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HFM MarketsCMC Markets Review
Written by Steven Hatzakis
Director of Online Broker Research
Edited by Jeff Anberg
Senior Editor
Fact-checked by Blain Reinkensmeyer
Managing Partner
Steven HatzakisDirector of Online Broker Research
Steven Hatzakis is the Global Director of Online Broker Research for ForexBrokers.com. He is a forex industry expert and an active fintech and crypto researcher.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 68% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
The natural audience for CMC Markets is experienced forex and CFD traders who care more about what they can trade, and how precisely, than about finding the cheapest quote. They get 303 currency pairs (more than any other broker I track), top-tier charting and client sentiment, and a strong mobile app, all under a perfect Trust Score. The main catch is the standard account, where the average EUR/USD spread has crept wider to 1.3 pips. Education is the other gap, featuring articles and videos but no structured course to follow.
To evaluate the platform, I tested Next Generation on web and Windows desktop, alongside the mobile app, MetaTrader, and TradingView. I placed trades directly from the chart, priced the standard and FX Active accounts side by side, and moved seamlessly between demo and live accounts. One standout feature I value as a trader is how CMC Markets' order ticket maps out exactly where each slice of a scaled-up EUR/USD order would fill, from top of book outward.
If you take the time to learn a platform that feels like a professional trading terminal and open the commission-based FX Active account, CMC Markets is a hard broker to outgrow. However, if overall simplicity or API access is your top priority, I'd start elsewhere.
-
Minimum Deposit:
$0 -
Trust Score:
99 -
Tradeable Symbols (Total):
21710
| Range of Investments | |
| Trading Fees | |
| Trading Platforms | |
| Research | |
| Mobile Trading | |
| Education |
Check out ForexBrokers.com's picks for the best forex brokers in 2026.
| #1 Most Currency Pairs | Winner |
| 2026 | #5 |
| 2025 | #4 |
| 2024 | #4 |
| 2023 | #4 |
| 2022 | #3 |
| 2021 | #3 |
| 2020 | #3 |
| 2019 | #3 |
| 2018 | #3 |
| 2017 | #3 |
Why you can trust us
Led by Steven Hatzakis, Global Director of Online Broker Research, the ForexBrokers.com research team collects and audits data across more than 100 variables. We analyze key tools and features important to forex and CFD traders and collect data on commissions, spreads, and fees across the industry to help you find the best broker for your needs.
We also review each broker’s regulatory status; this research helps us determine whether you should trust the broker to keep your money safe. As part of this effort, we track 100+ international regulatory agencies to power our proprietary Trust Score rating system.
Our researchers open personal brokerage accounts and test all available platforms on desktop, web, and mobile for each broker reviewed on ForexBrokers.com. Learn more about how we test.
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Table of Contents
CMC Markets pros and cons
PROS
- 303 currency pairs, the largest lineup in the industry.
- Next Generation charting is deep, with 1-second timeframes and no indicator cap.
- Reuters research and client sentiment built directly into the trade ticket.
CONS
- Standard-account EUR/USD spread of 1.3 pips has widened year over year.
- No copy trading, retail API, or OCO and OTO orders.
- No trading journal or performance analytics, and no structured education courses.
My top takeaways for CMC Markets in 2026:
- 303 forex pairs, nearly half quoted in both directions, the largest currency lineup we track.
- 21,710 tradeable symbols, built from 15,178 share CFDs, 5,802 ETFs, and 54 crypto CFDs.
- Average EUR/USD spread of 1.3 pips on the standard account, or 1.15 pips all-in on FX Active.
- Mobile app carries 30 indicators across 19 timeframes, with more than 10,000 markets open for extended hours.
- Trust Score of 99 out of 99, backed by six Tier-1 regulatory licenses.
Trust Score
Developed by ForexBrokers.com and in use for nearly 10 years, Trust Score is a proprietary rating system powered by a range of unique quantitative and qualitative metrics, including each company’s number of regulatory licenses. Trust Scores range from 1 to 99 (the higher a broker’s rating, the better). Learn more.
