Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of CMC Markets vs Swissquote, 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.
Founded in 1989, CMC Markets is a publicly traded online broker known for its high level of trustworthiness in the financial industry. The firm is not a bank, but it boasts an impressive Trust Score of 99 out of 99 according to ForexBrokers.com, placing it in the highly trusted category. Supporting this trust are CMC Markets' six Tier-1 licenses, which are highly rated for regulatory safety, and one Tier-2 license. These credentials underscore CMC Markets' strong regulatory standing and commitment to maintaining high standards for its clients.
In contrast, Swissquote, founded in 1996, is both a publicly traded company and a bank, giving it a unique standing in the online brokerage field. Like CMC Markets, Swissquote holds a perfect Trust Score of 99 out of 99 as per ForexBrokers.com, reflecting its solid reputation. Swissquote holds five Tier-1 licenses and two Tier-2 licenses, indicating its trusted regulatory framework. Despite the slight difference in the number of Tier-1 and Tier-2 licenses compared to CMC Markets, Swissquote's strong regulatory presence supports its credibility as a reliable option for online brokerage services.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Swissquote
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1989 | 1996 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank | No | Yes |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 5 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
CMC Markets is the stronger choice on commissions and fees, earning a 5-star rating and a #4 ranking out of 36 brokers. Its pricing is known for low average spreads, with typical EUR/USD spreads around 0.61 pips, and its FX Active pricing can bring all-in trading costs down to 0.5 pips on select pairs. CMC also offers an active trader program that can lower costs further, making it a good fit for frequent traders who want competitive pricing.
Swissquote, by comparison, is more expensive and ranks much lower for value, with a 3.5-star rating and a #35 ranking out of 36 brokers. While it offers different account types across its U.K., Luxembourg, and Swiss entities, the costs are generally higher than what you would find at low-cost forex brokers. For example, EUR/USD spreads can start at 1.3 pips on Swissquote’s U.K. Standard account and 1.7 pips on the Swiss Standard account, with better pricing usually requiring larger deposits or commission-based accounts.
In short, CMC Markets is the better pick if commissions and fees are your main concern. Swissquote may appeal to traders who want the backing of a Swiss banking group, but that convenience usually comes with higher trading costs. If saving on spreads and commissions matters most, CMC Markets is the clearer winner.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Swissquote
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $1000 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.3 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.65 | N/A |
| 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.
CMC Markets and Swissquote both give traders access to forex trading, copy trading, U.S. exchange-traded shares, international shares, and cryptocurrency CFDs. Each broker also earns a top 5-star rating for Range of Investments, showing that both offer a wide mix of markets for different types of investors. That said, CMC Markets stands out for sheer size, with 12,029 tradeable symbols and 141 forex pairs, compared with Swissquote’s 472 symbols and 80 forex pairs.
Swissquote, however, has an edge for investors who want to buy actual cryptocurrency rather than just a CFD, since it offers delivered crypto while CMC Markets does not. In ForexBrokers.com’s Range of Investments ranking, Swissquote places #2 out of 36 brokers, while CMC Markets ranks #9. Overall, CMC Markets offers a much larger selection of instruments, while Swissquote provides a slightly more rounded choice for traders who want both traditional markets and real crypto ownership.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Swissquote
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 12029 | 472 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 141 | 80 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | 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.
CMC Markets and Swissquote both give traders a strong set of trading platforms and tools, with free demo accounts, their own in-house platforms, desktop downloads for Windows, and web-based platforms for browser access. Both brokers also support copy trading, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, and trading straight from a price chart, making it easy for beginners and active traders alike to test ideas and place orders in different ways.
When it comes to trading platform quality, CMC Markets has the edge. ForexBrokers.com rates CMC Markets 5 out of 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools and ranks it #6 out of 36 brokers, while Swissquote earns 4.5 stars and ranks #12. For traders comparing CMC Markets vs Swissquote, both are well equipped, but CMC Markets stands out slightly more for its platform experience and overall tools.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Swissquote
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 73 | 86 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
CMC Markets and Swissquote both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, along with stock and forex price alerts. Each app also lets users draw trendlines on charts and automatically saves those drawings, making it easier to track ideas while on the move. In this area, the two brokers share many of the same core tools for mobile trading.
The main differences come down to convenience and charting depth. CMC Markets offers watchlist syncing between its mobile app and online account, while Swissquote does not. Swissquote slightly edges out CMC Markets on chart studies, with 30 technical indicators versus 29. Even so, CMC Markets has the stronger overall mobile app rating at 5 stars and ranks #5 out of 36 brokers for mobile trading apps, compared with Swissquote’s 4.5 stars and #12 ranking.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Swissquote
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 29 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
CMC Markets and Swissquote both give traders useful market research features, including daily market commentary, forex news from top sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, plus an economic calendar for tracking key global events. Each broker also offers Autochartist tools for technical and fundamental analysis, while neither provides Trading Central, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading research tools. For most everyday research needs, both platforms cover the basics well.
CMC Markets has the edge for market research thanks to its sentiment tool, which shows the balance of long and short positions across currency pairs and other instruments. That extra insight helps traders gauge market mood more easily. This advantage is reflected in its 5-star research rating and #6 ranking out of 36 brokers, compared with Swissquote’s 4.5-star rating and #15 ranking for the same category.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Swissquote
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
CMC Markets and Swissquote both give beginners a solid set of learning tools, including at least 10 beginner videos and at least 10 advanced videos on trading topics. CMC Markets stands out for its education overall, with a 5-star Education rating and a #10 ranking out of 36 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Swissquote is rated 4.5 stars and ranked #19. For traders who want a broad mix of forex and CFD learning content, both brokers offer enough material to get started and keep building skills.
The biggest difference is in live learning support. Swissquote offers online educational webinars at least once a month, which can be especially helpful for beginners who want to ask questions and learn in real time, while CMC Markets does not. CMC Markets does appear to provide forex or CFD-focused education with at least 10 relevant pieces, and Swissquote does as well, so both cover the basics well. If you want stronger overall education quality, CMC Markets has the edge; if live webinars matter more, Swissquote is the better fit.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Swissquote
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 CMC Markets is better than Swissquote. CMC Markets finished with an overall rank of #5, while Swissquote finished with an overall rank of #11.
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
|
Swissquote
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 99 |
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CMC Markets vs Swissquote: both brokers offer cryptocurrency CFDs, but only Swissquote lets you buy and hold actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, whereas CMC Markets does not.
In the CMC Markets vs Swissquote comparison for deposits and withdrawals, both brokers support ACH/SEPA, PayPal, and bank wires, but only Swissquote supports Skrill, 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 | CMC Markets | Swissquote | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 99 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | CMC Markets Review | Swissquote Review |
| Broker Screenshots | CMC Markets | Swissquote | |
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| Regulation | CMC Markets | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 99 | |
| Year Founded | 1989 | 1996 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank | No | Yes | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 5 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 2 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | CMC Markets | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| 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 | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| 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 | CMC Markets | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 12029 | 472 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 141 | 80 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | 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 | CMC Markets | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.3 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.65 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | CMC Markets | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $1000 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | CMC Markets | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | CMC Markets | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 73 | 86 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | CMC Markets | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 29 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | CMC Markets | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | CMC Markets | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | No | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | CMC Markets | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | CMC Markets Review | Swissquote Review |
| Overall | CMC Markets | Swissquote | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 99 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | CMC Markets Review | Swissquote Review |
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