Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of FP Markets vs HFM, 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.
When comparing FP Markets and HFM, both online brokers are not publicly traded and do not operate as banks. Founded in 2005, FP Markets holds a Trust Score rating of 89 as per ForexBrokers.com, placing it in the 'trusted' category. In terms of regulatory backing, FP Markets boasts two Tier-1 licenses and one Tier-2 license, indicating a solid foundation of trust and reliability in the financial market. Meanwhile, HFM, established in 2010, possesses a slightly lower Trust Score of 86, which still falls within the 'trusted' range. HFM is backed by three Tier-2 licenses, complementing its two Tier-1 licenses, demonstrating a respectable level of trust from global financial authorities.
| Feature |
FP Markets
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2005 | 2010 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
Looking at commissions and fees, FP Markets is the cheaper pick for most forex traders, while HFM tends to sit a bit above the industry average. FP Markets earned 5 stars and ranks #6 out of 63 brokers for Commissions and Fees (Best in Class for 2024), compared to HFM’s 4 stars and #32 ranking. That gap largely comes down to FP Markets’ strong pricing on its commission-based ECN accounts.
FP Markets’ Raw ECN account averaged 0.1 pips on EUR/USD in October 2023, or about 0.8 pips all-in after its $6 per round-turn commission per standard lot. Its Standard (spread-only) account is pricier, averaging 1.1 pips on EUR/USD. You can access these prices on MetaTrader or cTrader, with the same choice between spread-only and commission-based setups. For shares CFDs, FP Markets’ Iress suite offers Direct Market Access pricing with full depth of book. Note that Iress ViewPoint has monthly platform and data fees unless you reach Premier status or generate at least AUD 150 in monthly commissions; the lower-cost Iress Investor plan waives those fees but limits streaming data and charting.
HFM’s trading costs are slightly above average. The Standard account’s “typical” spread is listed as 1.2 pips, but no date range is provided, so real-world averages may be higher. HFM’s Zero account advertises an effective 0.7 pip cost after commission, though this figure is not an average. Bottom line: FP Markets is generally more cost-competitive—especially for active traders using ECN pricing—while HFM’s pricing is serviceable but less aggressive. FP Markets: 5 stars, #6/63. HFM: 4 stars, #32/63.
| Feature |
FP Markets
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 AUD | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.2 | 1.2 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.7 | 0.7 |
| 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.
FP Markets and HFM both support forex trading (available as CFDs or spot contracts), offer copy trading, and provide cryptocurrency exposure through crypto CFDs rather than real coins. FP Markets delivers a far wider product lineup with about 10,000 tradeable symbols, while HFM lists around 500. If your priority is the number of currency pairs, HFM has the edge with 102 forex pairs versus FP Markets’ 71. Neither broker offers access to actual exchange-traded shares in the U.S. or on international exchanges.
For range of investments, ForexBrokers.com rates FP Markets at 4.5 stars (ranked 19th of 63) and HFM at 4 stars (ranked 37th of 63). In short: choose FP Markets if you want a large selection of markets and instruments, and consider HFM if you care most about a higher count of forex pairs.
| Feature |
FP Markets
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 10000 | 500 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 71 | 102 |
| 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.
FP Markets and HFM line up closely on trading platforms and tools. Both brokers provide free demo (paper) accounts, offer their own proprietary platforms, and support MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5). You can trade on Windows desktop apps or through a web browser with either broker, and both include copy trading plus the ability to place trades directly from charts. If you’re comparing everyday platform access and core tools, they check many of the same boxes.
Where they differ is recognition in industry rankings. Both earn 4 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools, yet FP Markets is ranked #23 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while HFM is ranked #43. Counts for built-in technical indicators and watchlist fields weren’t specified, so traders who rely on extensive chart studies or custom watchlists may want to test each broker’s platform via the demo account. Overall, FP Markets vs HFM comes down to similar platform coverage—MT4/MT5, proprietary options, web and desktop, copy trading—with FP Markets holding the higher category ranking.
| Feature |
FP Markets
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| 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) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
FP Markets and HFM both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports price alerts, drawing trendlines on charts, and automatically saving your chart drawings. A key difference is charting studies: FP Markets uses the standard MetaTrader indicator set, while HFM lists 30 technical studies. Neither broker syncs watchlists between the mobile app and the web or desktop account, so any watchlist edits stay on the device you use.
