Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of City Index vs Capital.com, 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 and Capital.com are prominent online brokers that cater to a wide audience seeking forex and CFD trading opportunities. Established in 1983, City Index boasts a strong reputation with a remarkable Trust Score of 99 out of 99 from ForexBrokers.com, indicating it is highly trusted. This is supported by its seven Tier-1 licenses, demonstrating a high level of regulatory oversight and trust. Although City Index is not a bank, it is publicly traded, adding a layer of transparency to its operations.
In contrast, Capital.com, founded in 2016, holds a Trust Score of 87, suggesting it is a trusted, reliable broker. It holds three Tier-1 licenses, ensuring significant regulatory compliance, alongside one Tier-2 license. Unlike City Index, Capital.com is not publicly traded, but like its counterpart, it operates as a non-banking financial institution. Both brokers offer secure environments for traders, but City Index stands out with its higher Trust Score and public trading status.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1983 | 2016 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 3 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
When comparing the commissions and fees of City Index and Capital.com, it's clear that both online brokers offer competitive pricing, albeit with some differences. City Index, rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees, ranks #14 out of 62 brokers in this category, according to ForexBrokers.com. Their pricing for CFDs, forex, and spread-betting is in line with the industry average. City Index offers a Premium Trader account for those depositing more than £10,000, granting access to exclusive pricing and content. The average spread for EUR/USD is 0.74 pips as of July 2023, which is average but less attractive compared to some of the best brokers.
In contrast, Capital.com is rated 5 out of 5 stars and ranks #3 out of 62 brokers. Their pricing is slightly better than the industry average, making it a favorable choice for budget-conscious traders. With a universal account option available to retail traders and a professional account for qualifying traders, Capital.com provides flexibility without compromising on cost. Notably, Capital.com boasts a lower average spread of 0.67 pips for EUR/USD as confirmed in April 2024, offering a more cost-effective solution for forex trading.
For traders focusing on costs, Capital.com's lower spreads and higher ranking make it an appealing option compared to City Index. However, City Index's features, including active trader rebates and dedicated customer service for premium accounts, can also provide value depending on your trading requirements.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100.00 | $20 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.4 | 0.67 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.74 | 0.67 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| 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 Capital.com for their range of investment options, both platforms offer forex trading as a CFD or spot contract. City Index impresses with 13,500 tradeable symbols, significantly higher than Capital.com's 3,007. However, for tradeable forex pairs, Capital.com takes the lead with 125 pairs, compared to City Index's 66. Neither broker provides the ability to trade exchange-traded securities on U.S. or international exchanges, leaving investors looking for platforms offering such securities wanting more.
City Index offers copy trading, a feature not available on Capital.com, providing an interesting opportunity for traders looking to mimic successful strategies. Both brokers allow trading of cryptocurrency derivatives but not the actual cryptocurrencies. With a top-tier 5-star rating for its range of investments and ranking 8th out of 62 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, City Index edges out Capital.com, which holds a 4.5-star rating and ranks 22nd in the same category. This positions City Index as a leader for those seeking expansive investment opportunities.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 13500 | 3007 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 125 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| 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 Capital.com both shine in their offerings of trading platforms and tools, providing a comprehensive trading experience. Both brokers allow users to engage in simulated trading with free virtual demo accounts, making it easier for beginners to practice without any financial risk. Traders can also enjoy proprietary platforms developed in-house by each company, alongside the availability of MetaTrader 4 (MT4) for more advanced charting and analysis. While neither broker supports MetaTrader 5 (MT5) or social trading platforms like DupliTrade or ZuluTrade, City Index stands out by offering copy trading, which is not available on Capital.com.
