Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of City Index vs Admirals, 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.
City Index, founded in 1983, is a publicly traded online broker renowned for its high trustworthiness, reflected by its top-tier ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 99. While it isn't a bank, City Index holds an impressive seven Tier-1 licenses, the highest level of regulatory trust. Additionally, it holds one Tier-2 license, which further enhances its reliability. This combination of factors establishes City Index as a highly trusted choice for online trading.
Established in 2001, Admirals is an online broker that, while not publicly traded, has built a solid reputation with a commendable ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 93. Though it isn't a bank, Admirals boasts four Tier-1 licenses, marking it as a highly trusted entity. Admirals also holds three Tier-2 licenses, adding to its credibility in the financial markets. Overall, both brokers demonstrate a significant degree of trustworthiness, but City Index slightly edges out Admirals with its higher score and additional Tier-1 licenses.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1983 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 4 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
When comparing commissions and fees, both City Index and Admirals offer competitive options for traders looking to invest in CFDs, forex, and other financial products. City Index aligns with the industry average for trading costs and provides premium services for active traders who deposit over £10,000. These Premium Traders gain benefits like exclusive pricing and dedicated customer service. Admirals also offers competitive pricing with typical spreads of 0.8 in their Trade account, ensuring affordability for customers.
City Index, with an average spread of 0.74 pips on the EUR/USD, offers reasonable pricing though not as low as leading forex brokers like Tickmill or FP Markets. Meanwhile, Admirals maintains competitive rates across its account types. City Index further incentivizes high-volume traders, particularly in the UK and Australia, with rebate schemes that start at £4 per million traded and can go up to £7.5 in the UK, and AUD $4.5 to AUD $14.5 in Australia based on trading volumes.
In terms of industry acknowledgment, City Index and Admirals both received a commendable 4.5-star rating for commissions and fees. However, City Index ranks slightly higher, coming in at #14 compared to Admiral's #17 out of 62 brokers in the Commissions and Fees category, as evaluated by ForexBrokers.com. This slight edge provides City Index a marginal advantage for traders prioritizing cost-effectiveness.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100.00 | $100 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.4 | 0.8 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.74 | 0.8 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When comparing City Index and Admirals in terms of their range of investments, both brokers offer a wide spectrum of opportunities for traders. City Index stands out with an impressive 13,500 tradeable symbols, including 66 forex pairs available as both CFD and spot contracts, gaining a high rating of five stars. Admirals, while offering fewer symbols at 8,702, provides a larger selection of 82 tradeable forex pairs. Admirals also excels in offering exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, which City Index does not. Both platforms support copy trading and cryptocurrency derivatives, although neither allows the purchase of actual cryptocurrencies.
While City Index achieves an eighth-place ranking in the Range of Investments category by ForexBrokers.com, Admirals comes in at 19th. Admirals holds a solid rating of 4.5 stars, indicating quality in their offerings, but City Index’s broader scope of investment options pushes it slightly ahead in this comparison. For traders seeking an extensive array of investment choices, City Index might be the preferred option; however, Admirals could be the better choice for those looking for access to exchange-traded securities.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 13500 | 8702 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 82 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes |
| 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.
City Index and Admirals both offer a range of trading platforms and tools that cater to traders at various levels. Both brokers provide the convenience of simulated trading with free virtual demo accounts, allowing users to practice without financial risk. They each have developed proprietary platforms as well as support Windows-based desktop downloads and web-based trading platforms. Their collaboration with MetaTrader 4 ensures a familiar interface for many traders, but Admirals extends this offering to include MetaTrader 5, while City Index does not. When it comes to copy trading, both platforms are aligned by providing this feature, although neither supports DupliTrade or ZuluTrade.
