Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of CMC Markets vs Eightcap, 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.
CMC Markets and Eightcap are online brokers with multi-jurisdiction regulation. CMC Markets, founded in 1989, is publicly traded and not a bank. Eightcap, founded in 2009, is privately held and also not a bank. On licensing, CMC Markets holds 6 Tier-1 licenses (considered highly trusted by ForexBrokers.com) and 1 Tier-2 license, while Eightcap holds 3 Tier-1 licenses and 1 Tier-2 license.
According to ForexBrokers.com, Trust Score ranges are: 90–99 highly trusted, 80–89 trusted, 70–79 average risk, 60–69 high risk, and under 59 not trusted. CMC Markets scores 99/99 (highly trusted), whereas Eightcap scores 87/99 (trusted), reflecting a notable difference in overall regulatory trust.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1989 | 2009 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 3 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
When it comes to commissions and fees, CMC Markets has the edge over Eightcap. CMC Markets earns a 5-star rating and ranks #4 out of 36 brokers for this category, thanks to its low average spreads and pricing that stays close to its advertised levels. Its standard accounts offer competitive spread-only pricing, while its FX Active commission plan can bring EUR/USD trading costs down to an all-in 0.5 pips with $2.50 per side commissions.
Eightcap also offers solid pricing, but it is not quite as low-cost as CMC Markets. Eightcap is rated 4.5 stars and ranks #20 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees. Traders can choose between the spread-only Standard account and the commission-based Raw account, which has an average spread of 0.06 pips plus a $3.50 per-side commission, for an estimated all-in cost of about 0.76 pips on EUR/USD.
In simple terms, CMC Markets is the better pick if keeping trading costs down is your top priority. Eightcap is still competitive, but CMC Markets offers more consistent low spreads across account types and a stronger overall value in the commissions and fees category.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.3 | 1.0 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | N/A | 0.76 |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When it comes to the range of investments, CMC Markets offers a much wider selection than Eightcap. CMC Markets provides access to 21,710 tradeable symbols and 303 forex pairs, while Eightcap offers 803 symbols and 55 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, and both offer cryptocurrency CFDs. However, neither broker offers copy trading or the ability to buy actual cryptocurrency.
CMC Markets also stands out because it lets clients trade exchange traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, such as Apple and Vodafone shares. Eightcap does not offer these direct share dealing options. Reflecting this broader market access, CMC Markets is rated 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #9 out of 36 brokers, while Eightcap holds a 3.5-star rating and ranks #30 out of 36.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 21710 | 803 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 303 | 55 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | No | No |
| 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.
CMC Markets and Eightcap both give traders a strong mix of platform choices, including free demo accounts, web-based trading, Windows desktop downloads, and access to MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. Both brokers also let users trade directly from charts, which can make order entry faster and easier for active traders. For traders who want a simple way to test strategies or get comfortable with a platform, either broker provides paper trading support.
The main difference is that CMC Markets offers its own in-house trading platform, while Eightcap does not. That gives CMC Markets an extra option for traders who want a broker-built experience alongside MetaTrader. This edge shows up in third-party ratings too: CMC Markets scores 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools and ranks #6 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Eightcap scores 4 stars and ranks #32. Neither broker offers copy trading, so traders looking for social or mirror trading tools will need to look elsewhere.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 65 | 100 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
CMC Markets and Eightcap both make it easy to trade on the go, with iPhone and Android apps, price alerts, watchlist syncing, trendline drawing, and auto-saved chart drawings. This means you can check markets, manage watchlists, and keep track of chart changes from your phone or tablet, with updates syncing between the mobile app and your online account.
When it comes to mobile charting, Eightcap offers more technical studies in its app, with 100 compared with CMC Markets’ 30. Even so, CMC Markets stands out overall in mobile trading app quality, earning a 5-star rating and ranking #5 out of 36 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Eightcap is rated 4 stars and ranked #32. For traders who want the stronger overall mobile app experience, CMC Markets has the edge, while Eightcap may appeal to those who want more chart indicators.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 100 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
CMC Markets has a clear edge over Eightcap for market research. Both brokers provide daily market commentary, a sentiment tool showing long and short positioning, and an economic calendar with global events. However, CMC Markets goes further with forex news from top-tier sources like Reuters and Dow Jones, plus Autochartist tools for technical and fundamental analysis, which can be helpful for traders looking for extra ideas and market signals.
Eightcap still covers the basics well and adds Acuity Trading research tools such as Signal Centre, but it does not offer the same level of third-party news coverage or Autochartist support as CMC Markets. This gap is reflected in the ratings and rankings: CMC Markets earns 5 stars for Research and ranks #6 out of 36 brokers, while Eightcap is rated 3.5 stars and ranks #34. For traders who want deeper market research, CMC Markets is the stronger choice.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | Yes |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When comparing CMC Markets vs Eightcap for beginner education, CMC Markets comes out ahead overall. CMC Markets offers forex and CFD learning content, monthly online educational webinars, at least 10 beginner videos, and at least 10 advanced videos, making it a stronger choice for traders who want more ways to learn at different stages. It also earns a 5-star Education rating and ranks #10 out of 36 brokers for education at ForexBrokers.com.
Eightcap also provides forex and CFD education and has at least 10 beginner videos, so newcomers still have access to useful starting material. However, it does not offer monthly educational webinars and does not have at least 10 advanced videos, which may matter for traders who want to keep learning as they gain experience. Eightcap is rated 3.5 stars for Education and ranks #31 out of 36, so it is a more limited option compared with CMC Markets for overall educational support.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 CMC Markets is better than Eightcap. CMC Markets finished with an overall rank of #5, while Eightcap finished with an overall rank of #30.
CMC Markets is well-trusted across the globe, and delivers a terrific trading experience thanks to its excellent pricing and selection of over 12,000 tradeable instruments.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
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Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 87 |
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CMC Markets vs Eightcap: these online brokers do not support buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but both offer cryptocurrency CFD trading.
Comparing deposit and withdrawal methods, CMC Markets supports ACH/SEPA, PayPal, and bank wire transfers but not Skrill (Visa/Mastercard availability not specified), whereas Eightcap supports PayPal, Skrill, and bank wires but not ACH/SEPA (Visa/Mastercard availability not specified).
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 | CMC Markets | Eightcap | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 87 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | CMC Markets Review | Eightcap Review |
| Broker Screenshots | CMC Markets | Eightcap | |
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| Regulation | CMC Markets | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 87 | |
| Year Founded | 1989 | 2009 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 3 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | CMC Markets | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA 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) | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | CMC Markets | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | CMC Markets | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 21710 | 803 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 303 | 55 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | No | No | |
| 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 | CMC Markets | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.3 | 1.0 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | N/A | 0.76 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | CMC Markets | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | CMC Markets | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | CMC Markets | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 65 | 100 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | CMC Markets | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 100 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | CMC Markets | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | CMC Markets | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | CMC Markets | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | CMC Markets Review | Eightcap Review |
| Overall | CMC Markets | Eightcap | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 87 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | CMC Markets Review | Eightcap Review |
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