AJ Bell

Who they are

AJ Bell was founded in Manchester by Andrew (Andy) James Bell and Nicholas Littlefair in 1995. What began as a small outfit aiming to make investing more accessible has grown considerably since then. The company is now listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. By 2025, it reported a record £103.3 billion of assets under administration and had grown its customer base to 644,000.

It is worth being clear about what AJ Bell is - and what it is not. This is an investment platform, not a bank or building society. AJ Bell provides online investment platforms and stockbroker services. If you are looking for a cash savings account with a guaranteed interest rate, AJ Bell is not the place to find one.

What they offer

The one product listed for AJ Bell on DepositScout is the Stocks and Shares ISA. This is a very different beast from a cash ISA. Instead of earning interest on your money, you invest it - in shares, funds, ETFs, bonds and more. The range of investments available through AJ Bell includes more than 16,000 shares, 4,000 ETFs and 4,000 mutual funds across 24 markets, as well as gilts and bonds.

The minimum to get started is £250 as a lump sum. If you prefer to drip money in regularly, the minimum investment is a £25 regular monthly contribution.

You can choose your own investments (the classic DIY approach), or let AJ Bell do the heavy lifting. There is also the option to invest in one of AJ Bell's ready-made funds, which suits investors who simply want to buy into a portfolio that has already been put together for them.

One thing to understand clearly: your capital is at risk. There is no guaranteed return here, and your investment can go down as well as up. AJ Bell is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). If AJ Bell went bust and its other arrangements to protect your money failed, the FSCS will cover up to £85,000 of investments per person, per platform. This is investor protection, not the deposit protection you get with a savings account - so it covers platform failure, not investment losses.

Platform and app

AJ Bell is the only investment provider to be Which? Recommended for eight years running, from 2019 through 2026. Customer feedback tends to be positive, with clients sharing positive opinions on response time and many reporting that their telephone calls are answered promptly. The app is available for both iOS and Android, letting you manage your portfolio, buy and sell investments, and keep an eye on market movements wherever you are.

AJ Bell is not the cheapest platform, but it is not the most expensive either. If you have a large fund-heavy portfolio, fees can add up - worth checking carefully before you commit.

Is it right for you?

AJ Bell makes sense if you want to use your annual ISA allowance for investing rather than cash savings, and you are comfortable with some level of risk in exchange for the potential of better long-term returns. The main AJ Bell platform is built for self-directed investors who want more control, stronger research tools and a wider investment range than most beginner-first apps offer.

If you are a pure cash saver - someone looking for a guaranteed rate on easy access, fixed-term or ISA cash deposits - AJ Bell does not currently appear on DepositScout's savings comparison. You would be better served looking at the cash savings providers listed on this page instead.

For anyone weighing up their options, the live rates and products shown elsewhere on this page will always reflect the most up-to-date picture - so it is worth checking those before making any decisions.