Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of CMC Markets vs Plus500, 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 and Plus500 are two prominent online brokers providing a range of trading services. Founded in 1989, CMC Markets is one of the seasoned players in the industry, while Plus500 began its journey in 2008. Both companies are publicly traded, although neither functions as a bank. In terms of regulatory compliance, CMC Markets holds five Tier-1 licenses and one Tier-2 license, signaling substantial trust and reliable compliance standards. Additionally, Plus500 stands out for its six Tier-1 licenses and three Tier-2 licenses, indicative of its strong regulatory adherence and commitment to maintaining trust.
When it comes to ratings, both CMC Markets and Plus500 have achieved the highest Trust Score of 99 from ForexBrokers.com, reflecting their secure and trustworthy platforms. A Trust Score of this level indicates a highly trusted standing in the financial trading market. These ratings are part of a larger score range where scores below 59 indicate a lack of trustworthiness. Thus, traders seeking a reliable online trading experience can consider both CMC Markets and Plus500 as secure and transparent options.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1989 | 2008 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 6 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
When it comes to commissions and fees, CMC Markets has earned the top spot in the industry, winning the #1 ranking for Commissions and Fees in our 2025 Annual Awards. This status is due to their low spreads across all customer categories and account types. On average, CMC Markets offers spreads of 0.61 pips on the EUR/USD, making their pricing highly competitive. They further enhance savings through their active trader program, Price Plus Scheme, which offers discounts on trading costs based on accumulated Trading Points. Additionally, CMC's FX Active pricing structure features a commission based model, providing an all-in cost of just 0.5 pips for certain currency pairs like the EUR/USD.
In comparison, Plus500's pricing strategy focuses on simplicity but falls short of the industry's best offerings, holding a #25 ranking for Commissions and Fees. Their EUR/USD spreads averaged 1.5 pips as of April 2024, which sits above the industry's average. Although Plus500 has no discounts for retail clients, they provide cash rebates similar to active trader programs if you are classified as a Professional client. This pricing approach places Plus500 slightly behind CMC Markets in terms of cost-effectiveness.
Overall, CMC Markets shines with a perfect 5-star rating, solidified by competitive pricing models and programs that benefit a broad spectrum of traders. On the other hand, Plus500 holds a respectable but lesser 4-star rating, offering value primarily to those who qualify as Professional clients. Both brokers present unique advantages, but CMC Markets clearly leads in the realm of lower trading costs and enhanced trader benefits.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | €100 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.61 | 1.5 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.51 | 1.5 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No |
| 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.
CMC Markets and Plus500 both offer an extensive range of investment opportunities to cater to diverse trading preferences. CMC Markets excels with a broader selection, offering a whopping 11,925 tradeable symbols compared to Plus500's 5,500. This includes a significant advantage in forex trading, where CMC Markets provides 156 currency pairs, while Plus500 offers 65. Both platforms allow trading in exchange-traded securities on U.S. and international exchanges, letting clients invest in popular stocks such as Apple and Vodafone. However, only CMC Markets provides copy trading, adding another layer of appeal for traders interested in mimicking successful strategies.
Neither CMC Markets nor Plus500 offers the ability to purchase actual cryptocurrencies, but both platforms allow trading in cryptocurrency derivatives. For their range of investments, CMC Markets garners a full 5-star rating from ForexBrokers.com and holds an impressive 9th place out of 62 brokers, reflecting its comprehensive offerings. Meanwhile, Plus500, with its 4.5-star rating, ranks 24th, making it a solid choice but just short of the depth CMC Markets offers. This comparison highlights CMC Markets as a slightly more attractive option for those seeking a wider array of trading instruments and extra features like copy trading.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 11925 | 5500 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 156 | 65 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
| 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). Non-CFD share trading at Plus500 is only available through the Plus500 Invest account. |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
When comparing CMC Markets and Plus500 for their trading platforms and tools, both brokers offer a free virtual demo account, allowing users to practice their trading skills without financial risk. Each broker provides its own proprietary platform, tailored specifically to enhance the trading experience. However, only CMC Markets offers a Windows-based desktop download platform, whereas both brokers provide a web-based trading platform accessible through any browser.
