Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Investor 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 Investor 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 Investor and AJ Bell are both strong choices for UK investors looking for a wide range of investment options in their accounts. Each platform offers share trading, ETF trading, fund trading, corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts) and investment trusts, but neither supports CFD trading, spread betting, crypto trading or adviser services. For everyday investors, that means both brokers focus on mainstream investing rather than more complex or speculative products.
When it comes to investment choice, both firms are highly rated by UK.StockBrokers.com, with each receiving 5 out of 5 stars. Interactive Investor is ranked #3 out of 21 brokers for investment choices, while AJ Bell is close behind at #4. In simple terms, both offer a broad selection, but Interactive Investor has a slight edge in the ranking.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
AJ Bell
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|---|---|---|
| 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 |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Interactive Investor and AJ Bell both let you show corporate events like earnings, splits and dividends on charts. For charting depth, Interactive Investor lists 104 technical indicators and supports adding notes and stock overlays, while AJ Bell offers 31 indicators, eight drawing tools and does not support notes or stock overlays. Neither provider offers index overlays.
Both brands provide a browser-based trading platform and let you set price alerts. However, neither offers real-time market data. In short, Interactive Investor suits UK investors who want richer chart analysis and annotations, while AJ Bell delivers simpler tools with a defined set of drawing features.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
AJ Bell
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 31 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 8 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
When comparing UK online brokers Interactive Investor and AJ Bell, both platforms offer Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs). These accounts allow you to grow your investments tax-efficiently and plan for retirement. Whether you're looking at Interactive Investor or AJ Bell, you'll find essential options for managing your savings and retirement funds effectively. Both brokers provide a range of services designed to meet your financial planning needs, ensuring you have access to valuable options for your future.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
Interactive Investor vs AJ Bell for UK mobile investing: both brokers offer iPhone and Android apps, but Interactive Investor scores higher for app quality. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Interactive Investor earns 4.5/5 stars and ranks #8 of 21 for Mobile Apps, while AJ Bell is rated 4/5 stars and ranks #12 of 21. For a higher-rated app experience on iOS or Android, Interactive Investor has the edge, though AJ Bell still delivers solid apps on both platforms.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK beginners comparing Interactive Investor and AJ Bell, both offer education on share trading, funds, and retirement. AJ Bell stands out with educational webinars that are also available on-demand, while Interactive Investor does not provide webinars. Even so, UK.StockBrokers.com rates both 5/5 for beginner education, ranking Interactive Investor higher at 3rd of 21 brokers versus AJ Bell at 6th. Choose AJ Bell if you want webinar-based learning, or Interactive Investor if a higher-ranked overall education offering matters more.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
AJ Bell
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | 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 Investor and AJ Bell, UK investors will find that both platforms deliver comprehensive resources. Interactive Investor and AJ Bell both offer a wide range of research reports for funds, shares, ETFs, and bonds. They both also provide the capability to view portfolio allocation by asset class, helping investors make informed decisions. Whether you're focusing on specific assets or looking to diversify your portfolio, both Interactive Investor and AJ Bell provide the necessary tools to help guide your investment strategy.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
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 Investor or AJ Bell? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Interactive Investor to be a better trading platform overall.
Interactive Investor is a great platform for any investor, offering a wide range of investments for cheap prices on the whole.
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AJ Bell
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While Interactive Investor does not offer crypto trading, AJ Bell also similarly lacks provisions for trading cryptocurrencies, indicating a gap in both platforms' services for investors seeking digital asset opportunities.
We reviewed and compared over 20 of the top U.K. brokerage firms to create our list of the best U.K. investment platforms for beginner investors.
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↓×Compare
0 of 5| Overall Rating | Interactive Investor | AJ Bell | |
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| Review | Interactive Investor Review | AJ Bell Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Interactive Investor | 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 | |||
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Trading Fees | Interactive Investor | AJ Bell | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1 | £250 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £3.99 | £5 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £3.99 | £1.50 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £3.99 | £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 | £71.88 / £179.88 | £0 - £625 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £179.88 | £625 - £875 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £179.88 | £875 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £179.88 | £875 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £3.99 | £5 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £3.99 | £5 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £3.99 | £5 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £3.99 | £5 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £49 | £25 |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Investor | AJ Bell | |
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| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Platforms & Tools | Interactive Investor | AJ Bell | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 31 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 8 | ||
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | Interactive Investor | 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 Investor | 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 | Interactive Investor | AJ Bell | |
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| Review | Interactive Investor Review | AJ Bell Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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