Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of CMC Invest vs Freetrade, 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 Freetrade 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 - CMC Invest would cost £0 / £120 / £300 per year, while Freetrade would cost £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) per year.
12 trades per year - CMC Invest would cost £0 / £120 / £300 per year, while Freetrade would cost £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) per year.
36 trades per year - CMC Invest would cost £0 / £120 / £300 per year, while Freetrade would cost £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) per year.
120 trades per year - CMC Invest would cost £0 / £120 / £300 per year, while Freetrade would cost £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) per year.
3 fund trades per year - CMC Invest would cost £0 per year, while Freetrade would cost £1 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.
For UK investors exploring online trading platforms, both CMC Invest and Freetrade offer a range of investment options. CMC Invest provides a more extensive selection, allowing users to trade shares, ETFs, funds, and investment trusts. Meanwhile, Freetrade also supports share and ETF trading alongside investment trusts, but lacks options for funds. Neither platform offers crypto trading, spread betting, CFD trading, corporate bonds, government bonds, nor advisory services, making them suitable for investors with specific needs.
When it comes to investment choices, CMC Invest earns higher praise, securing a 4.5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com, and ranks 14th among 21 brokers. Freetrade follows with a 4-star rating, ranking 17th. Choosing between the two will largely depend on the types of investments you prioritize, but CMC Invest may appeal to those seeking more diverse options in managing their portfolios.
| Feature |
CMC Invest
|
Freetrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | 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.
When comparing the trading tools of CMC Invest and Freetrade, both platforms fall short in providing advanced charting features. Neither CMC Invest nor Freetrade offers the ability to display corporate events like earnings, splits, or dividends on their charts. Additionally, both brokers lack drawing tools, technical indicators, the option to add notes, and the functionality to overlay indexes or stocks on charts. This might leave more technical traders seeking more comprehensive charting solutions elsewhere.
Despite the similarities in limitations regarding charting tools, Freetrade stands out by offering a browser-based trading platform, unlike CMC Invest. Both brokers, however, allow users to create alerts for stock price updates and provide real-time market data, ensuring that traders can stay informed about market movements even if their charting options are limited.
| Feature |
CMC Invest
|
Freetrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | No | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | No | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
When comparing online brokers CMC Invest and Freetrade in the UK, both offer essential retirement saving options, making them appealing choices for individual investors. CMC Invest and Freetrade each provide Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), catering to those looking to grow their savings tax-efficiently. Both platforms aim to simplify the investing process, providing convenient options for users to manage their finances for long-term growth. By offering these vital account types, CMC Invest and Freetrade empower UK investors to effectively plan for their retirement with ease and confidence.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
Catering to UK users, both CMC Invest and Freetrade offer convenient mobile apps available on iPhone and Android. However, when evaluated by UK.StockBrokers.com, CMC Invest takes a slight edge with a 4.5-star rating for its mobile app, compared to Freetrade’s respectable 4-star rating. In mobile app rankings among 21 brokers, CMC Invest is positioned at #11, just ahead of Freetrade, which holds the #12 spot. Whether you prefer CMC Invest's slightly higher-rated interface or Freetrade's reliable application, both platforms provide easy access to trading on the go.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing educational resources for beginner investors, CMC Invest and Freetrade offer similar options. Neither platform provides live or on-demand educational webinars. However, both brokers deliver informative content on share trading, funds, and retirement planning. CMC Invest edges slightly ahead with a 4-star rating for beginner education from UK.StockBrokers.com, ranking 15th out of 21 brokers, while Freetrade has a 3.5-star rating, placing it at the 16th spot. Despite the absence of webinars, both platforms serve as valuable resources for those starting their investment journey.
| Feature |
CMC Invest
|
Freetrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing the market research features of CMC Invest and Freetrade for investors in the UK, CMC Invest offers a more comprehensive suite of research tools. While both platforms provide detailed research on shares and ETFs, CMC Invest extends its offerings to include fund research reports, a feature not available with Freetrade. However, Freetrade has the edge in providing users with a clear view of their portfolio allocation by asset class, which is not available on CMC Invest. Neither platform offers research on CFDs or Bonds, keeping their focus more on shares and ETFs. Overall, for investors keen on fund research, CMC Invest stands out, while Freetrade is a better option for tracking portfolio diversification.
| Feature |
CMC Invest
|
Freetrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | No | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | No | No |
| Research - Funds | Yes | No |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | No | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, CMC Invest or Freetrade? 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
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Freetrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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Both CMC Invest and Freetrade do not offer crypto trading, providing a streamlined experience for users focused on traditional investment opportunities.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | CMC Invest | Freetrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Review | CMC Invest Review | Freetrade Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | CMC Invest | Freetrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | No | No | |
| Funds | Yes | No | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | No | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | No | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | |||
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Trading Fees | CMC Invest | Freetrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £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) | £0 / £120 / £300 | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 / £120 / £300 | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 / £120 / £300 | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 / £120 / £300 | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £120 | N/A | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £120 | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £120 | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £120 | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £120 | £0 (Basic plan), £59.88 (Standard), £119.88 (Plus) | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | N/A | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £0 | £0 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £0 | £0 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £0 | N/A |
| Broker Screenshots | CMC Invest | Freetrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Platforms & Tools | CMC Invest | Freetrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | No | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | CMC Invest | Freetrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | No | No | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | No | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | No | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | No | Yes |
| Education | CMC Invest | Freetrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Overall Summary | CMC Invest | Freetrade | |
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| Review | CMC Invest Review | Freetrade Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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