Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of CMC Invest vs Lloyds Bank, 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 Lloyds Bank 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 - CMC Invest would cost £0 / £120 / £300 per year, while Lloyds Bank would cost £95 per year.
12 trades per year - CMC Invest would cost £0 / £120 / £300 per year, while Lloyds Bank would cost £40 - £172 per year.
36 trades per year - CMC Invest would cost £0 / £120 / £300 per year, while Lloyds Bank would cost £40 - £328 per year.
120 trades per year - CMC Invest would cost £0 / £120 / £300 per year, while Lloyds Bank would cost £40 / £1,000 per year.
3 fund trades per year - CMC Invest would cost £0 per year, while Lloyds Bank 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 exploring their options, CMC Invest and Lloyds Bank both provide substantial opportunities in share trading, Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), funds, and investment trusts. While both brokers support these key investment avenues, they diverge in other areas. CMC Invest does not facilitate crypto trading, spread betting, Contracts for Difference (CFD) trading, or dealing with corporate and government bonds, focusing primarily on traditional investment paths. In contrast, Lloyds Bank extends its offerings to include corporate and government bonds, while also providing advisory services to guide investors through their financial decisions.
In terms of ratings, Lloyds Bank edges out with a perfect 5-star rating for investment choices from UK.StockBrokers.com, landing it the 8th spot among 18 brokers. CMC Invest, while highly rated at 4.5 stars, ranks 14th. This difference highlights the broader investment options and support services available at Lloyds Bank, making it a preferred choice for investors seeking comprehensive financial products and expert guidance. However, CMC Invest shines for those looking for a straightforward platform focusing on core investment products without the need for advisory services.
| Feature |
CMC Invest
|
Lloyds Bank
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | Yes |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | No |
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Investment Choices |
|
|
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
Low-cost US and UK shares.
When it comes to online trading tools, both CMC Invest and Lloyds Bank provide essential services for UK investors, but each has its own strengths. Both brokers fall short when it comes to charting features, offering no tools for displaying corporate events, drawing, or adding technical indicators, notes, and overlays to charts. However, if having a browser-based trading platform is important to you, Lloyds Bank has this feature, while CMC Invest does not.
In terms of market updates and data, CMC Invest and Lloyds Bank both allow users to create alerts for stock price changes, keeping investors informed of the latest shifts. However, CMC Invest stands out by providing real-time market data, giving traders up-to-the-minute information that Lloyds Bank does not offer. This can be a crucial factor for those who prioritize immediate market insights in their trading activities.
| Feature |
CMC Invest
|
Lloyds Bank
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | No | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | No | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
When comparing retirement account offerings, both CMC Invest and Lloyds Bank provide options suitable for UK residents looking to plan their financial futures. They each offer Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs), allowing you to save or invest up to a certain limit tax-free each year, which can be a great way to boost your savings. Additionally, they both provide Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), giving you the flexibility to manage your pension investments directly. Whether you are aiming to save efficiently through ISAs or actively manage your retirement fund with SIPPs, both CMC Invest and Lloyds Bank offer the accounts needed to meet your financial goals.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
In the realm of mobile trading, both CMC Invest and Lloyds Bank provide iPhone and Android apps to their users, catering to diverse mobile preferences. However, when it comes to performance and user satisfaction, CMC Invest's app garners more favorable opinions with a rating of 4.5 stars from UK.StockBrokers.com, compared to Lloyds Bank's 3.5 stars. CMC Invest excels in the competitive landscape, ranking 11th out of 18 brokers for mobile apps, while Lloyds Bank trails behind at the 17th position. This suggests that CMC Invest users may experience a more intuitive and user-friendly mobile trading environment than those using Lloyds Bank's app.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
When comparing the educational resources for beginner investors offered by CMC Invest and Lloyds Bank, there are notable differences and similarities. Both institutions fall short in providing live or on-demand educational webinars, leaving newcomers without these interactive learning opportunities. However, CMC Invest stands out by offering educational content on share trading, funds, and retirement, topics which Lloyds Bank does not cover. Despite these curriculum differences, both firms receive an identical rating of four out of five stars for beginner education from UK.StockBrokers.com. Nonetheless, Lloyds Bank slightly edges out in ranking at 14th place among 18 brokers, just above CMC Invest at 15th place. This suggests that while CMC Invest offers more diverse educational topics, Lloyds Bank might have a slight edge in other aspects of beginner education.
