Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of CMC Markets 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.
CMC Markets, founded in 1989, is a well-established online broker that stands out for its high level of trustworthiness. As a publicly traded entity, CMC Markets enjoys a top-tier reputation, boasting six Tier-1 licenses that reflect its commitment to security and reliability. With an impeccable Trust Score of 99 from ForexBrokers.com, customers can have confidence in its operations. Although it is not a bank, CMC Markets leverages its extensive experience in the financial markets to offer reputable services.
Founded in 2016, Capital.com offers a compelling alternative for those seeking a reliable online broker. While not publicly traded, the platform is still recognized for its dedication to trust and safety, holding three Tier-1 licenses that are a testament to its dependable services. With a Trust Score of 87, Capital.com earns a 'trusted' rating, making it a solid choice for those looking to trade online. Like CMC Markets, it is not a bank, but it effectively integrates technology to provide a user-friendly trading experience.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1989 | 2016 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 3 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
When comparing the commissions and fees of CMC Markets and Capital.com, both brokers offer competitive pricing, but CMC Markets takes the lead. For its outstanding cost structure, CMC Markets won the top spot in the 2025 Annual Awards for Commissions and Fees. It offers consistently low spreads for all customer segments and account types. For example, the typical spread for EUR/USD is just 0.61 pips. CMC Markets also provides a discount program through its new Price Plus Scheme, allowing active traders to earn reductions in trading costs based on their Trading Points, which are calculated from trading volumes.
On the other hand, Capital.com offers pricing that is slightly better than the industry average and ranks #3 in the same awards category. The broker lists a dynamic spread of 0.67 pips for the EUR/USD, verified to be its average rate in April 2024, making it an appealing choice for low-cost forex trading. Capital.com provides a universal account for retail traders and an additional professional account, although professional clients won't receive the same regulatory protection as retail clients.
Both brokers received top ratings of 5 stars out of five for their commissions and fees. CMC Markets impresses further with its FX Active pricing, which includes a commission of $2.50 per side and minimum spreads of zero pips, leading to an all-in cost of 0.5 pips for popular pairs like EUR/USD. With these plans, CMC Markets emerges as the unrivaled leader in competitive pricing and is ranked #1 out of 63 brokers for commissions and fees by ForexBrokers.com.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $10 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.3 | 0.67 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.65 | 0.67 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When comparing CMC Markets and Capital.com, a key difference lies in the range of investments they offer. CMC Markets provides an extensive array of 12,029 tradeable symbols, including 141 forex pairs, significantly outpacing Capital.com's 5,585 symbols and 125 forex pairs. Additionally, CMC Markets uniquely allows clients to directly invest in exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, whereas Capital.com does not provide this option. For those interested in forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, both brokers meet the mark, while also offering cryptocurrency derivatives but not the actual assets.
Beyond sheer numbers, CMC Markets offers copy trading capabilities, providing social trading avenues not available with Capital.com. Although both platforms have their strengths, CMC Markets shines with a 5-star rating for its investment range, securing a commendable 9th place among 63 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com. In contrast, Capital.com's offering is rated at 4.5 stars and ranks 22nd in the same category, making CMC Markets a stronger contender for investors seeking a broader selection of investment opportunities.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 12029 | 5585 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 141 | 125 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| 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 comparing the trading platforms and tools of CMC Markets and Capital.com, both brokers provide a wealth of features designed to enhance the trading experience. CMC Markets and Capital.com offer simulated trading with free virtual demo accounts, making it easy for beginners to get started. Both have developed proprietary platforms and offer platforms available as Windows-based downloads or web-based interfaces. This flexibility ensures that traders can choose the platform that best fits their needs and preferences. While both brokers support MetaTrader 4, a widely-used platform among traders, only CMC Markets also supports MetaTrader 5, offering more advanced features and tools.
