Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as CFD/FX brokers (leveraged trading on forex, indices, commodities and crypto), using the data of CMC Markets' Germany entity and Plus500's Cyprus entity. Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as stock brokers (real shares and ETFs you own outright), using the data of CMC Markets' Germany entity and Plus500's Cyprus entity.
CMC Markets
78% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
Plus500
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 .CMC Markets is better than Plus500 for day traders, high-volume traders and scalpers. Plus500, on the other hand, is better for long-term investors. Swing traders, news traders and CFD stock traders can choose either CMC Markets or Plus500.
| Overall score | CMC Markets 85 Best not offered | Plus500 77 -8 74 |
|---|---|---|
| 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.CMC Markets and Plus500 are both regulated by top-tier authorities, CMC Markets by BaFin, ASIC (Australia) and the FCA (United Kingdom) and Plus500 by CySEC, ASIC (Australia) and the FCA (United Kingdom).
| Section score | CMC Markets 100 not offered | Plus500 100 100 |
|---|---|---|
| Tier-1 regulators | ||
| ESMA (European Union) i | BaFin (Germany) | CySEC (Cyprus) |
| 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 .Both CMC Markets and Plus500 offer segregated client funds and an investor compensation scheme. CMC Markets also offers additional money insurance.
| Section score | CMC Markets 95 Best not offered | Plus500 85 -10 85 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Barclays Bank Ireland, J.P. Morgan SE | 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 , both on each trade and on holding the account.CMC Markets is better than Plus500 for CFD/FX 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 CMC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.
| Section score | CMC Markets 81 Best not offered | Plus500 64 -17 80 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||
| 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 | USD 15 | USD 118.34 |
| US stocks fees (CFD) i | USD 0.02 | Free |
| Fees on stocks | ||
| Stock fee type i | Commission, Percentage, Spread | |
| US stocks fees (real) i | USD 0.12 | |
| 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 , and of how many instruments each one gives access to.CMC Markets and Plus500 are equally good for CFD/FX markets, since CMC Markets gives access to 12,000 tradable symbols (against Plus500's 2,800). On the other hand, Plus500 offers CFDs on ETFs, and lets you own stocks outright. Both CMC Markets and Plus500 offer CFDs on commodities, crypto, forex, indices and stocks.
Plus500 and CMC Markets cannot be compared for real stock markets, because Plus500 is a broker offering both CFDs and stocks while CMC Markets is a CFD broker.
| Section score | CMC Markets 75 not offered | Plus500 75 15 |
|---|---|---|
| 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, ETF, Forex, Indices, Stocks |
| Futures i | ||
| Options i | ||
| Assets you can own i | Stocks |
Platform
What we compare A comparison of the trading platforms that CMC Markets and Plus500 make available to their clients in .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.
Plus500 and CMC Markets cannot be set side by side for platforms, as CMC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks, unlike Plus500.
| Section score | CMC Markets 97 Best not offered | Plus500 75 -22 75 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 , and of what each one lets you do from your phone.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 CMC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.
| Section score | CMC Markets 73 -7 not offered | Plus500 80 Best 80 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 .CMC Markets and Plus500 are equally good for CFD/FX trading features, as CMC Markets allows for scalping and automated trading while Plus500 offers guaranteed stop losses. CMC Markets and Plus500 both offer negative balance protection and trailing stops.
Plus500 and CMC Markets cannot be compared for real stock trading features, because Plus500 is a broker offering both CFDs and stocks while CMC Markets is a CFD broker.
