BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON

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Checked September 24, 2026

Tool Comparison

AJ Bell vs Hargreaves Lansdown

Paid from
—
Free plan
No
Platforms
Web, Mobile

Best if

    Paid from
    —
    Free plan
    No
    Platforms
    Web, Mobile

    Best if

      Pick AJ Bell if

      AJ Bell logo

      AJ Bell

      ajbell.co.uk

      Transaction-priced · Fees vary by offer and jurisdiction · Web · Mobile

      Pick Hargreaves Lansdown if

      Hargreaves Lansdown logo

      Hargreaves Lansdown

      hl.co.uk

      Transaction-priced · Fees vary by offer and jurisdiction · Web · Mobile

      Skip both if: These two cover the same ground; it really comes down to price and which interface you enjoy using.

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      Not set on either one? See the top 50 tools, ranked by user votes, or the deals page for big discounts on popular tools.

      Our take

      The bottom line

      AJ Bell and Hargreaves Lansdown cover a lot of the same ground (5 shared categories, including brokerage, portfolio, and watchlist), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. On paper they're closely matched, so let pricing, platform fit, and the details below break the tie.

      What readers say

      AJ Bell

      No votes yet. Cast the first one.

      Hargreaves Lansdown

      No votes yet. Cast the first one.

      AJ Bell logo

      What AJ Bell does best

      1. Open Dealing, Stocks and Shares ISA, Lifetime ISA, Junior ISA, SIPP, Junior SIPP, trust, or eligible company accounts.
      2. Choose from more than 4,000 funds plus UK and international shares, ETFs, investment trusts, gilts, and bonds.
      3. Pay wrapper-specific account charges, with caps for listed assets and tiered charges for funds.
      4. Set up free regular investments from £25 a month, limit orders, stop losses, watchlists, portfolio monitoring, and research.
      5. Earn variable interest on cleared GBP cash, with rates that differ by account type.
      Hargreaves Lansdown logo

      What Hargreaves Lansdown does best

      1. Fund and Share Account, Stocks and Shares ISA, Lifetime ISA, junior accounts, SIPP, Junior SIPP, and Bare Trust access.
      2. Thousands of funds plus UK and overseas shares, ETFs, investment trusts, gilts, and corporate bonds.
      3. HL research, live share prices, watchlists, portfolio tracking, charts, stop losses, and limit orders.
      4. Regular monthly investing with selected dealing fees waived.
      5. Interest paid on cleared investment-account cash using account-specific balance tiers.

      Side by side

      Pricing & plans
      Starting price
      Transaction-priced · Fees vary by offer and jurisdiction
      Transaction-priced · Fees vary by offer and jurisdiction
      Free tier
      No
      No
      Free trial
      —
      —
      Platforms & access
      Web app
      Yes
      Yes
      Mobile app
      Yes
      Yes
      API access
      No
      No
      Coverage & data
      Asset types
      StocksETFsBondsMutual Funds
      StocksETFsBondsMutual Funds
      Export formats
      CSVPDF
      PDF

      See for yourself

      Side by side

      Price, platforms, data, and market coverage.
      Show
      Side-by-side comparison of AJ Bell and Hargreaves Lansdown
      Attribute
      AJ Bell logo
      AJ Bell
      Hargreaves Lansdown logo
      Hargreaves Lansdown
      Pricing & plans
      Starting price
      Transaction-priced · Fees vary by offer and jurisdictionTransaction-priced · Fees vary by offer and jurisdiction
      Free tier
      NoNo
      Free trial
      ——
      Platforms & access
      Web app
      YesYes
      Mobile app
      YesYes
      API access
      NoNo
      Audience & fit
      Experience level
      Beginner, Intermediate, AdvancedBeginner, Intermediate, Advanced
      Best for
      ——
      Categories covered
      55
      Regions
      Europe, North AmericaEurope, North America
      Try itVisit AJ BellVisit Hargreaves Lansdown

      Standout features

      The best features of AJ Bell and Hargreaves Lansdown.
      Show
      AJ Bell logo

      What AJ Bell does best

      1. Open Dealing, Stocks and Shares ISA, Lifetime ISA, Junior ISA, SIPP, Junior SIPP, trust, or eligible company accounts.
      2. Choose from more than 4,000 funds plus UK and international shares, ETFs, investment trusts, gilts, and bonds.
      3. Pay wrapper-specific account charges, with caps for listed assets and tiered charges for funds.
      4. Set up free regular investments from £25 a month, limit orders, stop losses, watchlists, portfolio monitoring, and research.
      5. Earn variable interest on cleared GBP cash, with rates that differ by account type.
      Hargreaves Lansdown logo

      What Hargreaves Lansdown does best

      1. Fund and Share Account, Stocks and Shares ISA, Lifetime ISA, junior accounts, SIPP, Junior SIPP, and Bare Trust access.
      2. Thousands of funds plus UK and overseas shares, ETFs, investment trusts, gilts, and corporate bonds.
      3. HL research, live share prices, watchlists, portfolio tracking, charts, stop losses, and limit orders.
      4. Regular monthly investing with selected dealing fees waived.
      5. Interest paid on cleared investment-account cash using account-specific balance tiers.

      All details

      Every attribute we track for AJ Bell and Hargreaves Lansdown.
      Show
      Attribute
      AJ Bell logo
      AJ Bell
      Hargreaves Lansdown logo
      Hargreaves Lansdown
      Coverage & fit
      Asset types
      StocksETFsBondsMutual Funds
      StocksETFsBondsMutual Funds
      Experience
      BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced
      BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced
      Regions
      EuropeNorth America
      EuropeNorth America
      Coverage details
      Identifiers: Ticker and ISIN
      Identifiers: Ticker and ISIN
      Access & integrations
      Export formats
      CSVPDF
      PDF
      Plans & trust
      Vendor & support
      AJ Bell Securities LimitedCountry: United KingdomSupport: Phone and Email
      Hargreaves Lansdown Asset Management LimitedCountry: United KingdomSupport: Phone and Email

      Green tags are exclusive to that tool in this comparison.

      Questions we keep getting

      What's the difference between AJ Bell and Hargreaves Lansdown?

      AJ Bell leans toward brokerage, portfolio, and watchlist, while Hargreaves Lansdown puts more weight on brokerage, portfolio, and watchlist. They overlap in 5 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.

      How much do AJ Bell and Hargreaves Lansdown cost?

      Neither has a free plan; you'll need a paid subscription for the full feature set of either. Check each tool's current plan details before buying.

      Can I export data from AJ Bell and Hargreaves Lansdown?

      AJ Bell exports to CSV. Hargreaves Lansdown is stingier about getting data out.

      Can I track my portfolio with AJ Bell or Hargreaves Lansdown?

      Yes, both do portfolio tracking: holdings, performance, and allocation in one place.

      Feedback

      Spot stale pricing, missing features, or a comparison that feels off? Send feedback on the verdict, table, alternatives, or recommendation.

      Curation & Accuracy

      This directory blends AI‑assisted discovery with human curation. Entries are reviewed, edited, and organized with the goal of expanding coverage and sharpening quality over time. Your feedback helps steer improvements (because no single human can capture everything all at once).

      Details change. Pricing, features, and availability may be incomplete or out of date. Treat listings as a starting point and verify on the provider’s site before making decisions. If you spot an error or a gap, send a quick note and I’ll adjust.