Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of eToro vs FXCM, 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.
Comparing eToro and FXCM: eToro launched in 2007, while FXCM dates back to 1999. Both companies are publicly traded and neither is a bank, which keeps their brokerage and banking activities separate.
On regulation and trust, ForexBrokers.com scores brokers on a 0–99 scale (90–99 highly trusted, 80–89 trusted, 70–79 average risk, 60–69 high risk, below 59 not trusted). eToro earns 96/99 and FXCM scores 95/99—both in the highly trusted range. Each holds four Tier-1 licenses considered the most secure, while eToro has one Tier-2 license and FXCM has two. In short, both are highly trusted and well regulated, with eToro edging FXCM on overall trust and FXCM carrying one additional Tier-2 authorization.
| Feature |
eToro
|
FXCM
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2007 | 1999 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 4 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
eToro is a market‑maker with a typical variable spread of 1 pip on EUR/USD, which is a bit higher than the industry average. Most retail traders pick eToro for its social copy trading rather than for low spreads. FXCM’s pricing is also slightly above average on standard accounts: in May 2024, EUR/USD spreads averaged 0.78 pips in the EU, U.K., and Australia, and 1.38 pips with its St. Vincent and the Grenadines entity. As with many brokers, spreads can widen during rollover or volatile markets.
FXCM can get more competitive on its commission-based accounts: core spreads averaged about 0.28 pips in May 2024, with an effective cost closer to 0.74 pips after commissions. Its five‑tier Active Trader Rebate Program (not available in the U.K. or EU) offers $5–$25 per million traded when you do at least $10 million in monthly volume; requirements vary by region (for example, in the U.K., $25,000 balance and $50 million monthly volume can bring commissions to $2.50 per side). eToro’s VIP Club (Silver to Diamond) targets balances from $5,000 to $250,000 and adds perks like Trading Central access, discounted deposits/withdrawals, and a dedicated account manager, but it doesn’t switch you to commission-based forex pricing—spreads remain the main cost.
Ratings and rankings: eToro earns 4.5/5 stars for commissions and fees and ranks #23 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com. FXCM earns 4/5 stars and ranks #25 out of 63. Bottom line: active, high‑volume traders may find FXCM’s commission-based pricing more cost‑effective (where available), while eToro’s appeal lies more in its platform features, with fees centered on slightly higher spreads.
| Feature |
eToro
|
FXCM
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50-$10,000 | Starts from $50 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1 | 0.9 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 0.8 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
In the eToro vs FXCM comparison for range of investments, eToro offers 7,441 tradeable symbols versus FXCM’s 440. Both brokers let you trade forex as CFDs or spot contracts. eToro lists 55 currency pairs, while FXCM offers 46. Each supports copy trading.
Beyond forex, eToro stands out by letting clients buy exchange-traded stocks on U.S. and international markets (not just CFDs) and by offering both real cryptocurrency and crypto CFDs. FXCM does not offer real share dealing or delivered crypto, though it does provide crypto CFDs. Reflecting this breadth, eToro earns 5 stars and ranks #11 out of 63 for Range of Investments, while FXCM scores 3.5 stars and ranks #48. If you want the widest selection with access to real stocks and crypto, eToro fits best; FXCM suits traders focused on forex and CFDs.
| Feature |
eToro
|
FXCM
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7441 | 440 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 55 | 46 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | 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.
eToro and FXCM both make it easy to get started with a free demo (paper) account. Each offers its own proprietary platform and a web-based trading platform you can use in your browser. Both support copy trading and let you place trades directly from a chart. Neither supports MetaTrader 5 (MT5), but FXCM also offers MetaTrader 4 (MT4) while eToro does not.
