Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of eToro 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, eToro offers better pricing than CMC Invest 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.
eToro vs CMC Invest: both offer share trading, ETFs, and investment trusts. Neither provides corporate bonds or UK government bonds (gilts), and neither offers adviser services. The main differences are that eToro adds crypto and CFD trading, while CMC Invest includes funds and does not support crypto or CFDs. Spread betting is not specified for either broker in this comparison.
For investment choice, UK.StockBrokers.com rates eToro 4.5/5 (ranked 15th of 21) and CMC Invest 4/5 (ranked 14th of 21). In short, pick eToro if you want crypto and CFDs alongside shares and ETFs; choose CMC Invest if you want funds together with standard share dealing and ETFs.
| Feature |
eToro
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CMC Invest
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|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | No | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | 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.
For UK investors comparing trading tools, eToro offers far more built-in charting features than CMC Invest. eToro includes 9 drawing tools and 106 technical indicators, plus the option to overlay indexes and individual stocks on charts. Neither platform shows corporate events like earnings, splits or dividends on charts, and neither lets you add notes.
On platform access and alerts, eToro provides a browser-based trading platform, while CMC Invest does not. Both platforms support real-time market data and price alerts. If you need deeper chart analysis and overlays, eToro is the stronger choice; if you only need basic data and alerts, either platform will cover the essentials, though CMC Invest’s charting is very limited.
| Feature |
eToro
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | No |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 106 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 9 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | No | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
When comparing online brokers in the UK, eToro and CMC Invest both offer Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) to help you efficiently manage your investments with tax benefits. However, a key difference lies in their retirement account options: CMC Invest provides a Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) account, allowing for more flexibility in managing your retirement savings, whereas eToro currently does not offer SIPP accounts. This distinction may influence your choice depending on your retirement planning needs, making CMC Invest a more suitable option if you're interested in both ISAs and SIPPs.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
For UK investors comparing eToro and CMC Invest mobile apps, both brokers offer iPhone and Android apps. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, eToro’s mobile app is rated 5 stars and ranks 5th out of 21 brokers, while CMC Invest’s app is rated 3.5 stars and ranks 11th. If a higher-rated mobile experience matters most, eToro has the edge; if you simply need iOS and Android access, both platforms deliver.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK beginners comparing education at eToro and CMC Invest, both lack live webinars and on‑demand webinar archives, and both offer guides on share trading; neither covers funds. CMC Invest includes some retirement content, which eToro does not. However, eToro earns 5/5 stars and ranks 11th of 21 for beginner education on UK.StockBrokers.com, ahead of CMC Invest at 2.5/5 stars and 15th. Overall, eToro suits learners seeking broader support, while CMC Invest is the pick if retirement basics are your priority.
| Feature |
eToro
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | No | No |
| Education (Retirement) | No | Yes |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
For UK investors comparing market research features, eToro and CMC Invest both offer shares and ETFs research, but differ elsewhere: eToro lets you see your portfolio allocation by asset class for clearer diversification insight, while CMC Invest lacks this view. For funds, CMC Invest provides funds research, whereas eToro does not, and neither platform offers research reports for funds. Bond research is unavailable on both. Choose eToro if you want an easy allocation breakdown; pick CMC Invest if funds research is a priority alongside shares and ETFs analysis.
| Feature |
eToro
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | No | No |
| Research - Funds | No | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | No |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
Which broker is better overall, eToro or CMC Invest? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found eToro to be a better trading platform overall.
eToro offers a wide range of assets and instruments and is well-known for its ‘social trading’ approach. It has among the lowest fees and best mobile app experiences of brokers we tested in the U.K., and offers a great starting point for those new to stock trading. Our analysis finds it better suited to short-term traders than long-term investors.
| Feature |
eToro
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CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
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When comparing online brokers eToro and CMC Invest, eToro stands out by offering cryptocurrency trading, while CMC Invest does not provide this feature.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | eToro | CMC Invest | |
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| Review | eToro Review | CMC Invest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | eToro | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | No | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds | No | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | No | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | No | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | ||
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Trading Fees | eToro | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50 | £1 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £0 | £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 | N/A | £83.88 / £131.88 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | N/A | £83.88 / £131.88 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | N/A | £83.88 / £131.88 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | N/A | £83.88 / £131.88 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £0 | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | N/A | £0 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £0 | £0 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | N/A | £0 |
| Broker Screenshots | eToro | CMC Invest | |
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| Platforms & Tools | eToro | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | No | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 106 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 9 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
| Research | eToro | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | No | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | No | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | No | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
| Education | eToro | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | No | No | |
| Education (Retirement) | No | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Overall Summary | eToro | CMC Invest | |
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| Review | eToro Review | CMC Invest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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