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 |
When it comes to commissions and fees, HFM offers trading conditions that are slightly above the industry average. For standard trading accounts, HFM advertises a spread of 1.2 pips, though this figure isn't tied to a specific time frame, making it difficult to confirm as an average. Their Zero account presents an effective spread of 0.7 pips after commission, yet this is also not listed as an average. HFM holds a four-star rating and ranks at number 31 in the Commissions and Fees category among 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com.
Trade Nation, on the other hand, provides more competitive fee structures with fixed-spread pricing on its own platform and variable-spread options on the MetaTrader platform. Notably, Trade Nation maintains fixed spread distances, offering a more predictable pricing experience. The EUR/USD pair has a fixed spread of 0.6 pips, although the spread temporarily widens to 1.4 pips during the daily rollover period. This results in a true average closer to 1 pip. Trade Nation boasts a five-star rating and is ranked 7th out of 63 brokers for Commissions and Fees by ForexBrokers.com.
Overall, both brokers offer distinct advantages depending on your trading approach. HFM's pricing is straightforward but slightly above average, while Trade Nation provides fixed pricing, making it easier to forecast trading costs, especially for those who prefer consistency in fees. Each broker has varied account types, catering to different trading styles, but Trade Nation's fixed spreads seem to offer a more reliable cost structure across different market conditions.
| 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 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When it comes to exploring the world of online trading, both HFM and Trade Nation offer opportunities in forex trading as CFDs. HFM provides access to an impressive 102 tradable forex pairs, while Trade Nation offers 46, catering to both novice and seasoned traders. HFM boasts a range of 500 tradable symbols, yet Trade Nation surpasses with a selection of 1,000. Neither HFM nor Trade Nation facilitates trades in exchange-traded securities on U.S. or international exchanges, meaning clients cannot buy individual stocks like Apple or Vodafone directly through these platforms.
In the realm of cryptocurrency, both brokers enable access to cryptocurrency derivatives, but not the actual digital currencies themselves. Copy trading enthusiasts will find both HFM and Trade Nation accommodating this feature. HFM receives a 4-star rating for its range of investments, ranked 36th out of 63 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com, while Trade Nation secures a 3.5-star rating and ranks 38th in the same category. This comparison highlights the key features of each broker, aiding potential clients in making an informed decision that best suits their trading needs.
| 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 (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 offered by HFM and Trade Nation, both brokers provide extensive resources suitable for a variety of traders. HFM and Trade Nation both offer simulated trading through free virtual demo accounts and have developed proprietary platforms in-house. Additionally, each provides access to a desktop download platform on Windows and a web-based platform accessible via a browser. While they both support MetaTrader 4 (MT4), HFM takes the lead with support for MetaTrader 5 (MT5), which Trade Nation does not offer. Neither broker includes platforms like DupliTrade or ZuluTrade in their arsenal, but both facilitate copy trading to accommodate traders looking to mirror strategies.
Though both brokers are rated four stars for their trading platforms and tools, there are distinct differences worth noting. HFM offers 30 drawing tools for charting along with the ability to execute trades directly from a stock chart, which could enhance the trading experience for chart-savvy users. On the other hand, Trade Nation brings to the table 39 drawing tools for charting and a more comprehensive watch list with 14 columns, compared to HFM’s 7. According to ForexBrokers.com, HFM is ranked slightly higher at 42 out of 63 brokers, whereas Trade Nation is ranked 44 in the Trading Platforms and Tools category, highlighting how both brokers stand closely in competition.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary 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 |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 15 | 115 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 30 | 39 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | No |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 14 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When it comes to mobile trading apps, both HFM and Trade Nation cater to iPhone and Android users, offering a comprehensive trading experience on the go. Both platforms provide crucial features like stock or forex price alerts and the ability to draw trendlines on charts. Users can view multiple time frames and enjoy real-time quotes within customizable watchlists. A distinct advantage of Trade Nation, however, is its ability to sync watchlists with an online account, ensuring a seamless experience across all devices, a feature that HFM currently lacks.
Both HFM and Trade Nation enable traders to save drawings automatically on charts, enhancing convenience. While Trade Nation offers an impressive 99 technical studies for charting, HFM offers 30, which may be more than sufficient for some traders. In terms of user ratings, both apps score a solid 4 out of 5 stars. Interestingly, HFM ranks higher at #39 compared to Trade Nation's #45 in ForexBrokers.com's Mobile Trading Apps category. This subtle distinction might influence those prioritizing standing and reputation in choosing between these two capable platforms.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 99 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When evaluating market research offerings, both HFM and Trade Nation provide valuable resources for online trading. Daily market commentary and forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters are available from both brokers, giving investors timely insights. However, HFM sets itself apart with tools from Autochartist, which Trade Nation does not offer, and an economic calendar tracking global news events. While both brokers include sentiment-based trading tools for monitoring trader activity, Trade Nation takes a unique approach by offering resources from Acuity Trading.
In terms of overall research ratings, HFM stands out with a four-star rating compared to Trade Nation’s 3.5 stars. HFM is positioned higher at #20 in the research category among 63 brokers, whereas Trade Nation ranks at #42. For traders seeking comprehensive research tools, HFM’s technical analysis options and economic calendar provide a slight edge over Trade Nation’s selection. However, Trade Nation’s inclusion of Acuity Trading's resources may appeal to traders looking for alternative perspectives.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | Yes |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to educational resources for beginners, both HFM and Trade Nation offer a variety of options that cater to those eager to dive into forex or CFD trading. Both brokers provide more than ten educational pieces, be it articles, videos, or archived webinars, focused on forex or CFDs. For beginners looking for visual learning, both platforms also have at least ten beginner videos breaking down trading concepts in simple terms. However, HFM goes a step further by offering live educational webinars every month, which Trade Nation currently does not provide. Additionally, HFM maintains a searchable archive of these past webinars, enabling continuous learning at one's own pace.
Both brokers support advanced traders with a collection of specialized video content and provide an investor dictionary containing over 50 important trading terms. When evaluating their educational impact, HFM scores slightly higher with a four-star rating compared to Trade Nation's 3.5 stars. In terms of Educational rankings on ForexBrokers.com, HFM holds the 37th position out of 63 brokers, while Trade Nation is closely behind at 41. This places HFM slightly ahead in ensuring traders have the resources they need to enhance their trading knowledge.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes |
| 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 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
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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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.
Both HFM and Trade Nation do not support ACH or SEPA transfers or PayPal for depositing or withdrawing funds, but they both offer Skrill, Visa/Mastercard, and bank wire options for transactions.
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) | 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 | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| 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 (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 | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.2 | 0.6 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.7 | 0.6 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | HFM | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | HFM | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary 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 | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | HFM | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 14 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 15 | 115 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 30 | 39 | |
| 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 Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 99 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile 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 | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Education | HFM | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | HFM | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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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