Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of FOREX.com vs FXCM, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
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FOREX.com and FXCM both began operations in 1999 and have established themselves in the world of online brokerage. Both companies are publicly traded, but neither operates as a bank. In terms of trustworthiness, ForexBrokers.com rates FOREX.com with a perfect Trust Score of 99, while FXCM holds a slightly lower, yet strong, Trust Score of 95. These ratings reflect the companies' standings in terms of reliability and security measures, based on a scale where scores of 90 to 99 denote a highly trusted status.
When it comes to regulatory oversight, FOREX.com holds 7 Tier-1 licenses, which are regarded as highly trusted by ForexBrokers.com, and 1 Tier-2 license, considered trusted. In contrast, FXCM has obtained 4 Tier-1 licenses and 2 Tier-2 licenses. This indicates that both brokers are well-regulated, but FOREX.com has a slight edge in terms of the number of highest-level licenses. These regulatory credentials underline the brokers' commitments to maintaining secure and compliant trading environments for their clients.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
FXCM
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1999 | 1999 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 4 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
When it comes to commissions and fees, FOREX.com earns 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #14 of 63 brokers, while FXCM earns 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #25. Both offer tiered discounts for high-volume traders, but their pricing can vary by region and account type.
FOREX.com’s Standard account is spread-only and, in the U.S., averaged about 1.4 pips on EUR/USD (July 2023), which is on the higher side. Outside the U.S., its time-weighted average spread on EUR/USD was about 0.74 pips in July 2023. The RAW Spread account posts very low core spreads near 0.13 pips (Feb 2024) but adds a $7 per standard lot commission ($3.50 per side), putting the all-in cost near 0.83 pips before volume rebates. Six rebate tiers offer $2–$9 per million traded, but unless you trade more than about $50 million per month, the all-in cost for the RAW account often lands close to the Standard account for U.S. residents. Very high-volume traders (multi‑billion per month) can drive costs down further.
FXCM’s pricing is slightly above the industry average on most setups. Standard account EUR/USD spreads averaged about 0.78 pips in the EU, U.K., and Australia during May 2024, and about 1.38 pips via its St. Vincent and the Grenadines entity. Commission-based pricing averaged about 0.28 pips (core) in May 2024; after adding commissions, the effective spread is roughly 0.74 pips. Its Active Trader Rebate Program (not offered in the U.K. or EU) pays $5–$25 per million depending on volume; for example, a U.K. setup with a $25,000 balance and $50 million monthly volume can see a $5 round-turn commission and an effective EUR/USD spread near 0.78 pips. As with any broker, spreads can widen during rollover or volatile markets.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
FXCM
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | Starts from $50 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.4 | 0.9 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.9 | 0.8 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When it comes to the range of investments, FOREX.com offers far more choice than FXCM. FOREX.com lists about 5,500 tradeable symbols and 80 forex pairs, while FXCM has around 440 symbols and 46 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading and let you trade cryptocurrency via CFDs, but neither lets you buy actual cryptocurrencies or exchange-traded stocks on U.S. or international exchanges.
FXCM stands out for offering copy trading, which FOREX.com does not. Overall, FOREX.com earns 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks 7th out of 63 brokers, whereas FXCM scores 3.5 stars and ranks 48th. If you want the widest selection of markets, FOREX.com is the stronger pick; if copy trading matters more, FXCM could be a fit.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
FXCM
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 440 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 80 | 46 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | No |
| Copy Trading | No | 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.
FOREX.com and FXCM both check the big boxes for platform access and ease of use. Each broker offers a free demo account for practice, an in-house trading platform, a Windows desktop download, and a web-based platform you can use in your browser. You can place trades directly from charts with either broker. Both support MetaTrader 4 (MT4); however, only FOREX.com also supports MetaTrader 5 (MT5), while FXCM does not.
