Updated September 28, 2026 · SumCue Editorial Team
AJ Bell vs Moneyfarm
AJ Bell
Moneyfarm
Higher score in this comparison
AJ Bell vs Moneyfarm: the differences
| Compare | AJ BellReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives | MoneyfarmReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | £25Lower | £500 |
| Stock trade fee | £5 | £3.95Lower |
| Regulators | Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) | Financial Conduct Authority |
| Currency conversion fee | 0.75% | 0.7%Lower |
| Deposit and withdrawal fees | Free withdrawals | Free deposits and withdrawals |
| Account types | ISA, SIPP, Lisa, JisaCovers more | ISA, SIPP |
| Account fee | £3.50 | Not confirmed |
| Platforms | Web platform, Mobile app | Not confirmed |
Same on both: Markets (Stocks, ETFs, Bonds, Funds), Investor protection (FSCS up to GBP 85,000).
We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings. Partners with a live offer in your country come first, then every other brand by score.
Key differences
- Moneyfarm scores higher overall: 9.1 vs 8.7.
- Regulators: only AJ Bell offers Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
- Regulators: only Moneyfarm offers Financial Conduct Authority.
- Moneyfarm is available in 1 more country.
- Minimum deposit is lower at AJ Bell: £25 vs £500.
- Stock trade fee is lower at Moneyfarm: £3.95 vs £5.
- Currency conversion fee is lower at Moneyfarm: 0.7% vs 0.75%.
- Account types: only AJ Bell offers Lisa, Jisa.
- Support channels: only Moneyfarm offers Email, Phone.
- Pricing model: only AJ Bell offers Low fees.
Our verdict on each
AJ Bell
AJ Bell suits UK savers who want a dealing platform, a pension and a tax wrapped account in the same place, with stated protection of FSCS up to GBP 85,000 for careful planners. The per-deal charge of £5 makes it a weaker fit for frequent traders.
Moneyfarm
Moneyfarm suits UK savers who want a managed portfolio or a Cash ISA under one brand, and it charges a management fee of 0.1% to 0.45% rather than nothing. The trade-off is a £500 starting amount and a £3.95 charge on stock trades.
Score breakdown
| Area | AJ Bell | Moneyfarm |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 8.5 | 9.2HigherA management fee of 0.1% to 0.45% a year plus £3.95 per stock trade, while the site median is 0.35%. |
| Offer | 9.2 | 9.7Higher |
| Trust | 8.6 | 8.7Higher |
Licences and countries
| Country | AJ Bell | Moneyfarm |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Financial Conduct Authority 629539 |
Available in 1 country for both. Additional countries for Moneyfarm: 1.
Choosing between them
Pick AJ Bell if minimum deposit and account types matter most.
Pick Moneyfarm if cost, offer, stock trade fee, and currency conversion fee matter most.
What we checked
AJ Bell
- ajbell.co.uk: 15 facts, checked September 26, 2026
Moneyfarm
- moneyfarm.com: 12 facts, checked September 26, 2026
How they place
| Ranking | AJ Bell | Moneyfarm |
|---|---|---|
| Investing | 293 of 654 | 172 of 654 |
| Stock and ETF brokers | 213 of 358 | 128 of 358 |
| Stocks and shares ISAs | 14 of 25 | 6 of 25 |
| Pensions and SIPPs | 10 of 23 | 4 of 23 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | AJ Bell | Moneyfarm |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Mobile app | Not confirmed |
| Pricing model | Low fees | No monthly fee |
| Legal entity | AJ Bell | MFM Investment Ltd |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom | United Kingdom |
| Support channels | Chat, Help centre | Email, Phone, Help centre, ChatCovers more |
Savings
| Fact | AJ Bell | Moneyfarm |
|---|---|---|
| Headline rate | Not confirmed | 3.87% |
| Rate type | Not confirmed | Variable |
| Deposit protection | Not confirmed | FSCS up to GBP 85,000 |
| Access terms | Not confirmed | Flexible Cash ISA: up to 3 withdrawals or transfers out per year, top up anytime |
| Monthly fee | Not confirmed | £0 |
| Account kind | Not confirmed | ISA |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | AJ Bell | Moneyfarm | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | £25above the median | £500highest quarter | £15 |
| Stock trade fee | £5highest quarter | £3.95above the median | £0 |
| Account fee | £3.50above the median | Not confirmed | £0 |
| Currency conversion fee | 0.75%above the median | 0.7%above the median | 0.4% |
Median across 77 listed providers.
