Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of AJ Bell vs Saxo 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 Saxo 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 and Saxo UK both let you buy and sell shares, ETFs and funds, plus fixed income like corporate bonds and UK government bonds (gilts), and they each offer investment trusts. Neither firm provides adviser services. Key differences: AJ Bell does not offer crypto or CFD trading, while Saxo UK offers both crypto and CFDs.
For investment choice, UK.StockBrokers.com rates both AJ Bell and Saxo UK 5 stars, with Saxo UK ranked #2 of 21 brokers and AJ Bell #4. In simple terms, AJ Bell suits investors focused on straightforward share dealing, ETFs, funds, bonds and trusts, while Saxo UK may appeal if you also want to trade crypto or use CFDs alongside a wide range of listed investments.
| Feature |
AJ Bell
|
Saxo UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | Yes |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | Yes |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
AJ Bell and Saxo UK both offer a browser-based trading platform and price alerts, but their charting tools differ. AJ Bell lets you display corporate events like earnings, splits and dividends on charts, which Saxo UK does not. Saxo UK offers more chart features overall, with 20 drawing tools and 64 technical indicators, compared with AJ Bell’s 8 drawing tools and 31 indicators. Neither supports adding notes to charts or index overlays, and only Saxo UK provides stock overlays.
For UK investors, Saxo UK suits those who want a wider range of indicators and drawing tools, while AJ Bell is useful if viewing corporate events on price charts is important. Neither provider includes real-time market data.
| Feature |
AJ Bell
|
Saxo UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 31 | 64 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 8 | 20 |
| Charting - Notes | No | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
AJ Bell vs Saxo UK: both offer key UK tax-efficient and retirement accounts, including an ISA (Individual Savings Account) and a SIPP (Self-Invested Personal Pension). If you want to invest tax-efficiently now, you can open an ISA with either provider; if you’re building a pension, each also provides a SIPP. Since both platforms support these account types, compare fees, investment options, and platform usability to decide which suits your goals.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
AJ Bell and Saxo UK both offer iPhone and Android apps for UK investors, but ratings differ: UK.StockBrokers.com gives AJ Bell 4/5 stars and ranks it 12th of 21 for Mobile Apps, while Saxo UK earns 5/5 stars and the top spot (1st of 21). If you simply need iOS and Android access, either works; if app quality and user experience are your priority based on independent reviews, Saxo UK comes out ahead, with AJ Bell still a dependable, well-rated choice.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
AJ Bell vs Saxo UK: For UK beginner investors, both brokers provide live educational webinars with on-demand replays and cover key topics like share trading, funds and retirement. UK.StockBrokers.com rates both 5/5 for beginner education, but Saxo UK ranks higher overall (#2 of 21) than AJ Bell (#6 of 21). If league-table position matters, Saxo UK edges ahead, while AJ Bell matches on content types and top rating.
| Feature |
AJ Bell
|
Saxo UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | 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.
AJ Bell and Saxo UK both deliver comprehensive market research for UK investors: each offers research reports for funds, dedicated research on shares, ETFs, funds and bonds, and tools to view portfolio allocation by asset class. With near-identical research coverage, your choice may come down to pricing, platform experience or customer service rather than research features.
| Feature |
AJ Bell
|
Saxo UK
|
|---|---|---|
| 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, AJ Bell or Saxo 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.
| Feature |
AJ Bell
|
Saxo UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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In the AJ Bell vs Saxo UK online broker comparison, Saxo UK offers cryptocurrency trading, while AJ Bell does not.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | AJ Bell | Saxo UK | |
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| Review | AJ Bell Review | Saxo UK Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | AJ Bell | Saxo UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | No | Yes | |
| 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 | AJ Bell | Saxo UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £250 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £5 | $1 / £3 / €3 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £1.50 | $1 / £3 / €3 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £1.50 | $1 / £3 / €3 | |
| 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 | 0.4%, 0.2%, 0.1% | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £625 - £875 | 0.4%, 0.2%, 0.1% | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £875 | 0.4%, 0.2%, 0.1% | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £875 | 0.4%, 0.2%, 0.1% | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £5 | €20 minimum | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £5 | €20 minimum | |
| ETFs - Fee | £5 | From $1 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £5 | 0.03/0.06/0.08% | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £25 | £50 |
| Broker Screenshots | AJ Bell | Saxo UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Platforms & Tools | AJ Bell | Saxo UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 31 | 64 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 8 | 20 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | AJ Bell | Saxo UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | AJ Bell | Saxo UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Overall Summary | AJ Bell | Saxo UK | |
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| Review | AJ Bell Review | Saxo UK Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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