Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Plus500 vs Alpari, 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.
Both Plus500 and Alpari are prominent online brokers, but they differ significantly in terms of trust and regulatory standing. Plus500, established in 2008, stands out as a highly trusted broker with a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 99. This rating is supported by its regulation under six Tier-1 licenses and three Tier-2 licenses, attesting to its credibility in the financial market. Plus500 is also publicly traded, which adds another layer of transparency and trust. Alpari, on the other hand, has been in operation since 1998 but holds a Trust Score of 68, illustrating a higher risk profile according to ForexBrokers.com. It lacks any Tier-1 or Tier-2 licenses and is not a publicly traded company.
While neither Plus500 nor Alpari operate as banks, Plus500's regulatory credentials and public status provide a strong assurance of safety for traders. In contrast, Alpari's absence of Tier-1 and Tier-2 licenses may imply less regulatory oversight. Therefore, for those prioritizing regulation and trustworthiness, Plus500 appears to offer stronger security and transparency compared to Alpari. However, individual preferences and trading needs should ultimately guide your choice of broker.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2008 | 1998 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 0 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
When comparing commissions and fees at online brokers Plus500 and Alpari, Plus500 tends to have pricing that is slightly higher than the industry average and isn't the best choice for active traders. Although Plus500 does not provide discounts to retail clients, they do offer cash rebates if you qualify as a Professional client. Their average spread for the popular EUR/USD pair was 1.5 pips in April 2024, which is above the industry average. In terms of user ratings, Plus500 earned a respectable 4.0 stars out of five and is ranked 23rd out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com for the Commissions and Fees category.
On the other hand, Alpari does not have available average spread data to directly compare with Plus500. However, it still garners a competitive rating of 4 stars out of five for commissions and fees. ForexBrokers.com ranks Alpari 41st out of 63 brokers in this category, which suggests it might not be the first choice for cost-focused forex traders, especially without concrete data on average spreads.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €50 | $20 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.3 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.3 | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | 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 Plus500 and Alpari in terms of investment options, Plus500 emerges as the more versatile choice. With 5,500 tradeable symbols, including 65 forex pairs, Plus500 significantly surpasses Alpari's offering of 105 tradeable symbols and 46 forex pairs. Plus500 also provides the opportunity to trade CFDs, exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, and cryptocurrency derivatives, making it an excellent choice for investors seeking a diverse investment portfolio. However, it's worth noting that Plus500 does not support copy trading or the purchasing of actual cryptocurrencies.
Alpari, while more limited in its range of investments, does have some noteworthy features. It offers forex trading as both CFDs and spot contracts, and like Plus500, allows trading of cryptocurrency derivatives. Alpari also enables trading of international exchange-traded securities, but falls short when it comes to U.S. exchange-traded securities. The added benefit of copy trading could appeal to clients interested in leveraging the expertise of seasoned traders. Despite these features, Plus500 generally scores higher with a rating of 4.5 stars compared to Alpari's 3 stars, ranking 21st and 63rd respectively in the Range of Investments category according to ForexBrokers.com.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 105 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 46 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | 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). Non-CFD share trading at Plus500 is only available through the Plus500 Invest account. | 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 trading platforms and tools, both Plus500 and Alpari offer unique features tailored to different needs. Plus500 provides a proprietary platform accessible through a web-based interface and a virtual demo account for practice, making it ideal for users who prioritize browser-based trading without the need for software downloads. It offers an impressive array of 36 drawing tools for charting and a more extensive watch list capability with 10 columns, even though it lacks direct trading from charts and does not support popular third-party platforms like MetaTrader 4 or 5. Plus500, securing a 4.5-star rating, is ranked 14th out of 63 brokers for its trading tools and platforms.
In contrast, Alpari caters to traders looking for compatibility with established desktop systems and community-driven features. Alpari offers both web-based and Windows desktop download options, making it accessible in various formats, along with the ability to engage in copy trading. It supports widely-used platforms such as MetaTrader 4 and 5, standing out for users who prefer these industry-standard systems. While it initially seems less flexible with fewer drawing tools (15) and a smaller watch list capacity (7 columns), it allows integration with the chart for direct trading. Alpari holds a 4-star rating, placing it at 55th among 63 brokers for trading platforms and tools.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 36 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 10 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When it comes to mobile trading apps, both Plus500 and Alpari deliver robust solutions for traders on the go. Available on iPhone and Android devices, these apps provide essential features like price alerts and the ability to view multiple time frames on stock or forex charts. Plus500 stands out by offering an impressive 115 technical studies for charting, significantly more than Alpari's 30. Both apps allow users to draw trendlines on charts and create watchlists with real-time quotes, but Plus500 offers the additional benefit of watchlist symbol syncing across devices, a feature that Alpari lacks.
