AJ Bell's new app aims to make investing a Dodl
Dodl, AJ Bell’s new app-based investment service, is cheap – although a wider range of investments would be welcome, says David Prosser.


As inflation continues to rise, it’s good to see that prices aren’t going through the roof everywhere. The launch last week of Dodl, a low-cost app-based service from stockbroker AJ Bell, marks the latest round in a price war between investment-platform providers – some welcome good news for savers and investors.
AJ Bell expects some customers to use Dodl as a general investment account, but, as with rival platforms, it also offers individual savings accounts (Isas) and self-invested personal pensions (Sipps). So this could be a good way to get started with long-term saving and investment, including for retirement planning.
Competing with Vanguard
Dodl has an annual charge of 0.15%, with a monthly minimum of £1, and no additional charges for buying or selling investments on the platform. That’s excellent value, but it won’t replace existing platforms for most investors (including users of AJ Bell’s Youinvest service), since it provides a very limited choice of investments. Dodl will offer access to seven AJ Bell multi-asset funds, 23 index funds covering global stockmarkets and a range of investment themes, and 50 UK shares.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
That puts Dodl very much in the territory of Vanguard, the American investment giant that launched a low-cost platform in the UK a couple of years ago. This too offers a single annual fee of 0.15% for access to a limited selection of investments: in Vanguard’s case, only its own funds are available.
The only other platform that comes close to matching Dodl’s pricing on an Isa is Freetrade, which charges £3 a month. It also offers commission-free trading in a much broader range of investments. But while that price equates to an annual charge of just 0.18% on a £20,000 Isa, Freetrade’s Sipp comes at the higher monthly cost of £9.99. That makes it more expensive than Dodl or Vanguard for those who have built up smaller pensions.
So for investors looking to open their first Sipp – perhaps because they don’t have access to a pension scheme at work, or because they want to increase retirement saving – Dodl looks like a good option. It matches the cost of the cheapest Sipp (Vanguard) on the market, but offers a broader – though still limited – choice of investments.
Hoping for more choice
Dodl focuses on passive funds, which track a stockmarket index rather than trying to beat it, so it won’t suit anybody looking for active funds. Still, the platform gives investors exposure to all the main developed stockmarkets, as well as several emerging markets funds. There are also bond funds, and some sector and thematic products, although a few of these seem arbitrary – there is a robotics exchange-traded fund, but no trackers for core sectors such as energy or consumer staples, and no gold. About half of the 50 shares available are solid blue chips, but many popular FTSE 100 firms that would help build a balanced portfolio are left out, even though the list includes plenty of volatile mid caps.
The list will evolve – US stocks are on the radar – so hopefully this will improve. In any case, more competition is very welcome and this is a promising product. In terms of pensions, Dodl follows Interactive Investor’s launch of Pension Builder earlier this year. With a fixed monthly cost of £12.99, it was also marketed as a low-cost option, but if you don’t have a six-figure pension fund, Dodl will be cheaper.
• SEE ALSO: A new low-cost Sipp from Interactive Investor
Sign up for MoneyWeek's newsletters
Get the latest financial news, insights and expert analysis from our award-winning MoneyWeek team, to help you understand what really matters when it comes to your finances.

David Prosser is a regular MoneyWeek columnist, writing on small business and entrepreneurship, as well as pensions and other forms of tax-efficient savings and investments. David has been a financial journalist for almost 30 years, specialising initially in personal finance, and then in broader business coverage. He has worked for national newspaper groups including The Financial Times, The Guardian and Observer, Express Newspapers and, most recently, The Independent, where he served for more than three years as business editor.
-
Divorce financial settlement fights surge – why it pays to agree terms early
Lawyers expect more court battles as tax rises and sharp falls in asset values make divorcing financially more difficult.
-
Emotional investing: what is it and how you can avoid it
Are you an emotional investor? Your feelings could be damaging your long-term investments, but here's how to stay rational when the markets are turbulent.
-
Who’s driving Tesla?
As Elon Musk steps back from government with his eyes on the stars, investors ask if he’s still behind the wheel at his electric-car maker.
-
Investment opportunities in the world of Coca-Cola
There is far more to Coca-Cola than just one giant firm. The companies that bottle and distribute the ubiquitous soft drink are promising investments in their own right.
-
Streaming services are the new magic money tree for investors – but for how long?
Opinion Streaming services are in full bloom and laden with profits, but beware – winter is coming, warns Matthew Lynn
-
'Pension funds shouldn't be pushed into private equity sector'
Opinion The private-equity party is over, so don't push pension funds into the sector, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
-
Greg Abel: Warren Buffett’s heir takes the throne
Greg Abel is considered a safe pair of hands as he takes centre stage at Berkshire Hathaway. But he arrives after one of the hardest acts to follow in investment history, Warren Buffett. Can he thrive?
-
Who will be the next Warren Buffett?
Opinion There won’t be another Warren Buffett. Times have changed, and the opportunities are no longer there, says Matthew Lynn.
-
Will Comstock crash – or soar?
Opinion The upside for Comstock, a solar panel-recycling and biomass-refining group, dwarfs the downside, says Dominic Frisby.
-
'As AGMs go digital, firms must offer a new form of scrutiny for shareholders'
Opinion Technology has rendered big AGM meet-ups obsolete, but the board still needs to be held to account, says Matthew Lynn