Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of CMC Markets 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.
CMC Markets, established in 1989, and Admirals, founded in 2001, are renowned online brokers. CMC Markets is publicly traded while Admirals remains a private entity. Both brokers are not classified as banks. Regulatory oversight is a critical factor in assessing trust. CMC Markets excels in this area with five Tier-1 licenses and a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 99, placing it in the highly trusted category. Admirals, meanwhile, holds four Tier-1 licenses, complemented by three Tier-2 licenses, earning it a Trust Score of 93, also indicating a high level of trust.
The regulatory standing of these brokers highlights their commitment to offering secure trading environments. CMC Markets' extensive network of top-level licenses signifies rigorous adherence to financial regulations. Comparatively, Admirals' combination of Tier-1 and Tier-2 licenses still offers a high degree of reliability. Both brokers demonstrate a strong commitment to regulatory compliance, but CMC Markets stands out due to its slightly superior Trust Score and the fact it is publicly traded, adding an extra layer of transparency.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1989 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 4 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
CMC Markets leads the way in commissions and fees, having secured the top spot in 2025 for its competitive pricing and low spreads. With an impressive star rating of 5 out of 5, CMC Markets commands respect for offering average spreads of 0.61 pips on popular currency pairs like EUR/USD. Their innovative Price Plus Scheme allows active traders to enjoy discounts based on trading volume, making it an attractive option for high-volume traders. Additionally, their FX Active pricing structure introduces a commission per trade while maintaining tight spreads, offering an all-in cost as low as 0.5 pips on some currency pairs. These pricing strategies are integral to their ranking as the #1 broker out of 62 in this category.
Admirals, with a commendable rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars, offers competitive pricing that sits close to industry standards. They provide typical spreads of 0.8 pips on their Trade account, which is consistent across their Zero account type as well. Admirals ranks at #17 in the Commissions and Fees category among 62 brokers. While they do not utilize similar commission structures like CMC Markets, Admirals still maintains attractive pricing options for various trading levels.
Both CMC Markets and Admirals present appealing, yet distinct, approaches to commissions and fees. CMC Markets excels with its low spread offerings and strategic pricing programs suitable for both retail and active traders. In contrast, Admirals delivers competitive spreads across basic account types without the additional complexity of commission-based pricing. Investors should consider their trading habits and preferences when choosing between these top-tier brokers.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.61 | 0.8 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.51 | 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 CMC Markets and Admirals for their range of investments, both brokers offer forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts. CMC Markets stands out with an impressive offering of 11,925 tradeable symbols, including 156 forex pairs, giving traders a significant variety. Admirals, meanwhile, provides access to 8,702 tradeable symbols, with a selection of 82 forex pairs, which is still a competitive range for many traders.
Both brokers allow investors to purchase exchange-traded securities on U.S. exchanges, like Apple shares, and on international exchanges, such as Vodafone shares. Additionally, they both support copy trading and offer cryptocurrency derivatives—though neither allows the purchase of actual cryptocurrencies. In terms of ratings, CMC Markets earns a full five stars for its range of investments, ranking 9th among 62 brokers, while Admirals receives a slightly lower rating of 4.5 stars, taking the 19th spot.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 11925 | 8702 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 156 | 82 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | 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.
When comparing CMC Markets and Admirals, both online brokers offer a range of trading platforms and tools that cater to different trading preferences. CMC Markets and Admirals both provide virtual demo accounts, allowing traders to simulate trading in a risk-free environment. Each broker has developed its own proprietary platform and supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5). Additionally, they both offer desktop platforms for Windows and web-based trading interfaces. While both platforms support copy trading, neither broker offers DupliTrade or ZuluTrade. Regardless, traders at CMC Markets have access to 11 watch list columns and the ability to trade directly from stock charts, while Admirals offers fewer watch list columns but more drawing tools at 106, compared to CMC Markets' 40.
The quality of trading platforms and tools at CMC Markets is reflected in their rating of 5 stars and a high rank of 4th place among 62 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com. Admirals, while trailing slightly, still offers competitive platforms and tools with a solid 4-star rating and a position of 20th in the same ranking. In summary, both brokers provide comprehensive tools and platforms, but CMC Markets takes a slight edge in terms of overall ranking and user rating.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
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) | Yes | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 79 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 40 | 106 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When comparing CMC Markets and Admirals for their mobile trading apps, both platforms provide user-friendly experiences on iPhone and Android devices, complete with stock and forex price alerts. Both apps facilitate charting with trendline tools, varied time frames, and auto-save features for drawings. Users can also create watchlists with real-time quotes on both platforms. However, an important distinction emerges with watchlist syncing - CMC Markets enables seamless syncing between the mobile app and online account, whereas Admirals does not offer this feature. This may influence users who frequently switch between devices.
