Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of City Index vs Capital.com, 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 and Capital.com are prominent online brokers that cater to a wide audience seeking forex and CFD trading opportunities. Established in 1983, City Index boasts a strong reputation with a remarkable Trust Score of 99 out of 99 from ForexBrokers.com, indicating it is highly trusted. This is supported by its seven Tier-1 licenses, demonstrating a high level of regulatory oversight and trust. Although City Index is not a bank, it is publicly traded, adding a layer of transparency to its operations.
In contrast, Capital.com, founded in 2016, holds a Trust Score of 87, suggesting it is a trusted, reliable broker. It holds three Tier-1 licenses, ensuring significant regulatory compliance, alongside one Tier-2 license. Unlike City Index, Capital.com is not publicly traded, but like its counterpart, it operates as a non-banking financial institution. Both brokers offer secure environments for traders, but City Index stands out with its higher Trust Score and public trading status.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1983 | 2016 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 3 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
Looking at commissions and fees, Capital.com comes out cheaper on typical forex trades, while City Index sits closer to the industry average. Capital.com averages about 0.67 pips on EUR/USD (0.6712 in April 2024), earning it 5/5 stars for pricing and a #3 rank out of 63 brokers. City Index averages about 0.74 pips on EUR/USD (July 2023), good for 4.5/5 stars and a #15 rank. In short, Capital.com edges City Index on spreads, especially for frequent forex traders.
City Index offers competitive pricing across CFDs, forex, and spread betting, with the best rates typically found on its proprietary platforms or MetaTrader. High-balance clients can apply for the Premium Trader account (deposit over £10,000) for access to exclusive pricing and dedicated service. For high-volume professionals, City Index provides tiered rebates: in the U.K., £4 per million from £25M monthly volume up to £7.5 per million above £300M; in Australia, AUD $4.5 to $14.5 per million depending on the tier.
Capital.com keeps costs slightly below the industry average via its universal retail account, and also offers an elective professional account for qualified traders (note: pro clients do not receive the same regulatory protections as retail clients). If your main goal is the lowest typical spread on major forex pairs, Capital.com is the stronger value; if you want platform choice, spread betting, and potential rebates for very large volumes, City Index can be appealing.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100.00 | $10 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.4 | 0.67 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.74 | 0.67 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
City Index vs Capital.com: When it comes to the range of investments, City Index covers far more markets overall with about 13,500 tradeable symbols, while Capital.com lists around 5,585. Capital.com, however, leads in currency choice with 125 forex pairs versus 66 at City Index, and both brokers let you trade forex as CFDs or spot. Neither broker offers access to real, exchange-traded shares on U.S. or international exchanges (so you can’t buy actual Apple or Vodafone stock), and neither supports buying real crypto; both do offer cryptocurrency CFDs. Only City Index includes copy trading.
Ratings back up the coverage story: City Index earns 5/5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #8 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Capital.com scores 4.5/5 stars and ranks #23. Choose City Index if you want the widest overall market list and copy trading; pick Capital.com if your priority is trading a larger selection of forex pairs.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 13500 | 5585 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 125 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | No |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| 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 Capital.com: both online brokers deliver in-house trading platforms alongside MetaTrader 4 (MT4), with no support for MetaTrader 5 (MT5). Each offers a Windows desktop download and a web-based platform, lets you place trades directly from charts, and provides a free demo (paper) account for practice. For Trading Platforms and Tools, both earn 4.5 out of 5 stars; in ForexBrokers.com’s rankings of 63 brokers, Capital.com is #10 and City Index is close behind at #11.
The key difference is copy trading: City Index offers it, while Capital.com does not. If you want copy trading plus MT4 and a choice of desktop or browser-based trading, City Index fits the bill. If MT4 and an easy-to-use proprietary platform on desktop and web are your priorities—and copy trading isn’t—Capital.com is a strong alternative.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 97 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
City Index and Capital.com both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, complete with price alerts, trendline drawing, and auto‑saved chart annotations. Each app holds a 4.5 out of 5 rating for Mobile Trading Apps from ForexBrokers.com, making both solid choices for on‑the‑go stock and forex trading.
Where they differ is charting depth and watchlist convenience. City Index includes 88 technical studies compared with Capital.com’s 30, and City Index syncs watchlists between mobile and the web, while Capital.com does not. Reflecting these differences, City Index ranks #9 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps and Capital.com ranks #11. If you want more indicators and seamless watchlist syncing, City Index is the better fit; if you only need core tools, Capital.com remains a strong pick.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 City Index and Capital.com, both online brokers provide daily market commentary and access to forex news from prestigious sources like Bloomberg and Reuters. City Index stands out by offering technical analysis tools from Trading Central, whereas Capital.com does not provide these particular tools. However, Capital.com has a unique edge by offering research tools from TipRanks, which City Index lacks. Both platforms offer sentiment-based trading tools that display a ratio of long or short positions and feature economic calendars that help traders keep track of global events.
In terms of research quality, both City Index and Capital.com have earned a 4.5-star rating. However, City Index ranks slightly higher, securing the 10th spot among 63 brokers, while Capital.com is positioned at 14th. Both brokers serve traders well with quality research offerings, but each has its own unique strengths that may appeal differently depending on the trader's needs and preferences.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | Yes | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | Yes |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Comparing education for beginners at City Index and Capital.com, both brokers deliver a strong learning experience for forex and CFD trading. Each offers at least 10 beginner videos and 10 advanced videos that explain key ideas in plain language, from core trading concepts to more advanced strategies. Both are rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for Education by ForexBrokers.com, with Capital.com ranked #8 and City Index close behind at #9.
City Index stands out for live learning: it hosts client webinars at least once a month, which is helpful if you like real-time instruction and Q&A. Capital.com does not run monthly webinars, but its on-demand library is highly regarded and edged out City Index in the rankings. If you want live classes, pick City Index; if you prefer a highly rated, self-paced library, Capital.com is a great choice.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| 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 Capital.com. City Index finished with an overall rank of #8, while Capital.com finished with an overall rank of #10.
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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Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 87 |
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City Index vs Capital.com: neither broker lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both offer cryptocurrency trading via CFDs.
In comparing deposit and withdrawal methods, City Index supports ACH/SEPA and bank wires while Capital.com does not support ACH/SEPA; both brokers accept PayPal and bank wire transfers, only Capital.com offers Skrill, and Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either.
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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| Trust Score | 99 | 87 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | City Index Review | Capital.com Review |
| Broker Screenshots | City Index | Capital.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
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