Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of HFM vs Eightcap, 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 Eightcap are two online brokers with a solid foundation in the trading world, having been founded in 2010 and 2009, respectively. Neither company is publicly traded nor operates as a bank. When it comes to trust and regulation, HFM holds two Tier-1 licenses and three Tier-2 licenses, earning it a Trust Score of 86 out of 99 from ForexBrokers.com. This score categorizes HFM as a trusted broker in the industry.
Eightcap, on the other hand, boasts three Tier-1 licenses but lacks Tier-2 licenses, giving it a Trust Score of 85 out of 99 according to ForexBrokers.com. While slightly lower than HFM's, this score still places Eightcap within the trusted range. Both brokers offer a level of security and reliability conducive to their roles in the financial market, though their regulatory differences might appeal to different trading preferences.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2009 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 3 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
When comparing the commissions and fees of online brokers HFM and Eightcap, it's essential to note that both have their advantages. HFM offers a standard trading account with a typical spread of 1.2 pips, though the absence of a specified date range may mean actual spreads could vary. For traders opting for the Zero account, HFM provides an effective spread of 0.7 pips after factoring in commission. With a 4-star rating from ForexBrokers.com for commissions and fees, HFM ranks #31 out of 63 brokers.
Eightcap, on the other hand, gives traders the choice between two account types across its global entities. The commission-based Raw account lists an average spread of 0.06 pips. However, considering the per-side commission of $3.50 per trade, the total cost is about 0.76 pips, which is slightly cheaper than the industry average of 0.8 pips. The spread-only Standard account is another option for those who prefer not to pay commission. Eightcap also holds a 4-star rating for commissions and fees and is ranked slightly higher at #26 among 63 brokers.
Both brokers offer competitive pricing structures, but it's clear that Eightcap edges out HFM in terms of lower costs for traders who are mindful of commissions and fees. While neither broker ranks among the absolute lowest-cost options available, their ratings and rankings demonstrate their respectable positions in the market.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.2 | 1.0 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.7 | 0.76 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| 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 the investment offerings of HFM and Eightcap, both brokers provide a solid foundation for forex trading, offering the market as a CFD. However, HFM stands out by offering 102 tradeable forex pairs compared to Eightcap's 56 pairs. In terms of overall tradeable symbols, Eightcap edges ahead, providing 800 symbols, while HFM offers 500. Neither broker offers the ability to trade exchange-traded securities on U.S. or international exchanges. Additionally, both HFM and Eightcap offer the opportunity to engage in copy trading and trade cryptocurrency derivatives, but do not facilitate the purchase of actual cryptocurrencies.
Evaluating their range of investments, HFM receives a rating of 4 stars, slightly outperforming Eightcap's 3.5 stars in this category. Furthermore, according to ForexBrokers.com, HFM holds the 36th rank among 63 brokers for their investment range, while Eightcap sits at 40th place. Both brokers provide ample trading opportunities, but HFM offers a more diverse selection of forex pairs, which might be a deciding factor for those heavily focused on forex trading.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 500 | 800 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 102 | 56 |
| 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 of HFM and Eightcap, both brokers offer users the opportunity to practice simulated trading through free virtual demo accounts. While HFM provides its own proprietary trading platform, Eightcap does not, with both brokers supporting popular options like MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. Each offers a Windows-based desktop platform and web-based trading options, catering to different user preferences. Both also allow for copy trading, which is a valuable feature for those looking to follow the trading strategies of others. However, neither broker supports DupliTrade or ZuluTrade integration.
HFM and Eightcap receive a similar rating of four out of five stars for their trading platforms and tools, yet they differ in ForexBrokers.com rankings, with Eightcap slightly ahead at 38th place out of 63 brokers, compared to HFM's 42nd place. When it comes to charting capabilities, HFM provides 30 drawing tools compared to Eightcap's 15, giving HFM an edge for traders who heavily rely on chart analysis. Both brokers allow trading directly from stock charts and offer the same number of columns for watch lists, ensuring a consistent user experience in these areas.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 15 | 30 |
| 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.
