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Broker Comparison

AJ Bell vs Charles Stanley Direct

Compare AJ Bell and Charles Stanley Direct side by side: fees, regulation, platforms.

AJ Bell

AJ Bell

UK long-term investors and pension savers

AJ Bell is a UK investment platform founded in 1995, offering stocks, ETFs, funds, bonds, ISAs and SIPPs acro…

VS
Charles Stanley Direct

Charles Stanley Direct

UK long-term investors and fund holders

Charles Stanley Direct is a UK investment platform launched in 2013, offering stocks, ETFs, funds, bonds, ISA…

Head-to-head comparison

AJ Bell vs Charles Stanley Direct
Feature AJ Bell Charles Stanley Direct
Minimum deposit - -
Stock trading fee £5 per trade; £3.50 per trade for frequent dealers (10+ deals in previous month); £25 by telephone £10 per online trade; telephone dealing 1% (min £25, max £100)
Regulators FCA FCA
Best for UK long-term investors and pension savers UK long-term investors and fund holders
Markets & account
Stocks
ETFs
Bonds
Funds
Ready Made Portfolios
Investment Plans
Isa
Sipp
Savings Vaults
-
Business Account
-

Pros & cons

AJ Bell

AJ Bell

Pros

  • FCA-regulated with FSCS protection up to £85,000
  • Share and ETF custody capped at £3.50/month in ISA and dealing accounts
  • SIPP platform fee capped at £10/month
  • Wide investment range: 4,000+ funds, 3,500+ ETFs, 16,000+ shares across 24 markets
  • No withdrawal or inactivity fees
  • Regular investing with no dealing charge from £25/month
  • Which? Recommended Provider for eight consecutive years (2019-2026)
  • ISA, SIPP, Lifetime ISA, Junior ISA and dealing accounts all on one platform

Cons

  • No demo or practice account
  • No fractional shares
  • No cryptocurrency trading
  • Fund platform fee is not capped, making it expensive for large fund portfolios
  • FX conversion fee up to 0.75% on international trades
  • Basic charting tools compared to dedicated trading platforms
  • No multi-currency account - all holdings converted to GBP
Charles Stanley Direct

Charles Stanley Direct

Pros

  • FCA regulated with FSCS protection
  • Wide range of accounts: ISA, SIPP, Junior ISA, GIA, business account
  • Access to 12,500+ UK and international investments
  • No inactivity fee
  • No deposit or withdrawal fees
  • £50 trading credit every six months offsets dealing costs
  • In-house research and market commentary
  • Flexible ISA feature uncommon among competitors

Cons

  • No demo account
  • £10 per trade for shares, ETFs and investment trusts is among the highest of UK platforms
  • Annual platform fee minimum of £60 disadvantages smaller portfolios
  • Annual fee cap raised to £600 in 2024, increasing costs for mid-size portfolios
  • FX conversion charge of 1% on trades under £10,000
  • Bonds and gilts available by telephone only
  • No fractional shares
  • Basic mobile app lacks advanced charting and research tools
AJ Bell

AJ Bell

AJ Bell is a UK investment platform founded in 1995, offering stocks, ETFs, funds, bonds, ISAs and SIPPs across 24 international markets.

Visit AJ Bell Read review

Your capital is at risk. Other fees apply.

Charles Stanley Direct

Charles Stanley Direct

Charles Stanley Direct is a UK investment platform launched in 2013, offering stocks, ETFs, funds, bonds, ISA, SIPP and Junior ISA accounts with in-house research.

Visit Charles Stanley Direct Read review

Your capital is at risk. Other fees apply.

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