City Index vs Plus500 2025

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, and Plus500, established in 2008, are both prominent online brokers publicly traded on stock exchanges, offering various financial services without being classified as banks. Both brokers boast a perfect Trust Score of 99 on ForexBrokers.com, highlighting their credibility and reliability in the financial market. In terms of regulatory strength, City Index holds seven Tier-1 licenses, a benchmark for high trust, and one Tier-2 license, indicating solid trust levels. Meanwhile, Plus500 also maintains a strong presence with six Tier-1 licenses and three Tier-2 licenses, ensuring a trustworthy trading environment for its clients.

Despite the difference in the number of licenses, both City Index and Plus500 demonstrate a commitment to maintaining high standards of regulation and trust for their users. This makes them equally appealing for traders prioritizing regulatory assurance. Whether one chooses City Index or Plus500, both offer a secured platform backed by their respective regulatory standings, making them favorable options in the competitive world of online trading.

Feature	City Index	Plus500
Year Founded info	1983	2008
Publicly Traded (Listed) info	Yes	Yes
Bank info	No	No
Tier-1 Licenses info	7	6
Tier-2 Licenses info	1	3
Tier-3 Licenses info	0	0
Tier-4 Licenses info	1	2

Fees

City Index and Plus500 take different approaches to commissions and fees. City Index generally sits around the industry average for CFDs, forex, and spread betting, with its best pricing on City Index’s own platforms and MetaTrader. Plus500 tends to be slightly above the industry average and trails leaders for active-trader pricing. For this category, City Index is rated 4.5/5 stars and ranks #16 of 63, while Plus500 is rated 4.0/5 stars and ranks #24 of 63.

City Index’s EUR/USD spread averaged 0.74 pips (July 2023). Active traders who deposit over £10,000 can apply for the Premium Trader account to access exclusive pricing, events, content, and dedicated support. Professional clients may also qualify for volume rebates: in the U.K., £4 per million for more than £25M traded per month, up to £7.5 per million above £300M; in Australia, AUD $4.5 per million (tier 1) up to AUD $14.5 per million (tier 3).

Plus500 does not offer retail discounts. In April 2024, its average EUR/USD spread was 1.5 pips—higher than the industry average and wider than City Index in this comparison—though Professional clients may receive cash rebates. If you trade frequently and want lower all-in costs, City Index tends to deliver tighter spreads and more ways to reduce fees, while Plus500 is simpler but typically pricier.

Feature	City Index	Plus500
Minimum Deposit info	£100.00	€50 info
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info	1.4 info	1.3 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info	0.9 info	1.3 info
Non-wire bank transfer info	Yes	No
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.

Range of investments

City Index vs Plus500: both support forex trading as a CFD or spot contract and offer cryptocurrency trading via CFDs (neither offers actual, delivered crypto). City Index stands out for breadth, with about 13,500 tradeable symbols and 66 forex pairs, compared with Plus500’s roughly 5,500 symbols and 65 forex pairs. City Index also supports copy trading, while Plus500 does not.

If you want to buy real shares, Plus500 lets you trade exchange‑listed stocks from both U.S. and international markets, whereas City Index does not offer non‑CFD share dealing. For Range of Investments, City Index is rated 5 stars and ranks #8 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com; Plus500 earns 4.5 stars and ranks #17. Choose City Index for sheer market variety and copy trading, or Plus500 if owning actual shares is a priority alongside CFD trading.

Feature	City Index	Plus500
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info	Yes	Yes info
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info	13500	5500 info
Forex Pairs (Total) info	66	65
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info	No	Yes
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info	No	Yes
Copy Trading info	Yes	No
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info	No	No
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). Non-CFD share trading at Plus500 is only available through the Plus500 Invest account.

Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.

Trading platforms and tools

City Index vs Plus500: both brokers offer free demo (paper) accounts and easy-to-use proprietary platforms you can access in your browser. City Index adds a Windows desktop platform, while Plus500 does not. City Index also supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4), copy trading, and placing trades directly from charts; Plus500 does not offer MT4, copy trading, or trade-from-chart features. Neither broker supports MetaTrader 5 (MT5). Both provide charting and watchlists, though the exact number of indicators and watchlist columns was not specified.

For Trading Platforms and Tools, both City Index and Plus500 are rated 4.5 stars. In category rankings from ForexBrokers.com, City Index is #11 out of 63 brokers, while Plus500 is #14. In short, choose City Index if you want MT4, a downloadable desktop platform, copy trading, and trade-from-chart capability; pick Plus500 if you prefer a straightforward, proprietary web platform with a free demo to practice.

Feature	City Index	Plus500
Virtual Trading (Demo) info	Yes	Yes
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info	Yes	Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info	Yes	No
Web Platform info	Yes	Yes
Copy Trading info	Yes	No
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info	Yes	No
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info	No	No
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info	88	115
Charting - Trade From Chart info	Yes	No

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

Forex trading apps

Comparing City Index vs Plus500 for mobile trading apps, both offer iPhone and Android support, price alerts, synced watchlists between mobile and web, and tools like drawing trendlines on charts. Each earns 4.5 out of 5 stars for mobile trading, yet ForexBrokers.com ranks City Index higher (#9 of 63) than Plus500 (#14), hinting at a slight overall edge for City Index in mobile experience.