Is CMC Markets safe?
Yes. CMC Markets is one of the most trusted brokers we track, with a perfect Trust Score of 99 out of 99. Founded in 1989, it is publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: CMCX), so its finances are published. As of March 31, 2026, CMC held more than £457 million in Tier-1 regulatory capital. CMC Markets does not operate a bank.
Regulation is the main reason for the score. CMC holds six Tier-1 licences, the highest grade in our system. They come from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the U.K., the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO), the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), New Zealand's Financial Markets Authority (FMA), and Germany's Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin). It also holds one Tier-2, zero Tier-3, and one Tier-4 licences.
CMC Markets Group operates through separate regional entities, so the regulator holding your account depends on which entity you open with.
| Feature |
 CMC Markets
|
|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1989 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes |
| Bank | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 6 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 |
Range of investments
CMC Markets quotes 303 currency pairs, which makes it the number one broker in our database for pair count. Nearly half are listed in both directions, so if EUR/USD is on the board, USD/EUR is too. I counted 21,710 tradeable symbols on Next Generation, built from 15,178 share CFDs, 5,802 ETFs, 303 currencies, 127 commodities, 82 indices, 68 options, 54 cryptocurrency CFDs, 48 treasuries, 35 share baskets, 12 forex indices, and a single fund.
Cryptocurrency: I count 54 crypto CFDs trading around the clock, above the industry average though short of the category leaders. The underlying is not offered; what you hold is a contract on the price, not the coin. 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).
Shares and ETFs: Equity exposure is the bulk of the catalog at 15,178 share CFDs and 5,802 ETFs, with fractional shares and 24/5 trading now covering more than 5,000 U.S. shares and ETFs. Cash equities sit on CMC Invest, a separate product in select regions. More than 10,000 of CMC's available assets trade in extended hours, wider than most CFD brokers manage.
Options and futures: On the options side I found at least 68 OTC contracts on a conventional chain, concentrated in U.S. stocks with a few U.K. and EU names, all plain vanilla calls and puts. Futures exposure comes only through CFDs. Exchange-traded futures are not offered, and neither are prediction markets.
Spread betting and the Spectre account: U.K. clients get spread betting, and the newer Spectre account keeps that wrapper and its tax treatment (no capital gains, no stamp duty) while zeroing leverage. Positions carry no overnight financing, in exchange for a 1.2% annual maintenance fee billed monthly. For a long-only U.K. investor I would take that over a leveraged CFD.
Leverage: Retail leverage tops out at 200:1 where local rules permit and 30:1 across the EU, with Professional clients reaching 500:1. Those sit below offshore headline numbers, but I would rather have CMC's execution, which absorbs far larger tickets without the restrictive conditions attached to high-leverage offers.
Share dealing at CMC Markets
If you want to own the underlying shares rather than trade CFDs, CMC Invest is the CMC Markets Group product that handles cash equities in select regions. U.K. investors can read the full CMC Invest review at our sister site, StockBrokers.com U.K.
