Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Barclays 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, Barclays offers better pricing than CMC Invest 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 - Barclays would cost £105 per year, while CMC Invest would cost £0 / £120 / £300 per year.
12 trades per year - Barclays would cost £75 or £147 per year, while CMC Invest would cost £0 / £120 / £300 per year.
36 trades per year - Barclays would cost £75 or £291 per year, while CMC Invest would cost £0 / £120 / £300 per year.
120 trades per year - Barclays would cost £75 or £795 per year, while CMC Invest would cost £0 / £120 / £300 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Barclays 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 choosing an online broker in the UK, both Barclays and CMC Invest offer a range of investment options. Barclays stands out by providing trading in shares, ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts), and investment trusts, alongside offering advisor services for personalized guidance. On the other hand, CMC Invest also allows trading in shares, ETFs, funds, and investment trusts, but does not offer access to corporate or government bonds, nor does it offer advisor services.
Both platforms shy away from crypto trading, spread betting, and CFD trading. Barclays holds a high rating of 5 stars from UK.StockBrokers.com for their expansive range of investment choices and ranks 9th out of 21 brokers. Meanwhile, CMC Invest earns a respectable 4.5 stars and ranks 14th in the same category, offering a slightly narrower selection. Ultimately, the choice between Barclays and CMC Invest will depend on an investor's need for either comprehensive investment options or a simplified trading approach.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
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 | Yes | No |
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
When comparing the trading tools offered by Barclays and CMC Invest, UK traders will find distinct differences tailored for varying preferences. Both Barclays and CMC Invest fall short in advanced charting features, as neither provides corporate event displays, drawing tools, technical indicators, or options to add notes and overlays to charts. Barclays, however, offers the convenience of a browser-based trading platform, which can be advantageous for users preferring trading without software downloads. Both platforms do support the creation of alerts for stock price updates, enabling traders to stay informed of market changes.
While Barclays lacks real-time market data, CMC Invest fills this gap by offering real-time updates, which are invaluable for traders needing up-to-the-minute data for their strategies. Based on this comparison, investors who prioritize real-time data might lean towards CMC Invest, whereas those who prefer a web-based platform experience might find Barclays better suited to their needs. Ultimately, the choice between the two will depend on prioritizing the features that align most closely with one's trading requirements.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | No |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | No | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
When comparing online brokers Barclays and CMC Invest in the UK, both platforms offer Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs). This provides investors with flexible options for tax-efficient savings and retirement planning. Barclays and CMC Invest give users the ability to manage their investments through these accessible accounts, making them suitable choices for those interested in personal finance management in the UK.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
In the UK online trading scene, both Barclays and CMC Invest offer mobile apps available on iPhone and Android, catering to the modern trader's need for on-the-go access. However, user satisfaction levels differ significantly between the two. Barclays' mobile app, garnering a modest 2.5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com, ranks at the bottom, 21st out of 21 brokers in terms of mobile app performance. In contrast, CMC Invest shines with a high 4.5-star rating and a respectable 11th place rank, suggesting a more user-friendly and efficient mobile trading experience.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing educational resources for beginner investors, Barclays and CMC Invest offer a range of learning materials. Both platforms provide education on share trading, funds, and retirement, making them solid choices for newcomers keen on these topics. However, neither Barclays nor CMC Invest currently offers client webinars, live or on-demand, which might be a consideration for those who prefer interactive learning sessions. Rated by UK.StockBrokers.com, Barclays edges ahead with a 4.5-star rating compared to CMC Invest's 4 stars, reflecting slightly more comprehensive beginner education offerings. Notably, Barclays is ranked #10 out of 21 brokers for beginner education, while CMC Invest stands at #15, offering insights into how these platforms stack up against their peers.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | 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 Barclays with CMC Invest from a market research perspective, both brokers provide research reports for funds, shares, and ETFs, making them valuable for UK investors seeking insights in these areas. Barclays stands out by offering additional research on bonds and the ability to view portfolio allocation by asset class, which are not available with CMC Invest. However, neither broker provides research on CFDs. For investors who value comprehensive asset class insights and bond research, Barclays may edge ahead, while those looking solely for standard fund and shares analysis will find both platforms equally appealing.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
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, Barclays or CMC Invest? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Barclays to be a better trading platform overall.
Barclays Smart Investor offers a wide range of investments and accounts and is a good value for those with a midsize portolio who like flat fees. On the downside, it can be complicated to open an account as a non-Barclays bank customer, and you can’t buy or sell investments through the app if you don’t have a Barclays bank account.
| Feature |
Barclays
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CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Mobile App |
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Both Barclays and CMC Invest do not offer crypto trading, making them similar in this aspect for online brokering services.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Barclays | CMC Invest | |
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| Review | Barclays Review | CMC Invest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Barclays | 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 | Yes | No |
| Trading Fees | Barclays | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £6 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £6 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £6 | £0 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £105 | £0 / £120 / £300 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £75 or £147 | £0 / £120 / £300 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £75 or £291 | £0 / £120 / £300 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £75 or £795 | £0 / £120 / £300 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £75 | £120 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £0 - £525 | £120 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £525 - £650 | £120 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £650 - £850 | £120 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £850 and up | £120 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £6 | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £6 | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £6 | £0 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £6 | £0 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £25 | £0 |
| Broker Screenshots | Barclays | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Platforms & Tools | Barclays | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | No | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | Barclays | 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 | Barclays | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Overall Summary | Barclays | CMC Invest | |
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| Review | Barclays Review | CMC Invest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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