Written by ForexBrokers.com
Is TD Ameritrade better than FXCM? In our analysis of 23 international regulators across 62 of the best forex brokers, TD Ameritrade FX is considered low-risk, with an overall Trust Score of 99 out of 99. FXCM is considered low-risk, with an overall Trust Score of 96 out of 99. Learn more about Trust Score.
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❯×| Overall Rating | TD Ameritrade | FXCM | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 96 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | TD Ameritrade Review | FXCM Review |
| Regulation | TD Ameritrade | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 96 | |
| Year Founded | 1955 | 1999 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank | Yes | No | |
| Authorised in European Union | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 4 | 3 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (High Trust) | TD Ameritrade | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASIC Authorised (Australia) | No | Yes | |
| IIROC Authorised (Canada) | No | Yes | |
| SFC Authorised (Hong Kong) | Yes | No | |
| CBI Authorised (Ireland) | No | No | |
| FSA Authorised (Japan) | No | No | |
| MAS Authorised (Singapore) | Yes | No | |
| FINMA Authorised (Switzerland) | No | No | |
| FCA Authorised (U.K.) | Yes | Yes | |
| CFTC Registered (USA) | Yes | No | |
| FMA Authorised (New Zealand) | No | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Average Trust) | TD Ameritrade | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CBRC Authorised (China) | No | No | |
| CySEC Authorised (Cyprus) | No | Yes | |
| SEBI Authorised (India) | No | No | |
| ISA Authorised (Israel) | No | Yes | |
| CBR Authorised (Russia) | No | No | |
| FSCA Authorised (South Africa) | No | Yes | |
| SEC Authorised (Thailand) | No | No | |
| DFSA / Central Bank Authorised (UAE) | No | No |
| Tier-3 Licenses (Low Trust) | TD Ameritrade | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| SCB Authorised (Bahamas) | No | No | |
| IFSC Authorised (Belize) | No | No | |
| CIMA Authorised (Cayman Islands) | No | No | |
| BMA Authorised (Bermuda) | No | No | |
| FSC Authorised (British Virgin Islands) | No | No | |
| FSC Authorised (Mauritius) | No | No | |
| VFSC Authorised (Vanuatu) | No | No |
| Investments | TD Ameritrade | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 0 | 440 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 73 | 41 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFD) | No | 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 | TD Ameritrade | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.25 | 1.38 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.25 | 1.38 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | TD Ameritrade | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | Starts from $50 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | TD Ameritrade | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | Yes |
| Trading Tools | TD Ameritrade | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 564 | 13 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 360 | 59 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 23 | 10 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | TD Ameritrade | 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 | 360 | 59 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | TD Ameritrade | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | No | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | TD Ameritrade | FXCM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Has 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 | TD Ameritrade | FXCM | |
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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 | TD Ameritrade Review | FXCM Review |
| Overall | TD Ameritrade | FXCM | |
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| Offering of Investments |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 96 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | TD Ameritrade Review | FXCM Review |
Compare
0 of 5Comparing forex brokers side by side is no easy task. For our 2023 annual forex broker review, we spent hundreds of hours assessing 62 forex and CFD brokerages to find the best forex broker. Let's compare TD Ameritrade vs FXCM.
Comparing the trading costs of forex and CFDs is not easy. Not every broker publishes average spreads data, and pricing structures vary. Based on our thorough annual assessment, FXCM offers better pricing overall for traders.
At ForexBrokers.com, we track where each forex and CFD broker is regulated across over 23 international regulator databases. Here's our findings. TD Ameritrade holds 4 global Tier-1 licenses, while FXCM holds 3. FXCM holds 3 global Tier-2 licenses, while TD Ameritrade holds 0. In our analysis of 23 international regulators across 50 brokers, TD Ameritrade earned a higher Trust Score than FXCM.
To compare the trading platforms of both TD Ameritrade and FXCM, we tested each broker's trading tools, research capabilities, and mobile apps. For trading tools, TD Ameritrade offers a better experience. With research, TD Ameritrade offers superior market research. Finally, we found TD Ameritrade to provide better mobile trading apps.
For forex and CFDs traders, copy trading and MetaTrader are both popular platform options. Neither broker offers Meta Trader.Copy trading is not offered by either broker.
TD Ameritrade provides traders 73 currency pairs (e.g., EUR/USD) compared to FXCM's 41 available pairs. Forex pairs aside, FXCM offers traders access to 440 CFDs while TD Ameritrade has 0 available CFDs, a difference of 440.
TD Ameritrade FX is publicly-traded, does operate a bank, and is authorised by five tier-1 regulators (high trust), zero tier-2 regulators (average trust), and zero tier-3 regulators (low trust). TD Ameritrade FX is authorised by the following tier-1 regulators: Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC), Securities Futures Commission (SFC), Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
FXCM's parent company is publicly-traded, does not operate a bank, and is authorised by three tier-1 regulators (high trust), three tier-2 regulators (average trust), and zero tier-3 regulators (low trust). FXCM is authorised by the following tier-1 regulators: Australian Securities & Investment Commission (ASIC), Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and via Friedberg Direct, with the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC).
TD Ameritrade’s thinkorswim platform offers over 70 tradeable currency pairs alongside a plethora of impressive tools, research, and education. For traders in the U.S., TD Ameritrade provides the ultimate trading technology experience.
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.
Overall winner: TD Ameritrade
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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