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Interactive Brokers vs CMC Invest 2025

StockBrokers.com

Written by StockBrokers.com

July 31, 2025

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.

Interactive Brokers
4.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: £0
  • ISA: Yes
  • SIPP: Yes
CMC Invest
3.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: £1
  • ISA: Yes
  • SIPP: Yes

Your capital is at risk.

Fees

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.

query_stats 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.

Investment Choices

If you’re comparing Interactive Brokers vs CMC Invest for UK investing, the key difference is product range. Interactive Brokers offers share trading, ETFs, funds, investment trusts, crypto, CFD trading, plus fixed income such as corporate bonds and government bonds (gilts). CMC Invest supports shares, ETFs, funds and investment trusts, but does not offer crypto, CFDs, corporate bonds or gilts.

For investment choice, UK.StockBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers 5 stars (ranked 2nd of 21) and CMC Invest 4 stars (14th of 21). Choose Interactive Brokers if you want the widest set of markets including crypto, CFDs and bonds; pick CMC Invest if your focus is straightforward share, ETF, fund and investment trust investing. Neither provider offers adviser services.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
CMC Invest logoCMC Invest
Share Trading info Yes Yes
CFD Trading info Yes No
ETFs info Yes Yes
Mutual Funds info Yes Yes
Bonds - Government (Gilts) info Yes No
Investment Trusts info Yes Yes
Spread Betting info No No
Crypto Trading info Yes No
Advisor Services info No No
Investment Choices 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars

Featured Offers


IG
4.5/5 Stars

Low-cost US and UK shares.

Interactive Brokers
4.5/5 Stars

Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.

Trading Tools

When comparing the trading tools offered by Interactive Brokers and CMC Invest, UK investors may find notable differences between the two. Interactive Brokers stands out with its extensive charting capabilities, providing the ability to display corporate events like earnings and dividends directly on charts, along with 80 drawing tools and 96 technical indicators. Users can also annotate charts and add both index and stock overlays for detailed analysis. On the other hand, CMC Invest does not support chart annotations, overlays, or offer any drawing tools or technical indicators, focusing instead on providing real-time market data.

Interactive Brokers also appeals to traders with its browser-based trading platform, offering a convenient option for managing investments online. While both platforms provide the capability to create alerts for stock price updates, CMC Invest only offers real-time market data, as Interactive Brokers lacks this feature. These differences may influence investors' choices based on their preference for advanced analytical tools or immediate market information.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
CMC Invest logoCMC Invest
Web Platform info Yes No
Stock Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 96 0
Charting - Drawing Tools info 80 0
Charting - Notes info Yes No
Charting - Display Corporate Events info Yes No
Charting - Stock Overlays info Yes No
Charting - Index Overlays info Yes No

ISAs and SIPPs

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.

Mobile App

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.

Beginners and Education

For UK beginners comparing Interactive Brokers and CMC Invest, Interactive Brokers offers stronger learning support: it runs educational client webinars, provides an on-demand archive, and covers share trading, funds and retirement; it also holds a 4.5/5 beginner education rating and ranks #8 of 21 brokers at UK.StockBrokers.com. CMC Invest does not offer webinars or an on-demand library, covers share trading and retirement but not funds, and scores 2.5/5 with a #15 ranking. If you want easy-access lessons and broader topics, Interactive Brokers is the better fit; if you only need basics on shares and retirement, CMC Invest may suffice.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
CMC Invest logoCMC Invest
Client Webinars info Yes No
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes No
Education (Share Trading) info Yes Yes
Education (Funds) info Yes No
Education (Retirement) info Yes Yes
Education 4.5/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.

Market Research

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 logoInteractive Brokers
CMC Invest logoCMC Invest
Research - Shares info Yes Yes
Research - ETFs info Yes Yes
Research - Bonds info Yes No
Research - Funds info Yes Yes
Fund Research - Research Reports info Yes No
Portfolio Allocation Breakdown info Yes No

Interactive Brokers vs CMC Invest Winner

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 logoInteractive Brokers
CMC Invest logoCMC Invest
Overall Rating 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Choices 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile App 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Website 5/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with Interactive Brokers or CMC Invest?

