Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of HFM 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.
When it comes to choosing an online broker, understanding their trustworthiness and regulatory standing is crucial. HFM, established in 2010, holds a Trust Score of 86 out of 99 from ForexBrokers.com, positioning it as a trusted choice for traders. It holds two Tier-1 licenses, indicating a high level of regulatory compliance, along with three Tier-2 licenses. BDSwiss, founded in 2012, has a Trust Score of 73, suggesting an average risk. It is backed by one Tier-1 license. Neither HFM nor BDSwiss is publicly traded, and neither operates as a bank.
While both platforms offer services in trading, the number and level of regulatory licenses differ. HFM's additional Tier-2 licenses show a broader compliance with trusted regulatory bodies. In contrast, BDSwiss lacks Tier-2 licenses, which are still considered trusted. This distinction might influence your decision if regulatory oversight is a priority. With both brokers being privately owned and not part of any banking institution, each has its unique strengths in serving online traders. Choosing between them largely depends on your personal risk tolerance and the importance you place on regulatory credentials.
| Feature |
HFM
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2012 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
When comparing the commissions and fees of online brokers HFM and BDSwiss, both offer different advantages in terms of pricing, though they are similarly rated. HFM's trading costs are noted to be slightly above average in the industry. For their standard trading accounts, the typical spread is 1.2 pips, but it's important to mention that no specific date range is provided, indicating that spreads could potentially differ. Their Zero account offers an effective spread of 0.7 pips after accounting for commission, which, like the standard account, is not an average figure. HFM earns a commendable 4-star rating for commissions and fees, ranking them at #31 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com.
BDSwiss also maintains a competitive stance with good order execution statistics, albeit with spreads that are higher compared to some industry leaders. Their Classic account features a spread of 1.5 pips on EUR/USD, which is considered on the pricier side. The Raw account provides a spread of 0.3 pips plus a $5 commission per side, resulting in a total effective spread of 1.3 pips. Meanwhile, the VIP account comes in at an effective spread of 1.2 pips. Like HFM, BDSwiss is rated with 4 stars for commissions and fees but holds a slightly higher rank at #30 out of 63 brokers.
| Feature |
HFM
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $10-$5000 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.2 | 1.6 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.7 | 1.3 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | Yes |
| 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.
HFM and BDSwiss both offer forex trading through CFDs or spot contracts, catering to traders seeking flexibility in foreign exchange markets. When it comes to the number of tradeable symbols, HFM provides a choice of 500, while BDSwiss offers a wider selection with 1,081 symbols available. However, HFM surpasses BDSwiss in the number of tradeable forex pairs, offering 102 compared to BDSwiss's 53. Neither broker offers exchange-traded securities from U.S. or international exchanges, such as shares in companies like Apple or Vodafone.
Both HFM and BDSwiss shine in providing copy trading services, allowing clients to mimic the trades of successful investors. While they do not facilitate the purchase of actual cryptocurrency, they both offer derivative options for trading cryptocurrency products, adding to their diverse offerings. Both brokers receive a 4-star rating for their range of investments, though BDSwiss is ranked slightly higher at #34 compared to HFM's #36 ranking by ForexBrokers.com. This highlights their competitive standing among peers in investment variety and innovation.
| Feature |
HFM
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 500 | 1081 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 102 | 53 |
| 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 exploring the trading platforms and tools offered by HFM and BDSwiss, both brokers provide traders with a comprehensive suite to enhance their trading experience. They each support simulated trading with free virtual demo accounts, offering traders a risk-free environment to refine their strategies. Both platforms also provide a proprietary trading platform, alongside industry favorites like MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. HFM and BDSwiss cater to traders preferring various devices, featuring Windows-based desktop applications and web-based browser platforms. Additionally, both brokers facilitate copy trading, allowing users to replicate the trades of experienced investors.
