- Good Money Guide experts rate AJ Bell highly, noting its extensive range of investment options and low account costs as significant advantages. The platform excels in customer service and online usability, achieving top ratings in these areas, though some concerns were raised about high charges for phone transactions and foreign exchange fees for smaller amounts.
- Across 1103 user reviews on Good Money Guide, averaging 4.2/5, customers frequently highlight the platform’s user-friendliness, responsive customer service, and transparent fee structure. However, some users mention that the app could improve in terms of functionality and stability, with a few expressing concerns about occasional platform issues.
AJ Bell Expert rating
Our expert rating is the average of the areas listed here, each scored out of 5 by our team.- Pricing4.5
- Market Access5.0
- Online Platform & App5.0
- Customer Service5.0
- Research & Analysis4.0
Pros
- Wide range of investments
- Low account costs
- Discounts for frequent investors
Cons
- High charge when you deal over the phone
- High FX charges below £10k
See full expert review
Our verdict
AJ Bell is an award-winning, low-cost online investing platform for UK DIY investors. Founded in 1995, AJ Bell has grown to become one of the UK’s leading investment platforms. Today, it has more than 750,000 customers and assets under administration (AUA) of over £120 billion as of October 2026.
Is AJ Bell good for investing?
AJ Bell is an excellent full-service stock broker that offers a wide range of services for investors, including share dealing, fund investing, cash-saving services, and mobile dealing. It also offers a range of accounts including Stocks and Shares ISAs, Lifetime ISAs, Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), dealing accounts, and investment accounts for children.
AJ Bell Customer reviews
Customer ratings come from reviews left on this site. Every review is read and approved before it is published.Based on 1,103 reviews
- Excellent46%
- Very good35%
- Basic15%
- Poor3%
- Bad2%
Read customer reviews
Decent Value but Lacking Stability & Accountability
AJ Bell offers decent value for money compared to some competitors, but my experience has been mixed. Over the years, I’ve encountered several issues with platform stability, which can be particularly frustrating during crucial trading periods. Additionally, I’ve often felt like just another number rather than a valued customer when raising concerns. While I’ll continue using the service for now, the increasingly competitive platform market makes it worth exploring alternatives. The website and app are functional and reasonably user-friendly, but overall, there’s room for improvement.
Happy customer
I’ve used AJ Bell for more than 20 years, which says everything
A. J. BELL
Very pleased with their service. Good help line with any issues I trust them!
Simple to use
user friendly and easy to use
Easy to use and many options available
I find AJ Bell easy to use and navigate either through the App or through a browser. The customer service is easily available too. I am invested in some of their funds and also some independent funds. There is a wide variety of stocks available too ,which makes it easy to invest directly in those firms too. I really like their magazine too.
Overall I am satisfied with their services !
AJ Bell Dodl
For me this is a very good App and a great introduction to investing. It is very low cost but be aware shares to purchase are limited.
Have been investing my money into their ready made funds, cautious, adventurous, balanced, you get my drift and splitting different amounts into those funds. Have also purchased a small amount of shares. The funds and shares are doing ok to date but remember it’s for the long haul so I am prepared for the pendulum swinging back and forth regarding prices.
I did some research before picking an investment account mainly for a beginner and came across Dodl which seems to tick
the boxes for me at this given time.
Would definitely urge others looking for a low cost way of investing and just starting out to give it a try, I would at some point like to try the bigger platform with AJ Bell but still carrying out my diligence and also have to factor in that the costs will more higher.
Very little contact through Bank…
Very little contact through Bank of Scotland.
no thoughts
no thoughts
?
?
.
.
Easy to use.
Easy to use.
