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 | 2 |
HFM and Eightcap each earn 4 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees. In ForexBrokers.com’s Commissions and Fees ranking, Eightcap is #27 out of 63 brokers, while HFM is #32 out of 63—suggesting Eightcap has a slight edge on average pricing.
HFM’s trading costs lean a bit above the industry average. Its Standard account lists a typical spread of 1.2 pips, but no date range is provided, so the true average may be higher. The Zero account advertises an effective spread of 0.7 pips after commission, yet this figure is not an average either, which makes it less reliable for cost comparisons.
Eightcap’s pricing depends on the account you choose. The commission-based Raw account has an average spread of 0.06 pips; after adding the $3.50 per-side commission, the all-in cost is about 0.76 pips—just under the industry average of roughly 0.8 pips. The Standard account is spread-only with typically higher costs. Overall, Eightcap is slightly pricier than the very cheapest forex brokers, but it generally comes in a bit lower than HFM’s typical pricing. (Eightcap: 4/5 stars, ranked #27/63; HFM: 4/5 stars, ranked #32/63.)
| Feature |
HFM
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.2 | 1.0 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.7 | 0.76 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
HFM vs Eightcap: both brokers offer forex trading via CFDs and support copy trading. Neither broker provides access to exchange-traded U.S. or international stocks, and neither lets you buy actual crypto; however, both offer cryptocurrency CFDs. Eightcap lists more total instruments (803 vs HFM’s 500), while HFM offers more forex pairs (102 vs Eightcap’s 55), which may appeal to currency-focused traders.
For Range of Investments, HFM is rated 4 stars and ranks #37 out of 63 brokers, while Eightcap earns 3.5 stars and ranks #41. Choose HFM if your priority is a larger lineup of forex pairs; pick Eightcap if you want a bigger overall list of tradable symbols.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 500 | 803 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 102 | 55 |
| 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 vs Eightcap: both brokers make it easy to get started with a free demo account for paper trading, and both offer Windows desktop downloads and web-based platforms. Each supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), includes copy trading, and lets you place orders straight from charts. One key difference is platform choice: HFM also provides its own in‑house platform, while Eightcap sticks to third‑party options.
For Trading Platforms and Tools, both HFM and Eightcap earn 4 stars. In ForexBrokers.com’s rankings out of 63 brokers, Eightcap sits at #39 and HFM at #43. Exact counts for built-in technical indicators and watchlist fields weren’t specified and can vary by platform. If you want an in-house platform alongside MT4/MT5, HFM fits the bill; if you prefer MT4/MT5 only and a slightly higher category ranking, consider Eightcap.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| 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 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
HFM and Eightcap both deliver capable mobile trading on iPhone and Android. Each mobile app supports forex and stock price alerts, includes 30 technical indicators for charting, lets you draw trendlines, and auto-saves your chart drawings so annotations persist across sessions.
The key difference is watchlist syncing: Eightcap syncs watchlist symbols between the mobile app and your online account, while HFM does not. Both earn 4-star Mobile Trading Apps ratings, with Eightcap ranked slightly higher at #39 versus HFM at #40 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com. If synced watchlists matter to you, Eightcap has a small edge; otherwise, their mobile features are very similar.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | 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.
HFM and Eightcap both deliver daily market commentary and maintain handy economic calendars, plus each includes a sentiment tool that shows the ratio of long vs. short positions. Where they differ is in their research lineup: HFM streams forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, while Eightcap does not. HFM also includes Autochartist for technical and fundamental ideas, whereas Eightcap skips Autochartist but adds Acuity Trading tools such as Signal Centre. Neither broker offers Trading Central or TipRanks.
For overall research quality, HFM earns 4 stars and ranks #20 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, compared with Eightcap’s 3.5 stars and #40 ranking. In short, choose HFM if you want premium forex news and Autochartist-driven insights; pick Eightcap if Acuity Trading integrations are higher on your wishlist.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | Yes |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
HFM and Eightcap both deliver beginner-friendly education for forex and CFD trading. Each offers at least ten pieces of learning content (such as videos and archived webinars), and both host client webinars at least once per month. New traders will also find at least ten beginner videos at either broker that explain platform basics, order types, risk control, and chart reading.
The main difference is depth for experienced traders. HFM provides at least ten advanced videos, while Eightcap does not meet that level. That gap shows in independent scores: HFM is rated 4 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks #37 of 63 at ForexBrokers.com, while Eightcap is rated 3.5 stars and ranks #40. If you want a learning path that extends into advanced topics, HFM has the edge; if you mainly want beginner lessons and regular webinars, both are solid choices.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | 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 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 |
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Eightcap
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| Trust Score | 86 | 85 |
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HFM vs Eightcap crypto trading comparison: neither broker lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both offer cryptocurrency CFD trading.
HFM vs Eightcap deposits and withdrawals: neither supports ACH/SEPA, both allow Skrill and bank wire transfers, while only Eightcap offers PayPal.
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 |
| Broker Screenshots | HFM | Eightcap | |
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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 | 2 |
| 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) | |||
| 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 | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | HFM | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 500 | 803 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 102 | 55 | |
| 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 | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.2 | 1.0 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.7 | 0.76 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | HFM | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | HFM | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| 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 | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 15 | 30 | |
| 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 Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | 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 | HFM | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | HFM | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | HFM | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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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