AJ Bell vs Vanguard:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, AJ Bell had more branded searches than Vanguard among share dealing platforms in the United Kingdom. AJ Bell had about 165,000 branded searches, while Vanguard had 30,700. AJ Bell made up 16.3% of all share dealing platform searches we track, and Vanguard accounted for 3%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about share dealing platforms, AJ Bell appeared in three of the five answers and Vanguard in two. Vanguard was mentioned before AJ Bell in two out of three answers.
Who do people search for more?
AJ Bell, about 5 searches for every 1 for Vanguard
Who does AI mention more?
AJ Bell, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Vanguard in 2
Who does AI recommend more?
Vanguard, named ahead of AJ Bell in 2 of 3 answers
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Top share dealing platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, AJ Bell was mentioned in three out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Vanguard was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Vanguard was listed before AJ Bell in two out of three answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- AJ Bell3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Trading 2123 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
InvestEngine3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers- Vanguard2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Hargreaves Lansdown0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
eToro0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Freetrade0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about share dealing platforms
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which share dealing platform should I use in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best investment platforms in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best stocks and shares ISA platform in the UK for beginners?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“stocks and shares isa”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“share dealing”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United Kingdom on October 22, 2026.
Is AJ Bell or Vanguard more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for AJ Bell and Vanguard by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven share dealing platforms we track, month by month, from searches in United Kingdom.
Share of searches by month for AJ Bell, Vanguard. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Hargreaves Lansdown | AJ Bell | Trading 212 | eToro | Vanguard | Freetrade | InvestEngine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 49.9% | 12.2% | 22.3% | 10% | 3.3% | 1.3% | 0.9% |
| Nov 2025 | 52.9% | 13% | 19.3% | 8.7% | 3.5% | 1.4% | 1.2% |
| Dec 2025 | 53.9% | 13.2% | 19.7% | 7.2% | 3.6% | 1.2% | 1.2% |
| Jan 2026 | 52.4% | 12.8% | 19.1% | 8.6% | 3.6% | 2.1% | 1.4% |
| Feb 2026 | 50.7% | 15.2% | 18.5% | 8.3% | 4.1% | 2% | 1.1% |
| Mar 2026 | 53.6% | 13.1% | 19.6% | 7.2% | 3.6% | 1.8% | 1.2% |
| Apr 2026 | 54.5% | 13.4% | 19.9% | 6% | 3.6% | 1.5% | 1.2% |
| May 2026 | 51.7% | 15.5% | 18.9% | 7% | 4.1% | 1.7% | 1.1% |
| Jun 2026 | 51.3% | 15.4% | 18.7% | 8.4% | 3.4% | 1.7% | 1.1% |
| Jul 2026 | 51.5% | 15.4% | 18.9% | 8.5% | 3.4% | 1.4% | 0.93% |
| Aug 2026 | 56% | 13.7% | 16.8% | 7.5% | 3.7% | 1.2% | 1% |
| Sep 2026 | 54.5% | 16.3% | 16.3% | 7.3% | 3% | 1.5% | 0.98% |
How has the AJ Bell and Vanguard comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- AJ Bell was ahead of Vanguard in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, AJ Bell’s share of searches among share dealing platforms in the United Kingdom moved from 12.2% to 16.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 165K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Vanguard’s share of searches among share dealing platforms in the United Kingdom moved from 3.3% to 3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 44.9K to 30.7K.
How did search popularity change for United Kingdom share dealing platforms in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, AJ Bell overtook Trading 212 to rank 2nd among share dealing platforms in the United Kingdom, with 16.3% of the searches.
In September 2026, Vanguard lost share of searches among share dealing platforms in the United Kingdom, from 3.7% to 3%.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using AJ Bell’s and Vanguard’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among share dealing platforms
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