Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers 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, Interactive Brokers 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.
Interactive Brokers and CMC Invest both let UK investors trade shares, ETFs, funds and investment trusts. Only Interactive Brokers also offers crypto, corporate bonds and government bonds (gilts). Neither platform supports CFD trading or advisor services.
For investment choice, UK.StockBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers 5 stars and ranks it 2nd of 21 brokers; CMC Invest earns 4 stars and ranks 14th. Choose Interactive Brokers if you want the widest menu, including crypto and bonds, or CMC Invest for straightforward share dealing and fund investing.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
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 | 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.
For UK investors comparing Interactive Brokers vs CMC Invest on trading tools: Interactive Brokers offers 16 drawing tools and 94 technical indicators, while CMC Invest offers none. Neither platform lets you show corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends), add notes, or overlay indexes or other shares on charts.
Interactive Brokers provides a browser-based trading platform, which CMC Invest lacks. Both let you set price alerts, but only CMC Invest offers real-time market data; Interactive Brokers does not. Pick CMC Invest if live pricing is key, or Interactive Brokers if you want in-browser trading with far more charting features.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | No |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 94 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 16 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | No | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
When comparing Interactive Brokers to CMC Invest for UK investors looking into retirement accounts, both platforms offer Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs). This makes them appealing options for those interested in tax-efficient investing strategies. Whether you're saving for your future through an ISA or planning your retirement with a SIPP, both Interactive Brokers and CMC Invest provide the necessary account types to meet your financial goals. Consider factors like fees and user experience when choosing the best fit for your investment needs.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
For UK investors comparing mobile trading options, both Interactive Brokers and CMC Invest offer iPhone and Android apps, but their app quality differs: UK.StockBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers’ mobile app 5 stars and ranks it 4th out of 21 brokers, while CMC Invest’s app earns 3.5 stars and ranks 11th. If you prioritise a higher-rated mobile experience, Interactive Brokers has the edge, though both let you trade and manage your account on iOS and Android.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK beginners comparing online broker Interactive Brokers with CMC Invest for investor education, Interactive Brokers offers client webinars live and on demand, while CMC Invest offers neither. Both cover share trading and retirement, but only Interactive Brokers includes education on funds. In UK.StockBrokers.com’s ratings, Interactive Brokers scores 5/5 and ranks 8th of 21 for beginner education, whereas CMC Invest scores 2.5/5 and ranks 15th. If you want accessible webinars and a wider range of learning topics, Interactive Brokers is the stronger pick.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
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.
For UK investors comparing Interactive Brokers vs CMC Invest on market research features, Interactive Brokers offers more depth: it provides fund research reports, a portfolio allocation view by asset class, and research on shares, ETFs, funds and bonds. CMC Invest includes research on shares, ETFs and funds but lacks fund research reports, bond research and portfolio allocation breakdowns. If you want broader coverage and allocation tools, Interactive Brokers is the stronger choice; CMC Invest suits those after simpler share and fund look-ups.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
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, Interactive Brokers or CMC Invest? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Interactive Brokers to be a better trading platform overall.
Interactive Brokers is a sophisticated trading platform aimed at confident and institutional-grade investors. For newer investors, Interactive Brokers is more intimidating, though it's worth exploring the platform to see if you could save money or access more investments compared to other brokers.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
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Interactive Brokers distinguishes itself from CMC Invest by offering crypto trading, a feature not available with CMC Invest, thereby appealing to investors seeking a comprehensive online brokerage with cryptocurrency options.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Interactive Brokers | CMC Invest | |
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| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | CMC Invest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Interactive Brokers | 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 | Yes | ||
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Trading Fees | Interactive Brokers | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £1 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £3 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £3 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £3 | £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 | £0 | £83.88 / £131.88 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £0 | £83.88 / £131.88 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £0 | £83.88 / £131.88 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £0 | £83.88 / £131.88 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £3 | £0 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £3 | £0 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £25 | £0 |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | CMC Invest | |
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| Platforms & Tools | Interactive Brokers | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | No | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 94 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 16 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | 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 | Interactive Brokers | 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 | Interactive Brokers | CMC Invest | |
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| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | CMC Invest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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