Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of City Index vs VT Markets, 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, established in 1983, boasts a strong reputation in the trading community. It is publicly traded and holds seven Tier-1 licenses, which indicates a high level of trust according to ForexBrokers.com. With a near-perfect Trust Score of 99, City Index is considered highly secure for traders seeking confidence in their trading platform. Despite not being a bank, its extensive regulatory approvals underline a commitment to maintaining a safe financial environment.
In contrast, VT Markets, founded in 2016, is a privately held company with regulatory oversight that includes one Tier-1 and one Tier-2 license. This gives VT Markets a Trust Score of 70, categorized as an average risk by ForexBrokers.com but still offering a definitive level of regulatory coverage for its clients. Similar to City Index, VT Markets is not a bank but provides traders with a regulated framework, albeit with fewer top-tier licenses. This makes VT Markets a viable choice for those starting in trading while being mindful of its more recent establishment and tiered regulatory status.
| Feature |
City Index
|
VT Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1983 | 2016 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
City Index and VT Markets both earn 4.5 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees. In ForexBrokers.com’s rankings, City Index places #15 of 63 brokers, while VT Markets ranks #21. City Index’s pricing sits around the industry average, whereas VT Markets gives you a choice between a commission-free account with wider spreads or a lower-spread account that charges a commission.
City Index lists an average EUR/USD spread of 0.74 pips (July 2023) on its CFD account, with the best pricing typically found on its proprietary platforms or MetaTrader. High-balance and active clients can benefit from the Premium Trader account (deposit over £10,000) for exclusive pricing, events, and dedicated support. For high-volume traders, rebates are available: in the U.K., £4 per million for monthly volumes over £25M, scaling to £7.5 per million above £300M; in Australia, tiers range from AUD $4.5 to AUD $14.5 per million.
VT Markets offers two simple choices with a $100 minimum deposit: the Standard STP account is commission-free with a typical EUR/USD spread of 1.2 pips, while the Raw ECN account targets lower costs with an effective EUR/USD spread of 0.83 pips (0.23 average spread plus a 0.6-pip round-turn commission, September 2021). The Raw ECN pricing aligns with common industry levels, while the Standard STP option is less competitive. Pick City Index if you value potential volume rebates and premium perks; choose VT Markets if you want a low minimum and flexibility between spread-only or commission-plus-spread pricing.
| Feature |
City Index
|
VT Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100.00 | $100 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.4 | 1.2 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.74 | 0.8 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
City Index vs VT Markets: City Index offers a far broader range, with 13,500 tradeable symbols compared with 1,000 at VT Markets. City Index also has 66 forex pairs versus 39 at VT Markets. Both brokers support forex trading (CFD or spot), provide cryptocurrency CFDs, and offer copy trading; neither lets you buy actual crypto.
Share dealing is a key difference. Neither broker offers real, exchange-traded U.S. shares, but VT Markets does offer exchange-traded international shares, while City Index does not. For Range of Investments, ForexBrokers.com rates City Index at 5 stars (ranked 8th of 63) and VT Markets at 3.5 stars (ranked 40th of 63).
| Feature |
City Index
|
VT Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 13500 | 1000 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 39 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No |
| 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 VT Markets: both brokers check the basics for trading platforms and tools. Each offers a free demo account, a browser-based platform, a downloadable Windows desktop platform, copy trading, and the ability to trade directly from charts. The key platform difference is that City Index has its own proprietary platform alongside MetaTrader 4 (MT4), while VT Markets sticks to third‑party options, offering MT4 and adding MetaTrader 5 (MT5) for traders who want the newer MetaTrader experience.
On quality benchmarks, City Index earns 4.5/5 stars and ranks #11 out of 63 brokers for Trading Platforms and Tools at ForexBrokers.com, compared with VT Markets at 4/5 stars and #48. In simple terms, City Index suits those who want an in-house platform option plus MT4, whereas VT Markets is a fit if MT5 access and a MetaTrader-centered setup are your priorities.
| Feature |
City Index
|
VT Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| 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 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
City Index and VT Markets both offer iPhone and Android trading apps with price alerts and the ability to draw trendlines on charts. Where they differ is depth and convenience: City Index packs in 88 technical indicators compared with VT Markets’ 30. City Index also syncs your watchlists between the app and your online account, while VT Markets does not, and City Index auto-saves your chart drawings, which VT Markets does not.
Independent ratings reflect these differences. City Index earns 4.5/5 stars and ranks #9 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps on ForexBrokers.com, while VT Markets scores 4/5 stars and ranks #45. If you want richer mobile charting, synced watchlists, and saved annotations, City Index is the better fit. If you only need core mobile trading with alerts and basic charting on iPhone or Android, VT Markets covers the essentials.
| Feature |
City Index
|
VT Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
City Index and VT Markets both deliver solid market research for everyday traders. Each broker offers daily market commentary, real-time forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, Trading Central analytics, a sentiment tool showing long/short ratios, and an economic calendar. Neither broker includes Autochartist. City Index does not offer TipRanks or Acuity Trading (Signal Centre); for VT Markets, availability of TipRanks and Acuity Trading isn’t specified in the information provided.
According to ForexBrokers.com, City Index earns 4.5/5 stars for Research and ranks #10 out of 63 brokers, while VT Markets scores 3.5/5 stars and ranks #37. If you want broader research coverage and higher-rated insights, City Index is the stronger choice. If you mainly need the essentials—news, commentary, Trading Central tools, sentiment data, and a calendar—VT Markets covers those needs.
| Feature |
City Index
|
VT Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | |
| Acuity Trading | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
City Index and VT Markets both provide forex and CFD education with at least 10 learning pieces, and each offers 10+ beginner-focused trading videos. Where they differ is in depth and live support: City Index runs monthly educational webinars and also delivers 10+ advanced videos for experienced traders, while VT Markets does not host monthly webinars and lacks the same advanced video breadth. Reflecting this gap, City Index earns 4.5/5 stars for Education and ranks #9 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, compared with VT Markets at 3.5/5 stars and a #56 ranking.
For beginners, City Index offers a clearer pathway from first steps to more advanced topics, plus the benefit of regular live sessions for Q&A and timely insights. VT Markets still works for newcomers who want a straightforward video library to get started, but traders seeking ongoing guidance, live training, and room to grow will likely find City Index the better fit.
| Feature |
City Index
|
VT Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | 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 VT Markets. City Index finished with an overall rank of #8, while VT Markets finished with an overall rank of #44.
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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VT Markets
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 70 |
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City Index vs VT Markets: neither broker lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but both offer cryptocurrency CFD trading.
City Index vs. VT Markets: For deposit and withdrawal methods, City Index supports ACH/SEPA, PayPal, and bank wires (but not Skrill), while VT Markets supports Skrill and bank wires (but not ACH/SEPA or PayPal); Visa/Mastercard availability is unspecified for both.
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 | VT Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 70 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | City Index Review | VT Markets Review |
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| Regulation | City Index | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 70 | |
| Year Founded | 1983 | 2016 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | City Index | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | No | |
| 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 | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 13500 | 1000 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 39 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No | |
| 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 | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.4 | 1.2 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.74 | 0.8 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | City Index | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100.00 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | City Index | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| 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 | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | City Index | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | City Index | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | ||
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | City Index | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | City Index | VT Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | VT Markets Review |
| Overall | City Index | VT Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 70 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | City Index Review | VT Markets Review |
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