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XTB vs AJ Bell 2023

StockBrokers.com

Written by StockBrokers.com

August 03, 2023

Is XTB better than AJ Bell? After scoring the best share dealing accounts across 46 different variables, our analysis finds that AJ Bell is better than XTB. AJ Bell Youinvest offers a mediocre trading platform and decent research tools, including in-house articles and videos. Ultimately, AJ Bell struggles to deliver value in the UK market against brokers that offer a better platform at a lower price point.

Select Brokers

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  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxAJ Bell
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxBarclays
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCapital.com
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCMC Invest
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxDEGIRO
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxeToro
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFineco Bank
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFreetrade
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxHalifax
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxHargreaves Lansdown
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxIG
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxInteractive Brokers
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxInteractive Investor
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxLloyds Bank
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxSaxo Markets
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTrading 212
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxXTB

Compare

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Broker Screenshots XTB AJ Bell
Website Gallery (click to expand)
Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand)
Education Gallery (click to expand)
Overall Rating XTB AJ Bell
Overall Rating 4/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Investment Choices 4/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Mobile App 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Website 4/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Review XTB Review AJ Bell Review
Winner check_circle
Investments XTB AJ Bell
ISA info No Yes
SIPP info No Yes
Share Trading info Yes Yes
CFD Trading info Yes No
Funds info Yes Yes
ETFs info Yes Yes
Bonds - Corporate info No Yes
Bonds - Government (Gilts) info No Yes
Investment Trusts info No Yes
Spread Betting info Yes No
Crypto Trading info No No
Advisor Services info No No
Trading Fees XTB AJ Bell
Minimum Deposit info £0.0 £0.0
Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month info £0 £9.95
Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month info £0 £4.95
Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month info £0 £4.95
5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info £0 £91.75
12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info £0 £161.4
36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info £0 £400.2
120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info £0 £1236
3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) info N/A £79.5
Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 info 0 £0 - £625
Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K info 0 £625 - £875
Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m info 0 £875
Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over info 0 £875
Bonds - Corporate - Fee info N/A £9.95
Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee info N/A £9.95
ETFs - Fee info £0 £9.95
Investment Trusts - Fee info N/A £9.95
Telephone Dealing Fee info N/A £29.95
Platforms & Tools XTB AJ Bell
Web Platform info Yes Yes
iPhone App info Yes Yes
Android App info Yes Yes
Stock Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 59 0
Charting - Drawing Tools info 9 8
Charting - Notes info Yes No
Charting - Display Corporate Events info Yes Yes
Charting - Stock Overlays info Yes Yes
Charting - Index Overlays info Yes Yes
Research XTB AJ Bell
Research - Shares info Yes Yes
Research - CFDs info Yes No
Research - Funds info No Yes
Fund Research - Research Reports info Yes Yes
Research - ETFs info Yes Yes
Research - Bonds info No Yes
Portfolio Allocation Breakdown info Yes Yes
Education XTB AJ Bell
Education (Share Trading) info Yes Yes
Education (Funds) info Yes Yes
Education (Retirement) info No Yes
Client Webinars info Yes Yes
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes Yes
Overall Summary XTB AJ Bell
Overall Rating 4/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Investment Choices 4/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Mobile App 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Website 4/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Research [DELETED] N/A N/A
Ease of Use 4/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Review XTB Review AJ Bell Review
Winner check_circle
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Comparing online share dealing platforms side by side is no small task. For our 2023 review of U.K. brokers, nearly 600 data points were collected over a 10-week period and used to score each broker. Let’s compare XTB and AJ Bell.

XTB vs AJ Bell Comparison

For our 2023 Review, we assessed the best trading platforms in the UK for online share dealing. Let's compare XTB vs AJ Bell.

Is XTB a good broker?

XTB has set itself up as a strong competitor in commission-free share trading. Its low fees and solid educational content will make XTB particularly attractive to newer investors. It does not, however, offer an ISA or SIPP.

Is AJ Bell a good broker?

AJ Bell Youinvest offers a mediocre trading platform and decent research tools, including in-house articles and videos. Ultimately, AJ Bell struggles to deliver value in the UK market against brokers that offer a better platform at a lower price point.

Which broker is less expensive?

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 - XTB would cost £0 per year, while AJ Bell would cost £91.75 per year.

12 trades per year - XTB would cost £0 per year, while AJ Bell would cost £161.4 per year.

36 trades per year - XTB would cost £0 per year, while AJ Bell would cost £400.2 per year.

120 trades per year - XTB would cost £0 per year, while AJ Bell would cost £1236 per year.

3 fund trades per year - XTB would cost £0.0 per year, while AJ Bell would cost £0.0 per year.

How do XTB and AJ Bell compare in terms of minimum deposits required?

XTB requires a minimum deposit of £0.0, while AJ Bell requires a minimum deposit of £0.0. From our testing we found for accounts between £0 - £250,000 XTB charges annual custody fees of 0, while AJ Bell charges annual custody fees of £0 - £625.

Which broker offers a wider range of investment options?

XTB offers investors access to Share Trading, CFD Trading, Funds, ETFs and Spread Betting, while AJ Bell offers investors access to ISA, SIPP, Share Trading, Funds, ETFs, Bonds - Corporate, Bonds - Government (Gilts) and Investment Trusts. Neither have Crypto Trading and Advisor Services. Investing encompasses a wide variety of asset classes, so finding a broker that offers every investment type you are interested in is important.

Do XTB and AJ Bell offer ISA or SIPP accounts?

Self-invested personal pensions (SIPPs) and individual savings accounts (ISAs) are tax-advantaged savings accounts that are an important tool for many individual investors. You can read more about how these accounts operate at Gov.UK: Click here for SIPP information and here for ISA information. Our analysis finds that XTB offers traders access to neither of these accounts, while AJ Bell offers traders access to SIPP and ISA accounts.

Do XTB and AJ Bell offer cryptocurrency?

In our analysis of top brokers for share dealing in the U.K., we research whether each broker offers the ability to trade cash cryptocurrency, such as bitcoin and ethereum, which is still a somewhat rare offering amongst major U.K. brokers. Our review finds that neither XTB nor AJ Bell offer crypto investing.

Which broker offers a better website experience?

Our testing concluded that the website of AJ Bell is better than the website of XTB. AJ Bell offers more functionality, is cleanly designed, and is, overall, easier to use for beginners and casual investors.

Which stock trading app is better?

To compare the trading platforms of both XTB and AJ Bell, we tested each broker's stock trading app. All features compared, our analysis finds that AJ Bell offers a better mobile app. Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.

Do XTB and AJ Bell offer educational resources?

Educational offerings are of particular importance to those who are newer to investing, and we examine the availability of several different types of educational materials in our analysis. Our research finds that XTB offers traders access to Client Webinars, Client Webinars (Archived), Education (Share Trading) and Education (Funds), while AJ Bell offers access to Client Webinars, Client Webinars (Archived), Education (Share Trading), Education (Funds) and Education (Retirement).

Overall winner: AJ Bell

Read Next: Best UK Trading Platforms 2023


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