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City Index vs Exness 2025

ForexBrokers.com

Written by ForexBrokers.com

February 05, 2025

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.

City Index
5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: £100.00
  • Trust Score: 99
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 13500
Exness
4.0/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $10 info
  • Trust Score: 81
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 209

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, 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 logoCity Index
Exness logoExness
Year Founded info 1983 2008
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes No
Bank info No No
Tier-1 Licenses info 7 2
Tier-2 Licenses info 1 3
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 1 3

Fees

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 logoCity Index
Exness logoExness
Minimum Deposit info £100.00 $10 info
Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard info 1.4 info N/A
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.74 info N/A
Active Trader or VIP Discounts [DELETED] info
Non-wire bank transfer info Yes No
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info No Yes
Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) [DELETED] info
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.

Featured Offers


Range of investments

City Index vs Exness: both brokers let you trade forex (as CFDs or spot, depending on the product and region), but their overall market coverage differs a lot. City Index lists about 13,500 tradeable symbols, while Exness offers 209. If forex pair variety is your priority, Exness has 96 currency pairs compared to City Index’s 66. Neither broker lets you buy actual exchange-traded stocks in the U.S. or overseas markets; access is via derivatives instead. Both support copy trading.

Crypto access is similar: you can’t buy actual coins at either broker, but you can trade crypto derivatives. For range of investments, ForexBrokers.com rates City Index at 5 stars (ranked #8 of 63) and Exness at 3.5 stars (ranked #56 of 63). In short, City Index stands out for total number of markets, while Exness offers a wider lineup of forex pairs.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
Exness logoExness
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 13500 209
Forex Pairs (Total) info 66 96
U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) info No No
Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) info No No
Social Trading / Copy Trading info Yes Yes
Cryptocurrency (Physical) info No No
Cryptocurrency (Derivative) 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 Exness both check the key boxes for trading platforms and tools. Each offers a free demo (paper) account, a proprietary platform, and access to MetaTrader 4 (MT4). You can trade on a Windows desktop app or right in your web browser with either broker, and both support copy trading as well as placing trades directly from price charts—handy for quick entries and exits.

The main platform difference is MetaTrader 5 (MT5): Exness supports MT5 while City Index does not. As for third-party evaluations, ForexBrokers.com rates City Index 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks it #11 out of 63 for Trading Platforms and Tools, while Exness earns 4 stars and ranks #26. If you want MT5, Exness is the straightforward pick; if higher-rated platform tools are your priority, City Index may have the edge.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
Exness logoExness
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Social Trading / Copy Trading info Yes Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info Yes Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info No Yes
DupliTrade [DELETED] info
ZuluTrade [DELETED] info
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 88 107
Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) [DELETED] info
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes
Watchlists - Total Fields [DELETED] info

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

Forex trading apps

When comparing the mobile trading apps of City Index and Exness, both brokers offer apps for iPhone and Android users with the ability to receive stock or forex price alerts. However, City Index surpasses Exness in a few key areas that may enhance your trading experience. For instance, City Index provides watchlist symbol syncing, which allows seamless integration between your mobile app and online account. You can make changes in either location and have them automatically synced, a feature not available with Exness. Furthermore, City Index offers up to 88 technical studies for charting, significantly more than the 35 available through Exness. Additionally, City Index auto-saves chart drawings, saving you time and effort, unlike Exness, where this feature is unavailable.

Both platforms allow users to draw trendlines and view multiple time frames on charts, catering to diverse trading preferences. Creating a watchlist with real-time quotes is possible with both City Index and Exness apps, giving users a similar basic functionality. However, City Index earns a slightly higher app rating of 4.5 stars compared to Exness's 4 stars and ranks #9 out of 63 brokers for mobile trading apps on ForexBrokers.com, whereas Exness is positioned at #26. These distinctions make City Index a potentially more attractive choice for traders seeking advanced charting features and enhanced app integration.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
Exness logoExness
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Watchlist Syncing info Yes No
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 88 35
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info Yes No
Mobile Watchlist info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.

Market research

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 logoCity Index
Exness logoExness
Daily Market Commentary info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes Yes
Autochartist info No No
Trading Central (Recognia) info Yes Yes
Client sentiment data info Yes Yes
TipRanks info No No
Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) info No No
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.

