Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of CMC Invest vs Barclays, 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 Barclays 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.
CMC Invest vs Barclays: both give UK investors core market access with share dealing, ETFs, funds, and investment trusts. Neither supports crypto trading or CFD trading, and spread betting isn’t specified for either.
The big divide is in fixed income and guidance. Barclays offers trading in corporate bonds and UK government bonds (gilts) and provides adviser services; CMC Invest does not. For investment choice, UK.StockBrokers.com rates CMC Invest 4/5 (ranked 14th of 21) and Barclays 5/5 (no ranking listed). Pick CMC Invest for straightforward share and fund investing, or Barclays if you also want bonds and access to advice.
| Feature |
CMC Invest
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Barclays
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|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | Yes |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | No |
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
CMC Invest vs Barclays for trading tools: both are very limited for charting. Neither broker shows corporate events on charts, and there are no drawing tools, technical indicators, notes, or index/stock overlays. If detailed chart analysis matters to you, neither platform will meet that need.
Where they differ is platform access and data. Barclays offers a browser-based trading platform, while CMC Invest does not. Both let you set price alerts, but only CMC Invest provides real-time market data; Barclays does not. In short: pick Barclays if you want to trade in your web browser, or CMC Invest if live pricing is your priority.
| Feature |
CMC Invest
|
Barclays
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | No | 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 |
CMC Invest vs Barclays: for UK savers comparing retirement options, both providers offer ISA and SIPP accounts, so you can invest inside tax-efficient wrappers for long-term goals; choose either CMC Invest or Barclays if you want an ISA for tax-free investing and a SIPP for building your pension.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
Comparing UK online brokers CMC Invest and Barclays: both offer mobile apps for iPhone and Android, but UK.StockBrokers.com rates CMC Invest higher at 3.5/5 stars versus Barclays at 2.5/5. In the site’s Mobile Apps category, CMC Invest ranks 13th out of 21 brokers, while Barclays has no published ranking.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
Comparing beginner education from UK brokers CMC Invest vs Barclays: neither offers client webinars or on-demand replays. Both cover share trading and retirement, but only Barclays also covers funds. On UK.StockBrokers.com, CMC Invest scores 2.5/5 and ranks 16th of 21 for beginner education, while Barclays earns 4.5/5 (no ranking published). For new investors seeking broader coverage and a higher third-party rating, Barclays looks the stronger choice; CMC Invest may suit those who only need share trading and retirement basics.
| Feature |
CMC Invest
|
Barclays
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | No | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
For UK investors comparing online brokers, Barclays beats CMC Invest on market research breadth: both offer shares, ETF and funds research, but Barclays also provides research reports for funds, bond research, and tools to see your portfolio allocation by asset class. CMC Invest covers shares, ETFs and funds research yet lacks fund research reports, bond research, and an asset class breakdown. Choose CMC Invest for straightforward share and ETF insights, or Barclays if you want deeper fund and bond analysis plus handy allocation tracking.
| Feature |
CMC Invest
|
Barclays
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | No | Yes |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | No | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, CMC Invest or Barclays? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found CMC Invest to be a better trading platform overall.
CMC Invest is a mobile-first investment app best known for its commission-free stock trading, support for ISAs and SIPPs, and simple account structure for long-term investors.
| Feature |
CMC Invest
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Barclays
|
|---|---|---|
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| Mobile App |
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When comparing online brokers CMC Invest and Barclays, it's important to note that neither platform offers crypto trading.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | CMC Invest | Barclays | |
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| Review | CMC Invest Review | Barclays Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | CMC Invest | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | No | Yes | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | |||
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Trading Fees | CMC Invest | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £0 | £6 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £0 | £6 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £0 | £6 | |
| 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 | £83.88 / £131.88 | £0 - £525 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £83.88 / £131.88 | £525 - £650 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £83.88 / £131.88 | £650 - £850 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £83.88 / £131.88 | £850 and up | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | £6 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | N/A | £6 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £0 | £6 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £0 | £6 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £0 | £25 |
| Broker Screenshots | CMC Invest | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Platforms & Tools | CMC Invest | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | No | 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 | No | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | CMC Invest | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | No | Yes | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | No | Yes |
| Education | CMC Invest | Barclays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | No | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Overall Summary | CMC Invest | Barclays | |
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| Review | CMC Invest Review | Barclays Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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