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.
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.
Hargreaves Lansdown vs CMC Invest: both support share dealing, ETFs, funds, and investment trusts. Neither offers crypto or CFD trading. Hargreaves Lansdown goes further with access to corporate bonds and UK government bonds (gilts), plus the option to use adviser services; CMC Invest does not offer these extras.
For investment choice, UK.StockBrokers.com rates Hargreaves Lansdown 5 stars (ranked 4th of 21) and CMC Invest 4 stars (ranked 14th of 21). If you want a wider menu that includes bonds and guidance, Hargreaves Lansdown may suit you; if you prefer core investments like shares, ETFs, funds, and trusts without add-ons, CMC Invest is a straightforward pick.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual 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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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
For UK investors comparing trading tools, Hargreaves Lansdown offers far richer charting than CMC Invest. Hargreaves Lansdown includes 11 drawing tools, 109 technical indicators, and stock overlays, while CMC Invest has no drawing tools, no indicators, and no stock overlays. Neither broker displays corporate events on charts, and both lack chart notes and index overlays.
On platforms and alerts, Hargreaves Lansdown provides a browser-based trading platform, whereas CMC Invest does not. Both brokers support real-time market data and price alerts. If you value in-depth chart analysis, Hargreaves Lansdown is the stronger pick; if you just need real-time prices and alerts, CMC Invest still covers the basics.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | No |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 109 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 11 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | No | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | 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.
For UK investors comparing mobile apps, both Hargreaves Lansdown and CMC Invest offer iPhone and Android apps. Independent ratings from UK.StockBrokers.com give the Hargreaves Lansdown app 4 stars and a mobile ranking of 10th out of 21 brokers, while the CMC Invest app holds 3.5 stars and ranks 11th. In short, both support iOS and Android, but Hargreaves Lansdown edges ahead for mobile app quality based on these scores.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK beginner investors comparing education, Hargreaves Lansdown clearly outshines CMC Invest: Hargreaves Lansdown runs client webinars and keeps them on-demand, while CMC Invest offers no webinars or archive. Both cover share trading and both include retirement guidance, but only Hargreaves Lansdown provides dedicated learning on funds. Independent scores reflect the gap: Hargreaves Lansdown earns 5 out of 5 stars and ranks 4th of 21 brokers for beginner education at UK.StockBrokers.com, whereas CMC Invest scores 2.5 out of 5 stars and ranks 15th. If you value straightforward lessons, live sessions and catch-up content, Hargreaves Lansdown is the stronger choice.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
Hargreaves Lansdown vs CMC Invest: for market research features, both platforms provide shares, ETFs and funds research, but only Hargreaves Lansdown adds fund research reports, a portfolio allocation view by asset class, and bonds research. CMC Invest does not offer fund research reports, asset class allocation views, or bonds research, though it still covers shares, ETFs and funds. UK investors wanting clearer portfolio breakdowns and bond analysis may favour Hargreaves Lansdown, while those after straightforward research on shares and ETFs may find CMC Invest sufficient.
| Feature |
Hargreaves Lansdown
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No |
| 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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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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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 | |
| Mutual 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 | |||
| Advisor Services | Yes | No |
| Trading Fees | Hargreaves Lansdown | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100 | £1 | |
| 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) | |||
| 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 | Up to £1,125 | £83.88 / £131.88 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £1125 - £1750 | £83.88 / £131.88 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £1750 - £3000 | £83.88 / £131.88 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £3,000 - £4,000 | £83.88 / £131.88 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £20 - £50 | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £20 - £50 | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £11.95 | £0 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £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 | 109 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 11 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | Hargreaves Lansdown | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No | |
| 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 | No | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | 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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