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.
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, 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.
For UK investors exploring online brokers, Barclays and CMC Invest both provide a range of investment options, yet each has its own strengths. Barclays shines with its extensive offerings, including share trading, ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds, and investment trusts. The brokerage also provides advisory services, making it a well-rounded choice for comprehensive investment strategies. Rated 5 stars and ranked 9th out of 21 brokers by UK.StockBrokers.com for investment choices, Barclays is a noteworthy contender for investors seeking variety and expertise.
On the other hand, CMC Invest also caters to those interested in share trading, ETFs, funds, and investment trusts, but does not extend its offerings to corporate bonds or government bonds. The exclusion of advisory services may influence investors in need of guided decision-making. Nonetheless, CMC Invest achieves a commendable 4.5-star rating and is ranked 14th for investment choices, indicating a strong portfolio of options for those prioritizing certain assets over an all-inclusive service. Both platforms offer reliable trading opportunities, but the specific features and services may guide your decision based on individual investment goals.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | ||
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | ||
| Crypto Trading | ||
| Advisor Services | Yes | |
| Investment Choices |
|
|
Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
When comparing the trading tools of Barclays and CMC Invest for UK investors, several features stand out. Barclays provides a browser-based trading platform, enabling easy access through your web browser. Both Barclays and CMC Invest allow users to create alerts for stock price updates, ensuring you're informed about market movements. However, CMC Invest distinguishes itself by offering real-time market data, potentially giving its users a timely edge in trading.
Neither Barclays nor CMC Invest support advanced features like displaying corporate events on charts, offering drawing tools or technical indicators, or allowing users to add notes, index overlays, or stock overlays to charts. This similarity might make it challenging for traders seeking in-depth charting capabilities. Ultimately, the choice between the two may largely depend on the importance of real-time data access and the preference for browser-based platforms.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | ||
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | ||
| Charting - Stock Overlays | ||
| Charting - Index Overlays |
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 the beginner investor educational resources between Barclays and CMC Invest, both offer education on key topics like share trading, funds, and retirement, making them viable options for novices. However, there are differences in the availability of educational webinars. Both firms provide live webinars for customer education, but neither has them archived for on-demand viewing, which might be a consideration for those looking for flexible learning resources. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Barclays scores slightly higher with a 4.5-star rating compared to CMC Invest's 4 stars, positioning Barclays at number 10 out of 21 brokers in terms of beginner education, while CMC Invest ranks at number 15. This suggests that while both offer substantial educational resources, Barclays holds a slight edge in educational services for beginners.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | ||
| Client Webinars (Archived) | ||
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing the market research features of Barclays and CMC Invest, both online brokers provide research reports for funds, shares, and ETFs, making them strong options for UK investors looking to dive into specific asset analysis. However, Barclays offers an additional advantage by providing insights into portfolio allocation by asset class, while CMC Invest does not specify this feature. Barclays also extends its research capabilities to bonds, but it's unclear if CMC Invest does the same. Both platforms offer robust tools for traditional investments, but Barclays may have the edge if you're interested in a broader research scope, particularly in bonds and asset allocation insights.
| Feature |
Barclays
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | ||
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes |
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
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
|
| Charges & Fees |
|
|
| Investment Choices |
|
|
| Mobile App |
|
|
| Website |
|
|
| Ease of Use |
|
|
| Education |
|
|
When comparing online brokers, Barclays does not offer crypto trading, whereas CMC Invest provides access to cryptocurrency markets, highlighting CMC Invest as the more versatile platform for investors interested in digital assets.
Select Brokers
↓×Compare
0 of 5| Overall Rating | Barclays | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Charges & Fees |
|
| |
| Investment Choices |
|
| |
| Mobile App |
|
| |
| Website |
|
| |
| Ease of Use |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| 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 | |||
| Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | ||
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | ||
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | |||
| Crypto Trading | |||
| Advisor Services | Yes |
| 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) |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand) |
|
| |
| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
|
|
| Platforms & Tools | Barclays | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | ||
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | |||
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | |||
| Charting - Stock Overlays | |||
| Charting - Index Overlays |
| Research | Barclays | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | ||
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes |
| Education | Barclays | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | |||
| Client Webinars (Archived) |
| Overall Summary | Barclays | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Charges & Fees |
|
| |
| Investment Choices |
|
| |
| Mobile App |
|
| |
| Website |
|
| |
| Ease of Use |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Review | Barclays Review | CMC Invest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
Trading 212 Review
Interactive Brokers Review
Hargreaves Lansdown Review
XTB Review
IG Group Review
eToro Review
Saxo Review
CMC Invest Review
Freetrade Review
Halifax Review
Vanguard Review
