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AJ Bell Review: Safety & App Ratings | Quidsy

Review notes· 5 min read

AJ Bell details

AJ Bell is one of the UK's largest investment platforms, with around 650,000 customers and £108.2 billion under administration as of 30 September 2025. Founded in Manchester in 1995 by Andy Bell and Nicholas Littlefair, it's been publicly listed on the London Stock Exchange (FTSE 250, ticker AJB) since 2018.

You can hold a Stocks and Shares ISA, SIPP, Lifetime ISA, Junior ISA, or general dealing account, all on one platform with a single charging structure.

AJ Bell suits investors who want a proper range of funds, shares, investment trusts, and ETFs without paying premium-platform prices. The 0.25% custody fee, capped at £42 a year for an ISA and £120 a year for a SIPP, keeps it cost-effective as your pot grows. Hands-off investors get four risk-rated ready-made portfolios. Pickers get thousands of UK and international investments.

Where it's less of a fit: anyone chasing zero-commission share dealing (AJ Bell charges £5 a trade), or someone with a small starter pot who'd be better off on a £0-platform-fee app first. From May 2026, regular monthly investing is completely free.

Is AJ Bell safe?

Yes. AJ Bell Securities Limited, the entity that runs the platform, is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 155593) and is a member of the London Stock Exchange. Your investments are held in a separate nominee account, ring-fenced from AJ Bell's own balance sheet. If something happened to the firm, your holdings would still belong to you.

The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) covers investments up to £85,000 per person if AJ Bell itself failed. Cash sitting in your account is held in trust at multiple authorised UK banks under FCA CASS rules, which gives it a separate layer of bank-level FSCS protection (£120,000 per person per banking licence) on top of the investment limit.

AJ Bell plc has been publicly listed on the London Stock Exchange since November 2018, so its accounts are audited and published every year, and there are no material FCA enforcement actions or fines against the group on the FCA's public register. The £85,000 FSCS limit protects you from platform failure, not from your investments falling in value, which can happen at any time on any platform.

Who is AJ Bell for?

AJ Bell works well for investors who want broad choice across funds, shares, investment trusts, and ETFs. Their platform suits both hands-off investors (via ready-made portfolios) and those who want to pick their own investments. Fees are competitive but not the cheapest, so it fits medium to large portfolios best.

What does AJ Bell do?

Wide investment range
Thousands of funds, shares, investment trusts, and ETFs across UK and international markets, plus AJ Bell's own range of low-cost passive funds.
Tax-efficient accounts in one place
Stocks and Shares ISA, SIPP, Lifetime ISA, Junior ISA, and general dealing account, all on one platform with a single charging structure.
Ready-made portfolios
Four risk-rated portfolios run by AJ Bell's investment team (Cautious, Balanced, Adventurous, and Income), from steady-as-you-go to higher-risk growth-seeking.
Free regular investing
From May 2026, AJ Bell removed the £1.50 fee on regular monthly investments, so you can drip-feed from £25 a month with no dealing charge.
Mobile app
Buy and sell, top up, check valuations, and manage your accounts on the go (rated 4.7 on the App Store, 4.5 on Google Play).

Pros and cons

What stands out

5 pros

Around 650,000 customers and £108.2 billion under administration as of September 2025 (one of the UK's largest investment platforms)
Capped 0.25% custody fee (£42 a year for ISAs, £120 a year for SIPPs) keeps charges sensible as your pot grows
Free regular monthly investing from £25 a month (no dealing charge from May 2026)
ISA, SIPP, Lifetime ISA, Junior ISA, and dealing account all on one platform with one log-in

Is AJ Bell worth it?

Chris · Co-founder, Quidsy

For most UK investors with a meaningful pot, yes. AJ Bell sits in a useful spot between the cheapest flat-fee platforms and the priciest full-service ones. The 0.25% custody charge is fair on its own, but the £42-a-year cap on ISAs and £120-a-year cap on SIPPs is what makes it really work as your portfolio grows. Once you're past around £17,000 in an ISA or £48,000 in a SIPP, you're effectively paying a flat fee in disguise.

The May 2026 move to free regular investing is a quietly material change. If you're drip-feeding £100, £250, or £500 a month into a fund or an index tracker, you're now paying nothing per trade.

Where I'd think twice: if you're trading individual shares often, the £5 dealing charge adds up fast next to a zero-commission broker. And if you've got a small starter portfolio, you might do better on a £0-platform-fee app until you've built up a bit.

For everyone else, AJ Bell is a solid, established, publicly listed, properly regulated home for a UK investment pot. Easy recommendation.

Recent ended AJ Bell offers

£150 Free Cash
Ended 18 May 2026
£150

AJ Bell FAQs

AJ Bell makes money four ways. The biggest line is the 0.25% custody charge on customer holdings (capped at £42 a year for ISAs and £120 a year for SIPPs). On top of that, they charge dealing fees (£5 per share trade, £1.50 per fund trade, free for regular monthly investing from May 2026), keep part of the interest earned on customer cash held in their savings hub, and run their own AJ Bell-branded passive funds and ready-made portfolios.

For a Stocks and Shares ISA or general dealing account, you need a minimum lump sum of £250, or a regular monthly investment from £25. For an AJ Bell SIPP, the minimum lump sum is £500 (including the tax-relief top-up), or £25 a month. The Cash Savings Hub requires a higher minimum of £1,000. There's no separate account-opening fee as of May 2026.

Yes, investment values go up and down with the market, so you can get back less than you put in. That's true of every investment platform. What AJ Bell protects you from is platform failure: your investments are held in a separate nominee account ring-fenced from AJ Bell's own finances, and the FSCS covers up to £85,000 per person if AJ Bell itself went bust. The £85,000 limit doesn't cover market losses on the investments themselves.

As of May 2026, AJ Bell charges a 0.25% annual custody fee on your holdings, capped at £42 a year for an ISA, £120 a year for a SIPP, and £30 a year for a Junior ISA. Trading is £5 per share deal, £1.50 per fund deal, and FREE for regular monthly investing. Foreign exchange on overseas shares is tiered: 0.75% on the first £10,000 of the trade, 0.50% on the next £10,000, and 0.25% above £20,000.

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AJ Bell review

AJ Bell at a glance

AJ Bell details

Is AJ Bell safe?

Who is AJ Bell for?

What does AJ Bell do?

Wide investment range

Tax-efficient accounts in one place

Ready-made portfolios

Free regular investing

Mobile app

Pros and cons

What stands out

Is AJ Bell worth it?

Recent ended AJ Bell offers

AJ Bell FAQs

How does AJ Bell make money?

What's the minimum deposit to open an AJ Bell account?

Can you lose money with AJ Bell?

What fees does AJ Bell charge?

Keep comparing AJ Bell

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