Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of AJ Bell vs Freetrade, 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, AJ Bell offers better pricing than Freetrade 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 Freetrade would cost £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) per year.
12 trades per year - AJ Bell would cost £135 per year, while Freetrade would cost £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) per year.
36 trades per year - AJ Bell would cost £255 per year, while Freetrade would cost £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) per year.
120 trades per year - AJ Bell would cost £495 per year, while Freetrade would cost £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) per year.
3 fund trades per year - AJ Bell would cost £0 per year, while Freetrade would cost £1 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 navigating the world of online investing in the UK, AJ Bell and Freetrade emerge as popular broker options, each with unique offerings. AJ Bell allows you to trade a variety of investment vehicles, including shares, ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds, and investment trusts, ensuring a broad array of choices to diversify your portfolio. In contrast, Freetrade offers trading in shares, ETFs, and investment trusts, which might appeal to those seeking a more streamlined selection. Notably, neither platform currently supports crypto trading, spread betting, or CFD trading.
Rated 5 stars by UK.StockBrokers.com for its investment choices, AJ Bell shines in the UK market, securing the 5th place out of 18 brokers. Meanwhile, Freetrade, with a solid 4-star rating, holds the 17th spot. Whether you're looking for extensive investment options or prefer focusing on essentials, both AJ Bell and Freetrade present viable paths tailored to different investor needs. Although neither offers advisor services, their respective platforms cater to varying investment strategies and goals.
| Feature |
AJ Bell
|
Freetrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | No |
| 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 it comes to comparing the trading tools of AJ Bell and Freetrade, key differences stand out that might influence your choice. AJ Bell shines with its ability to display corporate events such as earnings, splits, and dividends directly on charts, while Freetrade does not offer this feature. Chart enthusiasts may also appreciate AJ Bell's more advanced tools, including 8 drawing tools and 31 technical indicators, in contrast to Freetrade, which provides neither. Both platforms do not allow users to add notes to charts, but AJ Bell enhances its offering by enabling the addition of index and stock overlays, a feature Freetrade lacks.
While AJ Bell and Freetrade both provide the convenience of a browser-based trading platform and the ability to create alerts for stock price updates, AJ Bell's comprehensive charting capabilities make it a more compelling choice for those keen on in-depth analysis. Both platforms deliver real-time market data, ensuring that you stay updated with timely financial information. For UK investors who prioritize detailed chart functionalities, AJ Bell may offer a more enriched experience.
| Feature |
AJ Bell
|
Freetrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 31 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 8 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | No | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
When comparing AJ Bell and Freetrade for UK investors looking at retirement accounts, both brokers offer Individual Savings Accounts (ISA) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPP), making them attractive choices for those planning their financial future. While AJ Bell provides a comprehensive suite of investment options and tools aimed at experienced investors, Freetrade appeals to beginners with its easy-to-use app and straightforward investing approach. Whether you value AJ Bell's extensive resources or Freetrade's simplicity will depend on your personal investing needs and experience level.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
For UK investors seeking a user-friendly mobile trading experience, both AJ Bell and Freetrade provide apps available for iPhone and Android devices, making trading on-the-go convenient and accessible. Evaluated by UK.StockBrokers.com, AJ Bell's mobile app receives an impressive rating of 4.5 stars, securing the 9th spot among 18 brokers, while Freetrade's app is rated at 4 stars, ranking it 12th. Whether prioritizing higher ratings or other personal preferences, UK traders can confidently choose between these two well-regarded platforms to manage their investments efficiently from their mobile devices.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For those just starting in the world of investing, comparing the educational resources provided by AJ Bell and Freetrade reveals some key differences. AJ Bell offers a comprehensive suite of learning tools, including educational client webinars that are also available on demand, covering topics from share trading to retirement planning. Freetrade, while also providing educational content on share trading, funds, and retirement, does not offer client webinars or an on-demand option. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, AJ Bell's beginner education resources are rated 5 stars, ranking 5th out of 18 brokers for beginner education, whereas Freetrade receives a 3.5-star rating and ranks 16th on the same list. This makes AJ Bell a more robust choice for UK investors focusing on educational support.
| Feature |
AJ Bell
|
Freetrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
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|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing the market research features of online brokers AJ Bell and Freetrade, UK investors will find distinct differences. AJ Bell provides a comprehensive array of research tools, offering reports on funds, shares, ETFs, and bonds—something Freetrade lacks for funds and bonds research. Both platforms allow users to see portfolio allocation by asset class and provide research on shares and ETFs. However, neither broker offers research on CFDs. AJ Bell stands out for investors who require detailed fund and bond analyses, while Freetrade may suit those with simpler research needs.
| Feature |
AJ Bell
|
Freetrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | No | No |
| 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 Freetrade? 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 |
AJ Bell
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Freetrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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Neither AJ Bell nor Freetrade currently offer crypto trading, making both online brokers similar in this aspect, allowing potential investors to focus on their other unique features for stock and investment opportunities.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | AJ Bell | Freetrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Review | AJ Bell Review | Freetrade Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | AJ Bell | Freetrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | No | No | |
| Funds | Yes | No | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | No | No | |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Trading Fees | AJ Bell | Freetrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £1 | |
| 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 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £135 | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £255 | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £495 | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £79.50 | N/A | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £0 - £625 | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £625 - £875 | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £875 | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £875 | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £5 | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £5 | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £5 | £0 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £5 | £0 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £25 | N/A |
| Broker Screenshots | AJ Bell | Freetrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
| Platforms & Tools | AJ Bell | Freetrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 31 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 8 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
| Research | AJ Bell | Freetrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | No | No | |
| 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 | Freetrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Overall Summary | AJ Bell | Freetrade | |
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| Review | AJ Bell Review | Freetrade Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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