In terms of technical studies available, Admirals offers slightly more options with 30 studies compared to CMC Markets’ 29. Despite this, CMC Markets shines with a superior user rating, achieving a perfect 5 stars for their mobile trading app. Meanwhile, Admirals holds a commendable 4-star rating. Additionally, ranking considerations place CMC Markets notably higher in the ForexBrokers.com reviews, securing the 5th place out of 62 brokers, whereas Admirals stands at the 28th position. This comprehensive view should assist potential users in choosing a platform that aligns with their trading priorities.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 29 | 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 CMC Markets and Admirals in terms of market research offerings, both provide daily market commentary and access to forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters. They share similar capabilities in providing sentiment-based trading tools, offering investors insights into market dynamics. An economic calendar is also available with both brokers, helping traders stay informed about global events. However, differences emerge in their analytical tools. CMC Markets supplies research from Autochartist, but not Trading Central, whereas Admirals offers Trading Central resources but lacks Autochartist tools.
Further distinguishing factors include Admirals’ availability of research tools from Acuity Trading and market insights from TipRanks, neither of which are offered by CMC Markets. In terms of ratings, CMC Markets boasts a 5-star research rating and ranks 6th out of 62 brokers, indicating a highly regarded research experience. Admirals, while still competent with a 4-star rating, ranks 15th, reflecting a solid but slightly less comprehensive research set-up compared to CMC Markets.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | 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.
When it comes to educational resources for beginners, both CMC Markets and Admirals offer a comprehensive selection of materials to kickstart your trading journey. Each platform provides more than 10 resources, including articles, videos, and archived webinars specifically focused on forex and CFDs. If you prefer learning through videos, both CMC Markets and Admirals deliver over 10 videos tailored for beginners, ensuring you grasp trading basics with ease. Additionally, they both provide a searchable archive of past webinars, allowing you to revisit important topics at your own pace. An added benefit with both brokers is their investor dictionaries, which help clarify more than 50 investing terms, making sure you're familiar with essential jargon.
However, there are notable differences in their offerings. Admirals hosts online educational webinars monthly, providing an opportunity for ongoing learning, unlike CMC Markets. This dynamic approach could be a deciding factor if real-time interaction with educators is important to you. Despite this, CMC Markets scores slightly higher for their educational offerings, receiving a 5-star rating compared to Admirals’ 4-star rating. In rankings by ForexBrokers.com, CMC Markets stands at #10 for education, while Admirals is not far behind at #12. Both brokers have solid educational resources, but your choice might hinge on whether you value live, monthly learning opportunities or other features.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | No | 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 CMC Markets is better than Admirals. CMC Markets finished with an overall rank of #4, while Admirals finished with an overall rank of #18.
CMC Markets is well-trusted across the globe, and delivers a terrific trading experience thanks to its excellent pricing and selection of over 12,000 tradeable instruments.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
|
| Trust Score | 99 | 93 |
| Range of Investments |
|
|
| Commissions & Fees |
|
|
| Platform & Tools |
|
|
| Research |
|
|
| Mobile Trading |
|
|
| Education |
|
|
Both CMC Markets and Admirals do not provide the option to buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies; however, they both offer the ability to buy cryptocurrency derivatives.
Both CMC Markets and Admirals provide ACH or SEPA transfers, PayPal, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wires as options for depositing or withdrawing account funds, but only Admirals additionally offers Skrill as a payment method.
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.
Select Brokers
↓×Compare
0 of 5| Overall Rating | CMC Markets | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Commissions & Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Platform & Tools |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 99 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | CMC Markets Review | Admirals Review |
| Broker Screenshots | CMC Markets | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trading Platforms Gallery (click to expand) |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading Gallery (click to expand) |
|
| |
| Research Gallery (click to expand) |
|
| |
| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
|
|
| Regulation | CMC Markets | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 93 | |
| Year Founded | 1989 | 2001 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 4 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | CMC Markets | 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) | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | CMC Markets | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| 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 | Yes |
| Investments | CMC Markets | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 11925 | 8702 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 156 | 82 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | 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 | CMC Markets | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.61 | 0.8 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.51 | 0.8 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | CMC Markets | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $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 | CMC Markets | 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) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | CMC Markets | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 79 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 40 | 106 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | CMC Markets | 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 | 29 | 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 | CMC Markets | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | Yes | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | CMC Markets | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | No | 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 | CMC Markets | 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 | CMC Markets Review | Admirals Review |
| Overall | CMC Markets | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Commissions & Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Platform & Tools |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 99 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | CMC Markets Review | Admirals Review |
IG
CMC Markets
FOREX.com
XTB
eToro
AvaTrade
Plus500
Pepperstone
FP Markets
Tickmill