Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of HFM vs ACY Securities, 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 2010, HFM offers a well-rounded and trusted trading platform with an impressive ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 86 out of 99. Despite not being publicly traded or a bank, HFM excels in regulatory compliance, holding two highly trusted Tier-1 licenses and three trusted Tier-2 licenses. These credentials make HFM a reliable choice for online trading.
Established in 2011, ACY Securities has a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 75, categorizing it as an average risk broker. Similar to HFM, ACY Securities is neither publicly traded nor a bank. In terms of regulatory licenses, ACY secures one Tier-1 license but lacks Tier-2 licenses. While ACY is a competent broker, its regulatory standing falls short when compared to HFM.
| Feature |
HFM
|
ACY Securities
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2011 |
| 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 | 1 |
When comparing HFM and ACY Securities in terms of commissions and fees, both brokers present distinct advantages for traders. HFM receives a 4-star rating and ranks #31 among 63 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com. For their standard trading accounts, HFM offers spreads starting at 1.2 pips, with the Zero account reducing effective spreads to 0.7 pips post-commission. However, these figures may be slightly above the industry average, and the actual spread could vary since no specific date range is provided for these values.
In contrast, ACY Securities holds a 4.5-star rating and ranks #21 in the same category. They cater to a diverse set of traders with both low-deposit and commission-based accounts. The Standard account offers spreads averaging 1.2 pips, similar to HFM, but its ProZero and Bespoke accounts present more competitive rates. The effective spreads for ProZero drop to 0.25 pips, and traders in Australia benefit from even lower costs with a reduced commission that adjusts the ProZero effective spread further to 0.55 pips.
ACY Securities provides three account types with different minimum deposits, spreads, and commissions. The ProZero account, starting at a $200 deposit, and the Bespoke account with a $10,000 deposit, offer varied commission rates. Additionally, an active trader program with 10 tiers can further decrease trading costs for high-volume traders. This detailed structure provides ACY Securities with an edge in offering competitive pricing, especially for Australian traders.
| Feature |
HFM
|
ACY Securities
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $50 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.2 | 1.2 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.7 | 0.85 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | Yes |
| 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.
When comparing HFM and ACY Securities, both brokers offer forex trading as a contract for difference (CFD), enabling access to currency markets. HFM provides an impressive selection of 500 tradeable symbols, including 102 forex pairs, catering to diverse investment strategies. On the other hand, ACY Securities stands out with a broader range of tradeable symbols, offering investors 2,200 options, though it features fewer forex pairs at 66. Both brokers additionally support trading in cryptocurrency derivatives, offering investors alternative avenues into digital assets without holding the actual cryptocurrency.
Neither HFM nor ACY Securities allows trading in exchange-traded securities from U.S. or international markets, such as shares in Apple or Vodafone. However, both platforms compensate by supporting copy trading, giving investors opportunities to follow and replicate the strategies of successful traders. In terms of performance ratings, both brokers earn four stars each in the Range of Investments category. According to ForexBrokers.com, HFM is placed at #36, while ACY Securities ranks slightly higher at #30 out of 63 brokers. This suggests that while both platforms offer solid investment opportunities, ACY Securities may provide a more extensive selection for those seeking a larger variety of tradeable symbols.
| Feature |
HFM
|
ACY Securities
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 500 | 2200 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 102 | 66 |
| 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 it comes to choosing an online broker, evaluating their trading platforms and tools is crucial. Both HFM and ACY Securities offer a comprehensive suite of features to meet the needs of traders. They provide free virtual demo accounts, enabling users to practice their strategies without financial risk. In addition to their proprietary platforms, each broker supports popular third-party platforms such as MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, ensuring flexibility and familiarity for many traders. Additionally, both brokers feature Windows-based desktop platforms and web-based trading, offering convenience across devices. Copy trading is available through both HFM and ACY Securities, although neither supports DupliTrade or ZuluTrade. Charting is enhanced with drawing tools, where HFM offers a selection of 30 options compared to ACY Securities' 15. Both brokers allow trading directly from stock charts and offer watch lists with seven customizable fields.
