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.
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 Robinhood UK 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 Robinhood UK would cost £0 per year.
12 trades per year - AJ Bell would cost £135 per year, while Robinhood UK would cost £0 per year.
36 trades per year - AJ Bell would cost £255 per year, while Robinhood UK would cost £0 per year.
120 trades per year - AJ Bell would cost £495 per year, while Robinhood UK would cost £0 per year.
3 fund trades per year - AJ Bell would cost £0 per year, while Robinhood UK 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.
When choosing an online broker, it's essential to consider the variety of investment options available. AJ Bell offers UK investors a comprehensive range of choices, including share trading, ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts), and investment trusts, making it a versatile platform for diverse investment strategies. AJ Bell's rich portfolio earns it a 5-star rating for investment choices from UK.StockBrokers.com, placing it 3rd among 18 brokers, testifying to its robust offerings and reliability in the market.
Robinhood UK, while also providing share trading, falls short of AJ Bell in terms of investment variety, lacking options such as ETFs, funds, and bonds. This more limited selection earns it a 3-star rating with no specific rank assigned among the UK's brokers. Investors seeking diverse investment avenues may find AJ Bell's broad selection more appealing, though Robinhood UK might still suit those who strictly aim to engage in straightforward share trading without additional asset classes.
| Feature |
AJ Bell
|
Robinhood UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | No |
| 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 |
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Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Low-cost US and UK shares.
When comparing trading tools, AJ Bell stands out with its feature-rich charting capabilities. It allows users to display corporate events like earnings and dividends directly on charts, offering a clearer visual analysis. Additionally, AJ Bell provides a robust set of tools with 8 drawing options and 31 technical indicators, significantly aiding in technical analysis. The platform also supports the inclusion of index and stock overlays, further enhancing chart insights. While both AJ Bell and Robinhood UK offer browser-based trading platforms, AJ Bell's charting tools appear more comprehensive for users seeking detailed analysis and customization.
In contrast, Robinhood UK offers a more straightforward approach with limited charting capabilities. It lacks the ability to display corporate events on charts and provides no drawing tools compared to AJ Bell. Robinhood UK offers just 3 technical indicators, and does not support index or stock overlays on charts. Both platforms provide real-time market data and the ability to set up stock price alerts, ensuring traders can stay updated with market movements. However, for those prioritizing in-depth charting tools and technical analysis, AJ Bell seems to offer more robust features than Robinhood UK.
| 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 | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
When comparing online brokers AJ Bell and Robinhood UK for retirement accounts, it's clear that AJ Bell offers a more comprehensive range of options for UK investors. AJ Bell provides both ISA (Individual Savings Account) and SIPP (Self-Invested Personal Pension) accounts, making it an attractive choice for those seeking tax-efficient savings and long-term retirement planning solutions. On the other hand, Robinhood UK does not currently offer ISA or SIPP accounts, which may limit its appeal for investors focused on retirement brokerage accounts. With AJ Bell's diverse offerings, individuals can more effectively manage their retirement savings in the UK.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
When comparing AJ Bell and Robinhood UK's mobile app offerings for investors, both platforms provide accessible solutions with their iPhone and Android apps. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, both AJ Bell and Robinhood UK's mobile apps received a solid 4-star rating, demonstrating a reliable user experience. However, AJ Bell stands out with its impressive #3 ranking for mobile apps among 18 brokers reviewed, while Robinhood UK does not have a specific ranking. This may suggest that AJ Bell's app delivers a more competitive edge in terms of features and usability for UK investors.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When it comes to educational resources for beginner investors, AJ Bell provides more comprehensive options compared to Robinhood UK. AJ Bell offers client webinars that are not only live but also archived for convenient on-demand viewing, unlike Robinhood UK, which lacks this feature. Both platforms provide educational content on share trading; however, AJ Bell extends its offerings to include education on funds and retirement, areas where Robinhood UK falls short. As a testament to its robust educational resources, AJ Bell receives a 5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com for beginner education and is ranked 3rd out of 18 brokers. In contrast, Robinhood UK holds a 3.5-star rating but isn't ranked among the top brokers for educational support.
| 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 |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing AJ Bell and Robinhood UK for market research features, AJ Bell emerges as the more comprehensive platform for investors keen on in-depth insights. AJ Bell provides research reports for funds and allows investors to easily view portfolio allocation by asset class, features not available through Robinhood UK. Both platforms offer research on shares and ETFs, but AJ Bell goes further with its bonds research, a resource not provided by Robinhood UK. Furthermore, neither AJ Bell nor Robinhood UK supports CFDs research, highlighting a gap for traders interested in derivative markets. Overall, AJ Bell stands out for its broader range of research tools, making it an attractive choice for investors requiring detailed market analysis.
| Feature |
AJ Bell
|
Robinhood UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | No | No |
| 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 |
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Robinhood UK
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When comparing online brokers, neither AJ Bell nor Robinhood UK offers crypto trading, making them equal in this financial service aspect.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | AJ Bell | Robinhood UK | |
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| 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 | |
| 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 | No | No | |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Trading Fees | AJ Bell | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £5 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £3.50 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £3.50 | £0 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £100 | £0 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £135 | £0 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £255 | £0 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £495 | £0 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £79.50 | N/A | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £0 - £625 | £0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £625 - £875 | £0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £875 | £0 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £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 | |
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| Website Gallery (click to expand) |
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| 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 | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
| Research | AJ Bell | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | No | No | |
| 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 | |
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| Review | AJ Bell Review | Robinhood UK Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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