Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of HFM 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.
HFM (founded 2010) and Exness (founded 2008) are online brokers that are not publicly traded and are not banks. Both are regulated with two Tier-1 licenses (the most trusted category per ForexBrokers.com) and three Tier-2 licenses, indicating broad regulatory coverage across major jurisdictions.
According to ForexBrokers.com, HFM holds a Trust Score of 85 and Exness scores 80. On this scale, 90–99 is highly trusted, 80–89 trusted, 70–79 average risk, 60–69 high risk, and below 59 not trusted. Both brokers fall into the trusted range, with HFM ranking slightly higher.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2008 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 3 |
When comparing HFM vs. Exness for commissions and fees, both brokers earn 4 out of 5 stars, but their pricing structures are a little different. HFM’s trading costs are slightly above the industry average, with the company noting typical spreads of 1.2 pips on standard accounts and an effective 0.7-pip spread on its Zero account after commission. However, these figures are not stated as average spreads, so real trading costs may vary. HFM is ranked #28 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com in the Commissions and Fees category.
Exness also receives 4 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees, and it gives traders more account choices, including standard, professional, and social copy trading accounts. In general, Exness offers lower spreads on its commission-based accounts than on its commission-free ones. For example, the Zero Spread account charges a per-trade commission of $0.05, while the Raw account charges up to $7 per round turn lot ($3.50 per side) and usually comes with tighter spreads. Exness is ranked #31 out of 36 brokers for this category.
In simple terms, HFM and Exness are very close on fees, but HFM holds a slightly better ranking in this category. Exness may appeal to traders who want more account options and the chance to choose between commission-free and commission-based pricing, while HFM may be the better pick if you prefer a broker with a somewhat stronger ranking for commissions and fees.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.8 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.1 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
HFM and Exness both let you trade forex as CFDs, and both also offer cryptocurrency CFDs rather than actual crypto ownership. Neither broker provides exchange-traded securities on U.S. or international stock exchanges, so you cannot buy real shares like Apple or Vodafone through either platform. HFM stands out for copy trading, while Exness does not offer this feature. In overall market access, HFM lists 344 tradeable symbols and 38 forex pairs, compared with Exness at 239 symbols and 78 forex pairs.
For range of investments, HFM is the stronger pick overall, earning 4 out of 5 stars and a ForexBrokers.com ranking of #28 out of 36 brokers. Exness scores 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #34. In simple terms, HFM offers a wider mix of markets to trade, while Exness gives you a larger selection of forex pairs.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 344 | 239 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 38 | 78 |
| 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 Exness both give traders a strong set of platform options, including free demo accounts, a proprietary platform, Windows desktop downloads, web-based trading, MetaTrader 4, and MetaTrader 5. Each broker also lets users trade directly from charts, which can make order placement quicker and easier for active traders. On top of that, both brokers earn the same 4-star rating for Trading Platforms and Tools, showing that each offers a solid overall trading setup.
The main difference is that HFM offers copy trading, while Exness does not. Exness does, however, rank higher in ForexBrokers.com’s Trading Platforms and Tools category, placing #15 out of 36 brokers versus HFM’s #33. For traders who want copy trading, HFM may have the edge; for those focused on overall platform ranking, Exness has the better score.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| 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 | 106 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
HFM and Exness both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, and each supports price alerts plus the ability to draw trendlines on charts. Both apps are also rated 4 out of 5 stars for mobile trading. Where they differ is in day-to-day convenience and charting depth. Exness stands out with watchlist symbol syncing, so changes made on the app carry over to the online account, while HFM does not offer this feature. HFM does have auto-saving for chart drawings, but Exness does not.
For chart tools, Exness offers a much wider range of technical studies in its mobile app, with 100 compared with HFM’s 5. In ForexBrokers.com’s mobile trading apps ranking, Exness places higher at #18 out of 36 brokers, while HFM ranks #32. For traders who want more charting tools and synced watchlists, Exness has the edge. HFM may still suit users who value simple mobile trading with drawing tools that save automatically.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
HFM and Exness both give traders daily market commentary, news from major sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, and an economic calendar to track key global events. Where HFM stands out is in its extra research tools: it offers Autochartist for chart analysis, a sentiment tool that shows long and short position ratios, and Acuity Trading tools such as Signal Centre. Exness, on the other hand, includes Trading Central research tools but does not offer Autochartist, sentiment data, or Acuity Trading.
In third-party reviews, HFM comes out ahead for market research with a 4-star rating and a ForexBrokers.com ranking of #18 out of 36 brokers, compared with Exness at 3.5 stars and #31. For traders who want more built-in research features, HFM has the edge, while Exness still covers the basics well and adds Trading Central for chart and trade ideas.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central | No | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
HFM and Exness both give beginners a wide range of learning tools, including forex and CFD education with at least 10 pieces of content, monthly client webinars, and plenty of beginner and advanced videos. This means new traders can find basic lessons to help them get started, while more experienced users can also access content that goes further into trading topics.
When it comes to overall education, HFM has the higher rating at 4 stars compared with Exness at 3.5 stars. However, Exness is ranked higher by ForexBrokers.com in the Education category, coming in at #21 out of 36 brokers, while HFM places at #29. For beginners, both brokers offer a lot of learning material, but HFM appears to score better on rating, while Exness holds the stronger ranking.
| Feature |
HFM
|
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 HFM is better than Exness. HFM finished with an overall rank of #27, while Exness finished with an overall rank of #31.
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 |
HFM
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Exness
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| Trust Score | 85 | 80 |
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HFM vs Exness: neither broker allows buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both offer cryptocurrency CFD trading.
HFM vs Exness: both brokers do not support ACH or SEPA transfers or PayPal, both accept Skrill and bank wire deposits/withdrawals, and Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified.
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 | Exness | |
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| Trust Score | 85 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | HFM Review | Exness Review |
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| Regulation | HFM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 85 | 80 | |
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2008 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 3 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | HFM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | No | |
| 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 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | Yes |
| Investments | HFM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 344 | 239 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 38 | 78 | |
| 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 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.8 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.1 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | HFM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | HFM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 38 | 106 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | HFM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | HFM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | HFM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | HFM | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Exness Review |
| Overall | HFM | Exness | |
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| Trust Score | 85 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | HFM Review | Exness Review |
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