Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of eToro vs FXCM, 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.
eToro (founded 2007) and FXCM (founded 1999) are both publicly traded and are not banks. According to ForexBrokers.com’s Trust Score, where 90–99 is highly trusted, 80–89 trusted, 70–79 average risk, 60–69 high risk, and below 59 not trusted, eToro scores 97/99 and FXCM scores 95/99—placing both firms in the highly trusted range.
On regulation, each broker holds 4 Tier-1 licenses, considered the most reliable by ForexBrokers.com. eToro also holds 1 Tier-2 license, while FXCM holds 2 Tier-2 licenses. In short, both are well-regulated with a high level of oversight, with eToro edging FXCM on overall Trust Score and FXCM carrying one additional Tier-2 authorization.
| Feature |
eToro
|
FXCM
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2007 | 1999 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 4 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
When comparing commissions and fees, eToro and FXCM are both priced a little above the industry average, but they appeal to different kinds of traders. eToro, a market-maker broker, typically lists a variable spread of 1 pip on EUR/USD, which is not the cheapest option for active forex trading. Its main draw is not low spreads, but its social copy trading platform and beginner-friendly features. eToro is rated 4 stars for commissions and fees and is ranked #22 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com in this category.
FXCM also has pricing that is slightly higher than average, though its costs can be more attractive than eToro’s in some cases. In May 2024, FXCM’s average EUR/USD spread was 0.78 pips for its EU, U.K., and Australia entities, while its commission-based accounts averaged 0.28 pips before commissions. For high-volume traders, FXCM’s Active Trader Rebate Program can lower costs further, although effective pricing still depends on account type, trading volume, and country. FXCM is rated 4.5 stars for commissions and fees and is ranked #17 out of 36 brokers.
In simple terms, eToro is better known for convenience and social trading than for low fees, while FXCM offers more ways for active traders to reduce costs. If your top priority is the lowest possible trading expense, FXCM has the edge overall, especially for larger-volume traders who can access rebates. If you care more about copy trading and an easy-to-use platform, eToro may still be the better fit despite its higher spread.
| Feature |
eToro
|
FXCM
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50-$10,000 | Starts from $50 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1 | 0.9 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1 | 0.8 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When comparing eToro vs FXCM for range of investments, eToro offers a wider selection overall. eToro has 7,441 tradeable symbols and 65 forex pairs, while FXCM offers 440 symbols and 46 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, and both also offer copy trading. However, eToro goes further by letting clients buy actual shares on U.S. and international exchanges, such as Apple and Vodafone, while FXCM does not offer exchange traded securities.
eToro also gives investors more choice in crypto, since it supports both actual cryptocurrency purchases and cryptocurrency CFDs. FXCM offers cryptocurrency CFDs only. Based on this wider product list, eToro earns 5 stars for range of investments and ranks #10 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while FXCM is rated 4.5 stars and ranks #21. For traders looking for broader market access, eToro has the edge over FXCM.
| Feature |
eToro
|
FXCM
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7441 | 440 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 46 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | 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.
eToro and FXCM both give traders a web-based platform, a free demo account for practice, and the ability to copy other traders. Each broker also has its own in-house platform and lets users trade directly from a chart, which can make order entry quicker and easier for active traders. For traders who want a simple browser experience with social-style investing features, eToro stands out for copy trading, while FXCM also offers this feature alongside a wider set of platform choices.
The biggest difference is that FXCM offers a Windows desktop trading platform and supports MetaTrader 4, while eToro does not offer either one. FXCM also earns a higher rating for Trading Platforms and Tools, with 5 stars and a #4 rank out of 36 brokers, compared with eToro’s 4.5 stars and #8 rank. If you want desktop software and MT4 support, FXCM has the edge; if you prefer a browser-first setup with strong copy trading, eToro is still a solid choice.
| Feature |
eToro
|
FXCM
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 106 | 115 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
eToro and FXCM both make it easy to trade on the go, with iPhone and Android apps, price alerts, watchlist syncing, and the ability to draw trendlines on charts. Each broker also earns a 4.5 out of 5 rating for mobile trading apps, so both are well regarded for everyday mobile use. In terms of market coverage, the two platforms are closely matched for core mobile features, making either one a solid choice for traders who want access from a phone or tablet.
Where eToro stands out is charting depth, offering 104 technical studies in its mobile app compared with 59 at FXCM. eToro also ranks higher for mobile trading apps overall, placing #10 out of 36 brokers versus FXCM’s #16. FXCM does have one useful advantage: its app auto-saves chart drawings, while eToro does not. If you want more chart tools, eToro has the edge; if auto-saving drawings matters more, FXCM may be the better fit.
| Feature |
eToro
|
FXCM
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 59 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
eToro and FXCM both give traders a strong set of market research tools. Each broker offers daily market commentary, forex news from top names like Bloomberg and Reuters, a sentiment tool that shows how traders are positioned, TipRanks research, and an economic calendar with key global events. Neither broker includes Autochartist or Acuity Trading tools.
The main difference is that FXCM adds Trading Central research, while eToro does not. Even so, both brokers earn the same 4.5-star Research rating, with FXCM ranked slightly higher at #11 out of 36 brokers, compared with eToro at #12.
| Feature |
eToro
|
FXCM
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | No | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | Yes | Yes |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to education for beginners, both eToro and FXCM offer a strong range of learning tools. Each broker provides more than 10 pieces of forex or CFDs education, monthly online webinars, and at least 10 beginner videos, as well as 10 advanced videos for traders who want to go further. Both are also rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for Education, so either platform gives new traders plenty of ways to learn the basics and build confidence.
That said, eToro has the edge in overall education ranking, placing #3 out of 36 brokers compared with FXCM at #13. For beginners, this suggests eToro may be the slightly better pick if you want a broker with a broader reputation for learning support, while FXCM still remains a solid choice with the same key education features in place.
| Feature |
eToro
|
FXCM
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 eToro is better than FXCM. eToro finished with an overall rank of #9, while FXCM finished with an overall rank of #10.
eToro is a winner for its easy-to-use copy-trading platform, where traders can copy the trades of experienced investors – or receive exclusive perks for sharing their own trading strategies.
| Feature |
eToro
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FXCM
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| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 97 | 95 |
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In the eToro vs FXCM crypto comparison, eToro lets you buy actual delivered cryptocurrencies and trade crypto CFDs, whereas FXCM supports crypto CFDs only and does not offer delivered crypto purchases.
Comparing eToro vs. FXCM: both online brokers support ACH/SEPA transfers, PayPal, Skrill, and bank wire deposits and withdrawals, while Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either platform.
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 | eToro | FXCM | |
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| Trust Score | 97 | 95 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | eToro Review | FXCM Review |
| Broker Screenshots | eToro | FXCM | |
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| Regulation | eToro | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 97 | 95 | |
| Year Founded | 2007 | 1999 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 4 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 2 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | eToro | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | 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) | eToro | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | eToro | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7441 | 440 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 46 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | 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 | eToro | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1 | 0.9 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1 | 0.8 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | eToro | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50-$10,000 | Starts from $50 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | eToro | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | eToro | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 106 | 115 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | eToro | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 104 | 59 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | No | Yes |
| Research | eToro | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | Yes | Yes | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | eToro | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | eToro | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | eToro Review | FXCM Review |
| Overall | eToro | FXCM | |
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| Trust Score | 97 | 95 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | eToro Review | FXCM Review |
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