Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Plus500 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.
Founded in 2008, Plus500 stands out for its robust regulatory framework, holding six Tier-1 licenses and three Tier-2 licenses. This extensive licensing contributes to its high ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 99, indicating it is highly trusted in the industry. Moreover, Plus500 is a publicly traded entity, which adds to its credibility among traders seeking a well-regulated online broker that is not a bank.
Established in 2017, ATFX also offers a solid regulatory foundation, though it is not publicly traded like Plus500. It operates with four Tier-1 licenses and two Tier-2 licenses, earning it a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 85, categorizing it as trusted. Both Plus500 and ATFX provide a safe trading environment, but Plus500 holds a slight edge in terms of trust and regulatory oversight.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2008 | 2017 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 4 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 2 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
When comparing the commissions and fees of Plus500 and ATFX, there are notable differences that traders should consider. Plus500's pricing structure is slightly above the industry average. The broker primarily offers standard rates without discounts for retail clients, although cash rebates are available for those designated as Professional clients. In terms of spread, Plus500's average spread for EUR/USD was 1.5 pips in April 2024, which leans towards the higher side compared to industry standards. Overall, Plus500 receives a solid 4.0-star rating for its commissions and fees, securing the 25th spot out of 63 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com.
On the other hand, ATFX does not have available data for its average spreads, making it difficult to provide a clear comparison on this front. Though ATFX may not stand out in this area, it offers a diverse range of other trading services that might appeal to different investor needs. Regarding its overall rating for commissions and fees, ATFX earns a 3-star rating, placing it at 60th out of 63 brokers, according to ForexBrokers.com.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €100 | $500 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.5 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.5 | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | No |
| 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 ATFX in terms of available investments, Plus500 stands out with an impressive offering. It provides access to 5,500 tradeable symbols and 65 forex pairs, allowing investors a broad spectrum to explore. Not only does it excel in forex trading offered as CFDs, but Plus500 also gives clients the option to engage in exchange-traded securities both on U.S. and international exchanges. This includes the ability to directly purchase shares from major companies such as Apple on NASDAQ and Vodafone on the London Stock Exchange. However, Plus500 lacks in offering actual delivered cryptocurrency or copy trading features.
On the other hand, ATFX has a more limited range with 150 tradeable symbols, including 44 forex pairs. Similar to Plus500, it offers forex trading via CFDs and provides access to cryptocurrency derivatives. However, ATFX differs by offering copy trading, which can be appealing for those looking to mimic successful trading strategies. Despite its offerings, ATFX does not provide access to direct investments in exchange-traded securities on U.S. or international markets. In rankings by ForexBrokers.com, Plus500 receives a higher 4.5-star rating compared to ATFX's 3.5-star rating for the range of investments, and Plus500 is more favorably ranked at #24, whereas ATFX sits at #57 out of 63 brokers.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 150 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 44 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| 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, Plus500 and ATFX offer different strengths for online traders. Plus500 stands out with its proprietary platform, providing a unique trading experience directly in your web browser. While it lacks a Windows desktop application, the platform offers 36 drawing tools, making it suitable for those who enjoy detailed charting. Plus500 also provides a virtual demo account, allowing users to practice trading without any risk. Despite its limitations in copy trading and lack of support for MetaTrader 4 and 5, Plus500 receives a high user rating of 4.5 stars and ranks #14 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com for its trading platforms and tools. Additionally, its watch lists can include up to 10 columns, providing comprehensive market insights.
On the other hand, ATFX focuses on offering widely recognized platforms like MetaTrader 4 and 5, catering to traders familiar with these popular tools. Their Windows-based desktop application is a plus for those who prefer robust software installations. ATFX also supports copy trading, a feature not available on Plus500, allowing traders to mirror strategies from others easily. Both brokers offer web-based platforms and demo accounts for simulated trading, making them suitable for beginners. However, ATFX's offering is less extensive in some areas, providing only 15 drawing tools and 7 columns for watch lists. With a 3.5-star rating, ATFX is ranked #62 in the same category by ForexBrokers.com, reflecting more limited functionality compared to Plus500.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No |
| 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 comparing mobile trading apps, Plus500 and ATFX both offer applications for iPhone and Android devices, allowing traders convenience regardless of their smartphone preference. Both platforms enable users to set up stock or forex price alerts, ensuring that you won’t miss any important market movements. They also let you draw trendlines and access different time frames, be it daily, weekly, or intraday. However, Plus500 stands out by providing an impressive 115 technical studies for charting, compared to ATFX's offering of just 7. Additionally, Plus500 permits watchlist symbol syncing, letting you seamlessly update and access your watchlists across both the mobile app and your online account, which ATFX does not support.
