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City Index vs Trade Nation 2025

ForexBrokers.com

Written by ForexBrokers.com

February 05, 2025

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.

City Index
5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: £100.00
  • Trust Score: 99
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 13500
Trade Nation
4/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0
  • Trust Score: 85
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 1000

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 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 logoCity Index
Trade Nation logoTrade Nation
Year Founded info 1983 2014
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes No
Bank info No No
Tier-1 Licenses info 7 2
Tier-2 Licenses info 1 1
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 1 2

Fees

Comparing commissions and fees, Trade Nation takes the edge over City Index. Trade Nation earns 5 stars (ranked #7 of 63 by ForexBrokers.com), while City Index holds 4.5 stars (ranked #15 of 63). Both brokers offer proprietary platforms and MetaTrader, but their pricing models differ in ways that matter for your bottom line.

City Index’s pricing is around the industry average. Its EUR/USD spread averages about 0.74 pips (July 2023), which trails the very lowest-cost forex brokers like Tickmill and FP Markets. You’ll typically find the best pricing on City Index’s own platforms or MetaTrader. High-volume traders can benefit from the Premium Trader account (requires a £10,000+ deposit) with access to exclusive pricing and dedicated support. There are also tiered rebates: in the U.K., £4 per million for monthly volumes above £25M, rising to £7.5 per million above £300M; in Australia, AUD 4.5 to 14.5 per million, depending on tier.

Trade Nation stands out for its fixed-spread model on the TN Trader platform, listing EUR/USD at 0.6 pips—spreads briefly widen during the daily rollover (up to about 1.4 pips), putting the true average near 1 pip over a full day. On MetaTrader, Trade Nation offers both a commission-free account (higher spreads) and a Raw Spread account that charges $3.50 per side ($7 round-trip) per standard lot. Factoring all-in costs, the TN Trader account generally delivers the lowest pricing of the three options. The clarity of fixed spreads—plus the strong all-in pricing—helps explain Trade Nation’s top-tier 5-star rating and higher category ranking.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
Trade Nation logoTrade Nation
Minimum Deposit info £100.00 $0
Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard info 1.4 info 0.6
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.74 info 0.6
Active Trader or VIP Discounts info Yes No
ACH or SEPA Transfers info Yes No
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info No Yes
Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) info Yes Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.

Featured Offers


Range of investments

City Index vs Trade Nation: For range of investments, City Index offers a far larger lineup with about 13,500 tradeable symbols compared with Trade Nation’s roughly 1,000. Forex traders also get more choice at City Index, with 66 currency pairs versus 46 at Trade Nation. Both brokers support forex trading (CFD/spot), so you can access major, minor, and some exotic pairs at either provider, but City Index clearly delivers more markets to browse.

Neither broker offers real, exchange-traded shares in the U.S. or abroad, and neither lets you buy actual cryptocurrency; however, both provide crypto derivatives and support copy trading. Reflecting the broader catalog, City Index earns 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #8 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Trade Nation holds 3.5 stars and ranks #39. If you want the widest selection of markets, City Index is the stronger pick; if you prefer a leaner list, Trade Nation covers the basics.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
Trade Nation logoTrade Nation
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 13500 1000
Forex Pairs (Total) info 66 46
U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) info No No
Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) info No No
Social Trading / Copy Trading info Yes Yes
Cryptocurrency (Physical) info No No
Cryptocurrency (Derivative) info 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.

Trading platforms and tools

Comparing online broker City Index to Trade Nation on trading platforms and tools, both brokers tick the big boxes: free demo (paper) accounts, proprietary platforms, web platforms, and Windows desktop downloads. Each supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and copy trading, while neither offers MT5, DupliTrade, or ZuluTrade. Chart trading is a key difference—City Index lets you place trades directly from charts, while Trade Nation does not. Indicator counts weren’t provided for either broker.

For charting tools, City Index offers 239 drawing tools versus Trade Nation’s 39. Watchlists are flexible on both, with City Index offering 11 fields and Trade Nation 14. Based on platform and tool quality, City Index earns 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #11 of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Trade Nation scores 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #45 of 63.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
Trade Nation logoTrade Nation
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Proprietary Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Social Trading / Copy Trading info Yes Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info Yes Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info No No
DupliTrade info No No
ZuluTrade info No No
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 88 115
Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) info 239 39
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes No
Watchlists - Total Fields info 11 14

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

Forex trading apps

City Index and Trade Nation both deliver full-featured mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports stock and forex price alerts, real-time quote watchlists, synced watchlists across devices, drawing tools like trendlines, multiple chart time frames, and auto-saved annotations. For charting depth, Trade Nation lists 99 technical studies while City Index offers 88—so indicator hunters get a slight edge with Trade Nation, though both cover the essentials.

When it comes to overall quality, City Index earns a higher Mobile Trading Apps rating at 4.5 stars and ranks #9 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Trade Nation holds 4 stars and ranks #46. In short: choose Trade Nation if you want the most built-in studies; pick City Index if you want a higher-rated mobile experience backed by strong rankings and all the core tools traders expect.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
Trade Nation logoTrade Nation
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields info Yes Yes
Watchlist Syncing info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 88 99
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlist info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.

Market research

City Index and Trade Nation both deliver daily market commentary and headline forex news from major sources like Bloomberg and Reuters. Each offers a handy sentiment tool to see long/short positioning. Neither broker includes Autochartist or TipRanks. The big differences: City Index adds Trading Central for technical and fundamental ideas and provides a full economic calendar, while Trade Nation skips Trading Central but does include Acuity Trading’s Signal Centre. Trade Nation does not offer an economic calendar.

