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 buy and sell shares, ETFs, funds and investment trusts. Only Interactive Brokers adds crypto trading, CFDs (contracts for difference), corporate bonds and government bonds (gilts). CMC Invest does not offer crypto, CFDs, corporate bonds or gilts. Details for spread betting are not provided here, and neither platform offers adviser services.
For investment choice, UK.StockBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers 5/5 and ranks it #1 of 21, while CMC Invest scores 4/5 and ranks #14. In short, Interactive Brokers suits those who want the broadest range, including crypto, bonds and CFDs, whereas CMC Invest fits straightforward share and ETF investing alongside funds and investment trusts.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
CMC Invest
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|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | Yes | 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.
Comparing Interactive Brokers vs CMC Invest for trading tools, Interactive Brokers clearly leads on charting. It shows corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends) on charts, supports notes, and lets you add index and stock overlays. It also packs in 155 technical indicators and 85 drawing tools. By contrast, CMC Invest does not offer charting indicators, drawing tools, overlays, or corporate events.
Interactive Brokers provides a browser-based trading platform and price alerts, but it does not offer real-time market data. CMC Invest offers price alerts and does include real-time market data, though it lacks a web platform. If you need in-depth chart analysis, Interactive Brokers is the stronger pick; if instant pricing is your priority, CMC Invest has the edge.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | No |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 155 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 85 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | 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 apps, Interactive Brokers vs CMC Invest is straightforward: both offer iPhone and Android apps, but Interactive Brokers earns a higher 5/5 rating from UK.StockBrokers.com and ranks 5th out of 21 brokers for Mobile Apps, while CMC Invest scores 3.5/5 and ranks 13th. If you prioritise app quality on iOS or Android, Interactive Brokers has the edge, with CMC Invest remaining a workable choice on both platforms.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK beginners, Interactive Brokers outshines CMC Invest for investing education: it hosts client webinars and offers on-demand replays, covers share trading, funds and retirement, and earns 5/5 stars with a #4 of 21 ranking from UK.StockBrokers.com. By comparison, CMC Invest has no client webinars or on-demand archive, covers share trading and retirement but not funds, and holds 2.5/5 stars with a #16 of 21 ranking. If webinars and wider topic coverage matter, Interactive Brokers is the better pick for learning.
| 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.
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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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Capital.com is a U.K. broker primarily known for CFDs (contracts for difference) and spread betting. While it previously offered the chance to buy and sell shares commission-free, you can no longer buy shares directly through Capital.com. Trading is limited to an unleveraged CFD account.
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Bestinvest appeals to a wide range of investors. Fees are competitive, particularly if you invest in funds or US shares, and investment options are extensive.
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Hargreaves Lansdown offers top research and a quality app but higher fees. Learn more about its features and if it’s right for your portfolio.
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Revolut offers easy app-based investing with commission-free trades and a new stocks & shares ISA. See whether Revolut is the right platform for your portfolio.
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Explore Halifax Share Dealing’s flat fees, ISA options, and ready-made portfolios. Find out whether Halifax offers good value for your investing style.
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IG is a trading platform for experienced investors, offering shares, ETFs, spread betting, and CFDs on an easy-to-use interface.
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Review Lloyds’ investing platform, ISA fees, SIPP costs, and investment options. See if Lloyds is the right low-cost choice for your portfolio.
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Fidelity offers thousands of investments and also offers financial advice for those wanting direction. My view is that Fidelity is most suited to traditional investors who hold a range of accounts through the platform.
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Webull has a good app, desktop platform, and low fees, but is limited in the UK by offering only US stocks with no products offered from other markets.
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Barclays Smart Investor is an investment platform offered by Barclays Bank that offers a wide range of investments and accounts. Non-Barclays customers may find it complicated to open an account. Barclays is good value whether you are a beginner investor or have a large portfolio as its fees are, overall, very low.
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Elizabeth Anderson December 30, 2025Select Brokers
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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 | Yes | 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 | $30 | £0 |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | CMC Invest | |
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| Website Gallery (click to expand) |
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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 | 155 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 85 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | 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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