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City Index vs OANDA 2026

ForexBrokers.com

Written by ForexBrokers.com

February 05, 2025
  Fact Checked

In this head to head comparison of City Index vs OANDA, 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
OANDA
4.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0
  • Trust Score: 92
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 4172 info

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 OANDA: City Index was founded in 1983 and is publicly traded, while OANDA was founded in 1996 and is not publicly traded. Neither broker is a bank.

Regulation and trust: Both brokers hold seven Tier-1 licenses (considered highly trusted by ForexBrokers.com). City Index also holds one Tier-2 license; OANDA has none. ForexBrokers.com Trust Scores are City Index 99 and OANDA 92—both in the 90–99 “highly trusted” range (80–89 trusted, 70–79 average risk, 60–69 high risk, under 59 not trusted).

Feature City Index logoCity Index
OANDA logoOANDA
Year Founded info 1983 1996
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes No
Bank info No No
Tier-1 Licenses info 7 7
Tier-2 Licenses info 1 0
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 1 1

Fees

City Index has the edge over OANDA on commissions and fees. City Index’s pricing for CFDs, forex, and spread betting is about average overall, and traders can often get the best rates on its own platform or MetaTrader. Its EUR/USD spread was 0.74 pips in July 2023, which puts its all-in forex cost in line with the industry average. City Index also offers a Premium Trader account for active clients who deposit more than £10,000, plus rebates for high-volume traders. It is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and ranks #16 out of 36 brokers.

OANDA’s pricing is usually higher than the best low-cost forex brokers, especially on its standard account. In July 2024, its average non-core EUR/USD spread was 1.61 pips. OANDA does offer a core pricing option with tighter spreads, but it charges a commission of $5 per side per $100,000 traded and requires a $10,000 minimum deposit, which still leaves the all-in cost only slightly better than its standard pricing. OANDA also has active trader rebates in select regions and very small minimum trade sizes, but its fees remain less competitive overall. It is rated 4 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and ranks #30 out of 36 brokers.

In simple terms, City Index is the lower-cost choice for most traders comparing these two brokers on fees alone. OANDA may appeal to traders who want flexible trade sizing and automated execution, but City Index offers the better mix of pricing and value for everyday forex and CFD trading.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
OANDA logoOANDA
Minimum Deposit info £100.00 $0
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info 1.4 info 1.68 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.9 info 1.69 info
Non-wire bank transfer info Yes Yes info
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

When it comes to range of investments, City Index offers a wider overall selection than OANDA, with 13,500 tradeable symbols compared with OANDA’s 4,172. City Index also gives traders access to 66 forex pairs, while OANDA lists 69, so OANDA has a slight edge in currency pairs. Both brokers support forex trading, offer copy trading, and let clients trade cryptocurrency CFDs.

The bigger difference is in the types of assets available outside forex. OANDA lets clients buy actual shares on both U.S. and international exchanges, and it also offers the option to buy delivered cryptocurrency. City Index does not offer these direct share or spot crypto products. Based on ForexBrokers.com ratings, City Index scores 5 stars for range of investments and ranks #8 out of 36 brokers, while OANDA earns 4.5 stars and ranks #20.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
OANDA logoOANDA
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes info
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 13500 4172 info
Forex Pairs (Total) info 66 69
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info No Yes
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info No Yes
Copy Trading info Yes Yes info
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info No Yes
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) info Yes Yes info
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 OANDA both give traders a good mix of platform choices, including free demo accounts for practice, a web-based platform, a Windows desktop app, a proprietary platform, copy trading, and MetaTrader 4. Both also let you place trades straight from a chart, which can make active trading easier. The main difference is that OANDA also supports MetaTrader 5, while City Index does not.

In platform and tools testing, City Index comes out slightly ahead. It is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranked #11 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, compared with OANDA’s 4 out of 5 stars and #16 ranking. For traders who want a slightly stronger all-around platform setup, City Index has the edge, while OANDA may appeal to those who want MT5 support alongside a similar range of tools.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
OANDA logoOANDA
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Copy Trading info Yes Yes info
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info Yes Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info No Yes info
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 88 89
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes

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

Forex trading apps

City Index and OANDA both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, along with price alerts, trendline drawing, and auto-saving of chart drawings. That means either broker can work well for traders who want to monitor the market and manage trades on the go. Both apps cover the basics well, so the better choice may come down to the details that matter most to your trading style.