4/5
Good
Good
Very good all round
Very good all round
very good updated website
very good updated website
Excellent Investment company
Excellent Investment company
Good value easy to deal…
Good value easy to deal with
i dont know enough
i dont know enough
Used for Lisa. Purchasing ETFs…
Used for Lisa. Purchasing ETFs is a bit higher than I would like and website could be easier to use but good for Lisa
Poor performance
Poor performance
Leave a review
AJ Bell Facts & Figures
| ⬜ Public Company | ✔️ |
| 👉 Number Active Clients | 350,000 |
| 💰 Minimum Deposit | £1 |
| 💸 Client Funds | £65 billion |
| 📅 Founded | 1995 |
| Account Types | |
| ➡️ General Investment Account | ✔️ |
| ➡️ SIPP | ✔️ |
| ➡️ Stocks & Shares ISA | ✔️ |
| ➡️ Junior ISA | ✔️ |
| ➡️ Lifetime ISA | ✔️ |
| Dealing Costs | |
| ➡️ UK Shares | £9.95 |
| ➡️ US Stocks | £9.95 |
| ➡️ ETFs | £9.95 |
| ➡️ Bonds | £9.95 |
| ➡️ Funds | £1.50 |
Capital at risk
AJ Bell News
Is AJ Bell good for index funds?
AJ Bell Index Funds Investing Customer Reviews & Expert RatingThe overall score out of 10 combines our expert rating out of 5 with the average customer rating out of 5.8.3/10★★★★★★★★★★Very goodBased on 1,103 customer reviews and our expert analysisExpert review by Richard Berry · Last updated 13th July 2026Visit AJ Bell(opens in a new tab)AJ
AJ Bell Cash Savings Hub Expert Review & Rating
AJ Bell Cash Savings Customer Reviews & Expert RatingThe overall score out of 10 combines our expert rating out of 5 with the average customer rating out of 5.8.9/10★★★★★★★★★★Very goodBased on 1,103 customer reviews and our expert analysisExpert review by Robin Amos · Last updated 3rd July 2026Visit AJ Bell(opens in a new tab) Good
AJ Bell scraps regular investing fees after cutting share dealing charges
AJ Bell has announced another round of fee cuts, this time removing its regular investing charge altogether as competition among DIY investment platforms continues to intensify. From May 2026, customers using AJ Bell’s regular investing service will no longer pay the £1.50 dealing fee that was previously charged on automatic monthly investments. The change applies
AJ Bell Shares Rise as Customer Growth and Assets Hit Record Levels
Online investment platform, AJ Bell has made a strong start to its 2026 financial year, underpinned by solid customer growth, record assets, and resilient inflows despite a challenging UK policy backdrop. The company’s shares have risen to 470.20p, up 28.20p (+6.38%) year-to-date, reflecting positive investor sentiment following continued operational momentum. For the three months to
Investment platform AJ Bell tops £100 billion in client funds
AJ Bell has announced a milestone year, with platform assets under administration (AUA) rising to £103.3 billion for the year ended 30 September 2025, representing a 19 % increase versus the prior year. The UK investment platform added approximately 102,000 new customers, taking its total to 644,000 — also up 19 %. This growth was
Can you invest in OEICs with AJ Bell?
AJ Bell OEIC Investing Customer Reviews & Expert RatingThe overall score out of 10 combines our expert rating out of 5 with the average customer rating out of 5.8.3/10★★★★★★★★★★Very goodBased on 1,103 customer reviews and our expert analysisExpert review by Richard Berry · Last updated 23rd July 2025Visit AJ Bell(opens in a new tab) Good
AJ Bell Investment Trust Investing Review
AJ Bell Investment Trust Investing Customer Reviews & Expert RatingThe overall score out of 10 combines our expert rating out of 5 with the average customer rating out of 5.8.3/10★★★★★★★★★★Very goodBased on 1,103 customer reviews and our expert analysisExpert review by Richard Berry · Last updated 15th July 2025Visit AJ Bell(opens in a new tab)
AJ Bell’s Lifetime ISA (LISA) Boosts Your Investments By 25%
AJ Bell’s lifetime ISA is an excellent way to save for your first home (or your retirement). When you invest in a lifetime ISA with AJ Bell you are investing in the stock market where you can potentially make more money than in a cash-interest lifetime ISA. However, it’s important to remember that when investing,
Is AJ Bell good for ETF investing?
