The broad range of different UK investment platforms can be difficult to choose between. In this article we will compare what is on offer from AJ Bell and Interactive Investor to help you narrow the selection down. AJ Bell* is a broad online investment platform that lets users invest in unit trusts, shares, investment trusts and ETFs (exchange traded funds), plus a variety of pre-made investment portfolios. Interactive Investor* recently added a managed account option of its own, but is best known for its DIY proposition that has grown into one of the biggest platforms in the UK. Our independent comparison will highlight the similarities and differences between AJ Bell and Interactive Investor, and explore the range of products and costs associated with each choice.
We will also tell you how and where to find the latest new customer offers when you open a new account with Interactive Investor* (capital is at risk).
AJ Bell vs Interactive Investor - which is better?
| AJ Bell* | Interactive Investor* | |
| Services | Ready-made portfolios
AJ Bell funds Favourite funds list Investing guides, videos and podcast |
Company account
Pension trading account Model portfolios Quick Start funds |
| Products | Cash savings
ISA, GIA, LISA, SIPP, JISA, Junior SIPP Dealing account Platinum SIPP Platinum SSAS |
ISA, General Investment Account, Junior ISA, SIPP
Trading account |
| Minimum investment | £1 (or £25 per month) | No minimum |
| Platform fees | £0-£250,000 - 0.25%
£250,000-£1m - 0.10% £1m-£2m - 0.05% Over £2m - 0% Additional underlying fund charges Investments in shares, investment trusts and ETFs - 0.25% (capped at £42 per year) Buying and selling investments: Funds - £1.50 per deal Shares - £5.00 per deal Shares (10 or more deals in previous month) - £3.50 per deal |
£4.99 per month (Investor essentials - Invest up to £50,000)
£11.99 per month (Investor - Invest over £50,000) £19.99 per month (Super Investor - Invest over £50,000 plus additional free trades and up to 5 friends and family) £5.99 per month (Pension Essentials - Invest up to £50,000 in a SIPP) £12.99 per month (Pension Builder - Invest over £50,000 in a SIPP) No charge for a Junior ISA on the Investor plan |
| Customer reviews (Trustpilot) | 4.8 out of 5.0 | 4.7 out of 5.0 |
| Money to the Masses Offer | N/A |
New offers every month. Check out our Interactive Investor review for the latest offer. |
AJ Bell vs Interactive Investor - services
There is a wide selection of investment options on offer from AJ Bell*, including funds, shares, investment trusts and ETFs (exchange traded funds). There are also a range of in-house funds, plus ready-made portfolios for those investors not looking for a DIY setup. Additionally, AJ Bell offers a selection of guides and tools to help explain the fundamentals of investing.
Interactive Investor* offers a wide investment choice too, plus research tools, guides, top-fund picks and model portfolios. The range of Interactive Investor services changed in May 2024 when it launched a managed ISA. Investors can choose between two investment styles ('Index' and 'Sustainable') with five levels of risk each, meaning there are 10 portfolios to choose from. There is also a Company Account (that lets limited companies trade) and a pension trading account (that can hold a greater variety of asset classes than are available through a standard SIPP).
AJ Bell vs Interactive Investor - products
AJ Bell* users can pick from a host of different types of account, including a stocks and shares ISA, GIA (general investment account), Lifetime ISA, Junior ISA, SIPP or Junior SIPP, savings account or dealing account. They also have the option to upgrade to a premium version of its SIPP or a SSAS (Small Self Administered Scheme) products, which allow for different investments and management and are generally more sophisticated versions of the standard product.
Interactive Investor* also offers a stocks and shares ISA, GIA, Junior ISA and SIPP, but not a Lifetime ISA. There is also a trading account that lets users invest in more than 40,000 UK and global stocks, funds, investment trusts and ETFs while minimising exchange costs, as it can hold up to nine different currencies. This range of wrappers covers the basics of what you should expect from an investment platform and the absence of a Lifetime ISA will only be an issue for people under 40 looking to buy their first home or build savings for retirement. Anyone looking for a full range of accounts may want to consider AJ Bell* or Hargreaves Lansdown*, but the optimum way to find the platform with the best Lifetime ISA would be to explore the selection on our 'Best & Cheapest Lifetime ISA providers in 2024' page.
