Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Hargreaves Lansdown 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, Hargreaves Lansdown offers better pricing than CMC Invest 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 - Hargreaves Lansdown would cost £59.75 / £104.75 if in ISA. per year, while CMC Invest would cost £0 / £120 / £300 per year.
12 trades per year - Hargreaves Lansdown would cost £143.40 / £188.40 if in ISA. per year, while CMC Invest would cost £0 / £120 / £300 per year.
36 trades per year - Hargreaves Lansdown would cost £430.20 / £475.20 if in ISA. per year, while CMC Invest would cost £0 / £120 / £300 per year.
120 trades per year - Hargreaves Lansdown would cost £1,074 / £1,119 if in ISA. per year, while CMC Invest would cost £0 / £120 / £300 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Hargreaves Lansdown would cost £1 per year, while CMC Invest would cost £0 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.
When considering different online brokers in the UK, Hargreaves Lansdown and CMC Invest stand out as both offer share and ETF trading, alongside funds and investment trusts. Hargreaves Lansdown further broadens its investment capabilities by providing access to corporate and government bonds. In contrast, CMC Invest does not currently offer these bond trading options. For those seeking additional support, Hargreaves Lansdown delivers advisor services, a feature that CMC Invest does not provide.
According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Hargreaves Lansdown receives a strong 5-star rating for its investment choices, placing it 4th among 21 brokers. CMC Invest, while still highly regarded, achieves a 4.5-star rating, ranking 14th on the same list. These ratings highlight Hargreaves Lansdown’s broader selection of investment opportunities compared to CMC Invest, making it a potentially more versatile choice for those looking for a wide range of trading options.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | ||
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | ||
| Crypto Trading | ||
| Advisor Services | Yes | |
| 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 Hargreaves Lansdown and CMC Invest, UK investors will find a significant disparity in features. Hargreaves Lansdown offers a comprehensive suite of charting capabilities, including the display of corporate events like earnings, splits, and dividends. It also provides 11 drawing tools, 15 technical indicators, and the option to add index and stock overlays to charts. Additionally, Hargreaves Lansdown supports browser-based trading platforms and allows users to set up alerts for stock price updates alongside real-time market data.
In contrast, CMC Invest presents a more limited set of trading tools. While it does enable users to receive alerts for stock price changes and offers real-time market data, it lacks the capacity for advanced charting features, drawing tools, technical indicators, and various chart overlays. Consequently, investors seeking a more feature-rich trading experience might lean towards Hargreaves Lansdown for its broader array of tools and functionalities.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 15 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 11 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | ||
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes |
When comparing retirement account offerings between Hargreaves Lansdown and CMC Invest, UK investors will find that both online brokers provide Individual Savings Accounts (ISA) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPP). With these account types available at both platforms, users can easily save and invest for their retirement goals. However, while the account options are similar, the choice between them may depend on other factors like fees, customer service, and additional features that each broker might offer, allowing you to align your investment choice with personal preferences.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
When comparing Hargreaves Lansdown to CMC Invest, both online brokers offer mobile apps available for iPhone and Android users, ensuring accessibility across popular devices. Both apps receive a commendable rating of 4.5 stars from UK.StockBrokers.com, reflecting user satisfaction in terms of functionality and ease of use. In a ranking of 21 brokers for mobile app performance by UK.StockBrokers.com, Hargreaves Lansdown slightly edges out CMC Invest, securing the 10th spot, while CMC Invest follows closely at 11th. This places both apps as strong contenders in the digital trading landscape, providing users across the UK with reliable tools for managing investments on the go.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When it comes to beginner investor educational resources, Hargreaves Lansdown and CMC Invest offer a range of learning opportunities for UK investors. Both platforms provide education on share trading, funds, and retirement. However, Hargreaves Lansdown takes an edge with its offering of live educational webinars, although the availability of on-demand archives is unclear. CMC Invest currently does not offer any educational webinars. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Hargreaves Lansdown is highly rated with a stellar 5-star score and ranks 4th among 21 brokers for beginner education, while CMC Invest garners a 4-star rating, placing it at 15th.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | ||
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
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|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing market research capabilities, Hargreaves Lansdown and CMC Invest both excel in offering comprehensive resources for UK investors, though some differences exist. Both platforms provide research reports for funds, shares, ETFs, and funds, aiding investors in making informed decisions. However, Hargreaves Lansdown distinguishes itself by offering insights into portfolio allocation by asset class and research on bonds, areas where CMC Invest falls short. Neither broker provides research on CFDs, making them even on that front. Choosing between the two may come down to whether you value deeper insights into bonds and asset allocation, which Hargreaves Lansdown provides, or if the broad offerings common to both meet your investment research needs.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | ||
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes |
Which broker is better overall, Hargreaves Lansdown or CMC Invest? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Hargreaves Lansdown to be a better trading platform overall.
As the U.K.’s biggest investment platform for individual investors, Hargreaves Lansdown offers a wide range of investment choices for either beginners or seasoned investors. However, its fees are generally more expensive than rival brokers, which can become an issue for large investment pots.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
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CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Mobile App |
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| Website |
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| Ease of Use |
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While Hargreaves Lansdown does not offer crypto trading, CMC Invest provides this option, making it a more versatile choice for investors interested in cryptocurrency.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Hargreaves Lansdown | CMC Invest | |
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| Review | Hargreaves Lansdown Review | CMC Invest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Hargreaves Lansdown | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | |||
| Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | ||
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | ||
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | |||
| Crypto Trading | |||
| Advisor Services | Yes |
| Trading Fees | Hargreaves Lansdown | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £11.95 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £8.95 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £5.95 | £0 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £59.75 / £104.75 if in ISA. | £0 / £120 / £300 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £143.40 / £188.40 if in ISA. | £0 / £120 / £300 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £430.20 / £475.20 if in ISA. | £0 / £120 / £300 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £1,074 / £1,119 if in ISA. | £0 / £120 / £300 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £135 | £120 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | Up to £1,125 | £120 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | Up to £625 | £120 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | Up to £1,250 | £120 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | Up to £1,000 | £120 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £20 - £50 | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £20 - £50 | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £5.95 - £11.95 | £0 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £5.95 - £11.95 | £0 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £20 - £50 | £0 |
| Broker Screenshots | Hargreaves Lansdown | CMC Invest | |
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| 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 | Hargreaves Lansdown | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | ||
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 15 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 11 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | |||
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | ||
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | ||
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes |
| Research | Hargreaves Lansdown | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | ||
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes |
| Education | Hargreaves Lansdown | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | ||
| Client Webinars (Archived) |
| Overall Summary | Hargreaves Lansdown | CMC Invest | |
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| Review | Hargreaves Lansdown Review | CMC Invest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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