Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of HFM vs IUX, 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.
Founded in 2010, HFM stands out in the online brokerage landscape with a notable trust score of 86 out of 99, earning it a "trusted" rating according to ForexBrokers.com. HFM is not publicly traded nor a banking institution, yet it does have a strong regulatory foundation with two Tier-1 licenses and three Tier-2 licenses. This positioning within the industry emphasizes its stability and trustworthiness for clients seeking reliable trading partnerships.
On the other hand, IUX, established in 2016, presents a slightly different profile, with a ForexBrokers.com trust score of 78, placing it in the "average risk" category. Like HFM, IUX is not publicly listed nor a banking institution, but it holds one Tier-1 and one Tier-2 license. While its regulatory standing is solid, IUX's score suggests a moderate level of risk for potential investors and traders compared to HFM.
| Feature |
HFM
|
IUX
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2016 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
For commissions and fees, both HFM and IUX earn 4/5 stars from ForexBrokers.com. HFM is ranked #32 out of 63 brokers for this category, while IUX is ranked #49 out of 63—suggesting HFM has a slight edge overall, though neither is among the very cheapest providers.
HFM’s trading costs are slightly above the industry average. Its Standard account lists a typical spread of 1.2 pips (no date range provided, so the true average could be higher). The Zero account quotes an effective 0.7-pip spread after commission, but this figure is also not presented as an average. Keep the lack of dated averages in mind when comparing HFM’s pricing.
IUX’s pricing depends on the account you choose. The Standard and Standard+ accounts require just $10 to start; Standard+ allows deposit bonuses but with wider spreads, while Standard forgoes promos for lower spreads. For active traders, the Pro and Raw accounts each require a $500 minimum: Pro is spread-only with an average EUR/USD spread of 0.7 pips, and Raw charges $6 per 100,000 units traded with an average effective spread near 0.6 pips; the Standard account averages about 0.9 pips (no date ranges provided). Overall, IUX is competitive—especially with its Pro and Raw options—but it doesn’t undercut the lowest-cost leaders.
| Feature |
HFM
|
IUX
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | 10 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.2 | 0.9 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.7 | 0.6 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
HFM offers a wider menu of instruments than IUX: about 500 tradeable symbols versus 152, and 102 forex pairs compared with IUX’s 34. Both brokers let you trade forex as CFDs or spot contracts, and both support crypto derivatives but not direct, delivered cryptocurrency.
Where they differ: HFM provides copy trading, while IUX does not. Neither broker lets you buy U.S.-listed shares outright, but IUX does offer access to exchange-traded securities on some international exchanges, which HFM lacks. For Range of Investments, HFM earns 4 stars and ranks 37th out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com; IUX scores 3.5 stars and ranks 61st. If you want more forex pairs and copy trading, HFM is the stronger fit; if you need international share dealing (non-U.S.), IUX has the edge.
| Feature |
HFM
|
IUX
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 500 | 152 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 102 | 34 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| 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). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
HFM and IUX both offer free demo (paper) accounts, proprietary platforms, and the choice of trading on Windows desktop or directly in your browser. HFM supports both MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), while IUX supports MT5 but not MT4. Copy trading is available at HFM but not at IUX, and neither broker supports DupliTrade or ZuluTrade. Both let you place trades straight from charts. For Trading Platforms and Tools, HFM is rated 4 stars and ranked #43 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while IUX is rated 3.5 stars and ranked #60.
For charting, the number of built-in indicators wasn’t specified by either broker, but HFM lists 30 drawing tools compared with 89 at IUX. Watchlists are more detailed at IUX with 46 fields versus 7 at HFM. In short, choose HFM if you want MT4 and built-in copy trading, and consider IUX if you value more drawing tools and deeper watchlist customization—both make it easy to try before you buy with a free demo and offer their own in-house platforms.
| Feature |
HFM
|
IUX
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 15 | 106 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 30 | 89 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 46 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
HFM and IUX both offer iPhone and Android trading apps with real-time watchlists, multiple chart time frames, and auto-saved drawings. Key differences: HFM supports price alerts and lets you draw trendlines, while IUX does not. On the flip side, IUX provides a larger set of technical studies (106) compared with HFM’s 30. Note that neither app syncs watchlist symbols with your online account.
