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.
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 - Interactive Brokers would cost £15 per year, while CMC Invest would cost £0 / £120 / £300 per year.
12 trades per year - Interactive Brokers would cost £36 per year, while CMC Invest would cost £0 / £120 / £300 per year.
36 trades per year - Interactive Brokers would cost £108 per year, while CMC Invest would cost £0 / £120 / £300 per year.
120 trades per year - Interactive Brokers would cost £360 per year, while CMC Invest would cost £0 / £120 / £300 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Interactive Brokers would cost £0 per year, while CMC Invest would cost £0 per year.
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.
For UK investors comparing Interactive Brokers and CMC Invest, both platforms offer share and ETF trading, providing a solid foundation for those interested in equities. Interactive Brokers extends its investment choices further with crypto trading, CFD trading, funds, corporate bonds, government bonds, and investment trusts, achieving a top rating of 5 stars for investment options from UK.StockBrokers.com and ranking 2nd out of 21 brokers. CMC Invest also includes trading in funds and investment trusts, earning a respectable 4.5-star rating and placing it 14th in the same ranking.
While both brokers accommodate share trading and investing in ETFs, the primary differences lie in the wider range of asset classes offered by Interactive Brokers, such as access to cryptocurrencies and bonds, which could appeal to those looking for a more comprehensive trading portfolio. As always, investors should assess which offerings align best with their individual goals and risk tolerance.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | ||
| Crypto Trading | Yes | |
| Advisor Services | ||
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
When comparing the trading tools available through Interactive Brokers and CMC Invest, UK investors might notice significant differences in features. Interactive Brokers provides an advanced suite of options, displaying corporate events like earnings and dividends directly on their charts, offering 80 different drawing tools and 96 technical indicators to assist in making informed trading decisions. Users can personalise charts by adding notes, index overlays, and stock overlays. The platform supports a browser-based interface and allows users to set price alerts for stocks, although information on the availability of real-time market data is unspecified.
On the other hand, CMC Invest presents a more basic set of tools. While it does offer stock price alerts and real-time market data, it lacks several features found in Interactive Brokers, such as the ability to display corporate events on charts, drawing tools, technical indicators, and the customization of charts with notes or overlays. Those trading with CMC Invest may need to rely on additional resources to fill in these gaps for a more comprehensive trading experience.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 96 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 80 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes |
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 seeking seamless mobile trading, both Interactive Brokers and CMC Invest offer user-friendly apps compatible with iPhone and Android devices. Interactive Brokers stands out with its top-tier performance, earning a 5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com and securing the #4 spot among 21 brokers for mobile app quality. Conversely, CMC Invest boasts a commendable 4.5-star rating, placing it at #11. Both options cater to investors on the go, but Interactive Brokers may appeal to those prioritizing a higher-rated mobile trading experience.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For beginner investors in the UK looking to enhance their knowledge, Interactive Brokers and CMC Invest both offer educational resources, but with notable differences. Interactive Brokers provides live educational client webinars that are archived for on-demand viewing, covering topics such as share trading, funds, and retirement. This commitment to accessible learning contributes to its impressive 4.5-star rating and an 8th place ranking among 21 brokers by UK.StockBrokers.com for beginner education. Meanwhile, CMC Invest also offers educational support on share trading, funds, and retirement, though it lacks webinar availability and archival features. Consequently, it earns a 4-star rating and ranks 15th in the same evaluation.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
For UK investors seeking comprehensive market research features, both Interactive Brokers and CMC Invest provide strong offerings, though some differences exist. Interactive Brokers delivers extensive research reports for funds, individual shares, ETFs, and bonds, while also offering insights into CFDs. Investors can also view portfolio allocation by asset class, aiding in diversified investment strategies. CMC Invest similarly offers research for funds, shares, and ETFs, but lacks detailed reports on CFDs and bonds, and does not provide a feature to view portfolio allocation by asset class. These distinctions make Interactive Brokers a potentially more all-encompassing choice for those looking for in-depth market analysis across a wider range of financial instruments.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes |
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
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CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Mobile App |
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| Website |
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| Ease of Use |
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When considering online brokers for crypto trading, Interactive Brokers stands out by offering crypto trading options, whereas CMC Invest does not provide crypto trading services.
Select 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 | ||
| Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | Yes | ||
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | ||
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | |||
| Crypto Trading | Yes | ||
| Advisor Services |
| Trading Fees | Interactive Brokers | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £0 | |
| 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) | £15 | £0 / £120 / £300 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £36 | £0 / £120 / £300 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £108 | £0 / £120 / £300 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £360 | £0 / £120 / £300 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 / £14.85 | £120 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £0 | £120 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £0 | £120 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £0 | £120 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £0 | £120 | |
| 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 | N/A | £0 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £25 | £0 |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | CMC Invest | |
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| Website Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Platforms & Tools | Interactive Brokers | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | ||
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 96 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 80 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | ||
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | ||
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | ||
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | Yes | ||
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | ||
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | ||
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes |
| Overall Summary | Interactive Brokers | CMC Invest | |
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| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | CMC Invest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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