Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of FOREX.com vs City Index, 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.
FOREX.com and City Index are both esteemed online brokers with long-standing market presence, established in 1999 and 1983 respectively. Both are publicly traded and not banks, enhancing transparency for traders. Each broker holds seven Tier-1 licenses, a reflection of their strong regulatory standing and adherence to high trust standards as per ForexBrokers.com. Moreover, each holds one Tier-2 license, contributing further to their trusted status.
In terms of overall trust, FOREX.com and City Index both achieve the maximum ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 99 out of 99, indicating a highly trusted reputation in the online trading industry. Their equivalent trust ratings and regulatory credentials make them reliable choices for traders seeking secure and reputable platforms.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
City Index
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1999 | 1983 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 7 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
Looking at commissions and fees, both FOREX.com and City Index earn 4.5 out of 5 stars. In ForexBrokers.com’s Commissions and Fees rankings, FOREX.com sits at #15 of 63 brokers, while City Index is close behind at #16. City Index is broadly in line with the industry average, whereas FOREX.com can be a bit pricier in the U.S. unless you use its commission-based RAW pricing or trade outside the U.S.
FOREX.com’s Standard account (the only option for MetaTrader in the U.S.) carries typical EUR/USD spreads of about 1.4 pips (July 2023). Outside the U.S., we saw EUR/USD around 0.74 pips (July 2023). The RAW Spread account—available in the U.S., Canada, and the EU—offers typical EUR/USD spreads near 0.13 pips (Feb 2024) plus a $7 commission per standard lot ($3.50 per side), which brings the all-in cost to roughly 0.83 pips at the base tier. Volume rebates range from $2 to $9 per million, but unless you trade more than $50 million per month, the total cost for U.S. clients tends to look similar to the Standard account. Ultra-high volumes (over $2 billion per month) unlock the firm’s most competitive effective spreads.
City Index pricing is generally in line with peers, with an average EUR/USD spread of 0.74 pips (July 2023). You’ll find the best pricing on City Index’s proprietary platforms or MetaTrader. High-balance, active traders may qualify for the Premium Trader account (deposit over £10,000) for exclusive pricing and service. Rebates for U.K. professional clients start at £4 per million above £25 million in monthly volume and rise to £7.5 per million above £300 million; in Australia, rebates range from AUD $4.5 to $14.5 per million. Overall, City Index is competitively priced for most traders, though not the absolute lowest-cost option.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
City Index
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | £100.00 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.00 | 1.4 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.13 | 0.9 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Comparing FOREX.com vs City Index for range of investments: both brokers support forex trading as CFDs and spot, and both earn 5-star ratings in this category (FOREX.com ranks #6 of 63, City Index ranks #8). City Index lists more total markets with about 13,500 tradeable symbols, while FOREX.com offers around 5,500. For currency traders, FOREX.com provides 80 forex pairs versus City Index’s 66. Both brokers offer crypto CFDs, but neither lets you buy actual cryptocurrency. City Index includes copy trading, while FOREX.com does not.
When it comes to buying real shares, FOREX.com stands out by offering exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges—so you can purchase stocks like Apple or Vodafone directly, not just as CFDs. City Index does not offer exchange-traded shares, focusing instead on CFDs across its wide selection of markets.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
City Index
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 13500 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 80 | 66 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | No | 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.
FOREX.com and City Index both check key platform boxes for most traders: each offers a free demo account for simulated (paper) trading, an in-house proprietary platform, a Windows desktop download, and a web-based platform you can use in your browser. Both also support MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and let you place trades directly from charts. A few differences stand out: FOREX.com also supports MetaTrader 5 (MT5), while City Index does not; City Index offers copy trading, while FOREX.com does not.
