Updated September 29, 2026 · BrokerCue Editorial Team
AJ Bell vs CFI
AJ Bell vs CFI: the differences
| Compare |  AJ Bell |  CFI |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | £25 | $0 |
| Markets | Stocks, ETFs, Bonds, Funds | Stocks, ETFs, Forex, CFDs, Crypto |
| Regulators | Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) | Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission, FCACovers more |
| Investor protection | FSCS up to GBP 85,000 | EU ICS up to EUR 20,000 |
| Deposit and withdrawal fees | Free withdrawals | No deposit fees |
| Platforms | Web platform, Mobile app | MT5, TradingView, CFI Multi Asset, CFI Trading App |
| Stock trade fee | £5 | Not confirmed |
| Account fee | £3.50 | Not confirmed |
| Retail accounts that lose money | Not confirmed | 66% |
| Currency conversion fee | 0.75% | Not confirmed |
| Account types | ISA, SIPP, Lisa, Jisa | Not confirmed |
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Key differences
- CFI scores higher overall: 9.6 vs 8.7.
- Regulators: only CFI offers Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission.
- CFI is licensed in 1 more country.
- Markets: only AJ Bell offers Bonds, Funds.
- Markets: only CFI offers Forex, CFDs, Crypto.
- Platforms: only AJ Bell offers Web platform, Mobile app.
- Platforms: only CFI offers MT5, TradingView, CFI Multi Asset.
- Features: only CFI offers Demo account.
- Pricing model: only AJ Bell offers Low fees.
- Pricing model: only CFI offers Commission free.
Our verdict on each
AJ Bell
AJ Bell pairs a flat £3.50 with FCA regulation and FSCS up to GBP 85,000 of cover, so it suits UK savers who want four wrapper types. Deals in shares cost £5 and currency conversion adds 0.75%, which leaves it short of the cheapest names on our data.
CFI
CFI suits traders who want one account covering stocks, etfs and forex on a commission-free model commission free, with a minimum deposit of $0 and a Cyprus entity licensed by Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission and FCA. Note that 66% of retail accounts lose money, and protection under the EU scheme is limited.
Score breakdown
| Area | AJ Bell | CFI |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 8.4A flat annual fee of £3.50 and £5 a dealing sit mid-table, while currency conversion costs 0.75%. | 9.7Higher |
| Offer | 9.2 | 9.6Higher |
| Trust | 8.6 | 9.4Higher |
Licences and countries
| Country | AJ Bell | CFI |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | ||
| Cyprus | Not confirmed |
Where they rank in our lists
| Ranking | AJ Bell | CFI |
|---|---|---|
| Stock and ETF brokers | 193 of 471 | 43 of 471 |
What we checked
AJ Bell
- ajbell.co.uk: 15 facts, checked September 26, 2026
CFI
- media.cfifinancial.com: 4 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- play.google.com: 3 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- dailyforex.com: 2 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- forex.wikibit.com: 1 fact, checked September 26, 2026
- investinglive.com: 1 fact, checked September 26, 2026
Every fact side by side
| Fact | AJ Bell | CFI |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Mobile app | Demo account, Mobile appCovers more |
| Pricing model | Low fees | Commission free |
| Legal entity | AJ Bell | Credit Financier Invest (CFI) Ltd |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom | Not confirmed |
| Founded | Not confirmed | 1998 |
| Support channels | Chat, Help centre | Not confirmed |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | AJ Bell | CFI | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock trade fee | £5highest quarter | Not confirmed | £0 |
| Account fee | £3.50above the median | Not confirmed | £0 |
| Retail accounts that lose money | Not confirmed | 66%lowest quarter | 72.05% |
| Currency conversion fee | 0.75%highest quarter | Not confirmed | 0.45% |
Median across 47 listed brokers.
Pros and cons
AJ Bell
Pros
- Four account types in one place: isa, sipp and lisa.
- Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), with FSCS up to GBP 85,000 of cover on eligible money.
- A flat £3.50 annual charge against a market median of €0.
Cons
- Dealing shares costs £5, where eToro charges $0.
- The account fee places AJ Bell 111 of 138 brands on our data.
- Support runs on chat and help centre only, with no phone line listed.
CFI
Pros
- No minimum deposit, at $0, and No deposit fees, so funding does not cost a fee and the account can open at any size.
- Regulated on both sides of Europe: Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission and FCA, with the Cyprus entity named as Credit Financier Invest (CFI) Ltd.
- A single account covers stocks, etfs and forex rather than forcing separate apps per asset class.
Cons
- Protection caps out at EU ICS up to EUR 20,000 on the Cyprus entity, so balances above that sit outside the scheme.
- 66% of retail accounts lose money, which is the risk that matters most for anyone sizing a position.
- Leverage sits alongside shares and ETFs in stocks, etfs and forex, so a single account mixes instruments with very different risk levels.
Who each suits
AJ Bell
Who it suits
- You want an FCA-regulated broker with FSCS up to GBP 85,000 behind the account and do not need the lowest dealing cost.
- Your saving changes shape over time and you want ISA, SIPP, LISA and Junior ISA under one roof, since isa, sipp and lisa all sit here.
- You are a regular UK investor who prefers a flat £3.50 to a percentage-based platform charge.
Who should look elsewhere
- You trade very often, because eToro charges $0 on stock deals against £5 here.
- You are starting with almost nothing, since Vantage takes $5 and CFI takes $0 against the £25 asked for here.
- You want phone support, as AJ Bell lists chat and help centre and nothing wider.
CFI
Who it suits
- People who want stocks, etfs and forex held in one place instead of several broker accounts.
- Traders who prefer the commission-free model commission free and a minimum deposit of $0 over a larger entry threshold.
- Savers who want a Cyprus or UK regulated option, given Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission and FCA and the Cyprus licence 179/12.
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone wanting a wider asset list, since stocks, etfs and forex runs to futures as well and CFI's list is stocks, etfs and forex.
- EU traders who want a rival with a low entry point, such as XTB at €0.
- Traders put off by losses in the retail book, where 66% lose money and the median here is 70.15%.
Country by country
| Country | AJ Bell | CFI |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Yes | No |
Questions about each
AJ Bell
What does AJ Bell charge to hold an account?+
The account fee is a flat £3.50 a year. That sits above the market median of €0 and well below the €219.24 at the expensive end of our data, so it is a mid-range holding cost rather than a free account.
How much does it cost to buy shares?+
A dealing in shares costs £5. The market median is €0 and the highest figure on our data is €17.54, so frequent dealing adds up quickly and investors who trade rarely feel it least.
CFI
What is the minimum deposit to open a CFI account?+
The minimum deposit is $0, so an account can be opened at any size and a first deposit does not have to clear a threshold. For comparison, Vantage lists $5 and XTB €0. The median minimum across the brands ranked is €4.64, and the highest reaches €26,308.87. CFI places 1 of 213 on that measure.
Does CFI charge commission on trades?+
CFI trades on a commission-free model, commission free, so positions are opened without a per-trade commission charge. The cost of a trade therefore sits in the spread and the market rather than in a commission line. Commission-free models are common in the field, appearing for 69.8% of the brands compared. Low-fee models sit alongside them at 40.5%.
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