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.
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.
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 comparing the commissions and fees of FOREX.com and FXCM, both brokers have distinct offerings that cater to different trading preferences. FOREX.com, ranked #13 for commissions and fees by ForexBrokers.com, boasts a 4.5-star rating. Although it's one of the top market maker brokers, FOREX.com tends to be slightly more expensive than the industry average. U.S. Standard account holders experience high average spreads of 1.4 on the EUR/USD, which may attract those seeking market-maker execution despite the higher expense. The newer RAW and Commission accounts promise competitive spreads that can drop to near zero before commissions, especially benefiting very high-volume traders through volume-based rebates.
In contrast, FXCM holds a 4-star rating and ranks #25 in the commissions and fees category. While their forex pricing is somewhat above the industry average, there are benefits for active traders. The Standard account at FXCM offers spreads averaging 0.78 on the EUR/USD for select regions, and 1.38 for its St. Vincent and the Grenadines entity. With its commission-based accounts, lower spreads of 0.28 pips are achievable, but effective costs rise to 0.74 pips once commissions are factored in. The Active Trader Rebate Program provides discounts for high-volume traders, allowing effective spreads to be reduced further based on trading volume and the specific FXCM entity managing the account.
Overall, while FOREX.com offers more opportunities for lower spread costs through active trading incentives and transparent statistics, FXCM provides competitive rebates for high-volume traders, albeit with a slightly higher effective spread. Active traders at both firms can benefit from discounts and rebates, though the specifics depend on the chosen account type and trading location. Each broker caters to varied trading needs, and potential clients should consider their trading volume and platform preferences when choosing between them.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
FXCM
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | Starts from $50 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.4 | 0.78 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.9 | 0.78 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | 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 stands out significantly compared to FXCM. With an impressive 5,500 tradeable symbols, FOREX.com offers a vast selection for clients, including 80 tradeable forex pairs. This extensive variety contributes to its high rating of 5 stars for its range of investments. While both platforms provide forex trading options via CFD or spot contracts, FOREX.com's comprehensive selection ranks it 7th out of 63 brokers in the category.
In contrast, FXCM presents a narrower range of options. Offering 440 tradeable symbols and 43 forex pairs, FXCM holds a 3.5-star rating for its investment range. Moreover, both brokers do not provide exchange-traded securities on U.S. or international exchanges. However, FXCM supports copy trading, unlike FOREX.com. While neither platform allows the purchase of actual delivered cryptocurrencies, both offer cryptocurrency derivatives. Consequently, FXCM is ranked 47th out of 63 brokers for its investment range, illustrating a notable difference between the two platforms.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
FXCM
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 440 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 80 | 43 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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.
When comparing FOREX.com and FXCM, both platforms provide a comprehensive suite of trading options that cater to different trading needs. They each offer proprietary platforms as well as popular third-party options like MetaTrader 4 (MT4), with FOREX.com also supporting MetaTrader 5 (MT5). Both brokers provide Windows-based desktop platforms and web-based trading for added flexibility. In addition, each platform offers a virtual demo account for risk-free trading practice. While FOREX.com does not offer copy trading services, FXCM provides this feature along with integration with ZuluTrade, appealing to traders interested in social trading networks.
For technical traders, both platforms allow trading directly from stock charts and offer a range of charting tools. FOREX.com outshines with a substantial number of drawing tools, totaling 239, compared to FXCM's 10. The watchlist feature also sees FOREX.com offering more customizable options with 20 fields, while FXCM provides 13. Despite these variances, both brokers are highly rated for their trading platforms and tools, receiving five out of five stars. In terms of rankings by ForexBrokers.com, FXCM slightly edges out FOREX.com, securing the 6th spot compared to FOREX.com's 7th among 63 brokers.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
FXCM
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 115 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 239 | 10 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 20 | 13 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When comparing the mobile trading apps of FOREX.com and FXCM, both offer a comprehensive suite of features that cater to the needs of both iPhone and Android users. They provide essential functionalities such as stock or forex price alerts and watchlist symbol syncing, which allows seamless updates between your mobile app and online account. However, FOREX.com slightly edges out FXCM with a collection of 88 technical studies available for its charting tools compared to FXCM's 59. Both platforms also allow users to draw trendlines and view multiple time frames, making chart analysis straightforward. Furthermore, any drawings made are saved automatically on both apps, enhancing user experience.
For those interested in creating watchlists with real-time quotes, both FOREX.com and FXCM apps cover this feature effectively. However, in terms of user ratings, FOREX.com's app holds a slight advantage with a 5-star rating, while FXCM has 4.5 stars. Evaluations by ForexBrokers.com place FOREX.com in the spotlight at rank #3 out of 63 brokers for mobile trading apps, whereas FXCM is positioned at #16. These distinctions highlight FOREX.com's strong performance in mobile trading apps, making it an appealing choice for traders who value a highly rated and capable mobile trading experience.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
FXCM
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 88 | 59 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | 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 | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | Yes |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | Yes |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When comparing the educational resources for beginners provided by FOREX.com and FXCM, both online brokers shine with a wealth of learning materials. Each offers over ten educational pieces focusing on forex and CFD trading, such as articles, videos, and archived webinars, ensuring that novice traders have a wealth of information at their fingertips. Moreover, both brokers host monthly online client webinars, which are crucial for interactive learning and staying updated with market trends. These sessions are complemented by searchable archives of past webinars, allowing traders to revisit key lessons anytime. Both platforms also boast a library of over ten beginner videos, carefully curated to cover essential trading topics and help beginners grasp the fundamentals of forex trading.
In addition to beginner content, FOREX.com and FXCM cater to more experienced traders by providing over ten advanced educational videos, diving deeper into sophisticated trading strategies. Each broker features an investor dictionary with definitions for at least 50 investing terms, promoting a better understanding of trading jargon. Both brokers are highly rated with 4.5 stars for education, which reflects their dedication to fostering an informed community of traders. However, FOREX.com stands out with a higher industry ranking; it is positioned 4th out of 63 brokers, according to ForexBrokers.com, while FXCM holds the 14th spot. This distinction may guide beginners seeking top-tier educational resources in making an informed choice.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
FXCM
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | 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
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 95 |
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Both FOREX.com and FXCM do not offer the ability to buy actual delivered cryptocurrency but provide options to trade cryptocurrency derivatives.
FOREX.com and FXCM both support ACH and SEPA transfers, PayPal, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wire transactions for depositing or withdrawing funds, but differ as FXCM offers Skrill while FOREX.com 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 | 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 | 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 | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | FOREX.com | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 440 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 80 | 43 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | 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 | 1.4 | 0.78 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.9 | 0.78 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | FOREX.com | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | Starts from $50 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | FOREX.com | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | Yes |
| Trading Tools | FOREX.com | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 20 | 13 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 115 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 239 | 10 | |
| 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 Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 88 | 59 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | FOREX.com | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | Yes | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | FOREX.com | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | FOREX.com | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| 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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