(Bloomberg) --

AJ Bell Plc is seeking to tap into surging demand from retail investors in the U.K. with offers of low fees and monsters.

The investment platform has created a commission-free app called Dodl, according to a statement Monday. The service will have an annual charge of 0.15% and feature a range of friendly characters, who will guide customers on how to buy and sell investments.

The pandemic has driven a wave of interest in investing as homebound people turned to online trading to pass the time and make money. In the U.S., Robinhood Markets Inc. pioneered an app that embraced the traits of social media by making trading easy and fun. 

“Investing needn’t be scary,” AJ Bell Chief Investment Officer Kevin Doran said in the statement. The new app “will appeal particularly to those that are new to investing and want a simple way to manage their investments.”

The app will be launched during the first half of 2022, AJ Bell said in the statement.

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