All investing should be regarded as longer term. The value of your investments can go up and down, and you may get back less than you invest. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. If you’re not sure which investments are right for you, please seek out a financial adviser. Capital at risk.
AJ Bell and interactive investor (ii) are two of the most well-established investing providers available to UK retail investors. They’re also fairly comparable in terms of what they offer and their target audience. So, it make sense to pit AJ Bell vs Hargreaves Lansdown against each other in a head-to-head battle.
Both AJ Bell and ii offer a huge range of investments and plenty of account options, including a stocks and shares ISA and a self-invested personal pension (SIPP). So, check out our breakdown of AJ Bell vs interactive investor and hopefully this will help you pick who’s best, depending on what’s most important to you – whether that’s fees, investment choice, account types or anything else.
AJ Bell vs interactive investor: At a glance
AJ Bell and ii are pretty close when it comes to their Finder score. AJ Bell has a score of 4.4 out of 5, whereas ii has a slightly lower 4.1 out of 5.
Both platforms offer stocks and shares ISA, both come with full Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) protection of up to £85,000.
Neither has a particularly high score for fees, with AJ Bell scoring 3.3 out 5 – slightly higher than ii’s lowly 2.7 out of 5.
Both platforms were similarly rated in the Finder Investing Customer Satisfaction Awards 2024.
Round 1: Products
General investment account | ||
---|---|---|
Stocks and shares ISA | ||
Lifetime ISA (LISA) | ||
Pension (SIPP) | ||
Junior ISA (JISA)/Junior SIPP (JSIPP) | ||
Interest on cash balances | ||
Keep in mind | Capital at risk | Capital at risk |
More Info | Go to site More Info |
Both AJ Bell and interactive investor tick most boxes when it comes to account types available on each platform.
So, in this category it’s hard to separate AJ Bell vs ii. However, the fact that AJ Bell also offers a lifetime ISA (LISA) means that it clinches a win here.
Winner: AJ Bell
Round 2: Investment choice
Investment choice score | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ |
---|---|---|
Available markets | 24 | 7+ |
Number of investments | 19,000 | 40,000+ |
Number of ETFs/funds | 3,400 | 4,000 |
Fractional shares | ||
Min. initial deposit | £1 | £0 |
Min. investment | £0 | £1 |
Keep in mind | Capital at risk | Capital at risk |
More Info | Go to site More Info |
Investment choice is another close call for these platforms.
However, interactive investor manages to pip AJ Bell to the post, offering a larger choice of investments and funds, including exchange-traded funds (ETFs). But it’s disappointing to see neither offers fractional shares.
Winner: interactive investor (ii)
Round 3: Fees
Fees score | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ |
---|---|---|
Platform fees | 0.25% per month (max. £3.50) | From £4.99 a month |
US shares | £5 | £3.99 |
UK shares | £5 | £3.99 |
International shares | 0.75% on first £10,000 | £9.99 (Investor Essentials/Investor) £5.99 (Super Investor) |
Funds/ETFs | £1.50 | £3.99 |
Foreign exchange fee | 1% | 1.5% |
Regular investing | Yes (from £25/month and commission drops to £1.50) | Yes (from £25/month and means no commission) |
Withdrawal fee | £0 | £0 |
Deposit fee | £0 | £0 |
Inactivity fee | £0 | £0 |
Keep in mind | Capital at risk | Capital at risk |
More Info | Go to site More Info |
Neither platform offers amazing value when it comes to fees. However, AJ Bell recently lowered its share dealing fees to £5 to make them more competitive. But, they’re still more expensive than ii’s £3.99.
AJ Bell only charges £1.50 for fund dealing, and if you set up a regular investment from £25 per month, this will mean you only pay £1.50 commission for any trade.
interactive investor has a similar system where if you set up a regular monthly investment from £25 per month, you get to avoid paying a commission altogether.
Comparing the platform fees is a little tricky because AJ Bell uses a percentage-based system, whereas ii uses flat fees. So, AJ Bell could work out cheaper for smaller portfolios and ii better value for lager portfolios.
Winner: Tie
Round 4: Ease of use
Ease of use score | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ |
---|---|---|
Apple iOS rating | 4.7/5 | 4.4/5 |
Google Play rating | 3.2/5 | 4.4/5 |
Ways to contact customer service | Phone, email, web chat and post | Phone, post and secure in-app messaging |
UI/UX | Good | Good |
Desktop or web access | ||
Mobile app | ||
Keep in mind | Capital at risk | Capital at risk |
More Info | Go to site More Info |
Neither AJ Bell nor ii offers a particularly fancy investing experience that will blow your socks off.
However, both these platforms offer a robust mobile app and desktop platform for investing. We think ii offers a slightly more modern approach that’s a bit more accessible.
AJ Bell and interactive investor both focus on providing excellent customer service (which is perhaps why some fees are quite high).
Winner: Tie
Round 5: Tools, resources and features
Tools, resources and features | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ |
---|---|---|
Analysis features | ||
Tools for investing/trading | ||
Social features | ||
Learning resources | ||
Additional features | ||
Keep in mind | Capital at risk | Capital at risk |
More Info | Go to site More Info |
Again, if you look at AJ Bell vs interactive investor for tools and resources, they’re both pretty comparable with similar offerings for investors.
The only thing lacking with both these providers is the inclusion of some sort of social features for investors.
Winner: Tie
Overall winner: Is interactive investor better than AJ Bell?
Both AJ Bell and interactive investor offer pretty similar services, targeting the same type of investors – and neither comes out on top.
This is because AJ Bell offers slightly more account types, but ii has more investments. Then, for most of the other categories, it’s extremely hard to separate the two.
Winner: Tie
More guides on Finder
-
Trading 212 vs interactive investor (ii)
Trading 212 and interactive investor (ii) are both investment platforms with a lot to offer. We compare their features, fees, account types and more – side by side in Trading 212 vs ii.
-
interactive investor (ii) vs Vanguard
Vanguard and interactive investor (ii) are both investment platforms with a lot to offer. We compare their features, fees, account types and more – side by side in interactive investor (ii) vs Vanguard UK.
-
Moneybox vs Vanguard
Vanguard and Moneybox are both investment platforms with a lot to offer. We compare their fees, features, account types and more – side by side in Moneybox vs Vanguard.
-
Vanguard vs Hargreaves Lansdown (HL)
Vanguard and Hargreaves Lansdown (HL) are both investment platforms with a lot to offer. We compare their fees, features, account types and more – side by side in Hargreaves Lansdown vs Vanguard UK.
-
Moneyfarm vs Vanguard
Moneyfarm and Vanguard are both investment platforms with a lot to offer. We compare their fees, features, account types and more – side by side in Vanguard vs Moneyfarm.
-
InvestEngine vs Vanguard
Vanguard and InvestEngine are both investment platforms with a lot to offer. We compare their features, fees, account types and more – side by side in InvestEngine vs Vanguard.
-
AJ Bell vs Hargreaves Lansdown (HL)
AJ Bell and Hargreaves Lansdown are both investment platforms with a lot to offer. We compare their features, fees, account types and more – side by side in AJ Bell vs HL.
-
interactive investor vs Hargreaves Lansdown
interactive investor and Hargreaves Lansdown are two established and very similar investment platforms suitable for beginners.
-
Moneyfarm vs Nutmeg
We compare these two digital investment platforms side by side to see how they stack up. We take a look at the products and services on offer as well as the costs and digital experience of each.
-
eToro UK review 2024
Online trading giant eToro lets you buy stocks with no commission, but is it the best option for traders and investors?