Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of FXCM vs Exness, 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.
FXCM and Exness are popular online brokers that cater to traders around the globe. Established in 1999, FXCM stands out as a publicly traded company, while Exness, founded in 2008, remains privately held. Neither of these brokers operates as a bank. A key difference between them lies in their regulatory credentials. FXCM holds four Tier-1 licenses, which ForexBrokers.com considers highly trusted, along with two Tier-2 licenses. Exness, on the other hand, has secured two Tier-1 licenses and three Tier-2 licenses, showcasing a solid regulatory stance.
When it comes to trust, FXCM boasts a Trust Score of 95 out of 99 according to ForexBrokers.com, categorizing it as highly trusted. Exness has a Trust Score of 81, falling into the trusted category. Both brokers have established a reliable presence in the online trading industry, yet FXCM holds a slight edge in terms of trust and regulatory licenses. Choosing between them would depend on individual preferences and specific trading needs.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2008 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 3 |
If you’re comparing FXCM vs. Exness on commissions and fees, both earn 4 out of 5 stars. FXCM ranks #25 out of 63 brokers for this category on ForexBrokers.com, while Exness ranks #36 out of 63. Your total trading cost will largely depend on account type and your monthly volume: FXCM leans on spreads plus optional rebates for active traders, whereas Exness splits pricing across commission-free and commission-based accounts that target tighter spreads.
FXCM: In May 2024, average EUR/USD spreads were 0.78 pips for its EU, U.K., and Australia offerings, and 1.38 pips with its St. Vincent and the Grenadines entity. Commission-based accounts averaged 0.28 pips before commissions; after adding the commission (about 0.50 pips per round turn), the effective spread was closer to 0.74 pips. The Active Trader Rebate Program (not available in the U.K. or EU) has five tiers and rebates $5–$25 per million traded for clients who trade at least $10 million per month. Depending on the FXCM entity, higher balances and volume can cut per-side commissions; for example, in the U.K., a $25,000 balance and $50 million monthly volume reduces commissions to $2.50 per side ($5 round turn), which put the effective EUR/USD spread near 0.78 pips based on a 0.28‑pip core price. As with many forex brokers, spreads can widen at rollover or during unusual market conditions.
Exness: Pricing depends on the account you choose. Standard Cent and Standard are commission-free with wider spreads and market execution (the Cent account has the highest spreads and tighter stop-out rules). The Pro account tightens spreads and lets you choose instant or market execution. The Zero Spread account uses market execution, targets near-zero spreads, and charges a $0.05 commission per trade, with margin calls at 30%. The Raw account charges up to $7 per round‑turn lot ($3.50 per side) with low spreads, market execution, a 30% margin-call trigger, and no leverage or stop-out restrictions. In short, Exness’ commission accounts generally offer lower all-in costs than its commission-free options, while FXCM’s most competitive pricing often comes from its commission model combined with volume-based rebates.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | Starts from $50 | $10 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.9 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | N/A |
| 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.
FXCM vs Exness: both brokers let you trade forex as CFDs or spot and both support copy trading. Neither offers exchange-traded shares on U.S. or international exchanges, and neither lets you buy actual crypto, though crypto CFDs are available at both. The biggest difference is breadth: FXCM lists about 440 tradeable symbols versus roughly 209 at Exness. However, Exness offers more currency choice with 96 forex pairs compared with FXCM’s 46.
For Range of Investments, both FXCM and Exness earn 3.5 out of 5 stars from ForexBrokers.com. In the category rankings, FXCM sits at #48 of 63 brokers, while Exness is #56. If you want more total markets, FXCM has the edge. If your focus is forex variety, Exness’ larger pair lineup may appeal.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 440 | 209 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 96 |
| 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.
FXCM and Exness both cover the essentials for platform choice and practice: free demo accounts, in-house proprietary platforms, Windows desktop apps, and web-based platforms. Each supports MetaTrader 4 and copy trading, and both let you place orders directly from charts. The key difference is MetaTrader 5, which Exness offers and FXCM does not—useful if you prefer MT5 features and add-ons.
In independent testing of trading platforms and tools, FXCM earns 5 stars and ranks #6 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Exness earns 4 stars and ranks #26. If MT5 access is your priority, Exness stands out; if you want a higher-rated overall platform experience, FXCM has the edge.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 107 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
FXCM and Exness both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports price alerts and lets you draw trendlines on charts. One key difference is watchlists: FXCM syncs your watchlist between the mobile app and your online account, so changes carry over automatically, while Exness does not offer watchlist syncing.
For charting, FXCM includes 59 technical studies compared with 35 at Exness, and FXCM also auto-saves your chart drawings; Exness does not. These differences show up in ratings: FXCM’s mobile app is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #16 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps at ForexBrokers.com, while Exness earns 4 stars and ranks #26. If you value deeper chart tools and seamless syncing, FXCM has the edge; if you just need core features on both iOS and Android, Exness covers the basics.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 59 | 35 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
FXCM and Exness both deliver strong day-to-day support for traders, including daily market commentary, top-tier forex news (from sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or similar), Trading Central tools, sentiment indicators showing long/short ratios, and an economic calendar. Neither broker offers Autochartist or Acuity Trading tools.
The key difference is that FXCM adds TipRanks research while Exness does not. That extra depth helps FXCM earn a higher Research rating (4.5/5) and a stronger category rank (#11 out of 63) compared with Exness (3.5/5, ranked #42). If you want broader third-party insights alongside daily updates, FXCM has the edge; if you just need core research and market news, both are well covered.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Comparing FXCM vs Exness for beginner education, both brokers provide plenty of learning formats. Each runs ongoing client webinars at least once a month and offers at least 10 beginner video lessons plus at least 10 advanced videos, giving new traders a clear path from fundamentals to more technical topics. This mix of videos and live sessions makes it easier to learn forex and CFD trading at your own pace.
FXCM earns a higher score for education, rated 4.5 out of 5 and ranked #14 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while Exness is rated 3.5 out of 5 and ranked #47. If you want a higher-rated, more structured learning experience, FXCM is the stronger pick. Exness still covers the basics well and offers regular webinars, making it a reasonable choice for beginners who want straightforward video lessons and live guidance.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 FXCM is better than Exness. FXCM finished with an overall rank of #15, while Exness finished with an overall rank of #43.
For traders who appreciate advanced trading tools and quality market research, FXCM is a winner, especially for algorithmic trading. Its range of tradeable markets is fairly narrow, however, and the pricing at FXCM is just average.
| Feature |
FXCM
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Exness
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 95 | 81 |
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Comparing online brokers FXCM vs Exness for cryptocurrency trading: neither offers buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both provide cryptocurrency CFD trading.
FXCM vs Exness: For deposits and withdrawals, FXCM supports ACH/SEPA and PayPal (not available with Exness), while both brokers offer Skrill and bank wire transfers.
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 | FXCM | Exness | |
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| Trust Score | 95 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FXCM Review | Exness Review |
| Broker Screenshots | FXCM | Exness | |
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| Regulation | FXCM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 95 | 81 | |
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2008 | |
| 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 | 2 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 3 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | FXCM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | 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) | FXCM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | Yes |
| Investments | FXCM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 440 | 209 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 96 | |
| 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 | FXCM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.9 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | FXCM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | Starts from $50 | $10 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | FXCM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | FXCM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 107 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | FXCM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 59 | 35 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | FXCM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | FXCM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | FXCM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | FXCM Review | Exness Review |
| Overall | FXCM | Exness | |
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| Trust Score | 95 | 81 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FXCM Review | Exness Review |
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