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Head to head
interactive investor or AJ Bell? Fees, regulation, platform and product range compared side by side — with a verdict drawn from the data.
The UK's flat-fee platform: one monthly subscription, and your charges stop growing with your portfolio.
The value pick among the big UK platforms — low, capped charges without giving up service.
Advertising disclosure: where a partnership is active, we may earn a commission through broker links. The provider’s terms apply. Commissions do not influence our ratings; paid placements are separately labelled as sponsored.
Four decision axes, each derived from the recorded data.
Overall both land on 4.1 out of 5. interactive investor is the cheaper of the two: a reference EUR 5,000 stock order costs €4.67 there against €5.85. AJ Bell scores 86 against 77 out of 100 on the group index. Your account's protection depends on its legal entity. AJ Bell covers more ground with 7 of 14 asset classes against 6. We rate platform and app at 4.1 out of 5 for both. Which one is right depends on which of these axes matters for your trading profile.
interactive investorAJ Bellinteractive investorAJ Bellinteractive investorAJ Bellinteractive investorAJ Bellinteractive investorAJ BellUp to four brokers at once — every row a decision point.
Data as of: 30 Aug 2026
| Criterion | ||
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 4.1 | 4.1 |
| Group index | 77 of 100 | 86 of 100 |
| Best for | Portfolios above GBP 40,000SIPP and drawdown savers with larger potsUS and international share investorsBuy-and-hold investors consolidating platformsInvestors who want costs that stop growing | Cost-conscious UK investorsShare and ETF portfolios in an ISASIPP and drawdown saversInvestment trust investorsInvestors who want low fees with real support |
| Regulation | FCA | FCA |
| Top-tier licences | 1 | 1 |
| Investor protection | £85,000 | £85,000 |
| Listed group | No | Yes |
| Banking licence | No | No |
| Segregated client accounts | Yes | Yes |
| Negative balance protection | Yes | Yes |
| Audited financials | Yes | Yes |
| Disclosed regulatory actions | None | None |
| Founded | 1995 | 1995 |
| Headquarters | Leeds, GB | Salford, Manchester, GB |
| Fees | 4.0 — Better | 3.9 |
| Safety & regulation | 4.3 | 4.5 — Better |
| Trading platform | 4.1 — Better | 3.9 |
| Product range | 3.5 — Better | 3.4 |
| Mobile app | 4.1 | 4.3 — Better |
| Research | 4.2 — Better | 3.8 |
| Customer support | 4.2 | 4.4 — Better |
| Deposit & withdrawal | 4.2 | 4.2 |
| Account opening | 4.3 | 4.4 — Better |
| Education | 3.9 — Better | 3.8 |
| Reference order EUR 5,000 | €4.67 — Better | €5.85 |
| Minimum deposit | None | None |
| Stocks (per order) | £3.99 — Better | £5 |
| US stocks | £3.99 — Better | £5 |
| ETFs | £3.99 — Better | £5 |
| Options | Not offered | Not offered |
| Futures | Not offered | Not offered |
| Crypto | Not offered | Not offered |
| Bonds (order) | £3.99 — Better | £5 |
| Funds (order) | £3.99 | £1.50 — Better |
| EUR/USD spread | n/a | n/a |
| Index CFD spread | n/a | n/a |
| FX conversion | 0.75 % | 0.75 % |
| Inactivity fee | None | None |
| Custody fee | £71.88 p.a. | 0.25 % p.a. — Better |
| Withdrawal fee | free | free |
| Deposit fee | free | free |
| Overnight financing | n/a | n/a |
| Other fees |
|
|
| Asset classes (of 14) | 6 | 7 — Better |
| Exchanges | 17 | 24 — Better |
| Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Options | No | No |
| Futures | No | No |
| Forex | No | No |
| CFDs | No | No |
| Crypto | No | No |
| Bonds | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Commodities | Yes | Yes |
| Indices | Yes | Yes |
| Warrants | No | Yes |
| Spread betting | No | No |
| Social trading | No | No |
| Platforms | ii websiteii mobile appQuotestreamii360 | AJ Bell websiteAJ Bell mobile appAJ Bell DodlAJ Bell Investcentre |
| Demo account | No | No |
| Fractional shares | No | No |
| Maximum leverage | n/a | n/a |
| Account opening | Fully online, typically 10–15 minutes with a National Insurance number and UK bank details; the first month of the subscription is often waived on promotion | Fully online, typically 10–15 minutes with a National Insurance number and UK bank details; usable same day in most cases |
| Account types | CorePlusPremiumStocks and Shares ISASelf-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP)Junior ISA | Dealing accountStocks and Shares ISALifetime ISAJunior ISASelf-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP)Junior SIPPAJ Bell Dodl |
| Payment methods | Bank transferDebit card | Bank transferDebit card |
| Account currencies | GBPEURUSD | GBP |
| Deposit time | Debit card effectively instant; bank transfer and Direct Debit typically same day to 2 business days | Debit card effectively instant; bank transfer and Direct Debit typically same day to 2 business days |
| Withdrawal time | Usually 1–3 business days to a nominated UK bank account | Usually 1–3 business days to a nominated UK bank account |
| Free withdrawals | n/a | n/a |
| Languages | English | English |
| Channels | PhoneEmailTicket system | PhoneEmailLive chatTicket system |
| Availability | Monday to Friday 07:45–17:30 UK time, with the international dealing desk open 17:30–21:00 | Monday to Friday 08:00–19:00, Saturday and Sunday 10:00–14:00 (UK time) |
Editorial assessment based on the recorded data.
interactive investor
The UK's flat-fee platform: one monthly subscription, and your charges stop growing with your portfolio.
Pros
Cons
Best for
AJ Bell
The value pick among the big UK platforms — low, capped charges without giving up service.
Pros
Cons
Best for
Open an account with either
A demo account costs nothing and answers the platform question in ten minutes.
Advertising disclosure: where a partnership is active, we may earn a commission through broker links. The provider’s terms apply. Commissions do not influence our ratings; paid placements are separately labelled as sponsored.
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