Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of HFM vs Spreadex, 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.
Comparing online brokers HFM and Spreadex, both firms offer trading services without being publicly traded or classified as banks. Founded in 2010, HFM holds two Tier-1 licenses, a number indicating a solid track record of regulatory compliance in top financial jurisdictions, along with three Tier-2 licenses. With a Trust Score of 86 from ForexBrokers.com, HFM is considered a trusted choice for traders seeking a reliable platform.
On the other hand, Spreadex, established in 1999, holds one Tier-1 license and lacks Tier-2 licenses, placing it on a different regulatory standing compared to HFM. With a Trust Score of 71, Spreadex is viewed as having an average risk, according to ForexBrokers.com's rating system. The differences in licensing and trust scores reflect their varying levels of regulatory oversight and perceived trust in the trading community.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2010 | 1999 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
HFM’s commissions and fees sit slightly above the industry average. The broker cites a typical 1.2-pip spread on its Standard account, but no date range is provided, so the true average could be higher. Its Zero account quotes an effective spread around 0.7 pips after commission, though that figure isn’t an average. For commissions and fees, HFM is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranked #32 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
Spreadex publishes dated spread data. In January 2024, EUR/USD averaged 0.81 pips, and the 0.6‑pip minimum was available 60% of the time that month. Spreadex also earns 4 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees, with a better ranking of #28 out of 63 at ForexBrokers.com.
In short, Spreadex’s recent EUR/USD average of 0.81 pips compares well to HFM’s stated 1.2-pip typical spread on Standard accounts, while HFM’s Zero account can be sharper at 0.7 pips after commission—keeping in mind that’s not an average. Actual trading costs will depend on your account type and market conditions.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.2 | 0.81 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.7 | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
HFM and Spreadex both let you trade forex as CFDs or spot. Spreadex stands out for overall variety with about 10,000 tradable symbols, while HFM lists around 500. If you focus on currency trading, HFM offers 102 forex pairs compared with 52 at Spreadex. Neither broker lets you buy actual shares on U.S. or international exchanges (non-CFD), and neither sells real, delivered crypto; both instead offer cryptocurrency derivatives.
Extras can tip the scale: HFM supports copy trading, while Spreadex does not. For range of investments, ForexBrokers.com rates Spreadex 5 stars (ranked 14th of 63) versus HFM’s 4 stars (ranked 37th of 63). Pick Spreadex for sheer market variety, or HFM if you value more forex pairs and the option to copy trade.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 500 | 10000 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 102 | 52 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| 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). | 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 vs Spreadex: Both brokers provide a free demo account and offer their own in-house trading platforms. HFM also includes a Windows desktop platform and supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), while Spreadex is browser-based only and does not offer MetaTrader. Copy trading is available at HFM but not at Spreadex. Neither broker supports DupliTrade or ZuluTrade, and both offer a web trading platform.
For charting, HFM lists 30 drawing tools versus 11 at Spreadex, and both let you place trades directly from charts. Indicator counts were not disclosed. Watchlists include 7 columns at HFM and 8 at Spreadex. In ForexBrokers.com testing of trading platforms and tools, both earned 4 stars; HFM ranked 43rd out of 63 brokers and Spreadex ranked 47th. If you want MT4/MT5, copy trading, and a Windows app, HFM is the better fit. If you prefer a simple, browser-based platform with slightly more watchlist fields, consider Spreadex.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 15 | 58 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 30 | 11 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 8 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
HFM and Spreadex both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, with real-time watchlists and price alerts for stocks and forex. Each app lets you draw trendlines and switch between multiple time frames, making it easy to review intraday and longer-term charts. Neither app syncs watchlist symbols between mobile and the web platform. Both are rated 4 out of 5 stars for mobile trading apps; however, in ForexBrokers.com’s rankings out of 63 brokers, HFM sits at #40, while Spreadex is at #47.
For charting tools, HFM lists 30 technical studies in its mobile app, while Spreadex does not specify how many indicators are available. A key difference: HFM auto-saves your chart drawings, whereas Spreadex does not. If you fine-tune charts and want your annotations to stick, HFM may feel more convenient. If your needs are basic—placing trades, setting alerts, and checking prices—both HFM and Spreadex cover the essentials on the go.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | N/A |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | No |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
HFM and Spreadex offer a well-rounded market research experience for everyday traders. Both provide daily market commentary, real-time forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, and access to Autochartist for technical analysis. Each broker also includes a sentiment tool that shows the ratio of long vs. short positions and an economic calendar to track major events. Neither broker offers Trading Central tools, TipRanks research, or Acuity Trading (Signal Centre).
In expert ratings, both HFM and Spreadex earn 4 stars for Research. However, HFM ranks higher at #20 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Spreadex sits at #32. If you want similar features with a slight edge in overall research standing, HFM may be the better pick; Spreadex remains a solid alternative with comparable tools and news coverage.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When comparing the educational offerings for beginners between HFM and Spreadex, both brokers deliver foundational resources like articles and videos to foster understanding in forex and CFDs, with each providing at least ten resources on these topics. However, HFM distinguishes itself by hosting monthly educational webinars, whereas Spreadex does not engage in this interactive approach. This makes HFM a more appealing choice for those seeking live, timely insights into trading.
Furthermore, HFM offers a searchable archive of past webinars, granting users access to a wealth of knowledge at their convenience—an option absent from Spreadex’s educational suite. Both brokers cater to beginners with introductory video content, yet only HFM extends its video offerings to seasoned traders with advanced topics. Additionally, an investor dictionary provided by both brokers supports beginner lexicon needs, ensuring they understand key terms in their trading journey. Despite these differences, both earn a solid four-star education rating, with HFM ranked slightly higher at #37 compared to Spreadex’s #45.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| 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 | Yes |
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 Spreadex. HFM finished with an overall rank of #30, while Spreadex finished with an overall rank of #39.
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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Spreadex
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|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 86 | 71 |
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Both HFM and Spreadex do not offer the ability to buy actual delivered cryptocurrencies, but they do provide options for trading cryptocurrency derivatives.
In comparing HFM and Spreadex, both online brokers do not support ACH or SEPA transfers nor PayPal for deposits or withdrawals; however, HFM does support Skrill, unlike Spreadex, and both offer Visa, Mastercard, and bank wire options.
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 | Spreadex | |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 71 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | HFM Review | Spreadex Review |
| Broker Screenshots | HFM | Spreadex | |
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| Regulation | HFM | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 86 | 71 | |
| Year Founded | 2010 | 1999 | |
| 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 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | HFM | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | 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 | Yes | |
| 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 | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | HFM | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 500 | 10000 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 102 | 52 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| 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). | 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 | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.2 | 0.81 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.7 | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | HFM | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | HFM | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | HFM | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 8 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 15 | 58 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 30 | 11 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | HFM | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | N/A | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | HFM | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | HFM | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | HFM | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Spreadex Review |
| Overall | HFM | Spreadex | |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 71 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | HFM Review | Spreadex Review |
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