If copy trading matters to you, FXCM has it and FOREX.com does not. For Trading Platforms and Tools, both brokers earned 5 stars from ForexBrokers.com. In the 63-broker ranking for this category, FXCM is placed slightly higher at #6, with FOREX.com close behind at #7. In short, pick FOREX.com if you want MT5 alongside MT4, or choose FXCM if copy trading is a priority.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
FXCM
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 115 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both FOREX.com and FXCM offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports forex price alerts, watchlist syncing between mobile and web, trendline drawing on charts, and automatic saving of your chart drawings—handy for staying organized across devices.
Where they differ is charting depth and third-party ratings. FOREX.com includes 88 technical studies in its mobile charts, while FXCM offers 59. According to ForexBrokers.com, FOREX.com’s mobile app is rated 5 stars and ranks #3 out of 63 brokers, compared with FXCM’s 4.5-star rating and #16 ranking. If you want more built-in indicators and a higher-rated app, FOREX.com has the edge; if you need the essentials with alerts and syncing, FXCM remains a solid choice.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
FXCM
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 88 | 59 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When evaluating FOREX.com and FXCM for their market research offerings, both brokers provide comprehensive daily market commentary and access to forex news from reputable sources such as Bloomberg and Reuters. Both also include Technical Analytics tools from Trading Central, along with sentiment-based trading tools that demonstrate long or short positions across currency pairs. Furthermore, each features an economic calendar that showcases current and upcoming global news events. However, a key difference lies in additional services: FXCM provides market research from TipRanks, whereas FOREX.com does not.
Despite these subtle differences, both brokers have been rated 4.5 stars out of five for their research services. However, FOREX.com edges slightly ahead in rankings by ForexBrokers.com, holding the #9 spot out of 63 brokers, compared to FXCM's #11 position. This suggests that while both platforms are highly esteemed in the industry, FOREX.com has a slight advantage in overall research offerings according to industry assessments.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
FXCM
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | No | Yes |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
FOREX.com vs FXCM for beginner education: both brokers deliver a deep catalog of forex and CFD learning content that easily clears the “10 pieces” bar, spanning articles, videos, and archived webinars. New traders can join monthly educational webinars at both brokers, and each offers at least 10 beginner-focused videos to cover basics like platform setup, order types, and risk management. As you progress, both also provide 10+ advanced videos for experienced topics.
Both FOREX.com and FXCM earn 4.5 out of 5 stars for Education from ForexBrokers.com. The difference shows up in the standings: out of 63 brokers, FOREX.com ranks #4 for Education while FXCM ranks #14. In short, both are excellent for beginners, but if you want the edge in overall education depth and recognition, FOREX.com comes out ahead.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
FXCM
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 FOREX.com is better than FXCM. FOREX.com finished with an overall rank of #5, while FXCM finished with an overall rank of #15.
FOREX.com is a trusted brand that delivers an excellent trading experience for forex and CFDs traders across the globe. It offers a wide range of markets and provides an impressive suite of proprietary platforms – alongside limited access to MetaTrader.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
FXCM
|
|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 99 | 95 |
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FOREX.com vs FXCM: neither broker supports buying actual delivered cryptocurrencies, but both offer cryptocurrency CFD trading.
FOREX.com vs FXCM: both brokers support ACH/SEPA transfers, PayPal, Skrill, and bank wire deposits and withdrawals, while Visa or 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 | FOREX.com | FXCM | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 95 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FOREX.com Review | FXCM Review |
| Broker Screenshots | FOREX.com | FXCM | |
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| Regulation | FOREX.com | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 95 | |
| Year Founded | 1999 | 1999 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 4 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 2 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | FOREX.com | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | Yes | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | FOREX.com | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | FOREX.com | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 440 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 80 | 46 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | No | |
| Copy Trading | No | 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 | FOREX.com | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.4 | 0.9 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.9 | 0.8 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | FOREX.com | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | Starts from $50 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | FOREX.com | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | FOREX.com | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 115 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | FOREX.com | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 88 | 59 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | FOREX.com | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | Yes | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | FOREX.com | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | FOREX.com | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | FOREX.com Review | FXCM Review |
| Overall | FOREX.com | FXCM | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 95 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FOREX.com Review | FXCM Review |
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