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.
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.
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 - eToro would cost £0 per year, while CMC Invest would cost £0 / £120 / £300 per year.
12 trades per year - eToro would cost £0 per year, while CMC Invest would cost £0 / £120 / £300 per year.
36 trades per year - eToro would cost £0 per year, while CMC Invest would cost £0 / £120 / £300 per year.
120 trades per year - eToro would cost £0 per year, while CMC Invest would cost £0 / £120 / £300 per year.
3 fund trades per year - eToro would cost $50 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 comparing eToro and CMC Invest for investment options in the UK, both platforms shine in different areas. eToro caters to those interested in a wide range of assets by offering share, crypto, ETF, and CFD trading. While CMC Invest also supports share and ETF trading, it stands out with its fund trading and options for investment trusts. Neither platform provides spread betting or corporate and government bond trading, and both lack advisory services. This variation in offerings allows investors to choose based on specific trading preferences and goals.
Despite their differences, eToro and CMC Invest both receive an impressive 4.5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com for investment choices. However, CMC Invest slightly edges out eToro in rankings, holding the 14th spot out of 18 brokerages, compared to eToro's 15th place. This close competition highlights their comparable strengths and capabilities as online trading platforms, giving UK investors a robust set of options depending on their individual needs and investment strategies.
| Feature |
eToro
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | No | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | No |
| Investment Trusts | No | 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 seeking a comprehensive trading toolkit, eToro stands out with its wide range of features compared to CMC Invest. eToro offers an impressive 56 drawing tools and 106 technical indicators for in-depth charting analysis, while CMC Invest does not provide these charting enhancements. Moreover, eToro allows users to add notes, stock overlays, and index overlays directly onto their charts, offering a more enriched trading experience, whereas CMC Invest lacks these capabilities. Both platforms, however, fail to display corporate events on charts.
In terms of platform accessibility and functionality, eToro leads with a user-friendly browser-based trading platform, while CMC Invest does not offer this feature. Both platforms share the ability to create alerts for stock price updates and provide real-time market data, ensuring investors stay informed of market movements. Nonetheless, eToro’s extensive range of charting and analysis tools makes it a more versatile option for traders looking for advanced functionalities in their trading platform.
| Feature |
eToro
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | No |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 106 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 56 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | 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.
UK investors seeking mobile trading options can consider eToro and CMC Invest, both offering apps for iPhone and Android users. eToro stands out with a 5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com, while CMC Invest follows closely with a 4.5-star rating. When ranked among 18 brokers, eToro takes the 5th spot for its mobile app, offering a top-tier experience. Meanwhile, CMC Invest holds the 11th position, still providing a strong platform for on-the-go trading.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing eToro and CMC Invest for beginner investor educational resources, UK customers will find notable differences between the two platforms. Both brokers provide resources on share trading, but CMC Invest takes a step further by offering education on funds and retirement, areas where eToro does not. Neither platform supplies client webinars, live or on-demand. Despite CMC Invest's wider educational scope, eToro slightly edges out in quality, earning a 4.5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com compared to CMC Invest's 4 stars. In terms of ranking among 18 brokers, eToro stands at 11 while CMC Invest is positioned at 15, making eToro the preferred choice for those prioritizing beginner education quality.
| Feature |
eToro
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | No | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | No | Yes |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When it comes to market research features for UK investors, eToro and CMC Invest each provide unique strengths. eToro offers users the ability to see their portfolio allocation by asset class and provides comprehensive research on shares, ETFs, and CFDs. However, it lacks research reports for funds and bonds, which CMC Invest covers. CMC Invest does offer detailed research on shares, ETFs, and provides essential reports for funds, filling in the gaps where eToro falls short. However, it lacks the ability to view portfolio allocation by asset class and does not offer research on CFDs or bonds. Users can choose based on their preference for in-depth fund analysis or diversified asset class insights.
| Feature |
eToro
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | No | No |
| Research - Funds | No | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | Yes |
| 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
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Charges & Fees |
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| Mobile App |
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| Website |
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| Education |
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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 | |
| Funds | No | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | No | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | No | |
| Investment Trusts | No | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | No | |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Trading Fees | eToro | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50 | £0 | |
| 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) | £0 | £0 / £120 / £300 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £0 / £120 / £300 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £0 / £120 / £300 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 | £0 / £120 / £300 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | N/A | £120 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £0 | £120 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £0 | £120 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £0 | £120 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £0 | £120 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | N/A | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £0 | £0 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | N/A | £0 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | N/A | £0 |
| Broker Screenshots | eToro | CMC Invest | |
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| Website Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
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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 | 56 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | 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 | Yes | No | |
| Research - Funds | No | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | Yes | |
| 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 | Yes | |
| 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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