Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of XTB vs AJ Bell, 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, XTB 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.
XTB vs AJ Bell for UK investors: both brokers offer share and ETF trading, and neither supports cryptocurrency or adviser services. Details on spread betting are not provided.
The main differences are in product range. XTB offers CFD trading, but no funds, corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts), or investment trusts. AJ Bell does not offer CFDs, but does provide access to funds, corporate bonds, UK gilts, and investment trusts. For investment choices, UK.StockBrokers.com rates XTB 4.5/5 (ranked 12th of 21) and AJ Bell 5/5 (ranked 4th of 21).
| Feature |
XTB
|
AJ Bell
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | No | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | Yes |
| Investment Trusts | No | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | No |
| 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, XTB vs AJ Bell comes down to features you value. Both brokers display corporate events on charts. XTB lets you add notes and supports index and stock overlays, which AJ Bell does not. AJ Bell counters with more depth: 8 drawing tools and 31 technical indicators, compared with XTB’s 4 drawing tools and 13 indicators.
Both offer a browser-based trading platform. If you want price alerts, AJ Bell provides them while XTB does not. If you need live real-time market data, XTB includes it and AJ Bell does not. In short, pick AJ Bell for more drawing tools and indicators, or choose XTB if overlays, on‑chart notes, and real-time data matter most.
| Feature |
XTB
|
AJ Bell
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 13 | 31 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 4 | 8 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
Comparing XTB vs AJ Bell for UK retirement saving: both brokers offer Stocks and Shares ISA accounts for tax-efficient investing, but only AJ Bell also provides a SIPP (Self-Invested Personal Pension), while XTB does not. If you only need an ISA, either works; if you want a pension wrapper like a SIPP for long-term retirement planning, AJ Bell is the better fit.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
For UK investors comparing XTB vs AJ Bell on mobile, both brokers offer iPhone and Android apps. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, XTB’s app is rated 4.5 stars and ranks #9 out of 21 brokers for Mobile Apps, while AJ Bell’s app is rated 4 stars and ranks #12. If you want straightforward trading on the go, both are solid picks, but XTB edges ahead for overall mobile experience.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
Comparing beginner investor education at XTB vs AJ Bell for UK readers: AJ Bell offers educational client webinars and keeps them on-demand, while XTB has no webinars. Both provide guidance on share trading, but only AJ Bell covers funds and retirement. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, XTB scores 4.5/5 (ranked 8th of 21) and AJ Bell scores 5/5 (ranked 6th of 21), making AJ Bell the better choice for wide-ranging, easy-to-follow learning, with XTB suiting those focused mainly on share trading.
| Feature |
XTB
|
AJ Bell
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | No | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | No | Yes |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
For UK investors comparing XTB vs AJ Bell on market research, both offer shares and ETF research, but AJ Bell goes further with funds research, bonds research, research reports for funds, and the ability to see portfolio allocation by asset class. XTB does not provide funds or bonds research, fund research reports, or asset-class allocation views, making AJ Bell better for broader research and portfolio tracking, while XTB suits those focused mainly on shares and ETFs.
| Feature |
XTB
|
AJ Bell
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | No | Yes |
| Research - Funds | No | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | No | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, XTB or AJ Bell? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found XTB to be a better trading platform overall.
XTB is a low-cost investing platform best known for its commission-free stock and ETF trading, free ISA, and strong educational content for newer investors.
| Feature |
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AJ Bell
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|---|---|---|
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XTB vs AJ Bell: neither online broker currently offers cryptocurrency trading, so investors seeking crypto exposure will need to look elsewhere.
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| Review | XTB Review | AJ Bell Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | XTB | AJ Bell | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | No | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds | No | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | No | Yes | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | No | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | |||
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Trading Fees | XTB | AJ Bell | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £250 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £0 | £5 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £0 | £1.50 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £0 | £1.50 | |
| 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 | N/A | £0 - £625 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | N/A | £625 - £875 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | N/A | £875 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | N/A | £875 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | £5 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | N/A | £5 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £0 | £5 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | N/A | £5 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | N/A | £25 |
| Broker Screenshots | XTB | AJ Bell | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Platforms & Tools | XTB | AJ Bell | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 13 | 31 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 4 | 8 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
| Research | XTB | AJ Bell | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | No | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | No | Yes | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | No | Yes |
| Education | XTB | AJ Bell | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | No | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | No | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| Overall Summary | XTB | AJ Bell | |
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| Review | XTB Review | AJ Bell Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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