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Freetrade vs AJ Bell 2026

StockBrokers.com

Written by StockBrokers.com

July 31, 2025
  Fact Checked

In this head to head comparison of Freetrade vs AJ Bell, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, investment options, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.

Freetrade
4.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: £1
  • ISA: Yes
  • SIPP: Yes
AJ Bell
4.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: £250
  • ISA: Yes
  • SIPP: Yes

Your capital is at risk.

Fees

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, Freetrade offers better pricing than AJ Bell for share dealing.

query_stats 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.

Investment Choices

Freetrade and AJ Bell both give UK investors a good range of account investment choices, including share trading, ETFs, funds, gilts and investment trusts. Neither broker offers CFD trading, spread betting, crypto trading or adviser services. For most everyday investors, the main difference is that AJ Bell also supports corporate bond trading, while Freetrade does not.

In UK.StockBrokers.com’s investment choices ratings, Freetrade scores 4.5 out of 5 stars and is ranked 9th out of 21 brokers, while AJ Bell scores 5 out of 5 stars and is ranked 4th. If you want a broker with slightly wider fixed-income options, AJ Bell has the edge, but Freetrade still covers the main investment types many UK investors look for.

Feature Freetrade logoFreetrade
AJ Bell logoAJ Bell
Share Trading Yes Yes
CFD Trading No No
ETFs Yes Yes
Mutual Funds Yes Yes
Bonds - Government (Gilts) Yes Yes
Investment Trusts Yes Yes
Spread Betting No No
Crypto Trading
Advisor Services No No
Investment Choices 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars

Featured Offers


4.5/5 Stars

Low-cost US and UK shares.

4.5/5 Stars

Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.

Trading Tools

Freetrade vs AJ Bell: if charting tools matter to you, AJ Bell pulls ahead. AJ Bell lets you see corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends) on charts, offers 8 drawing tools, and includes 31 technical indicators. Freetrade has none of these features. Neither platform supports adding notes to charts or using index or stock overlays.

Both brokers provide a browser-based platform and let you set price alerts, but neither offers real-time market data. For UK investors who want deeper chart analysis, AJ Bell is the stronger pick, while Freetrade suits those who prefer a simpler setup without advanced charting features.

Feature Freetrade logoFreetrade
AJ Bell logoAJ Bell
Web Platform Yes Yes
Stock Alerts Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies 0 31
Charting - Drawing Tools 0 8
Charting - Notes No No
Charting - Display Corporate Events No Yes
Charting - Stock Overlays No No
Charting - Index Overlays No No

ISAs and SIPPs

Freetrade vs AJ Bell: both serve UK investors with ISA accounts for tax-efficient investing and SIPP (self-invested personal pension) accounts for building retirement savings, so choosing between them comes down to comparing fees, tools, and ease of use to see which platform fits your goals.

Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.

Mobile App

Comparing Freetrade vs AJ Bell for UK investors: both brokers offer iPhone and Android apps, but Freetrade stands out on mobile. UK.StockBrokers.com rates Freetrade’s app 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks it 7th out of 21 brokers, while AJ Bell’s app earns 4 out of 5 stars and ranks 12th. In short, both have strong app availability, but Freetrade edges AJ Bell on user ratings and overall mobile ranking.

Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.

Beginners and Education

Comparing Freetrade vs AJ Bell for beginner investor education in the UK: both brokers offer guides on share trading, funds and retirement, but AJ Bell also runs educational client webinars and provides an on‑demand archive, while Freetrade has no webinars. Independent ratings from UK.StockBrokers.com score Freetrade 4/5 (13th of 21) and AJ Bell 5/5 (6th of 21). If you want structured learning with webinars you can watch back, AJ Bell is the stronger choice; if you just need straightforward articles on core topics, Freetrade still covers the basics.

Feature Freetrade logoFreetrade
AJ Bell logoAJ Bell
Client Webinars No Yes
Client Webinars (Archived) No Yes
Education (Share Trading) Yes Yes
Education (Funds) Yes Yes
Education (Retirement) Yes Yes
Education 4/5 Stars 5/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.

