Hotforex vs Skilling 2025: Pros, Cons, and More!

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HFM (HF Markets) and Skilling are Forex and CFD brokers offering online trading services to traders and investors worldwide. Both brokers are regulated by top-tier regulatory authorities. HFM (HF Markets) is regulated by 5 regulatory authorities , including the FCA, DFSA, FSCA, FSA in Seychelles, CMA, CySEC. On the other hand, Skilling is regulated by the CySEC, FSA, and FCA (recently deregistered from FCA). These two brokers offer almost similar services. However, each broker has its strengths and weaknesses.

In this article, we will compare HFM (HF Markets) with Skilling regarding trading platforms, regulations, tradable assets, fees, customer support, and overall trading experience score. We will also explore if HFM (HF Markets) is better than Skilling. This comparison lets you understand which broker is better for your trading style and preferences.

HotForex vs Skilling: In a Nutshell

HotForex

Founded in 2010, HFM is a renowned broker with multiple regulations and ultra-fast executions of over 1000 trading instruments on its proprietary and MetaTrader platforms. The broker has received over 60 industry awards for outstanding performance. It boasts about 2.5 million clients from all over the world.

Hotforex Overview

Hotforex Overview
  • Founded In: 2010
  • Founder: George Koumantaris
  • Headquarters: St. Vincent & the Grenadines
  • Minimum Deposit: $5
  • Maximum Leverage: 1:1000
  • Regulations: FCA, DFSA , FSCA ,FSA,CMA
  • Trading platform: MT4, MT5, HFM Platform
  • Account Types: Cent, Zero, Pro, Premium
  • Payment Options:Bank Wire (BankTransfer/SWIFT), VISA, MasterCard, BitPay, FasaPay, Maestro, Neteller, PayRedeem, Skrill, UnionPay, WebMoney
  • US Traders: Not Accept

Skilling

Established in 2016 by Scandinavian entrepreneurs, Lennart Clausen, André Lavold, Henrik Ekdahl, and Mikael Harstad, Skilling is a regulated and innovative forex broker. It offers traders access to more than 900 forex and CFDs on its Skilling Trader, cTrader, and MT4 platforms. The broker’s Premium account features competitive spreads and low commissions, ideal for advanced traders. Skilling.com provides forex pairs, CFDs, commodities, shares, indices, gold, silver, oil, bitcoin, and other cryptocurrencies for your personal investment and trading options. Additionally, Skilling provides tools like TradingView, an economic calendar, market news, and detailed analysis to enhance trading decisions.

Skilling Overview

Skilling Overview
  • Founded In: 2016
  • Minimum Deposit: 25 € or equivalent
  • Maximum Leverage: Up to 1:1000 for non-EU retail traders,1:30 for EU retail traders.  1:200 for professional traders
  • Regulations:CySEC, FSA, and FCA (recently deregistered from FCA)
  • Trading platform: MT4, MT5, cTrader, Skilling Trader, and Skilling Copy
  • Account Types:  Offers 3 account types: Standard, Premium, MT4
  • Payment Options: Bank Wire (BankTransfer/SWIFT), VISA, MasterCard, CoinsPaid, Directa24, FasaPay, Klarna, Neteller, Ngan Luong, Pagsmile, PayPal, PayRetailers, PayTrust88, Skrill, Swish, Trustly, UnionPay, WebMoney
  • US Traders: Not Accepted

HotForex vs Skilling: Pros and Cons

HotForex

Pros
  • Regulated by the CySEC, FCA, FSCA, DFSA, CMA, FSC Mauritius, and FSA Seychelles.
  • The Maximum Leverage is as high as 1:2000
  • Favorable trading conditions and low spreads - from 0 pips;
  • Trading is available on the MT4, MT5, and HFM trading app
  • Available trading tools are MT4 premium trader tools, Autochartist, free VPS, etc
  • Insurance coverage of up to $5,000,000
  • Copy trading via HF Copy.
  • Market news, analysis, outlook, and webinars are provided by a dedicated team of analysts.
Cons
  • Premium Pro account requires a $5000 minimum balance
  • To copy trades on HF copy, you need a deposit of €300.
  • No micro accounts for European beginner traders.
  • No bonuses for EU Clients 
  • Few account currencies, which is why some clients have to pay for double conversion
  • Customer support is closed on weekends.

