Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of City Index vs Plus500, 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, 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 | 1983 | 2008 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 6 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
When comparing the commissions and fees between City Index and Plus500, City Index offers pricing that aligns with the industry average for trading CFDs, forex, and spread-betting products. City Index provides an average spread of 0.74 pips on the EUR/USD, keeping it competitive in the market, though not quite reaching the top tier set by brokers like Tickmill. For traders who deposit more than £10,000, City Index offers a Premium Trader account with exclusive pricing and support. Additionally, active trader rebates are available for UK and Australian professional traders, with discounts scaling based on trading volume. City Index earns a commendable rating of 4.5 stars and ranks #14 out of 63 brokers for commissions and fees.
Conversely, Plus500's pricing tends to be a bit higher than the industry average. While it does offer cash rebates to Professional clients, retail traders do not benefit from discounts like those potentially available at other brokers. The average spread on the EUR/USD pair at Plus500 was 1.5 pips as of April 2024, which exceeds the industry average, making it less competitive in this area. Consequently, Plus500 receives a slightly lower rating of 4.0 stars and is ranked #25 out of 63 brokers in the Commissions and Fees category.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100.00 | €100 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.4 | 1.5 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.74 | 1.5 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When it comes to investment options, City Index and Plus500 both facilitate forex trading through CFDs, and each presents a distinct selection for traders. City Index stands out with a remarkable 13,500 tradeable symbols and offers 66 forex pairs, just one more than Plus500's 65. This broader range at City Index is complemented by its accommodation of copy trading enthusiasts, an edge it holds over Plus500. Despite not offering exchange-traded U.S. or international securities like Plus500 does, City Index provides access to cryptocurrency derivatives, mirroring Plus500's offering in this category.
Meanwhile, Plus500's platform, while narrower in terms of the total symbols at 5,500, allows clients to buy actual exchange-traded securities in both U.S. and international markets—a feature City Index lacks. Both platforms rate highly in investment variety, with City Index earning a 5-star rating, compared to Plus500's 4.5 stars, as affirmed by their rankings of 8th and 24th, respectively, from ForexBrokers.com. Each platform offers a different adventure for traders depending on whether breadth of instruments or specific securities access is valued more.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 13500 | 5500 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 65 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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). Non-CFD share trading at Plus500 is only available through the Plus500 Invest account. |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
City Index and Plus500 both offer compelling trading platforms for those looking to engage in online trading, each with unique strengths. City Index provides a comprehensive trading experience, offering both a proprietary platform and MetaTrader 4 (MT4). Furthermore, users can enjoy a Windows-based desktop platform in addition to a web-based version, providing flexibility and accessibility. City Index also supports copy trading, allowing traders to emulate the transactions of successful investors. Meanwhile, Plus500 presents its proprietary platform, primarily focusing on its web-based interface, making it accessible for users who prefer a browser-based experience. Although it doesn't support copy trading or MT4, Plus500 remains efficient and user-friendly.
Both brokers facilitate simulated trading via free demo accounts, allowing users to practice and hone their skills without financial risk. City Index boasts an impressive range of charting tools with 239 drawing options, significantly more than Plus500's 36, enhancing the analytical experience. Furthermore, City Index allows direct trading from stock charts and offers a slightly broader set of customization options for watch lists. Despite these differences, both platforms have received a 4.5-star rating for their trading tools, with City Index ranked at #11 and Plus500 at #14 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, highlighting their collective strength in providing reliable trading solutions.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 115 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 239 | 36 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | No |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 10 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both City Index and Plus500 offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, ensuring seamless trading experiences across devices. Users can enjoy real-time stock and forex price alerts on both platforms, and their mobile apps sync watchlists with their online accounts, keeping updates uniform across the board. When it comes to technical features, Plus500 provides 115 technical studies for charting, while City Index offers 88. Both apps allow users to draw trendlines on charts and switch between multiple time frames such as daily, weekly, or intraday views. However, only City Index's app autosaves chart drawings, offering a slight edge in preserving user input.
Creating watchlists with real-time quotes is a breeze on both apps, and they've each received a commendable rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars for their mobile services. Yet, when considering rankings from ForexBrokers.com out of 63 leading brokers, City Index is positioned at #9, while Plus500 is ranked at #14, indicating a slight preference towards City Index from industry professionals. These factors all contribute to a well-rounded decision-making process for traders looking for reliable mobile trading platforms.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 88 | 115 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | No |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Both City Index and Plus500 provide daily market commentary, offering traders insightful perspectives to guide their decisions. However, when it comes to forex news from leading sources like Bloomberg or Reuters, City Index takes a clear lead by offering this feature, while Plus500 does not. Both platforms excel in providing advanced technical analytics through Trading Central tools, which greatly aid in market analysis. They each offer sentiment-based trading tools that reveal long and short positions across various instruments. However, neither platform includes market research from TipRanks or tools from Acuity Trading, such as Signal Centre.
Traders seeking comprehensive market analysis will find City Index's offerings slightly more attractive, bolstered by its superior access to top-tier news agencies and its wider range of research tools. This advantage is reflected in City Index's impressive rating of 4.5 stars for research and its #10 rank in ForexBrokers.com's research category, compared to Plus500's commendable but slightly lower 4.0-star rating and #19 rank. Additionally, both platforms feature economic calendars to keep traders informed of global news events that could impact the markets. Ultimately, City Index presents a slightly more enriched research environment for traders looking for diverse and in-depth market insights.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | Yes |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to educational resources for beginners, both City Index and Plus500 offer a strong selection. City Index provides a variety of educational materials, including more than ten articles, videos, and archived webinars focused on forex and CFDs. Plus500 matches this offering, ensuring beginners have ample resources to start their trading journey. Both brokers host monthly webinars and have a searchable archive of these online sessions. City Index offers a comprehensive suite of educational videos tailored for both beginners and advanced traders, while Plus500 provides similar video content focused on in-depth trading topics. However, City Index distinguishes itself with an investor dictionary that defines over 50 investing terms, a feature Plus500 does not have.
Evaluating user ratings and industry rankings showcases City Index's slight edge in educational offerings. City Index is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for education and ranks 9th out of 63 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com. Plus500 holds a 4.0-star rating and is positioned at 31st in the same rankings. Although both brokers deliver solid educational tools, City Index stands out with its broad array of resources and recognition in the industry. This makes it a slightly more attractive option for those eager to deepen their trading knowledge from a strong foundation.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
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 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
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Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 99 |
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Both City Index and Plus500 do not offer the ability to buy actual delivered cryptocurrency, but they do provide options to purchase cryptocurrency derivatives.
City Index and Plus500 both allow PayPal, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wire transfers for depositing or withdrawing funds, but City Index additionally supports ACH and SEPA transfers, while Plus500 uniquely offers Skrill.
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 | Plus500 | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 99 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | City Index Review | Plus500 Review |
| Broker Screenshots | City Index | Plus500 | |
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| Regulation | City Index | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 99 | |
| Year Founded | 1983 | 2008 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 6 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | City Index | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | City Index | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | City Index | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 13500 | 5500 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 65 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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). Non-CFD share trading at Plus500 is only available through the Plus500 Invest account. |
| Cost | City Index | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.4 | 1.5 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.74 | 1.5 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | City Index | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100.00 | €100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | City Index | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | City Index | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 10 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 115 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 239 | 36 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | No | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | City Index | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 88 | 115 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | City Index | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | City Index | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | City Index | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | City Index Review | Plus500 Review |
| Overall | City Index | Plus500 | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 99 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | City Index Review | Plus500 Review |
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