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Freetrade vs CMC Invest 2026

StockBrokers.com

Written by StockBrokers.com

July 31, 2025

In this head to head comparison of Freetrade vs CMC Invest, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, investment options, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.

Freetrade
4.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: £1
  • ISA: Yes
  • SIPP: Yes
CMC Invest
3.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: £1
  • ISA: Yes
  • SIPP: Yes

Your capital is at risk.

Fees

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, Freetrade offers better pricing than CMC Invest for share dealing.

query_stats 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.

Investment Choices

Comparing Freetrade vs CMC Invest for UK investors: both provide share dealing alongside ETFs, funds, and investment trusts. Neither platform offers crypto or CFD trading, and corporate bonds aren’t available on either. A key difference is gilts—Freetrade lets you buy UK government bonds, while CMC Invest does not. Both lack an adviser service.

On investment choice quality, UK.StockBrokers.com rates Freetrade 4.5 out of 5 stars (ranked 9th of 21) and CMC Invest 4 out of 5 stars (ranked 14th of 21). If gilts matter to you, Freetrade has the edge; for shares, ETFs, funds, and investment trusts, both platforms cover the essentials.

Feature Freetrade logoFreetrade
CMC Invest logoCMC Invest
Share Trading info Yes Yes
CFD Trading info No No
ETFs info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds info Yes Yes
Bonds - Government (Gilts) info Yes No
Investment Trusts info Yes Yes
Spread Betting info No No
Crypto Trading info No No
Advisor Services info No No
Investment Choices 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars

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Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.

Trading Tools

Freetrade vs CMC Invest: for UK investors comparing trading tools, both offer very basic charting. You won’t see corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends) on charts, and neither platform includes drawing tools, technical indicators, notes, or index/stock overlays. If you rely on technical analysis, you’ll likely need a separate charting app.

The differences show up elsewhere. Freetrade has a browser-based platform and price alerts, but no real-time market data. CMC Invest also offers price alerts and does provide real-time market data, yet it lacks a web platform, so you’ll trade via the mobile app. Pick Freetrade if you want web access; pick CMC Invest if live pricing is your priority.

Feature Freetrade logoFreetrade
CMC Invest logoCMC Invest
Web Platform info Yes No
Stock Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 0 0
Charting - Drawing Tools info 0 0
Charting - Notes info No No
Charting - Display Corporate Events info No No
Charting - Stock Overlays info No No
Charting - Index Overlays info No No

ISAs and SIPPs

Freetrade and CMC Invest both serve UK investors with two core account types: a Stocks and Shares ISA and a SIPP (Self-Invested Personal Pension). Since each offers an ISA for tax-efficient investing and a SIPP for building a private pension, your choice between them will likely come down to fees, app experience, and customer support rather than account availability.

Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.

Mobile App

For UK investors comparing mobile tools, both Freetrade and CMC Invest offer iPhone and Android apps, but Freetrade edges ahead on quality: according to UK.StockBrokers.com, the Freetrade app is rated 4.5/5 and ranks 7th of 21 for Mobile Apps, while the CMC Invest app scores 3.5/5 and ranks 13th. If you want an easy, on-the-go experience on iOS or Android, both apps cover the essentials, with Freetrade generally rated higher overall.

Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.

Beginners and Education

Freetrade vs CMC Invest for UK beginner investor education: neither broker offers live or on-demand webinars, and both cover share trading and retirement. Freetrade also includes learning on funds, which CMC Invest lacks. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Freetrade earns 4/5 stars and ranks 13th out of 21 for beginner education, while CMC Invest scores 2.5/5 stars and ranks 16th. If you want broader beginner-friendly materials—especially on funds—Freetrade is the stronger pick; if webinars matter, neither will suit.

Feature Freetrade logoFreetrade
CMC Invest logoCMC Invest
Client Webinars info No No
Client Webinars (Archived) info No No
Education (Share Trading) info Yes Yes
Education (Funds) info Yes No
Education (Retirement) info Yes Yes
Education 4/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.

Market Research

Freetrade vs CMC Invest for UK market research: neither offers research reports for funds or bonds research, but they differ elsewhere. Freetrade lets you see your portfolio allocation by asset class, which CMC Invest does not. CMC Invest provides shares, ETF and funds research, while Freetrade lacks research on shares, ETFs and funds. Choose Freetrade for an easy portfolio breakdown, or CMC Invest if you want research to guide what to buy.

Feature Freetrade logoFreetrade
CMC Invest logoCMC Invest
Research - Shares info No Yes
Research - ETFs info No Yes
Research - Bonds info No No
Research - Funds info No Yes
Fund Research - Research Reports info No No
Portfolio Allocation Breakdown info Yes No

Freetrade vs CMC Invest Winner

Which broker is better overall, Freetrade or CMC Invest? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Freetrade to be a better trading platform overall.

