PensionBee vs Moneybox on fees: PensionBee charges 0.50% to 0.95% a year, Moneybox 0.15% (capped at £150) or 0.45% on the first £100,000, by fund.
The two firms price differently, so this page sets out what each prints rather than ranking them. PensionBee's figures are from its site as read on 26 October 2026. Moneybox's are from an archived copy of its pension page captured on 9 September 2026, so check its live page. Choosing between them turns on your own pots, which an FCA-authorised adviser can discuss on a free ring-back after you submit this page's form. This is not a recommendation, and investments can fall as well as rise, so you may get back less than you put in.
How do PensionBee and Moneybox fees compare?
PensionBee says it charges "a simple annual fee" that depends on the plan, and that "your annual fee is halved on the portion of your pot over £100,000". Moneybox says its pension service fee depends on which funds you hold:
- Moneybox's own funds: "0.15% per year, capped at £150 a year."
- Other funds: "0.45% per year on the first £100,000, then 0.15% per year on any amount above that. No cap applies."
Moneybox adds a fund provider fee that "varies by fund", shown in its app. PensionBee says it charges no extra "platform fees, fund fees or trading fees" on top of its one fee, though it lists separate transaction costs inside its plans. The table sets the rates against two pot sizes. Moneybox's own-funds pounds are from its own fee table; the PensionBee and Moneybox other-funds pounds are worked examples, this site's multiplication of each firm's published percentages.
| Pot | PensionBee, 0.50% to 0.95% (worked example) | Moneybox, own funds (Moneybox's table) | Moneybox, other funds, 0.45% (worked example) |
|---|---|---|---|
| £10,000 | £50 to £95 | £15 | £45 |
| £100,000 | £500 to £950 | £150 | £450 |
The columns are not like for like: they cover different funds and different extras, and Moneybox's own-funds table, in the archived copy captured on 9 September 2026, is marked "Correct as of 26/05/2026" and excludes fees charged by the funds themselves. For PensionBee's full grid by plan and pot size, see PensionBee fees; for typical charges elsewhere, pension charges and fees.
Fund choice: six plans or a curated range
PensionBee describes six plans (Global Leaders, 4Plus, Tracker, Climate, Shariah and Preserve) and puts new customers into one of two defaults by age: Global Leaders under 50, 4Plus at 50 or over. It says you can change plan at any time, and what each holds is in which PensionBee plan is best.
Moneybox describes "a curated range of funds designed to match different attitudes to risk", labelled Cautious, Balanced and Adventurous by their mix of stocks and bonds, plus "a choice of global or socially responsible tracker funds". It also says other providers' funds are available. It says full holdings and past performance for each fund are in its app.
Transferring old pensions to either firm
Both firms say they charge nothing to receive a transfer. PensionBee says it can take only cash, so your old investments are sold first, and that a transfer takes 12 weeks on average (see how long PensionBee takes). It will ask your permission if it finds an old exit fee over £10, and it says advice is required before transferring pensions with safeguarded benefits worth over £30,000 in total. Moneybox's page says eligible old pensions can be transferred in to consolidate, and offers an in-app search tool for lost pensions that needs an old employer's name and dates worked, though it cannot guarantee the accuracy of the results. PensionBee says it cannot trace old pensions for you; it points to the government's Pension Tracing Service.
Their rules for a workplace pension differ. Moneybox says it "cannot accept a transfer from a pension your employer is currently paying into", and that opting out of a workplace pension means losing employer contributions. PensionBee says one inactive pension is enough to start, and an active workplace pension can be added to your account and transferred once payments stop. How to transfer a pension sets out the steps.
Taking money out, and running the account
PensionBee says that from 55 (57 from 2028) you can take one-off or automatic monthly withdrawals online through drawdown, and that one-off payments typically take 7 to 10 working days. It also names Legal & General as its partner for an annuity. Drawing down is "completely free", it says, except a £150 fee for a full withdrawal within 12 months of having a live balance, or when the balance is under £150 at withdrawal. Moneybox lists flexible withdrawals, lump sums or ad-hoc withdrawals while the rest stays invested, from the same minimum age. How a Moneybox withdrawal is charged and timed is a point an adviser can cover free once you have used the form. The options themselves are in pension drawdown.
Both run on an app and a website. PensionBee's shows a live balance and a projected retirement income, handles contributions and puts a named account manager, a "BeeKeeper", on hand. Moneybox says you can open and manage the pension on desktop or in its app. Both describe a 25% top-up on personal contributions where tax relief applies: PensionBee's tax top-up and Moneybox's "25% bonus from the government"; pension tax relief explains the rules.
PensionBee against the other providers people ask about
Searchers also pair PensionBee with Nutmeg, Vanguard, Scottish Widows, Aviva and others. This page sets Moneybox beside PensionBee only, because each of those firms prices and packages differently. For their own published charges, see Vanguard SIPP fees, Scottish Widows pension fees and Aviva pension charges, and for a wider view The People's Pension compared and pension consolidation providers.
More on how the two firms differ
Who is each pension open to?
Moneybox says you must be a UK resident aged 18 or over with a National Insurance number, and that tax relief on contributions stops at 75. PensionBee says anyone with an existing UK pension can join, whatever their nationality or tax residency, and a self-employed person can start without one.
Can I have either alongside a workplace pension?
Moneybox says it can sit alongside one, with contributions to both kept within your annual allowance. PensionBee says you can make personal contributions or ask your employer to pay directly into your PensionBee pension, though it does not run a workplace scheme for auto-enrolment; see PensionBee for employers.
Do both charge to join or pay in?
Moneybox says: "There are no fees for opening the pension, paying in, or transferring an old pension to Moneybox." PensionBee says joining is free and that contributions are free, with no minimum. Annual fees apply to both once you hold a plan; what a SIPP is explains how a self-invested pension differs.
Where do reviews and performance fit in?
Neither is judged here. Past performance is no guide to the future; PensionBee performance and is PensionBee good cover PensionBee, and a Moneybox fund's record is in its app.
Pots scattered across past jobs? Lining them up side by side is a job an FCA-authorised adviser will happily do with you, without charge, when you send off the form on this page.