Skilling

Pros
  • Regulated by CySEC,  FSA, and FCA.
  • The Maximum leverage is as high as 1:1000 for global entities, 1:30 for EU traders, and 1:200
  • Fully Digital Account Opening ( Easy Sign and Verification Process)
  • Demo Accounts are Available
  • Low Trading fees starting from 0.8 pips for standard accounts, and 0.10 pips for premium accounts
  • Offers both leverage and non-leverage cryptos of trading
  • Educational resources with a new 'Trading Study Hub' for beginner investors to learn more about investing
  • Offers a variety of trading platforms and tools including MT4, Ctrader, Skilling Social Copy Trading, and Skilling own trading platform
  • Straightforward fees, no hidden charge
  • No deposit and withdrawal fees
Cons
  • Higher minimum deposit of $100 for Standard accounts, and $5000 for Premium accounts in the EU
  • Degegistered  from FCA regulations 
  • Service is not available in many countries including Canada and the US
  • 1:2 leverage for cryptocurrencies
  • Only Forex and CFDs are offered

HotForex vs Skilling: Side-by-Side Comparison

Hotforex
Skilling
Product
Product
Hotforex
Skilling
Founded In
Founded In
2010
2016
Founded By
Founded By
George Koumantaris
Scandinavian Entrepreneurs
Headquarters
Headquarters
Kingstown, St. Vincent
Mahe, Seychelles
Regulations
Regulations
FCA, DFSA, FSCA, FSA in Seychelles, CMA, CySEC
CySEC, FSA, and FCA.
Min Deposit
Min Deposit
$0
$25 for the Non-EU standard account, $100 for the EU standard account, and $5000 for the premium account.
Max Leverage
Max Leverage
2000:1
up to 1:1000 for non-EU retail traders,1:30 for EU retail traders. 1:200 for professional traders
Tradable Assets
Tradable Assets
Forex, Metals, Stocks, Bonds, Indices, Energies, Commodities, Cryptos, and ETFs
Metals, Commodities, Stocks, FX Options, Oil, ETFs, Options, Crypto currencies, CFDs, Indexes, Shares, Spread Betting, Indices, Forex, Bonds
Fees
Fees
Spread from 0.6 pips
starting from 0.8 pips for a standard account,
Platforms and Tools
Platforms and Tools
MT4, MT5, HFM App
MT4, Ctrader, Skilling Social Copy Trading, and Skilling own trading platform
US Traders
US Traders
Not Allowed
Not Allowed

HotForex Vs Skilling: Our Scores and Ratings

We rated both brokers, HotForex and Skilling, 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.

HotForex :

9.1
Total Score
Regulation and Security (40%)9.8
Fees and Commissions (20%)9
Trading (15%)8
Trading tools (10%)9.2
Customer Support (10%)9
Trading Education (5%)8

Skilling

8.8
Skilling Score
Regulation and Security (40%)9
Fees and Commissions (20%)9
Trading (15%)9
Trading tools (10%)9
Customer Support (10%)8
Trading Education (5%)7

Final Verdict

HFM (HF Markets) and Skilling are regulated forex and CFD brokers in the industry. They offer similar trading services. Both brokers allow scalping, hedging, EA trading, and Copy trading. The minimum order size for both of them is 0.01. 

However, there are a few areas where you may find some differences. For example, the minimum deposit for HFM (HF Markets) is $0, whereas the minimum deposit for Skilling is 25 € or equivalent. Additionally, the maximum leverage for HFM (HF Markets) is 1:2000. In contrast, the maximum leverage for Skilling is 1:1000. HFM (HF Markets) offers passive investment programs like MAM and PAMM, while Skilling does not have any passive investment programs.

Our score for HFM (HF Markets) is 9.1, and for Skilling, it is 8.8 So, if you are looking for the most trusted forex brokers with MAM and PAMM services, you may choose HFM (HF Markets). However, if you prefer another forex brokers that offer similar services, you may choose Skilling.

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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