Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Plus500 vs Markets.com, 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.
Plus500 and Markets.com are both well-established online brokers catering to diverse trading needs. Plus500 was founded in 2008 and is a publicly traded company, though neither broker operates as a bank. In terms of regulatory standings, Plus500 appears more highly trusted with six Tier-1 licenses, which are held in high esteem by the Forex community. In addition, Plus500 holds three Tier-2 licenses, giving it a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score Rating of 99, reflecting its strong credibility.
In contrast, Markets.com has a slightly longer history, having been founded in 1999. However, it is not listed on any stock exchange. Markets.com maintains a solid regulatory framework with three Tier-1 licenses alongside one Tier-2 license. This grants it a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 93, indicating it is also considered highly trusted, though it ranks below Plus500 in terms of overall trust and regulation. Both brokers provide reliable environments for traders, but Plus500 stands out with its higher number of elite Tier-1 licenses and public trading status.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Markets.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2008 | 1999 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 3 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
When comparing Plus500 and Markets.com on commissions and fees, Plus500 stands out with specific details available. While Plus500's pricing is slightly above the industry average, it's noted for offering cash rebates if you qualify as a Professional client. However, retail clients do not receive discounts. For example, the average spread for EUR/USD at Plus500 was 1.5 pips in April 2024, which is higher than the industry average. Overall, Plus500 received a rating of 4.0 stars for its commissions and fees, ranking 25th out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com.
In contrast, Markets.com does not provide specific average spread data, which makes a direct comparison challenging. Despite this lack of detail, Markets.com holds a rating of 3.5 stars for its commissions and fees. The platform ranks significantly lower than Plus500, landing at the 50th position out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Markets.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €100 | $100 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.5 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.5 | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | 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 the range of investment options, both Plus500 and Markets.com offer access to a variety of markets, with each catering to slightly different needs. Plus500 provides a vast selection of 5,500 tradeable symbols, surpassing Markets.com, which offers 2,179. Forex traders will find a slightly wider range of currency pairs on Plus500, with 65 pairs available compared to Markets.com's 57. While both platforms allow forex trading as CFDs, Plus500 stands out by enabling clients to trade actual exchange-listed securities on both U.S. and international markets, unlike Markets.com. However, Markets.com has the upper hand with its copy trading feature, which Plus500 does not offer.
For those interested in cryptocurrency trading, Plus500 and Markets.com both allow trading in cryptocurrency derivatives, although neither offers the option to buy the actual cryptocurrencies. These differences in offerings influence user opinions; Plus500 is rated higher for its range of investments, achieving 4.5 stars, while Markets.com scores 4 stars. Moreover, according to ForexBrokers.com, Plus500 is ranked 24th for range of investments, ahead of Markets.com, which is listed at 29th out of 63 brokers. This indicates a slightly more comprehensive set of investment opportunities available with Plus500, according to these metrics.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Markets.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 2179 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 57 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | 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). Non-CFD share trading at Plus500 is only available through the Plus500 Invest account. | 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 of Plus500 and Markets.com, both brokers feature their own proprietary platforms along with offering virtual demo accounts, allowing users to practice trading without financial risk. However, Plus500 does not provide a desktop downloadable platform for Windows, unlike Markets.com. Both platforms do offer web-based trading, ensuring accessibility through a browser. Many traders appreciate Plus500's excellent 4.5-star rating for its trading platforms, ranking it at #14 out of 63 brokers, significantly higher than Markets.com, which has a four-star rating and ranks at #27.
An advantage of Markets.com is its inclusion of popular trading tools like MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, catering to traders looking for multi-functional software. Additionally, Markets.com supports copy trading, appealing to those interested in mimicking successful trades. Plus500 doesn't offer these options, but scores higher with 36 drawing tools for charting, compared to Markets.com's four. For seasoned traders, Plus500's ability to customize watch lists with up to 10 columns may offer greater flexibility than Markets.com's six columns, providing a customizable trading experience that stands out in the market.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Markets.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 89 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 36 | 4 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | No |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 10 | 6 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When it comes to mobile trading, both Plus500 and Markets.com provide apps for iPhone and Android users, ensuring traders can manage their investments on the go. Both platforms offer essential features like stock and forex price alerts and the ability to draw trendlines on charts. They also allow users to create watchlists with real-time quotes, with seamless syncing between mobile and online accounts. However, Plus500 stands out with advanced charting, offering 115 technical studies compared to Markets.com, which relies on the MT4 platform. Plus500 also supports viewing different time frames such as daily, weekly, or intraday, an option not available on the Markets.com app.
