Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of AJ Bell vs CMC Invest, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, investment options, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
Alongside the cost per trade, most UK online brokers also charge a monthly, quarterly, or annual management fee, which varies based on the account type and balance. Based on our thorough review, CMC Invest offers better pricing than AJ Bell for share dealing.
Assuming a £30,000 portfolio size, here are the total annual costs for share dealing with both brokers, given different monthly activity scenarios.
5 trades per year - AJ Bell would cost £100 per year, while CMC Invest would cost £0 / £120 / £300 per year.
12 trades per year - AJ Bell would cost £135 per year, while CMC Invest would cost £0 / £120 / £300 per year.
36 trades per year - AJ Bell would cost £255 per year, while CMC Invest would cost £0 / £120 / £300 per year.
120 trades per year - AJ Bell would cost £495 per year, while CMC Invest would cost £0 / £120 / £300 per year.
3 fund trades per year - AJ Bell would cost £0 per year, while CMC Invest would cost £0 per year.
What type of trader are you?
New to the world of investing? See our picks for the Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners. More experienced traders should read our guide to the Best UK Trading Platforms for Active Traders.
When comparing investment choices, AJ Bell and CMC Invest both allow traders to delve into the world of share trading, ETFs, funds, and investment trusts. However, AJ Bell offers a wider array of options by including corporate bonds and government bonds (gilts) in their portfolio, which CMC Invest does not. Neither platform supports crypto trading, spread betting, CFD trading, or provides advisor services, ensuring a straightforward investment experience focused on traditional assets.
In terms of user satisfaction and industry rankings, AJ Bell holds a prestigious 5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com, positioning it 3rd out of 18 brokers for investment choices. CMC Invest, while highly competitive with a 4.5-star rating, ranks 15th, suggesting that AJ Bell may offer a slightly more comprehensive and diverse range of investment options for those looking to broaden their investment horizons.
| Feature |
AJ Bell
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | No |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Investment Choices |
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Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Low-cost US and UK shares.
When comparing the trading tools of online brokers AJ Bell and CMC Invest, AJ Bell offers a more robust set of features for investors. AJ Bell provides the ability to display corporate events such as earnings, splits, and dividends on charts, a feature not available with CMC Invest. Additionally, AJ Bell supports a variety of charting tools with 8 drawing tools and 31 technical indicators, while CMC Invest does not offer any. Both platforms lack the capability to add notes to charts.
Further distinctions include AJ Bell's ability to add both index and stock overlays to charts, unlike CMC Invest. Additionally, AJ Bell facilitates trading through a browser-based platform, a convenience not provided by CMC Invest. However, both brokers allow users to set alerts for stock price updates and provide real-time market data, ensuring that investors have access to timely information for making informed trading decisions.
| Feature |
AJ Bell
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | No |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 31 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 8 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | No | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
When comparing online brokers AJ Bell and CMC Invest for retirement accounts, both platforms offer Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) to help you grow your savings tax-efficiently. For those looking into Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), both AJ Bell and CMC Invest also provide these accounts, allowing greater control over your retirement investments. Whether you're focusing on building a nest egg through ISAs or enhancing your retirement portfolio with SIPPs, both AJ Bell and CMC Invest offer flexible options to suit your financial goals.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
When comparing the mobile app offerings of online brokers AJ Bell and CMC Invest, both provide accessible options for iPhone and Android users. While AJ Bell's mobile app receives a favorable 4-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com, CMC Invest surpasses this with a 4.5-star rating, reflecting user satisfaction and advanced features. Despite this, AJ Bell secures a higher overall ranking, coming in at number 3 out of 18 brokers for mobile app performance, while CMC Invest ranks at number 7. For investors prioritizing a high-rated mobile trading experience, both brokers offer reliable apps, but the choice may depend on whether the comprehensive offering of AJ Bell or the higher-rated app of CMC Invest aligns better with their needs.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing AJ Bell and CMC Invest for their educational resources aimed at beginner investors, AJ Bell clearly stands out. AJ Bell offers a comprehensive suite of educational client webinars, which are also available on demand, making it convenient for users to learn at their own pace. These resources cover essential topics such as share trading, funds, and retirement planning. In contrast, while CMC Invest provides education on share trading, funds, and retirement, it lacks the webinar offerings that AJ Bell provides. This robust educational support is reflected in AJ Bell's excellent rating of 5 stars for beginner education by UK.StockBrokers.com, positioning it third among 18 brokers. Meanwhile, CMC Invest has a decent 4-star rating, ranking it thirteenth among the same 18 brokers. Whether you're looking for structured webinars or in-depth content on key investment topics, AJ Bell appears to offer more comprehensive support for beginners compared to CMC Invest.
| Feature |
AJ Bell
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
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|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing the market research features of online brokers AJ Bell and CMC Invest, both platforms provide research reports for funds, shares, ETFs, and general funds. However, AJ Bell stands out with additional capabilities, such as offering research on bonds and the ability to view portfolio allocation by asset class, whereas CMC Invest lacks these features. Neither broker offers research on CFDs. This makes AJ Bell a more comprehensive choice for those looking for robust research tools, especially in bond markets and asset allocation insights.
| Feature |
AJ Bell
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | No | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
Which broker is better overall, AJ Bell or CMC Invest? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found AJ Bell to be a better trading platform overall.
You can invest in an extensive range of investments through AJ Bell. Charges are on the high side for those with large portfolios in mutual funds and those looking to execute one-off share deals; but its new app, called Dodl, offers much lower fees and also offers a more slim-lined and user-friendly service. Educational and research materials are strong, too.
| Feature |
AJ Bell
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CMC Invest
|
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Neither AJ Bell nor CMC Invest offer cryptocurrency trading, highlighting a common limitation among online brokers focused on more traditional investment options.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | AJ Bell | CMC Invest | |
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| Review | AJ Bell Review | CMC Invest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | AJ Bell | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | No | No | |
| Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | No | No | |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Trading Fees | AJ Bell | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £5 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £3.50 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £3.50 | £0 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £100 | £0 / £120 / £300 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £135 | £0 / £120 / £300 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £255 | £0 / £120 / £300 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £495 | £0 / £120 / £300 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £79.50 | £120 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £0 - £625 | £120 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £625 - £875 | £120 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £875 | £120 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £875 | £120 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £5 | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £5 | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £5 | £0 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £5 | £0 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £25 | £0 |
| Broker Screenshots | AJ Bell | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Platforms & Tools | AJ Bell | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | No | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 31 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 8 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
| Research | AJ Bell | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | No | No | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
| Education | AJ Bell | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Overall Summary | AJ Bell | CMC Invest | |
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| Review | AJ Bell Review | CMC Invest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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