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InvestinGoal » CMC Markets vs Plus500: Comparison and Analysis

CMC Markets vs Plus500: Comparison and Analysis

Written by Filippo Ucchino Publication Date Last Updated
Our verdict · CFD trading

CMC Markets is better than Plus500 for CFD trading in the UK by a small margin, because it has a lower EUR/USD cost (7.00 USD per lot against 8.00 USD), asks for no minimum deposit, while Plus500 sets it at 100.00 USD, and gives access to more tradable symbols (12,000 against 2,800). CMC Markets allows scalping and hedging, executes orders in 9 ms and runs MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5 and TradingView next to its own platform. Plus500 offers a guaranteed stop loss on CFDs, allows API access, holds the account in 3 currencies against 2 and settles deposits and withdrawals in 1 day against 2 days. CMC Markets and Plus500 are both regulated in the UK by the FCA. Both offer CFDs on commodities, forex, indices and shares, a demo account that does not expire and an account for professional traders.

Our verdict · Real stock investing

CMC Markets and Plus500 cannot be compared for real stock investing in the UK, because Plus500 is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks to buy. If you want to invest in real stocks and you are choosing between the two, CMC Markets is the better option, because it lets you own ETFs and shares outright.

Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as CFD brokers: leveraged trading on forex, indices, commodities and crypto. Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as stock brokers: real shares and ETFs you own outright.

Best overall Best overall

CMC Markets

CFDCFD This broker offers CFD trading: leveraged contracts that follow the price of an asset without owning it. Switch the comparison to CFD to rate it on that. StocksStocks This broker lets you buy real assets that you own outright. Switch the comparison to Stocks to rate it on that. Regulated in your country CMC Markets holds a licence from the regulator of the country this site is for, so local investor protections apply.
CMC Markets review ›
84CFDOverall score InvestinGoal score from 0 to 100, calculated from the data in this comparison across 12 areas (regulation, safety, costs, platforms and more). CFD and stock trading are scored separately: the number follows the side selected above. 78StocksOverall score InvestinGoal score from 0 to 100, calculated from the data in this comparison across 12 areas (regulation, safety, costs, platforms and more). CFD and stock trading are scored separately: the number follows the side selected above.
Open Account

78% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.

Plus500

CFDCFD This broker offers CFD trading: leveraged contracts that follow the price of an asset without owning it. Switch the comparison to CFD to rate it on that. Regulated in your country Plus500 holds a licence from the regulator of the country this site is for, so local investor protections apply.
Plus500 review ›
78CFDOverall score InvestinGoal score from 0 to 100, calculated from the data in this comparison across 12 areas (regulation, safety, costs, platforms and more). CFD and stock trading are scored separately: the number follows the side selected above. not offeredStocksOverall score InvestinGoal score from 0 to 100, calculated from the data in this comparison across 12 areas (regulation, safety, costs, platforms and more). CFD and stock trading are scored separately: the number follows the side selected above.
Open Account

CFD service. 82% of retail investor accounts lose money

Best for

What we compare A comparison of the kinds of traders CMC Markets and Plus500 are best suited to, based on what each one actually offers in United Kingdom.
1 / 12

CMC Markets is better than Plus500 for long-term investors, scalpers and news traders. Plus500, on the other hand, is better for professional traders. High-volume traders, swing traders and CFD stock traders can choose either CMC Markets or Plus500.

Best for
Overall score CMC Markets 84 Best 78 Plus500 78 -6 not offered
Day trading i
Long-term investing i
Professional traders i
High-volume traders i
Scalpers i
Swing traders i
News traders i
Algo traders i
Stock traders i
Crypto traders i
Futures traders i
Options traders i

Regulation

What we compare A comparison between the financial authorities that supervise CMC Markets and the ones that supervise Plus500.
2 / 12

CMC Markets and Plus500 are both regulated in the UK, by the FCA.

