7 Royal London alternatives for taking control of your pension
The Royal London app is a window onto your existing plan, useful if you already have a workplace or personal pension with them, useless if you want to open a new pot or pull old pensions together in one place. The app only lets registered members view balances, change beneficiaries, transfer in to an existing Royal London plan, and read educational content. There is no flow to start a fresh personal pension or open an ISA. If you are tracking down a string of old pensions, opening a SIPP, or thinking about retirement decisions in a unified app, these Royal London alternatives go further.
The seven below all offer something Royal London does not on mobile, either pension finding, broader investment choice, a self-served SIPP, or a fully digital onboarding flow.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free plan | Starting price | Standout feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PensionBee | Combining old pensions | No fee to open | 0.50%-0.95% | Finds and merges legacy pensions |
| Penfold | Self-employed savers | No fee to open | 0.75% | Flexible contributions on payday or per-job |
| Aviva | Existing Aviva customers + multi-product | No app fee | 0.40%-0.75% on platforms | Bundles pension, ISA, life cover |
| Standard Life | Workplace pension members | No fee in-app | 0.45% blended | Sustainability fund range |
| Hargreaves Lansdown | DIY SIPP investors | No fee to open | 0.45% capped on shares | 3,000+ funds and shares for SIPP |
| Nest | Auto-enrolment members | Free to use | 0.30% + 1.8% contribution charge | Default fund used by many UK employers |
| Smart Pension | Workplace pension viewing | Free to use | 0.25%-0.75% | Cleanest workplace pension app |
Why people look beyond Royal London
The complaints split into two camps.
- You cannot do much without an existing plan. Several Trustpilot reviews flag that someone with a former workplace Royal London pension cannot use the app to track new contributions or compare funds, only view what is already there.
- The investment menu inside the workplace plan is curated. Default funds work fine, but if you want a global tracker with a 0.07% expense ratio, you cannot select it from Royal London’s app the way you could in a SIPP.
- Pension consolidation requires phone calls or paperwork. Where PensionBee or Penfold do the find-and-transfer flow digitally, Royal London leans on paper transfer forms.
- The retirement planning tools are educational, not interactive. Users want forecasts they can play with; the app provides static projections.
- Onboarding requires a plan number. Trying the app without one returns you to a help page, not a sign-up flow.
If you have hit any of those walls, the alternatives below address them.
The 7 best Royal London alternatives
PensionBee — Best for combining old pensions in one place
PensionBee built its business around finding and transferring legacy pensions. Tell the app the names of past employers; PensionBee does the legwork with the old providers and lands the money in a single PensionBee plan. Six fund choices, including a Tailored Plan that tracks a tracker portfolio and steps risk down as you approach retirement.
Where it falls short: Fund range is intentionally small. No SIPP-style ability to buy individual shares or niche ETFs.
Pricing:
- Free: Account opening, pension finder
- Paid: 0.50%-0.95% annual management charge depending on fund
- vs Royal London: Comparable or cheaper on workplace funds; easier consolidation
Migrating from Royal London: Submit the transfer request inside PensionBee; the team contacts Royal London on your behalf. Cash transfers typically settle in 4-12 weeks depending on whether the old plan has guarantees.
Bottom line: Pick PensionBee if “I have three old pensions and I do not know where they are” describes you.
Penfold — Best for self-employed savers
Penfold built its product around freelance and self-employed users who do not have an employer paying in. You can contribute in any amount, on any schedule, and the in-app forecast updates immediately. Five fund options, including Sharia and lifestyle blends.
Where it falls short: Underlying fund cost plus the platform fee is similar to or slightly higher than a cheap SIPP if you only invest in trackers.
Pricing:
- Free: Account opening, pension finder
- Paid: 0.75% annual fee (Standard Plan), waived for the first £1,000 in some promotions
- vs Royal London: Designed for contributions Royal London’s workplace product cannot easily handle
Migrating from Royal London: In-app transfer flow; Penfold contacts Royal London on your behalf.
Bottom line: The cleanest pension app for anyone whose income is not a steady monthly salary.
Aviva — Best for bundling pensions, ISA and protection
Aviva offers a personal pension, Stocks & Shares ISA, Investment Account and a separate insurance app, all under MyAviva. The pension platform charges drop as you cross balance bands, and the fund range includes Aviva’s own MyFolio multi-asset portfolios.
Where it falls short: The mobile app is functional rather than slick; some users on r/UKPersonalFinance call it a portal wrapped in a webview. Customer service can be slow during peak windows.
Pricing:
- Free: Open account, see projection
- Paid: 0.40% to 0.75% depending on balance and product
- vs Royal London: More products under one login; comparable charges
Migrating from Royal London: Standard transfer form; Aviva supports digital signature on most transfers.
