Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of HFM 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.
HFM and Exness, both offering online trading services, were established in 2010 and 2008, respectively. Neither of these brokers is publicly traded nor operates as a bank. When it comes to regulatory compliance, both HFM and Exness hold two Tier-1 licenses, indicating a high level of trustworthiness according to ForexBrokers.com rankings. Additionally, they each possess three Tier-2 licenses, signifying they are trusted entities in the financial services sector.
In terms of overall trust scores on ForexBrokers.com, HFM scores an 86 out of 99, placing it within the trusted category. Meanwhile, Exness has a slightly lower trust score of 81, which also categorizes it as trusted. Both these brokers maintain strong regulatory standings, providing reassurance to potential clients seeking reliability and security in their trading platforms.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2008 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 3 |
When comparing online brokers HFM and Exness in terms of commissions and fees, both provide varied account structures designed to meet different trading needs. HFM offers slightly above-average trading costs compared to the industry standard. Their standard trading accounts typically feature a spread of 1.2 pips, although this figure isn't an average, which implies potential variability. For traders seeking lower spreads, HFM’s Zero account boasts a spread of 0.7 pips after commission. Users have rated HFM 4 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees, placing it at #31 among 62 brokers reviewed by ForexBrokers.com.
Exness, on the other hand, provides five primary account types, alongside two social copy trading accounts, catering to diverse trading styles. The costs associated with these accounts vary; for instance, commission-free accounts have higher spreads than their commission-based counterparts. Of particular note are the Zero Spread and Raw accounts, which provide tighter spreads for a fair commission of $0.05 and up to $7 per round turn lot, respectively. All Exness accounts use market execution, except the Pro account, which also allows instant execution. Exness also earns a 4-star rating for its commissions and fees, though it ranks slightly below HFM at #35 in the same ForexBrokers.com evaluation.
Both brokers deliver competitive offerings, though their fees and commissions structures differ significantly. HFM tends to favor straightforward account types with a focus on spread simplicity, while Exness delivers various tailored options designed to cater to distinct trading strategies. The choice between HFM and Exness will frequently depend on a trader's specific preferences and strategy requirements, with both brokers effectively catering to a range of trading styles. Despite the variances in their fee structures, both maintain strong reputations and similar ratings within the financial trading community.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $10 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.2 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.7 | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | 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 investment options offered by HFM and Exness, both online brokers provide access to forex trading as either CFDs or spot contracts. HFM shines with a wider range of tradeable options, offering a total of 500 symbols compared to Exness's 227. For those specifically interested in forex pairs, HFM also has a slight lead with 102 pairs available, whereas Exness offers 96. However, neither broker provides access to exchange-traded securities on U.S. or international exchanges, meaning clients can't directly buy shares like Apple or Vodafone. Despite this limitation, both platforms support copy trading, adding an extra level of strategy for investors.
For cryptocurrency enthusiasts, both HFM and Exness fall short of offering actual cryptocurrencies; instead, they provide cryptocurrency derivatives. In terms of expert ratings, HFM earns a higher score for its range of investments, with a 4-star rating compared to Exness's 3.5 stars. This higher rating is mirrored in their rankings by ForexBrokers.com, where HFM sits at #36 out of 62 brokers for range of investments, while Exness is further down the list at #55. Overall, while both brokers have their strengths, HFM appears to offer a broader selection of investment options for traders to explore.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 500 | 227 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 102 | 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 comparing the trading platforms and tools of HFM and Exness, both brokers offer similar features, including simulated paper trading with free virtual demo accounts. They each provide proprietary platforms developed in-house, along with support for popular platforms like MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5). Both HFM and Exness offer Windows-based desktop platforms, web-based trading platforms, and the ability to trade directly from stock charts. However, neither provides access to DupliTrade or ZuluTrade. A distinguishing factor is the number of drawing tools available for charting, where HFM offers 30, while Exness provides a more extensive selection of 87 tools.
