Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of StoneX Trading 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.
StoneX Trading and HFM are both non-bank online brokers, but they differ a lot in age, ownership, and regulatory standing. StoneX Trading was founded in 1983 and is publicly traded, while HFM was founded in 2010 and is not listed on a stock exchange. Based on ForexBrokers.com’s Trust Score scale, StoneX Trading’s score of 99 puts it in the highly trusted range, while HFM’s score of 85 places it in the trusted range.
Looking at regulation, StoneX Trading holds 7 Tier-1 licenses and 1 Tier-2 license, which helps explain its top trust rating. HFM holds 2 Tier-1 licenses and 3 Tier-2 licenses, giving it a solid regulatory profile, though not as strong as StoneX Trading’s. For traders comparing online brokers, StoneX Trading stands out for its longer track record, public listing, and stronger license coverage.
| Feature |
StoneX Trading
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1983 | 2010 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
StoneX Trading offers commissions and fees that are generally in line with the industry average, especially for CFDs, forex, and spread-betting products. Its pricing can be more competitive when you use the company’s own platforms or MetaTrader, and its EUR/USD spread averaged 0.74 pips as of July 2023. StoneX Trading is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and is ranked #16 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
HFM’s trading costs are a little higher than the industry average overall. The broker says its standard accounts typically have spreads around 1.2 pips, while its Zero account can work out to an effective 0.7 pips after commission, though that is not presented as an average. HFM is rated 4 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees and is ranked #29 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
In simple terms, StoneX Trading comes out ahead of HFM on pricing and fees. Both brokers can be reasonable depending on the account type and platform you use, but StoneX Trading has the stronger overall score and a better ranking in the commissions and fees category.
| Feature |
StoneX Trading
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100.00 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.4 | 1.8 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.9 | 1.1 |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When comparing StoneX Trading and HFM for range of investments, StoneX Trading offers a much wider selection overall. StoneX Trading provides 13,500 tradeable symbols and 66 forex pairs, while HFM offers 344 tradeable symbols and 38 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading through CFDs or spot contracts, and both also offer copy trading and cryptocurrency CFDs. However, neither broker lets you buy actual shares on U.S. or international exchanges, and neither offers delivered cryptocurrency purchases.
For investors looking for more market choice, StoneX Trading has the edge. It is rated 5 stars for range of investments and ranks #8 out of 36 brokers in ForexBrokers.com’s category review, compared with HFM’s 4 stars and #29 ranking. In simple terms, both brokers cover the basics, but StoneX Trading gives traders access to a far broader set of instruments.
| Feature |
StoneX Trading
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 13500 | 344 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 38 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | No |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| 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.
StoneX Trading and HFM both give traders a wide set of platform choices, including free demo accounts for paper trading, a proprietary platform, Windows desktop software, web-based trading, copy trading, and MetaTrader 4 (MT4). Each also lets you place trades directly from a chart, which is useful for active traders who want a faster workflow. In this category, StoneX Trading earns a slight edge thanks to its higher user rating for Trading Platforms and Tools, at 4.5 out of 5 stars, compared with HFM’s 4 stars.
The biggest difference is that HFM also offers MetaTrader 5 (MT5), while StoneX Trading does not. Even so, StoneX Trading is ranked higher overall for Trading Platforms and Tools by ForexBrokers.com, placing #11 out of 36 brokers versus HFM’s #34 ranking. For traders comparing platform access and tool selection, both brokers cover the essentials well, but StoneX Trading stands out for its stronger overall category score, while HFM has the added MT5 option.
| Feature |
StoneX Trading
|
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) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 38 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
StoneX Trading and HFM both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, plus price alerts, trendline drawing, and auto-saving chart drawings. For traders who want to stay connected on the go, each platform covers the basics well. StoneX Trading also stands out for its watchlist symbol syncing, which lets changes made in the mobile app and online account stay aligned. HFM does not offer that syncing feature.
When it comes to charting tools, StoneX Trading has a clear edge with 88 technical studies in its mobile app, while HFM offers just 5. That difference shows up in the ratings too: StoneX Trading earns 4.5 out of 5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps and ranks #9 out of 36 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, compared with HFM’s 4 stars and #33 ranking. For mobile traders who want more chart options and better account syncing, StoneX Trading is the stronger choice.
| Feature |
StoneX Trading
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 88 | 5 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When it comes to market research, StoneX Trading and HFM both give traders daily market commentary, forex news from major sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, sentiment tools, and an economic calendar with key global events. Both brokers also cover the basics well for staying on top of the markets day to day.
The main difference is in the extra research tools. StoneX Trading offers Trading Central, while HFM includes Autochartist and Acuity Trading tools such as Signal Centre. StoneX Trading is rated 4.5 out of 5 for research and ranks #10 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while HFM is rated 4 out of 5 and ranks #18. If you want a slightly stronger overall research offering, StoneX Trading has the edge; if you prefer Autochartist or Acuity Trading, HFM may be the better fit.
| Feature |
StoneX Trading
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central | Yes | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | Yes |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginners looking for trading education, both StoneX Trading and HFM provide a wide range of learning materials focused on forex and CFDs, along with online client webinars offered at least once a month. Each broker also gives access to at least 10 beginner videos and at least 10 advanced videos, so new traders and more experienced users can find content that matches their level. This makes both platforms useful for learning the basics and building more advanced trading knowledge over time.
That said, StoneX Trading stands out as the stronger choice for education overall. It earns a higher education rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars, compared with 4 stars for HFM, and it places #9 out of 36 brokers for the Education category, while HFM ranks #29. For beginners who want more trading education and a better overall learning experience, StoneX Trading appears to offer the edge.
| Feature |
StoneX Trading
|
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 StoneX Trading is better than HFM. StoneX Trading finished with an overall rank of #8, while HFM finished with an overall rank of #27.
Backed by StoneX Group and formerly named City Index, StoneX Trading is a trusted brand known for its versatile trading platforms, excellent mobile app, diverse market research, and extensive range of tradeable markets.
| Feature |
StoneX Trading
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HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 85 |
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When comparing StoneX Trading vs HFM, both online brokers do not offer the ability to buy actual delivered cryptocurrency, but each does provide access to cryptocurrency CFDs rather than the underlying digital assets.
StoneX Trading offers more deposit and withdrawal flexibility than HFM for ACH/SEPA transfers and PayPal, while HFM supports Skrill instead, and both brokers accept bank wire transfers.
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 | StoneX Trading | HFM | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | StoneX Trading Review | HFM Review |
| Broker Screenshots | StoneX Trading | HFM | |
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| Regulation | StoneX Trading | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 85 | |
| Year Founded | 1983 | 2010 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | StoneX Trading | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | 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 | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | StoneX Trading | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | StoneX Trading | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 13500 | 344 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 38 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | No | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | No | No | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | StoneX Trading | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.4 | 1.8 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 0.9 | 1.1 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | StoneX Trading | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £100.00 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | StoneX Trading | 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) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | StoneX Trading | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 88 | 38 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | StoneX Trading | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 88 | 5 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | StoneX Trading | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | StoneX Trading | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | StoneX Trading | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | StoneX Trading Review | HFM Review |
| Overall | StoneX Trading | HFM | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | StoneX Trading Review | HFM Review |
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