Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of AJ Bell vs Vanguard UK Investor, 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 Vanguard UK Investor 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 offers a broad set of investment choices for UK accounts, including share trading, ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts), and investment trusts. It does not offer crypto or CFD trading. Vanguard UK Investor lets you buy ETFs and funds but does not offer share trading, corporate or government bonds, or investment trusts, and it also does not offer crypto or CFDs.
For range, AJ Bell leads: UK.StockBrokers.com rates its investment choices 5/5 and ranks it 5th out of 21 brokers. Vanguard UK Investor focuses on a simpler menu and offers adviser services, earning 3.5/5 and 18th out of 21 for investment choices. Pick AJ Bell if you want wider market access; choose Vanguard if you mainly want Vanguard funds and ETFs with the option of advice.
| Feature |
AJ Bell
|
Vanguard UK Investor
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | No |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | No |
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
AJ Bell vs Vanguard UK Investor: if charting tools matter, AJ Bell clearly offers more. AJ Bell lets you display corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends) on charts, and includes 8 drawing tools and 31 technical indicators. Vanguard UK Investor does not offer events on charts, drawing tools, or indicators. Both providers lack notes on charts as well as index and stock overlays.
Both have browser-based platforms, but only AJ Bell lets you set price alerts. Neither offers real-time market data. For UK investors who want to analyse price moves and trends, AJ Bell’s trading tools are more useful; Vanguard UK Investor suits a simpler, buy-and-hold approach without in-depth charting.
| Feature |
AJ Bell
|
Vanguard UK Investor
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 31 | 0 |
| 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 online brokers AJ Bell and Vanguard UK Investor for their retirement account offerings in the UK, both platforms provide Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs). AJ Bell and Vanguard UK Investor each give users the flexibility to manage ISAs and SIPPs to build their retirement savings, ensuring both beginner and experienced investors have the necessary tools for investment growth within these tax-efficient accounts. This makes either option a solid choice for UK investors looking to secure their financial future through well-managed retirement accounts.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
AJ Bell and Vanguard UK Investor both offer iPhone and Android apps for UK investors. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, AJ Bell’s app is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranks 9th out of 21 brokers for Mobile Apps, while Vanguard UK Investor’s app is rated 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranks 19th out of 21. If mobile experience is a priority, AJ Bell comes out ahead; if you prefer Vanguard, its apps are still available on both iOS and Android.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For beginner investors in the UK, AJ Bell outshines Vanguard UK Investor on education. AJ Bell runs live educational webinars and keeps them on-demand, covers share trading, funds and retirement, and earns 5/5 stars for beginner education from UK.StockBrokers.com, ranking 5th of 21 brokers. Vanguard offers education on funds and retirement but no webinars (live or archived) and no share trading content, scoring 3.5/5 stars and ranking 17th of 21. If webinars and share trading guidance matter, AJ Bell is the stronger pick; for simple fund and retirement learning, Vanguard still helps.
| Feature |
AJ Bell
|
Vanguard UK Investor
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | No |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing AJ Bell to Vanguard UK Investor for market research features, both platforms provide clients with research reports for funds, allowing investors to make well-informed decisions. If you're looking to analyze portfolio allocation by asset class, both AJ Bell and Vanguard UK Investor have this capability. However, AJ Bell stands out with its more extensive research offerings, including shares and bonds research, which Vanguard UK Investor lacks. Investors interested in ETFs and funds research will find both platforms equally accommodating. For a more comprehensive research experience that includes bonds and shares, AJ Bell may be the better choice.
| Feature |
AJ Bell
|
Vanguard UK Investor
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, AJ Bell or Vanguard UK Investor? 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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Vanguard UK Investor
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Both AJ Bell and Vanguard UK Investor do not offer crypto trading, providing investors with robust platforms focused on traditional investment options instead.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | AJ Bell | Vanguard UK Investor | |
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| Review | AJ Bell Review | Vanguard UK Investor Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | AJ Bell | Vanguard UK Investor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | No | |
| CFD Trading | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | |||
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Trading Fees | AJ Bell | Vanguard UK Investor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £250 | £500 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £5 | N/A | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £1.50 | N/A | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £1.50 | N/A | |
| 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 | £48 - £375 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £625 - £875 | £375 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £875 | £375 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £875 | £375 | |
| 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 | Vanguard UK Investor | |
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| Platforms & Tools | AJ Bell | Vanguard UK Investor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 31 | 0 | |
| 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 | Vanguard UK Investor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | No | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | AJ Bell | Vanguard UK Investor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Overall Summary | AJ Bell | Vanguard UK Investor | |
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| Review | AJ Bell Review | Vanguard UK Investor Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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