Regulation
Section score CMC Markets 100 100 Plus500 100 not offered
Tier-1 regulators
ESMA (European Union) i
FCA (United Kingdom) i
ASIC (Australia) i
CFTC (United States) i
NFA (United States) i
SEC (United States) i
CIRO (Canada) i
MAS (Singapore) i
SFC (Hong Kong) i
JFSA (Japan) i
FINMA (Switzerland) i
Tier-2 regulators
FMA (New Zealand) i
CBR (Russia) i
FSCA (South Africa) i
DFSA (Dubai) i
CSRC (China) i
ISA (Israel) i
LFSA (Malaysia) i
JSC (Jordan) i
CMA (Kenya) i
Tier-3 regulators
FSA (Seychelles) i
MMA (Maldives) i
SCB (Bahamas) i
FSC (Mauritius) i
VFSC (Vanuatu) i
FSC (Belize) i
CIMA (Cayman Islands) i
SV FSA (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) i
FSRC (St. Kitts & Nevis) i
BMA (Bermuda) i
BVI FSC (British Virgin Islands) i
EDR (External Dispute Resolution) i

Safety

What we compare A comparison of the tools and services that CMC Markets and Plus500 have in place to protect your money in United Kingdom.
3 / 12

Both CMC Markets and Plus500 offer segregated client funds and an investor compensation scheme. CMC Markets also offers additional money insurance.

Safety
Section score CMC Markets 95 Best 95 Plus500 85 -10 not offered
Company info
Is it publicly traded i
Is it a bank i
Year founded i 1989 2008
Parent company i CMC Markets plc Plus500 Ltd.
CEO i Peter Cruddas David Zruia
Money safety
Segregated client funds i
Two-factor authentication i
Investor compensation scheme i
Additional money insurance i
Partner bank i NatWest, Barclays, Lloyds N/A
Brand power
Number of customers worldwide i 1,000,000 30,000,000
Annual revenue i USD 324,700,000 USD 768,300,000
Monthly website search traffic i 10.5M monthly visits

Costs

What we compare A comparison of what it costs to trade with CMC Markets and with Plus500 in United Kingdom, both on each trade and on holding the account.
4 / 12

CMC Markets is better than Plus500 for CFD costs, as CMC Markets is cheaper on EUR/USD, at 7 USD per lot (against Plus500's 8 USD), has tighter S&P 500 CFD spreads, at 0.5 points (against Plus500's 0.7 points), and has tighter gold CFD spreads, at 0.2 points (against Plus500's 0.75 points). Neither CMC Markets nor Plus500 charges account maintenance fees or deposit fees.

There is no like-for-like comparison for real stock costs, as Plus500 is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.

Costs
Section score CMC Markets 73 Best 44 Plus500 69 -4 not offered
Broker fees
Deposit fees i
Withdrawal fees i
Overnight fees i
Inactivity fees i
Currency conversion fees i
Discounts on volume i
Real time market data fee i
Dividend withholding i
Account opening fees i
Account maintenance fee i
Portfolio management fee i
Fees on CFDs
Forex commission per lot i USD 5 Free
EUR/USD average standard spread i
0.7 pips
0.8 pips
EUR/USD average raw spread i
EUR/USD average fixed spread i
EUR/USD total cost per lot i USD 7 USD 8
S&P 500 fees (CFD) i 0.5 points 0.7 points
Gold fees (CFD) i 0.2 points 0.75 points
Bitcoin fees (CFD) i
US stocks fees (CFD) i USD 0.02 Free
Fees on stocks
Stock fee type i Spread
US stocks fees (real) i
ETF fees (real) i
Management costs i
Connection costs i
Fees on futures
Futures fees per contract i
Platform fees i
Fees on options
Options fees per contract i Free
Event fees i
Fees on savings plans
IRA opening fee i
IRA maintenance fee i
401k opening fee i
401k maintenance fee i

Available markets

What we compare A comparison of the markets and products you can trade with CMC Markets and with Plus500 in United Kingdom, and of how many instruments each one gives access to.
5 / 12

CMC Markets and Plus500 are close on CFD markets. Both CMC Markets and Plus500 offer CFDs on commodities, crypto, forex, indices and stocks. CMC Markets has a slight edge, as it gives access to 12,000 tradable symbols (against Plus500's 2,800), and lets you own ETFs and stocks outright.

CMC Markets and Plus500 cannot be compared for real stock markets, because CMC Markets is a broker offering both CFDs and stocks while Plus500 is a CFD broker.