CMC Markets edges out in terms of additional features, offering popular trading options like MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, neither of which is available with Plus500. While CMC Markets supports copy trading, Plus500 does not. For charting tools, CMC Markets provides 40 drawing tools compared to Plus500's 22, and allows trading directly from a stock chart—a feature Plus500 lacks. With 11 watch list columns to Plus500’s 10, CMC Markets also ranks higher in user customization options. Ratings reflect these differences, with CMC Markets earning 5 stars and being ranked 4th among 62 brokers, while Plus500 holds 4.5 stars and is ranked 14th in the same category by ForexBrokers.com.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 79 | 114 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 40 | 22 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | No |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 10 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both CMC Markets and Plus500 provide mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android users, allowing traders to stay connected on the go. Each app includes key features such as stock and forex price alerts, the ability to draw trendlines on charts, and options to view multiple time frames like daily or weekly snapshots. Users can also create watchlists with real-time quotes that sync across devices, ensuring a seamless experience between their mobile app and online account. However, one notable difference is in the charting capabilities; CMC Markets offers 29 technical studies while Plus500 offers a wider selection with 110 options. Additionally, only CMC Markets' app automatically saves drawings on charts, which may be a small yet significant perk for active traders.
When evaluating overall user satisfaction, CMC Markets stands out with a five-star rating for its mobile app, whereas Plus500 follows closely with a 4.5-star rating. These ratings are further reflected in their rankings by ForexBrokers.com, where CMC Markets holds the 5th spot out of 62 brokers, compared to Plus500's 14th place. Both platforms deliver solid mobile trading solutions, but subtle distinctions in charting features and user ratings might influence which app better aligns with an individual trader’s needs.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 29 | 110 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | No |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
CMC Markets and Plus500 both provide daily market commentary and feature sentiment-based trading tools to help traders understand market dynamics. However, CMC Markets distinguishes itself by offering forex news from top-tier sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, while Plus500 does not. Additionally, CMC Markets provides users with technical and fundamental analysis tools from Autochartist, which Plus500 lacks. In contrast, Plus500 offers tools from Trading Central, a feature not available with CMC Markets.
Both brokers include an economic calendar to track global news events, yet CMC Markets has a slight edge in overall research quality. It holds a five-star rating compared to Plus500's four stars, as per user reviews. Furthermore, CMC Markets ranks at number 6 among 62 brokers in the research category at ForexBrokers.com, notably outperforming Plus500, which stands at number 19. This makes CMC Markets a more comprehensive choice for those seeking extensive market research and analysis features.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to educational resources for beginners, CMC Markets and Plus500 both provide ample content for those diving into the world of forex and CFDs. Both brokers offer more than ten educational materials like articles and videos, with CMC Markets and Plus500 each making available a wide variety of beginner and advanced trading videos. Additionally, both platforms maintain a searchable archive of recorded webinars, allowing users to revisit the sessions at their convenience. However, CMC Markets does not host monthly educational webinars, while Plus500 ensures monthly opportunities for real-time learning experiences.
CMC Markets stands out with its comprehensive investor dictionary, providing definitions for over fifty investing terms, a feature not available with Plus500. This extra resource contributes to CMC Markets receiving a five-star rating in education compared to Plus500's four stars. Additionally, CMC Markets is ranked as the tenth best broker for education out of sixty-two brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while Plus500 is ranked thirty-first. These rankings and features make CMC Markets an appealing choice for beginners looking to enhance their understanding of trading fundamentals.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
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 Plus500. CMC Markets finished with an overall rank of #4, while Plus500 finished with an overall rank of #14.
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
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 99 |
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Neither CMC Markets nor Plus500 provides the option to buy actual delivered cryptocurrency, but both platforms allow trading in cryptocurrency derivatives.
Compare CMC Markets and Plus500 as online brokers: CMC Markets supports ACH and SEPA transfers while Plus500 does not; both offer PayPal and Visa or Mastercard for transactions; however, Plus500 uniquely supports Skrill, whereas both brokers facilitate bank wire transfers.
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 | CMC Markets | Plus500 | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 99 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | CMC Markets Review | Plus500 Review |
| Broker Screenshots | CMC Markets | Plus500 | |
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| Regulation | CMC Markets | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 99 | |
| Year Founded | 1989 | 2008 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 6 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | CMC Markets | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | CMC Markets | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | CMC Markets | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 11925 | 5500 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 156 | 65 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| 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). Non-CFD share trading at Plus500 is only available through the Plus500 Invest account. |
| Cost | CMC Markets | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.61 | 1.5 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.51 | 1.5 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | CMC Markets | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
| Trading Platforms | CMC Markets | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | CMC Markets | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 10 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 79 | 114 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 40 | 22 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | No | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | CMC Markets | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 29 | 110 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | CMC Markets | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | CMC Markets | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | CMC Markets | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Plus500 Review |
| Overall | CMC Markets | Plus500 | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 99 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | CMC Markets Review | Plus500 Review |
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