Both brokers earned 4 out of 5 stars for mobile trading apps, but FP Markets ranks higher in the ForexBrokers.com Mobile Trading Apps category—18th out of 63—compared with HFM at 40th. If you want MetaTrader’s familiar tools with a higher category placement, FP Markets may appeal; if you prefer a defined count of 30 built-in indicators, HFM fits the bill. Either way, iPhone and Android traders get alerts, trendlines, and auto-saved drawings.
| Feature |
FP Markets
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | MetaTrader (Default) | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
FP Markets and HFM both provide daily market commentary, making them accessible to traders looking for regular updates. They cater to forex traders by offering news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, ensuring users receive reliable information for their trading decisions. Both brokers also include tools from Autochartist for technical and fundamental analysis, enhancing their research offerings. However, FP Markets has a slight edge by incorporating analysis tools from Trading Central, which is absent in HFM’s offerings. Both platforms feature sentiment-based trading tools that show the ratio of long or short positions across various instruments, further adding value to their research tools.
When it comes to additional resources, neither FP Markets nor HFM provides research tools from TipRanks or Acuity Trading. They both feature an economic calendar to keep traders informed about upcoming global economic news. As evaluated by ForexBrokers.com, FP Markets achieves a research rating of 4 stars, ranking it at 25th place out of 63 brokers, while HFM shares the same star rating but ranks slightly higher at 20th position. This nuanced difference highlights a competitive edge for HFM in terms of its research offerings, though both brokers provide substantial resources for traders.
| Feature |
FP Markets
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Central | Yes | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
FP Markets and HFM both deliver beginner-friendly education for forex and CFD trading. Each broker offers more than 10 learning pieces, including articles, videos, and archived webinars, and they host client webinars at least monthly. Beginners get plenty of structured video content at both brokers, with at least 10 videos aimed at newcomers and at least 10 for more advanced topics, making it easy to grow from the basics to more complex strategies.
Both FP Markets and HFM earn 4 out of 5 stars for Education from ForexBrokers.com. However, FP Markets ranks higher overall in the Education category (23rd out of 63) compared with HFM (37th out of 63). If you’re deciding on education alone, FP Markets edges ahead for its standing, while HFM still provides a sizable library and regular webinars that will suit most beginners.
| Feature |
FP Markets
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 FP Markets is better than HFM. FP Markets finished with an overall rank of #19, while HFM finished with an overall rank of #30.
FP Markets shines as a low-cost broker for trading forex and CFDs – as long as you use the MetaTrader platform. The Iress platform suite offers well over 9,000 tradeable symbols, but it’s mostly a share trading platform – and is generally a much pricier option.
| Feature |
FP Markets
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HFM
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 89 | 86 |
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FP Markets vs HFM: Neither broker supports buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but both offer cryptocurrency CFD trading.
Comparing deposit and withdrawal methods, FP Markets and HFM both support bank wire transfers and Skrill and do not offer ACH or SEPA, but only FP Markets supports PayPal while HFM 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 | FP Markets | HFM | |
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| Trust Score | 89 | 86 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FP Markets Review | HFM Review |
| Broker Screenshots | FP Markets | HFM | |
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| Regulation | FP Markets | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 89 | 86 | |
| Year Founded | 2005 | 2010 | |
| 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 | 1 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | FP Markets | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | No | 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) | FP Markets | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | FP Markets | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 10000 | 500 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 71 | 102 | |
| 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 | FP Markets | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.2 | 1.2 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.7 | 0.7 | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | FP Markets | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 AUD | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | FP Markets | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | Yes | No |
| Trading Tools | FP Markets | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | FP Markets | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | MetaTrader (Default) | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | FP Markets | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | FP Markets | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | FP Markets | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | FP Markets Review | HFM Review |
| Overall | FP Markets | HFM | |
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| Trust Score | 89 | 86 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FP Markets Review | HFM Review |
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