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AJ Bell investment platform review
Is AJ Bell any good?
AJ Bell is a Which? Recommended Provider for 2025-26, alongside InvestEngine.
In our latest customer satisfaction survey, AJ Bell received a customer score of 78% for its stocks and shares Isa, putting it joint 2nd out of 25 providers.
AJ Bell had by far the most assets available to invest in of any of the platforms we surveyed – more than 24,300, including over 4,480 funds.
It hosts a wide range of informational materials, such as newsletters, podcasts, and webinars.
While AJ Bell isn't the absolute cheapest platform in our cost analysis, it is also never among the most expensive.
From 1 April 2024, AJ Bell implemented a sharp cut to its share trading costs too – nearly halving them from £9.95 to £5, and less if you trade more frequently.
Unfortunately, AJ Bell is one of very few platforms to still charge a fee to buy or sell funds, though the fee is only £1.50.
Stocks and shares Isa users rated ease of use, value for money and overall customer service four stars.
The minimum investment for using AJ Bell is a £25 regular monthly investment, or £500 lump sum.
Please note that the information in this article is for information purposes only and does not constitute advice. Please refer to the particular terms and conditions of an investment platform before committing to any financial products.
- Find out more: Best investment platforms in the UK 2025
AJ Bell stocks and shares Isa scores in more detail
| Aspect of service | Star rating |
| Customer service | |
| Ease of use | |
| Information on investments | |
| Value for money |
What do customers say about AJ Bell?
Comments from AJ Bell customers that took part in our survey include:
- ‘I've been with AJ Bell a number of years. Very happy with the fee structure and customer service received.’
- ‘It is an easy platform to use, very quick and efficient for shares/funds purchases and sales, and their dealing charges are better than many others.’
- ‘AJ Bell customer service is excellent – whenever I have needed to speak to them, they have always been very responsive and friendly.’
Visit AJ Bell to find out more about its accounts, services and investment options.
How much does AJ Bell cost?
There's no difference in fees whether you're investing in an AJ Bell stocks and shares Isa or general investment account.
Annual platform charge:
- 0.25% of the value of your portfolio worth up to £250,000
- 0.10% on value between £250,000 and £500,000
- No charge above £500,000 (capped at £3.50 a month on shares dealing)
Trading charges:
- £1.50 to buy and sell funds
- £5 to buy and sell shares
- £3.50 if you had 10 or more share deals in the previous month
Foreign exchange charge:
This applies to each trade of investments denominated in another currency, for example US stocks, on top of fund and trading charges.
- 0.75% on first £10,000
- 0.50% on next £10,000
- 0.25% on value over £20,000
How much would I pay to invest with AJ Bell?
We've estimated the cost of investing with AJ Bell over the course of a year in a stocks and shares Isa.
Costs will vary depending on how much you invest and whether you trade funds or shares. All assume you make four purchases and four sales each year, spread out over different months.
| Amount invested | Annual fund charges | Annual shares, ETFs and investment trusts charges |
|---|---|---|
| £5,000 | £25 | £53 |
| £10,000 | £37 | £65 |
| £25,000 | £75 | £82 |
| £50,000 | £137 | £82 |
| £100,000 | £262 | £82 |
| £250,000 | £637 | £82 |
| £500,000 | £887 | £82 |
Table notes: Annual charges include platform fee and any trading charges. We have not included other charges that might apply, such as foreign exchange fees or fund management charges that are levied by fund managers, as these vary depending on the specific investments you hold. Fund management fees can range from less than 0.1% for some passively managed 'tracker' funds, to 1.25% or more for actively managed funds or investment trusts.
If you're thinking of using AJ Bell to take an income from your pension in a drawdown plan, read our comparison of pension drawdown plans and charges.
- Find out more: Compare investment platform fees and charges
What is Dodl by AJ Bell?
Dodl is a cheaper and simplified platform run by AJ Bell, which offers fewer investments.
These are AJ Bell funds, 'themed investments' (eg a specific sector or region), and 80 UK and US shares.
The cost of investing with Dodl is 0.15% of the value of the account, with a minimum of £1 a month.
Dodl did not receive enough reviews to get a customer score of its own in our survey.
Find out more about Dodl by visiting the site directly.
What can you invest in with AJ Bell?
AJ Bell accounts and services
Find out more about AJ Bell by using the links below to view their accounts and services:
- General investment account
- Stocks and shares Isa (not a flexible Isa)
- Junior investment Isa
- Self-invested personal pension (Sipp)
- Junior Sipp
- Lifetime Isa
- Income drawdown
- Savings account
- Ready-made portfolio
- Ready-made pension
Investments on AJ Bell
- 4,480 funds (OEICs, multi-asset funds)
- 381 trusts
- 3,810 exchange-traded funds
- 15,430 stocks
- 135 bonds and 93 gilts
Correct as of January 2025
Is AJ Bell good for ethical investors?
Users of AJ Bell can filter investments by Morningstar's sustainability rating – a measure of how well funds are managing ESG (environmental, social, and governance) risks.
AJ Bell also lists the fund’s top 10 holdings, so you can see the companies making up the largest portions of investment in a fund.
- Find out more: Ethical investing explained
Is your money safe with AJ Bell?
AJ Bell is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).
When you invest with an investment platform that's registered with the Financial Conduct Authority, your money will be ring-fenced and should be returned to you if a company goes bust – without having to wait alongside other creditors.
If ring-fencing failed, you would be compensated by the FSCS.
The FSCS will cover up to £85,000 of investments per person, per platform. You can claim for free online at www.fscs.org.uk: there's no reason to use a claims management company.
You won't be compensated for investments falling in value, or if a company in which you hold shares goes bust, unless this poor performance resulted from bad advice given by a regulated Independent Financial Advisor that has since gone bust.
- Find out more: Are your investments protected?