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CMC Markets vs Interactive Investor : Fees, Safety & Trading Conditions Compared (2026)
Broker Name
CMC Markets
Interactive Investor
Broker Overview
Broker Type (e.g., Market Maker, ECN/STP)
Market maker
None
Years of Existence / Established Year
1989
1995
Customer Base / Number of Accounts
265k+
over 430,000
Regulation & Security
Regulations (governing bodies)
FCA, ASIC, CIRO, MAS, FMA
FCA
Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)
Best Mobile Trading Platform, No.1 Most Currency Pairs, Best for CFDs -2024, No.1 Web Platform, Best Forex Broker, Best In-House Analysts 2023
Best Stocks and Shares ISA - The Times Money Mentor Awards 2024 Boring Money Best Buy ISA - AIC Shareholder Engagement Award 2024 Boring Money Best Buy Pension - AIC Shareholder Engagement Award 2024 Best online stock broker 2023 - ADVFN International Financial Awards
Security Measures
FSCS
FSCS
SSL Encryption / 2FA
Yes
Yes
Segregated Funds
Yes
Yes
Negative Balance Protection
Yes
No
Trading Instruments/Products Offered
Assets Types / Trading Instruments (total count and breakdown)
12,000+ tradable instruments including shares, Treasuries
43,000 + funds, Shares, Glits
Currency Pairs
Yes
Yes
Commodities
Yes
Yes
Indices
Yes
Yes
Cryptocurrencies
Yes
No
CFDs
Yes
No
ETFs
Yes
Yes
Stocks
No
Yes
Options
No
No
Futures
No
No
Bonds
Yes
Yes
Mutual Funds
No
Yes
Fractional Shares
Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)
No
No
Precious Metals
Yes
Yes
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
No
Yes
Equities
No
No
Trading Platforms & Technology
Trading Platform Availability
Yes
Yes
MT4
Yes
No
MT5
No
No
cTrader
No
No
Social Trading
Yes
Copy Trading
Yes
No
Other Trading Platforms (proprietary, etc.)
CMC web platform, iOS and Android app
Online ii Community - for social trading
Platform Compatibility (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)
Yes
Yes only Web
Account Types & Conditions
Account Types (Retail, Pro, VIP, etc.)
Spread betting, CFD account , FX active, Corporate account
Trading Account SIPP Stocks & Shares ISA Junior ISA Cash Savings Managed ISA Joint Trading Account Company Account
Demo Account (Yes/No)
Yes
No
Islamic Accounts (Yes/No)
No
No
Minimum Deposit
$0
Euro 250
Leverage Available
30:1 to 1:500
Info not available
Trade Limit (maximum per trade)
No information
Varies for each product
Commission (per account type)
Standard - No commission, FX active account- $2.50
Monthly fee ISA / Trading account - £ 4.99 for investment upto £ 50,000 - £ 11.99 (no limit) SIPP - £ 5.99 for investment upto £50,000 - £12.99 (no limit) ISA + Trading Account + SIPP - £ 9.99 for investment upto £75,000 - £ 21.99 (no limit)
Best Suited For (e.g., beginners, experienced traders)
Professional and retail traders
Beginners
Deposit & Withdrawal Options
Deposit Methods
Bank transfer, Debit/credit card, Online banking
Cash savings Ac - Bank transfer Debit cards Cheque Payit from Natwest
Withdrawal Methods
Bank transfer, Debit/credit card, Online banking
Bank Transfer
Other E-Wallets Supported
No
No
Tools & Educational Resources
Economic Calendar
Yes
Yes
Tools & Educational Resources (tutorials, webinars, market news, etc.)
Learn spread betting, Learn to trade CFDs, Learn forex trading, technical indicators, Fundamental analysis, Webinars & events, Platform guides, Trading guides
StockScreener - Intuitive tool to explore the markets
Fees & Commissions
Trading-Related Fees
CFD trading -US shares from $10; FX active - US shares from $10; Typical STP: Spread of 1.2 pips, Typical ECN: Spread of 0.2 pips, Spread- starts from 0.0 to 0.6 pips, Overnight holding costs: 0.0027%
UK & US shares, funds, ETFs, bonds and gilts - £3.99, Other international shares - £9.99 / £5.99 (Super Investor), Dividend reinvestment - £0.99, For value over £100,000 - 0.04% of trade value, Buying / Selling other international shares - £9.99, For value over £25,000 - 0.10% of trade value, International trading fees for super investors - £5.99
Spread (typical, fixed, variable)
Fixed/Variable
Info not available
Per Lot Fees
$2.50
£ 3.99 per trade
Options Contract Fees
NA
NA
Futures Contract Fees
NA
NA
Markup Fees on Spread
$5.00 per $100,000 in nominal value
NA
Guaranteed Stop Loss Fees
Crude Oil Brent $0.02 per unit, Apple Inc $0.41 per unit, US 30 $1.50 per unit, GBP/USD $0.00015 per
NA
Maximum Leverage
1:500
Info not available
Non-Trading Fees
Dormant Fees
$0
$0
Subscription Fees (for premium features, data feeds)
ASX Dynamic Data package $41.25 a month (non-professional investors) $118.80 a month, International Data service fees (US) $11, International Data service fees (NZ) $11, Live Data package Free
Super Investor plan - £ 19.99 per month Super Investor + SIPP = £29.99 per month
Advisory Fees
NA
$0
Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)
NA
NA
Statement or Document Fee
NA
NA
Account Opening Fee
$0
NA
Account Maintenance Fee
NA
Administrative charges Share certificate withdrawal - £ 35 + VAT - Per certificate Failed payments or late settlement - £ 25 Paper documents - £ 3 + VAT per document Contract notes sent by post - £ 1.50 + VAT per document VCTs processing charge - £ 30 per application
Deposit Fee
$0
£ 0
Currency Conversion Fee
0.50%
Value converted FX charge £ 0 - £ 24,999.99 1.5% £ 25,000 - £ 49,999.99 1.25% £ 50,000 - £ 99,999.99 1.00% £ 100,000 - £ 599,999.99 0.50% £ 600,000 or more 0.25%
Withdrawal Fee
$0
Urgent withdrawals cost - £15
Bonuses, Promotions & Benefits
Bonuses, Promotions, and Referrals
Yes
Yes
Customer Benefits (e.g., Retirement Plan)
No
Yes
Trading Hours
Trading Hours (for each asset class if applicable)
Depends on the instrument offer
UK- Pre-market: 7 AM - 9:30 AM After-hours: 4:05 PM - 8 PM
Customer Support
Support Hours (e.g., 24/7, weekdays only)
Monday to Friday from 8am to 8pm
7.45am to 5.30pm (GMT) Monday - Friday
Customer Support Methods (phone, email, live chat)
Email: [email protected], Phone: +44 (0)20 7170 8200
Tel: 0345 607 6001 From abroad: +44 113 346 2309
Support Languages
12+
1
Additional Information
Headquarters Location
CMC Markets UK plc, 133 Houndsditch, London, EC3A 7BX, United Kingdom
Leeds One Embankment, Neville Street, Leeds, LS1 4DW
Complaints (for crypto brokers)
No
No
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