Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of FXCM vs Trade Nation, 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.
Founded in 1999, FXCM is a well-established player in the online brokerage industry. With a strong public presence as a publicly traded company, FXCM holds 4 highly trusted Tier-1 licenses and 2 trusted Tier-2 licenses. This regulatory foundation delivers a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 95, marking it as a highly trusted broker for traders seeking security and reliability.
On the other hand, Trade Nation, founded in 2014, offers a more recent entry into the market. Although it is not publicly traded, Trade Nation holds 2 Tier-1 licenses and 1 Tier-2 license. These credentials contribute to a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 85, categorizing it as a trusted choice for traders looking for dependable trading solutions. Neither FXCM nor Trade Nation operates as a bank, focusing instead on providing dedicated trading services.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2014 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
When comparing FXCM and Trade Nation on commissions and fees, FXCM holds a slightly above-average position within the industry. FXCM offers a range of account types with varying spreads and commission structures. The standard account spreads for EUR/USD, based on data from May 2024, averaged 0.78 for their EU, U.K., and Australia offerings, while it was higher at 1.38 for the St. Vincent and the Grenadines entity. Their commission-based account offers more competitive spreads averaging 0.28 pips, excluding commissions. With FXCM’s Active Trader Rebate Program, traders can potentially achieve lower effective spreads depending on trading volume, though such discounts are not available in the U.K. or EU. FXCM is rated 4 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and ranks 24th out of 62 brokers on ForexBrokers.com.
In contrast, Trade Nation offers competitive fixed-spread pricing across their platforms. For the popular EUR/USD pair, Trade Nation lists a fixed spread of 0.6 pips on its proprietary platform. Although spreads may widen briefly during daily rollovers, they generally average around 1 pip. Trade Nation provides three main account types, including a commission-based Raw Spread account on their MetaTrader platform and a commission-free account. Their proprietary TN Trader account tends to offer the lowest overall spreads. With its clear pricing structure and competitive fixed spreads, Trade Nation earns a 5-star rating and ranks 7th out of 62 brokers in the Commissions and Fees category on ForexBrokers.com.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | Starts from $50 | $0 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.78 | 0.6 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.78 | 0.6 |
| 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 investment options available on FXCM and Trade Nation, both brokers offer forex trading via CFDs or spot contracts. However, there is a noticeable difference in the number of tradable symbols they provide; FXCM offers 440 symbols, whereas Trade Nation offers a much larger selection with 1000 symbols. Despite this disparity, the number of tradable forex pairs is fairly close, with FXCM offering 43 pairs and Trade Nation slightly ahead with 46 pairs.
Both FXCM and Trade Nation limit their offerings to CFD products when it comes to cryptocurrencies, as neither provides the option to buy actual cryptocurrencies. Additionally, neither broker allows for the purchase of exchange-traded securities on U.S. or international exchanges. While both platforms support copy trading, their investment range ratings stand at 3.5 stars each. Yet, their rankings differ significantly, with FXCM placed at #47 and Trade Nation at #38 out of 62 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 440 | 1000 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 43 | 46 |
| 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 trading platforms and tools, both FXCM and Trade Nation offer comprehensive solutions for traders. Each broker provides simulated trading with free demo accounts, enabling users to refine their strategies without risk. They both developed their proprietary platforms and additionally offer popular platforms like MetaTrader 4, but neither supports MetaTrader 5. FXCM shines with its ZuluTrade capability, providing advanced social trading features absent from Trade Nation. Both brokers cater to Windows users with downloadable desktop platforms and offer web-based platforms for trading directly in a browser. Although FXCM is ranked 6th among 62 brokers for its trading tools, Trade Nation, ranked 45th, still provides solid offerings, though with slight differences in features.
FXCM offers traders an impressive range of 10 drawing tools for charting and enables direct stock chart trading, whereas Trade Nation impresses with 39 drawing tools but lacks the direct chart trading feature. For those who meticulously track their assets, both brokers deliver watch lists flexibility, with Trade Nation providing 14 fields compared to FXCM's 13. Overall, FXCM is rated at a full five stars, while Trade Nation garners four stars for their trading platforms and tools. Whether you prioritize more indicators and advanced charting tools or seek user-friendly execution capabilities, both brokers cover fundamental needs, albeit with distinct strengths.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | Yes | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 99 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 10 | 39 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | No |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 13 | 14 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
FXCM and Trade Nation both provide versatile mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android users. They support crucial features such as price alerts for stock and forex, watchlist symbol syncing, trendline drawing, and multiple time frame views for charts. This ensures that traders have the tools they need on the go. While both apps allow users to create watchlists with real-time quotes and automatically save chart drawings, Trade Nation offers more technical studies with 99 options compared to FXCM’s 59. These offerings cater to traders who rely on technical analysis in their trading strategies.
