Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of City Index vs FXCM, 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, established in 1983, and FXCM, founded in 1999, are both reputable online brokers with a strong presence in the financial market. As publicly traded companies, both have demonstrated their commitment to transparency and regulation. City Index boasts an impressive ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 99 out of 99, reflecting its exemplary standing as a highly trusted broker. This is supported by its possession of seven Tier-1 licenses and one Tier-2 license, indicating its strong regulatory compliance.
FXCM, though slightly younger, also holds its ground with a solid ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 95 out of 99, marking it as a highly trusted broker. FXCM holds four Tier-1 licenses and two Tier-2 licenses, further emphasizing its commitment to maintaining regulatory standards. While neither City Index nor FXCM is a bank, both brokers have cemented their reputations as reliable choices for traders by adhering to stringent regulatory expectations, making them trusted names in the world of online trading.
| Feature |
City Index
|
FXCM
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1983 | 1999 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 4 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
City Index and FXCM both deliver pricing near the industry average, but their fee structures differ in useful ways for active traders. City Index earns 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #15 out of 63 brokers for commissions and fees on ForexBrokers.com, while FXCM scores 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #25 out of 63. On headline EUR/USD spreads, City Index’s typical 0.74 pips (July 2023) is slightly tighter than FXCM’s standard 0.78 pips in the EU, U.K., and Australia (May 2024). FXCM can match that with its commission-based pricing, where core spreads average 0.28 pips and the effective cost lands around 0.74 pips after commissions, though availability and requirements vary by region.
City Index prices CFDs, forex, and spread betting in line with the market, with best rates usually found on its proprietary platforms or MetaTrader. The Premium Trader account (typically for deposits over £10,000) unlocks exclusive pricing, events, and dedicated service. For high-volume traders, City Index offers rebates: in the U.K., £4 per million for monthly volumes above £25M up to £7.5 per million above £300M; in Australia, rebates range from AUD $4.5 to $14.5 per million. While competitive, City Index still trails ultra-low-cost specialists like Tickmill and FP Markets on raw pricing.
FXCM’s standard spreads are slightly higher than average overall, with EUR/USD at 0.78 pips across the EU, U.K., and Australia and 1.38 pips at its St. Vincent and the Grenadines entity (May 2024). Its commission-based setup posts a 0.28-pip core spread, with an effective cost around 0.74 pips after adding commissions; a U.K. example tier with a $25,000 balance and $50M in monthly volume brings commissions to $2.5 per side ($5 round-turn) for about 0.78 pips effective. FXCM’s five-tier Active Trader Rebate Program (not offered in the U.K. or EU) requires at least $10M in monthly volume and pays $5–$25 per million; keep in mind spreads can widen during rollover or unusual market conditions.
| Feature |
City Index
|
FXCM
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100.00 | Starts from $50 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.4 | 0.9 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.74 | 0.8 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
City Index vs FXCM: when it comes to the range of investments, City Index offers far more choice. City Index lists about 13,500 tradeable symbols and 66 forex pairs, while FXCM provides around 440 symbols and 46 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading as CFDs or spot (availability can vary by region). Neither broker lets you buy exchange-traded shares directly in the U.S. or international markets. Both support copy trading. For crypto, neither offers actual coins, but both provide cryptocurrency CFDs.
According to ForexBrokers.com, City Index earns 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #8 out of 63 brokers, while FXCM scores 3.5 stars and ranks #48. If you want the widest selection of markets, City Index is the stronger fit; FXCM covers key assets but with fewer choices.
| Feature |
City Index
|
FXCM
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 13500 | 440 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 46 |
| 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 FXCM both check key boxes for platform flexibility and ease of use. Each broker offers a free demo account for paper trading, a proprietary platform, a Windows desktop download, and a web-based platform you can run in your browser. Copy trading is available at both, and traders who prefer MetaTrader 4 (MT4) will find support at either broker. Neither supports MetaTrader 5 (MT5). Charting is a strong point for both, including the ability to place trades directly from the chart.
In head-to-head ratings for trading platforms and tools, FXCM scores 5 out of 5 stars and ranks #6 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while City Index earns 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #11. If you want a slightly higher-rated platform suite, FXCM has the edge. If you’re already comfortable with City Index’s layout and features, you’ll still get a full set of platform choices, MT4 access, and useful chart-trading tools at either broker.
| Feature |
City Index
|
FXCM
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 115 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
City Index and FXCM both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports price alerts for stocks and forex, synced watchlists between mobile and your online account, and easy charting tools—you can draw trendlines and your drawings auto-save for future sessions.
The main difference is chart study depth: City Index includes 88 technical indicators, while FXCM offers 59. Both earned 4.5 out of 5 stars for mobile trading apps, but City Index holds a higher placement (#9 of 63) than FXCM (#16 of 63) on ForexBrokers.com. If you want more built-in indicators, City Index has the edge; if you just need alerts, syncing, and core charting on iPhone or Android, either app is a solid choice.
| Feature |
City Index
|
FXCM
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 88 | 59 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Both City Index and FXCM are popular online brokers that deliver strong market research offerings for traders seeking detailed insights into financial markets. Both brokers provide daily market commentary and access to forex news from reputable sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones. While neither City Index nor FXCM offers research tools from Autochartist, both include expert analysis offerings from Trading Central to aid users in technical analytics.
An important distinction arises with FXCM offering market research from TipRanks, unlike City Index, which does not provide this service. Conversely, neither broker provides research tools from Acuity Trading. For sentiment-based trading tools and comprehensive economic calendars, traders can rely on either platform. Both brokers are rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for research quality, with City Index holding a slightly higher ranking (#10) compared to FXCM (#11) according to ForexBrokers.com.
| Feature |
City Index
|
FXCM
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginners comparing City Index vs FXCM on education, both brokers clearly deliver. Each provides a full forex and CFD learning library with well over 10 pieces of content, plus monthly live webinars. You’ll find at least 10 beginner-focused videos at both brokers, along with 10+ advanced videos for leveling up. Their education quality is highly rated at 4.5/5 stars for both.
Where they differ is the independent ranking: City Index is placed #9 out of 63 brokers for Education by ForexBrokers.com, while FXCM is #14. That gives City Index a slight edge in overall educational depth and polish. Still, FXCM remains a strong choice. If you want frequent webinars and a big video library to start learning forex and CFDs, either broker will work well—City Index just nudges ahead based on its higher category ranking.
| Feature |
City Index
|
FXCM
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 FXCM. City Index finished with an overall rank of #8, while FXCM finished with an overall rank of #15.
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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FXCM
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| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 95 |
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Comparing online brokers City Index vs FXCM: neither supports buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both offer cryptocurrency CFDs for trading.
Comparing online brokers City Index vs. FXCM: both support ACH/SEPA, PayPal, and bank wire deposits/withdrawals, FXCM additionally offers Skrill while City Index does not, and Visa/Mastercard availability for both is 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 | City Index | FXCM | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 95 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | City Index Review | FXCM Review |
| Broker Screenshots | City Index | FXCM | |
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| Regulation | City Index | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 95 | |
| Year Founded | 1983 | 1999 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 4 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 2 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | City Index | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | 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 | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | City Index | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 13500 | 440 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 46 | |
| 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 | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.4 | 0.9 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.74 | 0.8 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | City Index | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100.00 | Starts from $50 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | City Index | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | No | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | City Index | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 115 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | City Index | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 88 | 59 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | City Index | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | Yes | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | City Index | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | City Index | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | FXCM Review |
| Overall | City Index | FXCM | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 95 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | City Index Review | FXCM Review |
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