Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of FXCM vs VT Markets, 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, established in 1999, is known for its solid foundation and long-standing presence in the trading industry. It is publicly traded, indicating a level of transparency in its operations. With a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 95 out of 99, FXCM is highly trusted, thanks in part to holding four Tier-1 licenses and two Tier-2 licenses. This regulatory backing provides traders with confidence in the broker's trustworthiness and compliance with high standards.
On the other hand, VT Markets, founded in 2016, positions itself as a newer player in the online brokerage scene. While it is not publicly traded, it holds one Tier-1 license and one Tier-2 license. VT Markets has a Trust Score of 70, classifying it as an average-risk broker. Traders considering VT Markets should be aware of its shorter track record and comparatively lower regulatory backing, which may impact their perception of its reliability.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
VT Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2016 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
When comparing the commissions and fees of online brokers FXCM and VT Markets, both exhibit distinct pricing structures that cater to different trader preferences. FXCM offers forex trading with spreads that slightly exceed the industry average. For May 2024, its standard account spreads on EUR/USD averaged 0.78 pips in regions like the EU, U.K., and Australia but rose to 1.38 pips for its St. Vincent and the Grenadines entity. However, FXCM's commission-based accounts presented considerably lower average spreads of 0.28 pips, not including commissions. Through the Active Trader Rebate Program, traders potentially benefit from significant spread discounts, though entry requirements vary based on the regional FXCM entity overseeing their accounts. FXCM's approach leads to an overall rating of four stars and a #24 ranking for commissions and fees among 62 brokers in 2024.
VT Markets, on the other hand, offers two account types with different cost structures. Their Standard STP account is commission-free, yet it features average spreads of 1.2 pips on EUR/USD, which is less competitive compared to their Raw ECN account. The Raw ECN option provides a more appealing trade cost, with an effective spread of 0.83 pips, composed of a 0.6 round turn commission and an average spread of 0.23 pips for September 2021. Both account types necessitate a modest minimum deposit of $100. VT Markets ranks higher than FXCM with a commissions and fees rating of 4.5 stars and holds the #20 position out of 62 brokers, reflecting its more attractive pricing model.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
VT Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | Starts from $50 | $100 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.78 | 1.2 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.78 | 0.8 |
| 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 FXCM and VT Markets for their range of investments, both brokers allow forex trading through CFDs or spot contracts. FXCM offers a fairly extensive range of 440 tradeable symbols, including 43 forex pairs, whereas VT Markets provides a broader selection with 1,000 tradeable symbols, albeit slightly fewer forex pairs at 39. Neither broker offers exchange-traded securities on U.S. exchanges, meaning clients cannot purchase shares like Apple directly. However, VT Markets distinguishes itself by allowing access to international exchange-traded securities, such as Vodafone shares, which FXCM does not provide.
Both brokers support copy trading, which is beneficial for investors looking to follow strategies of experienced traders. In terms of cryptocurrency offerings, FXCM and VT Markets focus on cryptocurrency derivatives rather than actual cryptocurrencies. Despite these investment options, both brokers have received a 3.5-star rating for their investment range. This is mirrored in their rankings by ForexBrokers.com, where FXCM is positioned at #47 and VT Markets at a slightly better #39 out of 62 brokers evaluated.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
VT Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 440 | 1000 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 43 | 39 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes |
| 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 FXCM and VT Markets, both online brokers provide options for simulated trading through free virtual demo accounts, allowing users to practice without financial risk. FXCM stands out with its in-house developed proprietary platform, whereas VT Markets does not offer a custom-built platform. Both brokers provide downloadable Windows-based desktop platforms and web-based trading interfaces. For those interested in copy trading features, both offer it, with FXCM supporting ZuluTrade but VT Markets lacking this option. MT4 is available on both platforms, but only VT Markets supports MT5.
