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 |
HFM and Exness are both rated 4 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees, but HFM ranks a little higher in this category. ForexBrokers.com places HFM at #29 out of 36 brokers, while Exness ranks #32 out of 36. In simple terms, both brokers are fairly competitive, but HFM has a slight edge in the rankings.
HFM’s trading costs are slightly above the industry average. On its standard accounts, HFM says spreads start around 1.2 pips, though this is not tied to a specific time period, so the real average could be a bit higher. Its Zero account shows an effective spread of 0.7 pips after commission, but that figure is also not an average. Overall, HFM is a decent choice if you want clear pricing, but it is not among the cheapest brokers on the market.
Exness gives traders more account choices, and the fees vary depending on the account type. Its commission-free accounts usually have wider spreads, while the commission-based Zero Spread and Raw accounts tend to offer lower spreads in exchange for a trading fee. The Zero Spread account charges a per-trade commission of $0.05, and the Raw account charges up to $7 per round turn lot. For traders who care most about lower spreads and are comfortable with commissions, Exness can be a good fit, but its cheapest option depends on which account you choose.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.8 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 1.1 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | 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.
When comparing HFM and Exness for range of investments, HFM offers a wider overall selection, with 344 tradeable symbols versus Exness’s 239. Both brokers support forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, and neither lets clients buy real, delivered shares on U.S. or international exchanges, such as Apple or Vodafone. Both also offer cryptocurrency CFDs, but not actual crypto ownership. HFM stands out for copy trading, while Exness does not offer this feature.
There is a clear difference in forex choice, though. Exness offers 78 tradeable forex pairs, which is more than HFM’s 38 pairs, so it may suit traders looking mainly for currency markets. For broader market access, HFM has the edge overall, earning 4 stars for Range of Investments compared with Exness’s 3.5 stars. In ForexBrokers.com’s ranking for this category, HFM places #29 out of 36 brokers, while Exness ranks #36.
| 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 wide choice of platform options, including free demo accounts, proprietary platforms, Windows desktop downloads, web-based trading, MetaTrader 4, and MetaTrader 5. Both brokers also let users trade directly from charts, which can make order entry quicker and easier for active traders. In terms of platform quality, each is rated 4 out of 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools, so they are closely matched on the basics.
The main difference is copy trading: HFM offers it, while Exness does not. That can matter for beginners who want to follow other traders or for anyone looking for a more hands-off approach. Even so, Exness has the stronger industry ranking in this category, placing #15 out of 36 brokers compared with HFM at #35 out of 36, which suggests Exness has a slight edge overall in trading platforms and tools.
| 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 make mobile trading easy, since each offers iPhone and Android apps, plus stock and forex price alerts. Both apps also let users draw trendlines on charts, and each earns a 4-star rating for mobile trading apps. Where they differ is in everyday convenience and charting depth. Exness stands out with watchlist symbol syncing, so updates made on the app carry over to the online account, while HFM does not offer that feature.
For chart tools, Exness is the stronger choice, offering 100 technical studies in its mobile app compared with HFM’s 5. HFM does have one useful advantage: it auto-saves chart drawings, while Exness does not. In ForexBrokers.com’s mobile trading apps ranking, Exness places higher at #18 out of 36 brokers, while HFM ranks #34, making Exness the better overall pick for traders who want more features in a mobile app.
| 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 useful market research basics, including daily market commentary, top-tier forex news from sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, and an economic calendar with global events. Where HFM stands out is in its wider mix of extra research tools: it includes Autochartist, a sentiment tool that shows long and short positioning, and Acuity Trading tools such as Signal Centre. Exness, on the other hand, offers Trading Central tools, which HFM does not.
When it comes to overall research quality, HFM comes out ahead. It is rated 4 out of 5 stars for Research and is ranked #18 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while Exness is rated 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranked #34. In short, both brokers cover the core research needs, but HFM provides more built-in analysis options and earns a stronger overall research score.
| 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.
When it comes to education for beginners, both HFM and Exness provide a solid range of learning materials, including forex and CFD education, monthly live webinars, and at least 10 beginner and 10 advanced videos. This means new traders can find help on the basics, while more experienced users can also access content on more advanced trading topics. In other words, both brokers make it fairly easy to keep learning as your skills grow.
That said, there are differences in how each broker is rated and ranked for education. HFM earns 4 out of 5 stars for Education but is ranked #30 out of 36 by ForexBrokers.com, while Exness is rated 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranked #20 out of 36. For beginners comparing the two, HFM appears to have the slightly stronger education score, while Exness places better in the broker 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 |
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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 |
| Broker Screenshots | HFM | Exness | |
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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) - Spread-only account | 1.8 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 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 (Deposit/Withdraw) | 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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