Pension Bible
Provider comparison

ii vs Vanguard pension fees

Side-by-side fee comparison based on published fee schedules. Product records: ii 2026-07-17; Vanguard 2026-04-29. See each provider page for scoped fee checks.

At a constant £100,000 invested balance, the representative charge for ii is £72/year and for Vanguard is £150/year . These figures cover selected charge layers. Fund management, transactions, advice, contributions and product terms affect the total cost; the smaller figure does not establish which pension costs less overall.

Annual representative charges
POT SIZE
ii
Vanguard
COST BASIS
£25,000
£72
£48
check exclusions
£50,000
£72
£75
check exclusions
£100,000
£72
£150
check exclusions
£250,000
£180
£375
check exclusions
£500,000
£180
£375
check exclusions
£1,000,000
£180
£375
check exclusions
Amounts are rounded to the nearest pound and assume a constant invested balance.

ii: Excludes fund charges. Core requires Direct Debit and electronic communications. The pricing table says up to £100,000; other eligibility wording says less than £100,000, so confirm the plan at the exact boundary. Junior ISA/family features require Plus or Premium. Fund trades cost £3.99 on Core, £1.49 on Plus and are free on Premium. UK/US share trades are £3.99 on Core/Plus or £2.99 on Premium, before included trades and other applicable charges. The table excludes temporary offers.

Vanguard: Excludes fund charges. Fees shown are for the self-managed Personal Pension. A minimum platform fee of £4/month applies to pots under £32,000 (so £25k pays £48/year, exceeding the 0.15% rate of £37.50). Vanguard also offers a Managed Personal Pension which adds a 0.30% management fee on top of the 0.15% account fee. Account fee is not charged on uninvested cash.

Key differences
ii
Vanguard
Fee model
Flat monthly fee (pension admin included)
Percentage, capped
Fund range
3,000+ funds, shares, ETFs, investment trusts, bonds
~80 Vanguard funds and ETFs
SIPP
Yes
Yes
Workplace
No
No
Min investment
No minimum
£500 lump sum or £100/month
Things to consider
  • •Most providers quote a platform fee that excludes fund charges (OCF), which are additional and vary by fund choice. A few — NEST, Royal London and PensionBee — include fund management in the selected charge, while other costs can still apply. Headline figures are therefore not always comparable between providers.
  • •Fee structures change without notice. Always verify current fees on the provider's website.
  • •The lowest platform fee is only one comparison point. Fund range, service, platform features, investment choice, and product restrictions also matter.
  • •Before transferring any pension, check for exit fees, guaranteed annuity rates, employer contributions, and protected tax-free cash.
  • •This comparison is factual information based on published fee schedules, not a recommendation to choose either provider.
  • •If you're unsure which provider is right for you, speak to an FCA-regulated financial adviser.

This comparison describes selected published pension charges. It is general information, not a recommendation to choose or transfer to either provider.

By Pension Bible Editorial · Editorial standards