Available investment products
During our audit we verified access to 303 forex pairs and 21,710 total tradeable symbols, spanning share CFDs, ETFs, indices, commodities, treasuries, share baskets, and OTC options. We confirmed that cryptocurrency is offered as a CFD only, with no access to the underlying asset, and that exchange-traded futures are not available.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
|---|---|
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 21710 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 303 |
| Forex trading (Spot) | Yes |
| Forex trading (CFDs) | Yes |
| Forex trading (Options) | Yes |
| Forex trading (Futures) | No |
| Forex trading (Crypto) | No |
| Commodities: Agriculturals | Yes |
| Commodities: Oil | Yes |
| Commodities: Gold | Yes |
| Commodities: Silver | Yes |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes |
| U.S. Stocks (CFDs) | Yes |
| U.S. Stocks (Crypto) | Yes |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. CFDs) | Yes |
| 24/5 Trading (U.S. Stocks - Shares) | Yes |
| 24/5 Trading (U.S. Stocks - CFDs) | Yes |
| 24/7 Trading (Crypto) | Yes |
| Prediction markets | No |
| Copy Trading | No |
| Bitcoin (BTC) | Yes |
| Ethereum (ETH) | Yes |
| Cryptocurrencies (Total) | 54 |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Futures) | No |
| 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). |
Available funding options
Our tests confirm support for bank wire, non-wire bank transfer, debit card, credit card, and PayPal for both deposits and withdrawals, with no minimum deposit required and no fee charged on international wires. Skrill, Neteller, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and crypto wallet transfers are not supported.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
|---|---|
| Debit card (Deposit/withdraw) | Yes |
| Credit card (Deposit/withdraw) | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes |
| Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes |
| Apple Pay (Deposit/Withdraw) | No |
| Google Pay (Deposit/Withdraw) | No |
| Crypto (Deposit/withdraw) | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Wallet transfers) | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No |
| Neteller (Deposit/Withdraw) | No |
CMC Markets fees
CMC Markets earns its fee rating through FX Active, its commission-based account. Minimum spreads drop from 0.8 pips to zero, the EUR/USD average falls to 0.65 pips, and commission runs 0.0025% of notional per side, or $2.50 a side and $5.00 round turn on a standard lot. That lands at 1.15 pips all-in, the number I would weigh against the cost leaders. There is no Islamic swap-free account.
The standard, spread-only account is where CMC Markets has lost ground. I measured an average EUR/USD spread of 1.3 pips against an advertised 0.8 pip minimum, and these spreads have widened year over year. CMC's long-standing defense has been pricing consistency, and our multi-year data does show that their average quotes stay closer to their minimums than many peers. But that argument weakens as the overall spread widens. Stability is valuable, but a 0.5 pip difference between the advertised minimum and the reality counts against it.
Active trader rebates: Volume discounts are real, vary by region, and are steep. A U.K. Professional client trades £50 million a month for the base forex tier at £5 per million, returning £250, rising to £10 per million above £300 million. Indices and commodities run their own ladders, and holding costs drop as you climb, which helps on positions carried past intraday settlement.
CMC Alpha: In select regions including Australia, Alpha adds premium support, research, and lifestyle perks (fine dining, networking, sporting events). Qualifying takes a $20,000 deposit plus monthly volume of $25 million in FX, $40 million in indices, $5 million in commodities, or $1.5 million in shares. Clear Professional status on top of that and rebates can run from 5% to 20% of the spread.
Non-trading and holding costs: The rest of the schedule draws no complaints from me. Minimum deposit is zero, international wires cost nothing, and the £10 inactivity fee applies only after a full year with no open positions and no trading activity, against the six-month clock plenty of brokers run (it varies by region). Overnight financing applies to leveraged positions as usual. Guaranteed stop-loss orders carry a premium, with the ticket showing that cost and the maximum size a GSLO can protect.
Trading fees
In our live pricing analysis we recorded an average EUR/USD spread of 1.3 pips on the spread-only account and 0.65 pips on FX Active, where the 0.0025% commission brings the all-in round-trip cost to 1.15 pips. We confirmed variable spreads across the board, with no fixed-spread option, and no fee on international wire transfers.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account | 1.3 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Raw spread account | 0.65 |
| Commission per trade (EUR/USD) - Raw spread account | $5.00 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account | 1.15 |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes |
| International Wire Fee | 0 |
| Minimum Deposit | $0 |
Account types
We verified a spread-only standard account alongside the commission-based FX Active account, a Professional client tier, and the CMC Alpha VIP program in select regions. Our checks confirm the standard and FX Active accounts open with no minimum deposit, while Alpha requires a $20,000 deposit plus qualifying monthly volume. During our evaluation we confirmed the absence of an Islamic swap-free account.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
|---|---|
| Variable Spreads | Yes |
| Fixed Spreads | No |
| Active Trader Program | Yes |
| VIP/Premium Account | Yes |
| Professional Account | Yes |
| Islamic Account | No |
Mobile trading apps
I spent considerable time in CMC's mobile app. Navigation runs off a fixed bottom bar (Home, Account, Products, Analysis). The Home tab is what I would configure first with a plus button that builds it from 7 account tiles, 3 trading tools, 4 watchlist items, and 4 research resources. Even fully loaded it is not as smooth as the slickest apps, though not far off.