| Feature |
CMC Invest
|
Lloyds Bank
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | No |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
When comparing market research features between CMC Invest and Lloyds Bank in the UK, both platforms provide access to research reports for funds, shares, ETFs, and more. They each support comprehensive research in these areas, ensuring users can make informed decisions. However, neither CMC Invest nor Lloyds Bank includes options to view portfolio allocation by asset class, which could be a limitation for investors who value this insight. A notable difference lies in bonds research, which is available through Lloyds Bank but absent from CMC Invest, potentially making Lloyds more appealing to those interested in fixed-income investments. Despite the limitations, both CMC Invest and Lloyds Bank offer competitive research functionalities, catering well to typical investor needs.
| Feature |
CMC Invest
|
Lloyds Bank
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - CFDs | No | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | No | Yes |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | No | No |
Which broker is better overall, CMC Invest or Lloyds Bank? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found CMC Invest to be a better trading platform overall.
CMC Invest offers commission-free trading of U.K.-listed shares and U.S. equities via a mobile app only. Though a newer entrant to the U.K. share dealing market and currently somewhat limited, it’s powered by global contender CMC Markets, making it likely that its offerings will expand.
| Feature |
CMC Invest
|
Lloyds Bank
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
|
| Charges & Fees |
|
|
| Investment Choices |
|
|
| Mobile App |
|
|
| Website |
|
|
| Ease of Use |
|
|
| Education |
|
|
Both CMC Invest and Lloyds Bank do not offer cryptocurrency trading, making them comparable in their current lack of digital asset investment options.
Select Brokers
↓×Compare
0 of 5| Overall Rating | CMC Invest | Lloyds Bank | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Charges & Fees |
|
| |
| Investment Choices |
|
| |
| Mobile App |
|
| |
| Website |
|
| |
| Ease of Use |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Review | CMC Invest Review | Lloyds Bank Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | CMC Invest | Lloyds Bank | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | No | No | |
| Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | No | Yes | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | Yes | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | No | No | |
| Advisor Services | No | Yes |
| Trading Fees | CMC Invest | Lloyds Bank | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £0 | £8, £10, £11 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £0 | £8 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £0 | £8 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 / £120 / £300 | £95 | |
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 / £120 / £300 | £40 - £172 | |
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 / £120 / £300 | £40 - £328 | |
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £0 / £120 / £300 | £40 / £1,000 | |
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | £120 | £44.50 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £0 - £250,000 | £120 | £40 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £250K-£500K | £120 | £40 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £500,000 - £1m | £120 | £40 | |
| Annual Custody Fee: £1m and over | £120 | £40 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | £8 - £11 | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | N/A | £8 - £11 | |
| ETFs - Fee | £0 | ||
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £0 | ||
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £0 | £35 |
| Broker Screenshots | CMC Invest | Lloyds Bank | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Gallery (click to expand) |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand) |
|
| |
| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
|
| Platforms & Tools | CMC Invest | Lloyds Bank | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | No | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | No | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | CMC Invest | Lloyds Bank | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | No | No | |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | No | Yes | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | No | No |
| Education | CMC Invest | Lloyds Bank | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Overall Summary | CMC Invest | Lloyds Bank | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Charges & Fees |
|
| |
| Investment Choices |
|
| |
| Mobile App |
|
| |
| Website |
|
| |
| Ease of Use |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Review | CMC Invest Review | Lloyds Bank Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
Trading 212 Review
Interactive Brokers Review
Hargreaves Lansdown Review
XTB Review
IG Group Review
eToro Review
Saxo Review
CMC Invest Review
Freetrade Review
Halifax Review
Vanguard Review
