Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of City Index vs eToro, 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 eToro are both well-known online brokers with long operating histories—City Index was founded in 1983, while eToro launched in 2007. Each is publicly traded and neither is a bank. According to ForexBrokers.com, both earn “highly trusted” status: City Index holds a Trust Score of 99/99 and eToro scores 97/99 (scores from 90–99 are highly trusted; 80–89 trusted; 70–79 average risk; 60–69 high risk; under 59 not trusted).
When it comes to regulation, City Index carries broader top-tier coverage with 7 Tier-1 licenses, compared with eToro’s 4 Tier-1 licenses; both hold 1 Tier-2 license. In plain terms, Tier-1 licenses are granted by the most highly regarded regulators, which can add confidence for customers evaluating broker safety and oversight.
| Feature |
City Index
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1983 | 2007 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 4 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
When comparing commissions and fees, City Index comes out ahead of eToro for most traders. City Index’s pricing for CFDs, forex, and spread betting is about average overall, and it can be even better if you trade through its own platform or MetaTrader. Its EUR/USD spread averaged 0.74 pips, which keeps costs close to the industry norm. City Index is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and is ranked #16 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
eToro, by contrast, charges a typical variable spread of about 1 pip on EUR/USD, which is a bit higher than average. That said, many traders choose eToro less for low-cost pricing and more for its social and copy trading features. eToro is rated 4 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and is ranked #22 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
Both brokers offer extra perks for active or larger-balance clients: City Index has a Premium Trader account for deposits above £10,000, plus rebates for high-volume traders, while eToro’s VIP Club gives members benefits such as Trading Central access, lower deposit and withdrawal fees, and dedicated support. Overall, City Index has the edge on pricing, while eToro is better known for its platform features and copy trading tools.
| Feature |
City Index
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100.00 | $50-$10,000 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.4 | 1 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.9 | 1 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
City Index and eToro both give traders access to forex as CFDs, and each offers copy trading plus cryptocurrency CFDs. City Index stands out for its larger overall list of tradeable markets, with 13,500 symbols and 66 forex pairs compared with eToro’s 7,441 symbols and 65 forex pairs. In ForexBrokers.com’s Range of Investments category, both brokers earn 5 out of 5 stars, but City Index ranks slightly higher at #8 out of 36, while eToro is #10.
The biggest difference is in real asset investing. eToro lets clients buy exchange-traded U.S. shares and international shares, and it also supports buying actual cryptocurrency. City Index does not offer these spot investments, as its offering is focused on CFD trading. If you want access to a wider mix of real stocks and crypto alongside CFDs, eToro has the edge. If your priority is a larger list of CFD markets, City Index offers more tradeable symbols overall.
| Feature |
City Index
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 13500 | 7441 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 65 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | Yes |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | Yes |
| 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.
City Index and eToro both score 4.5 out of 5 for trading platforms and tools, so each gives traders a strong mix of features. Both brokers offer a free demo account, a web-based platform, a proprietary platform built in-house, copy trading, and the ability to trade straight from a chart. City Index also offers a Windows desktop platform and MetaTrader 4, which may appeal to traders who want more platform choice and a familiar third-party tool.
eToro does not offer a Windows desktop download or MetaTrader 4, but it still delivers a well-rounded platform setup for most everyday traders. In ForexBrokers.com’s Trading Platforms and Tools category, eToro ranks #8 out of 36 brokers, ahead of City Index at #11, suggesting a slight edge overall in this area. For traders looking for a simple browser experience and copy trading, both brokers are solid options, while City Index may suit those who want desktop access and MT4 support.
| Feature |
City Index
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 106 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
City Index and eToro both make it easy to trade on the go with iPhone and Android apps, plus stock and forex price alerts to help you stay on top of the market. Each app also supports watchlist syncing, so changes made in the mobile app are reflected in your online account, and both let you draw trendlines on charts. In ratings for mobile trading apps, both brokers score 4.5 out of 5 stars, but City Index holds a slight edge in the ForexBrokers.com ranking, coming in at #9 out of 36 brokers, compared with eToro at #10.
When it comes to charting tools, eToro offers more technical studies in its mobile app, with 104 compared with City Index’s 88. However, City Index has one useful advantage: it automatically saves chart drawings, while eToro does not. For traders who want a balanced mobile trading experience with strong core features, both are solid choices, though eToro may appeal more to chart-focused users and City Index may suit those who value saved annotations.
| Feature |
City Index
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 88 | 104 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
City Index and eToro both give traders useful market research tools, including daily market commentary, forex news from major sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, a sentiment tool that shows how other traders are positioned, and an economic calendar for tracking key global events. Both are rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for Research, which suggests each platform offers a strong level of support for traders who want to stay informed before making a trade.
There are a few differences worth noting. City Index includes Trading Central tools, which can help with technical analysis, while eToro does not. On the other hand, eToro offers market research from TipRanks, which City Index does not. Neither broker offers Autochartist or Acuity Trading tools. In ForexBrokers.com’s Research ranking, City Index comes in at #10 out of 36 brokers, ahead of eToro at #12, making City Index the slightly stronger choice overall for market research.
| Feature |
City Index
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | Yes | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | Yes |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
City Index and eToro both give beginners plenty of ways to learn, with each offering forex and CFDs education, monthly online webinars, and more than 10 beginner and advanced trading videos. Both brokers also earn the same Education rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars, so either one can be a solid starting point if you want to build your knowledge step by step.
That said, eToro has the edge in ForexBrokers.com’s Education ranking, coming in at #3 out of 36 brokers, while City Index is ranked #9. In simple terms, both platforms offer a strong set of learning tools, but eToro stands out a bit more overall for education, especially if you want a broker with a higher industry ranking for beginner-friendly support.
| Feature |
City Index
|
eToro
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | 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 City Index is better than eToro. City Index finished with an overall rank of #8, while eToro finished with an overall rank of #9.
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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eToro
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| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 97 |
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City Index vs eToro: eToro lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency and trade crypto CFDs, while City Index offers crypto CFDs only and does not provide access to actual (delivered) crypto.
City Index vs eToro deposit and withdrawal options: both brokers support ACH/SEPA, PayPal, and bank wire transfers; eToro additionally supports Skrill while City Index does not; Visa/Mastercard availability for either broker is not specified.
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 | eToro | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 97 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | City Index Review | eToro Review |
| Broker Screenshots | City Index | eToro | |
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| Regulation | City Index | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 97 | |
| Year Founded | 1983 | 2007 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 4 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | City Index | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| 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) | City Index | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | City Index | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 13500 | 7441 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 65 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | Yes | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | Yes | |
| 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 | City Index | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.4 | 1 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.9 | 1 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | City Index | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100.00 | $50-$10,000 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | City Index | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | City Index | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 106 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | City Index | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 88 | 104 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Research | City Index | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | Yes | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | City Index | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | City Index | eToro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | City Index Review | eToro Review |
| Overall | City Index | eToro | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 97 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | City Index Review | eToro Review |
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