Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Capital.com vs HFM, 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.
Capital.com vs HFM: Both brokers are regulated across multiple regions. Capital.com holds three Tier-1 licenses (considered highly trusted by ForexBrokers.com) and three Tier-2 licenses, while HFM holds two Tier-1 and three Tier-2 licenses. Their ForexBrokers.com Trust Scores are 89 for Capital.com and 85 for HFM—both in the “trusted” range (80–89), where 90–99 is highly trusted, 70–79 average risk, 60–69 high risk, and under 59 not trusted.
Capital.com was founded in 2016 and HFM in 2010. Neither broker is publicly traded or operates as a bank, which makes their regulatory footprint and Trust Scores useful points of comparison for everyday traders evaluating safety and oversight.
| Feature |
Capital.com
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2016 | 2010 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
When comparing commissions and fees, Capital.com comes out ahead of HFM for most everyday traders. Capital.com’s pricing is slightly better than the industry average, helped by a low EUR/USD average spread of 0.67 pips in April 2024, which makes it a strong option for low-cost forex trading. It offers both a retail account and a professional account for qualifying traders, though professional clients do not get the same level of regulatory protection. Capital.com earns 5 stars and is ranked #3 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees by ForexBrokers.com.
HFM’s trading costs are slightly above the industry average overall. On its standard accounts, HFM says the typical spread is 1.2 pips, but it does not provide a clear average over a specific time period, so real-world pricing may be less favorable. Its Zero account advertises an effective spread of 0.7 pips after commission, though that is not presented as an average spread. HFM receives 4 stars and is ranked #28 out of 36 in the commissions and fees category.
In simple terms, Capital.com is the better pick if keeping trading costs low is your main goal. HFM can still be competitive on certain accounts, but Capital.com has the stronger overall fee profile and the better ranking for commissions and fees.
| Feature |
Capital.com
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $20 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.64 | 1.8 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.67 | 1.1 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When comparing Capital.com vs HFM for range of investments, Capital.com offers the wider selection overall. It provides 5,585 tradeable symbols and 125 forex pairs, compared with HFM’s 344 symbols and 38 forex pairs. Both brokers let you trade forex as a CFD or spot contract, and both offer cryptocurrency CFDs, but neither supports buying actual crypto or listed shares on U.S. or international exchanges.
There are also some clear differences in extra features. HFM offers copy trading, while Capital.com does not. For range of investments, Capital.com is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars and is ranked #18 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while HFM is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranked #28. Overall, Capital.com comes out ahead for traders who want a larger market choice, while HFM may appeal more to those interested in copy trading.
| Feature |
Capital.com
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5585 | 344 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 125 | 38 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | No |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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.
Capital.com and HFM both give traders a wide set of platform choices, including a free demo account, their own in-house platform, web trading, Windows desktop downloads, and support for MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. Both also let users place trades directly from charts, which can make it easier to act on market moves quickly. For charting, watch lists, technical indicators, and other tools, each broker offers the basics traders expect, though the exact counts are not listed here.
The main difference is that HFM adds copy trading, while Capital.com does not. In overall platform quality, Capital.com comes out ahead with a 4.5-star rating and a #10 ranking out of 36 brokers for Trading Platforms and Tools, compared with HFM’s 4-star rating and #33 ranking. That makes Capital.com the stronger pick for platform and tool quality overall, while HFM may appeal more to traders who want copy trading as part of their setup.
| Feature |
Capital.com
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 97 | 38 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Capital.com and HFM both make it easy to trade on the go with iPhone and Android apps, and each app includes stock or forex price alerts. Both also let users draw trendlines on charts and automatically save those drawings. One feature neither broker offers is watchlist symbol syncing, so changes made in the mobile app do not carry over to the online account.
Where Capital.com stands out is in charting and overall app quality. Its mobile app includes 30 technical studies, compared with just 5 at HFM, giving traders more tools for chart analysis. Capital.com is also rated higher for mobile trading apps, with 4.5 out of 5 stars and a #11 ranking out of 36 brokers, while HFM holds a 4-star rating and ranks #32. For traders who want a stronger mobile charting experience, Capital.com has the edge.
| Feature |
Capital.com
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 5 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When comparing Capital.com and HFM for market research, both brokers cover the basics well. Each offers daily market commentary, forex news from major sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, a sentiment tool showing long and short positions, and an economic calendar with global events. In this area, neither broker has a clear edge on the core tools most traders use to stay informed.
The main difference is in extra research features and overall rating. HFM includes Autochartist and Acuity Trading tools, while Capital.com does not offer either. Capital.com does, however, earn a slightly higher research score at 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #14 out of 36 brokers, compared with HFM’s 4 stars and #18 ranking. For traders who want more built-in third-party research tools, HFM may appeal more, but Capital.com gets the stronger overall research mark.
| Feature |
Capital.com
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | Yes |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginners looking to learn forex or CFD trading, both Capital.com and HFM provide a good range of educational content, including at least 10 beginner videos and at least 10 advanced videos. Capital.com also stands out with a higher Education rating of 4.5 out of 5 and a stronger ForexBrokers.com ranking of #8 out of 36 brokers, compared with HFM’s 4 out of 5 rating and #29 ranking. Capital.com also offers enough forex or CFD education materials to meet the minimum threshold, helping new traders build a solid starting point.
HFM has one clear edge: it offers online educational client webinars at least once per month, while Capital.com does not. That may make HFM a better fit for beginners who prefer live learning and regular updates. Still, if you want a wider overall education offering and stronger third-party ratings, Capital.com appears to be the better choice for most new traders.
| Feature |
Capital.com
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | No | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Capital.com is better than HFM. Capital.com finished with an overall rank of #12, while HFM finished with an overall rank of #27.
Capital.com stands out for its quality research, strong educational content, and innovative web platform. Capital.com holds fewer regulatory licenses and offers a narrower range of markets than some of the best brokers, but still significantly outperforms the industry average.
| Feature |
Capital.com
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HFM
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| Trust Score | 89 | 85 |
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In the Capital.com vs HFM comparison, both online brokers do not allow buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but they do offer cryptocurrency CFDs for traders seeking price exposure without owning the coins.
In a Capital.com vs HFM funding-methods comparison, both brokers lack ACH/SEPA and support Skrill and bank wire transfers, but only Capital.com offers PayPal, while Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either.
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 | Capital.com | HFM | |
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| Trust Score | 89 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Capital.com Review | HFM Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Capital.com | HFM | |
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| Regulation | Capital.com | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 89 | 85 | |
| Year Founded | 2016 | 2010 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Capital.com | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| 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) | Capital.com | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Capital.com | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5585 | 344 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 125 | 38 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | No | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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 | Capital.com | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.64 | 1.8 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.67 | 1.1 | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Capital.com | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $20 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | Capital.com | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Capital.com | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 97 | 38 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Capital.com | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 5 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Capital.com | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Capital.com | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | No | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Capital.com | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | Capital.com Review | HFM Review |
| Overall | Capital.com | HFM | |
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| Trust Score | 89 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Capital.com Review | HFM Review |
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