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.
Your capital is at risk.
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.
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 both let UK investors trade shares, ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, gilts, and investment trusts. Neither offers CFD trading or advisor services, and neither lists spread betting. A key difference is crypto: Interactive Brokers supports crypto trading, while AJ Bell does not. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, both earn 5 stars for investment choices, with Interactive Brokers ranked #2 of 21 and AJ Bell ranked #5.
If you want crypto alongside a wide range of mainstream investments, Interactive Brokers stands out. If you’re focused on core investments like shares, ETFs, funds, bonds, and trusts without crypto, AJ Bell fits well. Always check fees and available account types (such as ISA, SIPP, and dealing accounts) before you decide.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
AJ 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 | Yes | 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.
Interactive Brokers vs AJ Bell: for UK investors comparing trading tools, Interactive Brokers delivers greater charting depth with 16 drawing tools and 94 technical indicators, while AJ Bell offers 8 drawing tools and 31 indicators. Both brokers provide a browser-based platform and price alerts, and neither lets you add notes to charts.
AJ Bell stands out for practical chart extras: it can display corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends) and lets you overlay indices and other shares, plus it offers real-time market data. Interactive Brokers does not show corporate events, lacks index and stock overlays, and does not provide real-time market data. Choose AJ Bell if live data and on-chart context matter most; pick Interactive Brokers if you want a wider range of indicators and drawing tools for analysis.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
AJ Bell
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 94 | 31 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 16 | 8 |
| Charting - Notes | No | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | Yes |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | 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.
For UK investors seeking reliable mobile trading platforms, both Interactive Brokers and AJ Bell offer apps for iPhone and Android users, ensuring accessibility on the go. While both brokers provide these essential tools, there are notable differences in user experience. Rated five stars for its mobile app by UK.StockBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers showcases superior performance, ranking fourth out of 21 brokers. Meanwhile, AJ Bell, with a respectable rating of 4.5 stars, holds the ninth position in the same ranking. As such, Interactive Brokers edges ahead in mobile app quality according to this evaluation.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
Interactive Brokers vs AJ Bell for beginner investors in the UK: both offer client webinars with on‑demand replays and cover key topics like share trading, funds, and retirement. UK.StockBrokers.com rates each 5/5 for beginner education, but AJ Bell ranks higher overall (#5 of 21) than Interactive Brokers (#8 of 21). If you want equally top-rated learning with a slight ranking edge, AJ Bell has the nod, while Interactive Brokers remains a strong alternative with the same range of topics and flexible viewing.
| 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.
When comparing the market research features of Interactive Brokers and AJ Bell, both platforms excel in offering comprehensive resources for UK investors. Each provides research reports for funds, enabling users to make informed investment decisions. Investors can also access detailed insights into their portfolio allocation by asset class with both brokers. Moreover, whether you are interested in shares, ETFs, funds, or bonds, Interactive Brokers and AJ Bell deliver extensive research options, equipping investors with the necessary information to tailor their investment strategies effectively.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
AJ Bell
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| 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
|
AJ Bell
|
|---|---|---|
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| Mobile App |
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| Ease of Use |
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| Education |
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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 | No | No | |
| Mutual 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 | ||
| 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) | |||
| 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 | £0 | £0 - £625 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £0 | £625 - £875 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £0 | £875 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £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 | £3 | £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 | 94 | 31 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 16 | 8 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | AJ Bell | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| 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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