Both brokers offer the functionality to create watchlists with real-time quotes, but when it comes to user ratings, Plus500 shines with 4.5 stars out of 5, while ATFX sits lower with 3.5 stars. A notable distinction is that Plus500's mobile app doesn't auto-save drawings on charts, whereas ATFX's does, adding a layer of user-friendliness for those who frequently annotate their charts. In terms of rankings by ForexBrokers.com, Plus500 is positioned 14th out of 63 brokers in the Mobile Trading Apps category, reflecting its robust feature set and user satisfaction, whereas ATFX is ranked at 63rd, which may impact its appeal among traders seeking extensive mobile trading functionalities.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 115 | 7 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When considering Plus500 and ATFX for market research tools, both brokers stand out for their daily market commentary and shared access to Trading Central's analytics. However, Plus500 provides a unique sentiment-based trading tool, offering insights into the proportion of long and short positions across various instruments, a feature ATFX lacks. On the technical side, ATFX distinguishes itself with research tools from Autochartist, which Plus500 does not offer, giving traders more advanced tools for analysis. Both platforms feature an economic calendar for tracking global news events, but neither provides forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg or Reuters.
Evaluating their overall research capabilities, Plus500 receives a higher rating of 4.0 stars compared to ATFX's 3 stars. This is reflected in their respective rankings on ForexBrokers.com, where Plus500 is placed 19th among 63 brokers in the Research category, while ATFX lags behind at 54th. This difference highlights Plus500's slightly superior offerings in terms of research tools and market insights, making it a more appealing choice for traders prioritizing research capabilities.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | 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 comparing the educational resources offered by Plus500 and ATFX, both brokers provide a solid foundation for beginners interested in forex or CFDs trading. Plus500 and ATFX each offer more than 10 educational pieces, including articles, videos, and webinars focused on forex or CFDs. However, Plus500 stands out by hosting regular monthly webinars and offering a searchable archive of these sessions, allowing traders to access and review educational content at their convenience. ATFX, while also providing a searchable archive, does not match Plus500 in terms of regular webinars.
For those starting out, Plus500 excels with a selection of more than 10 beginner educational videos and a range of advanced content tailored for experienced traders. In contrast, ATFX offers a similar set of beginner videos, but lacks the same depth for advanced traders. On the flip side, ATFX caters to learners who appreciate detailed explanations, with an investor dictionary that defines over 50 investing terms, a feature Plus500 does not provide. Despite these nuances, Plus500 receives a slightly higher education rating of 4.0 stars compared to ATFX's 3 stars. Interestingly, when ranked among 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, ATFX holds a slightly better position at #28, while Plus500 is ranked #31.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
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) | 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 ATFX. Plus500 finished with an overall rank of #14, while ATFX finished with an overall rank of #51.
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
|
ATFX
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 85 |
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When comparing online brokers Plus500 and ATFX, both platforms do not provide the option to buy actual delivered cryptocurrency, but they do offer the ability to purchase cryptocurrency derivatives.
In comparing online brokers, Plus500 and ATFX both support major payment methods like Skrill and bank wires, but differ in that Plus500 also accommodates PayPal users, whereas neither offers ACH or SEPA transfers for account transactions.
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 | ATFX | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Plus500 Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Plus500 | ATFX | |
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| Regulation | Plus500 | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 85 | |
| Year Founded | 2008 | 2017 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 4 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 2 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Plus500 | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | Yes | 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) | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Plus500 | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | Plus500 | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 150 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 44 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| 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 | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.5 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.5 | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Plus500 | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €100 | $500 | |
| 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 | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No | |
| 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 | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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 | 115 | 7 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Plus500 | ATFX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | No | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Plus500 | 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) | No | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Plus500 | 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 | Plus500 Review |
| Overall | Plus500 | ATFX | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Plus500 Review |
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