Both HFM and Eightcap offer mobile trading apps that are compatible with iPhone and Android devices, making your trades accessible no matter where you are. Each app provides essential features like price alerts for stocks and forex, allowing traders to stay informed of market movements. With both apps offering 30 technical studies for charting, users can benefit from detailed market analysis. Additionally, both HFM and Eightcap enable trendline drawing and viewing of multiple time frames, enhancing your ability to assess market trends on-the-go. Furthermore, both platforms auto-save your drawings, ensuring a seamless user experience.
While both mobile apps are similarly rated at 4 out of 5 stars, and offer the convenience of real-time quotes in watchlists, Eightcap provides the added advantage of syncing watchlists across devices. This feature ensures that changes you make are reflected between the mobile app and your online account. According to ForexBrokers.com, Eightcap narrowly edges out HFM, ranking 38th compared to HFM's 39th position out of 63 brokers for mobile trading apps. Whether you choose HFM or Eightcap, you can count on a reliable trading experience tailored to your mobile investing needs.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 |
| 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.
When comparing HFM and Eightcap in terms of market research offerings, both brokers deliver daily market commentary and provide economic calendars to keep traders informed on key global events. However, HFM stands out for its comprehensive range of resources, including forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, and technical analysis tools from Autochartist. In contrast, Eightcap doesn’t offer forex news from these premier sources or tools from Autochartist, which may be a disadvantage for traders seeking detailed data and insights.
Both brokers provide sentiment-based trading tools to help traders gauge market direction, but neither offers research tools from Trading Central, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading. Based on research ratings, HFM receives 4 out of 5 stars and ranks 20th out of 63 brokers, reflecting a strong reputation for research quality. Meanwhile, Eightcap lags with a slightly lower rating of 3.5 stars, holding the 39th spot in the ranking. This comparison highlights HFM's superior standing as a resource-rich platform for informed trading decisions.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| 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 comparing the educational offerings for beginners provided by HFM and Eightcap, both online brokers deliver at least 10 educational materials focused on forex and CFDs. However, HFM edges out with added value for learning enthusiasts by offering monthly online educational webinars. Eightcap lacks a consistent webinar schedule, meaning new traders might miss out on timely, interactive learning experiences. Both platforms host a searchable archive of past webinars and present a robust collection of beginner-focused videos, ensuring foundational skills can be readily developed.
For more seasoned traders, HFM proves to be more advantageous by providing advanced educational videos, an area where Eightcap does not keep pace. Both brokers offer an investor dictionary with over 50 investing terms, a helpful resource for newcomers navigating the financial landscape. In terms of recognition, HFM is rated slightly higher with 4 stars compared to Eightcap's 3.5 stars and is ranked 37th in education out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, ahead of Eightcap, which is placed at 40th. These rankings and resources indicate that HFM might offer a better educational environment for those who are at the start of their trading journey.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | 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 Eightcap. HFM finished with an overall rank of #30, while Eightcap finished with an overall rank of #38.
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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Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 85 |
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Neither HFM nor Eightcap provides the option to purchase actual delivered cryptocurrency, but both platforms offer the ability to trade cryptocurrency derivatives.
Both HFM and Eightcap do not support ACH or SEPA transfers for depositing or withdrawing funds, but while HFM lacks PayPal support, Eightcap provides this option; both brokers, however, offer account funding and withdrawal via Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires.
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 | Eightcap | |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | HFM Review | Eightcap Review |
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| Regulation | HFM | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 86 | 85 | |
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2009 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 3 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | HFM | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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) | No | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 500 | 800 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 102 | 56 | |
| 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 | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.2 | 1.0 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.7 | 0.76 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | HFM | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| 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 | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
| Trading Tools | HFM | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 15 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 30 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | HFM | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 | |
| 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 | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | HFM | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | HFM | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Eightcap Review |
| Overall | HFM | Eightcap | |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | HFM Review | Eightcap Review |
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