Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of FXCM vs Exness, 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.
FXCM and Exness are popular online brokers that cater to traders around the globe. Established in 1999, FXCM stands out as a publicly traded company, while Exness, founded in 2008, remains privately held. Neither of these brokers operates as a bank. A key difference between them lies in their regulatory credentials. FXCM holds four Tier-1 licenses, which ForexBrokers.com considers highly trusted, along with two Tier-2 licenses. Exness, on the other hand, has secured two Tier-1 licenses and three Tier-2 licenses, showcasing a solid regulatory stance.
When it comes to trust, FXCM boasts a Trust Score of 95 out of 99 according to ForexBrokers.com, categorizing it as highly trusted. Exness has a Trust Score of 81, falling into the trusted category. Both brokers have established a reliable presence in the online trading industry, yet FXCM holds a slight edge in terms of trust and regulatory licenses. Choosing between them would depend on individual preferences and specific trading needs.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2008 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 3 |
When comparing FXCM and Exness on the basis of commissions and fees, FXCM offers forex trading pricing that is slightly above the industry average. Their standard account features spreads that averaged 0.78 on the EUR/USD pair in regions like the EU, U.K., and Australia, with a higher spread average of 1.38 in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Commission-based accounts at FXCM present a more competitive average spread of 0.28 pips (excluding commissions). Through its Active Trader Rebate Program, FXCM can offer discounts, contingent on trading volume and country eligibility, though some competitors offer even more competitive pricing for active traders. FXCM holds a commendable 4-star rating for commissions and fees and ranks #24 out of 62 brokers.
Exness, on the other hand, provides a variety of account types, including two standard and three professional accounts, each with differing trading costs. The spreads and risk management conditions are linked to the account type chosen. Notably, the Zero Spread account offers market execution, charges a minimal per-trade commission, and demands no restrictions on leverage or stop-out levels. Meanwhile, the Raw account charges a commission up to $7 per round turn and offers reduced spreads with a 30% margin call trigger. While Exness also boasts a 4-star rating for commissions and fees, it falls slightly behind FXCM in rankings at #38 out of 62 brokers.
Both FXCM and Exness provide viable options for traders, each with their own set of benefits. FXCM's strength lies in its rebate programs and commission-based accounts, whereas Exness stands out with flexible account types catering to various trading preferences. Ultimately, the choice between them would depend on individual trading strategies and priorities concerning spreads, commissions, and execution types.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | Starts from $50 | $10 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.78 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.78 | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When comparing the range of investments between FXCM and Exness, both online brokers provide forex trading options through CFDs or spot contracts. FXCM stands out with a total of 440 tradeable symbols, offering a variety of options, compared to Exness's 227 symbols. However, Exness leads in the number of tradeable forex pairs with 96, nearly doubling FXCM's 43 pairs. Neither broker facilitates the purchase of physical shares on U.S. or international exchanges; their offerings remain limited to derivatives in this aspect. Additionally, both brokers support copy trading and provide options for trading cryptocurrency derivatives, though neither allows for buying actual cryptocurrencies.
In terms of expert evaluation, both FXCM and Exness received 3.5 out of five stars for their range of investments. However, ForexBrokers.com ranks FXCM slightly higher at #47 compared to Exness at #56 out of 62 brokers. While both platforms offer ample opportunities for forex enthusiasts, the differences in their offerings may cater to varied trader preferences, with FXCM offering a wider range of symbols and Exness providing more forex pairs.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 440 | 227 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 43 | 96 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| 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). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
When looking at online trading platforms, FXCM and Exness both offer a variety of tools and features to enhance trader experience, yet they differentiate in several key areas. Both brokers provide simulated paper trading with free virtual demo accounts, allowing beginners to practice their strategies without financial risk. Each also delivers a proprietary platform, Windows-based desktop downloads, web-based platforms, and the popular MetaTrader 4 (MT4). However, only Exness extends its platform options to include MetaTrader 5 (MT5), whereas FXCM supports ZuluTrade for those interested in social and copy trading. Both companies facilitate trading directly from stock charts and have a solid selection of technical indicators and drawing tools, with FXCM offering 10 drawing tools compared to Exness's more extensive array of 87.