| Section score | CMC Markets 69 not offered | Plus500 67 -2 76 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 30:1About this value. This is the major fx pairs leverage at CMC Markets Germany GmbH (BaFin). At CMC Markets' other companies: 30:1 (Australia, the UK), 50:1 (Canada). | 30:1About this value. This is the major fx pairs leverage at Plus500CY Ltd (CySEC). At Plus500's other companies: 30:1 (the UAE, Australia, the UK), 300:1 (other accepted countries). |
| Minor/Exotic FX pairs leverage i | 20:1About this value. This is the minor/exotic fx pairs leverage at CMC Markets Germany GmbH (BaFin). At CMC Markets' other companies: 20:1 (Australia, the UK), 33:1 (Canada). | 20:1About this value. This is the minor/exotic fx pairs leverage at Plus500CY Ltd (CySEC). At Plus500's other companies: 20:1 (the UAE, Australia, the UK), 300:1 (other accepted countries). |
| Major indices leverage i | 20:1About this value. This is the major indices leverage at CMC Markets Germany GmbH (BaFin). At CMC Markets' other companies: 20:1 (Australia, the UK), 10:1 (Canada). | 20:1About this value. This is the major indices leverage at Plus500CY Ltd (CySEC). At Plus500's other companies: 20:1 (the UAE, Australia, the UK), 150:1 (other accepted countries). |
| Minor indices leverage i | 10:1 | 10:1About this value. This is the minor indices leverage at Plus500CY Ltd (CySEC). At Plus500's other companies: 10:1 (the UAE, Australia, the UK), 150:1 (other accepted countries). |
| Gold leverage i | 20:1 | 20:1About this value. This is the gold leverage at Plus500CY Ltd (CySEC). At Plus500's other companies: 20:1 (the UAE, Australia, the UK), 150:1 (other accepted countries). |
| Commodities leverage i | 10:1About this value. This is the commodities leverage at CMC Markets Germany GmbH (BaFin). At CMC Markets' other companies: 10:1 (Australia, the UK), 30:1 (Canada). | 10:1About this value. This is the commodities leverage at Plus500CY Ltd (CySEC). At Plus500's other companies: 10:1 (the UAE, Australia, the UK), 150:1 (other accepted countries). |
| Equities leverage i | 5:1About this value. This is the equities leverage at CMC Markets Germany GmbH (BaFin). At CMC Markets' other companies: 5:1 (Australia, the UK), 3:1 (Canada). | 5:1About this value. This is the equities leverage at Plus500CY Ltd (CySEC). At Plus500's other companies: 5:1 (the UAE, Australia, the UK), 20:1 (other accepted countries). |
| Cryptocurrency leverage i | 2:1 | 2:1About this value. This is the cryptocurrency leverage at Plus500CY Ltd (CySEC). At Plus500's other companies: 2:1 (the UAE, Australia), 5:1 (other accepted countries). |
| 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 , and of who each one is meant for.CMC Markets is better than Plus500 for CFD/FX account types, as CMC Markets offers a corporate account, which Plus500 does not. Both CMC Markets and Plus500 offer a demo account and a professional traders account.
Only Plus500 can be assessed for real stock account types, since CMC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.
| Section score | CMC Markets 48 Best not offered | Plus500 38 -10 25 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 .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).
Plus500 and CMC Markets cannot be set side by side for account opening, as CMC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks, unlike Plus500.
| Section score | CMC Markets 65 -4 not offered | Plus500 69 Best 69 |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit i | USD 0 | USD 100About this value. This is the minimum deposit at Plus500CY Ltd (CySEC). At Plus500's other companies: USD 100 (the UAE, other accepted countries, the UK), USD 70 (Australia). |
| Minimum withdrawal i | USD 0 | USD 100 |
| Wire transfers i | ||
| Credit cards i | ||
| Debit cards i | ||
| eWallets i | PayPal, SkrillAbout this value. This is the ewallets at Plus500CY Ltd (CySEC). It is different at Plus500's companies in the UAE and the UK. | |
| Local payment methods i | ||
| Account base currencies i | EUR, USDAbout this value. This is the account base currencies at CMC Markets Germany GmbH (BaFin). It is different at CMC Markets' companies in Australia. | AUD, EUR, USDAbout this value. This is the account base currencies at Plus500CY Ltd (CySEC). It is different at Plus500's companies in Australia. |
| 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 , in how it can be reached and how fast it answers.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.
CMC Markets does not offer real stocks, being a CFD broker, so Plus500 and CMC Markets cannot be compared for customer care.
| Section score | CMC Markets 73 Best not offered | Plus500 58 -15 58 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 .CMC Markets is better than Plus500 for learning, because CMC Markets offers professional reports and daily market commentary, which Plus500 does not. CMC Markets and Plus500 both offer education for advanced traders and webinars.
CMC Markets does not offer real stocks, being a CFD broker, so Plus500 and CMC Markets cannot be compared for learning.
| Section score | CMC Markets 100 Best not offered | Plus500 80 -20 80 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 vs Plus500: which one should you choose?
CMC Markets
CFD/FX Choose CMC Markets if you want a CFD and forex broker with low trading costs, a choice of trading platforms and fast order execution.
Open Account 78% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
Plus500
CFD/FX Choose Plus500 if you want a forex brokerage service with guaranteed stop-loss orders and fast withdrawals.
Stocks Choose Plus500 if you want a share dealing service with stocks that you own outright.
Open Account CFD service. 82% of retail investor accounts lose moneyOther popular comparisons
Below are other head-to-head comparisons that include CMC Markets or Plus500, each scored with the same data and method as this page.