In third-party reviews, HFM earns 4 stars and ranks #40 out of 63 for Mobile Trading Apps, while IUX scores 3.5 stars and ranks #61. Choose HFM if in-app alerts and trendline drawing matter most; pick IUX if you want more built-in indicators. Both apps run on iOS and Android for trading on the go.
| Feature |
HFM
|
IUX
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | No |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 106 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
HFM vs IUX for market research: HFM offers daily market commentary, forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, Autochartist tools for technical and fundamental insights, a sentiment tool showing long/short positioning, and an economic calendar. IUX provides an economic calendar but does not include daily commentary, top-tier forex news, Autochartist, or a sentiment tool. Neither broker currently features Trading Central, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading.
These gaps show up in independent ratings: ForexBrokers.com gives HFM 4 out of 5 stars for Research and ranks it 20th out of 63 brokers, while IUX earns 3 stars and ranks 60th. If you want richer built-in market research and trade ideas, HFM is the stronger pick; IUX suits traders who mainly need a calendar and prefer to source research elsewhere.
| Feature |
HFM
|
IUX
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
HFM stands out for beginner-friendly forex and CFD education. It offers a full library that meets the 10-piece benchmark, plus monthly live webinars and a searchable archive of past sessions so you can learn on your own time. New traders get 10+ beginner video lessons, and there’s also an advanced video track for when you’re ready to level up. An investor dictionary with 50+ terms helps demystify common jargon.
IUX provides at least 10 beginner trading videos, which is helpful for getting started, but it doesn’t meet the broader 10-piece forex/CFD education benchmark and lacks live webinars, archived sessions, advanced video content, and a large glossary. Based on ForexBrokers.com’s assessments, HFM earns 4 stars and ranks 37th out of 63 for Education, while IUX earns 3 stars and ranks 60th. If you want structured learning with ongoing webinars and a deeper library, HFM is the stronger choice; if you only need basic beginner videos, IUX can cover the basics.
| Feature |
HFM
|
IUX
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| 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 HFM is better than IUX. HFM finished with an overall rank of #30, while IUX finished with an overall rank of #55.
Alongside its enhanced MetaTrader offering and quality research, HFM (HF Markets), previously known as HotForex, offers a proprietary copy trading platform, HFcopy, a proprietary HF mobile app, and a decent selection of over 1,000 CFDs and 47 forex pairs. Still, trading costs at HFM are slightly above the industry average.
| Feature |
HFM
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IUX
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 78 |
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Both HFM and IUX do not provide the option to purchase actual delivered cryptocurrency, but they do offer the capability to buy cryptocurrency derivatives.
Both online brokers HFM and IUX do not support ACH or SEPA transfers, nor do they offer PayPal as a funding option, but they do provide the convenience of Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wire transfers for depositing or withdrawing account funds.
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 | HFM | IUX | |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 78 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | HFM Review | IUX Review |
| Broker Screenshots | HFM | IUX | |
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| Regulation | HFM | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 86 | 78 | |
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2016 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | HFM | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | ||
| 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 | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | HFM | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | HFM | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 500 | 152 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 102 | 34 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| 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). |
| Cost | HFM | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.2 | 0.9 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.7 | 0.6 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | HFM | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | 10 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | HFM | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | HFM | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 46 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 15 | 106 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 30 | 89 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | No |
| Mobile Trading | HFM | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 106 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Research | HFM | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | HFM | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | HFM | IUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | HFM Review | IUX Review |
| Overall | HFM | IUX | |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 78 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | HFM Review | IUX Review |
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