City Index has a clear edge in charting and account syncing, offering 88 technical studies in its mobile app and watchlist symbol syncing between the app and your online account. OANDA provides 30 technical studies and does not sync watchlists across devices, but it still earns a higher mobile trading app rating at 5 stars versus City Index’s 4.5 stars. In ForexBrokers.com rankings, OANDA also places slightly higher, coming in at #7 out of 36 brokers compared with City Index at #9.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
OANDA logoOANDA
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info Yes No
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 88 30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.

Market research

City Index and OANDA both give traders useful market research tools, including daily market commentary, news from major outlets like Bloomberg and Reuters, sentiment data, and an economic calendar for tracking global events. This means both brokers make it easier to follow the forex market and stay updated on what may move prices.

The main difference is in their third-party research tools. City Index offers Trading Central, while OANDA includes Autochartist instead. OANDA also scores higher for research overall, with a 5-star rating and a #4 ranking out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com, compared with City Index’s 4.5-star rating and #10 ranking. For traders who want the stronger research setup, OANDA has the edge, though City Index still provides a solid range of market insights.

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

Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.

Beginners and education

City Index and OANDA both give beginners a strong place to start learning about forex and CFDs. Each broker offers at least 10 education pieces focused on these markets, plus online client webinars at least once a month. They also both provide at least 10 beginner videos and 10 advanced videos, so traders can move from basic ideas to more detailed topics as their skills grow.

Where they differ is in overall education ratings and rank. OANDA scores 5 stars for Education, while City Index scores 4.5 stars. Even so, City Index is ranked higher by ForexBrokers.com in the Education category, placing 9th out of 36 brokers, compared with OANDA at 18th. For beginners, that means both brokers offer plenty of learning material, but City Index edges ahead in category ranking while OANDA leads on star rating.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
OANDA logoOANDA
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 OANDA. City Index finished with an overall rank of #8, while OANDA finished with an overall rank of #13.

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
OANDA logoOANDA
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 92
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trading Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trading Platforms 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with City Index or OANDA?

In the City Index vs OANDA comparison for cryptocurrency trading, City Index provides crypto exposure via CFDs only and does not offer delivered coins, while OANDA supports buying actual cryptocurrencies and trading crypto CFDs.

What funding options does each broker offer?

City Index vs OANDA: both brokers support ACH/SEPA transfers, PayPal, and bank wire funding, but only OANDA offers Skrill, while Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either.




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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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Compare

0 of 5
Overall Rating City Index OANDA
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trading Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trading Platforms 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Research 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 92
Winner check_circle
Review City Index Review OANDA Review
Broker Screenshots City Index OANDA
Broker Gallery (click to expand) info
Regulation City Index OANDA
Trust Score info 99 92
Year Founded info 1983 1996
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 7
Tier-2 Licenses info 1 0
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 1 1
Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) City Index OANDA
Australia (ASIC Authorised) info Yes Yes
Canada (CIRO Authorised) info Yes Yes
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) info No No
Japan (FSA Authorised) info No Yes
Singapore (MAS Authorised) info Yes Yes
Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) info
United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) info Yes Yes
USA (CFTC Authorized) info No Yes
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 OANDA
Kenya (CMA Authorised) info
Israel (ISA Authorised) info No No
South Africa (FSCA Authorised) info No No
UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) info Yes No
India (SEBI Authorised) info No No
Jordan (JSC Authorised) info
Investments City Index OANDA
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes info
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 13500 4172 info
Forex Pairs (Total) info 66 69
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info No Yes
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info No Yes
Copy Trading info Yes Yes info
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info No Yes
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) info Yes Yes info
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 OANDA
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info 1.4 info 1.68 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.9 info 1.69 info
Inactivity Fee info Yes Yes
Order execution: Agency info No No
Order execution: Market Maker info Yes Yes
Funding City Index OANDA
Minimum Deposit info £100.00 $0
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 info
Trading Platforms City Index OANDA
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Copy Trading info Yes Yes info
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info Yes Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info No Yes info
cTrader info No No
Trading Tools City Index OANDA
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Price Alerts info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 88 89
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes
Charts can be saved info Yes Yes
Mobile Trading City Index OANDA
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 No
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 88 30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info Yes Yes
Mobile Research - Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Research City Index OANDA
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes Yes
Autochartist info No Yes
Trading Central info Yes No
TipRanks info No No
Client sentiment data info Yes Yes
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Education City Index OANDA
Webinars info Yes Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Major Forex Pairs City Index OANDA
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 OANDA Review
Overall City Index OANDA
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trading Fees 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trading Platforms 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Research 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 92
Winner check_circle
Review City Index Review OANDA Review
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