Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of CMC Markets vs Libertex, 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 Libertex are both well-known online brokers, but they differ a lot in their company background and regulation. CMC Markets was founded in 1989, is publicly traded, and is not a bank. It holds 6 Tier-1 licenses and 1 Tier-2 license, which helps explain its ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 99 out of 99, placing it in the “highly trusted” range. Libertex, founded in 1997, is also not a bank but is not publicly listed. It holds 1 Tier-1 license and 1 Tier-2 license, with a Trust Score of 79, which puts it in the “average risk” range.
For traders comparing CMC Markets vs Libertex, the main takeaway is that CMC Markets has the stronger regulatory profile and higher trust rating. That may matter most for people who want a broker with more top-tier oversight and a longer track record. Libertex still has regulatory coverage, but its lower Trust Score and fewer Tier-1 licenses mean it is generally viewed as less trusted than CMC Markets by ForexBrokers.com.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Libertex
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1989 | 1997 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
CMC Markets is the stronger choice on commissions and fees overall, earning 5 stars and ranking #4 out of 36 at ForexBrokers.com. Its standard account is not the cheapest, with an average EUR/USD spread of 1.3 pips, but the broker can become more competitive through its FX Active pricing, which lowers the all-in EUR/USD cost to about 1.15 pips after commission. CMC also offers volume-based rebates for active traders, and its non-trading fees are relatively light, with no minimum deposit, free international wires, and a long inactivity window before fees apply.
Libertex is also fairly competitive, but it trails CMC Markets on pricing, with a 4-star rating and a ranking of #21 out of 36 for commissions and fees. Its published EUR/USD spread has recently been 0.3 pips, though that figure is based on a recent trading day rather than a full average. On forex, Libertex uses a spread-plus-commission model, charging €5 per side on its proprietary platform, or €6 per side on MT4 and MT5, which makes its own platform the lower-cost option for active traders.
Looking at the bigger picture, CMC Markets is better suited to traders who want stronger overall fee value and more advanced discount options, while Libertex may appeal to those who want a low minimum deposit of $10 and simple account choices. Both brokers keep non-trading charges fairly manageable, including free international wires and inactivity fees that do not kick in right away. In short, CMC Markets has the edge for commissions and fees, especially for active forex traders.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Libertex
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $10 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.3 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 1.15 | 1.3 |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
CMC Markets offers a much wider range of investments than Libertex, making it the stronger choice for traders who want more variety. CMC Markets provides 21,710 tradeable symbols and 303 forex pairs, compared with 1,573 symbols and 46 forex pairs at Libertex. Both brokers support forex trading as a CFD or spot contract, and both offer cryptocurrency CFDs, but neither lets clients buy actual delivered crypto.
CMC Markets also stands out for share trading on both U.S. and international exchanges, such as Apple and Vodafone, while Libertex does not offer exchange traded securities on these markets. On the other hand, Libertex does offer copy trading, which CMC Markets does not. Overall, CMC Markets earns 5 stars for range of investments and ranks #9 out of 36 brokers, while Libertex scores 4 stars and ranks #25, reflecting CMC Markets’ broader investment selection.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Libertex
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 21710 | 1573 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 303 | 46 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | No | 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.
CMC Markets and Libertex both give traders a choice of free demo accounts, web-based platforms, Windows desktop downloads, and access to MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. Both also let users trade directly from charts, which is helpful for active traders who want to place orders without moving between screens. Based on Trading Platforms and Tools, CMC Markets stands out more for its own in-house platform, while Libertex does not offer a proprietary platform. CMC Markets also earns a higher rating, with 5 out of 5 stars and a #6 ranking out of 36 brokers, compared with Libertex at 4 out of 5 stars and #26.
The biggest difference between CMC Markets and Libertex in platform features is copy trading, which Libertex offers but CMC Markets does not. This makes Libertex a better fit for traders who want to follow other investors, while CMC Markets may appeal more to those looking for a broader platform choice and a top-rated trading experience. For traders comparing online broker tools, both brokers cover the basics well, but CMC Markets has the edge overall for trading platforms and tools.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Libertex
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 65 | 43 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
CMC Markets and Libertex both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, along with stock and forex price alerts and watchlist syncing between the app and the online account. This means traders can manage their lists and stay updated on the move with either broker. However, CMC Markets stands out for charting tools in its mobile app, offering 30 technical studies, trendline drawing, and automatic saving of chart drawings. Libertex, by comparison, does not offer technical studies, trendline drawing, or auto-saving for drawings in its mobile app.
When it comes to mobile trading app quality, CMC Markets is rated 5 stars and is ranked #5 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com in this category. Libertex is rated 4 stars and holds the #27 spot. For traders who want a more advanced mobile charting experience, CMC Markets is the stronger choice, while Libertex still covers the basics well for trading on the go.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Libertex
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 0 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When it comes to market research, CMC Markets has the edge over Libertex. CMC Markets provides daily market commentary, forex news from major sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, Autochartist tools, sentiment data, and an economic calendar. Libertex also gives traders forex news, sentiment data, and an economic calendar, but it does not offer daily market commentary or Autochartist. Instead, Libertex stands out with Trading Central research tools, which CMC Markets does not provide.
Overall, CMC Markets earns a 5-star Research rating and ranks #6 out of 36 brokers for this category, while Libertex receives 4 stars and ranks #25. Both brokers cover the basics well, but CMC Markets offers a wider range of research features for traders who want more built-in market insight, while Libertex is a solid choice for those who value Trading Central tools.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Libertex
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central | No | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginners looking for trading education, CMC Markets comes out ahead of Libertex. CMC Markets offers forex and CFDs learning material, regular online educational webinars, and a large library of beginner-friendly videos, plus advanced videos for traders who want to go further. It is rated 5 stars for Education and ranks #10 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, which shows that its learning content is easy to find and useful for a wide range of experience levels.
Libertex also offers forex and CFDs education, but its beginner support is more limited. It does not offer monthly educational webinars, and it does not appear to have at least 10 beginner videos or 10 advanced videos like CMC Markets does. With a 4-star Education rating and a #33 ranking out of 36, Libertex provides some helpful learning tools, but it is the weaker choice if you want more training resources as a new trader.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Libertex
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| 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 Libertex. CMC Markets finished with an overall rank of #5, while Libertex finished with an overall rank of #32.
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
|
Libertex
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 79 |
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Both CMC Markets and Libertex let traders access cryptocurrency CFDs, but neither broker offers the ability to buy actual, delivered cryptocurrency.
When comparing CMC Markets vs Libertex for funding and withdrawals, both support ACH/SEPA transfers, PayPal, and bank wires, but Libertex also offers Skrill while CMC Markets does not.
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 | Libertex | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 79 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | CMC Markets Review | Libertex Review |
| Broker Screenshots | CMC Markets | Libertex | |
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| Regulation | CMC Markets | Libertex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 79 | |
| Year Founded | 1989 | 1997 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | CMC Markets | Libertex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| 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 | No | |
| 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 | Libertex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | CMC Markets | Libertex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 21710 | 1573 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 303 | 46 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | No | 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 | CMC Markets | Libertex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.3 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 1.15 | 1.3 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | CMC Markets | Libertex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $10 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | CMC Markets | Libertex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | CMC Markets | Libertex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 65 | 43 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | No |
| Mobile Trading | CMC Markets | Libertex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 0 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | CMC Markets | Libertex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | CMC Markets | Libertex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | CMC Markets | Libertex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Libertex Review |
| Overall | CMC Markets | Libertex | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 79 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | CMC Markets Review | Libertex Review |
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