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City Index vs ATFX 2025

ForexBrokers.com

Written by ForexBrokers.com

February 05, 2025

In this head to head comparison of City Index vs ATFX, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.

City Index
5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: £100.00
  • Trust Score: 99
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 13500
ATFX
4/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $500
  • Trust Score: 85
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 150

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.

Regulation

City Index and ATFX offer solid options for online trading, but they differ in experience and regulatory standing. Established in 1983, City Index is publicly traded and boasts an impressive Trust Score of 99 from ForexBrokers.com. This reflects its strong regulatory framework, with 7 Tier-1 and 1 Tier-2 licenses, underscoring its highly trusted status. Despite not being a bank, City Index's longstanding presence and regulatory compliance make it an appealing choice for traders.

On the other hand, ATFX was founded in 2017 and is not publicly traded. It holds 4 Tier-1 and 2 Tier-2 licenses, contributing to its respectable Trust Score of 85, indicating a trusted status. While newer to the market compared to City Index, ATFX provides a competitive and reliable trading environment for those who value robust regulation, without being a bank itself. Both brokers ensure a secure platform for trading, with City Index offering a longer track record and higher trust rating.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
ATFX logoATFX
Year Founded info 1983 2017
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes No
Bank info No No
Tier-1 Licenses info 7 4
Tier-2 Licenses info 1 2
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 1 1

Fees

When comparing commissions and fees, City Index offers pricing for CFDs, forex, and spread betting that sits around the industry average, while ATFX does not publish average spread data, making direct cost comparisons harder. City Index tends to deliver its best pricing on its own platforms and on MetaTrader.

City Index’s CFD account showed an average EUR/USD spread of 0.74 pips as of July 2023. Active traders may qualify for the Premium Trader account (deposit over £10,000) for access to exclusive pricing and dedicated support. Volume-based rebates are available for professionals: in the U.K., £4 per million above £25M monthly, up to £7.5 per million above £300M; in Australia, AUD $4.5 to $14.5 per million across tiers. City Index is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and ranks #15 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.

ATFX does not provide average spread figures, which limits fee transparency compared to peers that disclose this data. For commissions and fees, ATFX holds a 3 out of 5 star rating and ranks #61 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
ATFX logoATFX
Minimum Deposit info £100.00 $500
Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard info 1.4 info N/A info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.74 info N/A info
Active Trader or VIP Discounts info Yes No
ACH or SEPA Transfers info Yes No
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info No Yes
Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) info Yes Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.

Featured Offers


Range of investments

City Index vs ATFX: both brokers support forex trading either via CFDs or spot. City Index lists a far wider selection of markets, with 13,500 tradeable symbols and 66 currency pairs, compared with ATFX’s 150 symbols and 44 pairs. Both brokers offer copy trading. For crypto, neither lets you buy actual coins, but each provides access to cryptocurrency derivatives.

Neither City Index nor ATFX offers direct share dealing on U.S. or international stock exchanges. For the Range of Investments category, City Index earns 5 stars and ranks #8 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while ATFX is rated 3.5 stars and ranks #58. If having more markets matters, City Index clearly has the broader lineup; ATFX may suit traders who only need a tighter selection.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
ATFX logoATFX
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 13500 150
Forex Pairs (Total) info 66 44
U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) info No No
Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) info No No
Social Trading / Copy Trading info Yes Yes
Cryptocurrency (Physical) info No No
Cryptocurrency (Derivative) info 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.

Trading platforms and tools

City Index and ATFX both make it easy to get started with a free demo account and give you the choice of web and Windows desktop platforms. Both support copy trading and MetaTrader 4 (MT4). City Index also offers its own in-house platform, while ATFX does not. If you want MetaTrader 5 (MT5), only ATFX provides it; City Index does not.

For charting and workflow, City Index stands out with 239 drawing tools versus 15 at ATFX, and both brokers let you place trades straight from charts. Watchlists are more detailed at City Index (11 columns) than ATFX (7). Neither broker offers DupliTrade or ZuluTrade. In independent ratings for Trading Platforms and Tools, City Index earns 4.5 stars and ranks 11th out of 63 brokers, while ATFX scores 3.5 stars and ranks 63rd.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
ATFX logoATFX
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Proprietary Platform info Yes No
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Social Trading / Copy Trading info Yes Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info Yes Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info No Yes
DupliTrade info No No
ZuluTrade info No No
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 88 30
Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) info 239 15
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes
Watchlists - Total Fields info 11 7

Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.

Forex trading apps

City Index vs. ATFX: both brokers offer iPhone and Android trading apps with real-time watchlists and price alerts. Each app lets you draw trendlines, switch among intraday, daily, and weekly time frames, and auto-save chart drawings. The key differences are charting depth and syncing. City Index includes 88 built-in technical indicators and syncs watchlists between mobile and web. ATFX has 7 indicators and does not sync watchlists, so you’ll manage lists separately on phone and desktop.

For overall mobile experience, City Index earns 4.5/5 stars and ranks #9 out of 63 brokers in ForexBrokers.com’s Mobile Trading Apps category. ATFX scores 3.5/5 stars and ranks #64. If you want advanced charting, seamless watchlist syncing, and a higher-rated mobile trading app, City Index is the stronger choice. If you only need the basics—alerts, drawing tools, and multi–time frame charts—ATFX’s app can still get the job done.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
ATFX logoATFX
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields info Yes Yes
Watchlist Syncing info Yes No
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 88 7
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlist info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.

Market research

City Index vs ATFX: For market research, City Index earns 4.5/5 stars and ranks #10 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while ATFX scores 3/5 stars and ranks #55. Both cover the essentials, but City Index offers a stronger overall research experience that can help everyday traders find and act on ideas with more confidence.

