Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of City Index vs Vantage, 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 Vantage are two online brokers offering different levels of trust and credibility. Established in 1983, City Index is a well-founded choice supported by its public trading status and extensive regulatory oversight, boasting an impressive seven Tier-1 licenses and a perfect Trust Score of 99 according to ForexBrokers.com. On the other hand, Vantage, founded in 2009, is not publicly traded but still maintains a solid reputation with a Trust Score of 90. It holds two Tier-1 licenses, indicating a high level of trust, and one Tier-2 license, reinforcing its reliability in the eyes of investors.
Neither City Index nor Vantage operates as a bank, but both companies are committed to maintaining a secure trading environment under stringent regulations. While City Index's more extensive regulatory backing may appeal to those prioritizing well-established security, Vantage offers a reputable stance for investors seeking a slightly newer entrant in the financial markets. As each broker offers distinct benefits, evaluating their rating, regulatory status, and trading history can guide your decision to align with your specific trading needs and preferences.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Vantage
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1983 | 2009 |
| 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 | 3 |
City Index and Vantage both earn 4.5 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees. In ForexBrokers.com’s rankings, City Index sits at #15 of 63 brokers, while Vantage is #20 of 63. On headline EUR/USD costs, City Index’s average spread is 0.74 pips, which is broadly in line with the industry average. Vantage’s pricing varies by account: its Standard account lists typical spreads of 1.30 pips, the Raw ECN averages 0.15 pips plus a $6 round-turn commission (about 0.75 pips all-in), and the PRO ECN cuts commission to $4 per round turn but has stricter eligibility rules. For City Index, using its proprietary platforms or MetaTrader helps you access its best pricing.
City Index charges industry-average rates across CFDs, forex, and spread betting, though it trails pricing leaders like Tickmill and FP Markets. High-volume clients who deposit over £10,000 can apply for the Premium Trader account to unlock exclusive pricing and dedicated service. Active trader rebates are available for professionals: in the U.K., rebates start at £4 per million (above £25M monthly volume) and reach £7.5 per million (above £300M). In Australia, tiers range from AUD $4.5 to AUD $14.5 per million. These perks help trim costs for qualifying, high-volume traders.
Vantage’s costs hinge on the account you choose. The Standard STP account is spread-only and simplest but has the highest quoted spreads. The commission-based Raw ECN account targets lower all-in costs (about 0.75 pips on EUR/USD in the cited period), while the PRO ECN is Vantage’s sharpest pricing with $4 per round turn; however, it may require wholesale classification (Australia) or at least $10,000 funding (Cayman). Vantage also offers an active trader program that pays $2–$8 per standard lot based on equity and monthly volume, but it applies only to the higher-spread Standard account. Overall, Vantage’s pricing is mostly in line with the market, though it doesn’t beat leaders like Saxo, IG, or CMC Markets.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Vantage
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100.00 | $50 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.4 | 1.30 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.74 | 0.75 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes |
| 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.
City Index vs Vantage: both support forex trading via CFDs or spot contracts, but City Index offers a far wider selection overall. City Index lists 13,500 tradeable symbols compared with Vantage’s 1,000. Forex traders also get more choice at City Index, with 66 currency pairs versus 61 at Vantage — helpful if you want to go beyond the majors into minors and exotics.
Neither broker lets you buy exchange-traded shares directly on U.S. or international exchanges, and neither supports purchasing actual crypto; however, both offer copy trading and crypto derivatives for speculating on price moves. Reflecting its broader lineup, City Index is rated 5 out of 5 stars and ranks #8 of 63 for Range of Investments on ForexBrokers.com, while Vantage is rated 3.5 stars and ranks #51.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Vantage
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 13500 | 1000 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 61 |
| 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.
When comparing the trading platforms and tools of City Index and Vantage, both brokers offer a range of features that appeal to traders of all levels. City Index and Vantage each provide simulated trading with a free virtual demo account and proprietary platforms developed in-house. Both offer web-based and Windows-based desktop platforms alongside the popular MetaTrader 4 (MT4), facilitating seamless access to the trading arena. However, Vantage takes a step further with support for MetaTrader 5 (MT5) and DupliTrade, offering additional depth for more experienced traders. While both brokers facilitate trading directly from stock charts, City Index stands out for its extensive 239 drawing tools for charting, compared to Vantage's 15, providing more detailed analysis options.
