Forex.com vs CMC Markets Compared 2025: Features, Pros, Cons, and More!

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Forex.com and CMC Markets are Forex and CFD brokers offering online trading services to traders and investors worldwide. Both brokers are regulated by top-tier regulatory authorities. Forex.com is regulated by FCA, DFSA, FSCA, FSA (Seychelles), CMA, and CySEC. On the other hand, CMC Markets is regulated by FCA, ASIC, BaFin, IIROC, FMA, MAS. These two brokers offer almost similar services. However, each has its own strengths and weaknesses.

In this article, we will compare Forex.com with CMC Markets regarding trading platforms, regulations, tradable assets, fees, customer support, and overall trading experience score. We will also explore if Forex.com is better than CMC Markets and vice versa. This comparison lets you understand which broker is better for your trading styles and preferences.

Forex.com vs CMC Markets: In a Nutshell

Forex.com

Founded in 2001 as part of Gain Capital Holdings, Forex.com is a well-established forex and CFD broker offering online trading services to retail traders worldwide. With over 4,500 trading instruments, including forex, indices, stocks, cryptocurrencies, commodities, gold, and silver, Forex.com is a major player in the industry. It is regulated by top authorities such as the FCA, DFSA, FSCA, FSA (Seychelles), CMA, and CySEC.

The broker provides popular trading platforms and tools like MT4, MT5, WebTrader, MobileTrader, TradingView, Capitalise.ai, Active Trader, VPS, and more. Forex.com is a wholly-owned subsidiary of StoneX, a NASDAQ-listed company with assets exceeding $7.1 billion, offering institutional-grade financial services networks that connect people to global markets.To learn more, you can read our review on Forex.com

Forex.com Overview

Forex.com Overview
  • Founded In: 2001
  • Founder:  Gain Capital
  • Headquarters: United States
  • Minimum Deposit: $50
  • Maximum Leverage: 50:1
  • Regulations:FCA, DFSA, FSCA, FSA(Seychelles), CMA, and CySEC
  • Trading platform:Mobile App, Web Trader, Meta Trader 5
  • Account Types: 2, (Standard, Raw Spread) 
  • Payment Options: Bank Wire (BankTransfer/SWIFT), VISA, ACH Payments (echeck)
  • US Traders: Accepted

CMC Markets

Founded in 1989, CMC Markets is a publicly traded broker (Ticker: CMCX). The broker is regulated in the UK, Australia, Canada, and Singapore. It offers over 9800 trading instruments, including Forex, Indices, Cryptocurrencies, Shares & ETFs, and Commodities. There is no minimum deposit requirement on IC Markets; you may deposit as low as $1. CMC Markets allows EA trading and news trading. The broker uses the most popular trading platform, MetaTrader (MT4), as its trading platform.

CMC Markets Overview
  • Founded In: 1989
  • Minimum Deposit: $0
  • Maximum Leverage: 1:500
  • Regulations: ASIC
  • Trading platform: MT4 , Share trading platforms
  • Account Types: SPREAD BETTING, Fx Active, CFD Trading
  • Payment Options: Bank Wire (BankTransfer/SWIFT), VISA, MasterCard
  • US Traders: Not Accept

Forex.com vs: CMC Markets Features

Forex.com

  • Trading Instruments: 4500+Trading instruments including forex, indices, stocks, cryptocurrencies, commodities, gold, and silver
  • Maximum Leverage: The maximum leverage of forex.com is  50:1 for US clients, 30:1 for EU Clients, 400:1 for CMA clients, and 200:1 for Global clients. 
  • Minimum Deposit: $100
  • Trading Fees: Starting from  1.2 pips spreads for Standard account or 7$per lot round trip for Raw account
  • MAM:  Available 
  • Scalping: Allowed 
  • News Trading: Allowed
  • EA/ Robot Trading: Allowed

CMC Markets

  • Trading Instruments: 12000+ trading instruments including forex, indices, Cryptocurrencies, Commodities, Shares, Share baskets, Treasuries, etc 
  • Maximum leverage:  Up to 30:1 ( FCA, ASIC), up to 1:50 (IIROC), and up to 500:1 for a professional account.
  • Minimum Deposit: No Minimum Deposit. However, Pepperstone recommends $200 or equivalent for the margin requirement. 
  • Account Types: Three (Spread Betting Account, CFD Account, Corporate Account)
  • Trading Fees: only Spread is charged (Commission is only for Shares account). Variable spreads from 0.3 pips. A rollover commission is applied on open positions overnight. For the Shares account commission starts from $7. 
  • PAMM/ MAM:  Not Available 
  • Scalping: Allowed 
  • News Trading: Allowed
  • EA/ Robot Trading: Allowed

Forex.com vs CMC Markets: Pros and Cons

Forex.com Pros & Cons

Pros
  • Regulated by NFA, FCA, ASIC, CySEC,  IIROC, FSA, CIMA, MAS, 
  • Top-rated forex and CFD broker in the USA 
  • Free demo account for prospective traders
  • Crypto Trading available on MT5 Trading Platforms 
  • Offers protection for U.K./E.U. client accounts
  • VPS hosting for automated strategies
  • Offers MAM account for passive investors 
  • Low forex fees, no FX commissions
Cons
  •  You can not deposit less than $100
  •  Maximum leverage is 1:50
  • No account protection for U.S. clients
  • An inactivity fee applied after 12 months of no account activity
  • Non-user-friendly desktop platform
  • Cannot buy and sell other securities (like stocks and bonds)
  •  