Charting and timeframes: I worked with 30 indicators (13 overlays, 17 studies), each icon-previewed in the library, plus 17 drawing tools spanning trendlines, shapes, and Fibonacci sets. The 19 timeframe intervals run toward the high end of the industry, reaching 1-second charts. Drag-to-modify your stop or target is web platform-only, which I found odd given how much else here responds to drag and drop.
Order ticket and alerts: The ticket opens on a blank size field, then computes trade value, margin, and costs. Tapping the cost figure draws a bar chart of carry accumulating overnight. Regular, trailing, and guaranteed stop-loss orders toggle from one screen alongside a take-profit, and depth of market showed liquidity out to $30 million on USD/JPY at level 1 pricing. My complaint is the size field as you have to type the number rather than drag a slider. Risk-reward ratios appear nowhere, which IG handles better.
The CMC Markets Next Generation mobile app includes an integrated order entry ticket, shown here configured for the EUR/USD currency pair. The interface displays live Level 1 pricing with real-time bid and ask quotes, a volume size selector, and dedicated fields for configuring regular Stop Loss and Take Profit levels.
Product discovery and sentiment: The Products tab is one of the best explorers I have used, which matters with more than 20,000 CFD symbols behind it. Type AUD and every AUD pair surfaces; search XAU and the related gold markets come back. Drill deeper by asset class, region, or cash versus forward indices. Screeners cover risers, fallers, price movers, and trending Mentions. Client sentiment sits in the ticket as a circular long/short gauge. Custom watchlists are the fiddly part since the search bar stays empty until you type, though the three-dot favorite menu works around it.
Third-party apps and account switching: MT4 and TradingView sit alongside the in-house app, with MT5 limited to the U.K., Australia, and Canada. Demo and live accounts toggle from the Accounts tab. There is no copy trading, no AI tooling, and no performance analytics beyond trade history.
Available mobile platforms and tools
In our hands-on testing of the Android and iOS apps we found 30 built-in charting indicators and 17 drawing tools across 19 timeframe intervals, alongside price alerts, an economic calendar, a news feed, and market movers. Our testing confirmed watchlists sync across devices and support column customization and column filtering, though charts do not sync and drag-to-modify remains web-only.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
|---|---|
| Proprietary Mobile Trading App | Yes |
| Android App | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators Autosave | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Column Filtering | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Column Customization | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Create & Manage | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes |
Trading platforms
CMC Markets runs five platform options: the proprietary Next Generation platform on web and Windows desktop (there is no Mac version), its own mobile app, MetaTrader 4 globally, MetaTrader 5 in select regions including the U.K., Australia, and Canada, and TradingView. Next Generation behaves more like a desktop terminal than a web app, and I found the flexibility both a benefit and a possible hindrance because a beginner can easily build a cluttered mess without noticing.
Charting depth and drag-to-modify: This is the strongest part of the platform. I worked with 65 indicators (20 overlays, 45 studies), 33 drawing tools running out to Fibonacci Arc and Gartley, and 18 timeframes down to 1-second charts. Nothing caps how many indicators you stack on one chart. Click an order on the chart and you can drag your stop or target, then confirm through a button marked "modify a trade with costs". I like that step because the dollar value updates live in the ticket and you can see exactly what changed.
The Next Generation web platform offers a multi-window workspace designed for active market monitoring and analysis. The screen coordinates several modular components simultaneously, including a multi-asset watchlist, an automated pattern recognition scanner, an economic calendar, and a detailed candlestick chart.
