Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of City Index vs Swissquote, 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 and Swissquote stand out as two reputable online brokers in the financial world. Both have a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 99, indicating they are highly trusted establishments. Founded in 1983, City Index offers a solid track record and is publicly traded, although it is not a bank. In terms of regulatory credentials, City Index holds an impressive seven Tier-1 licenses, which are highly regarded, further enhancing its credibility. Additionally, it holds one Tier-2 license, which is also trusted.
On the other hand, Swissquote, established in 1996, adds the benefit of being both a publicly traded company and a bank, potentially offering more financial stability to its clients. With five Tier-1 licenses, Swissquote also maintains a strong regulatory standing, supported by two Tier-2 licenses. Both brokers enjoy a high level of trust with their clients, but if you're seeking a company with more Tier-1 regulatory oversight, City Index might have the edge.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Swissquote
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1983 | 1996 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank | No | Yes |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 5 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
If you care about trading costs, City Index generally beats Swissquote. City Index earns 4.5/5 stars for commissions and fees and ranks #15 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com; Swissquote scores 3.5/5 stars and ranks #54 out of 63. City Index’s pricing for CFDs, forex, and spread betting sits around the industry average and can be sharper when using its proprietary platforms or MetaTrader. Swissquote typically charges a slight premium, reflecting the appeal of holding an account with a large Swiss banking group.
City Index lists an average EUR/USD spread of 0.74 pips (July 2023) on its CFD account—competitive, though not as low as the cheapest specialists. High-volume traders can reduce costs through rebates: in the U.K., professional traders receive £4 per million after £25M in monthly volume, rising to £7.5 per million above £300M; in Australia, rebates range from AUD 4.5 to AUD 14.5 per million. Deposit £10,000 or more and you may qualify for the Premium Trader account, which offers exclusive pricing, events, content, and dedicated support.
Swissquote’s fees vary by entity. In the U.K., active traders who can deposit at least $10,000 may prefer the commission-based Elite account, which pairs lower spreads with a $5 charge per round-turn trade; the Professional account is similar, with a different stop-out level. The Standard account is less attractive with EUR/USD spreads from 1.3 pips, while Prime advertises minimum spreads from 0.6 pips (minimums, not averages). In Luxembourg, minimum spreads range from 0.8 pips (Prime, $50,000 minimum) to 1.5 pips (Standard, $1,000). In Switzerland, EUR/USD minimums start at 1.7 pips for Standard ($1,000), 1.4 pips for Premium ($10,000), and 1.1 pips for Prime ($50,000), with custom pricing available for very active traders.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Swissquote
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100.00 | $1000 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.4 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.74 | N/A |
| 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 Swissquote: both brokers support forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, offer copy trading, and provide crypto CFDs. City Index stands out with about 13,500 tradeable symbols compared with Swissquote’s 472. That said, Swissquote lists more forex pairs (80 vs 66) and is the only one of the two that lets you buy actual cryptocurrencies.
For exchange-traded stocks, Swissquote allows direct purchases of U.S. shares like Apple and international listings such as Vodafone, while City Index does not offer exchange-traded securities. Both earn 5 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments from ForexBrokers.com, with Swissquote ranked #2 out of 63 brokers and City Index ranked #8.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Swissquote
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 13500 | 472 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 80 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | Yes |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | Yes |
| 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 vs Swissquote: both brokers make it easy to get started with a free demo (paper) account and each offers an in-house trading platform alongside a Windows desktop download and a web-based platform. They both support copy trading, integrate MetaTrader 4 (MT4), and let you place trades directly from charts—useful for quick entries and exits without leaving the chart view.
The standout difference is MetaTrader 5 (MT5): Swissquote supports MT5, while City Index does not. When it comes to quality, both are rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for trading platforms and tools. In ForexBrokers.com’s category rankings, City Index sits at #11 out of 63 brokers, with Swissquote close behind at #12. If you need MT5, Swissquote is the pick; if MT5 isn’t essential, City Index delivers comparable features with a slightly higher ranking.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Swissquote
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 86 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
City Index and Swissquote both offer full-featured mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, complete with price alerts. Each earns a 4.5-star rating for mobile trading apps. In ForexBrokers.com’s 2025 rankings, City Index places #9 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps, while Swissquote comes in at #12.
