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, AJ Bell offers better pricing than Robinhood UK 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.
AJ Bell gives UK investors a wider choice of investments than Robinhood UK. Both platforms offer share trading, but AJ Bell also lets you trade ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts) and investment trusts. Robinhood UK does not offer ETFs, funds, bonds or investment trusts, and neither broker currently offers crypto trading, spread betting, CFD trading or adviser services.
For investment choice, AJ Bell stands out as the stronger option, with a 5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com and a ranking of #4 out of 21 brokers. Robinhood UK is rated 3 stars for investment choices and is not ranked in the same list, making AJ Bell the better pick for UK investors who want access to a broader range of account investment options.
| 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 | ||
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Investment Choices |
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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.
For UK investors comparing mobile apps, both online brokers AJ Bell and Robinhood UK offer iPhone and Android apps. UK.StockBrokers.com rates each app 4 out of 5 stars, with AJ Bell ranked 12th out of 21 brokers for Mobile Apps and Robinhood UK currently not ranked. If you want like-for-like device support and headline ratings, they’re equal; the key difference is AJ Bell’s published placement versus Robinhood UK’s unlisted status.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For beginner investors in the UK comparing online brokers, AJ Bell offers more complete educational resources than Robinhood UK: AJ Bell runs client webinars and keeps them on demand, and covers share trading, funds and retirement, while Robinhood UK provides education on share trading only and has no webinars or replays. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, AJ Bell is rated 5/5 stars and ranks 6th of 21 for beginner education, whereas Robinhood UK scores 3.5/5 with no ranking listed.
| 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.
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 the Dodl app 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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AJ Bell
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Robinhood UK
|
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While AJ Bell does not provide crypto trading options, Robinhood UK offers users the ability to trade cryptocurrencies, presenting a notable difference between the two online brokers regarding crypto asset accessibility.
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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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 | |
| 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) |
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| Mobile Trading Apps 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 | 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 | |
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| Review | AJ Bell Review | Robinhood UK Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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