Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of ACY Securities vs ATFX, 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.
When comparing online brokers ACY Securities and ATFX, their differing regulatory standings and trust ratings offer a clear picture of how they operate. Founded in 2011, ACY Securities is a non-publicly traded broker that is not affiliated with any bank. It holds one Tier-1 license and no Tier-2 licenses, garnering it a Trust Score of 75 out of 99 on ForexBrokers.com, indicating an average risk rating. In contrast, ATFX was established in 2017 and also remains privately owned and unaffiliated with banking institutions.
However, ATFX distinguishes itself with higher regulatory credentials and trust factors. It boasts four Tier-1 licenses and two Tier-2 licenses, which contribute to its impressive Trust Score of 85, categorizing it as a trusted broker according to ForexBrokers.com standards. While both brokers share the commonality of being privately owned and not bank-affiliated, ATFX's stronger regulatory position may be appealing to those seeking a broker with a higher level of trust and compliance assurances.
| Feature |
ACY Securities
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2011 | 2017 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 1 | 4 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
ACY Securities offers a clear, tiered approach to pricing. Its commission-free Standard account has a low $50 minimum but wider spreads, averaging about 1.2 pips on EUR/USD (Sep 2021). Cost-conscious traders can step up to the ProZero ($200 minimum) or Bespoke ($10,000 minimum) accounts, where average spreads were around 0.25 pips with round‑turn commissions of $6 and $5, respectively; in Australia, ProZero’s commission drops to $3 RT, cutting the effective spread to about 0.55 pips (Sep 2021). An active-trader program with 10 tiers can trim a further 0.5 pips per lot for those trading 50+ standard lots monthly. Commissions and fees rating: 4.5/5 stars; ForexBrokers.com rank: 22nd of 63.
ATFX does not publish average spread data, which makes apples-to-apples cost comparisons harder. Based on available assessments, ATFX earns 3/5 stars for commissions and fees and ranks 61st out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com.
Bottom line: If your priority is lower all-in costs and you’re comfortable with a commission model (or you’re an Australian resident benefiting from discounted commissions), ACY Securities’ ProZero or Bespoke accounts are likely to be cheaper than ATFX. ACY also keeps the door open to smaller deposits with its Standard account—albeit with wider spreads—while ATFX’s limited public pricing data and lower category ranking place it behind ACY on commissions and fees.
| Feature |
ACY Securities
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50 | $500 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.2 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.85 | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | 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.
ACY Securities vs ATFX: both brokers let you trade forex via CFDs or spot, and both support copy trading. ACY Securities offers far more variety with 2,200 tradeable symbols and 66 forex pairs, compared to ATFX’s 150 symbols and 44 pairs. Neither broker provides access to exchange-traded shares on U.S. or international stock exchanges. For crypto, both offer derivatives but not actual (delivered) coins.
If market choice is your priority, ACY Securities delivers a wider selection, while ATFX covers the essentials for multi-asset CFD traders. Reflecting this, ForexBrokers.com rates ACY Securities 4 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments (ranked 31st of 63 brokers), versus ATFX at 3.5 stars (ranked 58th of 63).
| Feature |
ACY Securities
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 2200 | 150 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 44 |
| 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.
ACY Securities and ATFX both make it easy to start with a free demo (paper) account. Each broker offers Windows desktop and web trading platforms, copy trading, and the popular MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5). Both let you place orders directly from the chart and include 15 drawing tools for charting. The number of built-in indicators isn’t specified, and each provides watchlists with seven columns. Neither broker supports DupliTrade or ZuluTrade.
The main difference is that ACY Securities also provides a proprietary, in-house platform, while ATFX does not. For Trading Platforms and Tools, ACY Securities is rated 4 stars and ranks 42nd out of 63 at ForexBrokers.com, whereas ATFX is rated 3.5 stars and ranks 63rd. If you want a broker with its own platform plus MT4 and MT5, ACY Securities stands out; if you just need MetaTrader with standard web and desktop access, both brokers cover the basics.
| Feature |
ACY Securities
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| 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) | Yes | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
ACY Securities and ATFX both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports price alerts, real-time quote watchlists, drawing trendlines on charts, viewing multiple time frames (intraday through weekly and beyond), and auto-saving your chart drawings. One limitation they share is that watchlists created in the mobile app do not sync with the online account.