Available markets
Section score CMC Markets 75 30 Plus500 75 not offered
Total tradable symbols i 12,000 2,800
Currency pairs i
Indices i
Commodities i
Stocks i
ETF i
Cryptocurrencies i
Bonds i
Interest rates i
Portfolios i
CFDs i Commodities, Crypto, Forex, Indices, Stocks Commodities, Crypto, Forex, Indices, Stocks
Futures i
Options i
Assets you can own i ETF, Stocks

Platform

What we compare A comparison of the trading platforms that CMC Markets and Plus500 make available to their clients in United Kingdom.
6 / 12

CMC Markets is better than Plus500 for platforms, because CMC Markets offers MetaTrader 5, MetaTrader 4 and social trading, which Plus500 does not. Both CMC Markets and Plus500 offer a proprietary platform and one-click trading.

CMC Markets and Plus500 cannot be set side by side for platforms, as Plus500 is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks, unlike CMC Markets.

Platform
Section score CMC Markets 97 Best 97 Plus500 72 -25 not offered
Proprietary platform i
MetaTrader 4 i
MetaTrader 5 i
cTrader i
Social trading platform i
Copy trading platform i
ZuluTrade i
TradingView i
Duplitrade i
Mirror Trader i
NinjaTrader i
AutoChartist i
Real time pricing i
5 digit pricing i
One-click trading i

Mobile

What we compare A comparison of the mobile apps of CMC Markets and Plus500 in United Kingdom, and of what each one lets you do from your phone.
7 / 12

Plus500 is better than CMC Markets for mobile trading, since Plus500 offers mobile charting tools and mobile drawing tools, which CMC Markets does not. CMC Markets and Plus500 both offer a proprietary mobile app and mobile price alerts.

There is no like-for-like comparison for mobile trading, as Plus500 is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.

Mobile
Section score CMC Markets 73 -7 73 Plus500 80 Best not offered
Proprietary app i
Social trading app i
Copy trading app i
MetaTrader 4 app i
MetaTrader 5 app i
cTrader app i
Mobile trading signals i
Mobile alerts i
Mobile charting tools i
Mobile drawing tools i
Mobile watchlist i
Smartwatch app i

Trading features

What we compare A comparison of the trading tools and strategies that CMC Markets and Plus500 allow on their platforms in United Kingdom.
8 / 12

CMC Markets and Plus500 are equally good for CFD trading features, as CMC Markets allows for scalping and automated trading while Plus500 offers guaranteed stop losses and API access. CMC Markets and Plus500 both offer negative balance protection and trailing stops.

CMC Markets and Plus500 cannot be compared for real stock trading features, because CMC Markets is a broker offering both CFDs and stocks while Plus500 is a CFD broker.

Trading features
Section score CMC Markets 69 -3 71 Plus500 72 not offered
Trade execution
Broker type i Agency Agency
Average execution time i 9 ms
Slippage occurrence i
Requotes occurrence i 0.08%
Tier-1 liquidity providers i
PFOF i
Leverage
Major FX pairs leverage i 30:1 30:1
Minor/Exotic FX pairs leverage i 20:1 20:1
Major indices leverage i 20:1 20:1
Minor indices leverage i 10:1 10:1
Gold leverage i 20:1 20:1
Commodities leverage i 10:1 10:1
Equities leverage i 5:1 5:1
Cryptocurrency leverage i
Risk management
Stop losses i
Take profits i
Limit orders i
Trailing stop i
Margin call i
OCO orders i
Guaranteed stop loss i
Negative balance protection i
Minimum trade size (FX) i 0.01 lots 0.01 lots
Minimum trade size (stocks) i USD 0 USD 0
Fractional stocks i
Trading compliance
Scalping strategies allowed i
Hedging strategies allowed i
Automated trading strategy allowed i
EAs use allowed i
HFT strategy allowed i
VPS use allowed i
API use allowed i
Price scraping allowed i
FIFO rule applies i

Account types

What we compare A comparison of the kinds of account you can open at CMC Markets and at Plus500 in United Kingdom, and of who each one is meant for.
9 / 12

CMC Markets and Plus500 are equally good for CFD account types, as CMC Markets offers a corporate account and a spread betting account while Plus500 offers an Islamic account and a swap-free account. CMC Markets and Plus500 both offer a demo account and a professional traders account.

