Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of OANDA 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.
OANDA, established in 1996, and HFM, which began its operations in 2010, are both online brokers that offer trading services. Neither of them is publicly traded or operates as a bank. When it comes to regulatory standing, these brokers display distinct levels of trustworthiness. OANDA holds 7 Tier-1 licenses, the type regarded as highly reliable and has earned a Trust Score of 93 out of 99 on ForexBrokers.com, categorizing it as highly trusted.
On the other hand, HFM holds 2 Tier-1 licenses and 3 Tier-2 licenses, which are still respectable but fall short of OANDA's credentials. HFM carries a Trust Score of 86 out of 99, placing it in the “trusted” category. While both brokers are considered reliable, OANDA slightly edges out HFM in terms of overall regulatory backing and trust score.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1996 | 2010 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
Comparing commissions and fees, both OANDA and HFM earn 4 out of 5 stars. HFM ranks #28 out of 63 brokers for Commissions and Fees on ForexBrokers.com, edging out OANDA at #30. On paper, HFM’s pricing can look leaner, while OANDA offers extras like ultra-small trade sizes and active-trader rebates.
OANDA’s default, commission-free spreads tend to be high; for example, its average non-core spread on EUR/USD was 1.61 pips in July 2024. The Core pricing tier lowers the spread but adds a $5 per side commission per $100,000 traded (about $10 per round turn) and requires a $10,000 minimum deposit. Using the broker’s own example, a 0.4 pip Core spread plus roughly 1 pip in commission-equivalent results in an all-in cost near 1.4 pips—slightly better than the 1.6 pip default. OANDA also allows trade sizes down to 1 unit and offers Elite Trader rebates of $5–$17 per million, though its public spread data are trailing averages rather than fixed-period averages, making precise comparisons harder.
HFM indicates a typical 1.2 pip spread on its Standard account, while its Zero account shows an effective spread near 0.7 pips after commission; however, neither figure is presented as a time-stamped average, and overall costs test slightly above the industry average. Bottom line: OANDA is 4/5 stars and ranked #30, with higher default spreads but micro sizing and rebates; HFM is 4/5 stars and ranked #28, with lower quoted effective pricing on its Zero account but less clarity around average spreads.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.68 | 1.8 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.69 | 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.
OANDA vs HFM: both brokers offer forex trading via CFDs and spot. OANDA lists 4,172 tradeable symbols and 69 currency pairs, while HFM offers 500 symbols and 102 pairs. If you want direct share dealing, OANDA lets you buy exchange-traded securities on U.S. markets (e.g., Apple) and international exchanges (e.g., Vodafone); HFM does not offer live share dealing. Both brokers support copy trading.
For crypto access, OANDA enables buying actual cryptocurrencies as well as trading crypto CFDs; HFM limits crypto to CFDs. In independent testing by ForexBrokers.com, both earned 4 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments, with OANDA ranked 20th of 63 brokers and HFM ranked 28th. In short, OANDA suits traders seeking broader market access, while HFM is appealing if your priority is a larger list of forex pairs.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 4172 | 500 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 69 | 102 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | 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.
OANDA vs HFM: both brokers check the key boxes for trading platforms and tools. Each offers a free demo account for paper trading, a proprietary platform alongside MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), Windows desktop and web platforms, copy trading, and the ability to place orders directly from charts. You’ll find modern charting tools and technical indicators, with platform choices that suit beginners and experienced traders alike.
When it comes to third-party evaluations, both OANDA and HFM earn 4 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools. However, OANDA ranks higher overall in this category at #16 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while HFM sits at #33. If you’re choosing between them, try each broker’s free demo to see which platform layout and tools feel most comfortable for your style.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
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) | 89 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
OANDA and HFM both deliver full-featured mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports price alerts, 30 built-in technical studies for charting, and drawing tools like trendlines that auto-save your work. One thing both lack is watchlist symbol syncing, so changes you make on mobile won’t carry over to your online account (and vice versa).
Where they differ is recognition and ratings. OANDA earns 5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps and ranks #7 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while HFM holds 4 stars and ranks #32. If mobile charting tools and alerts are your focus, both will do the job, but OANDA’s higher rating and ranking give it the edge for most traders on the go.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Comparing OANDA vs HFM for market research, both brokers cover the essentials: daily market commentary, forex news from major outlets like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, Autochartist-powered tools, sentiment indicators showing long/short positioning, and an economic calendar. Neither broker includes Trading Central tools, TipRanks research, or Acuity Trading/Signal Centre.
Where they differ is recognition and depth: OANDA earns 5 stars for Research and ranks #4 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while HFM holds 4 stars and ranks #18. If top-tier news, actionable Autochartist signals, and sentiment data are must-haves, both will serve you well—though OANDA has the edge for overall research quality and standing.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
OANDA and HFM both deliver beginner-friendly forex and CFD education. Each runs online client webinars at least once a month and provides large video libraries with 10 or more beginner-focused lessons, plus 10 or more advanced videos for when you’re ready to go deeper. That mix of webinars and videos helps new traders learn core concepts and build confidence step by step.
For overall quality, OANDA has the edge. It earns 5 stars for Education and ranks #18 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while HFM scores 4 stars and ranks #29. If you want the strongest education track from day one, OANDA is the better pick, though HFM still offers a solid path for new traders who value frequent webinars and clear video lessons.
| Feature |
OANDA
|
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 OANDA is better than HFM. OANDA finished with an overall rank of #13, while HFM finished with an overall rank of #27.
A trusted global brand, OANDA stands out for its reputation and quality market research. Its regulatory track record is strong, and its support for third-party features bolsters its overall offering.
| Feature |
OANDA
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HFM
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 86 |
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Online broker OANDA supports buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrency and trading crypto CFDs, whereas HFM offers cryptocurrency exposure only via CFDs.
Comparing OANDA vs HFM for deposit and withdrawal methods: OANDA offers ACH/SEPA and PayPal (not available at HFM), both support Skrill and bank wire transfers, and Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either broker.
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 | OANDA | HFM | |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 86 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | OANDA Review | HFM Review |
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| Regulation | OANDA | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 93 | 86 | |
| Year Founded | 1996 | 2010 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | OANDA | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | |||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | Yes | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | OANDA | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | OANDA | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 4172 | 500 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 69 | 102 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | 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 | OANDA | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.68 | 1.8 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.69 | 1.1 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | OANDA | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $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 | OANDA | 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 | No | No |
| Trading Tools | OANDA | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 89 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | OANDA | 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 | 30 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | OANDA | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | OANDA | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | OANDA | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | OANDA Review | HFM Review |
| Overall | OANDA | HFM | |
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| Trust Score | 93 | 86 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | OANDA Review | HFM Review |
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