CMC Markets Review

Interactive Brokers is ranked #1 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while CMC Markets is #9. Both offer forex trading either as CFDs or spot, with CMC Markets listing 12,029 tradeable symbols and 141 forex pairs, and Interactive Brokers offering 8,500 tradeable symbols and 90 forex pairs. One of the few drawbacks with CMC Markets, besides the fact that it doesn’t accept U.S. clients, is that its tradable asset base covers only CFDs. This means you cannot use this broker to purchase real stocks, mutual funds or bonds for long-term investment and income purposes. CMC Markets does have excellent pricing, education and research resources, however, and offers top-tier trading platforms that should suit any active CFD trader.

It trades fill instantly with zero dealer intervention and no partial fills. I also liked the one click trading and the ability to set default trade sizes, which saves time when the market’s moving fast. If you’re into multi asset trading or just want more advanced features than MT4 offers, MT5 is a solid choice.

The broker’s excellent and easy-to-use mobile app lets you manage your account and trade from anywhere. The mobile app also has many useful features that include execution alerts and its client sentiment indicator. A mobile application specifically designed for the iPad makes better use of the device’s larger screen size. CMC Markets has no minimum deposit requirement to open an account, although you will need to have enough money in your account to use as a margin to trade live. Forex traders can benefit from CMC Markets’ ultra-low dealing spreads that start at 0.07 pips for EUR/USD. Below you can see the minimum margin rates and average spreads on some of the most popular CFDs offered by CMC Markets.

For those interested in a deeper understanding of how CMC Markets protects its clients’ investments, the broker provides a detailed Security of Funds section on their website. This resource offers valuable insights into the specific measures CMC Markets employs to secure client assets, reflecting their dedication to upholding the trust and safety of their trading environment. If you’re comparing Interactive Brokers vs CMC Markets for beginner education, both earn 5 stars from ForexBrokers.com. Interactive Brokers ranks #3 out of 63 for Education, while CMC Markets ranks #10. Each broker offers at least 10 beginner trading videos, plus 10+ advanced videos for when you’re ready to go deeper. Conversely, CMC Markets stands out in the industry with its award-winning low spread offerings, maintaining consistently competitive pricing for all segments and account types.

The Standard account at CMC Markets is specifically designed to cater to entry-level traders, offering a no-commission trading structure which allows for cost-effective participation in the markets. It features competitive spreads that enhance the trading experience without the burden of additional transaction costs. Furthermore, the low minimum deposit requirement makes this account highly accessible, lowering the barrier to entry for new traders who may be hesitant to commit large sums of capital initially. This setup is ideal for those just beginning their trading journey, providing them with a supportive environment to develop their skills while managing their investment prudently. The Mobile Trading App features a modern and intuitive interface, real-time market data, customizable dashboards, and integrated trading tools that allow traders to execute trades swiftly and efficiently. The platform also supports social trading features, enabling traders to follow and copy the strategies of successful peers.

Explore our award-winning trading platforms1

• These offerings are equipped with competitive leverage options and notably low spreads, making it easier and more cost-effective for traders to engage with the volatile crypto market.
• As established brokers with decades of experience in the financial markets, CMC Markets and FOREX.com provide a solid foundation for both beginner and seasoned traders to engage in online trading with confidence.
• There is a broad selection of learning materials suitable for newer traders and more seasoned investors.
• Alpha members are automatically given Price+ Tier 3 access, receiving spread discounts of up to 14.3%.
• The app is fully customizable, allowing traders to tailor their mobile experience.

The Next Generation platform also enables you to fully customize your design layouts. You can save and switch between up to five different trading layouts, including the five-minute chart layout, FX chart layout, share layout, market overview layout, and trade ideas layout. There are additional trading tools you can employ in your market analysis. One such tool is the pattern recognition scanner, which will automatically notify you when a popular chart pattern (triangle, wedge, or channel) emerges across 120 of the broker’s most popular products. Another useful feature is the Client Sentiment tool, which displays the number of CMC Markets’ clients and their ‘Position Value’ in real time.

Instruments

If the underlying market spread widens throughout the trading day, or you’re trading out of hours, the platform spread may also widen. This broker is packed with 80+ indicators, drawing tools, and built in news feeds. You’ll also get access to 12,000+ instruments across forex, indices, stocks, and commodities. If you’re into fast trading with tight spreads and smart tools, then CMC Markets might be your kind of broker.

