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.
Your capital is at risk.
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.
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.
AJ Bell and CMC Invest both offer share dealing alongside ETFs, funds, and investment trusts for UK investors. Neither supports crypto trading or CFD trading, and spread betting is not listed for either. A key difference is fixed income: AJ Bell lets you buy corporate bonds and UK government bonds (gilts), while CMC Invest does not.
Neither broker provides adviser services. For investment choice, UK.StockBrokers.com rates AJ Bell 5 out of 5 stars (ranked 5th of 21), while CMC Invest scores 4 out of 5 stars (ranked 14th of 21). If you want access to bonds and gilts, AJ Bell is the broader option; if you only need low-cost share and ETF investing, CMC Invest may suit.
| Feature |
AJ Bell
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual 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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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
When comparing AJ Bell and CMC Invest on their trading tools, AJ Bell stands out with a wide array of features designed to enhance the trader's experience. AJ Bell allows users to display corporate events such as earnings, splits, and dividends directly on charts, a feature that is absent in CMC Invest. In terms of charting tools, AJ Bell offers 8 drawing tools and 31 technical indicators, which provide traders with more analytical resources, whereas CMC Invest offers none. AJ Bell also supports index and stock overlays, further enriching the charting capabilities, features not available with CMC Invest.
Additionally, AJ Bell provides a browser-based trading platform, whereas CMC Invest does not. Both brokers do offer the ability to create alerts for stock price updates and provide real-time market data, ensuring traders stay informed. However, neither AJ Bell nor CMC Invest allows users to add personal notes to charts. For UK traders seeking a platform with extensive analytical features, AJ Bell appears to deliver a more comprehensive set of tools compared to CMC Invest.
| 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 |
For UK investors exploring retirement account options, both AJ Bell and CMC Invest offer Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), providing a solid foundation for tax-efficient investing. AJ Bell is known for its user-friendly platform, appealing to those seeking a seamless experience, while CMC Invest stands out with competitive fees and cutting-edge tools. Each broker caters to a range of investment needs, making either a viable choice for building a retirement portfolio through ISAs and SIPPs. Consider key features such as cost structures, investment options, and platform usability when choosing between these providers to ensure alignment with your financial goals.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
Looking at mobile apps in the UK, both AJ Bell and CMC Invest offer iPhone and Android apps, but AJ Bell’s app scores higher with 4.5 out of 5 stars versus CMC Invest’s 3.5, according to UK.StockBrokers.com. In the site’s Mobile Apps rankings out of 21 brokers, AJ Bell places #9 while CMC Invest is #11, suggesting the AJ Bell app is the stronger choice if you value higher user ratings and overall app quality.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK beginner investors comparing AJ Bell and CMC Invest, AJ Bell clearly offers more education: it runs live client webinars with an on-demand archive and covers share trading, funds and retirement. CMC Invest has no webinars or archive, and while it covers share trading and retirement, it lacks funds education. Reflecting this, UK.StockBrokers.com rates AJ Bell 5/5 stars and ranks it 5th of 21 for beginner education, versus CMC Invest’s 2.5/5 stars and 15th place. If you want structured learning with webinars and wider topics, AJ Bell is the stronger pick; if you only need basics on shares and retirement without webinars, CMC Invest may suffice.
| Feature |
AJ Bell
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
Comparing AJ Bell and CMC Invest for market research, AJ Bell stands out for UK investors thanks to downloadable fund research reports and the ability to view your portfolio allocation by asset class—features CMC Invest doesn’t offer. Both platforms provide research on shares, ETFs and funds, but only AJ Bell adds bond research. If you want fuller research coverage and clear asset breakdowns, AJ Bell is the better fit; if you just need core share and ETF insights, CMC Invest covers the basics.
| Feature |
AJ Bell
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No |
| 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 | |
| Mutual 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 | |||
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Trading Fees | AJ Bell | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £1 | |
| 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) | |||
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £0 - £250,000 | £0 - £625 | £83.88 / £131.88 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £625 - £875 | £83.88 / £131.88 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £875 | £83.88 / £131.88 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £875 | £83.88 / £131.88 | |
| 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 | |||
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No | |
| 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 | No | |
| 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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