- Experts rate AJ Bell highly, awarding it a total rating of 5.0/5. The platform is praised for its low fees, extensive market access, and excellent customer service, making it a top choice for SIPP accounts. However, high phone dealing charges are noted as a drawback.
- Across 1104 user reviews on Good Money Guide, averaging 4.2/5, customers frequently commend the user-friendly platform, responsive customer service, and transparent fee structure. Many appreciate the simplicity of the app and the range of investment options available, while some express concerns about occasional platform stability and the need for app improvements.
AJ Bell SIPP & Pension Expert rating
Our expert rating is the average of the areas listed here, each scored out of 5 by our team.Our experts have rated AJ Bell SIPP & Pension across five key areas of our review framework.
- Pricing5.0
- Market Access5.0
- Online Platform5.0
- Customer Service5.0
- Research & Analysis5.0
Pros
- Low SIPP account fees of 0.25% & share dealing commission
- Wide range of shares, bonds and funds
- Ability to add a Junior SIPP for your children
Cons
- High phone dealing charges
See full expert review
Our verdict
AJ Bell offers the cheapest SIPP account when you compare them against providers that charge a percentage of your portfolio value. You can invest in a wide range of investments, including stocks in more than 20 markets, over 4,000 funds, ETFs, and bonds.
Capital at risk.
Is AJ Bell's pension any good?
AJ Bell won “best SIPP provider” in our 2023 and 2022 awards. They offer a huge range of UK and international markets to invest in (with low FX fees). AJ Bell also scored very well in our survey for customer support and has an easy-to-use and low-cost SIPP account platform.
AJ Bell SIPP Special Offers:
Up to £500 cashback: Switch your SIPP to AJ Bell and they will pay up to £35 per investment and £100 in exit fees as cash back to cover your costs up to £500.
£100 gift vouchers: If you refer a friend to AJ Bell that opens a GIA, LISA, ISA or SIPP with more than £10,000 (within 120 days) you both get £100 Amazon gift vouchers.
AJ Bell SIPP Fees:
Annual account charges are 0.25% for shares (capped at £10/month) and tiered for funds (0.25% up to £250,000, 0.10% up to £500,000, and free beyond), with dealing charges of £5 for shares (£3.50 for frequent traders) and £1.50 for funds.
Customer reviews for AJ Bell
Customer ratings come from reviews left on this site. Every review is read and approved before it is published.Based on 1,104 reviews
- Excellent46%
- Very good35%
- Basic15%
- Poor3%
- Bad2%
Read customer reviews
Rings my ...
Makes things simple, great service, very professional, wonderful staff, gives me everything that I want and need currently.
Good
Good
relatively
Relatively user-friendly investment app. Still very confusing and tricky to use, for me at least
Reliable
I trust AJBell to look after my pension fund and do what is best for me. They are responsive and thoroughly professional at all times
Helpful
Great anti fraud procedures saved me losing money to an impersonator.
Simple to use app
Simple
Really good company who have transparent fees and have a really friendly client app to trade on. Feel my retirement funds are in good hands
improving
good website, app needs to catch up
Effortless
Makes investing simple and quick.
Trusted
They dont do the hard sell. They provide you with information to guide you to your investing choice
Reliable
Easy to use platform
Great
easy to use app and strong customer service
Simple
Makes investing stress free and manageable
User friendly experience
Decent service and few headaches
The best thing about AJ Bell is that generally their platform just works and they don't make any mistakes that cause me difficulties. For a fairly low-cost, execution-only service this is what I need from my investment provider.
Great
We have 4 products with Aj Bell and no issues with anything.
Very reliable platform
I keep my SIPP here & am impressed with the service, their comms & sensible prices.
I have been a customer for +/- 10 years
Easy to navigate and deal, reasonable prices
I've had a SIPP with AJ Bell for several years and have been very pleased with the service. The site is easy to navigate, stocks simple to trade and the costs are reasonable.
Simple and easy to use
Very happy with the service. Clean layout and relatively low commission costs.
The best I’ve used
I’ve used a few different options and started with the free trading apps. However, I’ve found AJ Bell to be great since making the switch.
My choice and no regrets
Very pleased with their service. Good help line with any issues. Lots of guidance and I trust them.
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 your portfolio easily. You have access to a wide range of investments, including shares from over 20 markets, funds, ETFs, and bonds.
AJ Bell ’s SIPP has no set-up fees and there are no charges to transfer a SIPP. You can deal online from just £1.50 for funds and £9.95 for shares. Overall, the SIPP charges are quite reasonable and lower than those offered by rival Hargreaves Lansdown. For example, while Hargreaves Lansdown caps its annual shares custody charge at £200 per year, AJ Bell caps its annual shares custody charge at £120 per year.
SIPP Charges & Fees
| Buying and selling investments (per deal) | |||
| Funds (including unit trusts and OEICs) online | £1.50 | ||
| Shares (including investment trusts, ETFs, gilts, and bonds) | £9.95 | ||
| Shares, where there were 10 or more share deals in the previous month | £4.95 | ||
| Funds custody charge (including unit trusts, OEICs, and structured products) | |||
| On the first £250,000 of funds | 0.25% | ||
| For funds between £250,000 and £1m | 0.10% | ||
| For funds between £1m and £2m | 0.05% | ||
| For funds over £2m | No charge | ||
| Shares custody charge (including investment trusts, ETFs, gilts, and bonds) | 0.25% | (max £3.50 per month) | |
The main attraction of this SIPP, relative to their competitors, is the range of investments. On the downside, fees are higher than those of some other providers such as Vanguard, which offers fees of just 0.15% and no fund dealing charges.
Compare AJ Bell against other SIPP providers below:
| SIPP Provider | Annual SIPP Fees | FX Fees | Transfer Offer | Customer Rating | More Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.4% – 0.08% | 0.5% | Cash Back | (Based on 746 reviews) | See Offers* Capital at risk |
| £59.88 – £143.88 | 1.5% – 0.25% | Cash Back | (Based on 1,125 reviews) | See Offers Capital at risk |
| 0%- 0.25% | n/a | Cash Boost | (Based on 1,635 reviews) | See Offers Capital at risk |
 | 0.25%- 0% | 0.75% – 0.5% | Fees Covered | (Based on 1,375 reviews) | See Offers Capital at risk |
| 0.45%- 0% | 1% – 0.25% | Fee Discount | (Based on 1,779 reviews) | See Offers Capital at risk |
| 0.3% +£100 | 0.75% – 0.15% | Cashback | (Based on 265 reviews) | See Offers 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.