Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Plus500 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 comparing online brokers Plus500 and BDSwiss, one significant aspect to consider is their regulatory standing. Plus500, established in 2008, shines with a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 99, making it highly trusted. It holds an impressive 6 Tier-1 licenses, reflecting top-level regulatory oversight and confidence. As a publicly traded entity, Plus500 offers an added layer of transparency, which can be comforting for potential traders.
On the other hand, BDSwiss, which started in 2012, carries a Trust Score of 73, placing it at an average risk level. BDSwiss holds just one Tier-1 license and lacks any Tier-2 licenses, indicative of its more limited regulatory framework compared to Plus500. Not being publicly traded, BDSwiss misses out on an additional level of investor clarity often associated with stock exchange listing. Both brokers are not banks, yet how they are regulated and structured contributes to their trustworthiness in the eyes of traders.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2008 | 2012 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
Comparing commissions and fees, Plus500 earns 4.0/5 stars and ranks 24th out of 63, while BDSwiss scores 4/5 stars and ranks 31st. Plus500’s pricing is slightly above the industry average and trails top providers for active-trader pricing. It does not offer retail discounts, though Professional clients may qualify for cash rebates. BDSwiss shows good order execution, but its pricing is generally higher than the cheapest brokers.
On EUR/USD, Plus500 averaged a 1.5-pip spread in April 2024. BDSwiss charges 1.5 pips on its Classic account, 1.2 pips on VIP, and offers a Raw account at 0.3 pips plus a $5 commission per side (about a 1.3-pip effective cost). That means BDSwiss can undercut Plus500 on its lower-cost tiers, while the entry-level Classic pricing is similar to Plus500.
Bottom line: if you want simple spread-only pricing, both start around 1.5 pips on EUR/USD. BDSwiss provides more paths to lower costs via VIP or Raw accounts, whereas Plus500 may appeal for its straightforward structure and, for Professional clients, potential cash rebates. Active traders focused purely on the lowest possible costs may still find sharper pricing with other top-tier brokers.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €50 | $10-$5000 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.3 | 1.6 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.3 | 1.3 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Plus500 offers a wider range of investments than BDSwiss: 5,500 tradeable symbols vs 1,081, and 65 forex pairs vs 53. Both brokers let you trade forex either as CFDs or spot, and both support cryptocurrency trading via CFDs (neither lets you buy actual crypto). A key difference is stock access: Plus500 lets you buy exchange-traded shares on both U.S. and international markets, while BDSwiss does not. On the other hand, BDSwiss offers copy trading, which Plus500 doesn’t.
For Range of Investments, Plus500 is rated 4.5/5 stars and ranks 22nd out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com; BDSwiss is rated 4/5 stars and ranks 35th. If you want more markets and the ability to buy real shares alongside CFDs, Plus500 stands out. If copy trading is important and you’re comfortable with a smaller lineup, BDSwiss may fit the bill.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 1081 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 53 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | No | 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). 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.
Both Plus500 and BDSwiss offer free demo (paper) accounts and operate their own proprietary platforms. Each provides a web-based trading platform, but only BDSwiss adds a Windows desktop download. Feature-wise, BDSwiss includes copy trading, MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5) support, and the ability to place trades directly from a chart; Plus500 does not offer those specific options.
For trading platforms and tools, ForexBrokers.com rates Plus500 at 4.5/5 and ranks it 14th out of 63 brokers, while BDSwiss scores 4/5 and ranks 24th out of 63. In short, choose Plus500 if you want a streamlined, web-first, proprietary-only setup; choose BDSwiss if you want desktop software, MetaTrader integration, copy trading, and chart-based order entry.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Plus500 and BDSwiss both offer iPhone and Android mobile trading apps and support price alerts for stocks and forex. The key differences show up in charting and watchlists: Plus500 syncs watchlists between the mobile app and your online account, while BDSwiss does not. For technical indicators, Plus500 includes 115 studies compared with BDSwiss’s 30. Both apps let you draw trendlines on charts; however, BDSwiss auto-saves drawings and Plus500 does not.
According to ForexBrokers.com, Plus500 earns 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #14 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps, while BDSwiss scores 4 stars and ranks #24. If you want extensive indicators and seamless watchlist syncing, Plus500 is the stronger pick; if auto-saving chart annotations matters most, BDSwiss offers that convenience.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 115 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When comparing the market research offerings of Plus500 and BDSwiss, both brokers provide daily market commentary, which can be valuable for traders seeking consistent updates. Neither Plus500 nor BDSwiss delivers forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg or Reuters. However, when it comes to technical analysis tools, BDSwiss has an edge with its Autochartist integration, while both platforms offer tools from Trading Central. Plus500 stands out with its sentiment-based trading tool, displaying the ratio of long and short positions — a feature not available with BDSwiss.
Both Plus500 and BDSwiss provide an economic calendar, helping traders stay informed about significant global news events. Despite the similarities in some features, Plus500 achieves a higher research rating of 4.0 stars compared to BDSwiss's 4-star rating. Furthermore, in ForexBrokers.com's ranking of 63 brokers, Plus500 secures the 19th spot, while BDSwiss is positioned at 24th. This suggests that Plus500 may offer a slightly more comprehensive set of resources for traders interested in thorough market research.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | 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.
If you’re new to trading, both Plus500 and BDSwiss make learning straightforward. Each provides a forex and CFD education library with at least 10 pieces of content, along with online client webinars held monthly. You’ll find 10+ beginner trading videos that explain the basics in plain language, plus 10+ advanced videos for when you’re ready to level up.
In expert reviews, both brokers earn 4 out of 5 stars for Education. That said, BDSwiss ranks higher (#22 of 63) than Plus500 (#31 of 63) in the Education category on ForexBrokers.com. In short, BDSwiss has a slight edge for overall education structure, while Plus500 remains a strong option with plenty of beginner-friendly videos and regular webinars.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
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 Plus500 is better than BDSwiss. Plus500 finished with an overall rank of #14, while BDSwiss finished with an overall rank of #36.
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
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BDSwiss
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 73 |
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In a Plus500 vs BDSwiss comparison of online brokers, neither supports buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but both offer cryptocurrency CFD trading.
Comparing payment methods for account funding and withdrawals, Plus500 supports PayPal, Skrill, and bank wire transfers but not ACH or SEPA, while BDSwiss offers ACH/SEPA transfers (other funding options not specified).
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 | BDSwiss | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Plus500 Review | BDSwiss Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Plus500 | BDSwiss | |
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| Regulation | Plus500 | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 73 | |
| Year Founded | 2008 | 2012 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Plus500 | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | Yes | 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) | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Plus500 | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Plus500 | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 1081 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 53 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | No | 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). 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 | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.3 | 1.6 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.3 | 1.3 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | No |
| Funding | Plus500 | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €50 | $10-$5000 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | Plus500 | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Plus500 | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Plus500 | 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 | 115 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Plus500 | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | No | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Plus500 | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Plus500 | BDSwiss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | Plus500 Review | BDSwiss Review |
| Overall | Plus500 | BDSwiss | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 73 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Plus500 Review | BDSwiss Review |
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