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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Overall Rating Interactive Brokers CMC Invest
Overall Rating 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Choices 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile App 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Website 5/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars
Review Interactive Brokers Review CMC Invest Review
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Investments Interactive Brokers CMC Invest
ISA info Yes Yes
SIPP info Yes Yes
Share Trading info Yes Yes
CFD Trading info Yes No
Mutual Funds info Yes Yes
ETFs info Yes Yes
Bonds - Corporate info Yes No
Bonds - Government (Gilts) info Yes No
Investment Trusts info Yes Yes
Spread Betting info No No
Crypto Trading info Yes info
Advisor Services info No No
Trading Fees Interactive Brokers CMC Invest
Minimum Deposit info £0 £1
Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month info £3 £0
Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month info £3 £0
Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month info £3 £0
5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info
12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info
36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info
120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) info
3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) info
Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £0 - £250,000 info £0 £83.88 / £131.88 info
Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K info £0 £83.88 / £131.88 info
Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m info £0 £83.88 / £131.88 info
Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over info £0 £83.88 / £131.88 info
Bonds - Corporate - Fee info 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) N/A
Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee info 0.1% (for <10,000 EUR) 0.025% (for >10,000 EUR) N/A
ETFs - Fee info £3 £0
Investment Trusts - Fee info N/A £0
Telephone Dealing Fee info £25 £0
Broker Screenshots Interactive Brokers CMC Invest
Website Gallery (click to expand)
The home page of the Interactive Brokers website (demo account). The order ticket on the IBKR website. List of available indicators for the charts when viewing a share price on the IBKR website.
CMC Invest UK ESG profile Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. CMC Invest UK key mission. Pricing plans on the CMC Invest website. CMC Invest UK YouTube channel educational video Opto research team. CMC-Invest UK Compass bi-weekly email newsletter Opto research. CMC Invest UK mobile app research ESG risk score detail.
Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand)
The home screen of the IBKR mobile app. The customisation screen for the homepage of the IBKR mobile app. The watchlist on the IBKR mobile app. Share price information for Barclays stock on the IBKR mobile app. Viewing a stock chart for Lloyds Bank on the IBKR mobile app. The order ticket on the IBKR mobile app (slide to buy). Order fulfillment screen on the IBKR mobile app. Various order types available on the IBKR mobile app. Setting advanced order conditions on the IBKR mobile app. The Learn page of the IBKR mobile app. IBKR GlobalTrader home page. The trade ticket on the IBKR GlobalTrader mobile app. Order preview for purchasing Apple stock on the IBKR GlobalTrader app.
CMC Invest UK mobile app watchlist. CMC Invest UK mobile app stock financials Barclays. CMC Invest UK mobile app view stock Kimball Electronics. List of stocks with a high ESG score on the CMC Invest app. CMC Invest UK mobile app ESG preferences. CMC Invest UK mobile app trade US shares. CMC Invest UK mobile app charting. CMC Invest UK mobile app home screen Discover tab on the CMC Invest app to find trading ideas. Offer screen for switching to Premium on the CMC Invest mobile app. CMC Invest UK mobile app research ESG product involvement areas. CMC Invest UK mobile app account popular shares screener. CMC Invest UK mobile app pre-defined screeners sorting. CMC Invest UK mobile app discover funds. CMC Invest UK mobile app research ESG factors. CMC Invest UK mobile app research ESG scoring.
Education Gallery (click to expand)
The Learn Hub on the CMC Invest website. CMC Invest UK educational content learn ETFs. CMC Invest UK education topics. CMC Invest UK educational article detail. CMC Invest UK community.
Platforms & Tools Interactive Brokers CMC Invest
Web Platform info Yes No
iPhone App info Yes Yes
Android App info Yes Yes
Stock Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 96 0
Charting - Drawing Tools info 80 0
Charting - Notes info Yes No
Charting - Display Corporate Events info Yes No
Charting - Stock Overlays info Yes No
Charting - Index Overlays info Yes No
Research Interactive Brokers CMC Invest
Research - Shares info Yes Yes
Research - CFDs info
Research - Funds info Yes Yes
Fund Research - Research Reports info Yes No
Research - ETFs info Yes Yes
Research - Bonds info Yes No
Portfolio Allocation Breakdown info Yes No
Education Interactive Brokers CMC Invest
Education (Share Trading) info Yes Yes
Education (Funds) info Yes No
Education (Retirement) info Yes Yes
Client Webinars info Yes No
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes No
Overall Summary Interactive Brokers CMC Invest
Overall Rating 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Charges & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Investment Choices 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile App 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Website 5/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars
Review Interactive Brokers Review CMC Invest Review
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