Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of CMC Invest vs Robinhood UK, 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, Robinhood UK offers better pricing than CMC Invest for share dealing.
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.
CMC Invest and Robinhood UK both offer share trading for UK investors. Neither platform offers crypto trading, CFD trading, advisor services, corporate bonds, or government bonds (gilts). Spread betting is not listed by either provider.
Where they differ is in breadth: CMC Invest also lets you invest in ETFs, funds, and investment trusts, while Robinhood UK does not currently offer these. Reflecting this, UK.StockBrokers.com rates CMC Invest 4/5 stars and ranks it 14th of 21 brokers for investment choices, compared with Robinhood UK at 3/5 stars and 20th of 21.
| Feature |
CMC Invest
|
Robinhood UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | No |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | No |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No |
| 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.
When comparing the trading tools of CMC Invest and Robinhood UK, it's clear that both platforms lack certain advanced features. Neither offers the ability to display corporate events like earnings, splits, or dividends on charts. Both CMC Invest and Robinhood UK fall short in providing drawing tools, and while CMC Invest lacks any technical indicators, Robinhood UK offers three. Neither platform supports adding notes, index overlays, or stock overlays to charts, which might limit users looking for in-depth chart customization.
However, Robinhood UK does have a distinct edge with its browser-based trading platform, an option not available with CMC Invest. Despite these differences, both platforms do allow users to create alerts for stock price updates and provide real-time market data, ensuring that traders can stay informed with up-to-date information on the go.
| Feature |
CMC Invest
|
Robinhood UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | No | Yes |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 3 |
| 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 CMC Invest and Robinhood UK in terms of retirement account offerings, UK investors will find CMC Invest provides more options. CMC Invest offers both Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), catering to those seeking tax-efficient savings and personal pension management. In contrast, Robinhood UK does not offer these types of accounts, limiting your retirement investment choices. This makes CMC Invest a more versatile option for those looking to manage their financial futures with ISAs and SIPPs in the UK.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
UK investors comparing the CMC Invest app and the Robinhood UK app will find both offer iPhone and Android versions. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, Robinhood UK’s mobile app scores higher at 4 out of 5 stars versus CMC Invest’s 3.5 out of 5, yet CMC Invest ranks slightly better overall for Mobile Apps (#11 of 21) than Robinhood UK (#13 of 21). If you want the higher star rating, Robinhood UK edges it; if you care about overall category placement, CMC Invest comes out ahead.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
Comparing CMC Invest vs Robinhood UK for beginner investor education: neither platform offers client webinars or on‑demand recordings, and both provide learning material on share trading but not on funds. CMC Invest adds retirement education, which Robinhood UK lacks. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, CMC Invest is rated 2.5/5 and ranks 15th out of 21 for beginner education, while Robinhood UK scores 3.5/5 but ranks 20th out of 21.
| Feature |
CMC Invest
|
Robinhood UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | No | No |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
For UK investors comparing market research tools, online brokers CMC Invest and Robinhood UK both provide shares and ETF research, and neither covers bonds. Only CMC Invest offers general funds research, but neither platform provides research reports for funds. Portfolio insights are limited on both, as neither shows portfolio allocation by asset class. Overall, CMC Invest has a slight edge on fund coverage, while Robinhood UK matches it on share and ETF research.
| Feature |
CMC Invest
|
Robinhood UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | No | No |
| Research - Funds | Yes | No |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | No |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | No | No |
Which broker is better overall, CMC Invest or Robinhood UK? 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
|
Robinhood UK
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Charges & Fees |
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| Mobile App |
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| Website |
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| Ease of Use |
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| Education |
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Both CMC Invest and Robinhood UK do not offer crypto trading options, making them less suitable for investors specifically interested in cryptocurrencies.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | CMC Invest | Robinhood UK | |
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| Review | CMC Invest Review | Robinhood UK Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | CMC Invest | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | No | |
| SIPP | Yes | No | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | No | |
| ETFs | Yes | No | |
| Bonds - Corporate | No | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | No | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | No | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | |||
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Trading Fees | CMC Invest | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | £0 | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | £0 | £0 | |
| 5 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 12 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 36 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 120 trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| 3 fund trades per year (£30k portfolio) | |||
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £0 - £250,000 | £83.88 / £131.88 | £0 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £83.88 / £131.88 | £0 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £83.88 / £131.88 | £0 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £83.88 / £131.88 | £0 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | N/A | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £0 | £0 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £0 | N/A | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | £0 | N/A |
| Broker Screenshots | CMC Invest | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | CMC Invest | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | No | Yes | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | 3 | |
| 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 | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | Yes | No | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | No | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | No | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | No | No |
| Education | CMC Invest | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | No | No | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Overall Summary | CMC Invest | Robinhood UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Review | CMC Invest Review | Robinhood UK Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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