FXCM and Exness cater to diverse trading needs, offering unique platforms and features that have earned them respective accolades. FXCM stands out with a 5-star rating for its platforms and tools, securing the #6 spot in the ForexBrokers.com rankings among 62 brokers. This high rating is bolstered by numerous functionalities like copy trading and ZuluTrade access. On the other hand, Exness garners a respectable 4-star rating, holding the #31 position in the same rankings, partially due to its support for both MT4 and MT5, coupled with an impressive collection of drawing tools. While FXCM offers 13 columns for watch lists, Exness provides a more streamlined option with 7, which may appeal to traders seeking simplicity. Ultimately, choosing between FXCM and Exness will depend on your platform preference, toolset needs, and trading style.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | Yes | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 107 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 10 | 87 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 13 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When comparing the mobile trading apps of FXCM and Exness, both brokers offer apps for iPhone and Android devices, ensuring on-the-go access to trading. FXCM provides a more comprehensive suite of features for mobile traders, including the ability to sync watchlist symbols with the desktop version—a feature missing from Exness. Both platforms offer stock and forex price alerts, drawing capabilities, and the ability to view charts in various time frames. However, FXCM stands out by offering more technical studies, with 59 available compared to Exness’s 35, which allows for more in-depth chart analysis.
FXCM's app also boasts an auto-save feature for chart drawings, adding convenience for users who frequently analyze the market. This feature is not found in Exness's app. Additionally, creating a watchlist with real-time quotes is possible on both platforms. In terms of user ratings, FXCM scores a higher 4.5-star rating compared to Exness's 4 stars, reflecting its user satisfaction. According to ForexBrokers.com, FXCM ranks 16th out of 62 brokers for mobile trading apps, while Exness is positioned at 32nd, highlighting FXCM's edge in mobile trading app performance overall.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 59 | 35 |
| 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.
When comparing FXCM and Exness for their market research offerings, both brokers provide essential daily market commentary and access to forex news from top-tier sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones. Traders with both brokerages can also make use of Trading Central's technical analysis tools. Moreover, each broker offers a sentiment-based trading tool, helping traders understand market trends through the ratio of long or short positions across different instruments. In terms of economic updates, both FXCM and Exness include an economic calendar that displays upcoming global news events.
Despite these similarities, FXCM distinguishes itself by offering market research from TipRanks, a service not available with Exness. When evaluating overall research quality, FXCM receives a higher rating of 4.5 stars compared to the 3.5 stars earned by Exness. Additionally, FXCM ranks significantly higher at #11 out of 62 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com, while Exness stands at #41. These factors suggest that FXCM may provide a more comprehensive research experience for traders seeking deeper market insights.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | Yes |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | Yes | 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, FXCM and Exness both provide a solid foundation for learning about forex and CFDs with at least 10 educational pieces, which include articles, videos, and archived webinars. However, FXCM distinguishes itself with additional offerings. It hosts monthly online educational webinars, providing a chance for their clients to engage in real-time. Alongside this, FXCM maintains a searchable archive of these past webinars, making it easy for users to find valuable educational content at their convenience. In contrast, Exness does not offer live webinars, though they do provide a searchable archive of recorded sessions for those looking to review information in their own time.
For those looking to dive deeper into trading topics, both brokers offer a series of educational videos targeted specifically at beginners. However, FXCM goes a step further by also providing advanced educational videos for more experienced traders, a feature Exness lacks. Both brokers include an investor dictionary with over 50 investing terms, which is beneficial for learners to understand essential terminology. In terms of quality, FXCM is rated 4.5 stars for its educational offerings and ranks 14th among 62 brokers on ForexBrokers.com. Exness, on the other hand, receives a 3.5-star rating and is ranked 47th, indicating a more moderate standing in educational resources.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 62 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that FXCM is better than Exness. FXCM finished with an overall rank of #15, while Exness finished with an overall rank of #41.
For traders who appreciate advanced trading tools and quality market research, FXCM is a winner, especially for algorithmic trading. Its range of tradeable markets is fairly narrow, however, and the pricing at FXCM is just average.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 95 | 81 |
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Both FXCM and Exness do not offer the option to buy actual delivered cryptocurrency but do provide the ability to trade cryptocurrency derivatives.
In comparing online brokers FXCM and Exness, FXCM provides a broader range of deposit and withdrawal options including ACH, SEPA transfers, and PayPal, which are not available with Exness, while both platforms support Skril, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wire transactions.
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 | FXCM | Exness | |
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| Trust Score | 95 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FXCM Review | Exness Review |
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| Regulation | FXCM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 95 | 81 | |
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2008 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 3 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | FXCM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| 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) | FXCM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | Yes |
| Investments | FXCM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 440 | 227 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 43 | 96 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| 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). |
| Cost | FXCM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.78 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.78 | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | FXCM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | Starts from $50 | $10 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | FXCM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | Yes | No |
| Trading Tools | FXCM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 13 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 107 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 10 | 87 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | FXCM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 59 | 35 | |
| 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 | FXCM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | FXCM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | FXCM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | FXCM Review | Exness Review |
| Overall | FXCM | Exness | |
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| Trust Score | 95 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FXCM Review | Exness Review |
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