AJ Bell vs Interactive Investor - minimum investment
AJ Bell* users can open an account with just £1 (or a £25 minimum for a regular monthly investment), which is about as low a minimum investment requirement as you will find. It means anyone looking to explore a new investment platform or kickstart their investment journey can do so without a significant cash injection.
It may seem like Interactive Investor* tops AJ Bell here, as it doesn't require a minimum lump sum to open an account, but there is a catch. Users will need to pay a flat monthly fee of at least £4.99 – plus a £3.99 standard dealing charge – which makes it relatively expensive if you only have a small amount to invest. In addition, Interactive Investor's regular investment service requires a direct debit of at least £25 per month.
AJ Bell vs Interactive Investor - fees
AJ Bell customers will need to pay an account charge that starts at 0.25% and decreases as more money is invested. It drops to 0.10% once you pass £250,000, then 0.05% once you pass £1m, then finally 0% on anything over £2m. Users will also need to pay £1.50 for each fund switch and £5.00 per deal when trading shares, which will be key factors if you plan to regularly update your portfolio. Its fee for holding shares is 0.25%, but this is capped at £42 a year.
Interactive Investor structures its fees completely differently. Rather than a percentage charge, it uses a monthly subscription model. Users will need to pay £4.99 a month for the 'Investor Essentials' plan (for portfolios of up to £50,000) or £11.99 a month for the 'Investor' plan (for portfolios over £50,000). There is also the option to upgrade to the 'Super Investor' plan (for portfolios over £50,000) for £19.99 per month, which includes additional free trades. Currently, the standard trading charge is £3.99 across Interactive Investor's different plans, though one free trade per month is included with the 'Investor' plan and more in the 'Super Investor' plan. There are full details of the trading costs in our full Interactive Investor review.
If you want to buy Vanguard ETFs, Interactive Investor can be one of the cheapest ways to do this. It offers access to the popular Vanguard LifeStrategy funds within an ISA or SIPP.
AJ Bell vs Interactive Investor - customer reviews
AJ Bell is very well reviewed by its customers, with Trustpilot users rating it an impressive 4.8 out of 5.0. Out of almost 7,000 reviews, 81% rated it five stars, with its customer service particularly praised. Only 5% of customers rated the platform at just one star, citing a variety of different technical issues.
Interactive Investor is not far behind, with a Trustpilot score of 4.7 out of 5.0, but based on more than 25,000 reviews. Approximately 82% of reviewers gave five stars, pipping AJ Bell, while 6% gave one star. Customers who gave the full five stars wrote about the high level of customer service, while those who rated it at one star complained about technical issues and unexpected fees.
Summary: AJ Bell vs Interactive Investor
Interactive Investor* combines DIY investing with managed portfolios, offering a wide investment choice, plus research tools, guides, top-fund picks and model portfolios. With no minimum investment, you would think it would be easy to recommend for beginner investors, but its fee structure complicates things. Investing a small amount could leave you paying a relatively high fee compared to a platform that doesn't use a monthly subscription model, such as AJ Bell.
The AJ Bell* platform offers a full and comprehensive range of investment products and services, with a percentage pricing structure that rewards larger investments. It has a slightly higher minimum investment than Interactive Investor (£1 vs £0), but by charging a percentage rather than a monthly fee of at least £4.99, it can work out cheaper for small-scale investors. The fee structures then scale in opposite directions, as AJ Bell cuts its percentage as more money goes in, but Interactive Investor increases its monthly fee. Of course, the nature of a flat fee is that the more money you put in, the smaller percentage fee you will be paying.
Overall, the best option for you is likely to come down to how much you intend to invest. For more details on both options, read our AJ Bell review and our Interactive Investor review.
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