Halifax vs CMC Invest 2026
In this head to head comparison of Halifax vs CMC Invest, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, investment options, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
In this head to head comparison of Halifax 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, Halifax 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.
Halifax vs CMC Invest: both let UK investors trade shares, ETFs, funds, and investment trusts. Neither supports crypto or CFD trading. Halifax also offers corporate bonds and UK government bonds (gilts), plus access to advice services, which CMC Invest does not. That means Halifax provides a broader set of investment choices within its accounts.
Ratings from UK.StockBrokers.com reflect this: Halifax scores 4.5 out of 5 for investment choices and ranks 8th of 21 brokers, while CMC Invest scores 4 out of 5 and ranks 14th. If you only need shares, ETFs, funds, and trusts, either works; if you want bonds or guidance, Halifax is likely the better fit.
| Feature |
Halifax
|
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 | No | No |
| Advisor Services | Yes | No |
| Investment Choices |
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For UK investors comparing Halifax vs CMC Invest on trading tools, neither broker plots corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends) on charts. Halifax stands out for charting, with 8 drawing tools and 95 technical indicators, plus the option to add notes. CMC Invest, by contrast, offers no drawing tools, no indicators and no chart notes, and neither broker supports index or stock overlays.
For platforms and market data, Halifax provides a browser-based platform and price alerts, but no real-time market data. CMC Invest lacks a web platform yet does offer price alerts and real-time quotes. If you favour richer charting, Halifax is the better fit; if immediate market prices are the priority, CMC Invest has the edge.
| Feature |
Halifax
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | No |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 95 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 8 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
Halifax vs CMC Invest: both UK brokers offer a Stocks and Shares ISA for tax-free investing and a SIPP for pension saving. Halifax has an ISA and SIPP, and CMC Invest also has an ISA and SIPP. With the key account types available at both, your choice may come down to fees, dealing charges, investment range, and app experience, so compare costs and features before opening an account.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
Comparing UK online brokers Halifax and CMC Invest on mobile apps: both offer iPhone and Android apps and each earns a 3.5 out of 5 star mobile app rating from UK.StockBrokers.com. The main difference is placement in the site’s Mobile Apps rankings—out of 21 brokers, Halifax is #15 while CMC Invest is #13—giving CMC Invest a slight edge if app ranking is important to you.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK beginners comparing education from Halifax and CMC Invest, neither broker offers live or on-demand client webinars. Both provide guides on share trading and retirement, but Halifax adds education on funds that CMC Invest lacks. That extra topic coverage aligns with ratings at UK.StockBrokers.com: Halifax earns 4 stars and ranks 12th of 21 brokers for beginner education, while CMC Invest scores 2.5 stars and ranks 16th. If you want clear materials on shares, funds and retirement, Halifax is the stronger choice; CMC Invest fits those focused mainly on share trading and retirement.
| Feature |
Halifax
|
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.
Halifax vs CMC Invest for market research in the UK: Halifax provides research reports for funds, while CMC Invest does not. Both brokers offer research on shares, ETFs, and funds, but only Halifax includes bonds research. Neither platform shows portfolio allocation by asset class. If you want fund research reports and bond coverage, Halifax has the edge; for core shares and ETF research, both will do the job.
| Feature |
Halifax
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | No | No |
Which broker is better overall, Halifax or CMC Invest? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Halifax to be a better trading platform overall.
Halifax is a U.K. investment platform best known for its simple, flat-fee pricing structure, support for ISAs and SIPPs, and low annual costs for holding larger portfolios.
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CMC Invest
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Halifax vs CMC Invest: Both online brokers do not offer cryptocurrency (crypto) trading.
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↓×Compare
0 of 5| Overall Rating | Halifax | CMC Invest | |
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| Review | Halifax Review | CMC Invest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Halifax | 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 | Yes | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | |||
| Advisor Services | Yes | No |
| Trading Fees | Halifax | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £1 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £9.50 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £9.50 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £9.50 | £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 | £36 | £83.88 / £131.88 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £36 | £83.88 / £131.88 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £36 | £83.88 / £131.88 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £36 | £83.88 / £131.88 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £9.50 | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £9.50 | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £0 / £3.50 / £9.50 | £0 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £0 / £3.50 / £9.50 | £0 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £25 | £0 |
| Broker Screenshots | Halifax | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Gallery (click to expand) | |||
| Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand) | |||
| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
| Platforms & Tools | Halifax | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | No | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 95 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 8 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | Halifax | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | No | No |
| Education | Halifax | 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 | Halifax | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Education |
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| Review | Halifax Review | CMC Invest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |