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.
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HFM and Spreadex are established online brokers founded in 2010 and 1999, respectively. Neither is publicly traded or a bank. According to ForexBrokers.com, HFM holds a Trust Score of 85 (trusted), while Spreadex scores 70 (average risk) on a 99-point scale where 90–99 is highly trusted, 80–89 trusted, 70–79 average risk, 60–69 high risk, and below 59 not trusted.
In terms of regulation, HFM reports 2 Tier-1 licenses (highly trusted) and 3 Tier-2 licenses (trusted). Spreadex lists 1 Tier-1 license and no Tier-2 licenses. Put simply, HFM has a broader mix of top-tier and mid-tier regulatory approvals, whereas Spreadex maintains a smaller set of top-tier oversight.
| 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 commissions and fees, HFM and Spreadex are both rated 4 out of 5 stars, but Spreadex has a slightly better ranking overall. ForexBrokers.com places HFM at #28 out of 36 brokers in the Commissions and Fees category, while Spreadex ranks #25 out of 36.
HFM’s trading costs are slightly above the industry average. The company says its standard accounts typically have spreads of 1.2 pips, though it does not give a time period for that figure, so the real average could be higher. Its Zero account shows an effective spread of 0.7 pips after commission, but this is also not presented as an average.
Spreadex appears a bit cheaper on the data provided. In January 2024, its average spread on EUR/USD was 0.81 pips, with a minimum spread of 0.6 pips available 60% of the time during the month. For traders focused on lower day-to-day pricing, Spreadex has the edge, while HFM still offers competitive pricing on some account types.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.8 | 0.81 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.1 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When it comes to range of investments, Spreadex offers a much wider selection than HFM. Spreadex lists about 10,000 tradeable symbols and 52 forex pairs, compared with HFM’s 344 symbols and 38 forex pairs. Both brokers let you trade forex as a CFD or spot contract, and both offer cryptocurrency CFDs, but neither allows you to buy actual cryptocurrencies or exchange-traded shares on U.S. or international stock exchanges.
HFM does have one extra feature that Spreadex does not: copy trading. Still, Spreadex comes out ahead overall for investment choice, earning 5 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranking #13 out of 36 brokers, while HFM receives 4 stars and ranks #28 out of 36.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 344 | 10000 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 38 | 52 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | No |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | 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.
HFM and Spreadex both give traders a choice of simulated paper trading through a free demo account, plus access to their own proprietary platforms and browser-based trading. Both also let you trade directly from a price chart, which can make order entry quicker and easier. Each broker earns a 4-star rating for trading platforms and tools, so they are fairly close overall in this category.
HFM has the edge for platform variety and trading tools. It offers a Windows desktop app, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, and copy trading, while Spreadex does not support the desktop download version, MT4, MT5, or copy trading. In ForexBrokers.com’s ranking for trading platforms and tools, HFM places #33 out of 36 brokers, just ahead of Spreadex at #34.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 38 | 58 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
HFM and Spreadex both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, and each provides stock or forex price alerts. Both apps also let you draw trendlines on charts, making it easier to review price moves on the go. In terms of overall ratings for mobile trading apps, both brokers score 4 out of 5 stars, with HFM ranked #32 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com and Spreadex close behind at #33.
The main difference is in charting tools and convenience features. HFM includes 5 technical studies in its mobile app and automatically saves chart drawings, while Spreadex does not list technical studies for its app and does not auto save drawings. Neither broker offers watchlist symbol syncing between the mobile app and online account, so watchlist changes do not carry over automatically.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 5 | N/A |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
HFM and Spreadex both give traders a solid set of market research tools. Each one offers daily market commentary, forex news from major sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, an economic calendar, Autochartist tools, and sentiment data that helps show whether traders are mostly buying or selling a pair. Neither broker includes Trading Central or TipRanks, so the research line-up is similar in several key areas.
The main difference is that HFM also includes research from Acuity Trading, such as Signal Centre, while Spreadex does not. Both brokers are rated 4 out of 5 stars for Research, but HFM is ranked higher by ForexBrokers.com at #18 out of 36 brokers, compared with Spreadex at #27. This gives HFM a slight edge for traders who want a bit more research support.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginners who want to learn before they trade, HFM gives more learning support than Spreadex. HFM offers forex and CFD education with at least 10 education pieces on those topics, plus monthly live educational webinars, which can help new traders ask questions and follow along in real time. It also provides at least 10 beginner videos and at least 10 advanced videos, making it useful for both first-time traders and those ready to go deeper.
Spreadex also offers at least 10 beginner trading videos, but its learning range is smaller overall. It does not provide monthly educational webinars, and it does not appear to offer at least 10 advanced videos or the same level of forex and CFD-focused education as HFM. Both brokers are rated 4 out of 5 stars for Education, but HFM is ranked higher by ForexBrokers.com in this category, coming in at #29 out of 36 brokers compared with Spreadex at #33.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Spreadex
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | 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 Spreadex. HFM finished with an overall rank of #27, while Spreadex finished with an overall rank of #32.
HFM (HF Markets) is a global broker best known for its MetaTrader offering, solid research tools, and proprietary copy trading platform, alongside a broad selection of forex pairs and CFDs.
| Feature |
HFM
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Spreadex
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 85 | 70 |
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In the HFM vs Spreadex comparison, neither online broker offers the ability to buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both provide cryptocurrency CFD trading for speculative exposure.
HFM vs Spreadex: neither supports ACH/SEPA or PayPal for deposits/withdrawals, both accept bank wire transfers, HFM additionally supports Skrill while Spreadex does not, and card options via Visa/Mastercard are 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 | HFM | Spreadex | |
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| Trust Score | 85 | 70 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | HFM Review | Spreadex Review |
| Broker Screenshots | HFM | Spreadex | |
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| Regulation | HFM | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 85 | 70 | |
| 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 (FSA 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, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | HFM | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 344 | 10000 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 38 | 52 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | No | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | 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 | HFM | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.8 | 0.81 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.1 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | HFM | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | HFM | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | HFM | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 38 | 58 | |
| 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 Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 5 | N/A | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | HFM | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | HFM | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | HFM | Spreadex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | HFM Review | Spreadex Review |
| Overall | HFM | Spreadex | |
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| Trust Score | 85 | 70 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | HFM Review | Spreadex Review |
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