Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of City Index vs BDSwiss, 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, established in 1983, stands as a leading online broker widely recognized for its highly trusted standing. It boasts a remarkable ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 99 out of 99, reflecting its strong reputation. As a publicly traded company, City Index offers clients the confidence that comes with its seven Tier-1 licenses, adhering to top regulatory standards. Additionally, its single Tier-2 license further supports its trusted operational practices, underscoring its commitment to client safety and transparency.
In contrast, BDSwiss, founded in 2012, offers a more moderate level of trust in the online trading landscape. With a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 73, it is categorized within the average risk range. Although BDSwiss is not publicly traded, it holds one Tier-1 license, maintaining a basic level of compliance with recognized authorities. However, lacking any Tier-2 licenses may impact perceptions of trust, making it crucial for potential investors to consider these factors when choosing between the two brokers.
| Feature |
City Index
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1983 | 2012 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
City Index vs. BDSwiss on commissions and fees: City Index earns 4.5/5 stars and ranks #15 out of 63 brokers for this category, while BDSwiss holds 4/5 stars and ranks #31 out of 63. On EUR/USD, City Index posts an average spread of 0.74 pips (July 2023), which sits around the industry average and under BDSwiss’s Classic (1.5 pips), VIP (1.2 pips), and Raw account’s effective cost of about 1.3 pips (0.3 pips plus a $5 per side commission).
City Index pricing for CFDs, forex, and spread betting is in line with the market, and you’ll typically see its best rates on City Index’s own platforms or MetaTrader. Active clients who deposit more than £10,000 may qualify for the Premium Trader account, which adds exclusive pricing, events, content, and dedicated support. Professional traders can also access cash rebates: in the U.K., £4 per million after £25M in monthly volume, rising to £7.5 per million above £300M; in Australia, rebates range from AUD $4.5 to $14.5 per million by tier.
BDSwiss offers competitive execution but generally higher spreads than the cheapest providers. Its EUR/USD pricing is 1.5 pips on the Classic account, 1.2 pips on VIP, and about 1.3 pips total on the Raw account after commissions. If low spreads on major forex pairs are your priority, City Index typically comes out cheaper based on these quotes, though real trading costs will vary with market conditions, account type, product, and platform.
| Feature |
City Index
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100.00 | $10-$5000 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.4 | 1.6 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.9 | 1.3 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Looking at market selection, City Index offers far more to trade than BDSwiss. City Index lists about 13,500 tradeable symbols and 66 forex pairs, while BDSwiss provides 1,081 symbols and 53 forex pairs. That gap shows up in third-party scores: City Index earns 5 stars and ranks #8 out of 63 brokers for Range of Investments, whereas BDSwiss earns 4 stars and ranks #35.
Both brokers let you trade forex (as CFDs or spot where available) and offer cryptocurrency via CFDs, but neither lets you buy actual crypto or real exchange-traded shares in the U.S. or abroad. Each supports copy trading. If having the widest choice of instruments matters most, City Index is the stronger pick; if you want a smaller lineup with copy trading and crypto CFDs, BDSwiss still covers the basics.
| Feature |
City Index
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 13500 | 1081 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 53 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | No |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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.
City Index vs BDSwiss: both brokers make it easy to get started with free demo (paper) accounts and offer their own proprietary platforms alongside MetaTrader 4. You can trade in a Windows desktop app or right in your browser with either broker, use copy trading, and place orders directly from charts. The main platform difference is MetaTrader 5—BDSwiss supports MT5, while City Index does not.
In independent testing of trading platforms and tools, City Index earns 4.5/5 stars and ranks #11 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while BDSwiss scores 4/5 stars and ranks #24. Choose City Index if you want a higher-rated toolset and user experience; pick BDSwiss if MT5 access is a must. Both let you try before you buy with virtual accounts, so you can compare platforms risk-free.
| Feature |
City Index
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
City Index vs BDSwiss: both offer iPhone and Android trading apps with price alerts, watchlists, and charting tools. You can draw trendlines and your drawings autosave on both platforms. A key difference is watchlist syncing: City Index syncs symbols between the mobile app and your online account, so changes carry over automatically, while BDSwiss does not.
For charting depth, City Index supplies 88 technical studies compared with 30 on BDSwiss, giving more options for analysis on the go. Independent ratings reflect this gap: City Index’s mobile app earns 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks 9th out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while BDSwiss scores 4 stars and ranks 24th. If you value richer indicators and seamless watchlist sync, City Index is the stronger pick; if you just need the basics with alerts and drawing tools, either app will do the job.
| Feature |
City Index
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 88 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When comparing the market research offerings of City Index and BDSwiss, both brokers provide daily market commentary, keeping traders updated with essential insights. However, City Index stands out by offering forex news from top-tier providers like Bloomberg and Reuters, which BDSwiss does not provide. Both brokers feature tools from Trading Central for technical analysis, yet BDSwiss also includes Autochartist tools, enhancing its research toolkit. A notable distinction is City Index's provision of sentiment-based trading tools, which BDSwiss lacks, adding an extra layer of market understanding for City Index users.
Both platforms offer access to economic calendars for tracking important global news events. However, neither includes research tools from companies like TipRanks or Acuity Trading. Based on research ratings, City Index outperforms BDSwiss, receiving 4.5 stars compared to BDSwiss’s 4 stars. In a broader comparison ranked by ForexBrokers.com, City Index also excels, securing the 10th spot out of 63 brokers, whereas BDSwiss ranks 24th. These differences reflect City Index's more comprehensive market research support, giving it a slight edge for traders seeking detailed market analysis.
| Feature |
City Index
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
City Index and BDSwiss both deliver full-fledged forex and CFD education for newcomers, easily clearing the bar of 10+ learning pieces. Each broker hosts at least one client webinar per month and offers 10+ beginner videos that walk through core topics like how trading works, basic strategies, and platform know‑how. As you grow, both brands also supply 10+ advanced videos to help you level up.
For overall quality, City Index takes a slight lead: it earns 4.5 stars for Education and ranks #9 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while BDSwiss holds 4 stars and ranks #22. If you want the higher‑rated learning path, City Index is the safer pick; if you prefer BDSwiss, you’ll still find plenty of beginner‑friendly videos and regular webinars to get started with confidence.
| Feature |
City Index
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | 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 BDSwiss. City Index finished with an overall rank of #8, while BDSwiss finished with an overall rank of #36.
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
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BDSwiss
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| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 73 |
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City Index vs BDSwiss: both online brokers do not allow buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but each offers trading in cryptocurrency CFDs.
In this comparison of online brokers City Index vs BDSwiss, City Index offers ACH/SEPA, PayPal, and bank wire funding and withdrawals but not Skrill, while BDSwiss is confirmed to support ACH/SEPA (other methods not specified), and Visa/Mastercard availability was not specified for either broker.
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 | BDSwiss | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | City Index Review | BDSwiss Review |
| Broker Screenshots | City Index | BDSwiss | |
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| Regulation | City Index | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 73 | |
| Year Founded | 1983 | 2012 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | City Index | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| 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 | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | City Index | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 13500 | 1081 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 53 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | No | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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 | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.4 | 1.6 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.9 | 1.3 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | No |
| Funding | City Index | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100.00 | $10-$5000 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | ||
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | City Index | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | City Index | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | City Index | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 88 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | City Index | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | City Index | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | City Index | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | City Index Review | BDSwiss Review |
| Overall | City Index | BDSwiss | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | City Index Review | BDSwiss Review |
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