Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of IG 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, IG 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.
Comparing IG vs CMC Invest for UK investors: both offer share dealing, ETFs and investment trusts. IG also provides crypto and CFD trading, while CMC Invest does not. CMC Invest adds access to funds, which IG does not. Neither platform offers corporate bonds or government bonds (gilts), and neither provides adviser services.
If you want crypto and CFD exposure, IG is the better fit; if you want funds alongside shares and ETFs, CMC Invest is the draw. For investment choices, UK.StockBrokers.com rates IG at 5 stars (ranked 11th of 21) and CMC Invest at 4 stars (ranked 14th of 21).
| Feature |
IG
|
CMC Invest
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|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | No | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | Yes | No |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | No |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
IG stands out for UK investors who want strong trading tools. Its browser-based platform supports detailed charting with 19 drawing tools, 33 technical indicators, corporate events on charts (earnings, splits, dividends), plus the ability to add notes, index overlays and stock overlays. You also get stock price alerts and real-time market data.
CMC Invest keeps things basic. While it offers price alerts and real-time market data, it doesn’t provide a browser-based trading platform, and its charts don’t support corporate events, drawing tools, technical indicators, notes, or index/stock overlays. If you need full-featured charting on the web, IG is the more suitable choice; if you only need live prices and alerts, CMC Invest may suffice.
| Feature |
IG
|
CMC Invest
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|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | No |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 33 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 19 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
For UK investors comparing retirement investment options between IG and CMC Invest, both online brokers offer a variety of tax-efficient accounts to suit your needs. IG provides both Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), giving you flexibility in managing your savings and retirement investments. Similarly, CMC Invest also offers ISAs and SIPPs. Choosing between them may come down to other factors such as platform features or customer service, as both brokers offer the essential retirement account types needed for British investors seeking to maximize their tax benefits while planning for the future.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
IG vs CMC Invest: both brokers offer trading apps for iPhone and Android in the UK, but IG stands out for mobile quality. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, IG’s app is rated 5 stars and ranks #2 out of 21 brokers, while CMC Invest’s app is rated 3.5 stars and ranks #11. If mobile experience is key, IG is the stronger pick, though CMC Invest still provides full access on iOS and Android.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK investors comparing online brokers for beginner education, IG offers live client webinars with on-demand replays and covers funds and retirement, but not share trading; CMC Invest provides no webinars or archives, covers share trading and retirement, but not funds. Independent reviews favour IG: UK.StockBrokers.com rates IG 5/5 stars and ranks it #1 of 21 for beginner education, while CMC Invest scores 2.5/5 stars and ranks #15.
| Feature |
IG
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | No | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
IG vs CMC Invest for UK market research: IG offers research reports for funds and lets you see your portfolio allocation by asset class, alongside shares and ETF research; it does not provide general funds research or bonds research. CMC Invest lacks fund research reports and does not show allocation by asset class, but it does offer funds research plus shares and ETF research; it also has no bonds research. Choose IG if you want fund reports and a clear view of your portfolio mix, or CMC Invest if you need funds research within the platform.
| Feature |
IG
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | No | No |
| Research - Funds | No | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
Which broker is better overall, IG or CMC Invest? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found IG to be a better trading platform overall.
IG is an investment platform aimed at experienced investors looking to make frequent trades on the stock market, with thousands of shares, trusts and ETFs to trade. It offers a comprehensive and easy-to-use trading platform that is used by both private and professional investors.
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IG
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CMC Invest
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When comparing online brokers, IG offers crypto trading while CMC Invest does not, making IG the better choice for investors seeking cryptocurrency market access.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | IG | CMC Invest | |
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| Review | IG Review | CMC Invest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | IG | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds | No | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | No | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | No | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | Yes | No | |
| Crypto Trading | |||
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Trading Fees | IG | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £1 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £0 | £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 | N/A | £83.88 / £131.88 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | N/A | £83.88 / £131.88 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | N/A | £83.88 / £131.88 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | N/A | £83.88 / £131.88 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | N/A | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £0 | £0 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £0 | £0 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £50 | £0 |
| Broker Screenshots | IG | CMC Invest | |
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| Platforms & Tools | IG | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | No | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 33 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 19 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
| Research | IG | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | No | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | No | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
| Education | IG | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | No | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Overall Summary | IG | CMC Invest | |
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| Review | IG Review | CMC Invest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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