Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of AJ Bell vs Lloyds Bank, 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 Lloyds Bank 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 Lloyds Bank would cost £95 per year.
12 trades per year - AJ Bell would cost £135 per year, while Lloyds Bank would cost £40 - £172 per year.
36 trades per year - AJ Bell would cost £255 per year, while Lloyds Bank would cost £40 - £328 per year.
120 trades per year - AJ Bell would cost £495 per year, while Lloyds Bank would cost £40 / £1,000 per year.
3 fund trades per year - AJ Bell would cost £0 per year, while Lloyds Bank 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.
AJ Bell and Lloyds Bank both offer a variety of investment options suitable for UK investors. Both brokers provide access to share trading, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), funds, corporate bonds, government bonds, and investment trusts. However, neither AJ Bell nor Lloyds Bank offers options for cryptocurrency trading, spread betting, or contract for difference (CFD) trading. While AJ Bell lacks advisor services, Lloyds Bank offers this additional support for investors seeking personalized guidance.
When it comes to investment choices, UK.StockBrokers.com rates both AJ Bell and Lloyds Bank with an impressive five stars. Despite this equal rating, AJ Bell ranks slightly higher at 5th place out of 21 brokers, while Lloyds Bank is positioned at 8th. Such rankings highlight AJ Bell’s strong standing in providing comprehensive investment choices, making it a top contender for investors looking for varied portfolio options, although both institutions are excellent choices for diversifying investments.
| Feature |
AJ Bell
|
Lloyds Bank
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | ||
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | Yes |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | ||
| Crypto Trading | ||
| Advisor Services | Yes | |
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
When comparing online broker AJ Bell with Lloyds Bank for trading tools, AJ Bell excels in offering comprehensive features. AJ Bell provides enhanced charting capabilities, including the ability to display corporate events like earnings, splits, and dividends. It also supports chart adjustments with eight drawing tools and 31 technical indicators, while Lloyds Bank offers none in these areas. Additionally, AJ Bell allows users to add both index and stock overlays to charts, supporting a deeper level of analysis, which Lloyds Bank does not provide.
Both AJ Bell and Lloyds Bank come equipped with browser-based trading platforms and the ability to set alerts for stock price updates, making them accessible and convenient for UK traders. However, AJ Bell has the edge with real-time market data, allowing investors to make timely decisions, a feature not available with Lloyds Bank. Thus, for those seeking more advanced charting and real-time insights, AJ Bell presents a compelling choice over Lloyds Bank.
| Feature |
AJ Bell
|
Lloyds Bank
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 31 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 8 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | ||
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes |
When comparing retirement account options in the UK, both AJ Bell and Lloyds Bank offer Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs) to cater to diverse investment needs. AJ Bell provides a range of online investment services, which can appeal to customers looking for a flexible and user-friendly platform for managing their retirement savings. Lloyds Bank, a longstanding financial institution, also offers ISAs and SIPPs, delivering traditional banking services alongside their investment products, which might attract customers who prefer banking with a well-established entity. Both options allow customers to effectively manage and grow their retirement savings, but the choice may ultimately depend on personal preference for digital experience with AJ Bell or the reassurance of a big bank with Lloyds.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
If you're choosing between online broker AJ Bell and Lloyds Bank for managing your investments, both offer mobile apps on iPhone and Android devices, ensuring accessibility regardless of your smartphone preference. AJ Bell's app stands out with a UK.StockBrokers.com rating of 4.5 stars, demonstrating a strong performance and earning it the 9th spot out of 21 brokers. In contrast, Lloyds Bank's app is rated at 3.5 stars and ranks 17th, suggesting room for improvement. This comparison highlights AJ Bell as the better option for those who prioritise higher-rated mobile capabilities for their trading and investment needs.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK beginners seeking educational resources on investing, AJ Bell offers a comprehensive suite of options compared to Lloyds Bank. AJ Bell provides live and on-demand educational webinars, covering essential topics like share trading, funds, and retirement. These resources are backed by a top-tier five-star rating and a fifth-place ranking out of 21 brokers for beginner education by UK.StockBrokers.com. In contrast, Lloyds Bank does not offer educational webinars and lacks specific educational content on share trading, funds, or retirement. As a result, Lloyds Bank holds a four-star rating and ranks fourteenth for beginner education according to the same source. Choosing AJ Bell could therefore provide more extensive educational support for novice investors.
| Feature |
AJ Bell
|
Lloyds Bank
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | |
| Education |
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|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing AJ Bell and Lloyds Bank for market research features, both platforms provide research reports for funds, offering valuable insights for UK investors. They each support research on shares, ETFs, and funds, catering to a wide range of investment interests. Additionally, both AJ Bell and Lloyds Bank offer bonds research, further enhancing their market analysis tools. However, AJ Bell stands out by allowing users to view their portfolio allocation by asset class, a feature not mentioned for Lloyds Bank. This distinction might appeal to investors looking for detailed insights into their asset distribution.
| Feature |
AJ Bell
|
Lloyds Bank
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | ||
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, AJ Bell or Lloyds Bank? 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.
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Lloyds Bank
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AJ Bell does not offer crypto trading, whereas Lloyds Bank also does not provide crypto trading services.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | AJ Bell | Lloyds Bank | |
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| Review | AJ Bell Review | Lloyds Bank Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | AJ Bell | Lloyds Bank | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | |||
| Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | |||
| Crypto Trading | |||
| Advisor Services | Yes |
| Trading Fees | AJ Bell | Lloyds Bank | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £5 | £8 - £11 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £3.50 | £8 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £3.50 | £8 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £100 | £95 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £135 | £40 - £172 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £255 | £40 - £328 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £495 | £40 / £1,000 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £79.50 | £44.50 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £0 - £625 | £40 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £625 - £875 | £40 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £875 | £40 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £875 | £40 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £5 | £8 - £11 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £5 | £8 - £11 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £5 | £8 - £11 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £5 | £8 - £11 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £25 | £35 |
| Broker Screenshots | AJ Bell | Lloyds Bank | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
| Platforms & Tools | AJ Bell | Lloyds Bank | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |||
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | ||
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | ||
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes |
| Research | AJ Bell | Lloyds Bank | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Education | AJ Bell | Lloyds Bank | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | ||
| Education (Funds) | Yes | ||
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | ||
| Client Webinars | Yes | ||
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes |
| Overall Summary | AJ Bell | Lloyds Bank | |
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| Review | AJ Bell Review | Lloyds Bank Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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