Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of CMC Invest vs Charles Stanley Direct, 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 Charles Stanley Direct 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 and Charles Stanley Direct both let you trade UK and international shares, ETFs, funds, and investment trusts. Neither supports crypto or CFD trading. The key difference is fixed income and guidance: Charles Stanley Direct offers corporate bonds and UK government bonds (gilts), plus optional adviser services, while CMC Invest does not.
According to UK.StockBrokers.com, CMC Invest scores 4 out of 5 stars for investment choices and ranks 14th of 21 brokers, while Charles Stanley Direct earns 5 out of 5 stars and ranks 6th. If you want access to bonds and professional advice, Charles Stanley Direct has the edge; if you’re focused on shares, ETFs, funds, and investment trusts, CMC Invest covers the essentials.
| Feature |
CMC Invest
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
|
|
Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
When comparing the trading tools of CMC Invest and Charles Stanley Direct, there are several differences to note. Both platforms lack the ability to display corporate events, like earnings and dividends, directly on charts and neither offers the feature to add notes. However, Charles Stanley Direct stands out by providing 14 technical indicators and the ability to add both index and stock overlays to charts, options that CMC Invest does not offer. Charles Stanley Direct also provides a browser-based trading platform, yet both offer real-time market data and the capability to create alerts for stock price updates.
For those who value chart analysis, Charles Stanley Direct offers a richer experience with one drawing tool and enhanced overlay features, providing more detailed insights for traders. CMC Invest, while limited in charting capabilities, covers basic needs with real-time data and price alerts, which some traders might find sufficient depending on their strategy. Ultimately, traders seeking more comprehensive charting features may prefer Charles Stanley Direct for its additional analysis tools, while those looking for essential functionalities in a simpler setup might lean towards CMC Invest.
| Feature |
CMC Invest
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | No | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 14 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 1 |
| Charting - Notes | No | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | Yes |
For UK investors exploring retirement account options, both CMC Invest and Charles Stanley Direct present solid choices with similar offerings. Each platform provides Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs), allowing users to grow their investments tax-efficiently. Additionally, Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs) are available with both brokers, offering flexibility in retirement planning and potential tax advantages. Whether prioritizing ISAs or SIPPs, investors can find comprehensive solutions with either CMC Invest or Charles Stanley Direct.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
UK investors comparing CMC Invest and Charles Stanley Direct will find both brokers offer iPhone and Android trading apps. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, each mobile app is rated 3.5 out of 5 stars, but CMC Invest ranks higher overall for Mobile Apps at 11th out of 21 brokers, while Charles Stanley Direct sits at 20th out of 21. If you want similar app ratings with a stronger overall mobile standing, CMC Invest edges ahead.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK beginners comparing CMC Invest and Charles Stanley Direct, neither runs live client webinars, but only Charles Stanley Direct offers archived webinars to watch on demand. Both provide guidance on share trading and retirement, yet only Charles Stanley Direct covers funds. UK.StockBrokers.com rates CMC Invest 2.5/5 (15th of 21) for beginner education, versus Charles Stanley Direct at 4.5/5 (12th of 21). If you want broader topics and on‑demand videos, Charles Stanley Direct is the stronger choice; CMC Invest suits basic share trading and retirement learning.
| Feature |
CMC Invest
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | No | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
CMC Invest vs Charles Stanley Direct: both offer research on shares, ETFs and funds, but only Charles Stanley Direct provides fund research reports and shows your portfolio allocation by asset class—useful for UK investors tracking diversification. CMC Invest lacks fund research reports, allocation breakdowns and bond research, while Charles Stanley Direct’s bond research isn’t stated. If you mainly want equity and ETF insights, either works; for added fund depth and allocation tools, Charles Stanley Direct has the edge.
| Feature |
CMC Invest
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | No | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | No | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, CMC Invest or Charles Stanley Direct? 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 offers commission-free trading of U.K.-listed shares and U.S. equities via a mobile app only. Though a newer entrant to the U.K. share dealing market and currently somewhat limited, it’s powered by global contender CMC Markets, making it likely that its offerings will expand.
| Feature |
CMC Invest
|
Charles Stanley Direct
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
|
| Charges & Fees |
|
|
| Investment Choices |
|
|
| Mobile App |
|
|
| Website |
|
|
| Ease of Use |
|
|
| Education |
|
|
Both CMC Invest and Charles Stanley Direct do not offer crypto trading options, making them similar in this aspect for investors seeking traditional asset opportunities without cryptocurrency involvement.
Select Brokers
↓×Compare
0 of 5| Overall Rating | CMC Invest | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Charges & Fees |
|
| |
| Investment Choices |
|
| |
| Mobile App |
|
| |
| Website |
|
| |
| Ease of Use |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Review | CMC Invest Review | Charles Stanley Direct Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | CMC Invest | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £0 | £0 - £10 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £0 | £10 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £0 | £10 | |
| 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 | £60 - £600 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £83.88 / £131.88 | £600 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £83.88 / £131.88 | £600 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £83.88 / £131.88 | £600 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | £25 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | N/A | £25 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £0 | £10 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £0 | £10 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £0 | £25 minimum |
| Broker Screenshots | CMC Invest | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Gallery (click to expand) |
| ||
| Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand) |
| ||
| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
|
| Platforms & Tools | CMC Invest | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | No | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 14 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 1 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | Yes |
| Research | CMC Invest | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | No | ||
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | No | Yes |
| Education | CMC Invest | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | No | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| Overall Summary | CMC Invest | Charles Stanley Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Charges & Fees |
|
| |
| Investment Choices |
|
| |
| Mobile App |
|
| |
| Website |
|
| |
| Ease of Use |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Review | CMC Invest Review | Charles Stanley Direct 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