In this independent comparison, we will highlight the similarities and differences between AJ Bell Dodl and Trading 212, exploring the range of products and costs associated with each option.
AJ Bell Dodl vs Trading 212 - which is better?
| AJ Bell Dodl | Trading 212 | |
| Services | Investing app
Ready-made investment portfolios managed by AJ Bell Choice of 37 funds and 81 UK & US stocks |
Investing in shares, ETFs, CFDs, gold and cryptocurrencies
Fractional shares Video guides Community forum |
| Products | ISA, GIA (General Investment Account), Lifetime ISA, SIPP | Trading 212 CFD
Trading 212 Invest Trading 212 ISA Trading 212 Pro Account |
| Minimum investment | £100 or £25 monthly investment | £1 (£10 for CFDs) |
| Fees | 0.15% annually (minimum £1 per month per product)
Additional underlying fund charges |
No platform charge for ISA
No fees for buying and selling shares in same currency as account 0.15% FX fee for trades in other currencies within an ISA (0.50% for CFDs) |
| Customer reviews (Trustpilot) | 4.5 out of 5.0 | 4.6/5.0 |
| Money to the Masses Offer | n/a | n/a |
AJ Bell Dodl vs Trading 212 - services
AJ Bell Dodl* is an investing app that offers a streamlined selection of potential investments in what is essentially a scaled-down and simplified version of what is offered by the main AJ Bell brand. Users can pick from eight ready-made funds with a range of risk ratings, or from 29 themed funds. These are all managed by AJ Bell. Alternatively, there is the option for users to build their own portfolios through 37 funds and 81 UK and US shares. In contrast, the main AJ Bell platform has a far broader range of investments. You can learn more about the two AJ Bell offerings by reading our article 'AJ Bell vs AJ Bell Dodl'.
Trading 212 users have a much wider range of investment types to pick from. These include CFDs, gold and cryptocurrency, which may appeal to investors looking to expand the breadth of their portfolio. However, Trading 212 also supports beginners through informative video tutorials that can help investors learn the ropes and get to grips with the basic terminology of investing, as well as the more complicated strategies around what can be added to their portfolios and the best ways to time buying and selling. The Trading 212 website also features active user forums, which could also provide some useful insight. Of course, this is not the same level of help on offer from rival platforms that include a dedicated portfolio manager.
AJ Bell Dodl vs Trading 212 - products
AJ Bell Dodl* offers most of the key products that investors will be looking for – stocks and shares ISAs, GIAs, Lifetime ISAs and SIPPs. However, at the time of writing it is not possible to open a Junior ISA with AJ Bell Dodl. There is also no option for a savings accounts, cash ISA or Junior SIPP. These are all available through rival platforms, though notably not Trading 212. Keep in mind that most competitors will have some gaps in their product range too. For example, though Vanguard does offer a Junior ISA, it does not offer a Lifetime ISA.
The fee structures of AJ Bell Dodl and Trading 212 mean there is no monthly subscription to pay in order to open any particular type of account.
As with AJ Bell Dodl, there are gaps in the Trading 212 product range, with only four types of account widely available. One for CFDs, one for investing in shares (the 'Invest' account), one flexible Stocks and Shares ISA, and one flexible Cash ISA. There is also a "Pro" account, aimed solely at highly experienced investors with large portfolios. Keep in mind that Trading 212 itself warns that 78% of its investors lose money trading CFDs, so most beginners are going to be drawn towards the ISA option. There isn't a platform charge for Trading 212's ISA, unlike on some rival platforms, which should be appealing to investors looking to minimise cost.
AJ Bell Dodl vs Trading 212 - minimum investment
Trading 212 has the smaller minimum investment requirement. Users are able to open an account with just £1, or £10 for CFDs. In contrast, AJ Bell Dodl* has a much higher minimum opening investment of either a £100 lump sum or a £25 monthly commitment. This could be an obstacle for users looking to dip their toes into investing.
Keep in mind that both platforms compare well on the minimum investment front with some of their big-name rivals. For example, Vanguard requires a £500 lump sum to start investing.
AJ Bell Dodl vs Trading 212 - fees
The basic pricing structure of AJ Bell Dodl* makes it one of the cheapest platforms in the UK, alongside Vanguard. It charges just 0.15% (min £1 per month per product) a year, per account with no monthly subscription fee or commission for buying or selling. The major caveat to this pricing structure is the £1 per month per product minimum. In effect, this means that users must invest more than £8,000 to get the 0.15% rate.
Trading 212 sets out its fee structure slightly differently. Users are not charged commission for buying or selling, a percentage of their holdings or a monthly fee. Instead, Trading 212 earns money on the 'spread' between the buy and sell price of what is being traded. There is also a fee for currency conversion, which at the time of writing is 0.15% for trades in a different currency from the one the account is in.
AJ Bell Dodl vs Trading 212 - customer reviews
Based on the results on customer review site Trustpilot, both AJ Bell Dodl* and Trading 212 are rated positively by their customers. AJ Bell Dodl has a strong Trustpilot score of 4.6 out of 5.0, though this is based on just over 200 reviews. Around 76% of reviewers gave AJ Bell Dodl a five-star score, highlighting its excellent customer service and ease of use. However, 7% rated it at one star with some citing a slow complaints process.
Trading 212 has the same 4.6 out of 5.0 score but is based on a much larger sample size of almost 35,000 reviews. Of those, 77% think the platform deserves five stars. The positive comments focus on the ease of use, customer service and the support offered to beginners. Like with AJ Bell Dodl, 7% rated it at one star.
Summary: AJ Bell Dodl vs Trading 212
AJ Bell Dodl* and Trading 212 will both appeal to novices just beginning their investing journey. Both offer a low cost platform that is easy to manage directly through an app, though the app-only nature of AJ Bell Dodl will be limiting for some. When stacked up against bigger-name platforms, neither AJ Bell Dodl nor Trading 212 have the range or combination of products and services that would be integral for more experienced investors.
Trading 212 has a range of tutorials and an active forum that can offer up some useful ideas for what to invest in, while AJ Bell Dodl has a variety of risk-rated, ready-made funds, neither quite compare to the range of investment options and guidance offered by rival platforms. This means that some beginners may find it challenging to build the right portfolio based on their attitude to risk.
For those who are confident they have the skills and experience to build their own portfolio, AJ Bell Dodl and Trading 212 could both work out as good-value options.
When it comes to the head-to-head, your deciding factors should be how you want to invest, the amount you want to invest and the investment choice that is available. AJ Bell Dodl does not have the range of trading options that Trading 212 can boast, which will be limiting for some. However, it does have ready-made portfolios, which can can be a good jumping off point for beginners. Trading 212 also has CFDs among its investment options, and there is a lower minimum investment required to open an account than AJ Bell Dodl. When it comes to cost, you will need to decide if the percentage fee of AJ Bell Dodl is better value than what you will end up paying in fees with Trading 212 via the 'spread' and foreign transactions.
For more detailed explanations of each of the platforms, read our AJ Bell Dodl review and Trading 212 review. You could also check out how we think AJ Bell Dodl stacks up against Freetrade, or how Trading 212 compares with Plus500.
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