Written by ForexBrokers.com
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.
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.
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
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1983 | 2017 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 4 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
When it comes to trading costs and fees, City Index and ATFX present different offerings for traders to consider. City Index maintains a pricing structure for CFDs, forex, and spread-betting products that aligns with the industry average. They offer a Premium Trader account for those making deposits over £10,000, providing benefits like exclusive pricing and dedicated customer service. City Index's average spread on the EUR/USD is 0.74 pips as of July 2023, situating their costs with industry standards, though not topping the list of forex brokers. Additionally, City Index provides rebates for professional traders in the UK and Australia, offering potential discounts based on trading volume.
In contrast, ATFX lacks readily available average spread data, making it more challenging to directly compare their fees to industry benchmarks. While ATFX offers its own range of services, the absence of detailed cost information can be a drawback for traders seeking transparency in pricing.
From a ratings perspective, City Index garners a commendable 4.5 out of 5 stars for its commissions and fees, securing the #14 spot out of 63 brokers as ranked by ForexBrokers.com. On the other hand, ATFX receives a rating of 3 stars and is ranked #60, placing City Index as a stronger contender in terms of pricing competitiveness in the trading brokerage landscape.
| Feature |
City Index
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100.00 | $500 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.4 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.74 | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
City Index and ATFX both offer investors opportunities to trade in the dynamic forex market through CFDs or spot contracts, ensuring flexibility for traders. While City Index boasts a wide-ranging selection of 13,500 tradeable symbols, including 66 forex pairs, ATFX provides a more limited array with 150 tradeable symbols and 44 forex pairs. Neither platform allows clients to purchase exchange-traded securities directly, such as shares listed on U.S. or international exchanges, but both offer options for trading cryptocurrency derivatives instead of actual cryptocurrencies.
Investors interested in copy trading will find both brokers accommodating, as City Index and ATFX feature this capability. When it comes to range of investments, City Index receives a top rating of 5 stars, ranking #8 out of 63 brokers, according to ForexBrokers.com. In comparison, ATFX earns a solid 3.5 stars and is ranked at #57. This suggests City Index provides a broader spectrum of investment choices, making it more appealing for those seeking diverse trading options.
| Feature |
City Index
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 13500 | 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.
When comparing the trading platforms and tools of City Index and ATFX, both brokers offer a strong set of features to support traders of all experience levels. Each offers simulated or paper trading through free virtual demo accounts, allowing users to practice without financial risk. Both brokers provide Windows-based desktop download platforms, as well as web-based trading options accessible via browser, ensuring that traders have the flexibility they need. While both provide copy trading and MetaTrader 4 (MT4), ATFX stands out by also offering MetaTrader 5 (MT5), which City Index does not. Conversely, City Index has developed its own in-house proprietary platform, a feature ATFX lacks.
City Index takes the lead in advanced charting with an impressive 239 drawing tools, overshadowing ATFX's 15. Moreover, City Index offers more watch list customization with 11 columns, compared to ATFX's 7. Both brokers allow direct trading from stock charts, offering seamless order execution. In terms of ratings, City Index scores 4.5 out of 5 stars for its trading platforms and tools and is ranked 11th out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com. In contrast, ATFX earns 3.5 stars and holds the 62nd position. This paints a clear picture: while both brokers have solid offerings, City Index excels in providing a more comprehensive and flexible trading experience.
| Feature |
City Index
|
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) | No | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 239 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
City Index and ATFX both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android users, complete with essential features like price alerts and the ability to view multiple time frames on charts. However, City Index provides a notable edge with watchlist symbol syncing, meaning changes made in the app or online account seamlessly update across platforms. In terms of charting tools, City Index offers a more comprehensive suite with 88 technical studies, compared to just 7 available from ATFX, allowing for more detailed market analysis.
Both apps allow users to draw trendlines and automatically save these drawings, enhancing their charting capabilities. For those looking to actively track their favorite stocks or forex pairs, both platforms support creating watchlists with real-time quotes. User ratings further highlight the differences, as City Index boasts a 4.5-star rating for its mobile app experience, ranking 9th out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com. In contrast, ATFX holds a 3.5-star rating and ranks at the bottom of the list, at 63rd. With these differences in mind, City Index emerges as a more feature-rich and highly-rated choice for mobile trading.
| Feature |
City Index
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 88 | 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.
When it comes to market research offerings, City Index and ATFX both provide daily market commentary and have economic calendars for tracking global financial events. However, City Index stands out with its access to premium forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, a feature ATFX lacks. While both brokers utilize Trading Central's technical analytics, ATFX benefits from Autochartist tools, which City Index does not offer. City Index also provides a sentiment-based trading tool that displays the ratio of long and short positions for various instruments, a tool not available through ATFX.
In terms of overall research quality, City Index receives an impressive 4.5-star rating and holds the 10th place rank among 63 brokers in this category, according to ForexBrokers.com. In contrast, ATFX has a more modest 3-star rating and is positioned at 54th place. Despite offering some valuable tools, ATFX's lack of high-quality news services and sentiment tools positions City Index as the stronger option for traders seeking comprehensive market insights.
| Feature |
City Index
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | Yes |
| 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.
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
|
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 | Yes | No |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
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
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 85 |
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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.
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.
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 | City Index | ATFX | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | City Index Review |
| Broker Screenshots | City Index | ATFX | |
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| Regulation | City Index | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 85 | |
| Year Founded | 1983 | 2017 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 4 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 2 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | City Index | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| 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) | City Index | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | City Index | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 13500 | 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 | City Index | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.4 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.74 | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | City Index | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100.00 | $500 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | City Index | 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) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | City Index | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 239 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | City Index | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 88 | 7 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | City Index | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | City Index | 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 | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | City Index | 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 | City Index Review |
| Overall | City Index | ATFX | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | City Index Review |
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