In terms of charting tools, FXCM provides 10 drawing tools compared to VT Markets' more extensive 30, offering more flexibility for traders who rely on technical analysis. Both brokers enable trading directly from stock charts, enhancing user convenience. However, FXCM accommodates a more detailed watch list experience with 13 fields, unlike VT Markets, which offers only 7. Rated at 5 stars in trading platforms and tools, FXCM is highly regarded and ranked #6 among 62 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com, surpassing VT Markets' 4-star rating and #47 rank.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
VT Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No |
| 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 | 15 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 10 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 13 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
FXCM and VT Markets both provide mobile trading apps that are compatible with iPhone and Android devices. Both apps facilitate setting stock or forex price alerts and allow users to draw trendlines and view multiple time frames on charts. While they also support the creation of watchlists with real-time quotes, only FXCM offers the important feature of syncing watchlist symbols between the mobile app and the client's online account. Additionally, FXCM leads with 59 technical studies available for charting compared to VT Markets' 30, making it a more comprehensive choice for traders who rely heavily on advanced charting features.
In terms of user ratings, FXCM shines with a 4.5-star rating for its mobile trading app, placing it at rank 16 among 62 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com. Meanwhile, VT Markets garners a respectable 4-star rating but ranks lower at 44th place overall. An extra advantage for FXCM users is the auto-save feature for chart drawings, absent in VT Markets' offerings, providing more convenience and flexibility for on-the-go traders.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
VT Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 59 | 30 |
| 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 VT Markets, both brokers provide substantial market research offerings. Each offers daily market commentary and access to forex news from industry-leading sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, ensuring traders stay informed. Additionally, they provide sentiment-based trading tools to track the ratio of long and short positions across various instruments. Both platforms integrate Technical Analytics from Trading Central, and they include comprehensive economic calendars for keeping up with global events. However, FXCM stands out with exclusive research access from TipRanks, which VT Markets does not offer, possibly influencing its higher rating in research capabilities.
In terms of accolades, FXCM receives a commendable 4.5-star rating for research, while VT Markets holds a 3.5-star rating. This difference in rating is reflected in their rankings by ForexBrokers.com, where FXCM ranks 11th out of 62 brokers, showcasing its superior market research tools and resources. In contrast, VT Markets is ranked 36th, indicating room for improvement in its research offerings. Overall, FXCM's more comprehensive research resources give it an edge over VT Markets for traders seeking extensive market insights.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
VT Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 offering educational resources for beginners, both FXCM and VT Markets provide a solid foundation with at least 10 educational pieces on forex or CFDs, including articles, videos, and archived webinars. FXCM sets itself apart by hosting monthly online educational webinars and providing access to a searchable archive of these recorded sessions, which VT Markets does not offer. Additionally, while both brokers deliver beginner-oriented videos, FXCM extends its educational prowess by incorporating advanced videos specifically designed for seasoned traders, a feature absent from VT Markets.
Both FXCM and VT Markets ensure beginners have access to an investor dictionary with over 50 investing terms. However, FXCM's comprehensive educational suite earns it a commendable rating of 4.5 stars, putting it at the 14th spot among 62 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com. In contrast, VT Markets is rated at 3.5 stars, ranking it 55th. This illustrates FXCM's commitment to providing a more diverse and accessible learning experience for traders at all levels.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
VT Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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 VT Markets. FXCM finished with an overall rank of #15, while VT Markets finished with an overall rank of #45.
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
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VT Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 95 | 70 |
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Both FXCM and VT Markets do not allow users to buy actual cryptocurrency, but they do offer the ability to buy cryptocurrency derivatives, making them suitable for traders interested in cryptocurrency without the need for physical delivery.
FXCM offers a wider range of deposit and withdrawal options, including ACH, SEPA, PayPal, Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires, whereas VT Markets supports Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires but does not facilitate ACH, SEPA, or PayPal 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 | VT Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 95 | 70 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FXCM Review | VT Markets Review |
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| Regulation | FXCM | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 95 | 70 | |
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2016 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | FXCM | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | No | |
| 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 | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 440 | 1000 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 43 | 39 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes | |
| 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 | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.78 | 1.2 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.78 | 0.8 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | FXCM | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | Starts from $50 | $100 | |
| 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 | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No | |
| 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 | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 13 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 15 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 10 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | FXCM | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 30 | |
| 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 | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | FXCM | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | VT Markets Review |
| Overall | FXCM | VT Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 95 | 70 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FXCM Review | VT Markets Review |
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