Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of HFM vs Trade Nation, 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.
Both HFM and Trade Nation are trustworthy online brokers, offering competitive services to their users. HFM, founded in 2010, and Trade Nation, established in 2014, are not publicly traded companies nor banks, ensuring their primary focus remains on providing reliable trading experiences. Each broker boasts two Tier-1 licenses, which signifies a high level of trust according to ForexBrokers.com. In terms of slightly lower-tiered credibility, HFM holds three Tier-2 licenses compared to Trade Nation's single Tier-2 license.
Regarding trust scores, HFM is rated at 86 out of 99, while Trade Nation slightly trails with a score of 85. These scores place both brokers in the 'trusted' category, with only a minor difference in their ratings. This suggests that both companies are solid choices for traders who prioritize security and regulatory compliance.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2014 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
Comparing commissions and fees, Trade Nation generally comes out cheaper and more predictable than HFM. Trade Nation uses fixed spreads on its proprietary TN Trader platform, so what you see is usually what you pay, while HFM’s pricing is slightly above the industry average and its quoted “typical” spreads aren’t confirmed averages. For this category, HFM is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranked #32 of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, whereas Trade Nation earns 5 out of 5 stars and ranks #7 of 63.
HFM lists a typical spread of 1.2 pips on its standard account, but without a date range or time-weighted data, the real average could be higher. Its Zero account advertises an effective 0.7 pips on EUR/USD after commission, yet that figure is also not an average. Put simply, HFM can be competitive on certain account types, but its everyday costs may land a bit higher than many peers.
Trade Nation’s fixed-spread model keeps EUR/USD at 0.6 pips on TN Trader for most of the day, widening for about an hour during the daily rollover (sometimes up to 1.4 pips), which brings the full-day average closer to 1 pip. If you prefer MetaTrader, Trade Nation also offers variable spreads and a Raw Spread account that charges a $3.50 commission per side ($7 round trip) per standard lot, plus a commission-free option. In practice, TN Trader typically delivers the lowest all-in costs among its account choices.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.2 | 0.6 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.7 | 0.6 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
HFM vs Trade Nation: both brokers let you trade forex (via CFDs/spot), offer copy trading, and provide access to cryptocurrency derivatives. Neither platform supports buying actual crypto, and neither offers direct, exchange-traded stocks on U.S. or international exchanges (so you can’t buy shares like Apple or Vodafone outright).
Range of markets differs: Trade Nation lists about 1,000 tradeable symbols compared with HFM’s 500. However, HFM has the deeper currency lineup with 102 forex pairs versus Trade Nation’s 46. Reflecting this mix, ForexBrokers.com rates HFM at 4 stars and ranks it #37 of 63 for Range of Investments, while Trade Nation earns 3.5 stars and ranks #39. Choose Trade Nation if you want a larger overall instrument list, or HFM if a wider selection of forex pairs is your priority.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 500 | 1000 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 102 | 46 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | 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 and Trade Nation both make it easy to get started with a free demo for paper trading. Each offers its own in-house platform, plus a Windows desktop download and a web-based platform, so you can trade how you like. They both support MetaTrader 4 and copy trading. If you want MetaTrader 5, only HFM includes it. Another difference: HFM lets you place orders straight from a chart, while Trade Nation does not.
For trading platforms and tools, both earn 4 out of 5 stars from ForexBrokers.com. In the category ranking, HFM places 43rd out of 63 brokers, while Trade Nation comes in 45th. If MT5 or chart trading matters to you, HFM holds the edge; otherwise, the two are closely matched for desktop, web, demo, and copy trading features.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 15 | 115 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
HFM and Trade Nation both deliver mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports forex or stock price alerts, real-time watchlists, and drawing tools like trendlines that auto-save on charts. Both brands earned 4 out of 5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps, signaling a solid on-the-go trading experience.
Key differences: Trade Nation offers 99 technical studies for charting versus HFM’s 30, and Trade Nation syncs watchlists between the mobile app and the online account, while HFM does not. According to ForexBrokers.com, HFM ranks #40 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps, compared with Trade Nation at #46. Details about viewing multiple chart time frames in either app were not specified. Choose Trade Nation if you want more indicators and synced watchlists; pick HFM if a slightly higher third-party ranking matters to you.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 99 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
HFM and Trade Nation both cover the essentials, delivering daily market commentary and forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones. Each broker also provides a sentiment tool showing long vs. short positioning. Key differences: HFM includes Autochartist tools and an in-platform economic calendar, while Trade Nation integrates Acuity Trading’s Signal Centre but does not offer Autochartist or an economic calendar. Neither broker includes Trading Central or TipRanks.
For overall research quality, HFM earns 4 stars and ranks #20 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Trade Nation scores 3.5 stars and ranks #43. Choose HFM if you want Autochartist ideas and a handy economic calendar alongside daily insights; pick Trade Nation if Acuity Trading signals appeal to you, paired with mainstream news, commentary, and sentiment data.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | Yes |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Comparing education for beginners, both HFM and Trade Nation offer plenty of videos to help you get started. Each broker provides at least 10 beginner-focused videos and also has 10-plus advanced videos for when you’re ready to go deeper. One key difference: HFM hosts educational webinars at least once a month, while Trade Nation does not run monthly client webinars.
Details were not specified about whether either broker meets a broader 10-piece threshold for forex and CFD education beyond videos, whether they provide a searchable archive of recorded webinars, or whether they publish an investor dictionary with 50+ terms. Based on ratings, HFM scores 4 stars for Education and ranks #37 out of 63 brokers, while Trade Nation scores 3.5 stars and ranks #41. If live learning matters, HFM has an edge with regular webinars; if you prefer video lessons, both are solid options for new traders.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| 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 HFM is better than Trade Nation. HFM finished with an overall rank of #30, while Trade Nation finished with an overall rank of #34.
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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Trade Nation
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| Trust Score | 86 | 85 |
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HFM and Trade Nation both provide the capability to trade cryptocurrency derivatives, but neither allows the purchase of actual delivered cryptocurrencies.
Comparing online brokers HFM and Trade Nation for deposit and withdrawal methods: neither supports ACH/SEPA or PayPal, 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 | HFM | Trade Nation | |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | HFM Review | Trade Nation Review |
| Broker Screenshots | HFM | Trade Nation | |
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| Regulation | HFM | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 86 | 85 | |
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2014 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | HFM | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| 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 | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | HFM | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 500 | 1000 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 102 | 46 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | 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 | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.2 | 0.6 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.7 | 0.6 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | HFM | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | HFM | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | No | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | HFM | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 15 | 115 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | No | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | No |
| Mobile Trading | HFM | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 99 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Research | HFM | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Education | HFM | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | HFM | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | HFM Review | Trade Nation Review |
| Overall | HFM | Trade Nation | |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | HFM Review | Trade Nation Review |
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