For charting depth, ACY Securities includes 30 technical studies, while ATFX offers 7. In our ratings snapshot, ACY Securities scores 4 stars for Mobile Trading Apps versus ATFX at 3.5 stars. Looking at independent rankings, ACY Securities is placed 41st by ForexBrokers.com in its Mobile Trading Apps category, whereas ATFX is 64th. In short, traders who want more indicators and a higher-rated app may lean toward ACY Securities, while ATFX can suit those with simpler charting needs.
| Feature |
ACY Securities
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 7 |
| 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.
ACY Securities and ATFX both cover the basics for market research: each provides daily market commentary and an economic calendar to track upcoming events. However, neither broker streams forex news from top-tier wires like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, and neither includes a sentiment tool showing long/short positioning.
When it comes to built-in analysis tools, ATFX takes the edge by offering Autochartist and Trading Central for technical and fundamental insights, while ACY Securities does not provide these integrations. ACY also lacks TipRanks and Acuity Trading tools; availability of those third-party services at ATFX is not specified. Based on ForexBrokers.com’s latest assessments, ACY Securities earns 3.5 out of 5 stars for Research and ranks 46th of 63 brokers, while ATFX scores 3 out of 5 stars and ranks 55th. Traders who value plug-and-play research add-ons may prefer ATFX, whereas ACY keeps things simpler with commentary and an economic calendar.
| Feature |
ACY Securities
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | No |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | No | No |
| TipRanks | No | |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to educational resources for beginners, both ACY Securities and ATFX provide a substantial foundation with over ten educational materials available on forex and CFDs. ACY Securities stands out by offering monthly online webinars, which can be a valuable resource for real-time learning and interaction with experts. In contrast, ATFX lacks this monthly webinar feature, which could mean fewer opportunities for dynamic learning experiences. However, both brokerages maintain a searchable archive of recorded webinars, allowing beginners to learn at their own pace by revisiting past sessions.
For those looking to start their trading journey, both brokers provide a good selection of beginner-focused videos, each offering at least ten videos to help novices grasp the basics of trading. While ACY Securities and ATFX do not extend their video offerings to advanced traders, ATFX provides a comprehensive investor dictionary with over fifty investing terms, which can aid in better understanding trading jargon. Despite these offerings, ACY Securities is rated higher at 3.5 stars for education, whereas ATFX sits at 3 stars. In the ForexBrokers.com education rankings, ATFX takes the lead at #28, while ACY Securities is positioned at #43, highlighting a distinct advantage for ATFX in terms of its educational approach overall.
| Feature |
ACY Securities
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | No | No |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that ACY Securities is better than ATFX. ACY Securities finished with an overall rank of #41, while ATFX finished with an overall rank of #51.
ACY Securities is a MetaTrader-only broker with a reasonable range of markets and a balanced account offering. The broker’s research and educational content, however, could be greatly improved upon.
| Feature |
ACY Securities
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 75 | 85 |
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ACY Securities and ATFX both do not offer the ability to buy actual delivered cryptocurrency, but they both provide the option to trade cryptocurrency derivatives.
ACY Securities and ATFX both support Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wire transfers for account funding, but ACY Securities uniquely offers ACH and SEPA transfers, which ATFX does not, while neither broker provides support for 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 | ACY Securities | ATFX | |
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| Trust Score | 75 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ACY Securities Review |
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| Regulation | ACY Securities | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 75 | 85 | |
| Year Founded | 2011 | 2017 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 1 | 4 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 2 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | ACY Securities | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | ACY Securities | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | ACY Securities | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 2200 | 150 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 44 | |
| 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 | ACY Securities | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.2 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.85 | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | ACY Securities | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50 | $500 | |
| 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 | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | ACY Securities | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | ACY Securities | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | ACY Securities | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 7 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | No | Yes |
| Research | ACY Securities | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | No | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | ||
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | No | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | ACY Securities | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | No | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | ACY Securities | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | ACY Securities Review |
| Overall | ACY Securities | ATFX | |
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| Trust Score | 75 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ACY Securities Review |
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