Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of HFM vs easyMarkets, 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.
HFM and easyMarkets are both established online brokers, with HFM founded in 2010 and easyMarkets in 2001. Neither firm is publicly traded or operates as a bank. In terms of regulatory safety, both companies hold two Tier-1 licenses, which are highly regarded in the industry for trustworthiness. However, HFM takes a slight edge with three Tier-2 licenses compared to easyMarkets' single Tier-2 license. This suggests HFM has a broader regulatory reach, which can be beneficial for client security.
When it comes to trust scores, ForexBrokers.com rates HFM at 86 out of 99, categorizing it as a trusted broker. EasyMarkets, meanwhile, has a trust score of 84, also placing it in the trusted category. While both brokers are well-rated, HFM's slightly higher score and greater number of Tier-2 licenses may offer a bit more reassurance for those prioritizing regulatory backing and overall trust.
| Feature |
HFM
|
easyMarkets
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
HFM’s commissions and fees are slightly above the industry average. On its Standard account, the company cites a typical spread of 1.2 pips, but it doesn’t provide a date range or an average, so real trading costs may be higher. The Zero account advertises an effective 0.7-pip spread after commission, yet this figure is also not presented as an average. For the Commissions and Fees category, HFM holds a 4 out of 5 star rating and ranks #32 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com.
easyMarkets offers fixed spreads of 0.8 pips on EUR/USD when trading on its own platform or via TradingView. Costs rise on MT4, where the Standard account is 1.7 pips, while the VIP account drops to 0.7 pips. On MT5, spreads are variable and start from 0.7 pips. easyMarkets is rated 3.5 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and ranks #53 out of 63. In a head-to-head view, easyMarkets’ fixed 0.8-pip pricing can be cheaper than HFM’s Standard 1.2 pips, while HFM’s Zero account at an effective 0.7 pips is comparable to easyMarkets’ VIP and MT5-from-0.7 options—keeping in mind neither broker provides dated, averaged spread data.
| Feature |
HFM
|
easyMarkets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $25 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.2 | 0.8 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.7 | 0.8 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
HFM and easyMarkets both let you trade forex as CFDs and/or spot, and both support copy trading. HFM lists about 500 tradeable symbols with 102 forex pairs, while easyMarkets offers around 230 symbols and 63 forex pairs. Neither broker provides access to exchange-traded shares on U.S. or international stock exchanges, so you cannot buy actual stocks like Apple or Vodafone through them. For crypto, neither broker sells actual coins, but both let you trade cryptocurrency via CFDs.
For range of investments, HFM earns 4 out of 5 stars and ranks 37th out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com. easyMarkets scores 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranks 55th out of 63. If you want more symbols and forex pairs under one roof, HFM has the edge; if you only need a focused lineup with popular markets and crypto CFDs, easyMarkets can still fit the bill.
| Feature |
HFM
|
easyMarkets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 500 | 230 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 102 | 63 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | No |
| Copy Trading | Yes | 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.
HFM and easyMarkets cover the essentials for traders who want choice and convenience. Both brokers provide free demo (paper) trading, in-house proprietary platforms, MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), plus web-based platforms and Windows desktop downloads. You can copy trade with either broker and place orders directly from charts, making it easy to go from analysis to execution without switching screens.
When it comes to reviews, both HFM and easyMarkets earn 4 out of 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools. In the latest category rankings from ForexBrokers.com, easyMarkets is placed at #36 out of 63 brokers, while HFM is #43 out of 63. If you want slightly higher third-party rankings alongside similar platform coverage, easyMarkets edges ahead; if you already prefer HFM’s ecosystem, you’ll still find a full toolkit for day-to-day trading.
| Feature |
HFM
|
easyMarkets
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 15 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
HFM and easyMarkets both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, and each lets you draw trendlines on charts. HFM includes built-in price alerts and automatically saves your chart drawings, while easyMarkets does not offer alerts and does not auto-save drawings. On the other hand, easyMarkets syncs your watchlists between the mobile app and your web account, but HFM does not.
For charting tools, HFM provides 30 technical studies, whereas easyMarkets offers 81. Both are rated 4 out of 5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps. In ForexBrokers.com’s rankings out of 63 brokers, HFM is #40 and easyMarkets is #32. If you value alerts and auto-saving drawings, HFM stands out; if you want more indicators and watchlist syncing, easyMarkets has the edge.
| Feature |
HFM
|
easyMarkets
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | No |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 81 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
HFM and easyMarkets both deliver daily market commentary, top-tier forex news (from sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones), sentiment tools that show long/short positioning, and an economic calendar covering global events. Neither broker includes TipRanks or Acuity Trading research.
Key differences come down to third-party tools: HFM provides Autochartist, while easyMarkets offers Trading Central instead. In independent reviews, HFM earns 4 stars for Research and ranks 20th out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com; easyMarkets scores 3.5 stars and ranks 44th. Choose HFM if you want Autochartist-driven chart setups, or easyMarkets if you prefer Trading Central’s analysis—both are solid for daily news, sentiment, and calendars.
| Feature |
HFM
|
easyMarkets
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| 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.
HFM and easyMarkets both deliver forex and CFD education that meets the bar for beginners, with more than 10 learning pieces available. Each broker hosts client webinars at least once a month and offers plentiful video tutorials, including at least 10 beginner-focused videos to help you learn essentials like market basics, order types, and risk management. As you progress, both brands also provide at least 10 advanced videos, so you can keep building skills beyond the basics.
For overall quality, HFM holds a slight edge: it earns 4 stars for Education and ranks 37th out of 63 brokers, while easyMarkets scores 3.5 stars and ranks 39th. In plain terms, both are good choices for first-time traders seeking accessible lessons and regular live sessions, but HFM may offer a small advantage if you want a bit more depth and breadth as you advance.
| Feature |
HFM
|
easyMarkets
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 HFM is better than easyMarkets. HFM finished with an overall rank of #30, while easyMarkets finished with an overall rank of #42.
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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easyMarkets
|
|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 86 | 84 |
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HFM vs easyMarkets: neither online broker offers the ability to buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but both allow trading cryptocurrency CFDs for speculative exposure.
HFM vs easyMarkets: HFM does not support ACH/SEPA or PayPal but does allow Skrill and bank wire deposits/withdrawals, whereas easyMarkets supports ACH/SEPA but its options for PayPal, Skrill, Visa/Mastercard, and bank wires are not specified, and HFM’s Visa/Mastercard support is also unspecified.
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 | easyMarkets | |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 84 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | HFM Review | easyMarkets Review |
| Broker Screenshots | HFM | easyMarkets | |
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| Regulation | HFM | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 86 | 84 | |
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2001 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | HFM | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| 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 | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | HFM | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 500 | 230 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 102 | 63 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | No | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | 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 | HFM | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.2 | 0.8 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.7 | 0.8 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | HFM | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $25 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | ||
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | HFM | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | HFM | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 15 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | HFM | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 81 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | HFM | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | HFM | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | HFM | easyMarkets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | HFM Review | easyMarkets Review |
| Overall | HFM | easyMarkets | |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 84 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | HFM Review | easyMarkets Review |
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