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 vs Exness: FXCM launched in 1999 and is publicly traded, while Exness began in 2008 and is not listed. Neither broker is a bank. According to ForexBrokers.com, FXCM has a Trust Score of 95/99 (highly trusted), and Exness scores 80/99 (trusted). On this scale, 90–99 is highly trusted, 80–89 trusted, 70–79 average risk, 60–69 high risk, and below 59 not trusted.
Regulation differs between these online forex brokers. FXCM holds 4 Tier-1 licenses (the highest level) and 2 Tier-2 licenses. Exness holds 2 Tier-1 licenses and 3 Tier-2 licenses. More Tier-1 approvals typically indicate tighter oversight in major financial centers, which aligns with FXCM’s higher Trust Score in this comparison.
| 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 |
Looking at commissions and fees, FXCM earns 4.5/5 stars and ranks #17 out of 63 brokers for this category, while Exness earns 4/5 stars and ranks #31 out of 63. FXCM’s pricing skews a bit higher than the industry average unless you qualify for its active-trader discounts. Exness, by contrast, offers multiple account types where your costs depend on whether you choose commission-free (higher spreads) or commission-based (lower spreads) pricing.
FXCM’s average EUR/USD spread in May 2024 was 0.78 pips for its EU, U.K., and Australia entities, and 1.38 pips for its St. Vincent and the Grenadines entity. Its commission-based accounts averaged a low 0.28-pip core spread (excluding commissions), but the effective cost was closer to 0.74 pips after adding the commission equivalent of about 0.50 pips per round turn. FXCM’s Active Trader Rebate Program (not available in the U.K. or EU) can return $5–$25 per million traded, depending on your monthly volume. As an example, a U.K. account with a $25,000 balance and at least $50 million in monthly volume can see commission drop to $2.50 per side ($5 round turn), aligning the effective EUR/USD cost near 0.78 pips. Spreads can widen during rollover or fast markets.
Exness splits pricing across five main account types. Standard Cent and Standard are commission-free and carry higher spreads. Pro tightens spreads further and lets you choose instant or market execution. The Zero Spread account uses market execution and charges a per-trade commission of $0.05, while the Raw account charges up to $7 per round-turn lot ($3.50 per side) with lower spreads; both have a 30% margin call trigger and no leverage or stop-out restrictions. In short, FXCM can be competitive if you trade enough volume to unlock rebates; Exness can be cheaper on its Zero or Raw accounts, whereas its commission-free accounts tend to cost more due to wider spreads.
| 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 and Exness both let you trade forex either as CFDs or via spot contracts. FXCM offers a wider overall lineup with 440 tradeable symbols, while Exness lists 209. That said, Exness leads in currency choice with 96 forex pairs compared to FXCM’s 46. Neither broker offers exchange-traded shares on U.S. or international stock exchanges, and both support copy trading.
For crypto, neither broker sells actual coins, but both provide cryptocurrency CFDs. In ForexBrokers.com’s Range of Investments ratings, FXCM scores 4.5/5 stars and ranks 21st out of 63 brokers, while Exness scores 3.5/5 and ranks 34th. In short, choose FXCM if you want more markets overall, or Exness if having more forex pairs matters most.
| 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 vs Exness: both brokers deliver strong trading platforms and tools. Each offers a free demo account, a proprietary in-house platform, MetaTrader 4 (MT4), Windows desktop downloads, and web-based trading. Copy trading is available at both, and you can place orders directly from charts. The standout difference is MetaTrader 5 (MT5): Exness supports MT5, while FXCM does not.
According to ForexBrokers.com, FXCM earns 5 out of 5 stars and ranks #4 of 63 for Trading Platforms and Tools, whereas Exness earns 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #15. If MT5 is a must-have, Exness is the choice; if third-party testing and ratings are your guide, FXCM holds the edge. Both are solid picks for traders who want copy trading, MT4, and a demo account to get started.
| 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 full-featured mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, and each supports price alerts for fast updates. According to ForexBrokers.com, FXCM earns 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #16 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps, while Exness scores 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #18. If you use multiple devices, note that FXCM syncs your mobile watchlists with your online account, whereas Exness does not.
For charting, FXCM provides 59 technical studies versus 35 with Exness. Both apps let you draw trendlines, but only FXCM auto-saves your drawings so they’re there the next time you open a chart. In short, FXCM is better if you want deeper chart tools and synced watchlists, while Exness covers the essentials with fewer indicators and no cross-device watchlist syncing.
| 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 daily market commentary and stream forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones. Each broker offers Trading Central tools for technical and fundamental insights, a sentiment gauge that shows the long/short split across instruments, and an economic calendar for upcoming events. Neither broker integrates Autochartist or Acuity Trading’s Signal Centre. One key difference: FXCM adds TipRanks research, while Exness does not.
In independent testing by ForexBrokers.com, FXCM earned 4.5 out of 5 stars for Research and ranked 11th out of 63 brokers, while Exness scored 3.5 stars and ranked 31st. If you want broader third‑party research and extra ways to analyze the market, FXCM comes out ahead—especially with TipRanks. If you mainly need daily commentary, top-tier news, Trading Central, sentiment data, and an economic calendar, Exness covers those essentials.
| 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.
FXCM and Exness both deliver forex and CFD education that clears the bar of at least 10 educational pieces. Each runs ongoing client webinars (at least monthly) and offers a full set of video tutorials, with 10+ beginner videos and 10+ advanced videos to help you progress from the basics to more complex strategies. In short, both brokers provide a clear learning path for new traders who want structured content and regular live sessions.
Where they differ is in depth and quality scores. FXCM is rated 4.5 out of 5 for Education and ranks #13 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Exness is rated 3.5 out of 5 and ranks #21. So, while Exness offers solid education for beginners, FXCM stands out as the stronger pick if you want a wider, higher-rated learning experience with webinars and step-by-step videos.
| 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 #10, while Exness finished with an overall rank of #31.
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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| Trust Score | 95 | 80 |
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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 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FXCM Review | Exness Review |
| Broker Screenshots | FXCM | Exness | |
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| Regulation | FXCM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 95 | 80 | |
| 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 (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) | 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 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FXCM Review | Exness Review |
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