City Index also excels in customization with 11 watchlist columns versus Vantage’s 7, enhancing user experience and tracking capabilities. Both brokers enable copy trading but differ in rankings and ratings for their trading platforms and tools. City Index holds a higher score with 4.5 stars and ranks 11th out of 63 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com, demonstrating its strong user appeal. Meanwhile, Vantage, with 4 stars and a ranking of 21st, provides solid features but falls slightly behind in some platform capabilities. Both brokers deliver solid trading experiences, yet City Index offers a richer set of tools and customization options, earning a higher spot in user ratings and rankings.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Vantage
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | Yes |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 239 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
City Index and Vantage both offer iPhone and Android trading apps with the core tools most traders look for. Each app supports stock and forex price alerts, drawing trendlines, switching between multiple time frames (like daily, weekly, or intraday), auto-saving chart drawings, and creating watchlists with real-time quotes. A key difference is watchlist syncing: City Index syncs symbols between the mobile app and your online account, while Vantage does not.
For charting depth, City Index includes 88 technical studies compared with 30 on Vantage. Independent ratings reflect this gap: City Index earns 4.5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps and ranks #9 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Vantage earns 4 stars and ranks #29. If you want richer chart tools and synced watchlists, City Index is the stronger pick; if you just need solid essentials on iPhone or Android, Vantage covers the basics well.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Vantage
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 88 | 30 |
| 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.
When it comes to market research, both City Index and Vantage provide daily market commentary and forex news from top sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones. Both brokers also equip traders with tools from Trading Central and offer sentiment-based trading features to help you make informed investment decisions. However, City Index lacks tools from Autochartist, while Vantage provides these essential technical and fundamental research tools to its users. Neither platform offers research from TipRanks or Acuity Trading, nor do they include tools like Signal Centre.
For those keeping an eye on economic developments, both brokers deliver an economic calendar of global news events. Compared to Vantage, which is rated 4 stars and ranked #22 by ForexBrokers.com for research, City Index scores higher with a 4.5-star rating and is ranked #10. These distinctions point to City Index as a slightly more advantageous option when it comes to research offerings for traders seeking insightful market analysis.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Vantage
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| 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.
For beginners exploring the educational resources offered by City Index and Vantage, both online brokers provide a comprehensive suite of materials designed to ease the learning curve in forex and CFDs trading. Each broker offers over ten educational pieces such as articles, videos, and archived webinars focusing on major trading subjects. They also host monthly live webinars and keep an accessible archive of past sessions, making it easy for newcomers to learn at their convenience. When it comes to video content, both City Index and Vantage deliver a rich array of beginner-focused videos, supplemented by content for more advanced traders. Furthermore, each platform includes a detailed investor dictionary, clarifying over 50 essential trading terms.
Despite the similarities, City Index edges out with a slightly higher education rating, scoring 4.5 stars compared to Vantage’s 4 stars. Moreover, City Index is ranked 9th by ForexBrokers.com out of 63 brokers in the education category, whereas Vantage holds the 24th spot. This suggests that while both brokers offer quality educational resources, City Index may provide a slightly superior learning experience for new traders. Such rankings could influence beginners looking to choose a broker that can guide them effectively as they start their trading journey.
| Feature |
City Index
|
Vantage
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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 Vantage. City Index finished with an overall rank of #8, while Vantage finished with an overall rank of #26.
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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Vantage
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 90 |
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Both City Index and Vantage do not provide the option to purchase actual (delivered) cryptocurrency and instead offer the capability to buy cryptocurrency derivatives.
In comparing the fund transfer options between online brokers, City Index offers ACH/SEPA transfers, PayPal, Visa/Mastercard, and bank wires, but does not support Skrill, while Vantage provides PayPal, Skrill, Visa/Mastercard, and bank wires, yet lacks the ACH/SEPA transfer option.
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 | Vantage | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 90 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | City Index Review | Vantage Review |
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| Regulation | City Index | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 90 | |
| Year Founded | 1983 | 2009 | |
| 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 | 3 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | City Index | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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) | |||
| 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 | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| 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) |
| Investments | City Index | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 13500 | 1000 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 61 | |
| 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 | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.4 | 1.30 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.74 | 0.75 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | City Index | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100.00 | $50 | |
| 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 | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | Yes | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | City Index | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 239 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | City Index | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 88 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | City Index | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | City Index | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | City Index | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Vantage Review |
| Overall | City Index | Vantage | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 90 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | City Index Review | Vantage Review |
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