Written by StockBrokers.com
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.
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, Freetrade 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.
Freetrade and CMC Invest both let UK investors buy shares, ETFs, funds and investment trusts, while neither offers CFD trading, spread betting, crypto trading or corporate bonds. Neither platform provides adviser services, so both are best suited to self-directed investors who want to pick their own investments.
One key difference is that Freetrade also offers government bonds (gilts), which CMC Invest does not. That wider choice helps explain why Freetrade scores higher for investment choices, with 4.5 out of 5 stars from UK.StockBrokers.com and a #9 ranking out of 21 brokers, compared with CMC Invest’s 4 stars and #14 ranking.
| Feature |
Freetrade
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | ||
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
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
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | No |
| 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 |
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.
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.
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
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
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
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | No | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | No | 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, 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.
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CMC Invest
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Freetrade and CMC Invest both focus on share and ETF investing, but neither platform currently offers direct crypto trading, so investors looking for cryptocurrency exposure will need to use a separate crypto exchange or broker.
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↓×Compare
0 of 5| Overall Rating | Freetrade | CMC Invest | |
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| Review | Freetrade Review | CMC Invest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Freetrade | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | No | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | |||
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Trading Fees | Freetrade | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1 | £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 | £59.88 | £83.88 / £131.88 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £59.88 | £83.88 / £131.88 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £59.88 | £83.88 / £131.88 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £59.88 | £83.88 / £131.88 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £0 | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £0 | £0 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £0 | £0 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | N/A | £0 |
| Broker Screenshots | Freetrade | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Platforms & Tools | Freetrade | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | No | |
| 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 | Freetrade | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | No | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | No | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | No | |
| Research - ETFs | No | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | No | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
| Education | Freetrade | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Overall Summary | Freetrade | CMC Invest | |
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| Review | Freetrade Review | CMC Invest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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