For research depth, City Index comes out ahead with a 4.5-star rating and a #10 ranking out of 63 brokers, thanks to Trading Central and its built-in calendar. Trade Nation earns 3.5 stars and ranks #43, making it a simpler choice that leans on Signal Centre but offers fewer in-house tools overall.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
Trade Nation logoTrade Nation
Daily Market Commentary info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes Yes
Autochartist info No No
Trading Central (Recognia) info Yes No
Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs info Yes Yes
TipRanks info No No
Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) info No Yes
Economic Calendar info Yes No

Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.

Beginners and education

When comparing educational resources for beginners, City Index and Trade Nation both provide more than 10 educational pieces on forex and CFDs through articles, videos, or archived webinars. Both platforms offer a rich selection of more than 10 beginner-focused videos on trading topics, along with advanced educational videos for seasoned traders. Additionally, they both provide a comprehensive investor dictionary featuring over 50 investing terms, which can be extremely helpful for newcomers looking to familiarize themselves with trading jargon.

However, City Index stands out by offering monthly live educational webinars, which Trade Nation does not provide. Furthermore, City Index offers a searchable archive of past webinars, giving access to a wealth of knowledge at any time, another feature absent from Trade Nation. These added services contribute to City Index’s higher education rating of 4.5 stars compared to Trade Nation's 3.5 stars. According to ForexBrokers.com, City Index ranks 9th out of 63 brokers for educational resources, while Trade Nation ranks 41st. For beginners seeking comprehensive learning tools and interactive opportunities, City Index may offer a more enriched educational experience.

Feature City Index logoCity Index
Trade Nation logoTrade Nation
Education (Forex or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Client Webinars info Yes No
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes No
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Investor Dictionary (Glossary) 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 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 logoCity Index
Trade Nation logoTrade Nation
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 85
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with City Index or Trade Nation?

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.

What funding options does each broker offer?

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.

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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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Overall Rating City Index Trade Nation
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 85
Winner check_circle
Review City Index Review Trade Nation Review
Broker Screenshots City Index Trade Nation
Broker Gallery (click to expand) info
City Index MetaTrader 4 mobile trading app City Index web platform trading. City Index web platform research Trading Central City Index educational course advanced.
Trade Nation MetaTrader 4 desktop platform. Trade Nation MetaTrader 4 desktop charts. Trade Nation TN Trader web platform. Trade Nation TradingView connection. Trade Nation TradingView web platform trade ticket window. Trade Nation TradingView web platform. Trade Nation web platform. Trade Nation client portal web dashboard Trade Nation MetaTrader 4 desktop platform. Note: Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. Trade Nation web platform Signal Centre dashboard powered by Acuity detail. Note: Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. Trade Nation web platform add signal to order ticket Trade Nation web platform trade ticket limit order Trade Nation web platform charting ChartIQ. Note: Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.
Regulation City Index Trade Nation
Trust Score info 99 85
Year Founded info 1983 2014
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes No
Bank info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info No info
Tier-1 Licenses info 7 2
Tier-2 Licenses info 1 1
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 1 2
Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) City Index Trade Nation
Australia (ASIC Authorised) info Yes Yes
Canada (CIRO Authorised) info Yes No
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) info No No
Japan (SFC Authorised) info No No
Singapore (MAS Authorised) info Yes No
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 No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info No info
Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) City Index Trade Nation
Kenya (CMA Authorised) info
Israel (ISA Authorised) info No No
South Africa (FSCA Authorised) info No Yes
UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) info Yes No
India (SEBI Authorised) info No No
Jordan (JSC Authorised) info
Investments City Index Trade Nation
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 13500 1000
Forex Pairs (Total) info 66 46
U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) info No No
Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) info No No
Social Trading / Copy Trading info Yes Yes
Cryptocurrency (Physical) info No No
Cryptocurrency (Derivative) info 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 info 1.4 info 0.6
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.74 info 0.6
Active Trader or VIP Discounts info Yes No
Inactivity Fee info Yes No
Execution: Agency Broker info No No
Execution: Market Maker info Yes Yes
Funding City Index Trade Nation
Minimum Deposit info £100.00 $0
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info No Yes
Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) info Yes Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
ACH or SEPA Transfers info Yes No
Trading Platforms City Index Trade Nation
Proprietary Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Social Trading / Copy Trading info Yes Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info Yes Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info No No
cTrader info No No
DupliTrade info No No
ZuluTrade info No No
Trading Tools City Index Trade Nation
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Alerts - Basic Fields info Yes Yes
Watchlists - Total Fields info 11 14
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 88 115
Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) info 239 39
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes No
Charts can be saved info Yes No
Mobile Trading City Index Trade Nation
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlist info Yes Yes
Watchlist Syncing info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 88 99
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave info Yes Yes
Mobile Economic Calendar info Yes No
Research City Index Trade Nation
Daily Market Commentary info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes Yes
Autochartist info No No
Trading Central (Recognia) info Yes No
TipRanks info No No
Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs info Yes Yes
Economic Calendar info Yes No
Education City Index Trade Nation
Education (Forex or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Client Webinars info Yes No
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes No
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Investor Dictionary (Glossary) info Yes Yes
Major Forex Pairs City Index Trade Nation
GBP/USD info Yes Yes
USD/JPY info Yes Yes
EUR/USD info Yes Yes
USD/CHF info Yes Yes
USD/CAD info Yes Yes
NZD/USD info Yes Yes
AUD/USD info Yes Yes
Review City Index Review Trade Nation Review
Overall City Index Trade Nation
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Education 4.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 85
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Review City Index Review Trade Nation Review
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