Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Admirals vs HFM, 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 Admirals and HFM, both online brokers present trustworthy profiles for traders. Admirals, established in 2001, holds a commendable Trust Score of 93 out of 99 by ForexBrokers.com, which categorizes it as highly trusted. This reliability is backed by four Tier-1 licenses, the highest level of regulatory approval. HFM, founded in 2010, carries a Trust Score of 86, classifying it as trusted, with two Tier-1 licenses supporting its credibility. Both brokers are privately held and not connected to any banking institutions, ensuring independent operations to focus on trading services.
In addition to their Tier-1 licenses, both Admirals and HFM hold three Tier-2 licenses, reinforcing their trusted status with an additional layer of regulatory oversight. While neither broker is listed on a stock exchange, these multiple licenses indicate their compliance with at least moderate regulatory standards across different jurisdictions. Admirals, with its longer industry presence and higher count of top-tier licenses, offers a slight edge in perceived safety and trustworthiness, appealing to cautious investors seeking higher assurance in regulatory safeguards. Conversely, HFM remains a solid choice for those comfortable with a well-rated, yet slightly less established, trading platform.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2001 | 2010 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
For commissions and fees, Admirals generally comes out cheaper than HFM. Admirals lists typical spreads of 0.8 pips on its Trade account, with similar pricing on the Zero account. HFM’s trading costs are slightly above the industry average: the company cites a 1.2‑pip typical spread on its standard accounts (no date range provided, so the true average may be higher). HFM’s Zero account can achieve an effective 0.7‑pip spread after commission, but this figure is not presented as a long‑term average.
Ratings and rankings: Admirals earns 4.5 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and ranks #18 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com. HFM holds 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #32 out of 63. If you want lower everyday spreads, Admirals is the safer pick, while HFM’s Zero account can be competitive if the commission structure suits your trading. Always compare live spreads during your trading hours and review commission details and any extra charges before you decide.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.8 | 1.2 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | 0.7 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Admirals and HFM both support forex trading via CFDs or spot contracts and offer copy trading. Admirals delivers a far wider overall catalog with 8,702 tradeable symbols, while HFM lists about 500. When it comes to currency choice, HFM leads with 102 forex pairs versus 82 at Admirals. Both brokers provide cryptocurrency exposure through CFDs but do not offer buying actual coins.
For share dealing, Admirals stands out by offering exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international markets, whereas HFM does not offer exchange-listed stocks. Reflecting these differences, Admirals earns 4.5 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #20 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while HFM scores 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #37. In short, choose Admirals for breadth and stock market access, or HFM if you value a slightly larger roster of forex pairs.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8702 | 500 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 82 | 102 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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.
Admirals and HFM both deliver a wide range of trading platform options. Each broker offers a free demo (paper) account, a proprietary platform, and support for MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5). You can trade on Windows desktop or directly in your web browser, use copy trading, place trades from charts, and work with technical indicators. Both also provide watchlists to help you track markets in one place.
For Trading Platforms and Tools, both brokers earn 4 stars; however, Admirals ranks #19 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while HFM ranks #43. If platform breadth and toolset ranking matter most, Admirals has the edge. If you prefer HFM’s ecosystem or are already set up there, you’ll still find capable platforms and practical tools for day-to-day trading.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Admirals and HFM both deliver full-featured mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports price alerts, 30 built-in technical studies, trendline drawing, and auto-saving of chart annotations. One notable limitation is the same for both brokers: watchlists in the mobile app do not sync with the online account. In terms of user feedback, both Admirals and HFM earn 4 out of 5 stars for their mobile trading apps.
If you’re comparing rankings, ForexBrokers.com places Admirals higher overall for Mobile Trading Apps (#23 out of 63) than HFM (#40 out of 63). That edge may sway traders who factor independent rankings into their choice. Otherwise, if you want iPhone or Android access with solid charting tools and timely alerts, either Admirals or HFM will fit the bill—just note that neither offers cross-platform watchlist syncing.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When it comes to daily market commentary and forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, both Admirals and HFM deliver. Admirals gives traders access to insightful sentiment-based trading tools and comprehensive market research from TipRanks. In contrast, HFM does not offer TipRanks but does provide traders with Autochartist technical analysis tools. Technical Analysis with Trading Central is available to Admirals users, while HFM does not feature this capability.
Both brokers ensure traders can stay informed with economic calendars that highlight important global news. Admirals additionally offers research support through Acuity Trading tools, which is not available with HFM. Admirals and HFM both earn 4-star ratings for their research capabilities. However, Admirals holds a higher research ranking, positioned at #15 among 63 brokers, compared to HFM's rank of #20 according to ForexBrokers.com. These distinctions help traders choose the broker that aligns best with their research preferences and needs.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central | Yes | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Acuity Trading | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Admirals and HFM both provide ample education for beginners interested in forex and CFDs. Each meets the benchmark of at least 10 educational pieces focused on these markets, and both run ongoing client webinars at least once a month. If you like learning by watching, you’ll find plenty to work with: each broker offers at least 10 beginner videos and at least 10 advanced videos that walk through trading topics step by step.
In independent evaluations, both brokers earned 4 out of 5 stars for Education. However, Admirals ranks higher in the ForexBrokers.com Education category (#12 out of 63) compared with HFM (#37 out of 63). In short, both are solid choices for new traders, but Admirals gets a nod for overall standing while HFM still delivers similar formats and coverage for getting started.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Admirals is better than HFM. Admirals finished with an overall rank of #18, while HFM finished with an overall rank of #30.
Traders choose Admirals for its excellent investor education and advanced MetaTrader features – such as the Supreme add-ons – alongside an extensive range of shares, forex and CFD markets, and premium research content.
| Feature |
Admirals
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
|
| Trust Score | 93 | 86 |
| Range of Investments |
|
|
| Commissions & Fees |
|
|
| Platforms & Tools |
|
|
| Research |
|
|
| Mobile Trading |
|
|
| Education |
|
|
Admirals vs HFM: neither broker offers buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but both allow trading cryptocurrency CFDs.
In an Admirals vs HFM deposit and withdrawal methods comparison, Admirals supports ACH/SEPA transfers, PayPal, Skrill, and bank wire transfers, while HFM supports Skrill and bank wire but not ACH/SEPA or PayPal; Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either broker.
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.
Select Brokers
↓×Compare
0 of 5| Overall Rating | Admirals | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Commissions & Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Platforms & Tools |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 93 | 86 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Admirals Review | HFM Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Admirals | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
|
|
| Regulation | Admirals | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 93 | 86 | |
| Year Founded | 2001 | 2010 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Admirals | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| 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 | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Admirals | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | Yes |
| Investments | Admirals | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8702 | 500 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 82 | 102 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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 | Admirals | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.8 | 1.2 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | 0.7 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Admirals | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Admirals | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Admirals | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Admirals | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Admirals | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Admirals | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Admirals | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | Admirals Review | HFM Review |
| Overall | Admirals | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Commissions & Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Platforms & Tools |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 93 | 86 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Admirals Review | HFM Review |
IG
CMC Markets
FOREX.com
XTB
eToro
AvaTrade
Plus500
Pepperstone
FP Markets
Tickmill