Updated September 29, 2026 · BrokerCue Editorial Team
AJ Bell vs Trading 212
Where AJ Bell and Trading 212 differ
| Compare |  AJ Bell | Trading 212 ReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | £25 | £1Lower |
| Stock trade fee | £5 | £0Lower |
| Account fee | £3.50 | £0Lower |
| Markets | Stocks, ETFs, Bonds, Funds | Stocks, ETFs, Forex, CFDs |
| Regulators | Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) | Financial Conduct Authority, Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission, Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) |
| Platforms | Web platform, Mobile app | Trading 212 App, Web Platform |
| Account types | ISA, SIPP, Lisa, Jisa | ISA, SIPP, Joint |
| Inactivity fee | Not confirmed | £0 |
| Currency conversion fee | 0.75% | Not confirmed |
| Deposit and withdrawal fees | Free withdrawals | Not confirmed |
Same on both: Investor protection (FSCS up to GBP 85,000).
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Key differences
- Trading 212 scores higher overall: 9.3 vs 8.7.
- Regulators: only AJ Bell offers Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
- Regulators: only Trading 212 offers Financial Conduct Authority, Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission, Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC).
- Trading 212 is licensed in 1 more country.
- Minimum deposit is lower at Trading 212: £1 vs £25.
- Stock trade fee is lower at Trading 212: £0 vs £5.
- Account fee is lower at Trading 212: £0 vs £3.50.
- Markets: only AJ Bell offers Bonds, Funds.
- Markets: only Trading 212 offers Forex, CFDs.
- Platforms: only AJ Bell offers Mobile app.
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.
Trading 212
Trading 212 suits UK and European beginners who want flat costs: a stock trade fee of £0, an account fee of £0 and an ISA, SIPP and joint account. Forex and CFDs share the same menu, so the easy entry is the reason to look closer, not to trade heavily.
Score breakdown
| Area | AJ Bell | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 8.4A flat annual fee of £3.50 and £5 a dealing sit mid-table, while currency conversion costs 0.75%. | 9.3HigherCharges sit at the floor: £0 on a trade, £0 on the account, £0 when idle. |
| Offer | 9.2 | 9.2 |
| Trust | 8.6 | 9.5Higher |
Feature by feature
| Markets | AJ Bell | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Forex | No | Yes |
| CFDs | No | Yes |
| Bonds | Yes | No |
| Funds | Yes | No |
| Account types | AJ Bell | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes |
| Joint | No | Yes |
| Lisa | Yes | No |
| Jisa | Yes | No |
Licences and countries
| Country | AJ Bell | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | ||
| Cyprus | Not confirmed | Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) MiCA CASP 21380045KC28948FNE32 |
How they place
| Ranking | AJ Bell | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Stock and ETF brokers | 185 of 490 | 74 of 490 |
| Investment platforms and apps | 40 of 85 | 18 of 85 |
| Stocks and shares ISA providers | 12 of 21 | 2 of 21 |
| SIPP providers | 11 of 22 | 2 of 22 |
Where these facts come from
AJ Bell
- ajbell.co.uk: 15 facts, checked September 26, 2026
Trading 212
- en.wikipedia.org: 13 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- esma.europa.eu: 2 facts, checked September 26, 2026
Every fact side by side
| Fact | AJ Bell | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Mobile app | Fractional shares, Demo account, Mobile appCovers more |
| Pricing model | Low fees | Commission free |
| Audience | Not confirmed | Beginners |
| Legal entity | AJ Bell | Trading 212 Markets Ltd |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom | Cyprus |
| Founded | Not confirmed | 2006 |
| Support channels | Chat, Help centre | Not confirmed |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | AJ Bell | Trading 212 | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | £25at the median | £1lowest quarter | £25 |
| Stock trade fee | £5highest quarter | £0at the median | £0 |
| Account fee | £3.50above the median | £0at the median | £0 |
| Currency conversion fee | 0.75%highest quarter | Not confirmed | 0.4% |
Median across 25 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.
Trading 212
Pros
- Nothing to pay for holding or for going quiet: the account fee reads £0 and the inactivity fee reads £0.
- Trading shares costs £0, the same stock trade fee eToro lists at $0, so the trade price is not the reason to move.
- The entry of £1 sits under the $5 Vantage asks for, which matters for a first transfer.
Cons
- The market list pairs shares and ETFs with forex and CFDs in stocks, etfs and forex, so a platform aimed at beginners, beginners, also carries leveraged products.
- The fee sheet is the easy part: retail accounts lose money at 70.15% across the brokers compared, and a £0 trade cost does not remove that risk.
- The money side runs through Trading 212 Markets Ltd in Cyprus, registered with the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission as MiCA CASP 21380045KC28948FNE32, so a UK saver is dealing with a Cyprus entity alongside the UK one.
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.
Trading 212
Who it suits
- Beginners and small regular investors who want a low bar to entry, since the minimum deposit is £1 and the app and demo account in fractional shares, demo account and mobile app support a cautious start.
- UK and European savers who care about holding cost, because the account fee of £0 and the inactivity fee of £0 leave the account free to sit and free to open.
- Savers who want a tax-wrapped and shared holding together, since isa, sipp and joint covers an ISA, a SIPP and a joint account under one provider.
Who should look elsewhere
- Not for forex and CFD traders who want a deeper market list: Trading 212 stops at stocks, etfs and forex, while eToro and Vantage cover more of the leveraged side.
- Not for anyone who needs a no-cost opening: CFI takes a minimum deposit of $0 against the £1 asked here.
- Not for savers who want a bigger spread of wrappers: the account range is listed as isa, sipp and joint, which does not stretch to every tax-sheltered account type.
Country by country
| Country | AJ Bell | Trading 212 |
|---|---|---|
| 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.
Trading 212
What is the minimum deposit to open a Trading 212 account?+
The published minimum deposit is £1, low enough to open and fund in one step. That entry sits under the €4.64 level seen across the brokers compared here, and under the $5 Vantage asks for, so a small first transfer is enough to get going.
Does Trading 212 charge for keeping an account open or leaving it idle?+
The account fee reads £0 and the inactivity fee reads £0, so neither holding the account nor letting it sit dormant is billed on the published sheet. The €10 inactivity level across the brokers compared sits well above that floor, which is where dormant-account charges usually show up.