Forex traders always look for trading with brokers that suit their trading needs and preferences. XM and LMFX are online forex brokers that offer their trading services to traders and investors. XM is a regulated and trusted forex broker. It is regulated in two tier-1, two tier-2, and one tier-4 jurisdictions including ASIC, CySEC, FSCA, FSC-Belize, and DFSA. On the other hand, LMFX is an offshore forex broker which is not regulated by any regulatory bodies.
In this article, we will review and compare the brokerage services offered by XM and LMFX. We will explore options such as regulations, reputations, fees, features, leverage, and more. Additionally, we will analyze and rate the brokers based on macro and micro categories and options. By reviewing these aspects, you will get a clear idea of which broker suits you best for your trading journey.
XM vs LMFX: In a Nutshell
XM
Founded in 2009, XM is a forex and CFD broker that offers online trading services globally. It provides access to over 1000+ trading instruments including forex, cryptocurrencies, stock CFDs turbo stocks, commodities, equity indices, thematic indices, precious metals, energies, and shares. The broker is regulated by multiple reputable regulatory authorities, including FSC, ASIC, CySEC, DFSA, and FSCA. The broker offers a full edition of the popular MT4 and MT5 platforms, which include numerous proprietary indicators. XM offers a maximum leverage of 1:1000 to its clients. It is a low-cost broker with spreads starting from as low as 0.6 pips. To learn more, you can read our review on XM.
XM Overview
- Founded In: 2009
- Founder: Constantinos Cleanthous
- Headquarters: Limassol, Cyprus.
- Trading Instruments: 1000+ trading instruments including forex, cryptocurrencies, stock CFDs turbo stocks, commodities, equity indices, thematic indices, precious metals, energies, shares
- Minimum Deposit: $5 for Micro, Standard, Ultra low accounts, and $10,000 for share accounts
- Maximum Leverage: up1000:1 for Standard, Micro, and Ultra-low accounts, No leverage for share account
- Regulations: FSC, ASIC, CySEC, DFSA, FSCA
- Trading platform: MT4, MT5, XM trading apps
- Spreads: As low as 0.6pips
- Account Types: Standard, Micro, Ultra-low, Share accounts
- Trading Styles: Allows all trading styles including scalping, news trading, copy trading, EA trading
- Payment Options: Bank Wire (BankTransfer/SWIFT), VISA, MasterCard, Neteller, Skrill
- Funding Currencies: USD, EUR, GBP, JPY, CHF, AUD, HUF, PLN, SGD, ZAR
- US Traders: Not Accepted
LMFX
Founded in 2015, LMFX is a forex and CFD broker that provides online trading services globally. It offers around 100 trading instruments through the MetaTrader 4 (MT4) platform. LMFX provides low spreads and fast execution speeds as an ECN/STP broker. The broker offers three account types: Premium, Fixed, and Zero. The broker offers a demo account for practice. The broker provides trading tools, including multiple calculators, an economic calendar, and a blog featuring market news and trading insights.
LMFX runs a monthly demo contest with a total prize pool of $1,750, awarded as live trading funds. It offers a 100% deposit match bonus for deposits of at least $100 and a Phoenix bonus for first-time deposits. The broker provides a free VPS service for traders who meet specific criteria. LMFX operates without regulation from any major financial authority. It accepts clients from various countries, except the USA and Canada.
