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Hargreaves Lansdown vs CMC Invest 2025

StockBrokers.com

Written by StockBrokers.com

April 17, 2025

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.

Hargreaves Lansdown
4.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: £1
  • ISA: Yes
  • SIPP: Yes
CMC Invest
4/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: £0
  • ISA: Yes
  • SIPP: Yes

Fees

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.

query_stats 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.

Investment Choices

For investors in the UK looking to explore various market opportunities, both Hargreaves Lansdown and CMC Invest offer comprehensive options. Hargreaves Lansdown excels with a wide assortment including share trading, trading of ETFs, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds, and investment trusts, complemented by advisor services. Meanwhile, CMC Invest also provides share trading, ETFs, funds, and investment trusts but does not extend its offerings to bonds or advisory services.

In terms of ratings, Hargreaves Lansdown holds an impressive 5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com for its diverse investment choices, placing it fourth out of 21 brokers. CMC Invest, while rated a strong 4.5 stars, is positioned 14th, reflecting a slightly narrower range of investment options. Neither platform supports crypto trading, spread betting, or CFD trading, making them ideal choices for traditional investments.

Feature Hargreaves Lansdown logoHargreaves Lansdown
CMC Invest logoCMC Invest
Share Trading info Yes Yes
CFD Trading info No No
ETFs info Yes Yes
Funds info Yes Yes
Bonds - Government (Gilts) info Yes No
Investment Trusts info Yes Yes
Spread Betting info No No
Crypto Trading info No No
Advisor Services info Yes No
Investment Choices 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars

Featured Offers


4.5/5 Stars

Low-cost US and UK shares.

4.5/5 Stars

Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.

Trading Tools

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 logoHargreaves Lansdown
CMC Invest logoCMC Invest
Web Platform info Yes No
Stock Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 15 0
Charting - Drawing Tools info 11 0
Charting - Notes info No No
Charting - Display Corporate Events info Yes No
Charting - Stock Overlays info Yes No
Charting - Index Overlays info Yes No

ISAs and SIPPs

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.

Mobile App

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.

Beginners and Education

When comparing the educational resources for beginner investors at Hargreaves Lansdown and CMC Invest, both platforms provide valuable insights into share trading, funds, and retirement planning. Hargreaves Lansdown offers live educational webinars, although these are not available on demand for later viewing, a feature also absent at CMC Invest. In terms of third-party reviews, Hargreaves Lansdown stands out with a glowing 5-star rating and ranks 4th out of 21 brokers according to UK.StockBrokers.com. Meanwhile, CMC Invest, while offering solid educational content, earns a 4-star rating, positioning it at 15th place. UK investors seeking a strong start in investment education may find Hargreaves Lansdown's resources particularly advantageous.

Feature Hargreaves Lansdown logoHargreaves Lansdown
CMC Invest logoCMC Invest
Client Webinars info Yes No
Client Webinars (Archived) info No No
Education (Share Trading) info Yes Yes
Education (Funds) info Yes Yes
Education (Retirement) info Yes Yes
Education 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.

Market Research

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 logoHargreaves Lansdown
CMC Invest logoCMC Invest
Research - Shares info Yes Yes
Research - CFDs info No No
Research - ETFs info Yes Yes
Research - Bonds info Yes No
Research - Funds info Yes Yes
Fund Research - Research Reports info Yes Yes
Portfolio Allocation Breakdown info Yes No

Hargreaves Lansdown vs CMC Invest Winner

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 logoHargreaves Lansdown
CMC Invest logoCMC Invest
Overall Rating 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Choices 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Mobile App 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Website 5/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with Hargreaves Lansdown or CMC Invest?

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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Compare

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Overall Rating Hargreaves Lansdown CMC Invest
Overall Rating 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Choices 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Mobile App 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Website 5/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Review Hargreaves Lansdown Review CMC Invest Review
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Investments Hargreaves Lansdown CMC Invest
ISA info Yes Yes
SIPP info Yes Yes
Share Trading info Yes Yes
CFD Trading info No No
Funds info Yes Yes
ETFs info Yes Yes
Bonds - Corporate info Yes No
Bonds - Government (Gilts) info Yes No
Investment Trusts info Yes Yes
Spread Betting info No No
Crypto Trading info No No
Advisor Services info Yes No
Trading Fees Hargreaves Lansdown CMC Invest
Minimum Deposit info £1 £0
Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month info £11.95 £0
Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month info £8.95 £0
Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month info £5.95 £0
5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info £59.75 / £104.75 if in ISA. £0 / £120 / £300 info
12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info £143.40 / £188.40 if in ISA. £0 / £120 / £300
36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info £430.20 / £475.20 if in ISA. £0 / £120 / £300
120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info £1,074 / £1,119 if in ISA. £0 / £120 / £300
3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) info £135 £120
Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 info Up to £1,125 £120 info
Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K info Up to £625 £120 info
Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m info Up to £1,250 £120 info
Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over info Up to £1,000 £120 info
Bonds - Corporate - Fee info £20 - £50 N/A
Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee info £20 - £50 N/A
ETFs - Fee info £5.95 - £11.95 £0
Investment Trusts - Fee info £5.95 - £11.95 £0
Telephone Dealing Fee info £20 - £50 info £0
Broker Screenshots Hargreaves Lansdown CMC Invest
Website Gallery (click to expand)
Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand)
Education Gallery (click to expand)
Platforms & Tools Hargreaves Lansdown CMC Invest
Web Platform info Yes No
iPhone App info Yes Yes
Android App info Yes Yes
Stock Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 15 0
Charting - Drawing Tools info 11 0
Charting - Notes info No No
Charting - Display Corporate Events info Yes No
Charting - Stock Overlays info Yes No
Charting - Index Overlays info Yes No
Research Hargreaves Lansdown CMC Invest
Research - Shares info Yes Yes
Research - CFDs info No No
Research - Funds info Yes Yes
Fund Research - Research Reports info Yes Yes
Research - ETFs info Yes Yes
Research - Bonds info Yes No
Portfolio Allocation Breakdown info Yes No
Education Hargreaves Lansdown CMC Invest
Education (Share Trading) info Yes Yes
Education (Funds) info Yes Yes
Education (Retirement) info Yes Yes
Client Webinars info Yes No
Client Webinars (Archived) info No No
Overall Summary Hargreaves Lansdown CMC Invest
Overall Rating 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Choices 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Mobile App 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Website 5/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Review Hargreaves Lansdown Review CMC Invest Review
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