Pros and cons
AJ Bell
Pros
- The account fee of £3.50 is a set figure on the dealing account, which makes the holding cost easy to budget.
- You can open an account from a minimum deposit of £25, a small opening balance for a dealing platform.
- The accounts listed as isa, sipp and lisa mean an individual savings account, a pension, a lifetime account and a junior account all sit with the same provider.
Cons
- Each deal costs £5, so the platform punishes anyone who trades often rather than holds.
- Support runs on chat and help centre only, so anyone who wants a phone line will not find one here.
- Currency conversion adds 0.75% on top of the dealing charge, so a global portfolio carries a further, quieter cost.
Moneyfarm
Pros
- The monthly fee is £0, so there is no monthly account charge to plan around.
- The Cash ISA pays a variable rate of 3.87%, where the site median is 3%.
- Money in and out is listed as Free deposits and withdrawals, so no charge applies to funding or taking money out.
Cons
- Trading is a paid extra: a stock trade costs £3.95, where the median across the site is €0.
- The minimum investment of £500 sits well above the typical starting amount on the site, which is €25.
- The management fee of 0.1% to 0.45% runs every year, where eToro and Empower Personal Dashboard list fees of 0% and 0%.
Who each suits
AJ Bell
Who it suits
- Savers who want a dealing account and a pension under the same regulated firm, since the accounts listed as isa, sipp and lisa cover the main UK wrappers.
- People who plan to hold rather than trade often, because the per-deal charge of £5 works against frequent dealing.
- Investors who put weight on UK oversight and a stated protection limit, given Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and FSCS up to GBP 85,000.
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone starting with a smaller sum than £25, where CFI lists a minimum deposit of $0.
- People who want a phone conversation with support, since help here runs on chat and help centre only; bunq suits those after a bank relationship rather than a dealing platform.
- Anyone whose need is borrowing rather than investing, where Fiesta Credito MX sits under CONDUSEF in a different market.
Moneyfarm
Who it suits
- People who want a variable Cash ISA paying 3.87% alongside a managed portfolio, and who are comfortable with a management fee where eToro lists 0%.
- Investors holding £500 or more who want both ISA and SIPP options, with the minimum investment at Axos Invest set at $100.
- Readers who care more about a free monthly fee and free deposits than about a fee-free management platform, since Empower Personal Dashboard lists a management fee of 0%.
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone who will not pay a management fee, since eToro and Empower Personal Dashboard list fees of 0% and 0%.
- People who need a smaller opening amount than £500, who may find the $100 minimum investment at Axos Invest a closer fit.
- Savers who want a rate locked for a term, since the Moneyfarm Cash ISA is variable and follows the market.
Country by country
| Country | AJ Bell | Moneyfarm |
|---|---|---|
| Italy | No | Yes |
| United Kingdom | Yes | Yes |
Questions about each
AJ Bell
What does it cost to open and run an account?+
You need a minimum deposit of £25 to get going, which is a small opening balance for a dealing account. After that the account itself costs £3.50, and each deal you place costs £5. Add 0.75% if you convert pounds into another currency, and keep in mind that frequent trading is where a per-deal charge adds up fastest.
Is my money protected at AJ Bell?+
Your money sits with a firm regulated by Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the UK regulator, and the stated investor protection is FSCS up to GBP 85,000. That figure is the ceiling on what the protection scheme pays if the firm fails, not a return on your investments, so a fall in the value of your holdings is not covered by it. Account opening and dealing happen under the same firm.
Moneyfarm
What does Moneyfarm charge for managing my money?+
Moneyfarm charges a management fee of 0.1% to 0.45% a year on the ISA and SIPP accounts, which is the main ongoing cost. The monthly fee is £0, so there is no monthly account charge. eToro, by contrast, lists a management fee of 0%.
What rate does the Moneyfarm Cash ISA pay?+
The Cash ISA pays a headline rate of 3.87%, and the rate type is variable, so the figure tracks the market rather than being locked for a term. For context, the site median is 3% and the upper quartile is 4.15%.
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AJ Bell
Moneyfarm