Despite their closely matched offerings, subtle differences and ratings exist. HFM and ACY Securities each earn 4 stars for their trading platforms and tools, indicating strong overall satisfaction among users. However, nuanced variations are evident in industry rankings—ACY Securities slightly edges out HFM, being ranked #41 compared to HFM’s #42 among 63 brokers reviewed by ForexBrokers.com. These factors highlight the close competition between the two, suggesting potential users may want to explore the finer details of each broker's offerings to decide which best aligns with their trading style and needs.
| Feature |
HFM
|
ACY Securities
|
|---|---|---|
| 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) | Yes | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 15 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 30 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both HFM and ACY Securities provide comprehensive mobile trading apps compatible with iPhone and Android devices. They offer essential features like stock and forex price alerts, the ability to draw trendlines on charts, and options to view charts across multiple time frames such as daily, weekly, or intraday. Users can also enjoy real-time quotes by creating watchlists, although neither platform supports watchlist symbol syncing across mobile and online accounts. Both apps offer 30 technical studies for charting and automatically save any drawings made on charts.
In terms of user satisfaction, both HFM and ACY Securities receive a solid rating of four out of five stars for their mobile trading apps. While they rank closely, HFM is positioned just slightly ahead at #39 compared to ACY Securities at #40 out of 63 brokers assessed by ForexBrokers.com. Both brokers offer a reasonably similar mobile trading experience, making either a sound choice depending on your personal preferences and needs.
| Feature |
HFM
|
ACY Securities
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 |
| 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 the market research offerings of HFM and ACY Securities, HFM stands out with a more comprehensive suite. Both brokers provide daily market commentary, but HFM takes it a step further by delivering forex news from top-tier sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones. Additionally, HFM integrates advanced tools like Autochartist for technical analysis and offers a sentiment-based trading tool that reveals the ratio of long and short positions across currency pairs. Conversely, ACY Securities lacks these advanced features, though it does maintain an economic calendar to keep traders informed of global events, similar to HFM.
HFM earns praise for its robust research offerings, securing a 4-star rating and ranking #20 out of 63 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com. Meanwhile, ACY Securities, while offering reliable commentary and an economic calendar, achieves a slightly lower rating of 3.5 stars and is ranked #45. Traders seeking a broker with top-notch research tools and insights may find HFM to be the more appealing choice.
| Feature |
HFM
|
ACY Securities
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
HFM and ACY Securities both offer accessible educational resources for beginners interested in forex and CFDs trading. Both online brokers provide more than 10 educational pieces, including articles, videos, and archived webinars focused on these subjects. They also conduct regular client webinars at least once a month and maintain searchable archives of these sessions. Furthermore, each offers more than 10 beginner-focused videos covering various trading topics to help newcomers gain a solid start.
When diving deeper into educational offerings, HFM takes a slight lead by providing over 10 advanced educational videos specifically for seasoned traders, whereas ACY Securities does not offer the same depth for advanced content. Additionally, HFM provides an investor dictionary containing over 50 investing terms, which ACY Securities lacks. This additional support for both beginners and advanced users is reflected in their ratings and rankings, with HFM rated at 4 stars and ranked 37th by ForexBrokers.com for education, compared to ACY Securities' 3.5-star rating and 43rd ranking. For those early in their trading journey, both platforms offer solid educational foundations, but HFM offers a slightly broader range of resources.
| Feature |
HFM
|
ACY Securities
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| 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 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that HFM is better than ACY Securities. HFM finished with an overall rank of #30, while ACY Securities finished with an overall rank of #41.
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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ACY Securities
|
|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 86 | 75 |
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Both HFM and ACY Securities do not offer the ability to buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but they do provide options to trade cryptocurrency derivatives.
When comparing online brokers, HFM does not offer ACH or SEPA transfers but supports Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires for transactions, while ACY Securities provides ACH and SEPA transfers in addition to Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wire options, with neither broker supporting PayPal.
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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| Trust Score | 86 | 75 | |
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| Review | HFM Review | ACY Securities Review |
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| Regulation | HFM | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 86 | 75 | |
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2011 | |
| 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 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | HFM | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| 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 | 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) | HFM | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 500 | 2200 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 102 | 66 | |
| 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 | HFM | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.2 | 1.2 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.7 | 0.85 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | No |
| Funding | HFM | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $50 | |
| 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 | No | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | HFM | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | HFM | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 15 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 30 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | HFM | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 30 | |
| 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 | HFM | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | HFM | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | HFM | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | ACY Securities Review |
| Overall | HFM | ACY Securities | |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 75 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | HFM Review | ACY Securities Review |
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