Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of FXCM vs FP Markets, 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.
FXCM (founded 1999) and FP Markets (founded 2005) are online brokers with different corporate profiles: FXCM is publicly traded, while FP Markets is not. Neither broker is a bank.
Regulation and trust favor FXCM on paper. FXCM holds 4 Tier-1 licenses and 2 Tier-2 licenses, compared with FP Markets’ 2 Tier-1 and 1 Tier-2 licenses. According to ForexBrokers.com, FXCM has a 95/99 Trust Score and FP Markets has 90/99—both fall in the “highly trusted” range. For context: 90–99 is highly trusted, 80–89 trusted, 70–79 average risk, 60–69 high risk, and 59 or below should not be trusted.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
FP Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2005 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
FXCM vs FP Markets on commissions and fees: both earn 4.5 out of 5 stars, but FP Markets ranks higher (#11 of 63) than FXCM (#17 of 63) in ForexBrokers.com’s Commissions and Fees category and also picked up Best in Class honors. In short, FP Markets tends to be cheaper for commission-based trading, while FXCM’s pricing is slightly above the industry average for standard, spread-only trading.
FXCM’s EUR/USD spreads averaged 0.78 pips for its EU, U.K., and Australia entities in May 2024 (1.38 pips for its St. Vincent and the Grenadines entity). Its commission-based accounts averaged 0.28 pips before commissions, with an effective spread around 0.74 pips after adding the commission-equivalent. The Active Trader Rebate Program (not available in the U.K. or EU) offers $5–$25 per million traded, and heavy-volume traders can see lower per-side commissions (e.g., $2.50 per side with higher balances and volume in the U.K.). As with most brokers, spreads can widen during rollover or volatile markets.
FP Markets’ Raw ECN account averaged 0.1 pips on EUR/USD (about 0.8 pips all-in with a $6 round-turn commission), while its Standard account averaged 1.1 pips. You can access the Raw pricing on MetaTrader or cTrader, and the broker’s Iress ViewPoint platform provides DMA pricing with depth of book but can add platform/data fees unless you meet higher activity or balance thresholds; the lower-cost Iress Investor option has fewer features and no default streaming data. Overall, FP Markets generally delivers lower all-in costs for active, commission-based traders, while FXCM offers discounts via its Active Trader tiers if you trade enough volume.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
FP Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | Starts from $50 | $100 AUD |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.9 | 1.3 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | 0.9 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
FXCM and FP Markets both support forex trading (available as CFDs or spot, depending on the product). FP Markets offers a much larger selection of markets overall, with about 10,000 tradeable symbols compared with FXCM’s 440. FP Markets also lists more currency pairs (71 vs 46), which can appeal to traders seeking greater choice.
Neither broker provides access to exchange-traded shares in the U.S. or abroad, so stock exposure is through CFDs rather than owning the shares. Both brokers offer copy trading and cryptocurrency via CFDs (not actual, delivered crypto). For Range of Investments, ForexBrokers.com rates both at 4.5 out of 5 stars, with FP Markets ranked #16 and FXCM #21 out of 63 brokers.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
FP Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 440 | 10000 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 71 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | No |
| Copy Trading | Yes | 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.
Comparing online brokers FXCM and FP Markets on trading platforms and tools, both check a lot of must-have boxes. Each offers a free demo (paper) trading account, a proprietary platform, a Windows desktop download, a web-based platform, copy trading, and MetaTrader 4 (MT4). Both also let you place trades directly from charts. A key difference is MetaTrader 5 (MT5): FP Markets supports MT5, while FXCM does not.
