Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of AJ Bell vs XTB, 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, XTB offers better pricing than AJ Bell 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 XTB would cost £0 per year.
12 trades per year - AJ Bell would cost £135 per year, while XTB would cost £0 per year.
36 trades per year - AJ Bell would cost £255 per year, while XTB would cost £0 per year.
120 trades per year - AJ Bell would cost £495 per year, while XTB would cost £0 per year.
3 fund trades per year - AJ Bell would cost £0 per year, while XTB 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.
AJ Bell and XTB both offer platforms for share trading and ETFs, but they differ significantly in the variety of their investment choices. AJ Bell stands out with a broader array of options, allowing investors to trade not only in shares and ETFs but also in funds, corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts), and investment trusts. In contrast, XTB provides an opportunity to trade in CFDs but does not extend its offerings to funds, bonds, or investment trusts. Neither platform offers spread betting or crypto trading, and both lack advisory services.
When evaluated for investment choices, AJ Bell receives a five-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com, ranking 5th among 18 brokers. This suggests a strong performance in providing diverse investment opportunities. XTB also fares well with a 4.5-star rating, ranking 13th, indicating it offers solid investment options, particularly for those interested in CFD trading, but has limitations compared to AJ Bell’s extensive range of investment choices.
| Feature |
AJ Bell
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No |
| Spread Betting | No | Yes |
| Crypto Trading | No | No |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Investment Choices |
|
|
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Low-cost US and UK shares.
When comparing AJ Bell and XTB for their trading tools, both platforms allow users to display corporate events like earnings, splits, and dividends on charts, along with offering real-time market data and browser-based trading platforms. However, XTB provides a wider array of charting capabilities with 20 drawing tools compared to AJ Bell's 8, and 39 technical indicators versus AJ Bell's 31. Additionally, XTB allows users to add personal notes to their charts, a feature not available with AJ Bell.
On the flip side, AJ Bell offers the ability to add both index and stock overlays to charts, unlike XTB, which supports neither. Both brokers allow for stock price alerts, providing valuable updates for active traders. While each platform has its strengths, traders may prefer XTB for its enhanced charting tools or AJ Bell for its more comprehensive overlay options.
| Feature |
AJ Bell
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 31 | 39 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 8 | 20 |
| Charting - Notes | No | Yes |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
When considering online brokers for retirement accounts, AJ Bell and XTB offer different options to suit your needs. Both AJ Bell and XTB provide Individual Savings Accounts (ISA), giving you a tax-efficient way to invest. However, for those specifically interested in Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPP), AJ Bell stands out as the preferred choice, offering this retirement account option, whereas XTB does not. By choosing the broker that aligns with your personal investment goals, you can make the most of your retirement savings.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
Both AJ Bell and XTB offer robust mobile trading apps compatible with iPhone and Android devices, providing flexibility for their users on the go. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, both apps are equally rated at an impressive 4.5 out of 5 stars, ensuring a reliable user experience for traders. However, in the overall ranking among 18 brokers, XTB edges ahead, securing the 6th position, while AJ Bell is ranked 9th, indicating a slightly higher preference for XTB's app among users.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing AJ Bell and XTB for beginner investor educational resources, AJ Bell offers a more comprehensive experience. AJ Bell provides educational webinars, which can also be accessed on demand, while XTB does not offer webinars at all. Both brokers cover share trading education, but AJ Bell additionally offers resources on funds and retirement, which XTB lacks. Rated 5 stars by UK.StockBrokers.com for beginner education and ranked 5th out of 18 brokers, AJ Bell stands out compared to XTB's 4.5-star rating and 9th place ranking. AJ Bell's robust educational offerings make it a strong choice for novice investors looking to expand their financial knowledge.
| Feature |
AJ Bell
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing AJ Bell and XTB for market research features, AJ Bell excels in providing comprehensive research reports for both funds and shares, which XTB lacks. AJ Bell also offers insights into ETFs and bonds, while XTB shines in delivering CFDs research. Both platforms enable users to visualize their portfolio allocation by asset class, making it easy for investors to understand their investments. Though AJ Bell is a better choice for traditional investment research, XTB is ideal for those interested in CFDs. Each platform caters to specific investment research needs, offering distinct strengths in their features.
| Feature |
AJ Bell
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | No | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No |
| Research - Funds | Yes | No |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, AJ Bell or XTB? 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 |
AJ Bell
|
XTB
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
|
| Charges & Fees |
|
|
| Investment Choices |
|
|
| Mobile App |
|
|
| Website |
|
|
| Ease of Use |
|
|
| Education |
|
|
When comparing online brokers AJ Bell and XTB, neither offers crypto trading, highlighting a similarity in their investment options.
Select Brokers
↓×Compare
0 of 5| Overall Rating | AJ Bell | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Charges & Fees |
|
| |
| Investment Choices |
|
| |
| Mobile App |
|
| |
| Website |
|
| |
| Ease of Use |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Review | AJ Bell Review | XTB Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | AJ Bell | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | No | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | No | Yes | |
| Funds | Yes | No | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No | |
| Spread Betting | No | Yes | |
| Crypto Trading | No | No | |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Trading Fees | AJ Bell | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Gallery (click to expand) |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand) |
|
| |
| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
|
| Platforms & Tools | AJ Bell | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 31 | 39 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 8 | 20 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
| Research | AJ Bell | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | No | Yes | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | No | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| Education | AJ Bell | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | XTB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Charges & Fees |
|
| |
| Investment Choices |
|
| |
| Mobile App |
|
| |
| Website |
|
| |
| Ease of Use |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Review | AJ Bell Review | XTB Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
Trading 212 Review
Interactive Brokers Review
Hargreaves Lansdown Review
XTB Review
IG Group Review
eToro Review
Saxo Review
CMC Invest Review
Freetrade Review
Halifax Review
Vanguard Review