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Interactive Investor vs AJ Bell

Is Interactive Investor cheaper than AJ Bell?

For fund-heavy portfolios, yes, from about £28,800. For shares and ETFs in an ISA, no: AJ Bell caps its charge at £42 a year, lower than ii at any size. Charges checked on both sites .

Updated

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Capital at risk. New ii customers only; add or transfer £5,000+ within 12 months. Full terms. Referral link: we may earn a reward from ii if you qualify.

The short answer

Find your situation

Platform charges for an ISA. AJ Bell charges funds and shares separately, and caps the shares charge.

  • Mostly funds, worth more than ~£29,000ii is cheaperAt £100,000: £250 a year on AJ Bell, £71.88 on ii Core. At £250,000: £625 against £179.88 on ii Plus. Move your ISA ↓
  • Mostly funds, worth less than ~£29,000AJ Bell is cheaperAt £10,000: £25 a year on AJ Bell against £71.88 on ii. Close call ↓
  • Shares and ETFs, any sizeAJ Bell is cheaperAJ Bell caps ISA shares at £42 a year (£3.50 a month); ii's lowest plan is £71.88.
  • A 60/40 mix of funds and sharesii is cheaper from £28,800AJ Bell's shares cap keeps its charge lower on the shares part. Move your ISA ↓
  • You buy and sell shares oftenii costs less per trade£3.99 per UK/US share trade on ii against £5.00 on AJ Bell (£3.50 at 10+ deals a month).

When AJ Bell is only slightly cheaper

Just below about £29,000 in funds, AJ Bell's 0.25% saves a couple of pounds a month. ii's fee is flat, so a growing fund portfolio closes the gap. If you also trade shares, ii charges £3.99 per UK/US share trade against AJ Bell's £5.00. For a shares-only ISA, AJ Bell's £42 cap stays cheaper at any size.

Sources, checked : ii charges · AJ Bell ISA charges

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Three routes from AJ Bell

Matched to £100,000 in funds, as set in the calculator below. Change it ↓

Stay with AJ Bell

At £100,000 in funds: £250 a year at AJ Bell, £178 more than ii.

  • Best whenFunds under about £29,000, or shares and ETFs at any size (AJ Bell’s £42 ISA cap).
  • TimingThe referral has no published end date, so there’s no deadline to beat. Look again as your portfolio grows.
  • FeesAJ Bell charges 0.25% on funds (0.10% from £250,000, nothing over £500,000) and caps ISA shares at £42 a year. No exit fees.
If it’s close, what to weigh ↑

Fits £100,000 in funds

Move your ISA to ii

At £100,000 in funds: £72 a year on ii Core, £35.94 in year one with the referral.

  • Best whenYour AJ Bell ISA is mostly funds and worth more than about £29,000.
  • TimingOpen the ii ISA through the referral link first, then request the transfer from inside ii. According to ii, ISA transfers typically take up to four weeks for cash and six for investments, and longer if your current provider is slow.
  • EligibilityThe £5,000 must arrive within 12 months of opening; a transfer counts once it completes. Stay on Core or Plus, because upgrading to Premium ends the free months.
  • FeesAJ Bell has no exit fees and ii charges nothing to transfer in. An in-specie transfer keeps you invested.
Open your ii ISA through the referral link

Move everything to ii

One ii plan fee covers your ISA, SIPP and Trading Account: £71.88 a year on Core up to £100,000 in total, £179.88 on Plus above.

  • WhyAJ Bell caps shares per account: £42 a year in the ISA and £120 in the SIPP. ii’s plan fee covers ISA, SIPP and Trading Account, with the pension admin fee included.
  • EligibilityOpening a SIPP? The £5,000 must be paid or transferred into the pension itself, not another account.
  • Until 30 Nov 2026Moving £20,000 or more? Open your new ii accounts and instruct the transfers (or pay in) by 30 November for £100–£5,000 cashback, tiered on the total across your new SIPP, ISA and Trading Account (transfers must complete within a year). It’s separate from the referral’s 6 months with no account fee. ii says don’t rush a pension transfer to meet a deadline. Details
  • PensionsCheck for exit fees, and don’t give up guaranteed annuity rates, a lower protected pension age or employer contributions. ii’s own advice: “don’t rush any decision.”
Open through the referral link

Step by step: transfer checklist ↓ · when to transfer · Capital at risk.

Your numbers

ii vs AJ Bell for your portfolio

Enter what you hold at AJ Bell today. For trading costs and all four platforms side by side, use the Interactive Investor fee calculator.

ii a year£72Core plan · year one with referral £35.94
AJ Bell a year£250ISA platform charge
ii is £178 a year cheaper at £100,000That's £1,781 over 10 years at today's value, before the referral's six free months.Your routes from AJ Bell ↑

For this mix, ii is cheaper than AJ Bell from £28,800.

