Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of eToro vs HFM, 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.
eToro (founded 2007) and HFM (founded 2010) are online brokers with different trust profiles. eToro is publicly traded, while HFM is private; neither is a bank. According to ForexBrokers.com, eToro’s Trust Score is 96/99 (highly trusted: 90–99), and HFM’s is 86/99 (trusted: 80–89).
On regulation, eToro holds 4 Tier-1 licenses and 1 Tier-2 license, while HFM holds 2 Tier-1 and 3 Tier-2 licenses. ForexBrokers.com classifies Tier-1 regulators as highly trusted and Tier-2 as trusted. Both firms are well regulated, with eToro carrying more Tier-1 authorizations and HFM holding more Tier-2 approvals.
| Feature |
eToro
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2007 | 2010 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
For commissions and fees, both eToro and HFM sit a bit above the industry average, but in different ways. eToro, a market-maker, lists a typical variable spread of 1 pip on EUR/USD. HFM reports about 1.2 pips on its Standard account, while its Zero account targets an effective 0.7 pips after commission. Note that HFM’s figures are not stated as time-weighted averages, and no date range is given. Overall, eToro earns 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #23 of 63 brokers for Commissions and Fees at ForexBrokers.com, while HFM scores 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #32 of 63.
eToro’s pricing won’t usually be the draw for spread hunters; instead, traders often pick eToro for its social copy trading features. That said, eToro offers a VIP program (eToro Club) with five tiers—from Silver to Diamond—for balances between $5,000 and $250,000. Perks can include access to Trading Central, discounted withdrawal and deposit fees, and a dedicated account manager, among other benefits.
HFM’s costs are also a touch above average. Its Standard account typically posts around 1.2 pips (company-stated, not an average), while the Zero account advertises an effective 0.7 pips after commission, which also isn’t presented as an average. Traders comparing pure spread-plus-commission math may find the Zero account appealing for tighter quoted pricing, but should keep the lack of averaged data in mind when evaluating real-world costs.
| Feature |
eToro
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50-$10,000 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1 | 1.2 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 0.7 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
eToro lists 7,441 tradeable symbols across asset classes, while HFM offers about 500. Both brokers support forex trading (CFD/spot). If currency pairs are your focus, HFM carries 102 forex pairs compared with eToro’s 55. For Range of Investments, eToro earns 5 out of 5 stars and ranks #11 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com; HFM scores 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #37.
Beyond forex, eToro lets clients buy exchange-traded shares on U.S. and international markets, something HFM does not provide. Both platforms offer copy trading. Crypto access differs: eToro supports buying actual cryptocurrencies as well as trading crypto CFDs, whereas HFM limits crypto to CFDs. In short, choose eToro for the widest multi-asset lineup and the ability to purchase real stocks and crypto; pick HFM if you want more currency pairs within a smaller overall catalog.
| Feature |
eToro
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7441 | 500 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 55 | 102 |
| 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.
Comparing eToro vs HFM on trading platforms and tools: both brokers provide a free demo (paper) account, their own proprietary platform, a web-based platform, copy trading, and the ability to place orders straight from charts. Platform coverage differs on desktop and third-party software. HFM offers a Windows download and supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5). eToro does not offer a Windows desktop app and does not support MT4 or MT5.
For platform quality, eToro is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #8 of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while HFM scores 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #43. If you want a browser-first experience with a proprietary platform, eToro fits that brief; if you need a Windows download and the MetaTrader suite, HFM is the better match.
| Feature |
eToro
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 106 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both eToro and HFM offer iPhone and Android trading apps with price alerts. Where they differ is watchlist syncing: eToro syncs watchlists between the mobile app and the web platform, while HFM does not. In reviews by ForexBrokers.com, eToro’s mobile trading app earned 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranked #10 out of 63 brokers; HFM scored 4 out of 5 stars and ranked #40 out of 63.
For charting on mobile, eToro includes 104 built-in technical studies—far more than HFM’s 30—useful if you rely on indicators. However, HFM lets you draw trendlines and automatically saves your chart drawings, while eToro lacks both trendline drawing and auto-save. If you want deep indicator coverage and synced watchlists, eToro stands out; if you need on-chart drawing tools with auto-save, HFM may fit better.
| Feature |
eToro
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Both eToro and HFM deliver strong market research basics: daily market commentary, forex news from leading sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, an economic calendar, and sentiment tools that show the ratio of long vs. short positions. These features make it easy for traders to track events and gauge market mood across currency pairs and other instruments.
The key differences are in third‑party research. eToro includes Trading Central and TipRanks, while HFM offers Autochartist for pattern recognition; neither broker provides Acuity Trading tools. Overall, eToro earns 4.5/5 stars for Research and ranks 13th out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, whereas HFM scores 4/5 stars and ranks 20th. Choose eToro if you want Trading Central plus TipRanks stock research; pick HFM if Autochartist’s technical scanning is your priority.
| Feature |
eToro
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central | Yes | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
eToro and HFM both deliver forex and CFD education that suits beginners. Each broker provides at least 10 learning pieces across articles, videos, and other materials, plus ongoing online client webinars (at least one per month). If you’re just starting out, you’ll find plenty of step‑by‑step help at both: each platform offers 10+ beginner videos that walk through trading basics, along with 10+ advanced videos for when you’re ready to level up.
Where they differ is in overall quality scores. ForexBrokers.com rates eToro’s education at 4.5 stars and ranks it #5 out of 63 brokers, while HFM earns 4 stars and ranks #37. In short, both are good for learning the ropes, but eToro stands out for higher-rated education, making it a strong pick if rich, ongoing learning is a top priority.
| Feature |
eToro
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 HFM. eToro finished with an overall rank of #9, while HFM finished with an overall rank of #30.
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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HFM
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|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 96 | 86 |
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In the eToro vs HFM comparison, eToro lets you buy actual delivered cryptocurrency and trade crypto CFDs, while HFM offers crypto CFDs only and does not support purchasing the underlying coins.
Compared with HFM, eToro supports ACH/SEPA transfers and PayPal (both unavailable at HFM), while both brokers accept Skrill and bank wire transfers; Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either.
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 | HFM | |
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| Trust Score | 96 | 86 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | eToro Review | HFM Review |
| Broker Screenshots | eToro | HFM | |
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| Regulation | eToro | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 96 | 86 | |
| Year Founded | 2007 | 2010 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | eToro | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| 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 | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | eToro | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 7441 | 500 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 55 | 102 | |
| 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 | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1 | 1.2 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 0.7 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | eToro | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50-$10,000 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | eToro | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | eToro | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 106 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | eToro | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 104 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | No | Yes |
| Research | eToro | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | eToro | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | eToro | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | HFM Review |
| Overall | eToro | HFM | |
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| Trust Score | 96 | 86 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | eToro Review | HFM Review |
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