While neither broker supports DupliTrade or ZuluTrade, HFM and BDSwiss offer the capability to place trades directly from stock charts. In terms of technical analysis, HFM takes the lead with 30 drawing tools compared to BDSwiss's 15. Nevertheless, they both offer seven columns for watch lists, providing ample space to track preferred assets efficiently. Rated four stars for their trading platforms and tools, HFM ranks 42nd out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while BDSwiss holds a higher position at 24th, reflecting a slightly better reception among users.
| Feature |
HFM
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| 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) | 15 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 30 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both HFM and BDSwiss offer trading apps compatible with iPhone and Android devices, featuring stock and forex price alerts. While neither provides watchlist symbol syncing, each app allows you to draw trendlines and offers 30 technical studies for chart analysis. Users can view multiple time frames and create watchlists with real-time quotes. For those who frequently annotate charts, the apps automatically save drawings for future reference. HFM and BDSwiss share the same rating of four out of five stars for their mobile trading experiences.
Despite their similar features, BDSwiss is ranked higher than HFM in the Mobile Trading Apps category by ForexBrokers.com, coming in at 24th out of 63 brokers, compared to HFM's 39th place. If app ranking and ease of use are crucial factors for you, BDSwiss might have a slight edge in user satisfaction, though both apps offer a comprehensive mobile trading toolset.
| Feature |
HFM
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 |
| 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 exploring the research offerings of online brokers HFM and BDSwiss, both platforms provide daily market commentary to help traders stay informed. HFM stands out by offering forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, ensuring traders have access to high-quality information. While both brokers utilize tools from Autochartist for technical and fundamental analysis, HFM further enhances decision-making with a sentiment-based trading tool that shows the ratio of long or short positions across various instruments.
On the other hand, BDSwiss provides tools from Trading Central, which HFM does not offer, giving traders an additional resource for technical analytics. Both brokers feature an economic calendar to keep traders updated on global events, but they lack additional research tools from companies such as TipRanks and Acuity Trading. Rated four stars by ForexBrokers.com, HFM ranks slightly higher at #20 compared to BDSwiss at #24, making both brokers strong contenders in market research capabilities.
| Feature |
HFM
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | Yes | 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 comparing the educational resources for beginners between HFM and BDSwiss, both brokers offer a well-rounded selection. Each provides more than ten educational pieces focused on forex and CFDs, ranging from articles and videos to archived webinars. They both host monthly online educational webinars, and even catalog past sessions in a searchable archive for client convenience. For those starting their trading journey, each broker delivers at least ten beginner-friendly videos covering essential concepts.
Advanced traders aren’t left behind as HFM and BDSwiss each supply over ten video resources tailored for more experienced investors. Both offer comprehensive investor dictionaries with definitions for over 50 investing terms, which can be a handy tool for new traders looking to deepen their understanding. Rated at four stars for education, the primary difference lies in their rankings by ForexBrokers.com, where BDSwiss takes the lead at #19 compared to HFM at #37.
| Feature |
HFM
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| 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 HFM is better than BDSwiss. HFM finished with an overall rank of #30, while BDSwiss finished with an overall rank of #36.
Alongside its enhanced MetaTrader offering and quality research, HFM (HF Markets), previously known as HotForex, offers a proprietary copy trading platform, HFcopy, a proprietary HF mobile app, and a decent selection of over 1,000 CFDs and 47 forex pairs. Still, trading costs at HFM are slightly above the industry average.
| Feature |
HFM
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BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 73 |
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Both HFM and BDSwiss do not provide the option to purchase actual delivered cryptocurrencies, but they do offer the ability to trade cryptocurrency derivatives.
When comparing the online brokers HFM and BDSwiss, it is notable that while both do not support ACH or SEPA transfers, BDSwiss offers this as an option for depositing or withdrawing account funds; neither broker supports PayPal, but both support Skrill, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wires for 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 | HFM | BDSwiss | |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | HFM Review | BDSwiss Review |
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| Regulation | HFM | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 86 | 73 | |
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2012 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | HFM | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | 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) | HFM | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | HFM | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 500 | 1081 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 102 | 53 | |
| 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 | HFM | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.2 | 1.6 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.7 | 1.3 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | No |
| Funding | HFM | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $10-$5000 | |
| 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 | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | HFM | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | HFM | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 15 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 30 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | HFM | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 | |
| 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 | HFM | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | HFM | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | HFM | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | HFM Review | BDSwiss Review |
| Overall | HFM | BDSwiss | |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | HFM Review | BDSwiss Review |
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