Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Markets.com 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.
When comparing the regulatory strength of Markets.com and ATFX, it's evident that both online brokers have established a solid foundation for investor trust, though they differ in certain aspects. Founded in 1999, Markets.com holds three Tier-1 licenses, symbolizing a high level of reliability. It's demonstrated in its ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 93, placing it in the highly trusted category. Despite not being publicly traded or a bank, Markets.com showcases a strong commitment to regulatory compliance.
Conversely, ATFX, founded in 2017, also stands out with four Tier-1 licenses, indicating a substantial regulatory backbone. Its ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 85 places the broker in the trusted category. Like Markets.com, ATFX is neither publicly traded nor a bank. However, it diversifies its regulatory presence with two Tier-2 licenses, offering an added layer of trust for its clients.
| Feature |
Markets.com
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2017 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 4 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
When comparing online brokers Markets.com and ATFX, it is essential to consider their respective commissions and fees. Markets.com offers a competitive edge with a slightly better star rating of 3.5 out of 5 for its commissions and fees. Unfortunately, information regarding average spread data isn't available, making it difficult to provide detailed insights into potential trading costs. However, Markets.com is ranked #49 out of 62 brokers in the Commissions and Fees category by ForexBrokers.com, suggesting a moderate fee structure.
On the other hand, ATFX holds a 3-star rating for its commissions and fees, indicating a marginally less favorable pricing structure compared to Markets.com. Like Markets.com, the specific average spread data for ATFX is not available, which might make thorough cost comparisons challenging. With a ranking of #59 in the Commissions and Fees category out of 62 brokers, ATFX falls behind Markets.com, reflecting a less competitive position in terms of trading costs.
In summary, Markets.com edges out ATFX in both star rating and broker ranking, making it a slightly more appealing option if commissions and fees are a top priority in your trading decisions. However, without concrete average spread data, potential users might need to delve deeper into the specific costs related to their trading strategy for each platform.
| Feature |
Markets.com
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $500 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | N/A | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| 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 it comes to the variety of investable options, Markets.com stands out with a diverse selection of tradeable symbols totaling 2179, offering investors a wide range of choices compared to ATFX's 150 symbols. Both platforms provide forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, but Markets.com slightly surpasses ATFX by offering 57 tradeable forex pairs compared to ATFX's 44 pairs. While neither broker provides access to exchange-traded securities on U.S. or international exchanges, both offer the possibility to invest in cryptocurrency derivatives rather than the actual assets. Additionally, Markets.com and ATFX each include the option for copy trading.
Despite these similarities, Markets.com holds a higher rating of 4 stars for its range of investments compared to ATFX's 3.5 stars, reflecting its broader offerings. According to ForexBrokers.com, Markets.com is ranked 29th out of 62 brokers for investment variety, which significantly outpaces ATFX's 57th place. This paints Markets.com as the more versatile choice for those seeking a wide array of investment opportunities in the online brokerage space.
| Feature |
Markets.com
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 2179 | 150 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 57 | 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.
Both Markets.com and ATFX provide virtual demo accounts, allowing traders to experience their platforms without financial risk. While both brokers offer access to popular MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), Markets.com stands out by also featuring a proprietary platform that caters to their users' unique needs. Both companies offer Windows-based desktop and web-based trading options, ensuring flexibility for traders. When it comes to copy trading, both Markets.com and ATFX support it, yet neither offers DupliTrade or ZuluTrade.
When exploring charting tools, ATFX offers more drawing tools with 15 available options compared to Markets.com's four. However, ATFX allows direct trading from stock charts, a feature not available with Markets.com. Markets.com compensates with more fields for watchlists, providing a good range of customization. Despite ATFX's broader charting options, Markets.com scores higher in user ratings, receiving 4 stars for its platforms and tools, compared to ATFX's 3.5 stars. This is reflected in their rankings by ForexBrokers.com, where Markets.com holds the 27th spot among 62 brokers, while ATFX is positioned at 61st. This suggests that Markets.com offers a more well-rounded experience for traders seeking effective trading tools and platforms.
| Feature |
Markets.com
|
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) | Yes | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 89 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 4 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 6 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When comparing the mobile trading offerings of Markets.com and ATFX, both platforms provide essential functionality. They each offer iPhone and Android apps, enabling users to keep tabs on financial markets directly from their smartphones. Notably, both companies deliver stock and forex price alerts, ensuring traders are equipped to act swiftly in response to market changes. Markets.com stands out with a feature that allows watchlist symbol syncing between their mobile app and online account. However, ATFX lacks this capability, which might be a consideration for those who prioritize consistency between devices.
