If you are considering where to invest your money, choosing an investment app may be an attractive option. In this article, we compare investing apps AJ Bell Dodl* and Moneybox, which both aim to provide easily accessible and user-friendly investment platforms. We compare the products and services they offer, as well as the fees they charge.
AJ Bell Dodl vs Moneybox - which is better?
| AJ Bell Dodl* | Moneybox | |
| Services | Investing app
Choice of 37 funds and 81 UK & US stocks |
Investing and savings app
Round-up feature |
| Products | ISA, GIA (General Investment Account), Lifetime ISA, SIPP | Simple saver and notice accounts
Cash ISA, Cash Lifetime ISA ISA, Lifetime ISA, GIA and SIPP |
| Minimum investment | £100 or £25 monthly investment | £1 |
| Platform fees | 0.15% annually (minimum £1 per month, per account)
Additional underlying fund charges |
£1 monthly subscription (waived for first 3 months)
0.45% annual platform fee (No monthly subscription for SIPP, 0.45% platform fee up to £100,000, 0.15% over £100,000) Additional underlying fund charges |
| Customer reviews (Trustpilot) | 4.5 out of 5.0 | 4.4 out of 5.0 |
AJ Bell Dodl vs Moneybox - services
Although both AJ Bell Dodl and Moneybox are investing apps, Moneybox also has savings options. In addition, it has a round-up feature, which means you can choose to automatically round up each transaction for your day-to-day spending to the nearest pound and add that extra money to your savings or investment pot. It's a way of incrementally increasing the amount you are putting in, without really noticing.
In terms of what you can invest in, AJ Bell Dodl has a greater degree of choice, with 37 funds and 81 UK & US shares for investors to build their portfolios from. Moneybox, meanwhile, has 3 ready-made risk-rated portfolios, a choice of 36 funds for those who want to build their own portfolios and 20 individual US stocks to choose from.
AJ Bell Dodl vs Moneybox - products
Both AJ Bell Dodl and Moneybox have stocks and shares ISAs, General Investment Accounts, Lifetime ISAs and SIPPs. Moneybox also has a range of savings accounts, including a cash ISA. It is notable that neither platform offers Junior ISAs, unlike many of their competitors. If you are particularly interested in a Junior ISA, read our article "Best Junior stocks and shares ISA".
AJ Bell Dodl vs Moneybox - minimum investment
While opening an account with AJ Bell Dodl requires a minimum lump-sum investment of £100, or £25 per month as a regular investment, it is possible to start investing with Moneybox from as little as £1. However, it is worth noting Moneybox has a subscription model, which means it costs £1 per month to keep the account open. This means you need to invest a reasonable amount in order to stop this monthly subscription, along with the other platform charges, potentially wiping out any returns.
AJ Bell Dodl vs Moneybox - platform fees
If you are looking for the most cost-effective option, AJ Bell Dodl is one of the cheapest investment platforms in the UK, with a platform fee of just 0.15%, although there is a requirement to pay at least £1 per month, per account. Moneybox is more expensive, with a monthly subscription of £1 (waived for the first 3 months) combined with a platform fee of 0.45%.
AJ Bell Dodl vs Moneybox - customer reviews
AJ Bell Dodl is rated 4.5 out of 5.0 on Trustpilot based on around 160 reviews. About 73% of customers rated AJ Bell Dodl "Excellent", while 10% rated it "Bad". Moneybox, on the other hand, is rated 4.3 out of 5.0 on Trustpilot based on more than 2,000 reviews. Approximately 78% of customers rated Moneybox "Excellent", while about 10% rated it "Bad".
Summary: AJ Bell Dodl vs Moneybox
On the surface, AJ Bell Dodl* and Moneybox are both targeting similar sorts of investors, namely younger people who are happy to use an investing app and want information presented in a straightforward, easily digestible manner. The round-up feature certainly helps set Moneybox apart, but when you look at the comparative cost of each proposition, if you are looking for the cheapest option, AJ Bell Dodl is the clear winner.
For in depth analysis of each, read our AJ Bell Dodl review and Moneybox review.
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