Market Research

Comparing UK online brokers Freetrade and AJ Bell for market research features: AJ Bell provides research on shares, ETFs, funds and bonds, plus fund research reports, while Freetrade does not offer research reports or dedicated research for those asset types. Both platforms let you view portfolio allocation by asset class. If you want integrated research tools, AJ Bell is the better fit; if you only need a simple portfolio breakdown, Freetrade may suffice.

Feature Freetrade logoFreetrade
AJ Bell logoAJ Bell
Research - Shares No Yes
Research - ETFs No Yes
Research - Bonds No Yes
Research - Funds No Yes
Fund Research - Research Reports No Yes
Portfolio Allocation Breakdown Yes Yes

Freetrade vs AJ Bell Winner

Which broker is better overall, Freetrade or AJ Bell? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Freetrade to be a better trading platform overall.

Overall Freetrade is a great platform to help you get to grips with investing. Costs are low, and its user-friendly mobile app offers great investment inspiration. Sophisticated investors, however, may find that other platforms offer a wider range of investment options and tools.

Feature Freetrade logoFreetrade
AJ Bell logoAJ Bell
Overall Rating 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Investment Choices 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Mobile App 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Website 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 4/5 Stars 5/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with Freetrade or AJ Bell?

Freetrade does not offer crypto trading, and AJ Bell also does not offer crypto trading, so neither online broker currently provides direct access to buying or selling cryptocurrencies.

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Compare

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Overall Rating Freetrade AJ Bell
Overall Rating 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Investment Choices 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Mobile App 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Website 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 4/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Review Freetrade Review AJ Bell Review
Winner check_circle
Investments Freetrade AJ Bell
ISA Yes Yes
SIPP Yes Yes
Share Trading Yes Yes
CFD Trading No No
Mutual Funds Yes Yes
ETFs Yes Yes
Bonds - Corporate No Yes
Bonds - Government (Gilts) Yes Yes
Investment Trusts Yes Yes
Spread Betting No No
Crypto Trading
Advisor Services No No
Trading Fees Freetrade AJ Bell
Minimum Deposit £1 £250
Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month £0 £5
Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month £0 £1.50
Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month £0 £1.50
5 trades per year (£30k portfolio)
12 trades per year (£30k portfolio)
36 trades per year (£30k portfolio)
120 trades per year (£30k portfolio)
3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio)
Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £0 - £250,000 £59.88 £0 - £625
Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K £59.88 £625 - £875
Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m £59.88 £875
Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over £59.88 £875
Bonds - Corporate - Fee N/A £5
Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee £0 £5
ETFs - Fee £0 £5
Investment Trusts - Fee £0 £5
Telephone Dealing Fee N/A £25
Broker Screenshots Freetrade AJ Bell
Website Gallery (click to expand)
Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand)
Education Gallery (click to expand)
Platforms & Tools Freetrade AJ Bell
Web Platform Yes Yes
iPhone App Yes Yes
Android App Yes Yes
Stock Alerts Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies 0 31
Charting - Drawing Tools 0 8
Charting - Notes No No
Charting - Display Corporate Events No Yes
Charting - Stock Overlays No No
Charting - Index Overlays No No
Research Freetrade AJ Bell
Research - Shares No Yes
Research - CFDs
Research - Funds No Yes
Fund Research - Research Reports No Yes
Research - ETFs No Yes
Research - Bonds No Yes
Portfolio Allocation Breakdown Yes Yes
Education Freetrade AJ Bell
Education (Share Trading) Yes Yes
Education (Funds) Yes Yes
Education (Retirement) Yes Yes
Client Webinars No Yes
Client Webinars (Archived) No Yes
Overall Summary Freetrade AJ Bell
Overall Rating 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Investment Choices 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Mobile App 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Website 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 4/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Review Freetrade Review AJ Bell Review
Winner check_circle
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