Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of AJ Bell vs eToro, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, investment options, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
Alongside the cost per trade, most UK online brokers also charge a monthly, quarterly, or annual management fee, which varies based on the account type and balance. Based on our thorough review, eToro offers better pricing than AJ Bell for share dealing.
Assuming a £30,000 portfolio size, here are the total annual costs for share dealing with both brokers, given different monthly activity scenarios.
5 trades per year - AJ Bell would cost £100 per year, while eToro would cost £0 per year.
12 trades per year - AJ Bell would cost £135 per year, while eToro would cost £0 per year.
36 trades per year - AJ Bell would cost £255 per year, while eToro would cost £0 per year.
120 trades per year - AJ Bell would cost £495 per year, while eToro would cost £0 per year.
3 fund trades per year - AJ Bell would cost £0 per year, while eToro would cost $50 per year.
What type of trader are you?
New to the world of investing? See our picks for the Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners. More experienced traders should read our guide to the Best UK Trading Platforms for Active Traders.
When comparing AJ Bell and eToro for UK investors, AJ Bell emerges as a strong contender for those seeking a diverse range of traditional investments. It offers share trading, ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds, and investment trusts. With a top-tier rating of 5 stars from UK.StockBrokers.com for investment choices and a ranking as the fifth best out of 21 brokers, AJ Bell is well-suited for users interested in a wide array of traditional assets. However, AJ Bell does not support crypto or CFD trading, limiting its appeal to those interested in modern, high-risk investments.
On the other hand, eToro is a compelling choice for investors interested in both traditional and modern trading options. While eToro also allows for share and ETF trading, it stands out by offering cryptocurrency and CFD trading, not available with AJ Bell. Its innovative approach provides UK investors the chance to explore a mix of conventional and digital assets. Rated at 4.5 stars and ranked 15th by UK.StockBrokers.com, eToro delivers a slightly different portfolio experience, appealing particularly to those inclined toward newer financial products.
| Feature |
AJ Bell
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | Yes |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
When comparing AJ Bell and eToro for online trading tools, there are several key differences and similarities to consider. AJ Bell stands out by enabling users to display corporate events such as earnings, splits, and dividends directly on charts, a feature not available with eToro. However, eToro offers a significantly higher number of drawing tools, with 56 compared to AJ Bell's 8, and also provides 106 technical indicators, over three times more than AJ Bell's offering. While both platforms support adding index and stock overlays to charts, only eToro allows traders to add notes directly to their charts, which could enhance the user experience for those who rely on annotations for their trading strategies.
Both AJ Bell and eToro support browser-based trading platforms and provide the capability to create alerts for stock price updates, ensuring users stay informed of market changes. Additionally, they both offer real-time market data, catering to traders who need up-to-the-minute information. Despite AJ Bell's inclusion of corporate event displays, eToro's more extensive charting tools and customisation features might appeal to traders seeking advanced analytical capabilities. For UK investors, both platforms present reliable options, but the choice may come down to the specific features that align more closely with an individual's trading approach.
| Feature |
AJ Bell
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eToro
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|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 31 | 106 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 8 | 56 |
| Charting - Notes | No | Yes |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | Yes |
When comparing online brokers AJ Bell and eToro for UK retirement accounts, it’s essential to consider the types of accounts they offer. AJ Bell stands out by providing both ISA and SIPP accounts, catering to a wider range of retirement saving needs. This means that you can invest for the future with tax-efficient savings and dedicated personal pension plans in one place. Conversely, eToro also offers ISA accounts, allowing for tax-efficient investment opportunities, but lacks SIPP accounts, which might limit long-term retirement planning options for some investors. Therefore, if having access to both an ISA and a SIPP is important for your retirement strategy, AJ Bell might be the better choice.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
For UK investors seeking a mobile solution for online trading, both AJ Bell and eToro offer apps compatible with iPhone and Android devices. AJ Bell's mobile app is highly rated with 4.5 stars, placing it at #9 among 21 brokers according to UK.StockBrokers.com. Meanwhile, eToro's app enjoys a perfect 5-star rating, securing a higher position at #5 on the same list. These ratings reflect their usability and features, making eToro the preferred choice for mobile trading enthusiasts seeking a highly-rated experience.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK beginners in investing, AJ Bell and eToro offer educational resources that vary in scope and focus. AJ Bell excels by providing live and on-demand webinars, making it easier for clients to access educational content at their convenience. This broker covers topics such as share trading, funds, and retirement, offering a comprehensive learning experience. eToro, while catering to beginners with a focus on share trading education, doesn't provide webinars or extensive content on funds and retirement. Despite these differences, both brokers are highly rated, with AJ Bell earning a 5-star rating for beginner education from UK.StockBrokers.com and ranking 5th out of 21 brokers, while eToro receives a 4.5-star rating, placing it 11th.
| Feature |
AJ Bell
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing the market research features of AJ Bell and eToro, each offers its own strengths. AJ Bell stands out with its comprehensive research reports for funds and bonds, which are absent from eToro's offerings. Both platforms allow users to see their portfolio allocation by asset class and provide research on shares and ETFs. However, for those interested in CFDs research, eToro has the edge as AJ Bell does not provide this. Ultimately, AJ Bell is ideal for investors seeking detailed insights into traditional assets like funds and bonds, while eToro caters to those looking for CFDs analysis alongside shares and ETFs research.
| Feature |
AJ Bell
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | No | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No |
| Research - Funds | Yes | No |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, AJ Bell or eToro? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found AJ Bell to be a better trading platform overall.
You can invest in an extensive range of investments through AJ Bell. Charges are on the high side for those with large portfolios in mutual funds and those looking to execute one-off share deals; but its new app, called Dodl, offers much lower fees and also offers a more slim-lined and user-friendly service. Educational and research materials are strong, too.
| Feature |
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eToro
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While AJ Bell does not offer crypto trading, eToro provides this service, offering users the ability to trade cryptocurrencies alongside traditional investment options.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | AJ Bell | eToro | |
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| Review | AJ Bell Review | eToro Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | AJ Bell | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | No | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | No | Yes | |
| Funds | Yes | No | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | No | Yes | |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Trading Fees | AJ Bell | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | $50 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £5 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £3.50 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £3.50 | £0 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £100 | £0 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £135 | £0 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £255 | £0 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £495 | £0 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £79.50 | N/A | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £0 - £625 | £0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £625 - £875 | £0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £875 | £0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £875 | £0 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £5 | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £5 | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £5 | £0 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £5 | N/A | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £25 | N/A |
| Broker Screenshots | AJ Bell | eToro | |
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| Platforms & Tools | AJ Bell | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 31 | 106 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 8 | 56 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | Yes |
| Research | AJ Bell | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | No | Yes | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | No | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | AJ Bell | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Overall Summary | AJ Bell | eToro | |
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| Review | AJ Bell Review | eToro Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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