Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of City Index vs ACY Securities, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 51% and 89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
For investors seeking a trusted online broker, City Index and ACY Securities present distinct options in terms of trust and regulation. City Index, founded in 1983, stands as a well-established entity in the financial markets and is publicly traded. It boasts a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 99, positioning it as a highly trusted broker. With 7 Tier-1 licenses and 1 Tier-2 license, City Index signifies a strong regulatory standing, offering clients a secure trading environment. Despite not being a bank, its extensive regulatory oversight makes it a reliable choice for traders.
In contrast, ACY Securities, operating since 2011, is not publicly traded and holds a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 75, categorizing it as an average risk broker. With only 1 Tier-1 license and no Tier-2 licenses, ACY Securities provides a less comprehensive regulatory framework compared to City Index. While both brokers are faithful to their duty as non-bank entities, for traders prioritizing high trust and regulatory assurance, City Index distinguishes itself as the more secure option.
| Feature |
City Index
|
ACY Securities
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1983 | 2011 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
City Index and ACY Securities both provide competitive options when it comes to commissions and fees, each offering unique benefits for different kinds of traders. City Index, with a 4.5-star rating, stands at #14 out of 62 brokers in the ForexBrokers.com rankings. Their pricing aligns with industry standards for trading CFDs, forex, and spread-betting products. Traders using City Index's proprietary platforms or MetaTrader can benefit from pricing that matches the industry average. The Premium Trader account, designed for those depositing more than £10,000, offers exclusive pricing and dedicated service. With an average spread of 0.74 pips on the EUR/USD, City Index's CFD account is close to the market average but may not match the top brokers like Tickmill and FP Markets. UK-based professional traders may receive rebates, starting at £4 per million for trading volumes over £25 million monthly, and rising for higher volumes.
ACY Securities also boasts a 4.5-star rating but holds the #21 position in the same rankings, catering to diverse trading needs with both low-deposit and commission-based account choices. The Standard account may have slightly higher fees above the industry average but requires only a $50 deposit. Meanwhile, the ProZero account offers slightly better-than-average effective spreads. Builders of large volumes can benefit from an active trader program that reduces costs by 0.5 pips per lot. ACY offers three account types with varied minimum deposits and commissions, with the ProZero and Bespoke options providing lower spreads, particularly for higher deposit requirements. For Australian residents, the ProZero account's effective spreads are notably competitive, dropping to about 0.55 pips in September 2021, which is comparable to leading brokers in the field.
In summary, both City Index and ACY Securities offer strong alternatives for traders, each excelling in different areas of commissions and fees. City Index provides a stable average cost with potential rebates for professional traders, ranking slightly higher in industry standings. On the other hand, ACY Securities attracts traders with competitive low-deposit accounts and a progressive tier system for active traders, providing increased benefits for larger trading volumes and specific advantages for Australian residents.
| Feature |
City Index
|
ACY Securities
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100.00 | $50 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.4 | 1.2 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.74 | 0.85 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
City Index and ACY Securities both provide a wide array of investment options, though City Index shines with a more extensive selection. Both brokers offer forex trading as a CFD or spot contract, providing access to 66 tradeable forex pairs. However, when it comes to the total number of tradeable symbols, City Index far surpasses ACY Securities with an impressive 13,500 symbols compared to ACY's 2,200. This significant difference highlights City Index's superior range of investment opportunities, contributing to its 5-star rating for the range of investments. In contrast, ACY Securities holds a 4-star rating in the same category.
Neither City Index nor ACY Securities offers exchange-traded securities on U.S. or international exchanges, meaning clients cannot directly buy stocks like Apple or Vodafone. However, both brokers do provide copy trading and the opportunity to invest in cryptocurrency derivatives rather than actual cryptocurrencies. These offerings allow traders to expand their portfolio strategies. Overall, City Index ranks higher, positioned at number 8 for range of investments by ForexBrokers.com, while ACY Securities holds the 30th position. This ranking further underscores City Index's broader appeal to investors looking for diverse trading options.
| Feature |
City Index
|
ACY Securities
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 13500 | 2200 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 66 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | Yes | Yes |
| Disclaimers | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
When comparing City Index and ACY Securities, both brokers provide traders with simulated trading options through free virtual demo accounts, allowing users to hone their skills without financial risks. Each broker offers a proprietary platform alongside popular options like MetaTrader 4. Notably, ACY Securities supports MetaTrader 5, offering more advanced tools, while City Index does not. Both firms provide Windows-based and web-based trading platforms, while the ability to engage in copy trading is available for both, enhancing their appeal to different trading preferences.
