Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of CMC Markets vs Plus500, 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, established in 1989, and Plus500, founded in 2008, are both leading online brokers that boast the highest trust score of 99 according to ForexBrokers.com. This score indicates they are highly trusted within the industry. Both companies are publicly traded, though neither operates as a bank. The stability and credibility of both brokers are underscored by their equal number of Tier-1 licenses, holding six each, which reflect the highest level of trust as per ForexBrokers.com standards.
While CMC Markets only holds one Tier-2 license, Plus500 maintains three, adding to their regulatory reputation. Tier-2 licenses are still considered trusted according to ForexBrokers.com, albeit slightly less so than Tier-1. For traders seeking reputable and reliable platforms, both CMC Markets and Plus500 present trustworthy options, backed by strong regulatory frameworks and industry recognition.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1989 | 2008 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 6 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
If you’re comparing commissions and fees, CMC Markets comes out cheaper than Plus500 for most traders. In our 2025 Annual Awards, CMC Markets earned 5 stars and ranked #1 out of 63 brokers for Commissions and Fees, while Plus500 received 4.0 stars and ranked #24 out of 63. Overall, CMC’s pricing tends to beat the industry average, whereas Plus500’s sits a bit higher.
CMC Markets offers low spreads across all account types, with typical EUR/USD spreads around 0.61 pips (August 2023) and averages that closely track its advertised minimums. Its FX Active plan uses commission-based pricing of $2.50 per side with minimum spreads of 0.0 pips, giving an all‑in cost near 0.5 pips on EUR/USD (and five other major pairs). Active traders can cut costs further via the Price Plus Scheme by earning Trading Points (two points per 100k lot); hitting Tier 4 requires about 1,250 standard lots in a month and unlocks a 20% spread discount.
Plus500’s fees are simple but generally higher for retail clients. The broker doesn’t offer retail discounts; only Professional clients may qualify for cash rebates. In April 2024, Plus500’s average EUR/USD spread was about 1.5 pips—higher than the industry average and notably above CMC Markets’ typical pricing, especially for active traders.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | €50 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.3 | 1.3 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.65 | 1.3 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts [DELETED] | ||
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) [DELETED] | ||
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
CMC Markets stands out for its wider range of investments, offering 12,029 tradeable symbols compared with Plus500’s 5,500. Forex traders get 141 currency pairs at CMC Markets versus 65 at Plus500, and both brokers support forex trading as CFDs or spot. Each platform also lets clients buy exchange-traded shares on U.S. and international markets (not just CFDs), covering popular names like Apple and Vodafone.
Feature-wise, CMC Markets includes copy trading, while Plus500 does not. For crypto, both brokers provide cryptocurrency derivatives but do not offer direct, delivered coins. Reflecting the broader selection, CMC Markets is rated 5 stars and ranks #9 out of 63 for Range of Investments, while Plus500 earns 4.5 stars and ranks #22. In short, CMC Markets suits investors seeking the widest choice, and Plus500 still covers a large mix for most trading needs.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 12029 | 5500 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 141 | 65 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| 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). Non-CFD share trading at Plus500 is only available through the Plus500 Invest account. |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
CMC Markets and Plus500 both offer free demo (paper) accounts and proprietary trading platforms you can use in your web browser. If you want a downloadable Windows platform, only CMC Markets provides one. MetaTrader users will prefer CMC Markets, which supports MT4 and MT5; Plus500 does not. CMC Markets also offers copy trading and lets you place trades directly from a chart, while Plus500 does not. Details for DupliTrade, ZuluTrade, the number of indicators, drawing tools, and watchlist columns were not provided.
For trading platforms and tools, ForexBrokers.com rates CMC Markets at 5 stars (ranked #4 of 63 brokers) and Plus500 at 4.5 stars (ranked #14). Pick CMC Markets if you want desktop software, MetaTrader compatibility, copy trading, and chart-based order entry. Pick Plus500 if you prefer a simple web platform and want to practice first with a demo account.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No |
| DupliTrade [DELETED] | ||
| ZuluTrade [DELETED] | ||
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 73 | 115 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) [DELETED] | ||
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | No |
| Watchlists - Total Fields [DELETED] |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
CMC Markets and Plus500 both deliver full-featured mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports price alerts to help you track moves, and your watchlists stay synced between mobile and the web, so changes made in one place appear in the other. You can also build watchlists with real-time quotes on both platforms.