In terms of technical ratings, both HFM and Exness are awarded 4 stars for their trading platforms and tools. However, the difference in their ranking by ForexBrokers.com highlights Exness's slightly higher standing, placing at 26th out of 62 brokers, compared to HFM's 42nd position. Additionally, both brokers offer seven columns in their watchlists for traders to customize their viewing experience. Overall, both HFM and Exness provide comprehensive and versatile platforms for traders, albeit with some differences in charting tools and market rankings.
| Feature |
HFM
|
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) | Yes | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 15 | 107 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 30 | 87 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both HFM and Exness provide mobile trading apps available for iPhone and Android devices, allowing traders to manage their investments from anywhere. Each app offers features like stock and forex price alerts and the ability to create watchlists with real-time quotes. However, neither app supports syncing of watchlist symbols with the user's online account, which means watchlists must be manually updated across platforms. When it comes to charting, Exness offers a slight edge with 35 technical studies compared to HFM’s 30, though both apps allow users to draw trendlines and view multiple time frames on charts. A notable difference is that HFM’s app automatically saves chart drawings, whereas Exness’s does not.
Both apps have received a four-star rating for their mobile trading experience, showing users are generally satisfied. However, Exness is ranked higher than HFM in the Mobile Trading Apps category on ForexBrokers.com, securing the 26th position out of 62 brokers, while HFM comes in at 39th. This ranking might suggest that Exness offers a slightly more favorable user experience overall. Despite these differences, both apps provide a solid suite of tools that cater to mobile traders.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 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 the market research offerings of HFM and Exness, both brokers provide daily market commentary and supply forex news from reputable sources like Bloomberg and Reuters. HFM excels by incorporating tools such as Autochartist for technical and fundamental analysis, whereas Exness stands out with Trading Central's technical analytics capabilities. Moreover, both platforms offer sentiment-based trading tools that display the ratio of long or short positions for various instruments, alongside accessible economic calendars that cover global news events. However, neither broker includes research from TipRanks or Acuity Trading's tools, such as Signal Centre, in their offerings.
In terms of overall research ratings, HFM scores slightly higher with a 4-star rating, compared to Exness's 3.5 stars on ForexBrokers.com. This difference is reflected in their respective rankings, where HFM is positioned at 20th out of 62 brokers, while Exness is ranked 41st. Each platform offers its unique strengths, allowing traders to choose based on their individual research needs and preferences, albeit with some overlapping features.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| 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.
HFM and Exness both provide a vast array of educational resources aimed at helping newcomers understand forex and CFDs trading. HFM takes the lead with comprehensive offerings that include over ten educational pieces like articles and videos, alongside monthly webinars. This is further complemented by a searchable archive of these webinars, which allows for convenient viewing at any time. HFM enhances its educational suite with a collection of beginner-friendly videos and advanced trading lessons, alongside an investor dictionary with more than 50 investing terms. This strong emphasis on education earns HFM a commendable four-star rating.
Exness also stands as a reliable option for beginner education in forex trading by offering over ten educational materials and a searchable archive of past webinars. Exness excels with a range of beginner-focused videos and a detailed investor dictionary similar to HFM's offerings. However, the absence of monthly webinars and advanced educational content slightly reduces its appeal for those seeking a more immersive learning experience. Consequently, Exness holds a 3.5-star rating for education, placing it at a modest position compared to HFM in educational rankings, with ForexBrokers.com ranking it at #47 out of 62 brokers, as opposed to HFM's #37 ranking.
| Feature |
HFM
|
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 HFM is better than Exness. HFM finished with an overall rank of #30, while Exness finished with an overall rank of #43.
Alongside its enhanced MetaTrader offering and quality research, HFM (HF Markets), previously known as HotForex, offers a proprietary copy trading platform, HFcopy, a proprietary HF mobile app, and a decent selection of over 1,000 CFDs and 47 forex pairs. Still, trading costs at HFM are slightly above the industry average.
| Feature |
HFM
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Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 81 |
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Both HFM and Exness do not provide the option to purchase actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but they both offer the ability to trade cryptocurrency derivatives.
Both HFM and Exness lack ACH and SEPA transfer options, as well as PayPal, but offer Skrill, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wire services for depositing or withdrawing funds.
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 | HFM | Exness | |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | HFM Review | Exness Review |
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| Regulation | HFM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 86 | 81 | |
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2008 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 3 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | HFM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | 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) | HFM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | Yes |
| Investments | HFM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 500 | 227 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 102 | 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 | HFM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.2 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.7 | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | HFM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $10 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | HFM | 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) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | HFM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 15 | 107 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 30 | 87 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | HFM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 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 | HFM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | HFM | 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 | HFM | 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 | HFM Review | Exness Review |
| Overall | HFM | Exness | |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | HFM Review | Exness Review |
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