Beginners and education

City Index vs Exness for beginners: both brokers offer at least 10 beginner-friendly trading videos and host client webinars at least once a month. As you progress, each also provides 10+ advanced videos for experienced topics. The available information does not confirm whether either broker keeps a searchable archive of past webinars.

City Index earns a higher education score and rank (4.5/5 stars and #9 of 63 on ForexBrokers.com) compared with Exness (3.5/5 stars and #47). It’s not specified whether either broker meets a 10-piece minimum for forex/CFD articles or similar resources, or whether they provide an investor dictionary with 50+ terms. If you want the stronger overall education rating, City Index is the safer pick; if you mainly need beginner videos and regular webinars, both platforms can serve you well.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
Exness logoExness
Education (Forex or CFDs) info
Webinars info Yes Yes
Client Webinars (Archived) [DELETED] info
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Investor Dictionary (Glossary) [DELETED] info

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 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 logoCity Index
Exness logoExness
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4.0/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 81
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with City Index or Exness?

Both City Index and Exness do not provide the option to purchase actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, however, they both offer the ability to trade cryptocurrency derivatives.

What funding options does each broker offer?

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.

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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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Overall Rating City Index Exness
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4.0/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 81
Winner check_circle
Review City Index Review Exness Review
Broker Screenshots City Index Exness
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.
Exness MetaTrader 5 mobile trading from charts. Exness Terminal web platform. Exness research market news headlines FX Street. Exness Educational articles.
Regulation City Index Exness
Trust Score info 99 81
Year Founded info 1983 2008
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes No
Bank info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info Yes info
Tier-1 Licenses info 7 2
Tier-2 Licenses info 1 3
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 1 3
Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) City Index Exness
Australia (ASIC Authorised) info Yes No
Canada (CIRO Authorised) info Yes No
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) info No No
Japan (SFC Authorised) info No No
Singapore (MAS Authorised) info Yes No
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 Exness
Kenya (CMA Authorised) info Yes
Israel (ISA Authorised) info No No
South Africa (FSCA Authorised) info No Yes
UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) info Yes Yes info
India (SEBI Authorised) info No No
Jordan (JSC Authorised) info Yes
Investments City Index Exness
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 13500 209
Forex Pairs (Total) info 66 96
U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) info No No
Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) info No No
Social Trading / Copy Trading info Yes Yes
Cryptocurrency (Physical) info No No
Cryptocurrency (Derivative) 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 Exness
Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard info 1.4 info N/A
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.74 info N/A
Active Trader or VIP Discounts [DELETED] info
Inactivity Fee info Yes No
Execution: Agency Broker info No Yes
Execution: Market Maker info Yes Yes
Funding City Index Exness
Minimum Deposit info £100.00 $10 info
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info No Yes
Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) [DELETED] info
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
Non-wire bank transfer info Yes No
Trading Platforms City Index Exness
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Social Trading / Copy Trading info Yes Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info Yes Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info No Yes
cTrader info No No
DupliTrade [DELETED] info
ZuluTrade [DELETED] info
Trading Tools City Index Exness
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Watchlists - Total Fields [DELETED] info
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 88 107
Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) [DELETED] info
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes
Charts can be saved info Yes Yes
Mobile Trading City Index Exness
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlist info Yes Yes
Watchlist Syncing info Yes No
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 88 35
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info Yes No
Mobile Research - Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Research City Index Exness
Daily Market Commentary info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes Yes
Autochartist info No No
Trading Central (Recognia) info Yes Yes
TipRanks info No No
Client sentiment data info Yes Yes
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Education City Index Exness
Education (Forex or CFDs) info
Webinars info Yes Yes
Client Webinars (Archived) [DELETED] info
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Investor Dictionary (Glossary) [DELETED] info
Major Forex Pairs City Index Exness
GBP/USD info Yes Yes
USD/JPY info Yes Yes
EUR/USD info Yes Yes
USD/CHF info Yes Yes
USD/CAD info Yes Yes
NZD/USD info Yes Yes
AUD/USD info Yes Yes
Review City Index Review Exness Review
Overall City Index Exness
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4.0/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 81
Winner check_circle
Review City Index Review Exness Review
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