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.
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.
For UK investors exploring online brokerage options, both Hargreaves Lansdown and CMC Invest present compelling choices with their array of investment options. Hargreaves Lansdown covers the essentials with share trading, ETFs, and funds trading, while also extending its reach to corporate and government bonds (gilts) and investment trusts. It stands out by also offering advisor services, which can be a valuable resource for those seeking guidance. On the other hand, CMC Invest offers share trading, ETFs, and funds trading, and also accommodates investment trusts, though it lacks corporate and government bond options and advisor services.
When assessed by UK.StockBrokers.com, Hargreaves Lansdown shines with a perfect 5-star rating for its investment choices, securing a respectable 4th place out of 18 brokers. Meanwhile, CMC Invest earns a commendable 4.5-star rating, placing it 14th in the same league. Both brokers offer solid platforms for trading, though Hargreaves Lansdown provides a slightly more extensive range of investment products and additional advisory support, which may be appealing for more detailed portfolio building.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| 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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Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Low-cost US and UK shares.
When it comes to trading tools, Hargreaves Lansdown clearly outshines CMC Invest with a variety of features tailored for active traders. Hargreaves Lansdown allows users to display corporate events like earnings, splits, and dividends directly on charts, providing valuable context for informed decision-making—something CMC Invest does not offer. Additionally, with 11 drawing tools and 15 technical indicators at your disposal, charting becomes a powerful way to visualize market trends on Hargreaves Lansdown. Conversely, CMC Invest lacks these options entirely, offering neither drawing tools nor technical indicators to improve your trading experience.
Both platforms allow the creation of alerts for stock price updates and provide real-time market data, ensuring you're always informed of the latest changes. However, Hargreaves Lansdown goes a step further by supporting features like index and stock overlays on charts, unlike CMC Invest, which does not include these functionalities. Furthermore, Hargreaves Lansdown offers a convenient browser-based trading platform, enabling seamless access through any web browser, while CMC Invest does not have this feature. In summary, Hargreaves Lansdown provides a more comprehensive set of trading tools, ideal for users who seek a richer and more interactive trading environment.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | No |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 15 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 11 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | No | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
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 the mobile apps of Hargreaves Lansdown and CMC Invest, both platforms offer apps compatible with iPhone and Android devices, catering to the needs of modern investors in the UK. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, both apps receive strong ratings of 4.5 out of 5 stars, highlighting their user satisfaction. However, in the ranking of mobile apps among 18 brokers, Hargreaves Lansdown slightly outshines CMC Invest, coming in at 10th place, while CMC Invest follows closely at 11th. This suggests both brokers provide reliable mobile trading experiences, with a slight edge to Hargreaves Lansdown in terms of mobile app ranking.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing Hargreaves Lansdown and CMC Invest for beginner investor education, UK readers will find that both platforms offer valuable resources covering share trading, funds, and retirement topics. Hargreaves Lansdown stands out by providing educational webinars, although they are not available on demand. CMC Invest, on the other hand, does not offer educational webinars. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Hargreaves Lansdown enjoys a higher beginner education rating with 5 stars and ranks 4th out of 18 brokers, whereas CMC Invest is rated 4 stars and ranked 15th. This suggested that Hargreaves Lansdown might be the better choice for educational resources aimed at beginner investors in the UK.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| 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 features between Hargreaves Lansdown and CMC Invest, both online brokers provide research reports for funds, shares, ETFs, and have no offerings for CFDs. However, Hargreaves Lansdown stands out by allowing investors to view portfolio allocation by asset class and offering research on bonds, whereas CMC Invest does not provide these options. Hargreaves Lansdown's enhanced research capabilities make it a strong contender for those seeking detailed insights, while CMC Invest provides a more limited range of research features.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | No | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
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
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When comparing online brokers, both Hargreaves Lansdown and CMC Invest do not offer crypto trading, positioning themselves as traditional investment platforms.
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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 | No | No | |
| 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 | No | No | |
| Advisor Services | Yes | No |
| 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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| Platforms & Tools | Hargreaves Lansdown | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | No | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 15 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 11 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
| Research | Hargreaves Lansdown | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | No | No | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
| Education | Hargreaves Lansdown | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Overall Summary | Hargreaves Lansdown | CMC Invest | |
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| Review | Hargreaves Lansdown Review | CMC Invest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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