Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of FOREX.com vs FXCM, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
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FOREX.com and FXCM are online forex brokers founded in 1999. Both are publicly traded and neither is a bank. According to ForexBrokers.com, FOREX.com has a Trust Score of 99 and FXCM scores 95; scores from 90–99 are considered highly trusted.
In terms of regulation, FOREX.com holds seven Tier-1 licenses (highly trusted) and two Tier-2 licenses (trusted), while FXCM holds four Tier-1 licenses and two Tier-2 licenses. Both brokers are well regulated, with FOREX.com offering a broader set of top-tier approvals.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
FXCM
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1999 | 1999 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 4 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
FOREX.com and FXCM both earn 4.5 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees, but FOREX.com comes out slightly ahead in the rankings, placing #15 out of 36 brokers versus FXCM at #17. In simple terms, both brokers are priced a bit above the industry average, so cost-conscious traders may want to look closely at the account type and trading volume that fits them best.
FOREX.com can be pricier on its Standard account, with EUR/USD spreads averaging 1.4 pips in the U.S., though its RAW account offers tighter spreads around 0.13 pips plus a commission. For many U.S. traders, the total cost on the commission account can end up close to the Standard account unless monthly trading volume is very high. FXCM also has spread-based and commission-based pricing, with average EUR/USD spreads around 0.78 pips in the EU, U.K., and Australia, and about 1.38 pips through its St. Vincent and the Grenadines entity. Its commission-based pricing can look lower at first, but once commissions are added, the effective cost is often closer to 0.74 pips.
Both brokers offer active trader discounts that can help lower costs for high-volume traders, but the best savings depend on where your account is based and how much you trade. FOREX.com tends to offer stronger value for very active traders using its RAW pricing, while FXCM’s rebates can help, though its overall fees are still slightly less competitive than the top low-cost brokers.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
FXCM
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | Starts from $50 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.00 | 0.9 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.13 | 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 it comes to the range of investments, FOREX.com offers more choice than FXCM. Both brokers support forex trading through CFDs or spot contracts, and both let clients trade cryptocurrency CFDs. But FOREX.com stands out with about 5,500 tradeable symbols and 80 forex pairs, compared with FXCM’s 440 symbols and 46 forex pairs. FOREX.com also gives access to exchange traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, which means you can buy actual shares such as Apple or Vodafone, while FXCM does not offer these stock investments.
FXCM does have one feature FOREX.com does not: copy trading. Still, for investors looking for a wider mix of markets, FOREX.com has the edge. It is rated 5 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #6 out of 36 brokers in this category, while FXCM is rated 4.5 stars and ranks #21. Neither broker lets you buy actual cryptocurrency.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
FXCM
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 440 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 80 | 46 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | No | 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.
FOREX.com and FXCM both give traders a wide choice of platforms and tools, including free demo accounts, their own in-house platforms, desktop software for Windows, web-based trading, MT4, and the ability to trade straight from charts. Each broker also earns a top 5-star rating for trading platforms and tools, with FOREX.com ranked #5 and FXCM ranked #4 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com. In other words, both are strong choices if you want flexible platform access across web, desktop, and MetaTrader.
The biggest difference is that FXCM offers copy trading, while FOREX.com does not. FOREX.com does offer MT5, while FXCM does not, which may matter if you want the newer MetaTrader platform. Overall, FOREX.com and FXCM are closely matched for platform quality, but FXCM has an edge for copy trading and ranking, while FOREX.com stands out for MT5 support.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
FXCM
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 90 | 115 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
FOREX.com and FXCM both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, along with price alerts, watchlist symbol syncing, trendline drawing, and auto-saving chart drawings. In other words, both brokers make it easy to trade and keep track of markets from a phone, and both give users a similar core mobile experience.
Where FOREX.com stands out is in charting and overall app quality. Its mobile app includes 90 technical studies, compared with 59 at FXCM, and it earns a 5-star Mobile Trading Apps rating versus FXCM’s 4.5 stars. FOREX.com is also ranked #2 out of 36 brokers for mobile trading apps by ForexBrokers.com, while FXCM is ranked #16, making FOREX.com the stronger choice for traders who want more chart tools and a better-rated app.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
FXCM
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 90 | 59 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When it comes to market research, both FOREX.com and FXCM give traders a strong set of tools and timely information. Each broker offers daily market commentary, forex news from major sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, a sentiment tool that shows how traders are positioned, Trading Central research, and an economic calendar covering key global events. Neither broker includes Autochartist or Acuity Trading tools, but FXCM does stand out by offering TipRanks research, which FOREX.com does not.
Overall, FOREX.com has the edge for research quality, with a 5-star rating and a #7 ranking out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com, compared with FXCM’s 4.5-star rating and #11 ranking. That makes FOREX.com the better pick for traders who want a slightly stronger research package, while FXCM still remains a solid choice for market insights and adds an extra layer with TipRanks.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
FXCM
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | Yes |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
FOREX.com and FXCM both give beginners plenty of ways to learn, with each offering forex and CFDs education, monthly online webinars, and at least 10 beginner and 10 advanced trading videos. That means new traders can find both basic lessons and more detailed material on either platform, making each broker a solid place to start learning the market.
That said, FOREX.com has the edge for education overall. It earns a 5-star Education rating and ranks #4 out of 36 brokers in the category, while FXCM holds a 4.5-star rating and ranks #13. For beginners comparing the two, FOREX.com stands out as the stronger choice for educational support, even though FXCM still offers a good range of learning tools.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
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 FOREX.com is better than FXCM. FOREX.com finished with an overall rank of #4, while FXCM finished with an overall rank of #10.
FOREX.com is a trusted brand that delivers an excellent trading experience for forex and CFDs traders across the globe. It offers a wide range of markets and provides an impressive suite of proprietary platforms – alongside limited access to MetaTrader.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
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FXCM
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 95 |
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FOREX.com vs FXCM: neither broker supports buying actual delivered cryptocurrencies, but both offer cryptocurrency CFD trading.
FOREX.com vs FXCM: both brokers support ACH/SEPA transfers, PayPal, Skrill, and bank wire deposits and withdrawals, while Visa or Mastercard availability is not specified.
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 | FOREX.com | FXCM | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 95 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FOREX.com Review | FXCM Review |
| Broker Screenshots | FOREX.com | FXCM | |
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| Regulation | FOREX.com | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 95 | |
| Year Founded | 1999 | 1999 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 4 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 2 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | FOREX.com | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | Yes | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | FOREX.com | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | ||
| 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) | No |
| Investments | FOREX.com | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 440 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 80 | 46 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | No | 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 | FOREX.com | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.00 | 0.9 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.13 | 0.8 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | FOREX.com | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | 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 | FOREX.com | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | FOREX.com | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 90 | 115 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | FOREX.com | 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 | 90 | 59 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | FOREX.com | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | Yes | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | FOREX.com | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | FOREX.com | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | FOREX.com Review | FXCM Review |
| Overall | FOREX.com | FXCM | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 95 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FOREX.com Review | FXCM Review |
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