The main difference is desktop software: FXCM provides a Windows download trading platform, while eToro does not and is more web-focused. For trading platforms and tools, ForexBrokers.com rates eToro 4.5/5 (ranked #8 out of 63) and FXCM 5/5 (ranked #6). If you want a streamlined web and social trading experience, eToro is appealing; if you need MT4 and a traditional Windows desktop platform, FXCM fits better.
| Feature |
eToro
|
FXCM
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 106 | 115 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
eToro and FXCM both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, with stock and forex price alerts and watchlists that sync across mobile and web. According to ForexBrokers.com, both apps earn 4.5 stars; out of 63 brokers, eToro ranks #10 while FXCM ranks #16. If you’re comparing eToro vs FXCM for everyday use, both cover the essentials and keep your account in sync wherever you trade.
Charting is where their mobile apps differ. eToro includes 104 technical studies, giving you a wide range of indicators. FXCM offers 59 studies but adds the ability to draw trendlines on charts, and the app auto-saves those drawings; eToro does not support drawing tools or auto-save. Choose eToro if you want more built-in indicators, or FXCM if you prefer hands-on chart annotations that persist between sessions.
| Feature |
eToro
|
FXCM
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 59 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
In an eToro vs FXCM market research comparison, both brokers deliver daily market commentary and premium forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones. Each offers Trading Central tools for technical and fundamental analysis, a sentiment tool that shows the share of long vs. short positions, TipRanks research, and an economic calendar for tracking key events. Neither broker includes Autochartist or Acuity Trading (Signal Centre).
Both eToro and FXCM earn 4.5 stars for Research from ForexBrokers.com. FXCM holds a slight edge in the rankings at #11 versus eToro at #13 out of 63 brokers. With nearly identical research features and news coverage, the better pick may come down to which platform’s layout and presentation you find easier to use.
| Feature |
eToro
|
FXCM
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | Yes | Yes |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
eToro vs FXCM for beginner education: both brokers deliver a large library focused on forex and CFDs. Each provides at least 10 beginner videos and 10 advanced videos, plus online client webinars at least once a month—so new traders can learn step by step and keep building skills over time. Between the videos, webinars, and other materials, you’ll find well over 10 pieces of forex/CFD content to get started and progress confidently.
Both earn 4.5 stars for Education from ForexBrokers.com, but eToro is ranked higher in the category (#5 of 63) than FXCM (#14 of 63). If rankings matter to you, eToro has the edge. If you prefer FXCM for other reasons, its education still matches eToro on breadth and is beginner-friendly with the same mix of videos and ongoing webinars.
| Feature |
eToro
|
FXCM
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 eToro is better than FXCM. eToro finished with an overall rank of #9, while FXCM finished with an overall rank of #15.
eToro is a winner for its easy-to-use copy-trading platform, where traders can copy the trades of experienced investors – or receive exclusive perks for sharing their own trading strategies.
| Feature |
eToro
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FXCM
|
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| Trust Score | 96 | 95 |
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In the eToro vs FXCM crypto comparison, eToro lets you buy actual delivered cryptocurrencies and trade crypto CFDs, whereas FXCM supports crypto CFDs only and does not offer delivered crypto purchases.
Comparing eToro vs. FXCM: both online brokers support ACH/SEPA transfers, PayPal, Skrill, and bank wire deposits and withdrawals, while Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either platform.
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 | eToro | FXCM | |
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| Trust Score | 96 | 95 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | eToro Review | FXCM Review |
| Broker Screenshots | eToro | FXCM | |
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| Regulation | eToro | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 96 | 95 | |
| Year Founded | 2007 | 1999 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 4 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 2 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | eToro | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | 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) | eToro | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | eToro | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7441 | 440 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 55 | 46 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | 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 | eToro | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1 | 0.9 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 0.8 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | eToro | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50-$10,000 | Starts from $50 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | eToro | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | eToro | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 106 | 115 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | eToro | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 59 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | No | Yes |
| Research | eToro | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | Yes | Yes | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | eToro | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | eToro | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | eToro Review | FXCM Review |
| Overall | eToro | FXCM | |
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| Trust Score | 96 | 95 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | eToro Review | FXCM Review |
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