Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs AJ Bell, 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, Interactive Brokers 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 - Interactive Brokers would cost £15 per year, while AJ Bell would cost £100 per year.
12 trades per year - Interactive Brokers would cost £36 per year, while AJ Bell would cost £135 per year.
36 trades per year - Interactive Brokers would cost £108 per year, while AJ Bell would cost £255 per year.
120 trades per year - Interactive Brokers would cost £360 per year, while AJ Bell would cost £495 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Interactive Brokers would cost £0 per year, while AJ Bell would cost £0 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.
Interactive Brokers and AJ Bell are both solid choices for online trading in the UK but offer distinct options for investors. Interactive Brokers excels in the variety of trading opportunities, including share and crypto trading, giving it an edge for those interested in diverse financial instruments like ETFs, CFDs, funds, and both corporate and government bonds. In contrast, AJ Bell also supports share, ETF, fund, and bond trading but does not offer crypto or CFD trading, making it more suitable for traditional investors.
Both platforms have received impressive ratings for their investment choices, each earning a perfect score of five stars from UK.StockBrokers.com. Despite sharing the same star rating, Interactive Brokers is ranked higher at #2 compared to AJ Bell's position at #5 out of 18 brokers, reflecting the broader range of trading options available with Interactive Brokers. However, neither platform offers advisor services, so self-directed investors will find a comprehensive range of investment opportunities to explore with either broker.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
AJ Bell
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | Yes |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | No |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Investment Choices |
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Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Low-cost US and UK shares.
For UK investors evaluating trading tools, both Interactive Brokers (IB) and AJ Bell seem to offer certain key features like the ability to display corporate events such as earnings, splits, and dividends on their charts, and allow adding both index and stock overlays. However, there are notable differences in the depth of their charting capabilities. Interactive Brokers stands out with 80 drawing tools compared to AJ Bell's 8, and offers 96 technical indicators whereas AJ Bell provides 31. Furthermore, IB provides the capability to add notes directly onto charts, a feature absent in AJ Bell's offerings.
When it comes to staying updated with market changes, both platforms enable users to create alerts for price updates and offer browser-based trading platforms for ease of access. However, if real-time market data is crucial, AJ Bell has an edge over Interactive Brokers by offering this service. These distinctions can be pivotal for traders who rely heavily on in-depth chart analysis and real-time information.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
AJ Bell
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 96 | 31 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 80 | 8 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | Yes |
For UK investors comparing retirement account options, Interactive Brokers and AJ Bell both provide Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs). Both platforms give you flexibility in planning your future, offering ISAs to help you save tax-efficiently and SIPPs for more control over your pension investments. Interactive Brokers and AJ Bell cater to diverse investor needs, allowing you to select either one for managing your long-term financial goals through these popular retirement accounts.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
When choosing an online broker in the UK, it's essential to consider the mobile app experience. Interactive Brokers and AJ Bell both provide iPhone and Android apps, making trading accessible on the go. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers shines with a perfect 5-star rating, ranking 4th out of 18 brokers for mobile apps. In contrast, AJ Bell earns a respectable 4.5-star rating and is placed 9th. Both options ensure you can manage your investments from your smartphone, but Interactive Brokers slightly edges out AJ Bell in terms of mobile app performance and ranking.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK beginners seeking educational resources, both Interactive Brokers and AJ Bell provide valuable learning opportunities through client webinars that can be accessed live or on-demand. Their educational content spans essential investment topics like share trading, funds, and retirement planning. Interactive Brokers is highly rated, with a commendable 4.5 stars from UK.StockBrokers.com, ranking 8th among 18 brokers for beginner education. However, AJ Bell slightly edges out with a full 5-star rating, securing the 5th position, making it a top choice for those just starting their investment journey.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
AJ Bell
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| 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.
For UK investors focused on market research features, Interactive Brokers and AJ Bell both deliver well-rounded offerings. Both brokers provide access to research reports for individual shares, funds, ETFs, and bonds, ensuring that you have comprehensive insights into various investment options. They also enable users to view portfolio allocation by asset class, helping you understand the distribution of your investments. However, a key difference lies in the research for CFDs; Interactive Brokers includes this feature, while AJ Bell does not. Thus, if CFD analysis is important to you, Interactive Brokers may have the edge.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
AJ Bell
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, Interactive Brokers or AJ Bell? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Interactive Brokers to be a better trading platform overall.
Interactive Brokers is a sophisticated trading platform aimed at confident and institutional-grade investors. For newer investors, Interactive Brokers is more intimidating, though it's worth exploring the platform to see if you could save money or access more investments compared to other brokers.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
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AJ Bell
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|---|---|---|
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When comparing online brokers, Interactive Brokers stands out by offering crypto trading, unlike AJ Bell, which does not provide access to cryptocurrency markets.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Interactive Brokers | AJ Bell | |
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| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | AJ Bell Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Interactive Brokers | AJ Bell | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No | |
| Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | No | |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Trading Fees | Interactive Brokers | AJ Bell | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £3 | £5 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £3 | £3.50 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £3 | £3.50 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £15 | £100 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £36 | £135 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £108 | £255 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £360 | £495 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 / £14.85 | £79.50 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £0 | £0 - £625 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £0 | £625 - £875 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £0 | £875 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £0 | £875 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) | £5 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) | £5 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £3 | £5 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | N/A | £5 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £25 | £25 |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | AJ Bell | |
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| Platforms & Tools | Interactive Brokers | AJ Bell | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 96 | 31 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 80 | 8 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | AJ Bell | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | No | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | Yes | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | AJ Bell | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Overall Summary | Interactive Brokers | AJ Bell | |
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| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | AJ Bell Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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