Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of CMC Invest vs Halifax, 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 Halifax 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.
CMC Invest vs Halifax: both let you buy and sell shares, ETFs, funds, and investment trusts, while neither supports crypto or CFD trading. Halifax also offers corporate bonds and UK government bonds (gilts), which CMC Invest doesn’t. Halifax provides advisor services; CMC Invest does not. Spread betting availability isn’t specified for either provider.
For investment choices, UK.StockBrokers.com rates CMC Invest 4/5 (ranked 14th of 21) and Halifax 4.5/5 (ranked 7th of 21). If you want access to bonds or advice, Halifax has the edge. If you’re focused on core share and fund investing, both platforms cover the essentials.
| Feature |
CMC Invest
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | Yes |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | No |
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
CMC Invest vs Halifax: For charting, Halifax offers more. Halifax includes 8 drawing tools, 95 technical indicators, and lets you add notes to charts, while CMC Invest has none of these features. Neither broker shows corporate events like earnings, splits or dividends on charts, and neither supports index or stock overlays.
Platform and data: Halifax provides a browser-based trading platform and, like CMC Invest, lets you set price alerts. However, only CMC Invest offers real-time market data, while Halifax does not. If you want rich charting in your web browser, Halifax fits; if live prices matter more than chart features, CMC Invest is the better match.
| Feature |
CMC Invest
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | No | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 95 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 8 |
| Charting - Notes | No | Yes |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
When comparing CMC Invest and Halifax regarding available retirement accounts, both online brokers cater well to UK investors by offering Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs). This means that with either CMC Invest or Halifax, you have the flexibility to grow your savings tax-efficiently through ISAs or manage your retirement fund with greater control via SIPPs. Choosing between these two services depends on your specific needs, preferences, and the unique features each provider offers within their account management systems.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
For UK investors comparing CMC Invest vs Halifax, both brokers offer iPhone and Android mobile apps, and each is rated 3.5 out of 5 stars by UK.StockBrokers.com; however, CMC Invest ranks higher for Mobile Apps (#11 of 21) than Halifax (#18 of 21), making CMC Invest the slightly stronger choice if app standing matters, while both options support managing investments on iOS and Android.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK beginners comparing education from CMC Invest and Halifax, neither offers client webinars or on-demand replays, and both cover share trading and retirement. Halifax also includes education on funds, which CMC Invest lacks. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Halifax scores 4 out of 5 stars for beginner education versus CMC Invest’s 2.5, yet CMC Invest ranks #15 out of 21 brokers while Halifax ranks #18. If you want guidance on funds, Halifax has the edge; if you care about overall ranking, CMC Invest sits higher despite its lower star rating.
| Feature |
CMC Invest
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | No | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
CMC Invest vs Halifax: For UK investors comparing market research features, both online brokers offer research on shares, ETFs and funds, but only Halifax includes bonds research and provides research reports for funds. CMC Invest lacks fund reports and bonds coverage. Neither platform shows portfolio allocation by asset class. If you want broader coverage and fund reports, Halifax has the edge, while CMC Invest suits those focused on share and ETF insights.
| Feature |
CMC Invest
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | No | Yes |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | No | No |
Which broker is better overall, CMC Invest or Halifax? 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
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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When comparing online brokers CMC Invest and Halifax, neither platform offers cryptocurrency trading options.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | CMC Invest | Halifax | |
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| Review | CMC Invest Review | Halifax Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | CMC Invest | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | No | Yes | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | |||
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Trading Fees | CMC Invest | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £0 | £9.50 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £0 | £9.50 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £0 | £9.50 | |
| 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 | £83.88 / £131.88 | £36 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £83.88 / £131.88 | £36 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £83.88 / £131.88 | £36 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £83.88 / £131.88 | £36 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | £9.50 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | N/A | £9.50 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £0 | £0 / £3.50 / £9.50 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £0 | £0 / £3.50 / £9.50 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £0 | £25 |
| Broker Screenshots | CMC Invest | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Platforms & Tools | CMC Invest | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | No | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 95 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 8 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | CMC Invest | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | No | Yes | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | No | No |
| Education | CMC Invest | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | No | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Overall Summary | CMC Invest | Halifax | |
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| Review | CMC Invest Review | Halifax Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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