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.
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HFM (founded 2010) and Eightcap (founded 2009) are online brokers; neither is publicly traded nor a bank. Because they don’t publish the kind of financials that listed companies do, many traders compare their regulation and independent trust ratings.
Regulation: HFM holds 2 Tier-1 licenses and 3 Tier-2 licenses, while Eightcap holds 3 Tier-1 and 1 Tier-2. On ForexBrokers.com’s Trust Score scale (90–99 highly trusted, 80–89 trusted, 70–79 average risk, 60–69 high risk, under 59 not trusted), HFM scores 85 and Eightcap scores 87—both are “trusted,” with Eightcap slightly higher by two points and carrying more Tier-1 licenses. Consider which licenses apply to your country and any platform features you need when deciding.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2009 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 3 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
When comparing commissions and fees, HFM comes in a little above the industry average. On its standard accounts, HFM says a typical spread is 1.2 pips, though it does not provide a date range for that figure, so the true average could be higher. Its Zero account shows an effective spread of 0.7 pips after commission, but again this is not stated as an average. HFM is rated 4 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and is ranked #29 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
Eightcap gives traders a choice between a commission-based Raw account and a spread-only Standard account, so pricing depends on the account type. For the Raw account, Eightcap lists an average spread of 0.06 pips, and after the $3.50 per-side commission, the total cost is about 0.76 pips. That puts it just below the industry average of 0.8 pips, though it is still a bit more expensive than the cheapest forex brokers. Eightcap is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars and is ranked #20 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees.
Overall, Eightcap has the edge on cost efficiency, mainly because its Raw account lands slightly under the industry average, while HFM’s pricing sits a bit higher. Still, both brokers offer competitive pricing depending on the account you choose, so the better option may come down to whether you prefer lower all-in trading costs or a simpler spread-only setup.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.8 | 1.0 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.1 | 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.
When it comes to range of investments, HFM and Eightcap both let you trade forex as CFDs, and both also offer cryptocurrency CFDs rather than real coins. Neither broker supports buying actual shares on U.S. or international exchanges, and neither lets you buy delivered cryptocurrency. HFM does stand out for copy trading, while Eightcap does not offer this feature.
Eightcap gives traders a wider selection overall, with 803 tradeable symbols and 55 forex pairs, compared with HFM’s 344 symbols and 38 forex pairs. That said, HFM still earns a slightly stronger rating for range of investments at 4 stars versus Eightcap’s 3.5 stars, and it is ranked just ahead of Eightcap by ForexBrokers.com, placing 29th out of 36 brokers compared with Eightcap at 30th.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 344 | 803 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 38 | 55 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | No |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| 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 Eightcap both give traders a solid range of platform choices, including free demo accounts, Windows desktop apps, web-based trading, MetaTrader 4, and MetaTrader 5. Each also lets you place trades directly from charts, which can make it easier to act quickly when the market moves. In this area, both brokers earn the same 4-star rating for Trading Platforms and Tools, so the core experience is closely matched.
The main difference is that HFM also offers a proprietary trading platform and copy trading, while Eightcap does not. That gives HFM a small edge for traders who want built-in social trading features or a broker-developed platform alongside the familiar MetaTrader options. Even so, Eightcap stands out with a slightly better ForexBrokers.com ranking in this category, placing #32 out of 36 brokers compared with HFM at #34.
| 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 | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 38 | 100 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
HFM and Eightcap both give traders mobile apps for iPhone and Android, along with stock and forex price alerts, trendline drawing, and auto-saving chart drawings. Both brokers are also rated 4 out of 5 stars for mobile trading apps, so on the basics, they are closely matched. However, HFM does not offer watchlist symbol syncing between mobile and the online account, while Eightcap does, which can make it easier to keep track of the same markets across devices.
Where Eightcap stands out more clearly is charting. Its mobile app includes 100 technical studies, compared with just 5 at HFM, giving active traders many more tools for mobile analysis. In ForexBrokers.com’s rankings for mobile trading apps, Eightcap places slightly ahead at #32 out of 36 brokers, while HFM comes in at #33. For traders who want stronger charting and watchlist syncing on mobile, Eightcap has the edge.
| 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 | 5 | 100 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
HFM and Eightcap both give traders useful market research tools, including daily market commentary, a sentiment tool showing long and short positions, an economic calendar, and research from Acuity Trading. Both brokers also do not offer Trading Central or TipRanks. Where HFM stands out is its access to forex news from major sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, plus Autochartist for technical and fundamental analysis, while Eightcap does not offer these extras.
Overall, HFM has the edge in research, with a 4-star rating and a #18 ranking out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com. Eightcap earns 3.5 stars and ranks #34, which still reflects a decent selection of research features but a smaller range than HFM.
| 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 | Yes | Yes |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to education for beginners, HFM has the edge over Eightcap. HFM offers forex and CFDs learning material, regular client webinars at least once a month, and at least 10 beginner videos, plus 10 advanced videos for traders who want to go further. This gives new traders more ways to learn the basics and keep building their skills over time. HFM is rated 4 out of 5 stars for Education and is ranked #29 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
Eightcap also provides at least 10 beginner trading videos, so there is still useful material for new users. However, it does not offer monthly educational webinars, and it falls short on advanced video content compared with HFM. It also ranks slightly lower in the Education category, with a 3.5-star rating and a #31 ranking out of 36 brokers. For beginners who want more live learning and a wider range of study content, HFM is the stronger choice.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Eightcap
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| 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 #27, while Eightcap finished with an overall rank of #30.
HFM (HF Markets) is a global broker best known for its MetaTrader offering, solid research tools, and proprietary copy trading platform, alongside a broad selection of forex pairs and CFDs.
| Feature |
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Eightcap
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| Trust Score | 85 | 87 |
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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 | 85 | 87 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | HFM Review | Eightcap Review |
| Broker Screenshots | HFM | Eightcap | |
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| Regulation | HFM | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 85 | 87 | |
| 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 | 1 | |
| 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 (FSA 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 CMA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | HFM | Eightcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 344 | 803 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 38 | 55 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | No | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| 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 | 1.8 | 1.0 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.1 | 0.76 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | No | |
| 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) | 38 | 100 | |
| 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 | 5 | 100 | |
| 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 | No | |
| 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 | 85 | 87 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | HFM Review | Eightcap Review |
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