Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of HFM vs Earn, 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.
Established in 2010, HFM holds a Trust Score of 86 out of 99, indicating a high level of trust according to ForexBrokers.com. Despite not being a publicly traded company or a bank, HFM is regarded as reliable, carrying two Tier-1 licenses considered highly trusted and three Tier-2 licenses considered trusted. This positions HFM as a solid choice for those looking for a dependable online broker.
Earn, founded in 1994, carries a Trust Score of 71, placing it at an average risk level on ForexBrokers.com’s scale. Although not listed on a stock exchange or a bank, Earn maintains one highly trusted Tier-1 license. However, it lacks Tier-2 licenses, which are often viewed as a favorable indicator of trust. When comparing both, HFM appears to provide a more reassuring credential profile for potential investors seeking assurance in their brokerage services.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Earn
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2010 | 1994 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
When it comes to commissions and fees, both HFM and Earn provide competitive options, though details of average spreads differ. HFM offers a standard trading account with spreads starting at 1.2 pips, although it's important to note that this figure isn't an average over a defined period. For traders opting for the Zero account at HFM, the effective spread is lower at 0.7 pips after taking commissions into account. Comparatively, specific average spread data for Earn is not available, making direct cost comparisons more challenging.
Both HFM and Earn are rated favorably with 4 out of 5 stars in the commissions and fees category. However, when considering their rankings among 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, differences in their rankings highlight distinctions in cost-effectiveness. HFM stands at #31 in the Commissions and Fees category, indicating a stronger position compared to Earn's ranking at #45. These rankings suggest that while both brokers offer similar star ratings, HFM might offer a more consistently favorable fee structure.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Earn
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.2 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.7 | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When comparing online brokers HFM and Earn in terms of investment choices, both provide access to forex trading, allowing clients to trade either as CFDs or through spot contracts. Each broker offers a total of 500 tradeable symbols, presenting investors with a substantial portfolio. However, HFM stands out with 102 tradeable forex pairs compared to Earn's 61 pairs, giving forex enthusiasts a broader selection. Despite this, neither broker provides direct access to exchange-traded securities on U.S. or international exchanges, which means clients cannot directly buy shares of companies like Apple or Vodafone through these platforms.
Both HFM and Earn support the increasingly popular copy trading feature, which lets users mirror the trades of successful investors. While neither allows the purchase of actual cryptocurrencies, they do offer crypto derivatives for those interested in this asset class. HFM holds a slight edge with a 4-star rating for its range of investments, ranked 36th out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com. Meanwhile, Earn follows closely with a 3.5-star rating, securing the 45th spot. This comparison highlights that while both brokers offer commendable investment opportunities, HFM provides a slightly more extensive range of forex and investment options.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Earn
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 500 | 500 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 102 | 61 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | 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.
When comparing the trading platforms and tools offered by HFM and Earn, both brokers provide a rich array of features to cater to diverse trading needs. HFM stands out with its in-house developed proprietary platform, while Earn relies on third-party platforms, excluding a custom option. Both brokers ensure flexibility with Windows-based and web-based trading interfaces and offer popular choices like MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. Simulated trading, such as free virtual demo accounts, is available for both, making them ideal for beginners looking to practice without financial risk. Notably, both brokers allow trading directly from stock charts and offer comprehensive watchlist features, with each providing seven customizable columns for easy tracking.
In terms of unique offerings, HFM provides more drawing tools, with 30 available for charting compared to Earn's 15. However, Earn offers ZuluTrade for those interested in this specific copy trading feature, which HFM does not. Despite these differences, both platforms receive a solid 4-star rating for their trading platforms and tools. According to ForexBrokers.com, HFM holds a higher rank, positioned at #42, compared to Earn's #51, suggesting a slight edge in overall user experience according to the review source.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Earn
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No |
| 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 | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 15 | 35 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 30 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
For those trading on the go, both HFM and Earn offer iPhone and Android apps, ensuring accessibility regardless of your device. Each app provides key features like stock and forex price alerts, the ability to draw trendlines, and multiple time frame views, such as daily or weekly charts. Convenience is maintained with auto-saving of chart drawings, allowing you to seamlessly continue analysis without starting over. While both apps let you create watchlists with real-time quotes, neither supports syncing watchlists between the mobile and online platforms, which might be a slight drawback for users wanting seamless integration.
