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IG vs AJ Bell 2025

StockBrokers.com

Written by StockBrokers.com

July 31, 2025

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

IG
4.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: £0
  • ISA: Yes
  • SIPP: Yes
AJ Bell
4.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: £0
  • 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, IG 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

IG and AJ Bell both cover core investments like share dealing, ETFs, and investment trusts. IG also offers crypto and CFD trading, which can suit more active traders. AJ Bell does not support crypto or CFDs, but it does offer funds, corporate bonds, and government bonds (gilts), which IG doesn’t. Neither firm provides adviser services.

For investment choice, UK.StockBrokers.com rates both brokers 5 stars; however, AJ Bell ranks higher overall for Investment Choices (#5 of 21) than IG (#11 of 21). In simple terms: pick IG if you want access to crypto and CFDs; pick AJ Bell if you want funds and bonds alongside shares, ETFs, and trusts.

Feature IG logoIG
AJ Bell logoAJ Bell
Share Trading info Yes Yes
CFD Trading info Yes No
ETFs info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds info No Yes
Bonds - Government (Gilts) info No Yes
Investment Trusts info Yes Yes
Spread Betting info Yes No
Crypto Trading info Yes No
Advisor Services info No No
Investment Choices 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

Comparing IG vs AJ Bell for trading tools, both platforms let UK investors display corporate events — earnings, splits and dividends — directly on charts, and they support index and stock overlays. IG offers a wider set of charting tools, with 19 drawing tools and 33 technical indicators, while AJ Bell provides 8 drawing tools and 31 indicators. IG also lets you add notes to charts, a feature AJ Bell does not provide.

Both IG and AJ Bell offer a browser-based trading platform with price alerts and real-time market data for quick updates. If you want deeper charting and the ability to annotate your analysis, IG is the more feature-rich choice; if you mainly need the essentials with event markers, overlays and alerts, AJ Bell covers the basics.

Feature IG logoIG
AJ Bell logoAJ Bell
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Stock Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 33 31
Charting - Drawing Tools info 19 8
Charting - Notes info Yes No
Charting - Display Corporate Events info Yes Yes
Charting - Stock Overlays info Yes Yes
Charting - Index Overlays info Yes Yes

ISAs and SIPPs

For UK investors exploring online brokers for retirement accounts, both IG and AJ Bell present appealing options. IG provides both ISA and SIPP accounts, catering to a range of saving and investment needs. Likewise, AJ Bell offers the same account types, making it simple for individuals planning for retirement to select between these two platforms. Whether prioritizing flexibility or comprehensive features, both IG and AJ Bell deliver accessible ISA and SIPP solutions, accommodating the diverse financial goals of UK investors.

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

Mobile App

For UK traders seeking top-tier mobile trading experiences, both IG and AJ Bell provide comprehensive iPhone and Android apps. IG shines with a stellar 5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com, placing it at the impressive second position among 21 brokers for mobile apps. In contrast, AJ Bell is rated slightly lower at 4.5 stars, securing a respectable ninth place ranking. This makes IG particularly attractive for those prioritizing mobile functionality, although AJ Bell remains a strong contender with its own reliable app offerings.

Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.

Beginners and Education

For UK beginner investors comparing IG and AJ Bell on educational resources, both brokers run client webinars and offer them on demand, and both provide learning on funds and retirement. AJ Bell also teaches share trading, while IG does not. Even so, UK.StockBrokers.com rates both 5 stars for beginner education, with IG ranked 1st out of 21 brokers and AJ Bell 5th—so IG is the higher-ranked pick for top-rated, accessible webinars and learning, while AJ Bell is a good choice if you want share trading guidance included.

Feature IG logoIG
AJ Bell logoAJ Bell
Client Webinars info Yes Yes
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes Yes
Education (Share Trading) info No Yes
Education (Funds) info Yes Yes
Education (Retirement) info Yes Yes
Education 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.

Market Research

IG vs AJ Bell for market research: both brokers provide research reports for funds and let you view your portfolio allocation by asset class. IG offers research on shares and ETFs and publishes fund reports, but it lacks a dedicated funds research area and does not cover bonds. AJ Bell goes further with research on shares, ETFs, funds and bonds, alongside fund reports. For UK investors seeking broader coverage—especially on funds and bonds—AJ Bell is the stronger pick, while IG suits those focused on shares and ETFs with clear portfolio breakdowns.

Feature IG logoIG
AJ Bell logoAJ Bell
Research - Shares info Yes Yes
Research - ETFs info Yes Yes
Research - Bonds info No Yes
Research - Funds info No Yes
Fund Research - Research Reports info Yes Yes
Portfolio Allocation Breakdown info Yes Yes

IG vs AJ Bell Winner

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

IG is an investment platform aimed at experienced investors looking to make frequent trades on the stock market, with thousands of shares, trusts and ETFs to trade. It offers a comprehensive and easy-to-use trading platform that is used by both private and professional investors.

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

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with IG or AJ Bell?

IG vs AJ Bell: IG offers cryptocurrency trading, while AJ Bell does not support crypto trading, making IG the better choice for investors seeking crypto exposure.

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Compare

0 of 5
Overall Rating IG AJ Bell
Overall Rating 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Choices 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Mobile App 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Website 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Review IG Review AJ Bell Review
Winner check_circle
Investments IG AJ Bell
ISA info Yes Yes
SIPP info Yes Yes
Share Trading info Yes Yes
CFD Trading info Yes No
Mutual Funds info No Yes
ETFs info Yes Yes
Bonds - Corporate info No Yes
Bonds - Government (Gilts) info No Yes
Investment Trusts info Yes Yes
Spread Betting info Yes No
Crypto Trading info
Advisor Services info No No
Trading Fees IG AJ Bell
Minimum Deposit info £0 £0
Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month info £0 info £5
Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month info £0 info £3.50
Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month info £0 info £3.50
5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info
12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info
36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info
120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info
3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) info
Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £0 - £250,000 info N/A info £0 - £625
Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K info N/A info £625 - £875
Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m info N/A info £875
Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over info N/A info £875
Bonds - Corporate - Fee info N/A £5
Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee info N/A £5
ETFs - Fee info £0 £5
Investment Trusts - Fee info £0 £5
Telephone Dealing Fee info £50 £25
Broker Screenshots IG AJ Bell
Website Gallery (click to expand)
Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand)
Education Gallery (click to expand)
Platforms & Tools IG AJ Bell
Web Platform info Yes Yes
iPhone App info Yes Yes
Android App info Yes Yes
Stock Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 33 31
Charting - Drawing Tools info 19 8
Charting - Notes info Yes No
Charting - Display Corporate Events info Yes Yes
Charting - Stock Overlays info Yes Yes
Charting - Index Overlays info Yes Yes
Research IG AJ Bell
Research - Shares info Yes Yes
Research - CFDs info
Research - Funds info No Yes
Fund Research - Research Reports info Yes Yes
Research - ETFs info Yes Yes
Research - Bonds info No Yes
Portfolio Allocation Breakdown info Yes Yes
Education IG AJ Bell
Education (Share Trading) info No Yes
Education (Funds) info Yes Yes
Education (Retirement) info Yes Yes
Client Webinars info Yes Yes
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes Yes
Overall Summary IG AJ Bell
Overall Rating 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Choices 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Mobile App 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Website 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Review IG Review AJ Bell Review
Winner check_circle
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