In terms of technical tools, City Index provides a significantly larger suite of drawing tools on its charts, with 239 options compared to Capital.com's 18, offering traders more flexibility in their analysis. Both brokers feature the convenience of trading directly from stock charts and offer equal capabilities for customizing watch lists, with 11 columns available for tracking various fields. Both companies have been rated highly, with a 4.5-star rating for their trading platforms and tools, though City Index ranks slightly higher, coming in at number 10 compared to Capital.com's 12 in ForexBrokers.com's ranking of 62 brokers.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 83 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 239 | 18 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 11 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both City Index and Capital.com provide iPhone and Android apps that cater to the needs of mobile traders. They include essential features such as stock and forex price alerts and allow users to draw trendlines on their charts. The apps from both brokers support viewing multiple time frames and automatically save any drawings made on stock or forex charts. Users can also create watchlists with real-time quotes on both platforms, offering convenience and accessibility.
However, there are some differences that may influence a trader's decision. City Index excels with advanced charting tools, offering 88 technical studies compared to Capital.com's 30. City Index also supports watchlist symbol syncing, ensuring consistency across devices, a feature missing in Capital.com’s app. Despite these differences, both City Index and Capital.com receive a solid 4.5-star rating for their mobile trading apps, though City Index is ranked slightly higher, holding the #9 spot against Capital.com’s #12 ranking according to ForexBrokers.com.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 City Index and Capital.com for market research features, both brokers provide daily market commentary and display economic calendars to keep traders informed of global events. However, City Index stands out with its forex news sourced from top-tier providers like Bloomberg and Reuters, while Capital.com lacks such offerings. City Index further strengthens its research capabilities with tools from Trading Central, providing valuable technical analysis not available through Capital.com. Both brokers offer sentiment-based trading tools, revealing the ratio of long or short positions across various instruments.
In terms of unique partnerships, Capital.com leverages TipRanks for its market research, whereas City Index does not. Neither broker offers tools from Autochartist or Acuity Trading. Despite these differences, both brokers are highly rated at 4.5 stars for research capabilities. City Index is ranked higher at #10 compared to Capital.com's #14 ranking by ForexBrokers.com, indicating a slight edge in research offerings.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | Yes |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
City Index and Capital.com both provide great educational resources for beginners interested in forex or CFDs. Each platform offers a wide array of over 10 educational resources such as articles, videos, and webinars focused on these topics. City Index, however, stands out by offering monthly live webinars, while Capital.com does not. Both platforms provide a searchable archive of past webinars, making it easy for users to catch up on missed lessons. Beginner traders will find comprehensive video libraries on each site, exceeding 10 educational videos tailored specifically for their needs. Both platforms extend their offerings to experienced traders with advanced video content, ensuring continual learning opportunities.
In addition to video content, City Index and Capital.com each offer investor dictionaries featuring over 50 investing terms, aiding beginners in building their financial vocabulary. Both platforms receive high educational ratings of 4.5 stars, reflecting their dedication to trader education. Despite sharing the same rating, Capital.com slightly edges out City Index with a ranking of #8 compared to City Index's #9 in the education category by ForexBrokers.com. This subtle difference might influence beginners deciding between these two well-regarded online brokers.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| 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 Capital.com. City Index finished with an overall rank of #8, while Capital.com finished with an overall rank of #10.
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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Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 87 |
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Both City Index and Capital.com do not offer the ability to buy actual delivered cryptocurrency, but they both provide options for purchasing cryptocurrency derivatives.
When comparing online brokers, City Index supports ACH and SEPA transfers while Capital.com does not, both platforms accept PayPal and Visa/Mastercard for transactions, City Index does not support Skrill but Capital.com does, and both brokers facilitate bank wire deposits and withdrawals, offering a variety of options for managing account funds.
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 | Capital.com | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 87 | |
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| Review | City Index Review | Capital.com Review |
| Broker Screenshots | City Index | Capital.com | |
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| Regulation | City Index | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 87 | |
| Year Founded | 1983 | 2016 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 3 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | City Index | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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 | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 13500 | 3007 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 125 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| 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 | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.4 | 0.67 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.74 | 0.67 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | City Index | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100.00 | $20 | |
| 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 | No |
| Trading Platforms | City Index | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | City Index | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 11 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 83 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 239 | 18 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | City Index | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | Yes | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | City Index | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| 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 | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Capital.com Review |
| Overall | City Index | Capital.com | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 87 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | City Index Review | Capital.com Review |
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