For Trading Platforms and Tools, ForexBrokers.com rates FOREX.com at 5 stars (ranked #5 out of 63 brokers) and City Index at 4.5 stars (ranked #11). If MT5 access and a slightly higher-rated toolset are priorities, FOREX.com is a strong pick; if copy trading is important, City Index is the better fit.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
City Index
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 90 | 88 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
FOREX.com and City Index both deliver full-featured mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports price alerts and watchlist syncing, so changes on your phone match your online account. Charting is a highlight on both: you can draw trendlines and your drawings auto-save. FOREX.com offers a slight edge in technical studies with 90 indicators compared with City Index’s 88, making analysis on the go easy on either platform.
Based on independent reviews, FOREX.com earns 5 stars and ranks #2 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps at ForexBrokers.com, while City Index scores 4.5 stars and ranks #9. If you want the highest-rated mobile experience with a few more studies, FOREX.com nudges ahead; if you’re considering City Index, you’ll still get a high-quality app with alerts, synced watchlists, and capable charting tools.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
City Index
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 90 | 88 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When comparing market research at FOREX.com and City Index, both brokers deliver daily market commentary and stream forex news from leading sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones. Each platform includes Trading Central tools for technical and fundamental insights, a sentiment indicator showing the share of long vs. short positions, and an economic calendar that flags key events worldwide. In other words, the core research toolkit is very similar for both brokers and covers what most traders need: timely news, actionable analysis, and market sentiment.
Neither broker currently offers Autochartist, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading (Signal Centre). Despite offering nearly the same lineup of research tools, FOREX.com and City Index each earn a 4.5-star research rating. The difference shows up in category rankings: out of 63 brokers reviewed by ForexBrokers.com, FOREX.com places #7 while City Index ranks #10. If a slightly higher research ranking matters to you, FOREX.com has the edge, but both are strong choices for market research and news.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
City Index
|
|---|---|---|
| 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.
For beginners, both FOREX.com and City Index provide forex and CFD education that meets the 10+ piece standard, mixing articles, videos, and archived webinars. New traders can join online client webinars at least once a month, and each broker offers 10 or more beginner-friendly videos to explain basics like order types, charting, and risk management.
As skills develop, both platforms include 10+ advanced videos for experienced topics. Education quality is strong across the board, with each broker earning a 4.5/5 rating. In ForexBrokers.com’s Education rankings, FOREX.com places #4 out of 63 brokers, while City Index ranks #9, giving FOREX.com a slight edge for overall education.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
City Index
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 FOREX.com is better than City Index. FOREX.com finished with an overall rank of #4, while City Index finished with an overall rank of #8.
FOREX.com is a trusted brand that delivers an excellent trading experience for forex and CFDs traders across the globe. It offers a wide range of markets and provides an impressive suite of proprietary platforms – alongside limited access to MetaTrader.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
City Index
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 99 |
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Comparing online brokers FOREX.com vs City Index for crypto trading: neither platform supports buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both offer cryptocurrency CFDs for speculative trading.
FOREX.com vs City Index: both brokers support ACH/SEPA, PayPal, and bank wire deposits and withdrawals, but only FOREX.com offers Skrill (City Index does not), with Visa/Mastercard availability not specified.
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 | FOREX.com | City Index | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 99 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FOREX.com Review | City Index Review |
| Broker Screenshots | FOREX.com | City Index | |
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| Regulation | FOREX.com | City Index | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 99 | |
| Year Founded | 1999 | 1983 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 7 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | FOREX.com | City Index | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | Yes | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | FOREX.com | City Index | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | FOREX.com | City Index | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 13500 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 80 | 66 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | No | 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 | FOREX.com | City Index | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.00 | 1.4 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.13 | 0.9 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | FOREX.com | City Index | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | £100.00 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | FOREX.com | City Index | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | FOREX.com | City Index | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 90 | 88 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | FOREX.com | City Index | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 90 | 88 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | FOREX.com | City Index | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | FOREX.com | City Index | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | FOREX.com | City Index | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | FOREX.com Review | City Index Review |
| Overall | FOREX.com | City Index | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 99 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FOREX.com Review | City Index Review |
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