Plus500's mobile app receives high praise with a 4.5-star rating and ranks 14th among 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com for mobile trading apps. On the other hand, Alpari modestly ranks 56th with a 4-star rating. Both platforms do not automatically save drawing updates on charts, which might be something for users to consider. Overall, while both apps provide solid trading experiences, Plus500's additional features and technical capabilities make it a preferred choice for those seeking a more comprehensive mobile trading tool.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 115 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | No |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When comparing the market research offerings of Plus500 and Alpari, traders can notice several distinct differences. Plus500 provides daily market commentary, which Alpari lacks, giving Plus500 users an advantage in staying updated with regular insights. However, Alpari offers forex news from leading sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, whereas Plus500 does not, providing Alpari users access to influential financial news. In terms of technical analysis tools, Plus500 collaborates with Trading Central, offering features like Technical Analytics, while Alpari partners with Autochartist for its analytical needs. Additionally, Plus500 supplies a sentiment-based trading tool to gauge market behaviors, which is not available with Alpari.
Both Plus500 and Alpari offer economic calendars, aiding traders in tracking global news events. Despite some strengths, Alpari's market research capabilities, rated 3 stars, fall behind Plus500, which boasts a 4.0-star rating for research. In ForexBrokers.com's ranking of 63 brokers, Plus500 is placed at #19, considerably ahead of Alpari’s #57 ranking. This indicates that Plus500 delivers stronger research support to its clients, albeit Alpari offers some unique resources that cater to specific information needs.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | 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 Plus500 and Alpari provide foundational materials that can help newcomers grasp the basics of forex and CFD trading. Plus500 offers a comprehensive suite of educational content, including over ten articles and videos focusing on these topics. They also host monthly webinars and maintain a searchable archive of past sessions, ensuring that both live and recorded learning opportunities are readily available to their clients. Plus500 complements these resources with beginner-friendly videos that cover essential trading concepts, enabling new traders to build a solid understanding of the market. On the other hand, Alpari provides a selection of educational articles and videos aimed at beginners, but they do not offer regular webinars or an archive of previous sessions. Despite the lack of certain resources, Alpari does feature an investor dictionary with over 50 investing terms, potentially aiding novices in learning the language of trading.
For traders looking to advance their skills, Plus500 again stands out by offering specialized videos targeted at more experienced traders, a feature that Alpari does not match. In overall educational ratings, Plus500 scores higher with a 4-star rating, compared to Alpari's 3 stars. Plus500's emphasis on a variety of educational formats, coupled with their commitment to supporting both beginner and advanced traders, contributes to their more favorable ranking of 31 out of 63 in the education category on ForexBrokers.com. Meanwhile, Alpari ranks at 48, reflecting the limited scope of their educational offerings. In summary, Plus500's extensive and accessible educational resources make it a more appealing choice for newcomers eager to deepen their trading knowledge and skills.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| 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) | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Plus500 is better than Alpari. Plus500 finished with an overall rank of #14, while Alpari finished with an overall rank of #58.
Plus500 is a trusted global brand that offers an easy-to-use trading platform for online traders, alongside access to a thorough selection of CFDs. Share trading is available, but only via its Plus500 Invest product offering.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 68 |
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Both Plus500 and Alpari do not allow the purchase of actual (delivered) cryptocurrency but do offer the ability to buy cryptocurrency derivatives.
In a comparison of deposit and withdrawal options, Plus500 stands out by offering PayPal, Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires, but not ACH or SEPA transfers, while Alpari provides similar services with Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires, though excludes both ACH, SEPA transfers, and 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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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Plus500 | Alpari | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 68 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Plus500 Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Plus500 | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Regulation | Plus500 | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 68 | |
| Year Founded | 2008 | 1998 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 0 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Plus500 | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Plus500 | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Plus500 | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 105 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 46 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | 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). Non-CFD share trading at Plus500 is only available through the Plus500 Invest account. | 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 | Plus500 | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.3 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.3 | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Plus500 | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €50 | $20 | |
| 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 | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | Plus500 | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Plus500 | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 10 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 36 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Plus500 | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 115 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | No | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Plus500 | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | ||
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Plus500 | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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) | No | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Plus500 | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Plus500 Review |
| Overall | Plus500 | Alpari | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 68 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Plus500 Review |
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