Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of CMC Markets vs Vantage, 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 vs Vantage: CMC Markets (founded 1989) is a publicly traded online broker, while Vantage (founded 2009) is privately held. Neither company is a bank, which makes their regulatory track records especially important for traders comparing safety and oversight.
Regulation and trust: CMC Markets holds 6 Tier-1 licenses and 1 Tier-2 license; Vantage holds 2 Tier-1 and 1 Tier-2. According to ForexBrokers.com, CMC Markets has a Trust Score of 99 and Vantage scores 91. On that scale, 90–99 is highly trusted, 80–89 trusted, 70–79 average risk, 60–69 high risk, and under 59 not trusted.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Vantage
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1989 | 2009 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 3 |
When it comes to commissions and fees, CMC Markets comes out ahead of Vantage. CMC Markets earned 5 stars and ranked #4 out of 36 brokers for the Commissions and Fees category, thanks to its consistently low spreads across all account types and its low-cost FX Active pricing. Typical EUR/USD spreads were reported at 0.61 pips, and its commission-based FX Active setup can bring all-in trading costs down to 0.5 pips on major pairs.
Vantage is still a strong choice, but its pricing is more mixed. It earned 4.5 stars and ranked #12 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees. Its Standard STP account is spread-only, while the RAW ECN and PRO ECN accounts add commissions in exchange for tighter spreads. For example, Vantage’s Raw account showed an all-in EUR/USD cost of about 0.75 pips, while the PRO account offers lower commissions for traders who qualify.
In simple terms, CMC Markets is the better pick for traders who want lower overall trading costs and a stronger fee rating, while Vantage offers competitive options for different account types but usually lands a step behind on pricing. If commissions and fees are your main focus, CMC Markets is the more cost-friendly broker overall.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Vantage
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $50 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.3 | 1.4 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | N/A | 0.72 |
| 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 a much wider selection than Vantage. CMC Markets provides access to 21,710 tradeable symbols, including 303 forex pairs, while Vantage offers 1,028 symbols and 61 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading as either a CFD or spot contract, and both let clients trade cryptocurrency CFDs, but neither offers the ability to buy actual cryptocurrency.
CMC Markets also stands out for share trading, since it offers exchange traded securities on both U.S. and international markets, such as Apple and Vodafone shares. Vantage does not offer these types of exchange traded securities. On the other hand, Vantage does offer copy trading, which CMC Markets does not. Overall, CMC Markets is rated 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #9 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, compared with Vantage’s 3.5 stars and #33 ranking.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Vantage
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 21710 | 1028 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 303 | 61 |
| 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 Vantage both give traders a wide choice of platform options, including free demo accounts, their own in-house platforms, desktop software for Windows, web trading, and access to both MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. Each broker also lets users trade directly from charts, which can be helpful for faster order entry and easier market analysis.
The main difference is that Vantage offers copy trading, while CMC Markets does not. CMC Markets also comes out ahead overall for trading platforms and tools, earning 5 out of 5 stars and a ForexBrokers.com ranking of #6 out of 36 brokers, compared with Vantage’s 4 out of 5 stars and #20 ranking. For traders who want more platform features and a higher expert rating, CMC Markets has the edge, while Vantage may appeal to those looking for copy trading alongside the same core platform choices.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Vantage
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| 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 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
CMC Markets and Vantage both make trading on the go easy with mobile apps for iPhone and Android. Each app includes stock and forex price alerts, watchlist syncing with the online account, and charting tools that let users draw trendlines and save those drawings automatically. Both platforms also offer 30 technical studies in their mobile charting tools, giving traders the same core features whether they are using a phone or their desktop account.
Where they differ is in ratings and rankings. CMC Markets stands out with a 5-star Mobile Trading Apps rating and a #5 ranking out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com, while Vantage has a 4-star rating and ranks #24. For traders comparing mobile trading apps, both brokers cover the essentials, but CMC Markets appears to have the stronger mobile app overall.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Vantage
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When comparing CMC Markets vs. Vantage for market research, both brokers give traders useful everyday tools such as daily market commentary, a sentiment tool, and an economic calendar. Each also helps users keep track of current and upcoming global events, which can be helpful when planning trades around news and data releases.
CMC Markets has the edge in research quality thanks to forex news from major sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, plus access to Autochartist for technical and fundamental ideas. Vantage, on the other hand, offers Trading Central tools instead of Autochartist. Overall, CMC Markets is rated 5 stars for research and ranks #6 out of 36 brokers, while Vantage is rated 4 stars and ranks #20, making CMC Markets the stronger choice for traders who want deeper market research.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Vantage
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| 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 learning materials, both CMC Markets and Vantage offer a wide range of forex and CFD education. Each broker provides at least 10 educational pieces on these topics, along with monthly online webinars and at least 10 beginner videos as well as 10 advanced videos. That means either platform can give new traders a strong starting point, whether they want to learn the basics or build on more advanced ideas.
That said, CMC Markets has the edge for education overall. It earns 5 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks #10 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Vantage scores 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #23. For beginners who want the better-rated learning experience, CMC Markets stands out as the stronger choice, though Vantage still offers plenty of useful educational content.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
Vantage
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
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 Vantage. CMC Markets finished with an overall rank of #5, while Vantage finished with an overall rank of #24.
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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Vantage
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 91 |
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CMC Markets vs Vantage: both online brokers offer cryptocurrency CFDs for trading, but neither allows you to buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency.
Comparing online brokers CMC Markets vs Vantage: both support PayPal and bank wire deposits/withdrawals; CMC Markets also offers ACH/SEPA while Vantage does not; Vantage supports Skrill while CMC Markets does not; Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either broker.
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 | Vantage | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 91 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | CMC Markets Review | Vantage Review |
| Broker Screenshots | CMC Markets | Vantage | |
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| Regulation | CMC Markets | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 91 | |
| Year Founded | 1989 | 2009 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 3 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | CMC Markets | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | CMC Markets | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 21710 | 1028 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 303 | 61 | |
| 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 | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.3 | 1.4 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | N/A | 0.72 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | CMC Markets | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $50 | |
| 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 | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 65 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | CMC Markets | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | CMC Markets | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | CMC Markets | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | CMC Markets | Vantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Vantage Review |
| Overall | CMC Markets | Vantage | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 91 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | CMC Markets Review | Vantage Review |
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