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Broker Comparison

Charles Stanley Direct vs CMC Markets

Compare Charles Stanley Direct and CMC Markets side by side: fees, regulation, platforms.

Charles Stanley Direct

Charles Stanley Direct

UK long-term investors and fund holders

Charles Stanley Direct is a UK investment platform launched in 2013, offering stocks, ETFs, funds, bonds, ISA…

VS
CMC Markets

CMC Markets

Active forex and CFD traders

CMC Markets is a CFD and forex broker founded in 1989, with MT4, MT5, TradingView and its own web and mobile …

Head-to-head comparison

Charles Stanley Direct vs CMC Markets
Feature Charles Stanley Direct CMC Markets
Minimum deposit - There is no minimum deposit required to open an account
Stock trading fee £10 per online trade; telephone dealing 1% (min £25, max £100) -
Regulators FCA BMA
Best for UK long-term investors and fund holders Active forex and CFD traders
Markets & account
Stocks
ETFs
Forex
-
CFDs
-
Crypto
-
Bonds
Funds
-
Isa
-
Sipp
-
Investment Plans
-
Ready Made Portfolios
-
Business Account
-
Spread Betting
-
Demo Account
-

Pros & cons

Charles Stanley Direct

Charles Stanley Direct

Pros

  • FCA regulated with FSCS protection
  • Wide range of accounts: ISA, SIPP, Junior ISA, GIA, business account
  • Access to 12,500+ UK and international investments
  • No inactivity fee
  • No deposit or withdrawal fees
  • £50 trading credit every six months offsets dealing costs
  • In-house research and market commentary
  • Flexible ISA feature uncommon among competitors

Cons

  • No demo account
  • £10 per trade for shares, ETFs and investment trusts is among the highest of UK platforms
  • Annual platform fee minimum of £60 disadvantages smaller portfolios
  • Annual fee cap raised to £600 in 2024, increasing costs for mid-size portfolios
  • FX conversion charge of 1% on trades under £10,000
  • Bonds and gilts available by telephone only
  • No fractional shares
  • Basic mobile app lacks advanced charting and research tools
CMC Markets

CMC Markets

Pros

  • No minimum deposit required to open an account
  • No CMC deposit or withdrawal fees currently charged
  • FX Active spreads from 0.0 pips on six major FX pairs
  • 25% spread discount on 300+ other forex pairs with FX Active
  • $2.50 commission per $100,000 currency trade on FX Active
  • 0% commission on UK and European share CFDs
  • GSLO premium refunded 100% when the order is not triggered
  • MetaTrader accounts allow hedging positions by default

Cons

  • £10 monthly inactivity fee after one year without trading
  • Market data subscriptions may apply for some share CFDs
  • Guaranteed stop-loss orders require a premium
  • MT4 CFD accounts cannot access Next Generation or TradingView
  • MT4 offers only currencies, indices, commodities and cryptocurrencies
  • MT4 and MT5 demo accounts expire after 30 days of inactivity
  • MetaTrader close-out can occur below 50% of margin requirement
  • Term deposits for client money may require up to 95 days' notice
Charles Stanley Direct

Charles Stanley Direct

Charles Stanley Direct is a UK investment platform launched in 2013, offering stocks, ETFs, funds, bonds, ISA, SIPP and Junior ISA accounts with in-house research.

Visit Charles Stanley Direct Read review

Your capital is at risk. Other fees apply.

CMC Markets

CMC Markets

CMC Markets is a CFD and forex broker founded in 1989, with MT4, MT5, TradingView and its own web and mobile platforms.

Visit CMC Markets Read review

Your capital is at risk. Other fees apply.

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