Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Vanguard UK 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, Vanguard UK Investor 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.
Comparing Vanguard UK Investor vs CMC Invest for what you can buy: Vanguard centres on funds and ETFs, and does not offer share dealing, crypto, CFDs, corporate bonds, gilts, or investment trusts. It does provide adviser services. CMC Invest supports share trading alongside ETFs, funds, and investment trusts, but not crypto, CFDs, corporate bonds, or gilts, and it doesn’t offer adviser services.
For investment choices, UK.StockBrokers.com rates CMC Invest 4 out of 5 (ranked 14th of 21) and Vanguard UK Investor 3.5 out of 5 (ranked 16th of 21). In short, pick Vanguard if you want a simple, fund-led approach with advice available; choose CMC Invest if you want to add individual shares and investment trusts to your portfolio.
| Feature |
Vanguard UK Investor
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Share Trading | No | Yes |
| CFD Trading | No | No |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | No |
| Investment Trusts | No | Yes |
| Spread Betting | No | No |
| Crypto Trading | No | No |
| Advisor Services | Yes | No |
| Investment Choices |
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Low-cost US and UK shares.
Professional’s Gateway to the World’s Markets.
When it comes to trading tools for charts, Vanguard UK Investor and CMC Invest are equally basic. Neither shows corporate events (earnings, splits, dividends), and both have 0 drawing tools and 0 technical indicators; you also can’t add notes, index overlays or stock overlays.
The differences show up elsewhere. Vanguard UK Investor offers a browser-based trading platform but lacks real-time market data and price alerts, while CMC Invest does not have a browser platform yet includes real-time data and price alerts. In short, Vanguard suits those who want to trade via the web, whereas CMC Invest suits those who prioritise live prices and alerts.
| Feature |
Vanguard UK Investor
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | No |
| Stock Alerts | No | 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 |
Vanguard UK Investor and CMC Invest both offer ISA and SIPP accounts for UK investors, making it easy to build retirement savings in tax-efficient wrappers with either provider. Since both platforms support an ISA and a SIPP, choosing between them will likely come down to factors like fees, investment choice, and ease of use rather than account availability.
Dive deeper: Best SIPP Providers, Best Stocks and Shares ISA Providers.
Vanguard UK Investor and CMC Invest both provide iPhone and Android apps for UK investors. According to UK.StockBrokers.com, each earns 3.5 out of 5 stars for mobile, but CMC Invest ranks higher overall for Mobile Apps (#13 of 21) than Vanguard UK Investor (#16 of 21). If you want similar app quality with a slightly stronger position in the rankings, CMC Invest has a small edge, while both serve iOS and Android users well.
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps UK.
UK beginner investors comparing educational resources at Vanguard UK Investor and CMC Invest will find neither offers client webinars or on‑demand recordings. Vanguard covers funds and retirement but not share trading, while CMC Invest covers share trading and retirement but not funds. On UK.StockBrokers.com, Vanguard UK Investor is rated 3.5/5 and ranks 14th of 21 for beginner education, whereas CMC Invest scores 2.5/5 and ranks 16th. If you want guidance on funds, Vanguard is the better fit; if you need share trading education, CMC Invest has the edge.
| Feature |
Vanguard UK Investor
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Education (Share Trading) | No | Yes |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
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Dive deeper: Best UK Trading Platforms for Beginners.
For UK investors comparing Vanguard UK Investor vs CMC Invest on market research, Vanguard stands out with fund research reports and a tool to view portfolio allocation by asset class—features CMC Invest does not provide. CMC Invest offers shares research, which Vanguard lacks. Both platforms include research for ETFs and funds, while neither offers bond research. Your choice may hinge on whether you value shares research (CMC Invest) or fund reports and allocation insights (Vanguard).
| Feature |
Vanguard UK Investor
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | No | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | No | No |
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
Which broker is better overall, Vanguard UK Investor or CMC Invest? After collecting more than 900 data points over a 10-week period, we found Vanguard UK Investor to be a better trading platform overall.
Vanguard U.K. Investor is a long-term investing platform best known for its low-cost index funds and ETFs, simple account structure, and focus on passive investing.
| Feature |
Vanguard UK Investor
|
CMC Invest
|
|---|---|---|
| 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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In a Vanguard UK Investor vs CMC Invest comparison, neither platform offers crypto trading, so investors seeking cryptocurrency exposure will need to use another provider.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Vanguard UK Investor | CMC Invest | |
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| Review | Vanguard UK Investor Review | CMC Invest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
| Investments | Vanguard UK Investor | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA | Yes | Yes | |
| SIPP | Yes | Yes | |
| Share Trading | No | Yes | |
| CFD Trading | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Bonds - Corporate | No | No | |
| Bonds - Government (Gilts) | No | No | |
| Investment Trusts | No | Yes | |
| Spread Betting | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | |||
| Advisor Services | Yes | No |
| Trading Fees | Vanguard UK Investor | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £500 | £1 | |
| Share Trading: 0-9 Deals/ Month | N/A | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 10-19 Deals/ Month | N/A | £0 | |
| Share Trading: 20+ Deals/ Month | N/A | £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 | £48 - £375 | £83.88 / £131.88 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £250K-£500K | £375 | £83.88 / £131.88 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £500,000 - £1m | £375 | £83.88 / £131.88 | |
| Annual Platform Fee (Funds): £1m and over | £375 | £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 | N/A | £0 | |
| Telephone Dealing Fee | N/A | £0 |
| Broker Screenshots | Vanguard UK Investor | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Platforms & Tools | Vanguard UK Investor | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Platform | Yes | No | |
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Alerts | No | 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 | Vanguard UK Investor | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Shares | No | Yes | |
| Research - CFDs | |||
| Research - Funds | Yes | Yes | |
| Fund Research - Research Reports | Yes | No | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | No | No | |
| Portfolio Allocation Breakdown | Yes | No |
| Education | Vanguard UK Investor | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Share Trading) | No | Yes | |
| Education (Funds) | Yes | No | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | No |
| Overall Summary | Vanguard UK Investor | CMC Invest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Review | Vanguard UK Investor Review | CMC Invest Review | |
| Winner | check_circle |
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