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 for UK investors: CMC Invest offers share trading plus ETFs, funds and investment trusts, but no crypto, CFDs, corporate bonds, gilts or adviser services. Halifax also offers ETFs, funds and investment trusts, and adds corporate bonds, UK gilts and adviser services; however, it doesn’t offer share trading, and like CMC Invest it doesn’t offer crypto or CFDs.
For investment choices, UK.StockBrokers.com rates CMC Invest 4/5 (14th of 21) and Halifax 5/5 (7th of 21). Choose CMC Invest if you want share trading alongside core ETFs and funds; pick Halifax if you need bonds, gilts and access to advice.
| Feature |
CMC Invest
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | No |
| 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.
When comparing CMC Invest and Halifax, both platforms fall short in offering advanced charting tools, as neither provides the option to display corporate events on charts, nor do they feature drawing tools, technical indicators, or allow users to add notes or overlays. However, Halifax does provide the convenience of a browser-based trading platform, setting it apart in terms of accessibility, while CMC Invest lacks this feature.
On the other hand, CMC Invest distinguishes itself by offering real-time market data, an important factor for traders requiring up-to-the-minute information, whereas Halifax does not. Both platforms do support the creation of alerts for stock price updates, ensuring users are promptly notified of market changes. This comparison highlights CMC Invest's advantage in real-time data access and Halifax's benefit in providing a browser-based platform.
| Feature |
CMC Invest
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 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 at CMC Invest and Halifax: neither broker offers live or on-demand client webinars. CMC Invest provides guides on share trading and retirement (but not funds), while Halifax offers no dedicated education on shares, funds, or retirement. UK.StockBrokers.com rates CMC Invest 2.5/5 stars and ranks it 15th of 21, whereas Halifax scores 3.5/5 stars but ranks 18th. If you want coverage on shares and retirement, CMC Invest is the better fit; if star scores matter more, Halifax leads on ratings despite the lower rank.
| Feature |
CMC Invest
|
Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | No |
| Education (Funds) | No | No |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
For UK investors comparing CMC Invest and Halifax for market research, both provide research on shares, ETFs and funds, but neither offers research reports for funds or a portfolio allocation view by asset class. The standout difference is bonds: Halifax includes bond research, while CMC Invest does not.
| 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 | No |
| 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
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Halifax
|
|---|---|---|
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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 | No | |
| 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 | £9.5 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | N/A | £9.5 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £0 | £9.5 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £0 | £9.5 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £0 | £25 |
| Broker Screenshots | CMC Invest | Halifax | |
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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 | 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 | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | No | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | No | Yes | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | No | No |
| Education | CMC Invest | Halifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Funds) | No | No | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No | |
| 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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