- Experts have rated AJ Bell SIPP & Pension as an outstanding provider, achieving a perfect score of 5.0/5 across multiple criteria, including pricing, market access, and customer service. They highlight the platform's low fees and extensive investment options, including shares, funds, and bonds, while noting high phone dealing charges as a drawback.
- Across 1103 user reviews on Good Money Guide, averaging 4.2/5, customers frequently commend the platform's user-friendly interface, responsive customer service, and transparent fee structure. Many users appreciate the ease of investing and the variety of investment options available, although some express concerns about occasional platform stability and the need for app improvements.
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 1,103 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
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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
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 1,374 reviews) | See Offers Capital at risk |
 | 0.45%- 0% | 1% – 0.25% | Fee Discount | (Based on 1,775 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.