Charting is where their differences show. Plus500 includes more built-in technical indicators (115 vs 88 for City Index), which will appeal to traders who like extensive indicator choices. City Index, however, auto-saves your chart drawings, while Plus500 does not—handy if you revisit stock or forex charts across sessions or devices. If you prefer a larger indicator set, Plus500 fits; if you value saved annotations and a higher category ranking, City Index may be the better pick.

Feature	City Index	Plus500
Android App info	Yes	Yes
Apple iOS App info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info	88	115
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info	Yes	No

Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.

Market research

City Index and Plus500 both cover the essentials for market research: daily market commentary, Trading Central tools for technical insights, sentiment indicators showing long/short positioning, and an economic calendar. Neither broker includes Autochartist, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading integrations.

City Index pulls ahead by offering forex news from major outlets like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, which Plus500 does not provide. That added news feed helps explain City Index’s higher research score (4.5/5) and rank (#10 of 63) versus Plus500’s 4.0/5 and #17. If you want integrated professional news with your core tools, City Index is the stronger choice; if you’re satisfied with the basics, Plus500 still delivers useful research features.

Feature	City Index	Plus500
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info	Yes	Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info	Yes	No
Autochartist info	No	No
Trading Central info	Yes	Yes
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 vs Plus500 for beginner education: both brokers deliver dedicated forex and CFD education with at least 10 learning pieces, including articles, videos, and archived webinars. Each hosts online client webinars at least once per month, and both offer at least 10 beginner videos plus at least 10 advanced videos, so newcomers can start with the basics and progress to more complex topics at their own pace.

That said, City Index scores higher for overall education quality, earning 4.5/5 stars and ranking #9 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com. Plus500 earns 4.0/5 stars and ranks #26. If you want a deeper learning path with stronger overall coverage, City Index is the better fit; if you prefer a simpler, self-guided experience, Plus500 still covers the essentials for new traders.

Feature	City Index	Plus500
Webinars info	Yes	Yes info
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 Plus500. City Index finished with an overall rank of #8, while Plus500 finished with an overall rank of #14.

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	Plus500
Overall Rating info
Trust Score info	99	99
Range of Investments
Trading Fees
Trading Platforms
Research
Mobile Trading
Education

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with City Index or Plus500?

What funding options does each broker offer?

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Overall Rating	City Index	Plus500
Overall Rating info
Trading Fees
Range of Investments
Trading Platforms
Mobile Trading
Research
Education
Trust Score info	99	99
Winner	check_circle
Review	City Index Review	Plus500 Review

Broker Screenshots	City Index	Plus500
Broker Gallery (click to expand) info

Regulation	City Index	Plus500
Trust Score info	99	99
Year Founded info	1983	2008
Publicly Traded (Listed) info	Yes	Yes
Bank info	No	No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info	Yes info	Yes info
Tier-1 Licenses info	7	6
Tier-2 Licenses info	1	3
Tier-3 Licenses info	0	0
Tier-4 Licenses info	1	2

Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted)	City Index	Plus500
Australia (ASIC Authorised) info	Yes	Yes
Canada (CIRO Authorised) info	Yes	No
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	No
New Zealand (FMA Authorised) info	No	Yes
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info	Yes info	Yes info

Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted)	City Index	Plus500
Kenya (CMA Authorised) info
Israel (ISA Authorised) info	No	Yes
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

Investments	City Index	Plus500
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info	Yes	Yes info
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info	13500	5500 info
Forex Pairs (Total) info	66	65
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info	No	Yes
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info	No	Yes
Copy Trading info	Yes	No
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info	No	No
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). Non-CFD share trading at Plus500 is only available through the Plus500 Invest account.

Cost	City Index	Plus500
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info	1.4 info	1.3 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info	0.9 info	1.3 info
Inactivity Fee info	Yes	Yes
Order execution: Agency info	No	No
Order execution: Market Maker info	Yes	Yes

Funding	City Index	Plus500
Minimum Deposit info	£100.00	€50 info
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	No

Trading Platforms	City Index	Plus500
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info	Yes	Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info	Yes	No
Web Platform info	Yes	Yes
Copy Trading info	Yes	No
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info	Yes	No
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info	No	No
cTrader info	No	No

Trading Tools	City Index	Plus500
Virtual Trading (Demo) info	Yes	Yes
Price Alerts info	Yes	Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info	88	115
Charting - Trade From Chart info	Yes	No
Charts can be saved info	Yes	Yes

Mobile Trading	City Index	Plus500
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	Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info	88	115
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info	Yes	No
Mobile Research - Economic Calendar info	Yes	Yes

Research	City Index	Plus500
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info	Yes	Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info	Yes	No
Autochartist info	No	No
Trading Central info	Yes	Yes
TipRanks info	No	No
Client sentiment data info	Yes	Yes
Economic Calendar info	Yes	Yes

Education	City Index	Plus500
Webinars info	Yes	Yes info
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info	Yes	Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info	Yes	Yes

Major Forex Pairs	City Index	Plus500
GBP/USD [DELETED] info
USD/JPY [DELETED] info
EUR/USD info	Yes	Yes info
USD/CHF [DELETED] info
USD/CAD [DELETED] info
NZD/USD [DELETED] info
AUD/USD [DELETED] info
Review	City Index Review	Plus500 Review

Overall	City Index	Plus500
Overall Rating info
Trading Fees
Range of Investments
Trading Platforms
Mobile Trading
Research
Education
Trust Score info	99	99
Winner	check_circle
Review	City Index Review	Plus500 Review