FXCM vs GBE brokers 2025
In this head to head comparison of FXCM vs GBE brokers, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
In this head to head comparison of FXCM vs GBE brokers, 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, established in 1999, is a well-regarded online broker known for its solid regulatory standing and public listing. It holds an impressive Trust Score of 95 from ForexBrokers.com, indicating it is highly trusted. FXCM's strong regulatory position is underscored by its possession of 4 Tier-1 licenses, the highest level of trust, and 2 additional Tier-2 licenses. It is not a bank, but it assures reliability through these licenses and its presence on a stock exchange, offering clients an added layer of transparency and accountability.
Founded in 2013, GBE Brokers is a newer player in the online brokerage industry. It is privately held and, like FXCM, is not a bank. It holds one Tier-1 license, providing a basic level of high trust for its clients. However, with a Trust Score of 71 from ForexBrokers.com, GBE Brokers ranks within the average risk category, which suggests potential clients should weigh this factor carefully. Without any Tier-2 licenses, GBE Brokers may not offer the same regulatory assurance as its more established counterpart, FXCM.
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Year Founded | 1999 | 2013 |
Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
Bank | No | No |
Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 1 |
Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
FXCM and GBE Brokers each earn 4 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees. In ForexBrokers.com’s 2024 rankings of 63 brokers, FXCM places #26 while GBE Brokers ranks #38. FXCM’s overall forex pricing is slightly higher than the industry average, yet it publishes detailed figures. By contrast, GBE Brokers does not provide average spread data, making direct cost comparisons harder for everyday traders.
FXCM’s May 2024 EUR/USD averages show standard account spreads of 0.78 pips in the EU, U.K., and Australia, and 1.38 pips via its St. Vincent and the Grenadines branch. Its commission-based account averaged 0.28 pips (excluding commissions) in May 2024, with an estimated effective spread near 0.74 pips after adding the commission-equivalent of about 0.50 pips per round turn. As with most brokers, spreads can widen during rollover or in unusual market conditions.
For active traders, FXCM offers volume-based discounts, though availability varies by region. The Active Trader Rebate Program (not offered in the U.K. or EU) has five tiers that return $5–$25 per million traded. Requirements differ by jurisdiction; for example, a $25,000 balance and at least $50 million in monthly volume can reduce commissions to $2.5 per side ($5 round turn), putting effective EUR/USD pricing near 0.78 pips when the core price averages 0.28 pips. With GBE Brokers, the absence of published average spreads means you’ll want to review its live quotes, commission schedule, and any volume-based rebates to gauge your true trading costs.
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Minimum Deposit | Starts from $50 | $1000 |
Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.78 | N/A |
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.78 | N/A |
Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No |
ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | Yes |
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
FXCM and GBE brokers both let you trade forex either as CFDs or spot contracts. GBE brokers offers a wider menu overall, with about 500 tradeable symbols and 71 currency pairs, compared with FXCM’s 440 symbols and 46 pairs. If your priority is having more markets to choose from—especially more forex pairs—GBE brokers has the edge.
Neither broker lets you buy actual exchange-traded stocks in the U.S. or abroad (non-CFD shares), but both support copy trading. You can’t buy real crypto at either broker, though both provide cryptocurrency derivatives. For Range of Investments, each earns 3.5 out of 5 stars; in ForexBrokers.com’s rankings, GBE brokers sits at #45 of 63, while FXCM is #48 of 63—reflecting GBE brokers’ slightly broader selection.
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Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 440 | 500 |
Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 71 |
U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | 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.
Comparing FXCM vs GBE brokers on platforms: both provide free demo (paper) trading and offer web and Windows desktop platforms. FXCM also has its own proprietary platform, while GBE brokers does not. Both support MetaTrader 4 (MT4); only GBE brokers adds MetaTrader 5 (MT5). Copy trading is available at both brokers, but FXCM supports ZuluTrade and GBE brokers does not. Neither broker offers DupliTrade.
On trading tools, both let you place orders straight from charts. For charting, FXCM lists 10 drawing tools versus 15 at GBE brokers, and watch lists include 13 fields at FXCM versus 7 at GBE brokers. The number of technical indicators can vary by platform. In independent reviews of Trading Platforms and Tools, FXCM earns 5 stars and ranks #6 out of 63 brokers, while GBE brokers earns 4 stars and ranks #58, highlighting FXCM’s stronger overall toolset and usability.
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Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
Proprietary Platform | Yes | No |
Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
DupliTrade | No | No |
ZuluTrade | Yes | No |
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 30 |
Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 10 | 15 |
Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Watchlists - Total Fields | 13 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
FXCM vs GBE Brokers: Both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android with price alerts and real-time watchlists. Each app lets you draw trendlines, switch between intraday, daily, and weekly time frames, and auto-save chart drawings. FXCM stands out with 59 technical studies in its app, compared with 30 for GBE Brokers. Another key difference is watchlist syncing: FXCM syncs your watchlists between the mobile app and your online account, while GBE Brokers does not.
