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Markets.com vs Plus500: Comparison and Analysis

Written by Filippo Ucchino Fact-Checked by Luca Puddu Publication Date Last Updated
Our verdict · CFD/FX trading

Markets.com is better than Plus500 for CFD trading by a small margin, because it has MetaTrader 4, which Plus500 does not offer, and it allows scalping, hedging, expert advisors and API access. Markets.com executes orders in 0.35 ms and has fixed-spread accounts. Plus500, on the other hand, has a lower EUR/USD cost (8.00 USD per lot against 10.00 USD), ETFs and faster withdrawals (1 day against 2 days). Markets.com is regulated by CySEC, with an offshore company registered in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, while Plus500 is regulated by CySEC, the FCA, ASIC and the DFSA, with an offshore company regulated by the FSA (Seychelles). Markets.com and Plus500 both offer a demo account with no expiry. Markets.com asks for a minimum deposit of 100.00 USD at both of its companies, while Plus500 asks for 100.00 USD at most of its companies and 70.00 USD at its Australian company. Markets.com has crypto CFDs at both of its companies, while Plus500 has them at its European, Australian, UAE and offshore companies.

Our verdict · Real stock investing

Markets.com and Plus500 cannot be compared for real stock investing, because Markets.com 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 Markets.com and Plus500, Plus500 is the better option of the two, because it lets you own stocks outright. Plus500 charges 0.12 USD on US stocks.

Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as CFD/FX brokers (leveraged trading on forex, indices, commodities and crypto), using the data of Markets.com's Cyprus 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 Markets.com's Cyprus entity and Plus500's Cyprus entity.

Best overall

Markets.com

CFDCFD Markets.com offers CFD trading: leveraged contracts that follow the price of an asset without owning it. Switch the comparison to CFD/FX to rate it on that. FXFX Markets.com offers forex trading: currency pairs such as EUR/USD, traded with leverage. Forex is rated together with CFDs, on the CFD/FX side.
Markets.com review ›
82CFD/FXOverall score Markets.com scores 82/100 for CFD/FX trading. The overall score is calculated from the data in this comparison across 12 areas. 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

79.90% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.

Best overall

Plus500

CFDCFD Plus500 offers CFD trading: leveraged contracts that follow the price of an asset without owning it. Switch the comparison to CFD/FX to rate it on that. FXFX Plus500 offers forex trading: currency pairs such as EUR/USD, traded with leverage. Forex is rated together with CFDs, on the CFD/FX side. StocksStocks Plus500 lets you buy real assets that you own outright. Switch the comparison to Stocks to rate it on that.
Plus500 review ›
77CFD/FXOverall score Plus500 scores 77/100 for CFD/FX trading. The overall score is calculated from the data in this comparison across 12 areas. 74StocksOverall score Plus500 scores 74/100 for stock investing. The overall score is calculated from the data in this comparison across 12 areas.
Open Account

CFD service. 82% of retail investor accounts lose money

Best for

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

Markets.com is better than Plus500 for professional traders, scalpers and algo traders. Plus500, on the other hand, is better for long-term investors. Swing traders, news traders and CFD stock traders can choose either Markets.com or Plus500.

Best for
Overall score Markets.com 82 Best not offered Plus500 77 -5 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 Markets.com and the ones that supervise Plus500.
2 / 12

Markets.com and Plus500 are both regulated by top-tier authorities, Markets.com by CySEC and Plus500 by CySEC, ASIC (Australia) and the FCA (United Kingdom).

Regulation
Section score Markets.com 90 -10 not offered Plus500 100 Best 100
Tier-1 regulators
ESMA (European Union) i CySEC (Cyprus) 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 Markets.com and Plus500 have in place to protect your money in .
3 / 12

Both Markets.com and Plus500 offer segregated client funds and an investor compensation scheme.

Safety
Section score Markets.com 85 not offered Plus500 85 85
Company info
Is it publicly traded i
Is it a bank i
Year founded i 2008 2008
Parent company i Finalto Plus500 Ltd.
CEO i Andreas Kyriacou David Zruia
Money safety
Segregated client funds i
Two-factor authentication i
Investor compensation scheme i
Additional money insurance i
Partner bank i N/A N/A
Brand power
Number of customers worldwide i 4,700,000 30,000,000
Annual revenue i USD 768,000,000 USD 768,300,000
Monthly website search traffic i

Costs

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

Plus500 is better than Markets.com for CFD/FX costs, as Plus500 is cheaper on EUR/USD, at 8 USD per lot (against Markets.com's 10 USD), has tighter S&P 500 CFD spreads, at 0.7 points (against Markets.com's 1 point), and does not charge US stock CFD fees (against Markets.com's 0.35 USD). Neither Markets.com nor Plus500 charges account maintenance fees or deposit fees.

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

Costs
Section score Markets.com 57 -7 not offered Plus500 64 Best 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 Free Free
EUR/USD average standard spread i
1 pips
0.8 pips
EUR/USD average raw spread i
EUR/USD average fixed spread i
EUR/USD total cost per lot i USD 10 USD 8
S&P 500 fees (CFD) i 1 points 0.7 points
Gold fees (CFD) i 0.5 points 0.75 points
Bitcoin fees (CFD) i USD 50 USD 118.34
US stocks fees (CFD) i USD 0.35 Free
Fees on stocks
Stock fee type i Spread 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
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 Markets.com and with Plus500 in , and of how many instruments each one gives access to.
5 / 12

Markets.com is better than Plus500 for CFD/FX markets. Both Markets.com and Plus500 offer CFDs on commodities, crypto, forex, indices and stocks.

