Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Trading 212 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, Trading 212 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.
UK investors comparing Trading 212 and CMC Invest will find plenty of overlap in core investment choices: both support share trading, ETFs, and investment trusts. Neither offers crypto, corporate bonds, gilts, or adviser services. A key difference is that Trading 212 includes CFD trading, while CMC Invest does not; conversely, CMC Invest lets you buy funds, which Trading 212 doesn’t. Spread betting isn’t listed for either provider.
On investment choice quality, UK.StockBrokers.com rates Trading 212 at 4.5/5 (ranked #10 of 21) and CMC Invest at 4/5 (ranked #14 of 21). In short: pick Trading 212 if you need CFDs; pick CMC Invest if you want access to funds. For straightforward share dealing and ETFs, both platforms are comparable for UK users.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | No | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | 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.
Trading 212 vs CMC Invest: charting tools are fairly limited on both. Neither platform shows corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends) on charts, and neither supports index or stock overlays. Trading 212 lets you add notes to charts, while CMC Invest does not. CMC Invest lists 0 drawing tools and 0 technical indicators; Trading 212’s exact counts aren’t specified here.
For platforms and alerts, Trading 212 offers a browser-based trading platform, whereas CMC Invest does not. Both brokers provide real-time market data and let you set price alerts. UK investors comparing trading tools may find Trading 212 better for web access and chart notes, while both are similar for alerts and live data.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | No |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
When comparing online brokers for retirement accounts in the UK, Trading 212 and CMC Invest each have distinct offerings. Trading 212 provides Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs), making it a suitable option for users focused on tax-efficient saving. CMC Invest, on the other hand, not only offers ISAs but also Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPP). This makes CMC Invest an appealing choice for those looking to manage their retirement planning more comprehensively, combining both tax savings and pension growth options. Overall, both platforms cater to different needs, with Trading 212 focusing on ISAs and CMC Invest providing broader retirement solutions with the addition of SIPP accounts.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
For UK investors comparing mobile apps, both Trading 212 and CMC Invest offer iPhone and Android apps, but Trading 212 scores higher for mobile experience: it holds a 5-star rating from UK.StockBrokers.com and ranks #3 out of 21 brokers, while CMC Invest is rated 3.5 stars and ranks #13.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
Comparing beginner education at Trading 212 and CMC Invest: neither runs client webinars or offers on‑demand replays. Both teach share trading, and neither covers funds; only CMC Invest includes retirement guidance, which Trading 212 lacks. Based on UK.StockBrokers.com, Trading 212 scores 4.5/5 stars and ranks 10th of 21, while CMC Invest scores 2.5/5 and ranks 16th—so Trading 212 is generally the better choice for learning, unless retirement content is your main focus.
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | No | No |
| Education (Retirement) | No | Yes |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
For UK investors comparing market research features, Trading 212 and CMC Invest both provide shares and ETF research, and neither covers bond research or publishes formal fund research reports. Only CMC Invest includes general funds research, while Trading 212 does not. Trading 212 stands out with a simple portfolio allocation view by asset class, which CMC Invest lacks. If you want basic research on shares and ETFs, either platform works; pick Trading 212 for a clear asset breakdown, or choose CMC Invest if you also want funds research (but not in-depth reports).
| Feature |
Trading 212
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | No | No |
| Research - Funds | No | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | No |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
Which broker is better overall, Trading 212 or CMC Invest? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Trading 212 to be a better trading platform overall.
Trading 212 is a popular investing platform best known for its commission-free trading, easy-to-use mobile app, and support for low-cost investing in stocks and ETFs.
| Feature |
Trading 212
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CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Mobile App |
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| Ease of Use |
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Both Trading 212 and CMC Invest do not offer crypto trading, positioning them as online brokers that focus on other investment options for users seeking alternatives to cryptocurrency transactions.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Trading 212 | CMC Invest | |
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| Review | Trading 212 Review | CMC Invest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Trading 212 | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | No | Yes | |
| Share Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | Yes | No | |
| Mutual Funds | No | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | No | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | No | |
| Investment Trusts | Yes | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | |||
| Advisor Services | No | No |
| Trading Fees | Trading 212 | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £1 | £1 | |
| 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 | £0 | £83.88 / £131.88 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £0 | £83.88 / £131.88 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £0 | £83.88 / £131.88 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £0 | £83.88 / £131.88 | |
| Bonds - Corporate - Fee | N/A | N/A | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) - Fee | N/A | N/A | |
| ETFs - Fee | £0 | £0 | |
| Investment Trusts - Fee | £0 | £0 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | N/A | £0 |
| Broker Screenshots | Trading 212 | CMC Invest | |
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| Platforms & Tools | Trading 212 | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | No | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 | ||
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 | ||
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Display Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Overlays | No | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | No | No |
| Research | Trading 212 | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | No | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | No | No | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | No | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
| Education | Trading 212 | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | No | No | |
| Education (Retirement) | No | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Overall Summary | Trading 212 | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Review | Trading 212 Review | CMC Invest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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