CMC MarketsPros & Cons

Pros
  • Regulated by FCA, ASIC, IIROC, MAS, FMA
  • Founded in 1989, CMC Markets is publicly traded company
  • The minimum deposit is as low as $1 
  • Comparatively low spread starting from 0.7 pips
  • Allows news trading, EA/Robot trading
  • Extensive range of tradable assets 
  • Excellent education and research resources
Cons
  • Offered only MT4, no MT5, cTrader trading platforms 
  • Maximum leverage is only 1:300
  •  No passive investment programme or social trading platforms ( No PAMM, MAM accounts) 
  •  Does not accept US clients
  • Only CFD Trading 
  • High CFD spreads for certain Indices 
  • Spread betting only for UK residents

Forex.com vs CMC Markets: Side-by-Side Comparison

Forex.com
CMC Markets
Product
Product
Forex.com
CMC Markets
Founded In
Founded In
2001
1989
Founded By
Founded By
GAIN Capita
Peter Andrew Cruddas, Baron Cruddas
Headquarters
Headquarters
New Jersey, United States
London, United Kingdom
Regulations
Regulations
CySEC, CFTC, NFA, CIMA, FCA, FSA, MAS, ASIC, CIRO
FCA, ASIC, BaFin, IIROC, FMA, MAS
Min Deposit
Min Deposit
$100
None
Max Leverage
Max Leverage
50:1
1:500
Tradable Assets
Tradable Assets
Forex, Indices, Stocks , Cryptocurrency, Commodities , Gold and Silver
Forex Major, Forex Crosses, Forex Minor, Metals, Oil , CFD, Stock indices
Fees
Fees
Spread starting from 0.8 pips or commission $5
Spread starting from 0.3 pips or commission $10
Platforms and Tools
Platforms and Tools
Mobile App, Web Trader, Meta Trader 5
MT4 , Share trading platforms
US Traders
US Traders
Allowed
Not Allow

Forex.com Vs CMC Markets: Our Scores and Ratings

We rated both brokers, Forex.com and CMC Markets, on a scale of 1 to 10, with 0.1 increments. To achieve a comprehensive rating, we broadly grouped all services offered by brokers into 6 macro categories and assigned percentage weights to them. Each macro category is subdivided into several data points which contributes to the total score of 1.0-10.0 assigned to each macro category. Since all categories are not equally important, our weight percentage plays a significant role in assessing the broker accurately. For example, Regulation and Security contributes a total weight of 40% to the whole ratings because this is the most important rating category. To learn more, read our methodology.

Forex.com :

9
Forex.com Scores
Regulation and Security (40%)10
Fees and Commissions (20%)8
Trading (15%)9
Trading tools (10%)8
Customer Support (10%)8
Trading Education (5%)9

CMC Markets

9.0
CMC Markets Score
Regulation and Security (40%)9.7
Fees and Commissions (20%)8
Trading (15%)9
Trading tools (10%)8
Customer Support (10%)9.5
Trading Education (5%)9

Final Verdict :

Forex.com vs CMC Markets: Which One is better?

Now the question comes: is Forex.com better than CMC Markets, or vice versa? The answer depends on traders’ and investors’ trading styles and preferences. If you are concerned about security and safety, you may choose a forex broker regulated by top regulatory authorities such as ASIC, CySEC, FCA, NFA, etc. If you are a scalper, you may prefer a forex broker that offers fixed or low spreads. If you want to copy trade from other successful traders, you may choose a forex broker that offers social copy trading facilities. 

Both Forex.com and CMC Markets offer similar trading services worldwide. However, there are differences in their features,  regulations, reputation, and operations. Here are the key facts about both brokers. By reviewing these options, you can clearly understand which broker is right for your trading goals

Forex.com :

  • Top regulated forex broker accepting both US and non-US clients.
  • No minimum deposit is required; you may deposit as little as $50.
  • The maximum leverage for Forex.com is 1:50
  • Forex.com offers a variety of trading tools and platforms, including MT5, Mobile App, Web Trader.
  • Trading fees: Starting from  1.2 pips spreads for Standard account or 7$per lot round trip for Raw account
  • Forex.com does not offer CFDs to US clients due to regulatory restrictions. 

CMC Markets:

  • Regulated Forex Broker
  • The minimum deposit is $0 
  • Maximum leverage is as high as 1:500
  • Offers a large number of trading instruments and tools including MT4 , Share trading platforms. 
  • The trading fee: only Spread is charged (Commission is only for Shares account). Variable spreads from 0.3 pips. A rollover commission is applied on open positions overnight. For the Shares account commission starts from $7. 
  • CMC Markets does not accept US clients. 

Our score for Forex.com is 9, and for CMC Markets it is 9.

Written by

Jason Paine is a forex trader, researcher, and tech enthusiast. He is passionate about financial markets and cutting-edge technology. With a dynamic 16-year trading career, he's on a mission to guide fellow traders. Having navigated diverse forex brokers, Jason shares his insights at Brokersway to bridge the gap between traders and the right brokerage.

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