Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Plus500 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.
According to ForexBrokers.com, brokers with Trust Scores of 90–99 are highly trusted, 80–89 trusted, 70–79 average risk, 60–69 high risk, and under 59 not trusted. Plus500 earns a 99/99 Trust Score (highly trusted), while Exness scores 80/99 (trusted). Both online brokers were founded in 2008.
Regulation also differs: Plus500 holds seven Tier-1 licenses (highly trusted) and four Tier-2 licenses (trusted); Exness holds two Tier-1 and three Tier-2 licenses. Plus500 is publicly traded, whereas Exness is not; neither company is a bank.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2008 | 2008 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 4 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 3 |
When comparing online broker Plus500 vs Exness for commissions and fees, Plus500 is priced slightly above the industry average and does not offer discounts to retail clients. It does, however, offer cash rebates for eligible Professional clients. For spread pricing, Plus500’s EUR/USD spread averaged 1.5 pips in April 2024, which is higher than the industry average. Plus500 is rated 4.0 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and is ranked #25 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
Exness takes a different approach by offering several account types, and your trading costs depend on which one you choose. Its commission-free Standard Cent, Standard, and Pro accounts usually have wider spreads, while the Zero Spread and Raw accounts charge commissions but offer lower spreads. This gives traders more flexibility to pick a pricing setup that fits their style. Exness is rated 4.0 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and is ranked #32 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
Overall, Plus500 may be simpler for traders who want a straightforward pricing model, while Exness gives more account choices and can be cheaper for some active traders, especially on commission-based accounts. That said, Plus500 scores slightly better in ForexBrokers.com’s commissions and fees ranking, while both brokers share the same 4-star rating.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €50 | $100 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.3 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.3 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When it comes to range of investments, Plus500 offers a much wider menu than Exness. Plus500 lists 5,500 tradable symbols, compared with Exness’s 239, and it also has more options for trading stocks on both U.S. and international exchanges. Both brokers support forex trading and crypto CFDs, but only Plus500 gives access to exchange-traded securities, which means clients can buy real shares such as Apple or Vodafone rather than only trading contracts tied to them.
Exness does have a slight edge in forex pairs, offering 78 compared with Plus500’s 65, so traders focused only on currency markets may like that extra choice. Still, for overall investment variety, Plus500 comes out ahead with a 4.5-star rating for Range of Investments and a #16 ranking out of 36 brokers, while Exness earns 3.5 stars and ranks #35. Neither broker offers copy trading or the ability to buy actual cryptocurrency.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 239 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 78 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | No | 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). Non-CFD share trading at Plus500 is only available through the Plus500 Invest account. | 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.
Plus500 and Exness both give traders a free demo account, a web-based platform, and their own in-house trading platform, so each makes it easy to get started without downloading extra software. Neither broker offers copy trading. For Trading Platforms and Tools, Plus500 is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #14 out of 36 brokers, while Exness is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #15.
The key difference is depth and desktop access: Exness also offers both MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, plus a Windows desktop platform and the ability to trade directly from charts. Plus500 does not offer MT4, MT5, or a Windows download platform, so it may appeal more to traders who want a simpler browser-based setup, while Exness is better suited to those who want more platform choice and chart-based trading tools.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 106 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Plus500 and Exness both make it easy to trade on the go, with iPhone and Android apps, price alerts, and watchlist syncing so your lists stay updated across mobile and web. Each app also lets you draw trendlines on charts, but neither one automatically saves those drawings, so you may need to add them again later if you switch devices or refresh your setup.
Where the two differ is in charting depth and overall mobile app ratings. Plus500 offers 115 technical studies in its mobile charts, compared with 100 for Exness, and it also earns a higher mobile trading apps score at 4.5 stars versus 4 stars for Exness. In ForexBrokers.com’s ranking of 36 brokers, Plus500 places at #14 for mobile trading apps, while Exness comes in at #18, giving Plus500 a slight edge for traders who want more chart tools and a higher-rated app experience.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 115 | 100 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Plus500 and Exness both give traders daily market commentary and an economic calendar, so each platform offers useful basics for keeping up with news and upcoming events. Both also include Trading Central tools, while neither provides Autochartist, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading research. The main difference is that Exness adds forex news from major sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, while Plus500 does not. On the other hand, Plus500 offers a sentiment tool that shows long and short positions across markets, which Exness does not.
Overall, Plus500 comes out ahead for research, with a 4.5-star rating and a ForexBrokers.com ranking of #16 out of 36 brokers. Exness is still useful for market research, but it trails behind with a 3.5-star rating and a #32 ranking. If you want more built-in research coverage, Exness has the edge on top-tier news, while Plus500 stands out for sentiment data and stronger overall research scores.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to beginner-friendly education, both Plus500 and Exness give new traders plenty to work with. Each broker offers forex or CFD learning materials, runs online educational webinars at least once a month, and provides at least 10 beginner videos plus 10 advanced videos. That means beginners can find basic explanations and later move on to more advanced trading topics with either platform.
Even so, Plus500 comes out ahead in overall education quality. It is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for Education, compared with 3.5 stars for Exness. On ForexBrokers.com’s education ranking, Exness places higher at #21 out of 36 brokers, while Plus500 ranks #26. So, if you are mainly looking at star ratings, Plus500 looks stronger; if you care more about the site’s overall ranking position, Exness has the edge.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
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 Plus500 is better than Exness. Plus500 finished with an overall rank of #14, while Exness finished with an overall rank of #31.
Plus500 is a trusted global brand that offers an easy-to-use trading platform for online traders, alongside access to a thorough selection of CFDs. Share trading is available, but only via its Plus500 Invest product offering.
| Feature |
Plus500
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Exness
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 80 |
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In a Plus500 vs Exness comparison for cryptocurrency access, neither broker supports buying actual (delivered) crypto, while both offer cryptocurrency CFD trading.
Plus500 vs Exness: both do not support ACH or SEPA, both support Skrill and bank wire transfers, Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either, and only Plus500 supports PayPal while Exness does not.
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 | Plus500 | Exness | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Plus500 Review | Exness Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Plus500 | Exness | |
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| Regulation | Plus500 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 80 | |
| Year Founded | 2008 | 2008 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 4 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 3 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Plus500 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | Yes | 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) | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Plus500 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | Yes |
| Investments | Plus500 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 239 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 78 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | No | 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). Non-CFD share trading at Plus500 is only available through the Plus500 Invest account. | 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 | Plus500 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.3 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.3 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Plus500 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €50 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | Plus500 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Plus500 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 106 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Plus500 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 115 | 100 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Plus500 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Plus500 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Plus500 | Exness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | Plus500 Review | Exness Review |
| Overall | Plus500 | Exness | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Plus500 Review | Exness Review |
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