Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of City Index vs Trade Nation, 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 Trade Nation are two online brokers with varying trust ratings and regulatory standings. Founded in 1983, City Index boasts an impressive Trust Score of 99 out of 99 from ForexBrokers.com, marking it as highly trusted. It operates with seven Tier-1 licenses, indicating a high level of regulatory compliance. City Index is also publicly traded, which adds a layer of transparency for its users. While it is not a bank, its strong regulatory track record and long history contribute to its highly trusted status.
In contrast, Trade Nation, established in 2014, has a Trust Score of 85, placing it in the trusted category. The broker holds two Tier-1 and one Tier-2 licenses, showing a significant level of regulatory oversight, though less extensive than City Index. Despite not being publicly traded or a bank, Trade Nation still maintains a solid trust position within the industry. Both brokers provide an array of online trading services, but their levels of trust and regulatory coverage set them apart in a meaningful way.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1983 | 2014 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
City Index offers competitive commission and fee structures for trading CFDs, forex, and spread-betting, aligning closely with industry standards. Utilizing City Index’s proprietary platforms or MetaTrader can ensure optimal pricing. The average spread for a CFD account on EUR/USD is 0.74 pips, which remains consistent with industry averages but lags behind top performers like Tickmill. City Index also provides incentives for active traders, such as rebates starting at £4 per million for U.K. traders and reaching £7.5 per million based on trading volume. In the commissions and fees category, City Index holds a 4.5-star rating and is ranked 14th out of 62 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
Trade Nation excels with its fixed-spread pricing, offering simplicity and predictability in its fee structure. Most notably, the fixed spread for the EUR/USD pair is set at 0.6 pips, although it can momentarily widen to 1.4 pips during rollover periods. The firm provides three main account types: two MetaTrader accounts and the TN Trader account, known for the lowest spreads among the options. The Raw Spread account charges a $7 round-trip commission per standard lot. With fixed spreads and competitive pricing, Trade Nation achieves a 5-star rating and ranks 7th among 62 brokers for commissions and fees by ForexBrokers.com.
When comparing the two brokers, City Index offers a solid commission structure with additional rebates for active traders, whereas Trade Nation stands out with its fixed-spread model that brings predictability to trading costs. While City Index delivers competitive rebates, Trade Nation’s consistently low and fixed spreads make it a more straightforward choice for those seeking clarity in fees. Ultimately, Trade Nation ranks superior with a higher star rating and overall position, reflecting its advantageous pricing compared to City Index.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100.00 | $0 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.4 | 0.6 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.74 | 0.6 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| 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 comparing the range of investments offered by City Index and Trade Nation, it is clear that City Index offers a more extensive selection. City Index provides traders access to an impressive 13,500 tradeable symbols, including 66 forex pairs, while Trade Nation offers 1,000 tradeable symbols and 46 forex pairs. Both brokers provide forex trading as CFDs, and neither allows the purchase of exchange-traded securities on U.S. or international exchanges. Additionally, they both support copy trading and give traders the option to trade cryptocurrency derivatives rather than actual cryptocurrencies.
City Index outshines Trade Nation in ratings and rankings for investment variety, earning a 5-star rating and securing 8th place out of 62 brokers in the ForexBrokers.com survey for Range of Investments. In contrast, Trade Nation receives a 3.5-star rating and ranks 38th, reflecting a more limited offering. Though both provide solid platforms for trading, those interested in a wider array of investment options may find City Index to be the preferable choice.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 13500 | 1000 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 46 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| 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). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
City Index and Trade Nation both offer traders a variety of platforms and tools to enhance their trading experience. Each broker provides a proprietary platform and supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4), though neither offers MetaTrader 5 (MT5), DupliTrade, or ZuluTrade. For those looking to start with simulated trading, both City Index and Trade Nation offer free virtual demo accounts. They also provide Windows-based desktop downloads and web-based platforms, with City Index allowing direct trading from stock charts, a feature Trade Nation lacks.
