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 |
CMC Markets gets a 5-star rating and ranks #3 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees. Its standard spread-only account is not the cheapest option, with an average EUR/USD spread of 1.3 pips versus an advertised 0.8 pip minimum. That said, CMC’s pricing is known for being steady, and its optional FX Active account brings costs down with tighter spreads and commissions, resulting in an all-in EUR/USD cost of about 1.15 pips. For active traders, the broker also offers volume-based rebates and lower holding costs in some regions.
Eightcap earns a 4.5-star rating and places #20 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees. It offers both a spread-only Standard account and a commission-based Raw account, so pricing depends on the account you choose. On the Raw account, Eightcap advertises average spreads from 0.06 pips, and once the $3.50 per side commission is added, the all-in cost is about 0.76 pips. That makes it competitive, though still a bit pricier than the very lowest-cost forex brokers.
In simple terms, CMC Markets is the stronger choice for commissions and fees overall, especially if you want more pricing options and active trader discounts, while Eightcap is still solid but ranks lower in this category. If low trading costs are your main priority, CMC Markets has the edge based on both its rating and ranking.
| 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 | 1.15 | 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 range of investments, CMC Markets offers far more choice than Eightcap. CMC Markets lists 21,710 tradeable symbols and 303 forex pairs, while Eightcap offers 803 symbols and 55 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading as a CFD or spot contract, and both let you trade cryptocurrency CFDs. However, neither broker offers copy trading or the ability to buy actual cryptocurrency.
CMC Markets also stands out for share investing, since it lets clients buy exchange traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, such as Apple and Vodafone shares. Eightcap does not offer direct share dealing on these markets. Reflecting this wider product range, CMC Markets is rated 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #9 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, compared with Eightcap’s 3.5 stars and #31 ranking.
| 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 wide choice of platform options, including free demo accounts, web-based trading, Windows desktop downloads, and access to MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. Both brokers also let you trade directly from charts, which is useful if you like to act quickly while watching price movement. Neither broker offers copy trading, so if that is important to you, you may need to look elsewhere.
The main difference is that CMC Markets also offers its own in-house platform, while Eightcap does not. That extra platform choice helps explain why CMC Markets scores higher for trading platforms and tools, with a 5-star rating and a #6 ranking out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com. Eightcap still covers the basics well and earns a 4-star rating, but it ranks lower at #34 out of 36 in the same category.
| 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, and watchlist syncing between mobile and online accounts. Each app also supports trendline drawing on charts and automatically saves those drawings, which is helpful if you switch between devices. For everyday mobile trading needs, both brokers cover the basics well.
The main difference is in charting depth and overall app quality. CMC Markets offers 30 technical studies in its mobile app and earns a 5-star Mobile Trading Apps rating, ranking #5 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com. Eightcap goes further on chart tools with 100 technical studies, but it has a 4-star rating and ranks #34 out of 36. If you want the stronger all-around mobile trading experience, CMC Markets has the edge, while Eightcap may appeal more to traders who want a wider range of 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 the edge for market research compared with Eightcap. Both brokers provide daily market commentary, a sentiment tool, and an economic calendar, so traders can follow market moves and upcoming events with either platform. However, CMC Markets goes further by offering forex news from major sources such as Bloomberg and Reuters, plus Autochartist tools for technical and fundamental analysis. This wider mix of research features helps make CMC Markets a stronger choice for traders who want more insight before placing a trade.
Eightcap still covers the basics well and adds Acuity Trading research, which CMC Markets does not offer, but its overall research offering is more limited. It does not include top-tier forex news or Autochartist, and it receives a lower Research rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars, versus 5 stars for CMC Markets. In ForexBrokers.com’s research rankings, CMC Markets is placed at #6 out of 36 brokers, while Eightcap sits at #35, making CMC Markets the clearer winner for market research.
| 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.
For beginners who want to learn about forex and CFDs, CMC Markets comes out ahead of Eightcap. CMC Markets offers forex and CFDs education with at least 10 learning pieces, runs online educational client webinars at least once a month, and provides more than 10 beginner videos as well as more than 10 advanced videos. This depth of content helps new traders start with the basics and keep learning as they gain experience. ForexBrokers.com reflects this strength with a 5-star Education rating and a rank of #10 out of 36 brokers.
Eightcap also gives beginners access to forex and CFDs education and has at least 10 beginner videos, but it falls behind CMC Markets in a few key areas. It does not offer monthly educational webinars, and it does not have at least 10 advanced educational videos for more experienced traders. That lighter range of learning content is one reason Eightcap is rated 3.5 stars for Education and ranked #33 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
| 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 21,710 tradeable instruments and 303 forex pairs, the largest currency lineup in the industry.
| 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 | 1.15 | 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 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| 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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