Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of City Index vs Earn, 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 Earn are two online brokers that stand distinct in terms of their trust and regulatory credentials. Founded in 1983, City Index is a publicly traded company, making it subject to enhanced scrutiny and transparency requirements. It boasts an impressive Trust Score of 99 according to ForexBrokers.com, thanks in large part to holding seven Tier-1 licenses, which indicates a high level of trust. In contrast, Earn was established in 1994 and is not publicly traded. While Earn is not listed on a stock exchange, it maintains a Trust Score of 71, placing it at an average risk level, with just one Tier-1 license in its portfolio. Neither broker is a bank.
City Index further enhances its trust profile with an additional Tier-2 license, which is also considered reliable. On the other hand, Earn holds no Tier-2 licenses, which may be a consideration for those seeking greater assurance. Whether you prioritize a history of stringent regulation and a higher trust rating with City Index, or you're evaluating other factors that might make Earn appealing, understanding these key differences can guide you in selecting a broker that aligns with your financial priorities.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Earn
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1983 | 1994 |
| 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 | 0 |
City Index and Earn differ notably in how clearly they present trading costs. City Index holds a 4.5 out of 5 stars rating for commissions and fees and ranks #15 of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Earn is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #46 of 63. This means City Index provides a more competitive and easier-to-assess pricing picture, whereas Earn offers less visibility into typical trade costs.
City Index’s pricing for CFDs, forex, and spread betting is around the industry average, with the best pricing available on City Index’s own platforms or MetaTrader. Its average EUR/USD spread is 0.74 pips (July 2023), which is in line with the market average but not as low as the very cheapest brokers. Active traders can qualify for the Premium Trader account (deposit over £10,000) for access to exclusive pricing and dedicated support. High-volume traders may also receive rebates: in the U.K., £4 per million traded above £25M/month up to £7.5 per million above £300M; in Australia, AUD $4.5 to AUD $14.5 per million depending on tier.
Earn does not publish average spread data, making it harder to estimate all-in trading costs or to compare head-to-head on commissions and fees. With its 4 out of 5 stars rating and #46 ranking, traders considering Earn should review live quotes and any account-specific charges, while those prioritizing transparent spreads and potential volume rebates may find City Index’s structure easier to evaluate.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Earn
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100.00 | $100 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.4 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.74 | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
City Index offers a much wider range of investments than Earn, with 13,500 tradeable symbols compared to Earn’s 500. Both brokers support forex trading (CFD or spot), but City Index lists 66 currency pairs while Earn lists 61. Each provides copy trading and access to cryptocurrency derivatives, yet neither lets you buy actual crypto. If you want to purchase real, exchange-traded stocks, note that neither broker allows direct share ownership on U.S. or international exchanges—so you can’t buy Apple or Vodafone shares outright through either platform.
For range of investments, City Index is rated 5 stars and ranks #8 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Earn holds 3.5 stars and ranks #46. If having the largest menu of markets matters most, City Index is the stronger pick; if you just need core markets like forex, copy trading, and crypto derivatives, both platforms cover the essentials.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Earn
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 13500 | 500 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 61 |
| 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.
City Index and Earn both make it easy to get started with a free demo account and offer web and Windows desktop platforms that let you place trades straight from the chart. City Index provides its own in-house platform alongside MetaTrader 4 (MT4), while Earn skips a proprietary platform but supports both MT4 and MetaTrader 5 (MT5). Copy trading is available at both brokers; Earn also integrates ZuluTrade, which City Index does not.
For platform tools, City Index offers more watchlist customization (11 columns versus Earn’s 7). Independent ratings reflect the gap: City Index scores 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #11 of 63 for Trading Platforms & Tools on ForexBrokers.com, while Earn scores 4 stars and ranks #52. Choose City Index if you want an in-house platform and more watchlist fields; pick Earn if MT5 and ZuluTrade matter most to you.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Earn
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| DupliTrade [DELETED] | ||
| ZuluTrade | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 35 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) [DELETED] | ||
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
City Index and Earn both deliver full-featured mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, supporting price alerts, drawing trendlines, multiple time frames, auto-saved chart drawings, and real-time watchlists for stocks and forex. In independent testing by ForexBrokers.com, City Index earned 4.5 stars and ranked #9 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps, while Earn received 4 stars and ranked #28.
Key differences appear in charting depth and account syncing. City Index packs 88 technical studies versus Earn’s 35, giving chart-focused traders more tools on the go. City Index also syncs watchlists between the mobile app and your online account, so changes carry over automatically; Earn does not offer watchlist syncing. If you value richer indicators and seamless watchlist management across devices, City Index has the edge.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Earn
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 88 | 35 |
| 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.
City Index and Earn both cover the core needs for market research. Each provides daily market commentary, forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, and an economic calendar of upcoming events. Neither includes Autochartist. City Index stands out by adding Trading Central tools and a sentiment indicator showing long and short positioning, while Earn does not include those features. City Index does not offer TipRanks or Acuity Trading research; availability of TipRanks or Acuity Trading for Earn is not specified.
In independent testing by ForexBrokers.com, City Index earned 4.5/5 stars for Research and ranked #10 out of 63 brokers, while Earn received 3.5/5 stars and ranked #39. If you value built-in Trading Central analysis and sentiment data, City Index may be the better fit; if you mainly want daily updates, reliable news, and an economic calendar, Earn covers those essentials.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Earn
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
If you’re new to trading and comparing City Index vs Earn for education, City Index clearly offers more for beginners. City Index provides a full forex and CFD education center with 10+ learning pieces, runs at least one client webinar each month, and offers a searchable archive of past sessions. It also includes 10+ beginner video lessons, 10+ advanced videos for when you’re ready to level up, and an investor dictionary with 50+ terms. By contrast, Earn does not meet these marks: it lacks the 10-piece forex/CFD education minimum, does not host monthly educational webinars, has no searchable webinar archive, and does not provide the same volume of beginner or advanced videos or a large investing glossary.
These gaps show in third‑party ratings: City Index is rated 4.5 out of 5 for Education and ranks #9 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Earn scores 3.5 out of 5 and ranks #63. For beginners seeking clear guidance, regular webinars, and a deep library of on‑demand lessons, City Index is the stronger choice; Earn may suit traders who don’t need much education and plan to learn elsewhere.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Earn
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
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 Earn. City Index finished with an overall rank of #8, while Earn finished with an overall rank of #50.
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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Earn
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 71 |
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When comparing online brokers City Index and Earn, neither offers the option to buy actual delivered cryptocurrency, but both provide the capability to invest in cryptocurrency derivatives.
City Index excels in offering diverse fund transfer options such as ACH, SEPA, PayPal, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires, whereas Earn provides Visa, Mastercard, Skrill, and bank wires, but lacks PayPal, ACH, and SEPA support.
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 | Earn | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 71 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | City Index Review |
| Broker Screenshots | City Index | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Regulation | City Index | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 71 | |
| Year Founded | 1983 | 1994 | |
| 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 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | City Index | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| 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 | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | City Index | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 13500 | 500 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 61 | |
| 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 | City Index | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.4 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.74 | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | City Index | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100.00 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | City Index | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade [DELETED] | |||
| ZuluTrade | No | Yes |
| Trading Tools | City Index | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 35 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) [DELETED] | |||
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | City Index | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 88 | 35 | |
| 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 | City Index | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | ||
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | City Index | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | City Index | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | City Index Review |
| Overall | City Index | Earn | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 71 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | City Index Review |
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