For charting and workflow, both brands include technical indicators and customizable watch lists to help you analyze markets and manage symbols. According to ForexBrokers.com, FXCM earns 5 stars and ranks #4 out of 63 brokers for Trading Platforms and Tools, while FP Markets earns 4 stars and ranks #22. If you want MT5 alongside MT4, FP Markets is a natural pick; if you value a higher-rated platform and tools experience, FXCM stands out.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
FP Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
FXCM and FP Markets both deliver mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, complete with price alerts, trendline drawing tools, and auto‑saved chart annotations. FXCM stands out for convenience with watchlist syncing, so changes you make on mobile appear in your online account, and vice versa. For charting, FXCM offers 59 technical studies in its app, while FP Markets uses MetaTrader’s default indicator set.
In independent testing by ForexBrokers.com, FXCM’s mobile apps earned 4.5 stars and ranked #16 out of 63 brokers, while FP Markets received 4 stars and ranked #20. If you want more built‑in indicators and synced watchlists, FXCM is the stronger pick; if you prefer the familiar MetaTrader experience and can live without watchlist sync, FP Markets is a solid alternative.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
FP Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 59 | MetaTrader (Default) |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
In the FXCM vs FP Markets comparison for market research, FXCM has a slight edge. FXCM earns 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #11 of 63 brokers for Research on ForexBrokers.com, while FP Markets scores 4 stars and ranks #22. Both brokers cover the essentials: daily market commentary, real-time forex news from major outlets like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, Trading Central analytics, sentiment tools that show long vs. short positioning, and an economic calendar for upcoming events.
The key differences come down to extra tools. FXCM includes TipRanks research to help with idea generation and checking analyst views, while FP Markets offers Autochartist for automated chart pattern and volatility scans. Neither broker provides Acuity Trading tools such as Signal Centre. If you want TipRanks and a slightly higher-rated research experience, FXCM is the better pick; if you prefer Autochartist to support your technical analysis, FP Markets is a solid alternative.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
FP Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
FXCM vs FP Markets for beginner education: both brokers offer forex and CFD education with well over 10 learning pieces, including articles, videos, and archived webinars. Each hosts client webinars at least once a month. If you prefer video learning, both provide 10+ beginner videos and 10+ advanced videos, letting you move from the basics to more complex topics at your own pace.
When it comes to quality scores, FXCM holds a higher Education rating at 4.5/5 and ranks #13 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while FP Markets scores 4/5 and ranks #22. That edge makes FXCM a slightly stronger choice if you want higher-rated education and a clearer learning path. FP Markets is still a solid pick for beginners who value frequent webinars and a wide set of beginner and advanced videos.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
FP Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 FXCM is better than FP Markets. FXCM finished with an overall rank of #10, while FP Markets finished with an overall rank of #19.
For traders who appreciate advanced trading tools and quality market research, FXCM is a winner, especially for algorithmic trading. Its range of tradeable markets is fairly narrow, however, and the pricing at FXCM is just average.
| Feature |
FXCM
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FP Markets
|
|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 95 | 90 |
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Online brokers FXCM and FP Markets do not allow buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both offer cryptocurrency CFD trading.
Comparing online brokers FXCM vs FP Markets: both support PayPal, Skrill, and bank wire transfers, only FXCM offers ACH/SEPA deposits and withdrawals, and Visa/Mastercard availability for either broker 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 | FXCM | FP Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 95 | 90 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FXCM Review | FP Markets Review |
| Broker Screenshots | FXCM | FP Markets | |
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| Regulation | FXCM | FP Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 95 | 90 | |
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2005 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | FXCM | FP Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | 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 | No | |
| 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) | FXCM | FP Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | FXCM | FP Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 440 | 10000 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 71 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | No | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | 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 | FXCM | FP Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.9 | 1.3 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | 0.9 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | FXCM | FP Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | Starts from $50 | $100 AUD | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | FXCM | FP Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | Yes |
| Trading Tools | FXCM | FP Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | FXCM | FP Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 59 | MetaTrader (Default) | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | FXCM | FP Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | FXCM | FP Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | FXCM | FP Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | FXCM Review | FP Markets Review |
| Overall | FXCM | FP Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 95 | 90 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FXCM Review | FP Markets Review |
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