Both brokers provide daily market commentary and an economic calendar. City Index adds forex news from top-tier sources (such as Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones), a client sentiment tool that shows long/short positioning, and research from Trading Central; it does not include Autochartist, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading. ATFX offers commentary, an economic calendar, Trading Central, and Autochartist, but it lacks top-tier news and a sentiment tool; TipRanks and Acuity Trading were not specified.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
ATFX logoATFX
Daily Market Commentary info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes No
Autochartist info No Yes
Trading Central (Recognia) info Yes Yes
Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs info Yes No
TipRanks info No
Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) info No
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.

Beginners and education

When evaluating online brokers for beginner-friendly educational resources, City Index and ATFX both provide a solid foundation in forex and CFDs education. Each offers at least 10 educational materials such as articles, videos, and archived webinars focused primarily on these topics. However, when it comes to online educational webinars, City Index takes the lead by offering sessions at least once a month, whereas ATFX falls short in this area. Additionally, both brokers have a searchable archive of recorded webinars, allowing users to learn at their own pace.

In terms of video content, City Index and ATFX provide more than 10 beginner-focused educational videos, ensuring new traders have access to essential trading knowledge. However, for those looking to advance their skills, City Index stands out with a wider array of more than 10 advanced educational videos, compared to ATFX’s offerings. Both brokers supply an investor dictionary with definitions of over 50 investing terms, aiding in the understanding of complex financial jargon. Overall, these aspects contribute to City Index's higher educational rating of 4.5 stars and a rank of #9 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, compared to ATFX's rating of 3 stars and a rank of #28.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
ATFX logoATFX
Education (Forex or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Client Webinars info Yes No
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes No
Investor Dictionary (Glossary) info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.

Winner

After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that City Index is better than ATFX. City Index finished with an overall rank of #8, while ATFX finished with an overall rank of #51.

Backed by StoneX Group, City Index is a trusted brand known for its versatile trading platforms, excellent mobile app, diverse market research, and extensive range of tradeable markets.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
ATFX logoATFX
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 85
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Research 4.5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with City Index or ATFX?

Both City Index and ATFX do not provide the option to purchase actual delivered cryptocurrencies, but they do offer the ability to trade cryptocurrency derivatives.

What funding options does each broker offer?

City Index supports ACH or SEPA transfers and PayPal for depositing and withdrawing funds, while ATFX does not offer these options but provides Skrill, and both brokers allow transactions via Visa or Mastercard and bank wires.




announcementPlease 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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Compare

0 of 5
Overall Rating City Index ATFX
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Research 4.5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 85
Winner check_circle
Review City Index Review
Broker Screenshots City Index ATFX
Broker Gallery (click to expand) info
Regulation City Index ATFX
Trust Score info 99 85
Year Founded info 1983 2017
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes No
Bank info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info Yes info
Tier-1 Licenses info 7 4
Tier-2 Licenses info 1 2
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 1 1
Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) City Index ATFX
Australia (ASIC Authorised) info Yes Yes
Canada (CIRO Authorised) info Yes No
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) info No Yes
Japan (SFC Authorised) info No No
Singapore (MAS Authorised) info Yes No
Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) info
United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) info Yes Yes
USA (CFTC Authorized) info No No
New Zealand (FMA Authorised) info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info Yes info
Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) City Index ATFX
Kenya (CMA Authorised) info
Israel (ISA Authorised) info No No
South Africa (FSCA Authorised) info No Yes
UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) info Yes No
India (SEBI Authorised) info No No
Jordan (JSC Authorised) info No
Investments City Index ATFX
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 13500 150
Forex Pairs (Total) info 66 44
U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) info No No
Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) info No No
Social Trading / Copy Trading info Yes Yes
Cryptocurrency (Physical) info No No
Cryptocurrency (Derivative) info 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 City Index ATFX
Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard info 1.4 info N/A info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.74 info N/A info
Active Trader or VIP Discounts info Yes No
Inactivity Fee info Yes No
Execution: Agency Broker info No No
Execution: Market Maker info Yes Yes
Funding City Index ATFX
Minimum Deposit info £100.00 $500
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info No Yes
Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) info Yes Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
ACH or SEPA Transfers info Yes No
Trading Platforms City Index ATFX
Proprietary Platform info Yes No
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Social Trading / Copy Trading info Yes Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info Yes Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info No Yes
cTrader info No No
DupliTrade info No No
ZuluTrade info No No
Trading Tools City Index ATFX
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Alerts - Basic Fields info Yes Yes
Watchlists - Total Fields info 11 7
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 88 30
Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) info 239 15
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes
Charts can be saved info Yes Yes
Mobile Trading City Index ATFX
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlist info Yes Yes
Watchlist Syncing info Yes No
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 88 7
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave info Yes Yes
Mobile Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Research City Index ATFX
Daily Market Commentary info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes No
Autochartist info No Yes
Trading Central (Recognia) info Yes Yes
TipRanks info No
Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs info Yes No
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Education City Index ATFX
Education (Forex or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Client Webinars info Yes No
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes No
Investor Dictionary (Glossary) info Yes Yes
Major Forex Pairs City Index ATFX
GBP/USD info Yes Yes
USD/JPY info Yes Yes
EUR/USD info Yes Yes
USD/CHF info Yes Yes
USD/CAD info Yes Yes
NZD/USD info Yes Yes
AUD/USD info Yes Yes
Review City Index Review
Overall City Index ATFX
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Research 4.5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 85
Winner check_circle
Review City Index Review
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