Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of HFM vs Spreadex, 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.
Comparing online brokers HFM and Spreadex, both firms offer trading services without being publicly traded or classified as banks. Founded in 2010, HFM holds two Tier-1 licenses, a number indicating a solid track record of regulatory compliance in top financial jurisdictions, along with three Tier-2 licenses. With a Trust Score of 86 from ForexBrokers.com, HFM is considered a trusted choice for traders seeking a reliable platform.
On the other hand, Spreadex, established in 1999, holds one Tier-1 license and lacks Tier-2 licenses, placing it on a different regulatory standing compared to HFM. With a Trust Score of 71, Spreadex is viewed as having an average risk, according to ForexBrokers.com's rating system. The differences in licensing and trust scores reflect their varying levels of regulatory oversight and perceived trust in the trading community.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2010 | 1999 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
When comparing the commissions and fees of online broker HFM to Spreadex, traders will find some nuanced differences. At HFM, trading costs are slightly above the industry average. For their standard trading accounts, the typical spread is listed at 1.2 pips, though the lack of a specified date range means this may not accurately represent the average. The Zero account offers a more competitive spread, effectively reduced to 0.7 pips after commission, though this too is not an average figure. HFM is rated 4 out of 5 stars and is ranked 31st out of 62 brokers in the Commissions and Fees category by ForexBrokers.com.
Spreadex offers slightly better conditions with an average spread of 0.81 pips for EUR/USD, as observed in January 2024. Impressively, this broker managed to achieve a minimum spread of 0.6 pips 60% of the time during the same month. This demonstrates consistently competitive pricing for traders focusing on EUR/USD. Much like HFM, Spreadex is also rated 4 out of 5 stars but is ranked slightly higher at 30th out of 62 brokers by ForexBrokers.com for Commissions and Fees.
In summary, while both HFM and Spreadex share similar standings and ratings in terms of commissions and fees, Spreadex may offer more favorable costs for traders, especially those active in the EUR/USD currency pair. Each broker holds a unique position with competitive fees, making the choice between them a matter of individual preference based on specific trading needs.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.2 | 0.81 |
| 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 | No |
| 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 available from HFM and Spreadex, you'll find some distinct differences. HFM offers a total of 500 tradable symbols, significantly fewer than Spreadex's impressive 10,000 symbols. However, in the realm of forex trading, HFM provides access to 102 currency pairs, outpacing Spreadex, which supports 52 pairs. Both brokers allow forex trading through CFDs or spot contracts, although neither offers the purchase of actual cryptocurrencies nor exchange-traded securities on U.S. or international markets like buying Apple or Vodafone shares directly. A notable difference is that HFM offers copy trading, providing users the ability to follow and replicate successful trading strategies, an option Spreadex does not have. Additionally, both brokers offer cryptocurrency derivatives without providing the actual digital currencies.
Looking at ratings and rankings, Spreadex edges ahead with a 5-star rating for its range of investments, while HFM earns 4 stars. This is reflected in their rankings by ForexBrokers.com, where HFM is positioned at #36 among 62 brokers, whereas Spreadex stands at an impressive #13. This suggests that those seeking a broader array of investment opportunities might favor Spreadex, while those more focused on forex trades could find HFM's offerings more suitable.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 500 | 10000 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 102 | 52 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| 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 HFM and Spreadex, HFM distinguishes itself by offering a free virtual demo account, a valuable tool for practicing trading strategies without financial risk. Both brokers provide their own proprietary trading platforms, yet HFM extends its platform accessibility with a Windows-based desktop download, while Spreadex does not. Additionally, both brands support web-based trading platforms for easy access through a browser. However, HFM further enhances its offerings with copy trading capabilities and support for popular MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 platforms, which are not available with Spreadex. Both platforms support trading directly from stock charts, but HFM offers a more comprehensive set of 30 drawing tools for chart analysis, exceeding Spreadex's 11 tools.
