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 |
When comparing the commissions and fees of HFM and Spreadex, it's evident that both brokers offer competitive options, although trading costs at HFM slightly exceed the industry norm. HFM's standard account typically features a spread of 1.2 pips, although the lack of a date range means this may vary. Their Zero account offers an effective spread of 0.7 pips after commission, but similar to their standard account, this also doesn't represent an average.
Spreadex, on the other hand, boasted an average spread of 0.81 pips for EUR/USD in January 2024, with a minimum spread of 0.6 pips achieved 60% of the time during that month. This suggests a consistently lower cost of trading for this currency pair with Spreadex, though spreads can fluctuate based on market conditions.
Both brokers earn commendable ratings, with HFM receiving a 4-star rating for commissions and fees, ranking #31 out of 63 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com. Spreadex also garners a 4-star rating but is ranked slightly higher at #27 in the same list. This indicates that while both brokers provide appealing trading costs, Spreadex may offer a marginally better value in terms of ranking and recent spread data.
| 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.
When it comes to comparing the range of investments offered by the online brokers HFM and Spreadex, there are some notable differences in their offerings. Both brokers provide the opportunity for forex trading via CFDs or spot contracts, catering to traders interested in the currency market. HFM stands out with an impressive selection of 102 tradeable forex pairs, while Spreadex offers 52 forex pairs. However, Spreadex shines with its extensive total of 10,000 tradeable symbols, significantly surpassing HFM's 500 symbols. Neither broker allows the purchase of exchange-traded securities on U.S. or international exchanges, but both offer cryptocurrency derivatives instead of actual cryptocurrencies.
HFM offers additional features such as copy trading, which is appealing for investors who prefer to follow and replicate the trades of experienced traders. On the other hand, Spreadex does not provide this option but gains high marks for its broader range of trading options, earning a 5-star rating compared to HFM's 4-star rating for the range of investments. Spreadex further distinguishes itself with a higher ranking at #13 by ForexBrokers.com, compared to HFM's #36 out of 63 brokers. This suggests that Spreadex may offer a more well-rounded platform for traders seeking diverse investment opportunities.
| 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.
When comparing the trading platforms and tools of online brokers HFM and Spreadex, both offer a range of features to accommodate different trading styles. HFM and Spreadex provide free virtual demo accounts, allowing beginners and experienced traders alike to hone their skills in a risk-free environment. Both brokers have developed proprietary platforms, though HFM takes a step further with its Windows-based desktop platform, a feature not available with Spreadex, which only offers a web-based platform. Copy trading enthusiasts will find HFM more accommodating thanks to its copy trading options, which Spreadex lacks. Furthermore, HFM supports MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, offering greater flexibility and advanced trading functions than Spreadex, which does not support these platforms.
For those who rely on charting tools, HFM provides a rich experience with 30 drawing tools, nearly three times more than Spreadex, which offers 11. Both brokers allow users to trade directly from stock charts, and while Spreadex offers slightly more watch list columns with eight compared to HFM's seven, both receive a solid four-star rating for their trading platforms and tools. In the ForexBrokers.com rankings, HFM comes in at number 42, slightly edging out Spreadex, which takes the 46th spot out of 63 brokers. Whether you prioritize advanced trading platforms, charting tools, or ease of use, your choice between HFM and Spreadex will depend on your individual trading needs.
| 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.
When comparing the mobile trading apps of HFM and Spreadex, both platforms offer apps for iPhone and Android users, ensuring accessibility for a wide range of traders. Traders will find HFM and Spreadex both equipped to send stock or forex price alerts directly to their devices, enhancing their ability to stay informed on market shifts. While neither app supports watchlist symbol syncing between the app and online account, both offer the flexibility to draw trendlines and view multiple time frames on stock and forex charts. HFM, however, provides a distinct advantage by offering 30 technical studies for charting within its app, whereas Spreadex does not specify the number available. Additionally, HFM automatically saves any chart drawings, a convenience not offered by Spreadex. Both apps allow users to create watchlists featuring real-time quotes, keeping traders efficiently connected to their portfolios.
Despite these similarities and HFM's few extra conveniences, both platforms receive a solid 4-star rating for their mobile trading apps. However, it's important to note that HFM ranks slightly ahead in ForexBrokers.com's Mobile Trading Apps category, positioned at #39 out of 63 brokers, while Spreadex comes in at #46. For traders seeking advanced charting and auto-saving features, HFM presents a slightly more comprehensive offering within its mobile app experience, although Spreadex remains a competitive alternative thanks to its core functionalities being largely aligned with HFM's. Ultimately, the choice between the two may come down to personal preference and specific feature necessity, as both platforms deliver reliable mobile trading capabilities.
| 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.
Both HFM and Spreadex provide comprehensive market research options for traders seeking informed decisions. Each platform offers daily market commentaries and forex news from renowned sources like Bloomberg and Reuters. For those interested in technical analysis, both brokers provide tools from Autochartist, enhancing traders' ability to analyze market data efficiently. Sentiment-based trading tools are also available on both platforms, giving insights into market positions. However, neither broker offers tools from Trading Central, TipRanks, nor Acuity Trading.
HFM and Spreadex both include economic calendars to help traders keep track of global news events that might affect markets. When it comes to research quality, both brokers score 4 out of 5 stars. However, they differ slightly in their rankings, with HFM placed at #20 and Spreadex at #31 out of 63 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com. This makes HFM slightly ahead in terms of research offerings, though both platforms cater well to traders' informational needs.
| 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
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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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 |
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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) | No | No | |
| 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 | No | |
| 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) | No | No |
| 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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