Side by side

Annual platform charge by portfolio size

AJ Bell charges nothing on fund value above £500,000, so its fund charge tops out at £875 a year.

All in funds

ii vs AJ Bell, funds
PortfolioiiAJ BellDifference
£10,000£72Core£25AJ Bell cheaper by £47
£20,000£72Core£50AJ Bell cheaper by £22
£30,000£72Core£75ii cheaper by £3
£50,000£72Core£125ii cheaper by £53
£75,000£72Core£188ii cheaper by £116
£100,000£72Core£250ii cheaper by £178
£150,000£180Plus£375ii cheaper by £195
£250,000£180Plus£625ii cheaper by £445
£500,000£180Plus£875ii cheaper by £695
£1,000,000£180Plus£875ii cheaper by £695

All in shares, ETFs and trusts

ii vs AJ Bell, shares and ETFs
PortfolioiiAJ BellDifference
£10,000£72Core£25AJ Bell cheaper by £47
£20,000£72Core£42AJ Bell cheaper by £30
£30,000£72Core£42AJ Bell cheaper by £30
£50,000£72Core£42AJ Bell cheaper by £30
£75,000£72Core£42AJ Bell cheaper by £30
£100,000£72Core£42AJ Bell cheaper by £30
£150,000£180Plus£42AJ Bell cheaper by £138
£250,000£180Plus£42AJ Bell cheaper by £138
£500,000£180Plus£42AJ Bell cheaper by £138
£1,000,000£180Plus£42AJ Bell cheaper by £138

Beyond the fee

Where each one wins

Where ii is better

  • Fund portfolios above ~£29,000. The flat fee undercuts AJ Bell's 0.25% from there.
  • Share dealing. £3.99 per UK/US share trade against £5.00.
  • Family. Plus includes five free family accounts and free Junior ISAs.
  • Choice. Over 40,000 UK and international investments.

Where AJ Bell is better

  • Shares and ETFs. The £42 ISA cap is the lowest platform charge of the four at any size.
  • Small fund portfolios. Under ~£29,000, 0.25% costs less than £71.88.
  • Fund dealing. £1.50 per fund trade against £3.99 on ii Core (£1.49 on Plus).
  • Very large fund pots. No charge above £500,000, though at £875 a year it's still above ii Plus.

Switching from AJ Bell

Transfer checklist

AJ Bell doesn't charge exit fees, and ii doesn't charge to transfer in. According to ii, ISA transfers typically take up to four weeks for cash and six for investments, and longer if your current provider is slow.

  1. Open the matching ii account through the referral link

    ISA to ISA, SIPP to SIPP. Opening through the link is what applies the referral; it can't be added afterwards.

  2. Request the transfer from inside ii

    ii contacts AJ Bell for you. An in-specie transfer moves your holdings as they are; a cash transfer sells them first, so you're out of the market for a while.

  3. Make sure £5,000 arrives within a year

    Transfers and deposits count only if they complete within 12 months of opening. If you're opening a SIPP, the £5,000 has to go into the pension.

  4. The six free months start

    Within 10 working days of qualifying. Stay on Core or Plus; upgrading to Premium ends them for good.

Moving a pension? Before transferring, check whether you'll be charged exit fees and make sure you won't lose valuable benefits, such as guaranteed annuity rates, a lower protected pension age or matching employer contributions. If you're unsure, speak to an authorised financial adviser.

Sources, checked : AJ Bell ISA charges · AJ Bell SIPP charges · ii charges · ii referral terms. In a SIPP, AJ Bell caps its shares charge at £120 a year rather than £42.

Quick answers

ii vs AJ Bell: common questions

Is Interactive Investor cheaper than AJ Bell?

For fund portfolios, from about £28,800. AJ Bell charges 0.25% on the first £250,000 of funds, against ii’s flat £71.88 a year on Core. For shares and ETFs in an ISA, AJ Bell caps its charge at £42 a year (£3.50 a month), which is lower than ii at any size. Check your own mix in the fee calculator.

Which is cheaper for share dealing, ii or AJ Bell?

ii charges £3.99 per UK/US share trade on Core and Plus. AJ Bell charges £5.00, or £3.50 if you made 10 or more share deals the previous month. Fund trades cost £1.50 at AJ Bell against £3.99 on ii Core (£1.49 on Plus).

Does AJ Bell charge to transfer out?

No. AJ Bell doesn’t charge exit fees, and ii doesn’t charge to transfer in. According to ii, ISA transfers typically take up to four weeks for cash and six for investments, and longer if your current provider is slow.

Moving from AJ Bell? Open through the referral link first

Capital at risk. New ii customers only; add or transfer £5,000+ within 12 months. We may earn a reward if you sign up through this link. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and may change. Full terms and conditions

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