Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of City Index vs Exness, 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, founded in 1983, stands as a highly trusted online broker, evidenced by its stellar Trust Score of 99 from ForexBrokers.com. It holds an impressive seven Tier-1 licenses, providing a solid foundation for security and reliability. Additionally, City Index is publicly traded, offering an added layer of transparency and oversight. Despite not being a bank, its long-standing presence in the market and significant regulatory backing make it a prominent choice for traders prioritizing trust.
On the other hand, Exness, established in 2008, maintains a Trust Score of 81, positioning it in the trusted category according to ForexBrokers.com. Exness holds two Tier-1 licenses and further bolsters its credentials with three Tier-2 licenses. While it is not publicly traded, the company has steadily crafted a reputation for trustworthiness over the years. Even though both brokers are not banks, they offer differing levels of regulatory assurance, with City Index leading in terms of regulatory endorsement.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1983 | 2008 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 3 |
City Index vs. Exness for commissions and fees: City Index earns 4.5/5 stars and ranks #15 out of 63 for this category, while Exness scores 4/5 stars and ranks #36/63. City Index’s pricing sits around the industry average and is straightforward, with optional rebates for high-volume traders. Exness offers more account types, letting you choose between commission-free simplicity or commission-based pricing with lower spreads, which may suit traders who want tighter pricing and don’t mind paying a per-trade fee.
City Index: The average spread on EUR/USD is 0.74 pips (July 2023). You’ll typically get the best rates on City Index’s own platforms or MetaTrader. Active traders can qualify for the Premium Trader account by depositing over £10,000, unlocking exclusive pricing and dedicated support. Volume discounts are available: in the U.K., rebates start at £4 per million after £25M in monthly volume and rise to £7.5 per million above £300M; in Australia, tiers range from AUD $4.5 to $14.5 per million. Rating: 4.5/5 stars; Ranking: #15/63 for Commissions and Fees.
Exness: Pricing depends on the account you choose. Standard Cent has the widest spreads; Standard is slightly cheaper; Pro tightens spreads further and lets you switch between instant and market execution. The commission-based options aim for lower spreads: Zero Spread charges a $0.05 per-trade commission with market execution and a 30% margin-call trigger, while Raw charges up to $7 per round turn lot ($3.5 per side) with low spreads and the same 30% margin-call trigger. All accounts use market execution except Pro, which can be instant or market. Rating: 4/5 stars; Ranking: #36/63 for Commissions and Fees.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100.00 | $10 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.4 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.9 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
City Index vs Exness: City Index offers a far wider range of markets, with about 13,500 tradeable symbols compared with Exness’s 209. Exness counters with more currency choice, listing 96 forex pairs to City Index’s 66. Both brokers support forex trading as CFDs or spot, provide copy trading, and let you trade crypto through CFDs. Neither broker allows buying actual cryptocurrencies or real exchange‑traded shares in the U.S. or overseas.
For broad market exposure, City Index is the stronger pick, earning 5 stars and ranking 8th out of 63 brokers for range of investments. Exness is slimmer overall (3.5 stars, 56th out of 63) but can suit forex‑focused traders who want access to more currency pairs. In short: choose City Index for variety across markets, or Exness for a deeper list of forex pairs.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 13500 | 209 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 96 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | No |
| Copy Trading | Yes | 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). | 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 Exness both check the key boxes for trading platforms and tools. Each offers a free demo account, a proprietary platform, Windows desktop software, and a web-based platform. Copy trading is available with both, and you can place trades directly from charts. Both support MetaTrader 4 (MT4), while only Exness also supports MetaTrader 5 (MT5). The number of built-in chart indicators and watchlist fields wasn’t specified.
For ratings and rankings, City Index has the edge: ForexBrokers.com rates City Index 4.5/5 and ranks it #11 out of 63 brokers for Trading Platforms and Tools, compared to Exness at 4/5 and #26. Choose Exness if MT5 access is important; pick City Index if you want a higher-rated overall platform suite. Either way, you’ll get a demo account, web and desktop options, copy trading, and chart-based order entry.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 107 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
City Index and Exness both deliver mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, and each supports price alerts to help you stay on top of market moves. The main differences show up in charting and convenience features. City Index offers 88 technical indicators (studies) compared with 35 on Exness, giving more options for analysis. Both apps let you draw trendlines, but only City Index syncs watchlists with your online account and automatically saves chart drawings, while Exness does not provide watchlist syncing or autosave.
In independent reviews, City Index earns 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #10 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps on ForexBrokers.com, while Exness scores 4 stars and ranks #26. If you want deeper charting tools with synced watchlists and saved drawings, City Index stands out. If you prefer a simpler mobile trading app experience and can do without syncing or autosave, Exness can still get the job done.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 88 | 35 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
City Index vs Exness market research comparison: Both brokers deliver daily market commentary and stream forex news from top-tier sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones. Each also includes Trading Central tools, a sentiment indicator that shows long and short positioning, and an economic calendar to track upcoming events. Neither broker offers Autochartist, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading tools.
The key difference is in third-party scores. For Research, ForexBrokers.com rates City Index 4.5/5 and ranks it #10 out of 63 brokers, while Exness earns 3.5/5 and ranks #42. If independent ratings and rankings are important to you, City Index has the edge, though both cover the core basics—daily commentary, trusted news feeds, Trading Central insights, and sentiment data.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
City Index vs Exness: both brokers make it easy for beginners to learn forex and CFD trading. Each runs monthly client webinars and provides at least 10 beginner-friendly videos, along with 10+ advanced videos for when you’re ready to go deeper. That mix of webinars and videos helps new traders move from the basics to more advanced strategies at a comfortable pace.
For overall quality, City Index takes the lead: it earns 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #9 of 63 for Education on ForexBrokers.com, while Exness scores 3.5 stars and ranks #47. If you want a stronger, more comprehensive learning experience, City Index is the better pick. If you simply need helpful videos and regular webinars to get started, Exness can still do the job.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 City Index is better than Exness. City Index finished with an overall rank of #8, while Exness finished with an overall rank of #43.
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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Exness
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| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 81 |
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City Index vs Exness: both brokers offer cryptocurrency CFD trading, but neither allows buying or taking delivery of actual cryptocurrencies.
Online broker City Index supports ACH/SEPA, PayPal, and bank wire deposits and withdrawals (but not Skrill), whereas Exness supports Skrill and bank wire transfers, but not ACH/SEPA or PayPal.
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 | Exness | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | City Index Review | Exness Review |
| Broker Screenshots | City Index | Exness | |
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| Regulation | City Index | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 81 | |
| Year Founded | 1983 | 2008 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 3 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | City Index | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | 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) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | City Index | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | Yes |
| Investments | City Index | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 13500 | 209 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 96 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | No | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | 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). | 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 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.4 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.9 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | City Index | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100.00 | $10 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | City Index | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | City Index | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 107 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | City Index | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 88 | 35 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | City Index | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | City Index | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | City Index | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | City Index Review | Exness Review |
| Overall | City Index | Exness | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | City Index Review | Exness Review |
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