Despite these differences, HFM and Spreadex maintain equal footing with a four-star rating for their trading platforms and tools, though ratings from ForexBrokers.com show HFM ranked at #42 compared to Spreadex at #46 out of 62 brokers. When it comes to watch list management, Spreadex offers slightly more customization with eight columns versus HFM's seven. Both platforms have their strengths, catering to different needs of traders, with HFM being a more versatile option for those seeking extensive functionality and practice opportunities, and Spreadex providing a solid trading experience within its specialized offerings.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | No |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 15 | 55 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 30 | 11 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 8 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When comparing the mobile trading apps of HFM and Spreadex, both brokers offer applications for iPhone and Android users. Traders can enjoy stock or forex price alerts on both platforms, providing timely updates on market movements. However, neither broker supports watchlist symbol syncing between their mobile apps and online accounts, which means traders need to manually update changes on both platforms. HFM edges ahead with 30 available technical studies for charting, a feature not detailed by Spreadex. Both platforms allow users to draw trendlines on charts and view data across various timeframes, such as daily, weekly, or intraday.
HFM's mobile app provides the convenience of auto-saving drawings on charts, whereas Spreadex does not offer this feature. Nonetheless, both brokers allow creating watchlists with real-time quotes, facilitating quick access to preferred assets. While both brokers receive a 4-star rating for their mobile trading experience, HFM is ranked slightly better at 39th out of 62 brokers, compared to Spreadex's 49th position. This subtle difference may influence users who prioritize comprehensive mobile charting capabilities and ease of use in selecting their preferred trading app.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | N/A |
| 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.
HFM and Spreadex both provide traders with valuable market insights by offering daily market commentary and access to top-tier forex news from sources like Bloomberg and Reuters. Their tools are designed to help investors stay informed and ready to make decisions in the fast-paced world of trading. While both brokers offer sentiment-based trading tools, which show the ratio of long or short positions across various currency pairs, HFM takes it a step further with the inclusion of Autochartist's technical analysis tools, which Spreadex lacks. Conversely, neither broker features tools like Trading Central's Technical Analytics or research from TipRanks and Acuity Trading.
An economic calendar is an essential resource for traders to track current and upcoming global news events, and both HFM and Spreadex provide this feature. Each platform has been rated four out of five stars for research, indicating strong performance in delivering essential market data and tools. However, when compared with 62 brokers in the research category by ForexBrokers.com, HFM is ranked at number 20, demonstrating slightly better recognition than Spreadex, which holds a rank of 31. These rankings reflect their positions in the competitive landscape of online trading platforms.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No |
| 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.
When comparing the educational offerings of HFM and Spreadex, both brokers provide a strong foundation for beginners interested in forex and CFDs. Each platform features more than 10 educational materials, which include articles, videos, and archived webinars. However, HFM distinguishes itself by hosting online educational webinars each month and providing a searchable archive of these sessions for future learning. Spreadex, on the other hand, does not offer such live online webinars or an archive of past sessions.
Both HFM and Spreadex offer a wealth of educational videos for newcomers, with each broker featuring over 10 beginner-focused videos. HFM expands its educational reach by offering advanced content for seasoned traders, whereas Spreadex does not match this level of detail. Additionally, both brokers provide an investor dictionary with over 50 terms. Despite these resources, the overall ratings for education are equal at four stars. However, HFM ranks higher at #37 compared to Spreadex's #45, based on evaluations by ForexBrokers.com among 62 brokers.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 HFM is better than Spreadex. HFM finished with an overall rank of #30, while Spreadex finished with an overall rank of #39.
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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Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 86 | 71 |
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Both HFM and Spreadex do not offer the ability to buy actual delivered cryptocurrencies, but they do provide options for trading cryptocurrency derivatives.
In comparing HFM and Spreadex, both online brokers do not support ACH or SEPA transfers nor PayPal for deposits or withdrawals; however, HFM does support Skrill, unlike Spreadex, and both offer Visa, Mastercard, and bank wire options.
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 | Spreadex | |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 71 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | HFM Review | Spreadex Review |
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| Regulation | HFM | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 86 | 71 | |
| Year Founded | 2010 | 1999 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | HFM | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | HFM | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | HFM | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 500 | 10000 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 102 | 52 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| 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 | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.2 | 0.81 | |
| 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 | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | HFM | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | HFM | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | HFM | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | No | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 8 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 15 | 55 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 30 | 11 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | HFM | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | N/A | |
| 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 | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | HFM | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | HFM | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Spreadex Review |
| Overall | HFM | Spreadex | |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 71 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | HFM Review | Spreadex Review |
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