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City Index vs eToro 2025

ForexBrokers.com

Written by ForexBrokers.com

February 05, 2025

In this head to head comparison of City Index vs eToro, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.

City Index
5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: £100.00
  • Trust Score: 99
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 13500
eToro
4.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $50-$10,000
  • Trust Score: 96
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 7441

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.

Regulation

City Index vs eToro: City Index was founded in 1983, while eToro launched in 2007. Both companies are publicly traded and are not banks. When it comes to regulation, City Index holds 7 Tier-1 licenses (the highest level of oversight) and 1 Tier-2 license, compared with eToro’s 4 Tier-1 licenses and 1 Tier-2 license.

ForexBrokers.com rates brokers on a Trust Score out of 99, where 90–99 is highly trusted, 80–89 trusted, 70–79 average risk, 60–69 high risk, and below 59 not trusted. City Index scores 99, and eToro scores 96—both fall in the highly trusted category, with City Index edging ahead thanks to a higher score and more top-tier licenses.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
eToro logoeToro
Year Founded info 1983 2007
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes Yes
Bank info No No
Tier-1 Licenses info 7 4
Tier-2 Licenses info 1 1
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 1 1

Fees

For everyday trading costs, City Index generally comes in cheaper than eToro. City Index lists an average EUR/USD spread of 0.74 pips (as of July 2023), which sits around the industry average, while eToro’s typical EUR/USD spread is 1 pip, slightly above average. In other words, forex spreads tend to be tighter at City Index than at eToro. Both brokers earn 4.5 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees; City Index ranks #15 of 63 in this category at ForexBrokers.com, while eToro ranks #23 of 63.

City Index pricing is most competitive on its proprietary platforms and MetaTrader, and it supports CFDs, forex, and spread betting. High-balance and high-volume customers can unlock more savings: the Premium Trader account (for deposits over £10,000) offers exclusive pricing, special events, educational content, and dedicated support. Active trader rebates for U.K. professional clients start at £4 per million notional for monthly volumes above £25M and rise to £7.5 per million above £300M; in Australia, tiers range from AUD $4.5 to $14.5 per million.

eToro is a market-maker broker best known for social copy trading rather than low spreads, though it does offer a five-tier VIP program (eToro Club) from Silver to Diamond for balances of $5,000–$250,000. Perks can include access to Trading Central, discounted withdrawal and deposit fees, and a dedicated account manager. If your priority is the lowest possible forex spread, City Index usually has the edge; if you value copy trading tools and VIP benefits, eToro may appeal despite its slightly higher typical spread.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
eToro logoeToro
Minimum Deposit info £100.00 $50-$10,000
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info 1.4 info 1 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.74 info N/A
Non-wire bank transfer info Yes Yes
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info No Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.

Featured Offers


Range of investments

City Index and eToro both offer a wide range of investments, but they shine in different ways. City Index lists 13,500 tradeable symbols versus 7,441 at eToro, and provides access to 66 forex pairs compared to eToro’s 55. Both platforms support forex either as CFDs or as spot contracts, and both include copy trading. For crypto, each offers cryptocurrency CFDs, while only eToro lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency. A key difference is stock access: City Index does not offer exchange-traded securities, whereas eToro lets you buy real shares on U.S. and international exchanges.

Both brokers earn 5 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments. In category rankings out of 63 brokers, City Index is placed #8 and eToro is #11. In practice, City Index suits traders who want a very large selection of markets and forex pairs within CFDs, while eToro appeals to those who want to combine CFDs and copy trading with the ability to buy real stocks and cryptocurrencies.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
eToro logoeToro
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 13500 7441
Forex Pairs (Total) info 66 55
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info No Yes
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info No Yes
Copy Trading info Yes Yes
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info No Yes
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) info 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.

Trading platforms and tools

City Index and eToro both make it easy to get started with a free demo account for paper trading. Each broker offers its own proprietary platform, a web-based platform you can use in your browser, copy trading, and the ability to place trades directly from charts. Key differences: City Index provides a Windows desktop platform and supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4), while eToro does not offer a Windows download and doesn’t support MT4. Neither broker supports MetaTrader 5 (MT5).

For Trading Platforms and Tools, both City Index and eToro earn 4.5 out of 5 stars. In category rankings from ForexBrokers.com, eToro places #8 out of 63 brokers, while City Index ranks #11. If you want a downloadable Windows platform and MT4 compatibility, City Index is the better fit. If you prefer a streamlined browser experience and strong social-copy features, eToro stands out.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
eToro logoeToro
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes No
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Copy Trading info Yes Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info Yes No
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info No No
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 88 106
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.

Forex trading apps

City Index and eToro both offer full-featured mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports price alerts and syncs watchlists across mobile and web, so your symbols stay updated wherever you log in.

For charting, eToro includes 104 technical studies, while City Index offers 88. However, City Index lets you draw trendlines and automatically saves your chart drawings; eToro does not support trendline drawing or auto-save. Both apps earn 4.5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps. In ForexBrokers.com’s rankings out of 63 brokers, City Index sits at #9 and eToro at #10. Choose eToro if you want a larger set of indicators, or City Index if you rely on drawing tools and saved annotations.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
eToro logoeToro
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 88 104
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes No
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info Yes No

Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.

