Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of HFM vs Xtrade, 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.
Founded in 2010, HFM is a well-established online broker that has garnered a Trust Score of 86 out of 99 from ForexBrokers.com, placing it in the trusted category. HFM is not publicly traded and is not a bank, ensuring its focus remains solely on brokerage services. The company maintains a strong regulatory standing with two Tier-1 licenses, signifying a high level of trust, alongside three Tier-2 licenses that also convey a trusted status.
On the other hand, Xtrade, established in 2003, has a Trust Score of 74 out of 99, indicating an average risk according to ForexBrokers.com. Similar to HFM, Xtrade is not publicly traded and does not operate as a bank. In terms of regulatory backing, Xtrade holds one Tier-1 and one Tier-2 license, marking it as less fortified in terms of licenses compared to HFM. This regulatory comparison showcases the distinct trust and security profiles these brokers offer.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2003 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
Comparing HFM vs Xtrade on commissions and fees: HFM’s trading costs are slightly above the industry average. The broker lists a typical spread of 1.2 pips on its Standard account, but it doesn’t provide a date range, so the true average could be higher. Its Zero account advertises an effective spread of 0.7 pips after commission, yet this figure is also not presented as an average.
Xtrade does not publish average spread data, making its real trading costs harder to evaluate. In contrast, HFM shares more details, though its figures aren’t backed by time-stamped averages. As a result, traders get a clearer—though still imperfect—picture of costs at HFM than at Xtrade.
Ratings and rankings for commissions and fees: HFM earns 4 out of 5 stars and is ranked #32 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com. Xtrade earns 2.5 out of 5 stars and is ranked #64 out of 63.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $250 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.2 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.7 | N/A |
| 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 vs Xtrade: Both brokers provide forex trading (either as CFDs or spot), and neither offers exchange-traded stocks on U.S. or international exchanges. HFM lists 500 tradeable symbols versus Xtrade’s 482. For currency traders, HFM offers 102 forex pairs compared with Xtrade’s 56. Both also offer cryptocurrency trading through CFDs, but neither supports buying actual crypto.
One key difference is copy trading: HFM supports it, while Xtrade does not. For Range of Investments, HFM is rated 4 stars and ranks 37th out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, whereas Xtrade earns 3.5 stars and ranks 50th. If you want a wider selection—especially more forex pairs—and access to copy trading, HFM has the edge; otherwise, their product lineups are broadly similar.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 500 | 482 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 102 | 56 |
| 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 Xtrade both make it easy to get started with a free demo (paper) account and each offers its own in-house trading platform. You can trade in your web browser with either broker, and both let you place orders directly from charts. If you prefer a downloadable platform for Windows, HFM has one while Xtrade does not. HFM also supports copy trading and offers popular third‑party platforms MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5); Xtrade does not support copy trading or MT4/MT5.
For trading platforms and tools, HFM is rated 4 stars and ranks 43rd out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Xtrade is rated 3.5 stars and ranks 59th. The number of built‑in technical indicators and watchlist column details weren’t specified for either broker, so it’s worth test‑driving their platforms with a demo to see which layout and toolset you prefer.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| 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) | 15 | N/A |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
HFM vs Xtrade mobile trading apps: Both brokers offer iPhone and Android apps and each earns 4 stars for mobile trading. That said, ForexBrokers.com ranks HFM higher (#40 of 63) than Xtrade (#54 of 63), indicating HFM places higher in this category.
Feature comparison: HFM supports price alerts for stocks and forex; Xtrade does not. Neither app syncs watchlists with the online account. HFM’s charts include 30 technical studies, plus the ability to draw trendlines and auto-save chart drawings. Xtrade does not list a study count and lacks trendline drawing and auto-save for annotations. Bottom line: choose HFM if you want alerts and stronger charting tools; Xtrade may suit you if you don’t need those features.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | No |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | N/A |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
HFM vs Xtrade for market research: both brokers provide daily market commentary, top-tier forex news (from sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones), and an economic calendar to track global events. The big differences are in tools. HFM includes Autochartist to help spot trading setups and also offers a sentiment tool that shows the ratio of long to short positions across markets. Xtrade does not offer Autochartist or a sentiment tool. Neither broker integrates Trading Central, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading.
These gaps show up in the ratings. HFM earns 4 stars for Research and ranks #20 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Xtrade holds 3.5 stars and ranks #53. If you want more built-in tools to guide your analysis, HFM is the stronger pick. If you mainly want news, commentary, and an economic calendar, Xtrade covers the essentials.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
HFM stands out for beginner trading education on forex and CFDs. It runs online client webinars at least once a month and offers a sizable on‑demand library with at least 10 beginner videos plus at least 10 advanced videos, giving newcomers a clear path from basics to more complex topics. Xtrade’s education is slimmer by comparison: it does not host monthly educational webinars and it falls short of offering 10 or more beginner or advanced videos, which may make structured learning harder for first‑timers.
Independent ratings reflect this difference. HFM earns 4 stars for Education and ranks #37 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Xtrade holds 3.5 stars and ranks #46. If you want frequent webinars and lots of step‑by‑step videos, HFM is the stronger pick; if you’re fine with fewer materials and a more self‑directed approach, Xtrade can still be an option.
| Feature |
HFM
|
Xtrade
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| 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 Xtrade. HFM finished with an overall rank of #30, while Xtrade finished with an overall rank of #60.
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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Xtrade
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 74 |
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In the HFM vs Xtrade comparison, neither broker lets you buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies, but both provide cryptocurrency CFD trading.
Comparing online brokers HFM and Xtrade for deposit and withdrawal methods: both lack ACH/SEPA support; HFM does not support PayPal while Xtrade’s PayPal availability is not specified; HFM supports Skrill whereas Xtrade’s Skrill option is not specified; Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for both; and HFM supports bank wire transfers while Xtrade’s bank wire option is 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 | Xtrade | |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 74 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | HFM Review | Xtrade Review |
| Broker Screenshots | HFM | Xtrade | |
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| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Regulation | HFM | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 86 | 74 | |
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2003 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | HFM | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | No | |
| 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 | No | |
| 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) | HFM | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 500 | 482 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 102 | 56 | |
| 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 | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.2 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.7 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | HFM | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $250 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | ||
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | HFM | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 15 | N/A | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | No |
| Mobile Trading | HFM | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | N/A | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Research | HFM | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | HFM | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | HFM | Xtrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Xtrade Review |
| Overall | HFM | Xtrade | |
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| Trust Score | 86 | 74 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | HFM Review | Xtrade Review |
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