AJ Bell ETF Investing Customer Reviews & Expert RatingThe overall score out of 10 combines our expert rating out of 5 with the average customer rating out of 5.8.3/10★★★★★★★★★★Very goodBased on 1,103 customer reviews and our expert analysisExpert review by Richard Berry · Last updated 18th July 2025Visit AJ Bell(opens in a new tab) Good
Does AJ Bell Offer Ethical Investing?
AJ Bell offers a range of options for the ethical investor. Through the AJ Bell platform, investors can access ethical funds such as the Liontrust UK Ethical fund as well as ethical ETFs such as the iShares MSCI World SRI ETF. AJ Bell has also created its own ethical fund, the AJ Bell Responsible Growth
AJ Bell’s Investing Apps are Best for Low-Cost App Fund Portfolios
AJ Bell does have an investing app, which is a good way of checking on your investments when out and about. But, I have to say, it’s a bit clunky compared to full-service brokers like Interactive Brokers or even new apps like CMC Invest. It’s not as good as the main website, as you dontt
How much does it cost to invest internationally with AJ Bell?
AJ Bell’s dealing service lets you buy international shares online quickly and easily in a SIPP, stocks and shares ISA, lifetime ISA or Dealing account, but it is quite expensive. The platform offers dealing in 24 international markets including the US, Canada, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Not all shares in these markets are
Is AJ Bell Stocks & Shares ISA any good?
AJ Bell’s investment ISA is one of the cheapest around, especially for large accounts. A stocks and shares ISA is a tax-efficient investment account in which you can invest up to £20,000 per year. When you invest in a socks and shares ISA, you pay no tax on any capital gains or income from your
Is AJ Bell’s SIPP any good?
AJ Bell ’s SIPP is a flexible retirement product that allows you to choose where you invest your pension savings. With this product, you’re in control of how and where your money is invested, and make the decisions that determine how your pension pot performs. You can track your investments online and make changes to
Is AJ Bell share dealing safe?
AJ Bell Share Dealing Customer Reviews & Expert RatingThe overall score out of 10 combines our expert rating out of 5 with the average customer rating out of 5.8.4/10★★★★★★★★★★Very goodBased on 1,103 customer reviews and our expert analysisExpert review by Richard Berry · Last updated 22nd January 2025Visit AJ Bell(opens in a new tab) Good
AJ Bell Junior ISA (JISA) Review
AJ Bell Junior ISA (JISA) Customer Reviews & Expert RatingThe overall score out of 10 combines our expert rating out of 5 with the average customer rating out of 5.9.1/10★★★★★★★★★★ExcellentBased on 1,103 customer reviews and our expert analysisExpert review by Richard Berry · Last updated 28th January 2025Visit AJ Bell(opens in a new tab) Good
AJ Bell Fund Investing Review
AJ Bell Fund Investing Customer Reviews & Expert RatingThe overall score out of 10 combines our expert rating out of 5 with the average customer rating out of 5.9.2/10★★★★★★★★★★ExcellentBased on 1,103 customer reviews and our expert analysisExpert review by Richard Berry · Last updated 18th July 2025Visit AJ Bell(opens in a new tab) Good Money
AJ Bell wins Best Stocks & Shares ISA at the Good Money Guide Awards 2024
AJ Bell won Best Stocks and Shares ISA for their broad range of UK and international shares, funds, bonds, and investment trusts, all offered on a low-cost platform. Richard BerryRichard is the founder of the Good Money Guide (formerly Good Broker Guide), one of the original investment comparison sites established in 2015. With a career
AJ Bell wins Best Investing Account at the Good Money Guide Awards 2024
AJ Bell won Best Investment Account this year because of the broad range of UK and international shares, funds, investment trusts, and the variety of accounts they offer, including SIPPs, ISAs, and General Investment Accounts Richard BerryRichard is the founder of the Good Money Guide (formerly Good Broker Guide), one of the original investment comparison
Who is AJ Bell?