Can I Trust CMC Markets?

The company claims that the trading experience is consistent across all devices, although the number of charts and technical indicators is greater on the web version than on the mobile platform. We also evaluate the overall design of the mobile experience, and look for a fluid user experience moving between mobile and desktop platforms. For contrast, the spread for the EUR/USD on CMC Markets’ standard account offering on MetaTrader comes in at 1.3 pips as per June 2025 data. 3 Spreads from 0.0 pips on six major forex pairs, and a 25% spread discount on 300+ other forex pairs, with a low, fixed commission at $2.50 per $100,000 notional value, with our FX Active account.

• However, after using it for a while, I believe CMC is designed for active, short-term traders.
• However, ECN brokerages like IC Markets or Pepperstone offer even sharper spreads from 0.0 pips on commission-based accounts.
• Their similar Trust Scores reflect their strong regulatory credentials, making them both reliable choices for investors seeking secure trading platforms.
• This approach allows us to identify the best forex brokers for a variety of trading styles, skill levels, and financial parameters.

Each offers a free paper trading (demo) account, a proprietary platform, a downloadable Windows desktop platform, and a web-based platform. In ForexBrokers.com’s Trading Platforms and Tools category, both earned 5 out of 5 stars; Interactive Brokers ranks #3 of 63 brokers, while CMC Markets ranks #4. Both brokers let you buy exchange-traded securities on U.S. and international exchanges, so you can trade names like Apple and Vodafone directly. For crypto access, Interactive Brokers supports both actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies and crypto CFDs, whereas CMC Markets offers crypto CFDs but not delivered crypto. Copy trading is available at CMC Markets, while Interactive Brokers does not support copy trading. Interactive Brokers and CMC Markets both deliver a wide range of investments and each earns 5 stars for Range of Investments.

Meanwhile, retail clients of CMC Markets Germany GmbH will have their funds kept in segregated accounts at the Frankfurt branch of Barclays Bank. CMC Markets has no minimum deposit requirement, which is a plus for novice traders, as they can start trading with any amount they feel comfortable. Another advantage is that the brokerage does not charge any deposit fees with any of the available payment methods.

What is the Minimum Deposit at CMC Markets?

CMC Markets does not provide extensive information about account types, but we found that the broker actually offers two main options, as shown below. Forex positions incur a $2.50 commission per standard lot when traded with FX Active accounts. Opening a spread betting account is generally an option only for clients signing up from the UK and Ireland. With each platform you can choose from our CFD trading or FX Active accounts.

Additionally, you can have access to 100 of the world’s largest indices via CFDs including the Germany 30, UK 100, US 30 and Australia 200. You can trade CFDs on forex, indices, cryptocurrencies, shares, ETFs, commodities and government securities via this online broker. An execution service in actual stocks, bonds and mutual funds is not available through this broker, however, and you should not consider CFDs suitable for long-term investment and income generation purposes. The margin requirement for forex starts at 3.34%, which means you only have to put up 3.34% of the full trade value. It’s very important to remember that your profits and losses will be magnified, as they’re based on the full value of your trade and not just your initial margin.

Promotions & Offers

Select your chosen instrument (‘right-click’ on your PC), and select ‘Order Ticket’. Add stop-loss and take-profit levels to minimise your risk, and choose to ‘BUY’ or ‘SELL’, depending on whether you want to go long or short. When you’re ready, select ‘Place Buy Market Order’, or ‘Place Sell Market Order’.

On the other hand, the main drawback of the Next Generation platform is that it has no algorithmic trading capabilities. In other words, if you wish to automate your https://traderoom.info/cmc-markets-a-wholly-reliable-brokerage/ trading and optimize and backtest your strategies, you will be forced to use the MetaTrader software. CMC Markets does not charge any deposit fees, which is a fairly standard practice among international brokers. Next, let us see how CMC Markets fares compared to its closest competitors when it comes to minimum spreads for precious metals and energies. Having traded since 1998, Justin is the CEO and Co-Founded CompareForexBrokers in 2004.

FX Active is designed for active forex traders but also includes all our other instruments, such as indices, shares (MetaTrader 5 and Next Generation platforms only), commodities and cryptocurrencies. The demo account is a practice account that allows you to trade using virtual funds, so your own funds are not at risk. Create an MT4/5 demo account or, apply for a Next Generation demo account. The MT4 and MT5 demo accounts are available for an initial period of 30 days.