Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of FXCM vs HFM, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
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FXCM and HFM are well-known online brokers with different profiles. FXCM was founded in 1999 and is publicly traded, while HFM, founded in 2010, is privately held; neither broker is a bank. On ForexBrokers.com’s 99-point Trust Score, FXCM scores 95 (highly trusted) and HFM scores 85 (trusted). For reference, 90–99 is highly trusted, 80–89 trusted, 70–79 average risk, 60–69 high risk, and below 59 not trusted.
In terms of regulation, FXCM holds 4 Tier-1 licenses (considered highly trusted) and 2 Tier-2 licenses (trusted). HFM holds 2 Tier-1 and 3 Tier-2 licenses. Bottom line: FXCM has a stronger top-tier regulatory footprint and a higher Trust Score, while HFM remains a trusted, well-regulated option.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2010 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
FXCM and HFM both sit a little above the industry average for commissions and fees, but FXCM comes out ahead overall. FXCM’s standard forex spreads can be higher than average in some cases, yet its commission-based pricing is more competitive, with low underlying spreads on select accounts and active trader rebates that can reduce costs for high-volume traders. FXCM is rated 4.5 stars and ranked #17 out of 36 for Commissions and Fees.
HFM also has pricing that is slightly above average. Its standard account spread is typically around 1.2 pips, while its Zero account shows an effective spread of about 0.7 pips after commission. However, HFM does not provide a clear date range for its average spread figures, so actual costs may be higher depending on market conditions. HFM is rated 4 stars and ranked #28 out of 36 for Commissions and Fees.
In simple terms, FXCM offers better value for traders who want lower pricing, especially if they qualify for active trader discounts. HFM is still a usable option, but its fees are less attractive overall compared with FXCM.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | Starts from $50 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.9 | 1.8 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | 1.1 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When comparing FXCM and HFM for range of investments, both brokers give clients access to forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, plus copy trading and cryptocurrency CFDs. Neither broker offers exchange-traded securities on U.S. or international stock exchanges, and neither lets clients buy actual, delivered cryptocurrency. For traders who want a simple mix of forex and crypto CFD products, both platforms cover the basics.
FXCM has the wider product list overall, with 440 tradeable symbols and 46 forex pairs, compared with HFM’s 344 symbols and 38 forex pairs. That broader selection helps FXCM earn a higher Range of Investments score, at 4.5 out of 5 stars, versus HFM’s 4 stars. It also ranks higher with ForexBrokers.com, placing #21 out of 36 brokers, while HFM sits at #28 out of 36.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 440 | 344 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 38 |
| 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.
FXCM and HFM both give traders a wide range of platform choices, including free demo accounts, their own in-house platforms, Windows desktop downloads, web-based platforms, copy trading, MetaTrader 4, and the ability to place trades directly from charts. This means each broker supports both beginners who want to practice first and more active traders who want flexible ways to access the markets.
The biggest difference is that HFM also offers MetaTrader 5, while FXCM does not. That extra platform may appeal to traders looking for a newer MetaTrader option. In overall platform quality, FXCM has the edge, with a 5-star rating and a #4 ranking out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com, compared with HFM’s 4-star rating and #33 ranking in the same category.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
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) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 38 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
FXCM and HFM both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, along with price alerts, trendline drawing, and automatic saving for chart drawings. Both brokers make it easy to trade on the go, but FXCM stands out for a more connected mobile experience because its watchlists sync with the online account, while HFM does not offer this feature.
FXCM also has a clear edge in charting tools, offering 59 technical studies in its mobile app compared with just 5 for HFM. That stronger feature set is reflected in the ratings as well: FXCM earns 4.5 out of 5 stars for mobile trading apps and ranks #16 out of 36 brokers, while HFM scores 4 stars and ranks #32. For traders who want better mobile charting and smoother watchlist syncing, FXCM is the stronger choice.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 59 | 5 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
FXCM and HFM both give traders a solid range of market research tools, including daily market commentary, news from top sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, sentiment data, and an economic calendar for tracking major global events. FXCM stands out for its use of Trading Central and TipRanks, while HFM does not offer those two services.
HFM, on the other hand, includes Autochartist and Acuity Trading tools, which FXCM does not provide. Based on ForexBrokers.com, FXCM earns a 4.5-star research rating and ranks #11 out of 36 brokers, while HFM has a 4-star rating and ranks #18, making FXCM the stronger pick overall for market research.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central | Yes | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | Yes |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginners looking to learn forex or CFD trading, both FXCM and HFM offer a solid range of educational material. Each broker provides forex and CFD education, along with online client webinars held at least once a month. They also each offer at least 10 beginner videos and at least 10 advanced videos, giving new traders and more experienced learners access to useful market lessons and trading topics. In plain terms, both brokers give beginners plenty of ways to get started and keep learning over time.
That said, FXCM has the edge in overall education quality. FXCM is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks #13 out of 36 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while HFM is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #29. So while both brokers support beginner education well, FXCM appears to offer a slightly stronger learning experience overall.
| Feature |
FXCM
|
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 FXCM is better than HFM. FXCM finished with an overall rank of #10, while HFM finished with an overall rank of #27.
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 |
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HFM
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| Trust Score | 95 | 85 |
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Online brokers FXCM and HFM do not support buying actual delivered cryptocurrencies, but both offer cryptocurrency CFDs for trading.
Compared to HFM, which supports Skrill and bank wire deposits/withdrawals but not ACH/SEPA or PayPal (Visa/Mastercard availability not specified), FXCM offers broader funding options including ACH/SEPA, PayPal, Skrill, and bank wires.
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 | HFM | |
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| Trust Score | 95 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FXCM Review | HFM Review |
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| Regulation | FXCM | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 95 | 85 | |
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2010 | |
| 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 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | FXCM | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| 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 | 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) | FXCM | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | FXCM | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 440 | 344 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 46 | 38 | |
| 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 | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.9 | 1.8 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | 1.1 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | FXCM | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | Starts from $50 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | FXCM | 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) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | FXCM | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 38 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | FXCM | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 5 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | FXCM | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | FXCM | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | FXCM | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | HFM Review |
| Overall | FXCM | HFM | |
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| Trust Score | 95 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FXCM Review | HFM Review |
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