“The invisible thing called a good name is made up of the breath of numbers that speak well of you.” These worthy words of Lord Edward Wood, Earl of Halifax, apply very well to stockbroker AJ Bell; a company which passed half a million customers this year, as well as the man who gave the
Ready-made pension plans allow AJ Bell to challenge digital wealth fintechs
AJ Bell’s move to launch four new Ready-made pension portfolios earlier this year is a challenge to the digital wealth management sector. The investment platform’s move to provide three risk-rated growth funds with annual management charges of just 0.45% puts it in a competitive position against the likes of J.P. Morgan-owned Nutmeg, Moneyfarm, and Aviva-owned
Is AJ Bell expensive for investing?
Not really, compared to other brokers like Hargreaves Lansdown and Interactive Investor is is cheap. But not as cheap as Interactive Brokers, AJ Bell is committed to transparent and fair charges that offer investors excellent value and are among the lowest in the market. On the AJ Bell website, there’s a handy feature that enables
AJ Bell increases ESG offering with a sustainable fund of ETFs
ESG and sustainability investing have become ever more popular throughout 2020 no doubt helped by the outperformance of stocks and funds which have high ESG scores. Investment platform AJ Bell has not been deaf to the clamour and has announced the launched a sustainable fund of ETFs, the Responsible Growth fund. What is the AJ
AJ Bell FAQs:
AJ Bell is a stockbroker and investment platform that lets you invest in UK and international shares, funds and bonds. They were established in 1995, currently have around 350,000 customers and look after over £65 billion of client assets.
Yes, in our awards survey and analysis of investment accounts AJ Bell is consistently at the top of the customer service rankings. They also provide access to a wide range of investments with low account costs.
Yes, AJ Bell has put together a series of low-cost, easy to use and diverse selectio of investment funds to invest in. AJ Bell funds cover growth markets, responsible investing in sustainable companies and funds that generate income rather than focusing on capital growth. You can also invest based on risk from cautious to adventurous and global growth.
AJ Bell differs from Vanguard in that AJ Bell is a full-service stock broker where you can invest in shares, bonds and funds. Whereas Vanguard in the UK only sells it’s own funds. You cannot invest in individual shares with Vanguard. You can also buy Vanguard shares on the AJ Bell platform.
If you want to buy individual shares you need a stock broker.
Yes, AJ Bell is one of the few investment platforms to offer Lifetime ISAs. To transfer a LISA to AJ Bell, you need to open an account and instruct the transfer.
AJ Bell is a public company listed on the London Stock Exchange with the ticker (LON:AJB), which means anyone can own part of it.
Yes, it is safe to invest with AJ Bell because they are FCA regulated, funds are protected by the FSCS, they are a public company and well established.
Capital at risk
Richard is the founder of the Good Money Guide (formerly Good Broker Guide), one of the original investment comparison sites established in 2015. With a career spanning two decades as a broker, he brings extensive expertise and knowledge to the financial landscape.
Having worked as a broker at Investors Intelligence and a multi-asset derivatives broker at MF Global (Man Financial), Richard has acquired substantial experience in the industry. His career began as a private client stockbroker at Walker Crips and Phillip Securities (now King and Shaxson), following internships on the NYMEX oil trading floor in New York and London IPE in 2001 and 2000.
Richard’s contributions and expertise have been recognized by respected publications such as The Sunday Times, BusinessInsider, Yahoo Finance, BusinessNews.org.uk, Master Investor, Wealth Briefing, iNews, and The FT, among many others.
Under Richard’s leadership, the Good Money Guide has evolved into a valuable destination for comprehensive information and expert guidance, specialising in trading, investment, and currency exchange. His commitment to delivering high-quality insights has solidified the Good Money Guide’s standing as a well-respected resource for both customers and industry colleagues.
Comments are closed.