Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of HFM vs Eightcap, 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.
HFM (founded 2010) and Eightcap (founded 2009) are online brokers; neither is publicly traded nor a bank. Because they don’t publish the kind of financials that listed companies do, many traders compare their regulation and independent trust ratings.
Regulation: HFM holds 2 Tier-1 licenses and 3 Tier-2 licenses, while Eightcap holds 3 Tier-1 and 1 Tier-2. On ForexBrokers.com’s Trust Score scale (90–99 highly trusted, 80–89 trusted, 70–79 average risk, 60–69 high risk, under 59 not trusted), HFM scores 85 and Eightcap scores 87—both are “trusted,” with Eightcap slightly higher by two points and carrying more Tier-1 licenses. Consider which licenses apply to your country and any platform features you need when deciding.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2009 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 3 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
When comparing HFM vs. Eightcap for commissions and fees, both brokers land in the middle of the pack, but Eightcap comes out a bit ahead. HFM is slightly above the industry average on trading costs. Its standard account lists a typical spread of 1.2 pips, though the broker does not provide a date range for that figure, so the real average could be higher. HFM’s Zero account shows an effective spread of 0.7 pips after commission, but this is also not presented as an average. HFM is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #28 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees.
Eightcap gives traders a choice between a spread-only Standard account and a commission-based Raw account. On the Raw account, Eightcap lists an average spread of 0.06 pips, and after adding the $3.50 per-side commission, the all-in cost is about 0.76 pips. That puts it just below the industry average of 0.8 pips, although it is still not among the very cheapest forex brokers. Eightcap is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #20 out of 36 for commissions and fees.
In simple terms, if lower trading costs are a priority, Eightcap has the edge over HFM by a small margin. HFM is still reasonably priced, but Eightcap’s pricing, especially on its Raw account, is a little more competitive overall.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.8 | 1.0 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.1 | 0.76 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
HFM and Eightcap both let you trade forex as CFDs, and each also offers copy trading plus cryptocurrency CFDs, but not real, delivered crypto. Neither broker gives access to exchange-traded shares on U.S. or international stock exchanges, so if you want to buy actual Apple or Vodafone shares, neither platform supports that. HFM provides 344 tradeable symbols and 38 forex pairs, while Eightcap offers a wider menu with 803 tradeable symbols and 55 forex pairs.
In terms of range of investments, Eightcap has the larger product list, while HFM still covers the core markets many traders look for. That said, HFM is rated slightly higher for this category, with 4 out of 5 stars compared with Eightcap’s 3.5 stars. On ForexBrokers.com, HFM ranks #28 out of 36 brokers for range of investments, just ahead of Eightcap at #29.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 344 | 803 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 38 | 55 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | No |
| Copy Trading | Yes | 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.
HFM and Eightcap both give traders a solid set of platform choices, including free demo accounts, web-based trading, Windows desktop downloads, copy trading, and access to MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. Each broker also lets users place trades directly from charts, which can make it easier to react quickly to market moves. In ForexBrokers.com’s Trading Platforms and Tools category, both brokers are rated 4 out of 5 stars, showing that each offers a well-rounded trading setup for most everyday traders.
The main difference is that HFM also offers its own in-house trading platform, while Eightcap does not. That may matter for traders who want something beyond the standard third-party options. In the same category, Eightcap is ranked slightly higher than HFM by ForexBrokers.com, coming in at #31 out of 36 brokers compared with HFM at #33, though the gap is small and both brokers remain closely matched overall.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| 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) | 38 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
HFM and Eightcap both make it easy to trade on the go, since each broker offers mobile apps for iPhone and Android. They also both support price alerts, trendline drawing, and auto-saving chart drawings, which helps traders keep track of the markets from a phone or tablet. In ForexBrokers.com’s Mobile Trading Apps category, both brokers are rated 4 out of 5 stars, with HFM ranked #32 out of 36 and Eightcap ranked #31 out of 36.
The main difference is in charting and watchlist syncing. Eightcap lets users sync watchlists between the mobile app and their online account, so changes stay updated across devices, while HFM does not offer this feature. Eightcap also gives mobile traders more technical studies for charts, with 30 compared with HFM’s 5. For traders who want more chart tools and smoother watchlist syncing, Eightcap has the edge, while HFM still covers the basics well.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 5 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
HFM and Eightcap both give traders useful market research basics, including daily market commentary, a sentiment tool that shows long and short positioning, an economic calendar, and research support from Acuity Trading. Neither broker offers research from Trading Central or TipRanks. That said, HFM goes a step further by providing forex news from major sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, plus Autochartist tools for technical and fundamental analysis, which Eightcap does not offer.
Overall, HFM has the edge for market research. It is rated 4 stars for Research and ranks #18 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while Eightcap is rated 3.5 stars and ranks #33. For traders who want more in-depth news and analysis tools in one place, HFM offers a stronger research setup than Eightcap.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to beginner-friendly learning tools, HFM and Eightcap both give new traders a solid starting point. Each broker offers at least 10 pieces of forex or CFD education, runs live educational webinars at least once a month, and provides 10 or more beginner videos that cover basic trading topics. That means either platform can help a newcomer get familiar with the markets and build core knowledge at their own pace.
Where HFM pulls ahead is in content for more experienced traders, offering at least 10 advanced educational videos while Eightcap does not meet that mark. This wider range helps HFM serve both first-time traders and those ready to go deeper. Reflecting that difference, HFM is rated 4 stars for Education and ranks #29 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while Eightcap is rated 3.5 stars and ranks #31.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that HFM is better than Eightcap. HFM finished with an overall rank of #27, while Eightcap finished with an overall rank of #30.
HFM (HF Markets) is a global broker best known for its MetaTrader offering, solid research tools, and proprietary copy trading platform, alongside a broad selection of forex pairs and CFDs.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
|
| Trust Score | 85 | 87 |
| Range of Investments |
|
|
| Trading Fees |
|
|
| Trading Platforms |
|
|
| Research |
|
|
| Mobile Trading |
|
|
| Education |
|
|
HFM vs Eightcap crypto trading comparison: neither broker lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both offer cryptocurrency CFD trading.
HFM vs Eightcap deposits and withdrawals: neither supports ACH/SEPA, both allow Skrill and bank wire transfers, while only Eightcap offers PayPal.
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.
Select Brokers
↓×Compare
0 of 5| Overall Rating | HFM | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Trading Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Trading Platforms |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 85 | 87 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | HFM Review | Eightcap Review |
| Broker Screenshots | HFM | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
|
|
| Regulation | HFM | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 85 | 87 | |
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2009 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 3 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | HFM | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| 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) | HFM | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | HFM | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 344 | 803 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 38 | 55 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | No | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | 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 | HFM | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.8 | 1.0 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.1 | 0.76 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | HFM | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | HFM | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| 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 | HFM | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 38 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | HFM | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 5 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | HFM | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | HFM | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | HFM | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | HFM Review | Eightcap Review |
| Overall | HFM | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Trading Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Trading Platforms |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 85 | 87 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | HFM Review | Eightcap Review |
IG
FOREX.com
CMC Markets
XTB
eToro
AvaTrade
Pepperstone
FP Markets
Tickmill