Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Investor vs CMC Invest, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, investment options, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
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, CMC Invest offers better pricing than Interactive Investor 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 Investor would cost £79.83 per year, while CMC Invest would cost £0 / £120 / £300 per year.
12 trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £59.88 / £107.76 per year, while CMC Invest would cost £0 / £120 / £300 per year.
36 trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £59.88 / £203.52 per year, while CMC Invest would cost £0 / £120 / £300 per year.
120 trades per year - Interactive Investor would cost £59.88 / £538.68 per year, while CMC Invest would cost £0 / £120 / £300 per year.
3 fund trades per year - Interactive Investor 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.
Interactive Investor and CMC Invest both provide robust share and ETF trading options for investors looking to diversify their portfolios. However, Interactive Investor distinguishes itself further by offering trading in corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts), and investment trusts, while CMC Invest focuses primarily on shares, ETFs, and investment trusts. Neither platform supports crypto trading, spread betting, or CFD trading, reflecting a more traditional investing approach.
While both platforms hold strong reputations, Interactive Investor receives a higher accolade with a five-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com, ranking fifth out of 18 brokers for investment choices. CMC Invest, while slightly less expansive in its offering, still boasts a commendable 4.5-star rating and ranks 15th. This makes Interactive Investor a potentially better choice for those seeking a wider range of investment options, especially in the bond market.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | Yes | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | No |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Investment Choices |
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Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Low-cost US and UK shares.
When comparing trading tools, Interactive Investor provides a robust suite of features that greatly enhance the charting experience. It allows users to display corporate events like earnings, splits, and dividends directly on their charts, a feature not available with CMC Invest. With 18 drawing tools and 104 technical indicators, Interactive Investor caters to both novice and experienced traders, delivering a versatile environment for market analysis. Furthermore, it supports adding notes, index overlays, and stock overlays to charts, empowering traders with greater customization and insights that CMC Invest lacks.
Interactive Investor also offers a browser-based trading platform, adding convenience and flexibility that CMC Invest currently does not provide. Both platforms do offer real-time market data and the ability to create alerts for stock price updates, ensuring that traders remain informed of market movements. However, the extensive charting capabilities and interactive features make Interactive Investor the more comprehensive choice for those seeking enriched trading tools.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | No |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 18 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
When choosing between Interactive Investor and CMC Invest for retirement savings, it's important to consider the available account options each offers. Both Interactive Investor and CMC Invest provide Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), giving you flexibility and control over your retirement planning. Whether you are looking to save tax-efficiently with an ISA or want more control over your pension investments through a SIPP, both brokerage options cater to these needs, making them strong contenders for optimizing your financial future.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
When comparing the mobile app offerings of Interactive Investor and CMC Invest, both platforms provide robust options for both iPhone and Android users. Interactive Investor's mobile app boasts a rating of 4.5 stars from UK.StockBrokers.com, matching CMC Invest's app rating of 4.5 stars as well. However, when considering their overall rankings among 18 brokers by UK.StockBrokers.com, CMC Invest pulls ahead, securing the #7 spot compared to Interactive Investor's #12. Both apps offer solid features for investors on the go, but CMC Invest edges out slightly in terms of overall satisfaction among users.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When it comes to beginner educational resources, Interactive Investor stands out compared to CMC Invest. Interactive Investor not only offers live educational webinars but also archives them for convenient on-demand access. Both Interactive Investor and CMC Invest provide education on share trading, funds, and retirement, making them suitable for beginner investors looking to broaden their knowledge. However, Interactive Investor’s comprehensive approach to education is highlighted by their top ranking and five-star rating for beginner education from UK.StockBrokers.com, whereas CMC Invest holds the 13th spot with a four-star rating. Overall, for those prioritizing accessible and robust educational tools, Interactive Investor emerges as a more favorable option.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing the market research features of Interactive Investor and CMC Invest, both platforms provide robust research reports for funds, shares, ETFs, and funds research, showcasing a commitment to supporting informed investment decisions. However, Interactive Investor stands out by offering insights into bond markets and the ability to see portfolio allocation by asset class, features not available with CMC Invest. On the other hand, neither of the platforms provide research on CFDs. This makes Interactive Investor a more comprehensive choice for investors seeking a wider array of market research and portfolio management tools, while CMC Invest may appeal to those prioritizing simplicity without the need for allocation insights or bond research.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | No | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
Which broker is better overall, Interactive Investor or CMC Invest? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Interactive Investor to be a better trading platform overall.
The standout feature at Interactive Investor (ii) is its low flat-rate fees. Other investment platforms typically favour percentage fees for fund investing, although more brokers are now opting for flat fees. Our view is that Interactive Investor is a great platform for any investor, offering a wide range of investments for cheap prices on the whole.
| Feature |
Interactive Investor
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CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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When comparing online brokers Interactive Investor and CMC Invest, it's important to note that neither platform currently offers the option for crypto trading.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Interactive Investor | CMC Invest | |
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| Review | Interactive Investor Review | CMC Invest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Interactive Investor | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | No | No | |
| 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 | No | No | |
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Trading Fees | Interactive Investor | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £3.99 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £3.99 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £3.99 | £0 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £79.83 | £0 / £120 / £300 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £59.88 / £107.76 | £0 / £120 / £300 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £59.88 / £203.52 | £0 / £120 / £300 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £59.88 / £538.68 | £0 / £120 / £300 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £71.85 | £120 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £59.88 - £143.88 | £120 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £143.88 | £120 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £143.88 | £120 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £143.88 | £120 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | £3.99 | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | £3.99 | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £3.99 | £0 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £3.99 | £0 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £49 | £0 |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Investor | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 Investor | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | No | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 18 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | No |
| Research | Interactive Investor | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | No | No | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | Yes | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
| Education | Interactive Investor | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Overall Summary | Interactive Investor | CMC Invest | |
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| Review | Interactive Investor Review | CMC Invest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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