds - 3rd Party Ratings Yes No
Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdown Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdings Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - Asset Allocation No No
Mutual Funds - Sector Allocation Yes Yes
Mutual Funds - Country Allocation No No
Mutual Funds - StyleMap No Yes
Options TradingAlly InvestVanguard
Option Chains - Basic View Yes Yes
Option Chains - Strategy View Yes No
Option Chains - Streaming Yes No
Option Chains - Total Columns 8 9
Option Chains - Greeks 1 0
Option Chains - Quick Analysis Yes No
Option Analysis - P&L Charts Yes No
Option Probability Analysis Yes No
Option Probability Analysis Adv No No
Option Positions - Greeks Yes No
Option Positions - Greeks Streaming No No
Option Positions - Adv Analysis Yes No
Option Positions - Rolling Yes No
Option Positions - Grouping Yes No
BankingAlly InvestVanguard
Bank (Member FDIC) Yes No
Checking Accounts Yes No
Savings Accounts Yes No
Credit Cards No No
Debit Cards Yes No
Mortgage Loans Yes No
Customer ServiceAlly InvestVanguard
Phone Support (Prospect Customers) Yes Yes
Phone Support (Current Customers) Yes Yes
Email Support Yes Yes
Live Chat (Prospect Customers) Yes No
Live Chat (Current Customers) Yes No
24/7 Support Yes No
OverallAlly InvestVanguard
Overall 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Options 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 3.5/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading Apps 4/5 Stars 2/5 Stars
Research 4/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars
Education 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Ease Of Use 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Winner check_circle
Review Ally Invest Review Vanguard Review
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Ally Invest vs Vanguard Comparison

Comparing brokers side by side is no easy task. For our 2023 annual broker review, we spent hundreds of hours assessing 17 brokerages to find the best online broker. Let's compare Ally Invest vs Vanguard.

Is Ally Invest or Vanguard better for beginners?

Ally Invest offers more comprehensive new investor education for beginner investors than Vanguard. Ally Invest offers investors access to Education (Stocks), Education (ETFs), Education (Options), Education (Mutual Funds), Education (Bonds) and Education (Retirement), while Vanguard offers investors access to Videos, Education (Stocks) and Education (Retirement). Neither have Paper Trading. See our guide to Best Paper Trading Platforms for more.

What about Ally Invest vs Vanguard pricing?

Ally Invest and Vanguard charge the same amount for regular stock trades, $0.00. Option contracts are pricier at Vanguard, costing $1.00 per contract versus $0.50 per contract at Ally Invest. For a complete commissions summary, see our best brokers for free stock trading guide.

Does Ally Invest or Vanguard offer a wider range of investment options?

Ally Invest offers investors access to Stock Trading, Options Trading, OTC Stocks, Mutual Funds, Forex Trading and Advisor Services, while Vanguard offers investors access to Stock Trading, Options Trading, OTC Stocks, Mutual Funds and Advisor Services. Neither have Fractional Shares and Futures Trading. Looking at Mutual Funds, Vanguard trails Ally Invest in its offering of no transaction fee (NTF) mutual funds, with Ally Invest offering 3900 and Vanguard offering .

Which trading platform is better: Ally Invest or Vanguard?

To compare the trading platforms of Ally Invest and Vanguard, we tested each broker's trading tools, research capabilities, and mobile apps. For trading tools, Ally Invest offers a better experience. With research, Ally Invest offers superior market research. Finally, we found Ally Invest to provide better mobile trading apps.

Does either broker offer banking?

Online banking can be a benefit for investors, and some brokerages do provide banking services to customers. Checking Accounts, Savings Accounts, Debit Cards and Mortgage Loans are offered by Ally Invest while Vanguard offers neither of these. Neither have Credit Cards.

Is Ally Invest good?

For current Ally customers looking to invest in stocks, Ally's universal-accounts experience and easy-to-use website offer a convenient solution. Its website is far stronger than the mobile app.

Is Vanguard good?

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.

Ally Invest vs Vanguard Winner

Overall winner: Ally Invest

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