One area where CMC Markets outshines Capital.com is in copy trading capabilities, an option not available on Capital.com. In terms of charting tools, while Capital.com offers a greater array of drawing tools (60 compared to CMC's 36), both brokers allow trading directly from stock charts. Watch lists are comprehensive on both platforms, featuring 11 columns each for detailed analysis. However, when evaluated by ForexBrokers.com, CMC Markets achieved a 5-star rating and ranked fourth out of 63 brokers for its trading platforms and tools, whereas Capital.com received a 4.5-star rating and ranked tenth. This makes CMC Markets a stronger contender for traders seeking advanced tools and a highly rated platform experience.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 73 | 97 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 36 | 60 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 11 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When comparing the mobile trading apps of CMC Markets and Capital.com, both cater to iPhone and Android users, offering comprehensive tools for trading stocks and forex. Each platform delivers stock and forex price alerts to keep users informed of market movements, and both support drawing trendlines on charts with multiple time frame views available. However, only CMC Markets allows for watchlist symbol syncing, enabling seamless updates between your mobile device and online account. While Capital.com slightly edges out with 30 technical studies versus CMC Markets’ 29, both apps ensure that drawings on charts autosave, preserving your technical analysis efforts.
Despite a similar feature set, user ratings and rankings provide distinction. CMC Markets is celebrated with a flawless 5-star rating and prestigious 5th place out of 63 brokers, according to ForexBrokers.com's Mobile Trading Apps category. In contrast, Capital.com secures a respectable 4.5-star rating, coming in at 11th place. Both apps permit creating watchlists with real-time quotes, but CMC Markets’ seamless syncing and top-tier user satisfaction set it apart as a preferred choice for mobile trading enthusiasts.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 29 | 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.
CMC Markets and Capital.com both provide daily market commentary and forex news from reputable sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, ensuring traders stay informed about the latest market trends. While both platforms offer sentiment-based trading tools, CMC Markets takes a slight edge in technical analysis by incorporating tools from Autochartist, which Capital.com lacks. On the other hand, Capital.com diversifies its research offerings by including market insights from TipRanks, a feature not available on CMC Markets' platform.
Both brokers support traders with economic calendars that display crucial upcoming global news events. Despite their similarities, CMC Markets is rated higher for research with five stars and ranked #6 by ForexBrokers.com compared to Capital.com's 4.5-star rating and #14 ranking. This distinction positions CMC Markets slightly ahead in terms of research excellence and comprehensive tool offerings.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | Yes |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When comparing the educational resources available for beginners, both CMC Markets and Capital.com offer accessible and plentiful options. Both platforms provide a minimum of 10 educational pieces focusing on forex or CFDs, ensuring that new traders have plenty of materials to start with. Additionally, they both have a collection of beginner educational videos that cover trading topics in an easy-to-understand format. For those looking to deepen their knowledge, each broker also offers more than 10 advanced videos tailored for experienced traders. An investor dictionary is available through both services, featuring definitions for over 50 investing terms, helping beginners grasp complex concepts.
While neither CMC Markets nor Capital.com hosts live educational webinars monthly, both maintain a searchable archive of previously recorded sessions, allowing users to learn at their own pace. CMC Markets scores an impressive 5 stars for education, while Capital.com is slightly behind with a rating of 4.5 stars. Despite the rating difference, ForexBrokers.com ranks CMC Markets at #10 and Capital.com higher at #8 out of 63 brokers. This suggests both platforms are strong contenders in providing educational materials for beginners, with Capital.com slightly edging out CMC Markets in the educational ranking stakes.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | No | No |
| 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 CMC Markets is better than Capital.com. CMC Markets finished with an overall rank of #4, while Capital.com finished with an overall rank of #10.
CMC Markets is well-trusted across the globe, and delivers a terrific trading experience thanks to its excellent pricing and selection of over 12,000 tradeable instruments.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Capital.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 87 |
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Both CMC Markets and Capital.com do not offer the ability to purchase actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but they both provide options for trading cryptocurrency derivatives.
When comparing online brokers, CMC Markets stands out by offering ACH or SEPA transfers for deposits and withdrawals, unlike Capital.com, although both platforms support PayPal, Visa, and Mastercard transactions, with Capital.com additionally supporting Skrill, while both brokers provide the option for bank wire transfers.
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 | CMC Markets Review | Capital.com Review |
| Broker Screenshots | CMC Markets | Capital.com | |
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