For charting, City Index provides 88 built-in indicators versus Swissquote’s 30. Both apps let you draw trendlines and automatically save your drawings. A notable difference is watchlists: City Index syncs watchlists between the mobile app and your online account, while Swissquote does not. In short, City Index better suits traders who want more chart tools and seamless watchlist syncing, whereas Swissquote covers the essentials for on-the-go trading.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Swissquote
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 88 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When examining the market research features of City Index and Swissquote, both brokers stand out for their commitment to providing useful insights. Each offers daily market commentary and delivers forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, meeting the needs of traders looking for reliable information. However, they differ in their tools for analysis. City Index offers tools from Trading Central, including Technical Analytics, as well as a sentiment-based trading tool that provides a glimpse into market sentiments through the ratio of long or short positions across various instruments. On the other hand, Swissquote shines with its offerings from Autochartist, catering to traders interested in technical analysis.
In terms of shared features, both brokers include comprehensive economic calendars to keep traders informed about global economic events. Despite some differences in their toolsets, both platforms are well-regarded, with City Index edging out slightly with a 4.5-star rating compared to Swissquote’s 4-star rating in research. Furthermore, City Index is ranked #10 and Swissquote #16 out of 63 brokers in the research category by ForexBrokers.com, indicating strong research capabilities for both but with a slight advantage for City Index.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Swissquote
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central | Yes | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
City Index and Swissquote both give beginners plenty of forex and CFD education. Each offers more than 10 pieces of learning content focused on trading, including at least 10 beginner videos and 10 advanced videos, plus monthly live webinars. This mix helps new traders learn the basics and then progress to tougher topics through videos, articles, and archived sessions.
For overall quality, City Index holds the edge: it’s rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks 9th out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Swissquote earns 4 stars and ranks 20th. If you want the higher-rated learning path with strong breadth for newcomers, City Index is the better pick. If you value frequent webinars and a wide range of videos and are comfortable with a slightly lower ranking, Swissquote is a solid alternative.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Swissquote
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 Swissquote. City Index finished with an overall rank of #8, while Swissquote finished with an overall rank of #11.
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
|
Swissquote
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
|
| Trust Score | 99 | 99 |
| Range of Investments |
|
|
| Commissions & Fees |
|
|
| Platforms & Tools |
|
|
| Research |
|
|
| Mobile Trading |
|
|
| Education |
|
|
In a comparison of online brokers, City Index offers cryptocurrency exposure only via CFDs and does not support buying actual (delivered) coins, whereas Swissquote enables clients to buy delivered cryptocurrencies and trade crypto CFDs.
Online brokers City Index and Swissquote both support ACH/SEPA, PayPal, and bank wire deposits and withdrawals, but only Swissquote offers Skrill, while Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either broker.
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.
Select Brokers
↓×Compare
0 of 5| Overall Rating | City Index | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Commissions & Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Platforms & Tools |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 99 | 99 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | City Index Review | Swissquote Review |
| Broker Screenshots | City Index | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
|
|
| Regulation | City Index | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 99 | |
| Year Founded | 1983 | 1996 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank | No | Yes | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 5 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 2 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | City Index | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| 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 | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | City Index | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 13500 | 472 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 80 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | Yes | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | Yes | |
| 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 | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.4 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.74 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | City Index | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100.00 | $1000 | |
| 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 | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | City Index | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 86 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | City Index | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 88 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | City Index | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | City Index | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | City Index | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Swissquote Review |
| Overall | City Index | Swissquote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| |
| Commissions & Fees |
|
| |
| Range of Investments |
|
| |
| Platforms & Tools |
|
| |
| Mobile Trading |
|
| |
| Research |
|
| |
| Education |
|
| |
| Trust Score | 99 | 99 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | City Index Review | Swissquote Review |
IG
CMC Markets
FOREX.com
XTB
eToro
AvaTrade
Plus500
Pepperstone
FP Markets
Tickmill