In the realm of charting tools, City Index and Admirals both allow trading directly from stock charts, but City Index provides significantly more drawing tools with 239 compared to Admirals’ 106. On the watch list front, City Index also leads by offering 11 different fields compared to 7 from Admirals. In terms of their overall platform features, City Index receives a slightly higher rating with 4.5 stars and ranks #10 among 62 brokers, while Admirals garners 4 stars and ranks #19. This indicates that while both platforms offer strong tools and features, City Index might offer a richer experience for those seeking diverse functionality and broader customization options.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 106 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When comparing the mobile trading apps of City Index and Admirals, both offer compatibility with iPhone and Android devices, allowing traders to stay connected on the go. Users of each app can take advantage of stock or forex price alerts, ensuring that they never miss important market movements. Both platforms also provide tools for drawing trendlines on charts and viewing multiple time frames, catering to traders who rely on technical analysis. However, one area where City Index takes the lead is in watchlist symbol syncing; it allows users to synchronize their watchlists with their online accounts, a feature not offered by Admirals. Additionally, City Index offers 88 technical studies for charting, nearly three times the 30 provided by Admirals.
In terms of usability, both brokerage apps auto-save chart drawings and offer real-time quotes in customizable watchlists, making them practical for active traders. City Index stands out with a higher user rating of 4.5 stars compared to Admirals' 4 stars, reflecting City Index’s strong user satisfaction. Ranked 9th out of 62 brokers for mobile trading apps by ForexBrokers.com, City Index offers a more tailored mobile experience than Admirals, which holds the 23rd position. Those looking for a more comprehensive technical analysis toolkit and seamless watchlist integration may prefer City Index, while Admirals remains a solid choice for those who prioritize simplicity in their trading activities.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 it comes to market research, both City Index and Admirals provide daily market commentary and access to top-tier forex news outlets like Bloomberg and Reuters. They share similar offerings with Trading Central tools that enhance technical analysis, and both also deliver sentiment-based trading tools for insight into market positions. However, if you’re looking for integration with Autochartist, neither broker supports these tools.
One notable difference is Admirals’ collaboration with TipRanks and Acuity Trading for additional research tools, which is not available with City Index. Both brokers offer comprehensive economic calendars to track global events, catering to traders keen on staying informed about worldwide economic changes. In the realm of research, City Index is rated slightly higher with 4.5 stars compared to Admirals' 4 stars, occupying the 10th and 15th positions, respectively, out of 62 brokers as ranked by ForexBrokers.com.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | Yes |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | Yes |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | Yes |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
City Index and Admirals both offer comprehensive educational resources tailored to beginners interested in forex and CFDs trading. Both brokers provide a variety of over 10 educational materials, including articles, videos, and recorded webinars. Beginners can enjoy monthly client webinars and access to a searchable archive of past webinars with both platforms. City Index and Admirals each provide more than 10 beginner-focused educational videos, along with advanced content for more experienced traders. Additionally, they both offer an investor dictionary with definitions for over 50 investing terms.
In terms of education quality, City Index is slightly ahead, receiving a 4.5-star rating compared to Admirals' 4-star rating. Furthermore, City Index is ranked 9th out of 62 brokers on ForexBrokers.com for education, whereas Admirals is ranked 12th. This suggests that while both platforms are equipped to support newcomers in trading, City Index has a slight edge in educational offerings and user satisfaction. Nonetheless, either broker can serve as a solid starting point for those keen on learning forex and CFDs trading.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
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 Admirals. City Index finished with an overall rank of #8, while Admirals finished with an overall rank of #18.
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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Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 93 |
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Both City Index and Admirals allow investors to trade cryptocurrency derivatives, but neither platform offers the option to purchase actual (delivered) cryptocurrency.
Both City Index and Admirals offer versatile funding options, allowing account deposits and withdrawals through ACH or SEPA transfers, PayPal, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wires, but while Admirals includes Skrill as an option, City Index does not.
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 | Admirals | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | City Index Review | Admirals Review |
| Broker Screenshots | City Index | Admirals | |
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| Regulation | City Index | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 93 | |
| Year Founded | 1983 | 2001 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 4 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | City Index | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | City Index | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | Yes |
| Investments | City Index | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 13500 | 8702 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 82 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes | |
| 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 | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.4 | 0.8 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.74 | 0.8 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | City Index | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100.00 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 106 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | City Index | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes |
| Research | City Index | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | Yes | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | City Index | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | City Index | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Admirals Review |
| Overall | City Index | Admirals | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | City Index Review | Admirals Review |
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