Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of CMC Markets vs Markets.com, 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 Markets.com offer online trading services, but they differ in some key areas, especially their regulatory background and trust ratings. Founded in 1989, CMC Markets boasts a perfect Trust Score of 99 out of 99 according to ForexBrokers.com, reflecting its highly trusted status. This trust is supported by its five Tier-1 licenses, which are considered top-tier in terms of security and reliability. Additionally, CMC Markets is publicly traded, adding another layer of transparency to its operations.
Markets.com, established in 1999, also holds a strong position in the online trading sector, with a Trust Score of 93, indicating a high level of trust. Although not publicly traded, it maintains credibility with three Tier-1 licenses and one Tier-2 license, aligning it closely with industry standards for safety and regulatory compliance. While both brokers offer a secure trading environment, CMC Markets holds a slight edge in terms of regulatory trust and transparency.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Markets.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1989 | 1999 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 3 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
When comparing CMC Markets to Markets.com, the difference in their commissions and fees is quite substantial. CMC Markets has earned a stellar reputation, achieving a 5-star rating and ranking first out of 63 brokers in the Commissions and Fees category in the 2025 Annual Awards. CMC Markets is celebrated for its consistently low spread offerings available to all customer segments and account types, with an average spread of 0.61 pips on the EUR/USD. This competitive pricing is beneficial for new and seasoned traders alike, providing cost-effective trading options.
CMC Markets also boasts an attractive active trader program through its Price Plus Scheme, allowing traders to earn Trading Points that lead to significant discounts on trading costs. The innovative FX Active pricing structure offers commission-based pricing at $2.50 per side, with minimum spreads of zero pips, equating to a 0.5 pip all-in cost for the EUR/USD. This feature, available on both the MT4 and Next Generation platforms, ensures highly competitive rates across multiple regions, bolstering CMC Markets' standing as a leader in pricing.
Conversely, Markets.com holds a 3.5-star rating and is ranked 50th in the same category. The lack of available average spread data makes it challenging to compare directly with CMC Markets, but the significant difference in their ranking highlights the superior cost-effectiveness that CMC Markets offers its traders. For those prioritizing low costs in forex trading, CMC Markets clearly comes out ahead.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Markets.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.61 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.51 | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When comparing the range of investments available at CMC Markets and Markets.com, CMC Markets clearly stands out with its offerings. With an impressive 11,925 tradeable symbols, it provides investors with significantly more choices than Markets.com, which offers 2,179 symbols. For forex traders, CMC Markets also leads with 156 tradeable forex pairs compared to Markets.com's 57. Moreover, CMC Markets allows clients to buy exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, giving them access to shares like Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Vodafone (VOD-GB: London Stock Exchange) that are not available on Markets.com.
Both platforms provide forex trading as CFDs and offer cryptocurrency derivatives without the option for actual crypto delivery. Additionally, copy trading is available on both, yet the broader range of investments available at CMC Markets earns it a 5-star rating for Range of Investments, compared to Markets.com's 4-star rating. This extensive variety of investment options contributes to CMC Markets' higher rank of 9th in this category according to ForexBrokers.com, while Markets.com sits at 29th out of 63 brokers.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Markets.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 11925 | 2179 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 156 | 57 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | 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.
Both CMC Markets and Markets.com cater to traders with compelling platform features and tools. Each broker provides a free virtual demo account, allowing users to practice and sharpen their trading skills in a simulated environment. Both offer proprietary platforms developed in-house as well as compatibility with popular trading solutions such as MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. Windows-based desktop platforms and web-based browser platforms are available for traders seeking flexibility. Copy trading capabilities are also part of their offerings, presenting users with additional strategies and insights.
Where CMC Markets differentiates itself is in its charting features, providing 40 drawing tools compared to Markets.com's 4. CMC Markets also allows trading directly from stock charts, a feature not available with Markets.com. For watch lists, CMC Markets offers 11 columns for customization, nearly doubling Markets.com's 6. These enhanced capabilities earn CMC Markets a 5-star rating for its trading platforms and tools, compared to Markets.com's 4-star rating. Consequently, ForexBrokers.com ranks CMC Markets #4 out of 63 brokers in this category, while Markets.com stands at #27.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Markets.com
|
|---|---|---|
| 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) | Yes | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 79 | 89 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 40 | 4 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | No |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 6 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When comparing the mobile trading apps of CMC Markets and Markets.com, both brokers provide apps for iPhone and Android devices, ensuring accessibility for traders on-the-go. They both offer stock and forex price alerts and allow synchronization of watchlist symbols between the mobile app and the user’s online account. However, CMC Markets edges ahead with 29 technical studies available for charting, while Markets.com provides these only through the MT4 platform, offering none on its native app. Both platforms allow users to draw trendlines on charts, but only CMC Markets supports viewing multiple time frames like daily, weekly, or intraday, and also auto-saves chart drawings, adding a layer of convenience for chart analysis enthusiasts.