Market research

City Index vs eToro: both brokers deliver daily market commentary, forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, and research powered by Trading Central for technical and fundamental insights. Each also provides a sentiment tool showing long/short ratios and an economic calendar. Neither broker integrates Autochartist or Acuity Trading (Signal Centre).

The key difference is that eToro includes TipRanks research, while City Index does not. Both earn 4.5 stars for Research from ForexBrokers.com; however, City Index ranks #10 and eToro ranks #13 out of 63 brokers. Choose eToro if TipRanks is important to your workflow, or pick City Index if you want a slightly higher-ranked research suite with similar news, tools, and calendars.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
eToro logoeToro
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes Yes
Autochartist info No No
Trading Central info Yes Yes
Client sentiment data info Yes Yes
TipRanks info No Yes
Acuity Trading info No No
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.

Beginners and education

City Index vs eToro for beginner education: both brokers run monthly client webinars and offer at least 10 beginner-focused videos that cover trading basics in clear, easy-to-follow lessons. When you’re ready to go deeper, each also provides 10+ advanced videos, so you can move from foundational topics to more detailed strategies. Their materials span forex and CFD subjects and are delivered through videos and live sessions to help you learn at your own pace.

In third-party testing by ForexBrokers.com, both City Index and eToro earned 4.5 out of 5 stars for Education. eToro ranks #5 out of 63 brokers, while City Index ranks #9. If a slightly higher overall placement matters to you, eToro has the edge; if you’re focused on beginner-friendly formats like frequent webinars and a strong video lineup, both are solid choices for learning how to trade forex and CFDs.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
eToro logoeToro
Webinars info Yes Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.

Winner

After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that City Index is better than eToro. City Index finished with an overall rank of #8, while eToro finished with an overall rank of #9.

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 logoCity Index
eToro logoeToro
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 96
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Research 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with City Index or eToro?

City Index vs eToro: eToro lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency and trade crypto CFDs, while City Index offers crypto CFDs only and does not provide access to actual (delivered) crypto.

What funding options does each broker offer?

City Index vs eToro deposit and withdrawal options: both brokers support ACH/SEPA, PayPal, and bank wire transfers; eToro additionally supports Skrill while City Index does not; Visa/Mastercard availability for either broker is not specified.

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Overall Rating City Index eToro
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Research 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 96
Winner check_circle
Review City Index Review eToro Review
Broker Screenshots City Index eToro
Broker Gallery (click to expand) info
City Index MetaTrader 4 mobile trading app City Index web platform trading. City Index web platform research Trading Central City Index educational course advanced.
eToro mobile watchlist eToro web trading platform cryptocurrency watchlist eToro Digest & Invest podcast. eToro academy courses beginners.
Regulation City Index eToro
Trust Score info 99 96
Year Founded info 1983 2007
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes Yes
Bank info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info Yes info
Tier-1 Licenses info 7 4
Tier-2 Licenses info 1 1
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 1 1
Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) City Index eToro
Australia (ASIC Authorised) info Yes Yes
Canada (CIRO Authorised) info Yes No
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) info No No
Japan (SFC Authorised) info No No
Singapore (MAS Authorised) info Yes Yes
Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) info
United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) info Yes Yes
USA (CFTC Authorized) info No No
New Zealand (FMA Authorised) info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info Yes info
Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) City Index eToro
Kenya (CMA Authorised) info
Israel (ISA Authorised) info No No
South Africa (FSCA Authorised) info No No
UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) info Yes Yes info
India (SEBI Authorised) info No No
Jordan (JSC Authorised) info
Investments City Index eToro
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 13500 7441
Forex Pairs (Total) info 66 55
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info No Yes
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info No Yes
Copy Trading info Yes Yes
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info No Yes
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) info 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 eToro
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info 1.4 info 1 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.74 info N/A
Inactivity Fee info Yes Yes
Order execution: Agency info No Yes
Order execution: Market Maker info Yes Yes
Funding City Index eToro
Minimum Deposit info £100.00 $50-$10,000
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info No Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
Non-wire bank transfer info Yes Yes
Trading Platforms City Index eToro
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes No
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Copy Trading info Yes Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info Yes No
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info No No
cTrader info No No
Trading Tools City Index eToro
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 88 106
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes
Charts can be saved info Yes Yes
Mobile Trading City Index eToro
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] info
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 88 104
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes No
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info Yes No
Mobile Research - Economic Calendar info Yes No
Research City Index eToro
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes Yes
Autochartist info No No
Trading Central info Yes Yes
TipRanks info No Yes
Client sentiment data info Yes Yes
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Education City Index eToro
Webinars info Yes Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Major Forex Pairs City Index eToro
GBP/USD [DELETED] info
USD/JPY [DELETED] info
EUR/USD info Yes Yes
USD/CHF [DELETED] info
USD/CAD [DELETED] info
NZD/USD [DELETED] info
AUD/USD [DELETED] info
Review City Index Review eToro Review
Overall City Index eToro
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Research 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 96
Winner check_circle
Review City Index Review eToro Review
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