Order ticket and currency conversion: Size goes in as base currency with live conversion. On my euro-denominated account, 100,000 USD on USD/JPY at 159.58 returned a trade value of 86,787 EUR. Around that figure on the order ticket is also the spread, high and low prices, estimated margin, costs, a Key Information Document link for EU clients, and a switch across regular, trailing, and guaranteed stop-loss orders. Within Next Generation, level 2 pricing and depth of market are limited to certain equities. Complex orders are unsupported with no OCO or OTO.
Watchlist linking and client sentiment: Watchlists link to other modules through color-coded channels. A conventional screener is missing; breakout, emerging, and pattern-performance tabs work as a chart-pattern scanner instead, though those signals carry no stop or target levels and are absent from mobile. Client sentiment has been a favourite of mine for years, a circular pie chart filterable to all clients, top clients, or both.
Steven's expert take
"In a Next Generation watchlist, you can right-click to access a substantial menu of options, such as order settings for a specific symbol, which is very convenient, as it can either inherit your trade settings for all products or you can create custom settings just for that product."
Steven Hatzakis
Director of Online Broker Research
What is missing, and what recently improved: My biggest complaint is the lack of a retail API, the clearest deficit when compared against a top-tier broker like IG. The proprietary API access that does exist, CMC Connect, serves institutions and powers Revolut's CFD product, but retail clients cannot get keys. Algorithmic trading and backtesting run through MetaTrader or TradingView rather than natively, and I found no trading journal, performance analytics, or AI tooling. MetaTrader's narrower catalog is the software's limitation rather than CMC's. CMC recently folded account management into Next Generation, so switching between demo and live accounts now happens without leaving it. Chart templates save and reapply across symbols, and watchlists sync instantly to mobile.
Available trading platforms and features
Our platform walkthrough of Next Generation on web and desktop verified 65 charting indicators, 33 drawing tools, and 18 timeframes, alongside trading directly from the chart, savable chart templates, price alerts, client sentiment, and native trading signals. We confirmed MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, and TradingView integrations and a demo account, though the platform offers no cTrader, no VPS, and no retail API access.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
|---|---|
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Mac) | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes |
| FX Blue | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes |
| Proprietary Web Trading Platform | Yes |
| TradingView | Yes |
| cTrader | No |
| Algorithmic trading | Yes |
| API Access | No |
| Charts can be saved | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes |
| Trading Signals | Yes |
| Price Alerts | Yes |
| Virtual Private Server (VPS) | No |
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 65 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes |
| Charting - TradingView | Yes |
Available order types
We verified market, limit, stop, trailing stop, and guaranteed stop-loss orders (GSLO) directly within the trade ticket, on both web and mobile. Our testing found no support for OCO or OTO orders on any CMC platform.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
|---|---|
| Order Type - Market | Yes |
| Order Type - Limit | Yes |
| Order Type - Stop | Yes |
| Order Type - Trailing Stop | Yes |
| Order Type - OCO | No |
| Order Type - OTO | No |
| Order Type - GSLO | Yes |
Research
CMC's research holds up well, and I use more of it than I expected to. Reuters headlines are integrated into the web and mobile platforms, and once you surface the module, which is hidden by default, it reads cleanly. Full articles are live-account only, so demo users see headlines and nothing more.
In-house analysis and the Aureon blog: News and Analysis routes to the CMC Markets blog and to CMC Aureon, formerly Opto. I read a EUR/USD piece that was concise and carried two charts, with projections argued both ways. Regional coverage is uneven. For example, I noticed that the Ireland site ran several articles a day while the German one had not been updated since February.
The CMC Markets research section delivers timely financial commentary and macroeconomic updates written by in-house market analysts. The portal features a lead analysis article alongside structured insight columns covering weekly market events, monetary policy outlooks, inflation data releases, and major currency pair movements, providing continuous coverage to support trading research.
Broadcast, podcasts, and the newsletter: CMC TV still broadcasts roughly weekly with analysis on live charts around CPI, PPI, and monetary policy, and I've been a long-time listener to Opto Sessions. Production has thinned since the rename, though the back catalogue stays deep. The Aureon newsletter on Substack is detailed and well written, and it deserves syndication back to the main site.