In terms of watchlist functionality, both apps let users create watchlists featuring real-time quotes, enhancing the trading experience. When it comes to user satisfaction and ranking, CMC Markets receives the full 5-star rating for its mobile trading app, ranking #5 out of 63 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com. In contrast, Markets.com garners a slightly lower 4-star rating, positioned at #33 in the same category. This indicates a higher overall user satisfaction and functionality level for CMC Markets, making it a potentially more appealing option for traders seeking an engaging and comprehensive mobile trading experience.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Markets.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 29 | (default on MT4, none on Markets app) |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | No |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When it comes to market research, both CMC Markets and Markets.com offer daily commentary and access to forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones. Additionally, both brokers provide sentiment-based trading tools, allowing traders to view the ratio of long or short positions across different instruments. While they share these features, a distinct advantage of CMC Markets is its integration with Autochartist, a popular tool for technical analysis and fundamental research, which Markets.com does not offer. Both platforms also lack features like Trading Central’s technical analytics and resources from TipRanks and Acuity Trading.
Both brokers provide an economic calendar to keep traders informed of global economic events. However, CMC Markets is rated higher for its research capabilities, earning a five-star rating compared to Markets.com’s four stars. This superior rating reflects in their rankings, with CMC Markets positioned at 6th place, surpassing Markets.com, which stands at 17th out of 63 brokers evaluated by ForexBrokers.com. These distinctions make CMC Markets a more favorable choice for those who prioritize comprehensive market research tools.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Markets.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No |
| 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.
When it comes to educational resources for beginners, CMC Markets and Markets.com each have unique offerings. CMC Markets distinguishes itself with a diverse range of educational content, offering more than ten pieces focused on forex and CFDs. Additionally, they provide a searchable archive of previously recorded webinars and an extensive library of beginner and advanced trading videos. Their commitment to education is further evident with the inclusion of a comprehensive investor dictionary featuring over 50 investing terms. This dedication has earned them a stellar 5-star rating for education and a high rank of #10 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
On the other hand, Markets.com provides regular monthly educational webinars, which CMC Markets does not offer. However, they fall short in other areas compared to their competitor. Although Markets.com does offer a decent selection of beginner and advanced videos, they lack a searchable archive of recorded webinars and an extensive investor dictionary. Their limited offering in forex and CFDs resources results in a 4-star rating for education. Markets.com is ranked lower at #34, reflecting a more modest position in comparison to CMC Markets in educational support for traders.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Markets.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars | No | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | 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 Markets.com. CMC Markets finished with an overall rank of #4, while Markets.com finished with an overall rank of #23.
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
|
Markets.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 93 |
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Both CMC Markets and Markets.com do not offer the ability to buy actual, delivered cryptocurrency, but they each provide options for purchasing cryptocurrency derivatives.
In comparing online brokers CMC Markets and Markets.com, CMC Markets offers greater flexibility with ACH, SEPA, and PayPal deposit and withdrawal options, while Markets.com provides Skrill, with both platforms supporting Visa, Mastercard, and bank wire transactions.
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 | Markets.com | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | CMC Markets Review |
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| Regulation | CMC Markets | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 93 | |
| Year Founded | 1989 | 1999 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 3 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | CMC Markets | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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) | No | No | |
| 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 | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| 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) | No | No |
| Investments | CMC Markets | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 11925 | 2179 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 156 | 57 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | 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 | CMC Markets | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.61 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.51 | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | CMC Markets | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| 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 | CMC Markets | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | CMC Markets | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | No | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 11 | 6 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 79 | 89 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 40 | 4 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | No | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | CMC Markets | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 29 | (default on MT4, none on Markets app) | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Research | CMC Markets | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | CMC Markets | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars | No | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | CMC Markets | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | No | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | CMC Markets Review |
| Overall | CMC Markets | Markets.com | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | CMC Markets Review |
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