When it comes to charting capabilities, City Index stands out with an impressive 239 drawing tools compared to Trade Nation's 39. Furthermore, while City Index offers 11 columns for watch lists, Trade Nation exceeds this with 14. Rated at 4.5 stars, City Index ranks higher at #10 for Trading Platforms and Tools according to ForexBrokers.com, while Trade Nation follows with 4 stars, ranked at #44. These distinctions highlight City Index as a more highly ranked and rated option for traders seeking comprehensive trading tools and platforms.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 115 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 239 | 39 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | No |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 14 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When comparing the mobile trading apps of City Index and Trade Nation, both platforms offer comprehensive tools for traders on-the-go. Available on iPhone and Android, each app provides features crucial for active trading, such as stock and forex price alerts and watchlist symbol syncing. This syncing ensures that any changes made to watchlists, either on the app or online, are updated across all devices for user convenience. Both City Index and Trade Nation empower users with the ability to draw trendlines and view multiple time frames on charts. Additionally, each app autosaves drawings and offers the creation of watchlists with real-time quotes, enhancing the overall trading experience.
While both apps are feature-rich, there are distinguishing factors between City Index and Trade Nation. City Index offers 88 technical studies for charting, whereas Trade Nation edges ahead with 99 studies. However, in user ratings and rankings, City Index pulls ahead with a 4.5-star rating and a ranking of 9th out of 62 brokers in the Mobile Trading Apps category on ForexBrokers.com. In contrast, Trade Nation holds a 4-star rating and is ranked 45th. These differences might guide traders seeking a slightly more advanced analytical toolset with Trade Nation or those valuing higher user satisfaction and expert rankings with City Index.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 88 | 99 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
City Index and Trade Nation both provide daily market commentary, ensuring that traders have timely insights each day. Additionally, they each offer forex news sourced from top-tier providers like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, which helps in making well-informed trading decisions. While neither broker includes tools from Autochartist, City Index edges ahead with the inclusion of technical analytics from Trading Central, offering a valuable asset for those interested in data-driven trading. Both platforms feature sentiment analysis tools showing trading positions across different instruments, adding another layer of strategic capability.
Unfortunately, neither City Index nor Trade Nation offers market research access from TipRanks. However, Trade Nation compensates with research offerings from Acuity Trading's Signal Centre, unlike City Index. When it comes to having a global economic calendar, City Index provides this feature, aiding traders in keeping track of significant global news events affecting various economies—a feature absent in Trade Nation’s offerings. When rated for research capabilities, City Index scores 4.5 stars and stands at the #10 rank, showcasing its strength in research, while Trade Nation is rated 3.5 stars, ranking #42 among 62 brokers on ForexBrokers.com.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | Yes |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to educational offerings for beginners, City Index and Trade Nation both provide over ten educational pieces focused on forex or CFDs, including articles, videos, and archived webinars. However, City Index goes a step further by hosting monthly online educational webinars and providing a searchable archive of past webinars, a feature not available with Trade Nation. Both brokers cater to trading novices by offering at least ten beginner-focused educational videos and even extend their resources to advanced traders with a similar count of advanced topics.
In terms of additional educational tools, both City Index and Trade Nation supply an investor dictionary with over 50 investment term definitions. Despite these similarities, City Index stands out in rankings and reviews, boasting a 4.5-star rating for education compared to Trade Nation's 3.5 stars. Furthermore, City Index ranks significantly higher at 9th place among 62 brokers for education, whereas Trade Nation is positioned at 41st. This distinction highlights City Index as a notably stronger choice for beginners seeking comprehensive educational resources and support.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 62 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that City Index is better than Trade Nation. City Index finished with an overall rank of #8, while Trade Nation finished with an overall rank of #34.
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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Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 85 |
| Range of Investments |
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Both City Index and Trade Nation do not offer the ability to buy actual cryptocurrencies, but they do provide options to invest in cryptocurrency derivatives.
When comparing online brokers City Index and Trade Nation, City Index stands out by offering ACH or SEPA transfers and PayPal for deposits and withdrawals, while Trade Nation lacks these options but supports Skrill, with both brokers allowing Visa, Mastercard, and bank wire transactions.
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 | Trade Nation | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | City Index Review | Trade Nation Review |
| Broker Screenshots | City Index | Trade Nation | |
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| Regulation | City Index | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 85 | |
| Year Founded | 1983 | 2014 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | City Index | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| 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 | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | City Index | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | City Index | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 13500 | 1000 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 46 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| 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). |
| Cost | City Index | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.4 | 0.6 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.74 | 0.6 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | City Index | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100.00 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| 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 | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | City Index | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 14 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 115 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 239 | 39 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | No | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | No |
| Mobile Trading | City Index | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 99 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Research | City Index | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Education | City Index | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | City Index | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Trade Nation Review |
| Overall | City Index | Trade Nation | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | City Index Review | Trade Nation Review |
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