Overall Freetrade is a great platform to help you get to grips with investing. Costs are low, and its user-friendly mobile app offers great investment inspiration. Sophisticated investors, however, may find that other platforms offer a wider range of investment options and tools.

Feature Freetrade logoFreetrade
CMC Invest logoCMC Invest
Overall Rating 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Choices 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile App 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Website 4.5/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 4/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with Freetrade or CMC Invest?

When comparing online brokers Freetrade and CMC Invest, neither platform offers the option for crypto trading, focusing instead on traditional investment opportunities.

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Overall Rating Freetrade CMC Invest
Overall Rating 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Choices 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile App 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Website 4.5/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 4/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars
Review Freetrade Review CMC Invest Review
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Investments Freetrade CMC Invest
ISA info Yes Yes
SIPP info Yes Yes
Share Trading info Yes Yes
CFD Trading info No No
Mutual Funds info Yes Yes
ETFs info Yes Yes
Bonds - Corporate info No No
Bonds - Government (Gilts) info Yes No
Investment Trusts info Yes Yes
Spread Betting info No No
Crypto Trading info
Advisor Services info No No
Trading Fees Freetrade CMC Invest
Minimum Deposit info £1 £1
Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month info £0 £0
Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month info £0 £0
Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month info £0 £0
5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info
12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info
36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info
120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info
3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) info
Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £0 - £250,000 info £59.88 £83.88 / £131.88 info
Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K info £59.88 £83.88 / £131.88 info
Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m info £59.88 £83.88 / £131.88 info
Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over info £59.88 £83.88 / £131.88 info
Bonds - Corporate - Fee info N/A N/A
Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee info £0 N/A
ETFs - Fee info £0 £0
Investment Trusts - Fee info £0 £0
Telephone Dealing Fee info N/A £0
Broker Screenshots Freetrade CMC Invest
Website Gallery (click to expand)
Home page of the Freetrade website. Discover tab of the Freetrade web platform. Discover by sector on the Freetrade web platform. A chart of Barclays share price on the Freetrade web platform.
CMC Invest UK ESG profile Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. CMC Invest UK key mission. Pricing plans on the CMC Invest website. CMC Invest UK YouTube channel educational video Opto research team. CMC-Invest UK Compass bi-weekly email newsletter Opto research. CMC Invest UK mobile app research ESG risk score detail.
Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand)
Showing the overall stats of a BP stock on the Freetrade mobile app. Discover tab for searching symbols on the Freetrade mobile app. A breakdown of total portfolio allocation on the Freetrade mobile app. A chart of L'Oréal stock price on the Freetrade mobile app. The trade ticket for purchasing shares of L'Oréal stock on the Freetrade mobile app.
CMC Invest UK mobile app watchlist. CMC Invest UK mobile app stock financials Barclays. CMC Invest UK mobile app view stock Kimball Electronics. List of stocks with a high ESG score on the CMC Invest app. CMC Invest UK mobile app ESG preferences. CMC Invest UK mobile app trade US shares. CMC Invest UK mobile app charting. CMC Invest UK mobile app home screen Discover tab on the CMC Invest app to find trading ideas. Offer screen for switching to Premium on the CMC Invest mobile app. CMC Invest UK mobile app research ESG product involvement areas. CMC Invest UK mobile app account popular shares screener. CMC Invest UK mobile app pre-defined screeners sorting. CMC Invest UK mobile app discover funds. CMC Invest UK mobile app research ESG factors. CMC Invest UK mobile app research ESG scoring.
Education Gallery (click to expand)
The Learn Hub on the CMC Invest website. CMC Invest UK educational content learn ETFs. CMC Invest UK education topics. CMC Invest UK educational article detail. CMC Invest UK community.
Platforms & Tools Freetrade CMC Invest
Web Platform info Yes No
iPhone App info Yes Yes
Android App info Yes Yes
Stock Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 0 0
Charting - Drawing Tools info 0 0
Charting - Notes info No No
Charting - Display Corporate Events info No No
Charting - Stock Overlays info No No
Charting - Index Overlays info No No
Research Freetrade CMC Invest
Research - Shares info No Yes
Research - CFDs info
Research - Funds info No Yes
Fund Research - Research Reports info No No
Research - ETFs info No Yes
Research - Bonds info No No
Portfolio Allocation Breakdown info Yes No
Education Freetrade CMC Invest
Education (Share Trading) info Yes Yes
Education (Funds) info Yes No
Education (Retirement) info Yes Yes
Client Webinars info No No
Client Webinars (Archived) info No No
Overall Summary Freetrade CMC Invest
Overall Rating 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Choices 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile App 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Website 4.5/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 4/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars
Review Freetrade Review CMC Invest Review
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