Only CMC Markets can be assessed for real stock account types, since Plus500 is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.

Account types
Section score CMC Markets 48 -3 45 Plus500 51 not offered
Demo account i
Unlimited demo account i
Standard account i
Micro account i
Cent account i
Nano account i
Raw spread account i
ECN account i
Swap-free account i
Islamic account i
Professional traders account i
Fixed spread account i
Spread betting account i
Copy trading account i
Corporate account i
Managed account i
Stock investing account i
Margin investing account i
Savings account i
Retirement account i

Account opening

What we compare A comparison of what it takes to open and fund an account with CMC Markets and with Plus500 in United Kingdom.
10 / 12

Plus500 is better than CMC Markets for account opening, as Plus500 offers 3 account base currencies (against CMC Markets' 2), supports e-wallets, which CMC Markets does not, and credits deposits faster, within 1 day (against CMC Markets' 2 days). However, CMC Markets does not require a minimum deposit at all (against Plus500's 100 USD).

CMC Markets and Plus500 cannot be set side by side for account opening, as Plus500 is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks, unlike CMC Markets.

Account opening
Section score CMC Markets 65 -7 65 Plus500 72 Best not offered
Minimum deposit i USD 0 USD 100
Minimum withdrawal i USD 0 USD 0
Wire transfers i
Credit cards i
Debit cards i
eWallets i PayPal, Skrill
Local payment methods i
Account base currencies i EUR, USD AUD, EUR, USD
Deposit waiting time i up to 2 business days up to 1 business days
Withdrawal waiting time i up to 2 business days up to 1 business days
Bonus program i

Customer care

What we compare A comparison of the customer support of CMC Markets and Plus500 in United Kingdom, in how it can be reached and how fast it answers.
11 / 12

CMC Markets is better than Plus500 for customer care, given that CMC Markets offers a dedicated account manager, phone support and priority support, which Plus500 does not. Both CMC Markets and Plus500 offer live chat and email support.

Plus500 does not offer real stocks, being a CFD broker, so CMC Markets and Plus500 cannot be compared for customer care.

Customer care
Section score CMC Markets 73 Best 73 Plus500 58 -15 not offered
Number of languages supported i 9 29
Website languages i German, English, French, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Spanish, Swedish, Chinese Arabic, Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, German, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, Hebrew, Croatian, Hungarian, Icelandic, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Malay, Dutch, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Chinese
Website available in English i
Customer support languages i German, English, French, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Spanish, Swedish, Chinese Arabic, Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, German, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, Hebrew, Croatian, Hungarian, Icelandic, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Malay, Dutch, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Chinese
Customer support in English i
Call back request i
Email support i
Phone support i
Live chat i
Priority customer support i
Dedicated account manager i
Cash sweep i
Stock lending i
Distributes proceeds i
Tax withholding agent i
Tax assistance i

Learning

What we compare A comparison of the educational material that CMC Markets and Plus500 provide to their clients in United Kingdom.
12 / 12

CMC Markets is better than Plus500 for learning, because CMC Markets offers professional reports, daily market commentary and an economic calendar, which Plus500 does not. CMC Markets and Plus500 both offer education for advanced traders and webinars.

Plus500 does not offer real stocks, being a CFD broker, so CMC Markets and Plus500 cannot be compared for learning.

Learning
Section score CMC Markets 100 Best 100 Plus500 75 -25 not offered
Education
Education center i
Education for beginners i
Education for advanced traders i
Webinars i
Tutorials i
Glossary i
Research
Economic calendar i
Traders' sentiment i
Daily market commentary i
Daily trading ideas i
News via social media i
Professional reports i
Watchlist i
CMC Markets
Open Account 78% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
Plus500
Open Account CFD service. 82% of retail investor accounts lose money
Our verdict

CMC Markets vs Plus500: which one should you choose?

CMC Markets

CFD Choose CMC Markets if you want an online CFD broker with low trading costs, no minimum deposit and a wide choice of markets.

Stocks Choose CMC Markets if you want a share dealing service with copy and social trading.

Open Account 78% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
Plus500

CFD Choose Plus500 if you want a CFD and forex broker with a guaranteed stop loss and quick deposits and withdrawals.

Open Account CFD service. 82% of retail investor accounts lose money

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