When it comes to charting tools, Earn edges out HFM by offering 35 technical studies compared to HFM's 30. Despite this, both apps score equally with a four-star rating. Rankings from ForexBrokers.com reveal Earn at #27, outpacing HFM, which stands at #39 out of 63 brokers. This suggests a slight advantage for Earn, particularly for users who value a broader array of technical studies and a higher overall ranking among mobile trading platforms.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Earn
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 35 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
In comparing the market research offerings of online brokers HFM and Earn, we find both platforms provide daily market commentary and access to forex news from top sources such as Bloomberg and Reuters. However, HFM distinguishes itself by offering tools from Autochartist, which are absent in Earn's research suite. Furthermore, HFM supplies a sentiment-based trading tool that showcases the ratio of long or short positions across various instruments, a feature not available with Earn.
While both brokers provide economic calendars to keep traders informed of upcoming global news events, their overall research accolades differ. HFM has received a research rating of 4 out of 5 stars and holds the 20th position among 63 brokers ranked by ForexBrokers.com. In contrast, Earn is rated at 3.5 stars and stands at the 38th spot in the same category. These differences highlight HFM's slightly stronger edge in delivering comprehensive market research tools and insights compared to Earn.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Earn
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When comparing the educational resources for beginners between online brokers HFM and Earn, HFM clearly stands out. HFM provides a wealth of educational content, including over ten articles, videos, and archived webinars focused on forex and CFDs. Moreover, they offer at least ten beginner-friendly videos that cover the basics of trading, helping newcomers get a strong start. HFM also hosts monthly live educational webinars and makes previous sessions easily accessible through their searchable archive. Additionally, those looking to expand their knowledge can benefit from advanced educational videos tailored for experienced traders, along with an investor dictionary containing definitions of more than 50 investing terms.
In contrast, Earn's offerings for beginners fall short. They do not meet the minimum provision of ten pieces of educational content on forex and CFDs, nor do they conduct monthly webinars or offer an archive of past seminars. Beginner and advanced educational video selections are limited, and an investor dictionary is not available. With an education rating of 4 stars, HFM is ranked 37th out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while Earn's 3.5-star rating positions them at 62nd. These distinct educational features make HFM a more attractive option for those starting their trading journey.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Earn
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| 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 HFM is better than Earn. HFM finished with an overall rank of #30, while Earn finished with an overall rank of #50.
Alongside its enhanced MetaTrader offering and quality research, HFM (HF Markets), previously known as HotForex, offers a proprietary copy trading platform, HFcopy, a proprietary HF mobile app, and a decent selection of over 1,000 CFDs and 47 forex pairs. Still, trading costs at HFM are slightly above the industry average.
| Feature |
HFM
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Earn
|
|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 86 | 71 |
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Both HFM and Earn allow users to trade cryptocurrency derivatives, but neither platform provides the option to purchase actual cryptocurrencies for delivery.
Both online brokers, HFM and Earn, do not support ACH, SEPA, or PayPal transactions for depositing or withdrawing funds, but they do offer Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wire transfer options.
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 | HFM | Earn | |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 71 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | HFM Review |
| Broker Screenshots | HFM | Earn | |
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| Regulation | HFM | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 86 | 71 | |
| Year Founded | 2010 | 1994 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | HFM | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | HFM | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | HFM | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 500 | 500 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 102 | 61 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | 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 | HFM | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.2 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.7 | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | HFM | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | HFM | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No | |
| 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 | Yes |
| Trading Tools | HFM | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 15 | 35 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 30 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | HFM | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 35 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | HFM | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | HFM | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | HFM | Earn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | HFM Review |
| Overall | HFM | Earn | |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 71 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | HFM Review |
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