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.
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 Investor 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 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 are both popular online brokers in the UK that cater to a variety of investment needs. Both brokers allow you to invest in shares, ETFs, and funds. While neither offers crypto or CFD trading, all investors can enjoy the benefits of studying mutual funds and investment trusts through their platforms. Interactive Investor stands out with options for trading corporate and government bonds (gilts), which CMC Invest does not provide.
In terms of expert ratings, Interactive Investor receives a perfect score of 5 stars from UK.StockBrokers.com for its diverse investment choices and is ranked 3rd out of 21 brokers. Meanwhile, CMC Invest is not far behind with a respectable 4.5-star rating, though it ranks 14th. Both brokers provide solid platforms for various investment opportunities, but the inclusion of bond trading gives Interactive Investor a unique edge for diversified portfolios.
| 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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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
For UK investors searching for comprehensive trading tools, Interactive Investor stands out compared to CMC Invest. Interactive Investor provides a range of advanced charting features, including the ability to showcase corporate events such as earnings, splits, and dividends directly on charts. It also supports 18 drawing tools and 104 technical indicators, empowering users to make well-informed trading decisions. In contrast, CMC Invest does not offer these charting capabilities, potentially hindering more detailed technical analysis.
Interactive Investor further enhances its charting utility by allowing users to add notes and both index and stock overlays, which are features not available with CMC Invest. Additionally, while both brokers supply real-time market data and the ability to set alerts for stock price updates, only Interactive Investor offers a browser-based trading platform, granting greater flexibility for users who prefer trading from various devices. This makes Interactive Investor a more versatile choice for traders with a deeper interest in technical analysis and browser accessibility.
| 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 |
For UK investors seeking retirement account options, both Interactive Investor and CMC Invest serve as viable online brokers offering Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs). Interactive Investor provides a platform where users can effectively manage their ISAs and SIPPs, catering to those who want a streamlined approach to their investments. Similarly, CMC Invest offers the same account types, ensuring investors have access to tax-efficient savings and pension growth opportunities. In summary, both platforms support ISAs and SIPPs, helping UK investors make informed decisions about their financial futures with their versatile offerings.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
For UK investors exploring online broker options, both Interactive Investor and CMC Invest provide mobile apps for iPhone and Android users. Each app is highly rated at 4.5 stars by UK.StockBrokers.com, indicating a strong user experience. Among 21 brokers, Interactive Investor stands out slightly higher, being ranked 7th for its mobile app, while CMC Invest holds the 11th spot. These rankings offer a glimpse into the competitive performance of both platforms in mobile trading convenience and functionality.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
For UK beginner investors seeking educational resources, Interactive Investor appears to outshine CMC Invest with its comprehensive offerings. Interactive Investor provides client webinars that are also available on-demand, while CMC Invest lacks this feature. Both platforms cover key topics such as share trading, funds, and retirement, but Interactive Investor's educational content is rated higher, receiving 5 stars from UK.StockBrokers.com compared to CMC Invest's 4-star rating. As a testament to its strong beginner resources, Interactive Investor ranks #2 out of 21 brokers, whereas CMC Invest stands at #15. These factors indicate that Interactive Investor equips novice investors with more accessible and highly-rated educational support.
| 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 Interactive Investor and CMC Invest for their market research features, both platforms offer research reports for funds, shares, and ETFs, providing UK investors with valuable insights. Interactive Investor stands out by also offering research on bonds and the ability to view portfolio allocation by asset class, which CMC Invest does not provide. However, neither offers research on CFDs. With these differences, Interactive Investor may better suit those looking for comprehensive market analysis and portfolio insights.
| 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
|
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| 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 | |||
| 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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