Markets.com does not offer real stocks, being a CFD broker, so Plus500 and Markets.com cannot be compared for real stock markets.

Available markets
Section score Markets.com 85 Best not offered Plus500 75 -10 15
Total tradable symbols i 2,200 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 Markets.com and Plus500 make available to their clients in .
6 / 12

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

There is no like-for-like comparison for platforms, as Markets.com is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.

Platform
Section score Markets.com 89 Best not offered Plus500 75 -14 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 Markets.com and Plus500 in , and of what each one lets you do from your phone.
7 / 12

Markets.com is better than Plus500 for mobile trading, given that Markets.com offers the MetaTrader 4 app and mobile trading signals, which Plus500 does not. Markets.com and Plus500 both offer a proprietary mobile app and mobile price alerts.

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

Mobile
Section score Markets.com 93 Best not offered Plus500 80 -13 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 Markets.com and Plus500 allow on their platforms in .
8 / 12

Markets.com is better than Plus500 for CFD/FX trading features, since Markets.com offers API access, which Plus500 does not, and allows for scalping and automated trading. Markets.com and Plus500 both offer negative balance protection and trailing stops.

Markets.com does not offer real stocks, being a CFD broker, so Plus500 and Markets.com cannot be compared for real stock trading features.

Trading features
Section score Markets.com 77 Best not offered Plus500 67 -10 76
Trade execution
Broker type i Agency Agency
Average execution time i 0.35 ms
Slippage occurrence i
Requotes occurrence i
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 Safecap Investments Limited (CySEC). At Markets.com's other companies: 1000:1 (other accepted countries). 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 Safecap Investments Limited (CySEC). At Markets.com's other companies: 500:1 (other accepted countries). 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 Safecap Investments Limited (CySEC). At Markets.com's other companies: 200:1 (other accepted countries). 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 10:1About this value. This is the minor indices leverage at Safecap Investments Limited (CySEC). At Markets.com's other companies: 200:1 (other accepted countries). 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 20:1About this value. This is the gold leverage at Safecap Investments Limited (CySEC). At Markets.com's other companies: 1000:1 (other accepted countries). 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 Safecap Investments Limited (CySEC). At Markets.com's other companies: 150:1 (other accepted countries). 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 Safecap Investments Limited (CySEC). At Markets.com's other companies: 10:1 (other accepted countries). 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 2:1About this value. This is the cryptocurrency leverage at Safecap Investments Limited (CySEC). At Markets.com's other companies: 1000:1 (other accepted countries). 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 Markets.com and at Plus500 in , and of who each one is meant for.
9 / 12

Markets.com is better than Plus500 for CFD/FX account types, given that Markets.com offers a corporate account, an Islamic account and a swap-free account, which Plus500 does not. Both Markets.com and Plus500 offer a demo account and a professional traders account.

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

Account types
Section score Markets.com 64 Best not offered Plus500 38 -26 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 Markets.com and with Plus500 in .
10 / 12

Plus500 is better than Markets.com for account opening, given that Plus500 offers 3 account base currencies (against Markets.com's 2), and pays out withdrawals faster, within 1 day (against Markets.com's 2 days). Both require a minimum deposit of 100 USD.

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

Account opening
Section score Markets.com 62 -7 not offered Plus500 69 Best 69
Minimum deposit i USD 100 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, USD 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 1 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 Markets.com and Plus500 in , in how it can be reached and how fast it answers.
11 / 12

Markets.com and Plus500 are equally good for customer care, as Markets.com offers phone support. On the other hand, Plus500 offers customer support in 29 languages (against Markets.com's 6), and has a website in 29 languages (against Markets.com's 9). Markets.com and Plus500 both offer live chat and email support.

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

Customer care
Section score Markets.com 58 not offered Plus500 58 58
Number of languages supported i 9 29
Website languages i Arabic, Danish, German, English, French, Dutch, Spanish, Thai, Vietnamese 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 Arabic, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Turkish 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 Markets.com and Plus500 provide to their clients in .
12 / 12

Markets.com is better than Plus500 for learning, because Markets.com offers professional reports and daily market commentary, which Plus500 does not. Both Markets.com and Plus500 offer education for advanced traders and webinars.

Plus500 and Markets.com cannot be compared for learning, because Plus500 is a broker offering both CFDs and stocks while Markets.com is a CFD broker.

Learning
Section score Markets.com 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
Markets.com
Open Account 79.90% 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

Markets.com vs Plus500: which one should you choose?

Markets.com

CFD/FX Choose Markets.com if you want a CFD and forex broker for scalping, with MetaTrader 4 and fixed-spread accounts.

Open Account 79.90% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
Plus500

CFD/FX Choose Plus500 if you want an online CFD broker with guaranteed stop-loss orders, ETFs and fast withdrawals.

Stocks Choose Plus500 if you want a share dealing service with real stocks to own.

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

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