Bottom line: Good fit when you want pension, ISA and life cover with the same provider.
Standard Life — Best for workplace pension members
Standard Life runs the workplace pension for many UK employers. The app gives a clean view of value, contributions, projected retirement income and the fund range that includes their sustainability-focused options. Beneficiary management and contact updates work in-app.
Where it falls short: Personal pension flow is not the focus on mobile. Self-served new account opening sits on the web.
Pricing:
- Free: App is free for plan holders
- Paid: 0.45% blended platform fee on most workplace plans
- vs Royal London: Comparable; bigger workplace footprint
Migrating from Royal London: Done through the receiving Standard Life workplace plan administrator.
Bottom line: If your current employer pays in here already, the app does what you need.
Hargreaves Lansdown — Best for a DIY SIPP
Hargreaves Lansdown opens up the full toolkit if you want to manage retirement money yourself. Self-Invested Personal Pension with access to 3,000+ funds, individual UK and US shares, investment trusts and bonds, plus the research that Royal London’s app does not provide.
Where it falls short: 0.45% on fund holdings can outweigh Royal London’s blended workplace fee on very large balances; share trades cost £11.95.
Pricing:
- Free: Account opening
- Paid: 0.45% on funds (capped on shares), trading fees on UK shares
- vs Royal London: Far more choice, slightly pricier on funds
Migrating from Royal London: SIPP transfer form via HL; in-specie or cash. Allow 6-12 weeks for transfers with guarantees.
Bottom line: The right pick when you want to drive your own retirement portfolio.
Nest — Best for auto-enrolment members
Nest is the workplace pension scheme set up by the government to handle auto-enrolment. If your employer uses Nest, the app shows your pot, contributions and a small set of low-cost fund choices, including their Sharia and Higher Risk options.
Where it falls short: No individual share trading, no SIPP, very limited customisation of fund choice.
Pricing:
- Free: App access for members
- Paid: 0.30% annual management charge, 1.8% contribution charge
- vs Royal London: Cheaper on AMC, slightly different fee structure on contributions
Migrating from Royal London: Transfer in via Nest; allow 6-8 weeks.
Bottom line: Best when Nest is already your auto-enrolment provider and you just want a working app.
Smart Pension — Best app for a workplace pension
Smart Pension runs auto-enrolment for thousands of UK employers. The app is the cleanest in the workplace pension category, contribution log, growth chart, retirement planner and the ability to switch fund choice in a few taps.
Where it falls short: Like Royal London, Smart Pension is for members of the scheme; you cannot open one independently.
Pricing:
- Free: App access for members
- Paid: 0.25%-0.75% depending on employer setup
- vs Royal London: Generally lower platform charge
Migrating from Royal London: Transfer-in supported via the member portal.
Bottom line: If your employer uses Smart Pension, you have a better app than Royal London’s already.
How to choose
The right Royal London alternative depends on your starting point.
- Pick PensionBee when the job is “find and combine old pensions” and you want it done digitally.
- Pick Penfold if you are self-employed and need flexible contributions.
- Pick Aviva if you want pension, ISA and protection products with one login.
- Pick Standard Life if your current employer already pays into a Standard Life plan.
- Pick Hargreaves Lansdown if you want to run a DIY SIPP with broad investment choice.
- Pick Nest if Nest is your auto-enrolment provider and you only need a basic view.
- Pick Smart Pension if your employer uses Smart and you want a better app than Royal London’s.
- Stay on Royal London if you have an established Royal London personal pension with valuable guarantees, exit fees or special fund access; those rarely transfer cleanly.
FAQ
Is PensionBee better than Royal London? For pension consolidation and a mobile-first experience, yes. Royal London’s app is built for existing members, not for opening new pots or combining legacy plans.
Can I transfer my Royal London pension into a SIPP? Yes. Hargreaves Lansdown, AJ Bell and Vanguard UK all accept Royal London transfers. Check for guarantees on your existing plan before you transfer; some legacy products lose valuable benefits on transfer.
What is the cheapest Royal London alternative? Smart Pension and Nest sit at the lower end of workplace fees. For personal pensions, low-cost SIPPs from Vanguard UK or InvestEngine undercut Royal London on annual fees if you only buy trackers.
Is there a Royal London alternative that finds my old pensions? PensionBee and Penfold both offer pension-finding services that locate plans by your past employer names and NI number.
Does Royal London charge to transfer out? Most modern plans transfer out free of charge, but legacy with-profits plans can have exit penalties or market value reductions. Check your annual statement before transferring.