For charting, both apps let you draw trendlines, but their toolsets differ: CMC Markets offers 29 technical studies, while Plus500 packs in 115. CMC Markets auto-saves your chart drawings, whereas Plus500 does not. In independent evaluations, CMC Markets earned 5 stars and ranks #5 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps on ForexBrokers.com, compared with Plus500’s 4.5 stars and #14 ranking. If you want more technical indicators, Plus500 stands out; if you value saved drawings and a higher overall rating, CMC Markets is compelling.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 29 | 115 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | ||
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When comparing CMC Markets and Plus500, both brokers provide daily market commentary and sentiment-based trading tools to their users. However, CMC Markets stands out by offering forex news from leading sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, whereas Plus500 does not provide access to such top-tier news outlets. Furthermore, CMC Markets features tools from Autochartist, which is not available with Plus500, giving its users additional resources for technical and fundamental analysis. On the other hand, Plus500 offers tools from Trading Central, providing a unique edge for technical analytics, which CMC Markets does not offer.
Both CMC Markets and Plus500 present users with an economic calendar to track global news events. Despite their similarities, CMC Markets receives a higher research rating of five stars compared to Plus500's four stars. According to ForexBrokers.com, CMC Markets ranks sixth out of 63 brokers in the Research category, showcasing its commitment to comprehensive market research. In contrast, Plus500 ranks nineteenth, indicating a solid but comparatively less extensive offering in this area.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginner traders comparing education at CMC Markets and Plus500, both brokers provide sizable video libraries, including at least 10 beginner-focused videos and 10 for advanced topics. Plus500 also runs monthly educational webinars, which is helpful if you like live learning; CMC Markets does not offer monthly client webinars. Details about searchable webinar archives, investor dictionaries, and whether each has 10+ forex or CFD-specific articles or videos were not provided.
In third-party evaluations, CMC Markets earns 5 stars for Education and ranks #10 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Plus500 holds a 4.0-star Education rating and ranks #31. If live webinars matter most, Plus500 is appealing. If you want a higher-rated education experience with plenty of beginner and advanced videos, CMC Markets has the edge.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | ||
| Webinars | No | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) [DELETED] | ||
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) [DELETED] |
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 Plus500. CMC Markets finished with an overall rank of #4, while Plus500 finished with an overall rank of #14.
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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Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 99 |
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Neither CMC Markets nor Plus500 provides the option to buy actual delivered cryptocurrency, but both platforms allow trading in cryptocurrency derivatives.
Comparing online brokers CMC Markets and Plus500: CMC Markets supports ACH/SEPA and bank wires and offers PayPal but not Skrill, whereas Plus500 lacks ACH/SEPA but offers PayPal, Skrill, and bank wires; Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either.
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 | Plus500 | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 99 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | CMC Markets Review | Plus500 Review |
| Broker Screenshots | CMC Markets | Plus500 | |
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| Regulation | CMC Markets | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 99 | |
| Year Founded | 1989 | 2008 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 6 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | CMC Markets | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | CMC Markets | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | CMC Markets | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 12029 | 5500 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 141 | 65 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| 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). Non-CFD share trading at Plus500 is only available through the Plus500 Invest account. |
| Cost | CMC Markets | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.3 | 1.3 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.65 | 1.3 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | CMC Markets | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | €50 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | CMC Markets | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | CMC Markets | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 73 | 115 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | No | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | CMC Markets | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 29 | 115 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | CMC Markets | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | CMC Markets | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | No | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | CMC Markets | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | CMC Markets Review | Plus500 Review |
| Overall | CMC Markets | Plus500 | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 99 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | CMC Markets Review | Plus500 Review |
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