In terms of charting tools, Markets.com provides the basic drawing of trendlines but falls short with limited technical studies and the inability to switch between different time frames on their charts. ATFX offers a more comprehensive charting experience with seven technical studies and the capability to view various time frames, as well as auto-saving of chart drawings. Both platforms support the creation of watchlists with real-time quotes. Ultimately, Markets.com's mobile trading app is rated higher at four stars, with a ranking of #33 out of 62 brokers by ForexBrokers.com. In contrast, ATFX holds a 3.5-star rating and ranks #62 in the same category.
| Feature |
Markets.com
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | (default on MT4, none on Markets app) | 7 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When it comes to market research offerings, both Markets.com and ATFX provide daily market commentary and maintain economic calendars for global events, giving traders timely information to make informed decisions. However, Markets.com sets itself apart by providing forex news from top-tier sources such as Bloomberg and Reuters, ensuring that traders have access to high-quality news updates. In contrast, ATFX does not offer this feature. Instead, ATFX excels in technical analysis support by offering tools from Autochartist and Trading Central, which can be valuable for traders looking to refine their strategies through technical and fundamental insights.
Markets.com further distinguishes itself with a sentiment-based trading tool, offering a glimpse into the market's current state by displaying the ratio of long to short positions across various instruments. In comparison, this feature is absent from ATFX's offerings. Both brokers, however, do not utilize TipRanks or Acuity Trading's research tools. According to ForexBrokers.com, Markets.com receives a higher research rating of 4 stars and is ranked 17th out of 62 brokers, while ATFX holds a 3-star rating and is ranked 54th. These distinctions reflect Markets.com's slightly more comprehensive research capabilities.
| Feature |
Markets.com
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | 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 it comes to educational resources for beginner traders in forex and CFDs, Markets.com and ATFX offer distinct experiences. ATFX stands out by providing a substantial amount of educational material, with more than ten various articles, videos, and archived webinars that cater specifically to the forex and CFDs subjects. On the other hand, Markets.com only meets the basic requirement in the area of beginner educational videos, matching ATFX in quantity. However, when we look at the scope of online educational webinars, Markets.com provides more opportunities with at least one live webinar each month, even though it lacks a searchable archive of these sessions, while ATFX offers such an archive.
As for more in-depth resources, Markets.com benefits experienced traders with over ten advanced educational videos. In contrast, ATFX does not meet this level of advanced content. Moreover, ATFX offers a significant advantage with their investor dictionary featuring over 50 investing terms, a feature that Markets.com lacks. Despite the variety in educational approaches, Markets.com receives a slightly higher education rating of 4 stars out of 5, compared to ATFX's 3 stars, though ATFX slightly outranks Markets.com by a few spots in ForexBrokers.com's ranking. Ultimately, beginners may choose based on the combination of live experiences at Markets.com or the comprehensive learning materials ATFX provides.
| Feature |
Markets.com
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | No | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes |
| 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 62 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Markets.com is better than ATFX. Markets.com finished with an overall rank of #23, while ATFX finished with an overall rank of #51.
Thanks to its web-based MarketsX platform, Markets.com is easy to use and new trader friendly. However, Markets.com is pricey and lacks the feature-rich trading tools required to compete with the best trading platforms.
| Feature |
Markets.com
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 85 |
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Both Markets.com and ATFX do not offer the ability to buy actual delivered cryptocurrency, but they both provide options to invest in cryptocurrency derivatives.
Both Markets.com and ATFX provide robust payment options, allowing users to deposit or withdraw funds using Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires; however, neither platform supports ACH, SEPA transfers, or 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 | Markets.com | ATFX | |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
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| Broker Screenshots | Markets.com | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trading Platforms Gallery (click to expand) | |||
| Mobile Trading Gallery (click to expand) | |||
| Research Gallery (click to expand) | |||
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| Regulation | Markets.com | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 93 | 85 | |
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2017 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 4 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 2 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Markets.com | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | No | 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) | Markets.com | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | Markets.com | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 2179 | 150 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 57 | 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 | Markets.com | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | N/A | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Markets.com | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $500 | |
| 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 | No |
| Trading Platforms | Markets.com | 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) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Markets.com | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | No | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 6 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 89 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 4 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Markets.com | 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 | (default on MT4, none on Markets app) | 7 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | No | Yes |
| Research | Markets.com | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Markets.com | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | No | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | No | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Markets.com | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | No | Yes | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review |
| Overall | Markets.com | ATFX | |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review |
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