In terms of technical features, City Index excels with 239 drawing tools for charting, compared to ACY Securities' 15, offering more versatility for detailed analysis. Both brokers allow trades directly from a stock chart, streamlining the process. For organizing market data, City Index provides 11 columns for watch lists as opposed to ACY Securities' 7. Scoring 4.5 stars, City Index is highly rated for its trading platforms and tools, ranking 10th out of 62 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com, while ACY Securities scores 4 stars, ranking 41st. This suggests that City Index may offer a slightly more comprehensive trading experience.
| Feature |
City Index
|
ACY Securities
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 239 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both City Index and ACY Securities offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android users, providing convenience for traders on the go. Each app supports important features like stock and forex price alerts, the ability to draw trendlines on charts, and viewing various time frames, ensuring users have the tools they need at their fingertips. While ACY Securities offers 30 technical studies for chart analysis, City Index stands out with 88 technical studies, providing a richer set of options for technical analysis enthusiasts. Both apps allow traders to create watchlists with real-time quotes, though only City Index offers syncing of watchlists with a client’s online account, ensuring a seamless experience across devices.
User reviews and industry rankings further differentiate these two apps. City Index achieves a rating of 4.5 stars for its mobile app, reflecting strong user satisfaction. In comparison, ACY Securities holds a respectable 4-star rating. When it comes to rankings by ForexBrokers.com, City Index claims the #9 spot out of 62 brokers in the Mobile Trading Apps category, while ACY Securities is positioned at #40. This indicates a higher overall user satisfaction and functionality for City Index’s mobile offering.
| Feature |
City Index
|
ACY Securities
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 88 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When comparing the market research offerings of City Index and ACY Securities, both online brokers provide daily market commentary and economic calendars to keep traders informed about key global events. However, City Index sets itself apart with access to forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, a feature ACY Securities does not offer. In addition, City Index enhances its research tools with offerings from Trading Central, including technical analytics and a sentiment-based trading tool that displays long or short positioning across currency pairs. ACY Securities, on the other hand, lacks these advanced tools, potentially limiting its market insight capabilities.
Overall, City Index holds a strong rating of 4.5 stars for research, placing tenth out of 62 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com. This reflects its comprehensive range of market research tools and external news sources. In contrast, ACY Securities receives a 3.5-star rating and ranks 44th, indicating room for improvement in its research offerings. For traders who prioritize detailed market insights and advanced analytical tools, City Index appears to offer a more robust research experience compared to ACY Securities.
| Feature |
City Index
|
ACY Securities
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When comparing the educational resources available for beginners, City Index and ACY Securities both provide ample opportunities to learn about forex and CFDs. Each platform offers a minimum of 10 educational pieces, such as articles and videos, along with monthly online webinars to engage new traders. Both brokers also have a searchable archive of recorded webinars, allowing users to access a wealth of information at their convenience.
However, there are noticeable differences between the two. City Index provides an extensive range of content designed for both beginner and advanced traders, with over 10 videos geared towards experienced traders and a comprehensive investor dictionary listing over 50 investing terms. ACY Securities, while still catering well to novices with beginner videos, does not offer the same depth for advanced traders nor an investor dictionary of similar scale. This results in City Index being rated at 4.5 out of five stars for education, significantly ahead of ACY Securities, which holds a 3.5-star rating. According to ForexBrokers.com, City Index ranks 9th out of 62 brokers in the education category, whereas ACY Securities comes in at 43rd.
| Feature |
City Index
|
ACY Securities
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 62 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that City Index is better than ACY Securities. City Index finished with an overall rank of #8, while ACY Securities finished with an overall rank of #42.
Backed by StoneX Group, City Index is a trusted brand known for its versatile trading platforms, excellent mobile app, diverse market research, and extensive range of tradeable markets.
| Feature |
City Index
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ACY Securities
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 75 |
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Both City Index and ACY Securities provide the option to trade cryptocurrency derivatives, but neither broker offers the ability to purchase actual delivered cryptocurrencies.
Both City Index and ACY Securities facilitate easy transactions through ACH or SEPA transfers and accept Visa or Mastercard and bank wire payments, but City Index offers the additional convenience of PayPal, while ACY Securities caters to Skrill users instead.
Please note:
We review each broker’s overall global offering – a “Yes” checkmark in our Compare Tool does not guarantee the availability of any specific features in your country of residence. To verify the availability of any features within your country of residence, please contact the broker directly.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | City Index | ACY Securities | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 75 | |
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| Review | City Index Review | ACY Securities Review |
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| Regulation | City Index | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 75 | |
| Year Founded | 1983 | 2011 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | City Index | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | City Index | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | City Index | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 13500 | 2200 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 66 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | Yes | Yes | |
| Disclaimers | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). |
| Cost | City Index | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.4 | 1.2 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.74 | 0.85 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | No |
| Funding | City Index | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100.00 | $50 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | City Index | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | City Index | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 239 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | City Index | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 88 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Research | City Index | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | City Index | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | City Index | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | City Index Review | ACY Securities Review |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 75 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | City Index Review | ACY Securities Review |
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