In third-party tests, ForexBrokers.com rates FXCM’s mobile app 4.5/5 and ranks it 16th out of 63 brokers, while GBE Brokers scores 4/5 and ranks 58th. If you want more chart tools and seamless cross-device watchlists, FXCM is the stronger choice; if you just need core forex and stock trading features on iPhone or Android, GBE Brokers gets the job done.
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Android App | Yes | Yes |
Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 59 | 30 |
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 comparing market research at FXCM vs. GBE brokers, FXCM delivers a fuller toolkit. FXCM provides daily market commentary, top-tier forex news from sources like Bloomberg/Reuters/Dow Jones, Trading Central analysis, a sentiment tool, TipRanks research, and an economic calendar. It does not include Autochartist or Acuity Trading tools. Overall, FXCM earns a 4.5/5 research rating and ranks #11 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
GBE brokers offers the basics: daily market commentary, a sentiment tool, and an economic calendar. It does not provide top-tier news, Autochartist, or Trading Central, and there’s no stated support for TipRanks or Acuity Trading. GBE brokers holds a 3/5 research rating and ranks #63 out of 63. Traders who prioritize premium news and deeper analysis tools may lean toward FXCM, while GBE brokers suits those who only need essential updates.
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Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
Autochartist | No | No |
Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No |
Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
TipRanks | Yes | |
Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | |
Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
FXCM vs. GBE brokers for beginner education: FXCM provides a full forex and CFD learning center with at least 10 educational pieces (articles, videos, and archived webinars). It hosts monthly client webinars and keeps a searchable archive. There are 10+ beginner videos and 10+ advanced videos to help you progress, plus an investor dictionary covering 50+ trading terms. GBE brokers does not meet these benchmarks: it does not provide the minimum set of forex/CFD materials, does not run monthly educational webinars or maintain a searchable archive, and does not offer 10+ beginner or advanced videos or a 50+ term dictionary.
For quality and depth, FXCM stands out: it is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks #14 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com. GBE brokers is rated 3 out of 5 stars and ranks #64. If you want a structured path with regular webinars, video lessons, and searchable archives, FXCM is the better fit for beginners, while GBE brokers provides a more limited set of learning resources.
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Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | No |
Client Webinars | Yes | No |
Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No |
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
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 GBE brokers. FXCM finished with an overall rank of #15, while GBE brokers finished with an overall rank of #57.
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.
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Overall Rating |
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Trust Score | 95 | 71 |
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Both FXCM and GBE Brokers do not provide the option to purchase actual delivered cryptocurrencies, but they both offer the ability to trade cryptocurrency derivatives.
Both FXCM and GBE brokers provide a comprehensive range of deposit and withdrawal options, including ACH and SEPA transfers, PayPal, Skrill, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wires, ensuring flexible and convenient financial transactions for their users.
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 5Overall Rating | FXCM | GBE brokers | |
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Platforms & Tools |
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Mobile Trading |
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Research |
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Education |
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Trust Score | 95 | 71 | |
Winner | check_circle | ||
Review | FXCM Review |
Broker Screenshots | FXCM | GBE brokers | |
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Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
Regulation | FXCM | GBE brokers | |
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Trust Score | 95 | 71 | |
Year Founded | 1999 | 2013 | |
Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
Bank | No | No | |
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 1 | |
Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 | |
Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | FXCM | GBE brokers | |
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Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | 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) | 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 | GBE brokers | |
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Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
Israel (ISA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | No | |
India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
Investments | FXCM | GBE brokers | |
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Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 440 | 500 | |
Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 71 | |
U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | 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 | FXCM | GBE brokers | |
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Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.78 | N/A | |
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.78 | N/A | |
Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | No | |
Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
Funding | FXCM | GBE brokers | |
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Minimum Deposit | Starts from $50 | $1000 | |
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | Yes |
Trading Platforms | FXCM | GBE brokers | |
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Proprietary Platform | Yes | No | |
Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
cTrader | No | No | |
DupliTrade | No | No | |
ZuluTrade | Yes | No |
Trading Tools | FXCM | GBE brokers | |
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Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
Watchlists - Total Fields | 13 | 7 | |
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 30 | |
Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 10 | 15 | |
Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
Mobile Trading | FXCM | GBE brokers | |
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Android App | Yes | Yes | |
Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No | |
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 59 | 30 | |
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 | FXCM | GBE brokers | |
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Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
Autochartist | No | No | |
Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No | |
TipRanks | Yes | ||
Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Education | FXCM | GBE brokers | |
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Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | No | |
Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No | |
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
Major Forex Pairs | FXCM | GBE brokers | |
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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 | FXCM Review |
Overall | FXCM | GBE brokers | |
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Overall Rating |
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Commissions & Fees |
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Range of Investments |
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Platforms & Tools |
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Mobile Trading |
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Research |
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Education |
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Trust Score | 95 | 71 | |
Winner | check_circle | ||
Review | FXCM Review |