Despite the comprehensive offerings from both apps, FXCM slightly edges out in terms of user satisfaction and ranking. FXCM is rated 4.5 stars and stands at the 16th position out of 62 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com. In comparison, Trade Nation holds a 4-star rating and is ranked 45th in the same category. This indicates that while both are competitive and reliable in the mobile trading realm, users have found FXCM to be a bit more streamlined and user-friendly overall.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 59 | 99 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When comparing FXCM and Trade Nation for market research, several differences emerge that may affect traders’ decisions. FXCM excels by providing daily market commentary, which Trade Nation does not offer. Both brokers deliver forex news from top-notch sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, keeping traders informed with reliable information. Additionally, FXCM's use of Trading Central tools for technical analysis gives it a clear edge over Trade Nation, which lacks this feature. FXCM also integrates TipRanks for market research, enhancing its insights into market trends, an offering not available with Trade Nation. However, Trade Nation leverages Acuity Trading tools, providing unique research services absent in the FXCM lineup.
For traders focused on sentiment analysis, both brokers offer sentiment-based tools. FXCM takes it a step further with an economic calendar displaying global news events, an instrument missing from Trade Nation's offerings. When it comes to expert evaluations, FXCM isn't just rated higher with 4.5 stars in Research compared to Trade Nation's 3.5 stars but also ranks significantly better on ForexBrokers.com at #11 out of 62 brokers, while Trade Nation follows at #42. These ratings and features make FXCM a preferable choice for traders who prioritize comprehensive and accessible market research tools.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | Yes |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When considering educational resources for those new to forex and CFDs, FXCM is a step ahead compared to Trade Nation. Both brokers offer a range of educational materials, including articles and videos, to help beginners get started with forex or CFDs trading. FXCM enhances its offerings by providing online client webinars every month, with a searchable archive of past sessions, allowing traders to learn at their convenience. Trade Nation, however, does not offer regular webinars or archives, which may limit learning opportunities for its users.
For beginners seeking a comprehensive learning platform, FXCM stands out with its selection of at least ten educational videos tailored specifically for newcomers, alongside advanced videos for more experienced traders. Moreover, FXCM offers an investor dictionary featuring over 50 investing terms, giving traders a handy reference tool. Trade Nation, while providing beginner videos, lacks similar advanced content and a comprehensive dictionary. Reflecting these differences, FXCM earns a higher education rating of 4.5 stars compared to Trade Nation's 3.5 stars, and ranks 14th out of 62 brokers in the Education category, while Trade Nation is ranked 42nd.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
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 Trade Nation. FXCM finished with an overall rank of #15, while Trade Nation finished with an overall rank of #34.
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
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 95 | 85 |
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Both FXCM and Trade Nation do not provide the option to purchase actual delivered cryptocurrency, but they do offer the ability to buy cryptocurrency derivatives, allowing traders to speculate on price movements without owning the underlying asset.
FXCM stands out as an online broker by offering a wider range of deposit and withdrawal options than Trade Nation, including ACH, SEPA transfers, and PayPal, alongside shared options like Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires.
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 | Trade Nation | |
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| Trust Score | 95 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FXCM Review | Trade Nation Review |
| Broker Screenshots | FXCM | Trade Nation | |
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| Regulation | FXCM | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 95 | 85 | |
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2014 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | FXCM | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | FXCM | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| 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 | No |
| Investments | FXCM | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 440 | 1000 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 43 | 46 | |
| 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 | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.78 | 0.6 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.78 | 0.6 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | FXCM | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | Starts from $50 | $0 | |
| 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 | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | No | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | Yes | No |
| Trading Tools | FXCM | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 13 | 14 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 99 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 10 | 39 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | No | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | No |
| Mobile Trading | FXCM | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 59 | 99 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Research | FXCM | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Education | FXCM | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | FXCM | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Trade Nation Review |
| Overall | FXCM | Trade Nation | |
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| Trust Score | 95 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FXCM Review | Trade Nation Review |
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