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 account | 1.2 | 0.6 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.7 | 0.6 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
HFM and Trade Nation both support forex trading (CFD/spot), offer copy trading, and let you trade crypto via CFDs; neither broker lets you buy actual shares on U.S. or international exchanges, and neither offers real, delivered crypto. In terms of market coverage, HFM lists about 500 total symbols with 102 forex pairs, while Trade Nation offers around 1,000 symbols but only 46 forex pairs—so HFM suits traders who want more currency pairs, whereas Trade Nation appeals if you want a broader overall CFD lineup.
For Range of Investments, HFM earns 4 stars and ranks 37th out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Trade Nation scores 3.5 stars and ranks 39th. Choose HFM if deeper forex selection matters most; pick Trade Nation if a larger set of non-forex CFDs 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. 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.
HFM and Trade Nation both deliver well-rounded platform lineups. Each broker offers a free demo account for paper trading, a proprietary platform, MetaTrader 4 (MT4), and access via both a Windows desktop download and a web-based platform. Copy trading is available at both brokers. A key difference is that HFM also supports MetaTrader 5 (MT5), which Trade Nation does not, making HFM attractive if you want the newer MetaTrader features and assets.
When it comes to tools, HFM lets you place orders straight from the chart, while Trade Nation does not support chart trading. According to ForexBrokers.com, both earn 4 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools; HFM ranks #43 out of 63 brokers, and Trade Nation ranks #45. Choose HFM if MT5 and chart-based order entry matter to you; choose Trade Nation if you prefer its in-house platform experience alongside MT4 and simple web and desktop access.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Trade Nation
|
|---|---|---|
| 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) | 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 offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports stock and forex price alerts, lets you draw trendlines on charts, and auto-saves your drawings. Both are rated 4 out of 5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps. One key difference is watchlists: the HFM mobile app does not sync watchlists with your online account, while the Trade Nation mobile app does, so your lists stay updated across devices.
For charting tools, Trade Nation includes 99 technical studies in its mobile app, compared with 30 for HFM, which may appeal to traders who rely on a wider range of indicators. Despite that, ForexBrokers.com ranks HFM slightly higher for Mobile Trading Apps (#40 of 63) than Trade Nation (#46 of 63). In short, pick Trade Nation for synced watchlists and more indicators, or choose HFM if you want a similarly rated app that still covers the essentials and holds a better category ranking.
| 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 |
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 (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | Yes |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Comparing HFM vs Trade Nation for beginner forex and CFD education: HFM runs live client webinars at least monthly, giving newcomers a chance to ask questions in real time. Trade Nation does not offer ongoing educational webinars. Both brokers provide plenty of video lessons for self-study, with at least 10 beginner videos each, plus 10+ advanced videos you can use as your skills grow.
For education quality, HFM is rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranks 37th out of 63 brokers, while Trade Nation is rated 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranks 41st. If live webinars and slightly higher-rated learning tools matter to you, HFM has the edge; if you mainly want an on-demand video library for learning the basics, both brokers cover that well.
| 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 vs Trade Nation: Neither online broker offers the ability to buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but both allow traders to access cryptocurrency CFDs.
Comparing online brokers HFM and Trade Nation: HFM supports deposits and withdrawals via Skrill and bank wire but not ACH/SEPA or PayPal, while Trade Nation likewise does not support ACH/SEPA; details for its PayPal, Skrill, Visa/Mastercard, and bank wire options were not specified.
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. 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 | HFM | Trade Nation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 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 | ||
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | 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 | |
| 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 [DELETED] | |||
| 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 (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central | 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 [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| 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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