Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of AJ Bell vs Robinhood UK, 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, Robinhood UK 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.
For UK investors seeking diverse investment options, AJ Bell stands out compared to Robinhood UK. While both platforms allow users to trade shares, AJ Bell offers a broader array of choices, including the trading of ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds, and investment trusts. In contrast, Robinhood UK limits its offerings to share trading, missing out on these additional investment opportunities. Neither platform offers crypto trading, spread betting, CFD trading, or advisor services, aligning them in some areas but highlighting AJ Bell's superior range of investing possibilities.
According to UK.StockBrokers.com, AJ Bell impresses with a 5-star rating for investment choices, securing the 5th spot out of 21 brokers. Conversely, Robinhood UK earns a 3-star rating, placing it 20th in the same category. This comparison underscores AJ Bell’s commitment to providing comprehensive investment options for UK investors, establishing it as a more versatile choice for those seeking to diversify their portfolios.
| Feature |
AJ Bell
|
Robinhood UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | No |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | No |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Investment Choices |
|
|
Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
For charting tools, AJ Bell clearly offers more. It lets you display corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends) on charts and provides 8 drawing tools plus 31 technical indicators. Robinhood UK’s charts are basic by comparison: no corporate events, 0 drawing tools, and just 3 indicators.
Both AJ Bell and Robinhood UK have browser-based platforms and let you set stock price alerts. Neither supports adding notes to charts or index/stock overlays. If you want richer chart analysis, AJ Bell is the better fit; if you prioritise real-time market data, Robinhood UK delivers live prices while AJ Bell does not.
| Feature |
AJ Bell
|
Robinhood UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 31 | 3 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 8 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | No | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
When comparing AJ Bell and Robinhood UK for retirement account options, AJ Bell emerges as a more comprehensive choice for UK investors seeking tax-efficient savings. AJ Bell offers both Individual Savings Accounts (ISA) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPP), catering to those who want to grow their savings and plan for retirement. Meanwhile, Robinhood UK does not provide either ISA or SIPP accounts, limiting its appeal for those focused on UK-specific retirement and tax-efficient investment options. With AJ Bell, investors can take advantage of the benefits offered by ISAs and SIPPs, making it a more suitable option for UK retirement planning.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
AJ Bell and Robinhood UK both offer iPhone and Android trading apps for UK investors. UK.StockBrokers.com rates each mobile app 4 out of 5 stars; however, AJ Bell ranks #9 out of 21 brokers for Mobile Apps, while Robinhood UK ranks #13, indicating AJ Bell has a slight edge in overall mobile experience despite the same star rating.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
Choosing between AJ Bell and Robinhood UK as a beginner investor hinges on their educational offerings. AJ Bell shines with educational webinars, both live and on-demand, covering essential topics like share trading, funds, and retirement, offering a comprehensive learning journey. In contrast, Robinhood UK provides basic resources on share trading but lacks content on funds and retirement, and doesn't host any webinars. This comprehensive approach has earned AJ Bell a 5-star rating and a #5 ranking out of 21 brokers for beginner education from UK.StockBrokers.com, while Robinhood UK trails with a 3.5-star rating and a #20 ranking.
| Feature |
AJ Bell
|
Robinhood UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
For UK investors comparing AJ Bell and Robinhood UK, AJ Bell stands out in terms of market research features. AJ Bell provides extensive research reports across various investment categories, including funds, shares, ETFs, and bonds, whereas Robinhood UK only offers research on shares and ETFs, excluding funds and bonds. Additionally, AJ Bell allows users to view their portfolio allocation by asset class, an option not available with Robinhood UK. This makes AJ Bell a better choice for those who value comprehensive market insights and detailed portfolio analysis.
| Feature |
AJ Bell
|
Robinhood UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No |
| Research - Funds | Yes | No |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
Which broker is better overall, AJ Bell or Robinhood UK? 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.
| Feature |
AJ Bell
|
Robinhood UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
|
| Charges & Fees |
|
|
| Investment Choices |
|
|
| Mobile App |
|
|
| Website |
|
|
| Ease of Use |
|
|
| Education |
|
|
When comparing online brokers, neither AJ Bell nor Robinhood UK offers crypto trading, making them equal in this financial service aspect.
Select Brokers
↓×Compare
0 of 5| Overall Rating | AJ Bell | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Charges & Fees |
|
| |
| Investment Choices |
|
| |
| Mobile App |
|
| |
| Website |
|
| |
| Ease of Use |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Review | AJ Bell Review | Robinhood UK Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | AJ Bell | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | No | |
| SIPP | Yes | No | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | No | |
| ETFs | Yes | No | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | |||
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Trading Fees | AJ Bell | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £250 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £5 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £1.50 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £1.50 | £0 | |
| 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 - £625 | £0 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £625 - £875 | £0 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £875 | £0 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £875 | £0 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £5 | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £5 | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £5 | £0 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £5 | N/A | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £25 | N/A |
| Broker Screenshots | AJ Bell | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Gallery (click to expand) |
| ||
| Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand) |
| ||
| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
| Platforms & Tools | AJ Bell | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 31 | 3 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 8 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | AJ Bell | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | Yes | No | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
| Education | AJ Bell | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Overall Summary | AJ Bell | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Charges & Fees |
|
| |
| Investment Choices |
|
| |
| Mobile App |
|
| |
| Website |
|
| |
| Ease of Use |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Review | AJ Bell Review | Robinhood UK Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
Trading 212 Review
Interactive Brokers Review
Hargreaves Lansdown Review
XTB Review
IG Group Review
eToro Review
Saxo Review
CMC Invest Review
Freetrade Review
Halifax Review
Vanguard Review