Ally Invest vs Vanguard Comparison: Fees, Features, and More (2026)
Ally Invest and Vanguard are two leading discount brokerages offering commission-free stock and ETF trading. Use this head-to-head comparison table to evaluate fees, features, trading tools, and account options to help you decide which broker is right for you in 2026.
| Feature | Ally Invest | Vanguard |
|---|---|---|
| Website | https://www.ally.com/invest/ | https://investor.vanguard.com/ |
| Broker Type | Discount (online self-directed brokerage) | Full-Service |
| Trading: Stock & ETF? | Yes | Yes |
| ETF & Stock commission | $0 eligible US stocks/ETFs ($2+); $4.95 + $0.01/share if <$2 | $0 online |
| Fractional Shares? | No | Yes; eligible Vanguard ETFs/dollar-based trading |
| Percent Allocations? | No | Yes; Vanguard Digital Advisor/asset-allocation tools |
| Crypto Trading? | No | No |
| Crypto Fees | N/A | Not applicable |
| Options Trading? | Yes | Yes |
| Options Fee | $0 commission + $0.50 per contract | $1/contract |
| Bond Trading Available? | Yes | Yes; Treasuries, bonds, and CDs |
| Receives payment for order flow (PFOF)? | Yes | No |
| Interface: Web trading? | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop trading? | No | No |
| API Trading? | No | No |
| Mutual Funds: Offered? | Yes | Yes |
| Total Mutual Funds | Thousands (500+ fund families) | Over 3,000 |
| NTF Mutual Funds | Over 5,400 | Over 1,800 |
| Non-NTF Fund Fee | $0 (no-load); fund loads otherwise | $20 online for transaction-fee funds; $0 for NTF funds |
| Early Redemption Fee? | Yes (no Ally fee) | No |
| Redemption Hold (Days) | Varies by fund (prospectus); no Ally broker hold period listed | 60 days |
| Early Redemption Fee | Fund-specific (often 0–2%); Ally $0 for no-load sales | $50 |
| Accounts: Margin Accounts? | Yes ($2,000 minimum equity required) | Yes |
| IRAs Offered? | Yes (Traditional/Roth/Rollover at Invest; SEP at Ally Bank) | Yes; Traditional, Roth, SEP, Rollover, and Custodial |
| HSAs Offered? | No | No |
| Money Market Sweep? | Yes (Apex FDIC bank sweep; 0% interest) | Yes; settlement-fund/cash-deposit sweep |
| CDs Offered? | Yes (brokered CDs; $24.95 per transaction) | Yes |
| Robo-Advisor: Offered | Yes | Yes |
| Robo-Advisor Service | Robo Portfolios | Vanguard Digital Advisor |
| Robo-Advisor Fees | 0% cash-enhanced (30% cash buffer) or 0.30% market-focused; ETF expenses extra | 0.20% all-index; 0.25% active/index mix |
| Basics: Headquarters | Charlotte, NC | Valley Forge, PA |
| Year Founded | 2017 | 1975 |
| Clearing Firm | Apex Clearing Corporation | Vanguard Brokerage Services |
| Local Branches? | No | No; phone/online service |
| New Account Minimum | $0 |
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