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.
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.
Both eToro and CMC Invest offer UK investors the ability to trade shares and ETFs, providing a versatile foundation for building diverse portfolios. Where they differ is in specific investment options; eToro allows for crypto and CFD trading, appealing to those interested in dynamic and potentially high-reward markets. On the other hand, CMC Invest facilitates trading in funds and investment trusts, catering to investors who may prefer structured, managed paths for their investments. Neither platform supports spread betting or advisor services, which may be a consideration for some investors.
In terms of market ratings, both platforms boast a strong 4.5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com for their investment choices. However, CMC Invest slightly edges out eToro in rankings, coming in at 14th out of 21 brokers compared to eToro's 15th position. Both platforms offer significant advantages, so choosing between them may depend on which specific investment options align better with your financial strategy and risk appetite.
| Feature |
eToro
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | ||
| Investment Trusts | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | ||
| Crypto Trading | Yes | |
| Advisor Services | ||
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
When comparing the trading tools available to UK users on eToro and CMC Invest, eToro clearly stands out with a comprehensive suite of features. eToro allows traders to display corporate events such as earnings, splits, and dividends right on their charts, enhancing the clarity of market movements. Additionally, eToro provides a versatile selection of 56 drawing tools and a generous 106 technical indicators, offering traders countless ways to analyze market data effectively. eToro users can also add notes and various overlays, such as index and stock overlays, directly to their charts, making it an excellent choice for those looking to tailor their analysis. Importantly, eToro offers a browser-based trading platform, ensuring easy access and usability.
While CMC Invest offers some fundamental tools like real-time market data and the ability to create alerts for stock price updates, it doesn't match eToro's extensive range of charting options. CMC Invest lacks the ability to display corporate events on charts and provides no drawing tools or technical indicators, which may limit the in-depth analysis that many traders seek. Consequently, for UK traders prioritizing advanced charting capabilities and customizability, eToro presents a far more feature-rich option compared to CMC Invest.
| Feature |
eToro
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 106 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 56 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | ||
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes |
When comparing online brokers in the UK for retirement accounts, both eToro and CMC Invest offer Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs), providing tax-efficient saving options. However, if you're interested in a Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) to plan for retirement, eToro does not currently offer this type of account, while CMC Invest provides SIPPs, allowing for greater flexibility in managing your retirement savings. Understanding these differences can help you make an informed choice based on your long-term financial goals.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
For UK investors eyeing a reliable online broker with a solid mobile app offering, both eToro and CMC Invest cater to iPhone and Android users with dedicated apps. eToro shines with a top rating of 5 stars for its mobile app from UK.StockBrokers.com, securing an impressive 5th place among 21 brokers. On the other hand, CMC Invest also offers quality mobile trading but falls slightly behind with a rating of 4.5 stars, positioning it at 11th place. Whether you're trading on-the-go or managing your portfolio from your phone, both platforms deliver, with eToro having a slight edge in terms of app quality and ranking.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing the beginner investor educational resources of eToro and CMC Invest, both online brokers offer helpful tools for those new to investing, but with some differences. eToro provides education on share trading and has been highly rated by UK.StockBrokers.com with a 4.5-star rating, ranking 11th out of 21 brokers. On the other hand, CMC Invest discusses a wider range of topics, including funds and retirement, though it holds a slightly lower beginner education rating of 4 stars and is ranked 15th. Neither eToro nor CMC Invest currently offer educational client webinars or archival access to them. For UK beginners looking to learn about investing fundamentals, both brokers present useful resources, albeit with varying strengths.
| Feature |
eToro
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | ||
| Client Webinars (Archived) | ||
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
For UK investors seeking comprehensive market research tools, both eToro and CMC Invest offer various features, but they cater to slightly different needs. eToro provides research on shares, ETFs, and CFDs, along with the ability to view portfolio allocation by asset class, making it a good choice for traders who prioritize diverse asset management. However, eToro lacks research reports specifically for funds and bonds. On the other hand, CMC Invest might appeal more to those focused on funds, as it offers research reports and insights for funds as well as shares and ETFs, although it falls short on providing research on CFDs and portfolio allocation views by asset class. Depending on your investment priorities, each platform has unique strengths.
| Feature |
eToro
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | ||
| Research - Funds | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes |
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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| Investment Choices |
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| Mobile App |
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| Website |
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| Ease of Use |
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| Education |
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When comparing online brokers, eToro stands out by offering crypto 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 | Yes | ||
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | Yes | ||
| Funds | Yes | ||
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | |||
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | |||
| Investment Trusts | Yes | ||
| Spread Betting | |||
| Crypto Trading | Yes | ||
| Advisor Services |
| 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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| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Platforms & Tools | eToro | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | ||
| 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 | ||
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | |||
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | ||
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes |
| Research | eToro | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | ||
| Research - Funds | Yes | ||
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | ||
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | |||
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes |
| Education | eToro | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | ||
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | ||
| Client Webinars | |||
| Client Webinars (Archived) |
| Overall Summary | eToro | CMC Invest | |
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| Review | eToro Review | CMC Invest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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