In terms of user ratings, Plus500 outperforms with a 4.5-star rating, while Markets.com holds a 4-star rating. Plus500's mobile trading app is ranked 14th out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, reflecting its comprehensive feature set and user satisfaction. Meanwhile, Markets.com is ranked 33rd, indicating it is a dependable option, though it offers fewer features than Plus500. Both apps don't auto-save chart drawings, so traders should be aware when making annotations. Overall, both companies provide good mobile trading options, with Plus500 offering more in-depth charting capabilities and a higher overall rating.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Markets.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 115 | (default on MT4, none on Markets app) |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | No |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Both Plus500 and Markets.com cater to traders by providing daily market commentary, ensuring users are informed about current market conditions. While Markets.com stands out by offering forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, Plus500 compensates with tools such as Trading Central's Technical Analytics, which Markets.com does not offer. Both platforms feature sentiment-based trading tools, providing insights into the ratio of long or short positions across various instruments, and both offer an economic calendar to keep traders updated on global news events.
Even though neither broker provides market research tools from TipRanks or Acuity Trading, they each hold a commendable research rating of 4 stars. In rankings by ForexBrokers.com, Plus500 is positioned at #19, slightly behind Markets.com, which is ranked #17 out of 63 evaluated brokers. This comparison highlights how each platform has its unique strengths, making both suitable choices depending on specific research needs.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Markets.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to educational resources for beginners, Plus500 stands out as a helpful platform. They offer a wealth of materials, including over ten instructional pieces focused on forex and CFDs, which is ideal for newcomers eager to grasp the basics. Their educational offerings extend to monthly webinars that are also archived for easy access, allowing users to go back and learn at their convenience. In addition to beginner-oriented resources, Plus500 provides more than ten advanced videos for experienced traders, making it an appealing choice for users at any stage of their trading journey.
In comparison, Markets.com offers a fair amount of educational content, although it lacks the depth found at Plus500. While they conduct monthly webinars to engage their audience, they don't provide an archive for past sessions, which could make it harder for beginners to catch up on missed content. However, similar to Plus500, Markets.com offers a range of beginner and advanced videos to aid in understanding the trading process. Despite providing solid resources, Markets.com still falls slightly behind Plus500 in rankings for educational offerings. Both brokers hold a similar rating, though Plus500 edges out with a higher ranking, indicating a broader and more accessible range of educational materials for those starting out.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Markets.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Plus500 is better than Markets.com. Plus500 finished with an overall rank of #14, while Markets.com finished with an overall rank of #23.
Plus500 is a trusted global brand that offers an easy-to-use trading platform for online traders, alongside access to a thorough selection of CFDs. Share trading is available, but only via its Plus500 Invest product offering.
| Feature |
Plus500
|
Markets.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 93 |
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Both Plus500 and Markets.com do not offer the ability to buy actual delivered cryptocurrencies, focusing instead on providing options for trading cryptocurrency derivatives.
When comparing online brokers Plus500 and Markets.com, it is notable that neither offers ACH or SEPA transfers for funding accounts, but Plus500 is distinct in supporting PayPal, alongside both platforms offering fund transfers via Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires.
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 | Plus500 | Markets.com | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Plus500 Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Plus500 | Markets.com | |
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| Regulation | Plus500 | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 93 | |
| Year Founded | 2008 | 1999 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 | 3 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Plus500 | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Plus500 | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | Yes | 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 | Plus500 | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 2179 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 57 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | 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). Non-CFD share trading at Plus500 is only available through the Plus500 Invest account. | 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 | Plus500 | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.5 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.5 | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | No | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Plus500 | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | €100 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | 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 | Plus500 | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | No | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Plus500 | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | No | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 10 | 6 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 115 | 89 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 36 | 4 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | No | No | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Plus500 | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 115 | (default on MT4, none on Markets app) | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | No | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Research | Plus500 | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Plus500 | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | Plus500 | Markets.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | No | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | Plus500 Review |
| Overall | Plus500 | Markets.com | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Plus500 Review |
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