XM vs LMFX: Features
XM
- Trading Instruments: 1000+ including Forex, Crypto CFDs, Indices CFDs, Commodities CFDs, Stocks CFDs, Turbo Stocks CFDs, Metals CFDs, Energies CFDs
- Maximum leverage:Â up to 1000:1Â
- Â Minimum Deposit:Â $5 or Equivalent
- Account Types:Â Micro, Standard, Ultra Low, Shares AccountsÂ
- Fees:Â Starting from 0.6 in Ultra-low account, 1 Pips for standard account, and 1 Pips for Micro account
- PAMM/ MAM:Â Not AvailableÂ
- Scalping:Â AllowedÂ
- News Trading:Â Allowed
- EA/ Robot Trading:Â Allowed
LMFX
- Trading Instruments: Forex, Metals, Oil, Indices, Commodities, Shares
- Trading Platforms: Mt4, Web Trading, Mobile
- Minimum Deposit: $5
- Maximum Leverage: 1:1000
- Trading Fees: Spreads starting from 1 pips. LMFX charges a fixed commission for every lot traded. A lot is equal to 100,000 units of currency. If you have a zero account, the commission is $4 per lot which means $8 for a round lot.
- Minimum Trade Size: 0.01 lot.
- Maximum Trade Size (Lot restriction per Ticket): 50 Lots
- Funding Currencies: USD/EUR
- Trading Style Allowed: Almost all trading styles including Scalping, hedging, copy trading, and EA Trading.
- Stop Out Level (retail): 20%
- Margin Call Level: 50%
- Negative balance Protection: Yes
- Investor Protection: No
- Account Opening: Fully Online Account opening. It may take only 5 to 7 Minutes.
- KYC Verification: Required
XM vs LMFX: Pros and Cons
XM Pros & Cons
- Regulated by CySEC, ASIC, DFSA in UAE, and FSC Belize.
- Easy and fast account opening
- Minimum deposit is $5
- Over 1000 forex/CFDs are available for trading.
- MT4 and MT5 are the available trading platforms.
- Quality research, market analysis, and access to trading tools like Autochartist.
- Quality training for newbies and ‘ultra-low micro account’ for beginners.
- High leverage up to 1000:1 (this leverage is not available to all the entities of the Group)
- Dormant fees are charged after 3 months of no account activity.
- Trading of real stocks is not available to European traders.
- Traders have no other choice apart from the MetaTrader platforms.
- Limited tradable assets.
- No passive investment services (social trading platform, PAMM accounts);
- Funding with PayPal is unavailable
LMFX Pros & Cons
- The maximum leverage is as high as 1:1000.
- Tight Spread Starting from 0 pips
- Free VPS for high-volume traders.
- Allow Scalping, News Trading, EA Trading
- Does not have any FIFO Restrictions
- Deposit bonus and other bonuses.
- Due to the absence of regulatory restrictions, the broker is open to clients worldwide
- Multiple payment options including crypto and e-wallets.
- 4 Types of accounts available ( Premium, Micro, Fixed Zero)
- Traders are supported with trading tools like calculators, economic calendars, etc.
- Not Regulated by Any Authority
- Crypto CFDs are not available to Trade
- No Investor Protection Scheme
- No access to MetaTrader 5. Only MT4 and Webtrader are available.
- The minimum deposit for bank wire transfers is $250
- Managed Accounts and Social Trading (MAM, PAMM Accounts) are not Available
XM vs LMFX: Side-by-Side Comparison
XM Vs LMFX: Our Scores and Ratings
We rated both brokers, XM and LMFX, 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.
XM :
LMFX
Final Verdict :
Both XM and LMFX offer similar trading services worldwide. However, there are differences in their regulations, reputation, and operation. XM is a highly regulated and trusted forex broker. It is regulated by top-tier regulatory authorities, including ASIC, CySEC, FSCA, FSC-Belize, and DFSA. On the other hand, LMFX is an unregulated offshore forex broker. XM provides Multiple trading platforms including MT4, MT5, WebTrader, NinjaTrader, MotiveWave, MultiCharts, TradingView, and more. On the Contrary, LMFX Offers MT4, Webtrader, Mobile Trader..
As XM is not licensed in the USA, it cannot accept US clients. Being an unregulated offshore forex broker, LMFX can onboard clients from anywhere in the world, including the USA. Therefore, non-US traders may opt for XM, while US traders looking for offshore forex brokers may consider LMFX. However, Trading with offshore forex brokers is risky and not recommended.