Economic calendar via Reuters: The Market Calendar is better than most I test. I was pleased to find an info tab explaining what each release measures, dozens of prior readings, and an interactive bar chart of actual against forecast, alongside country flags, severity ratings, and filters. You can subscribe to individual events for recurring alerts, which I did. Missing is an earnings calendar, a real gap when more than 15,000 shares are tradeable here, along with quarterly outlooks of the kind Saxo publishes.
Client sentiment and native signals: Client sentiment sits right in the trade ticket, showing the percentage of CMC clients long and short each instrument, filterable to all clients, top clients, or both. CMC pioneered putting that in front of retail traders. Native signals flag breakout and emerging patterns, but carry no stop or target levels on web and are absent from mobile.
Third-party analytics: Reuters aside, the third-party bench is thin. Autochartist comes only as an MT4 plugin you install yourself, well behind how Swissquote or Saxo wire signals into the platform. Trading Central and Acuity are unavailable, and TipRanks is tied to a Singapore platform not yet fully rolled out. TradingView fills much of the gap with screeners and PineScript.
Available research tools
Our analysis highlights daily in-house commentary, Reuters news integration, a Reuters-powered economic calendar, client sentiment, and native trading signals built on breakout and emerging chart patterns. Our review found Autochartist available through a MetaTrader 4 plugin, while the platform carries no earnings calendar, no financial statement data, and no research from Trading Central, TipRanks, or Acuity.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
|---|---|
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes |
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes |
| Daily Market Commentary (Videos) | Yes |
| Economic Calendar | Yes |
| Research - Earnings Calendar | No |
| Acuity Trading | No |
| Autochartist | Yes |
| TipRanks | No |
| Trading Central | No |
| Mobile Research - News | Yes |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes |
| Mobile Research - Market Movers | Yes |
Education
Education is where I'd rank CMC lowest against its own lineup, and the problem is structure rather than quality. Its writers are professionals with real background experience, and the deep dives show it. But the Learn Hub is 63 articles, split 46 beginner, 11 intermediate, and 6 experienced, and that is the whole of it. There are no courses, and so no progress tracking or quizzes.
Video archive and podcasts: I keep coming back to the YouTube catalogue. Playlists include Trading Psychology with Tom Hougaard, a Trading Masterclass with Brian Shannon, a separate Masterclass playlist past 100 videos, Trading Strategies content 5 to 15 years old, and a three-part Helene Meisler series on market breadth. Podcasts include The Artful Trader Series, and I've followed the CMC Aureon channel, formerly Opto, since its inception. The caveat is that recent output leans to market analysis rather than teaching.
Platform tutorials and in-app guidance: There is more here than the article count suggests. A 24-video playlist covers the platform, and the mobile app opens with an interactive overlay tour many peers do not offer. My issue is placement as you must leave the platform to learn it because the apps link out to the playlist that lives on YouTube. Tool-specific explainers stay buried in the archive.
The CMC Markets educational portal features a structured Learn Hub dedicated to expanding user knowledge on various trading concepts and platform tools. The interface allows users to filter content based on their proficiency level, offering clear tag selections for Beginner, Intermediate, and Experienced traders alongside a search bar for specific queries.
Learning while you trade: Contextual learning at CMC is a great benefit to beginner forex traders. The ticket pushes back when you enter an impossible size, telling you the maximum is 30 million units, and as you scale it shows where you would fill. A sample EUR/USD ask ran 15m at 1.16972 at top of book, 22m at 1.16973, 30m at 1.16974. This is market impact made visible. Tap the three vertical dots on any watchlist asset and Product Overview and the Key Information Document return position limits, maximum trade size, GSLO cost and coverage, cost of carry, and trading hours. Rejections are descriptive too, since an invalid stop returns "The target price must be below...", though only once you click into the field. Two gaps worth mentioning are that there is no margin warning until rejection, and no country flags or plain-language context on a pair like USD/JPY.
Available educational offerings
We found educational content spanning forex, CFDs, crypto, stocks, and commodities, delivered through 63 Learn Hub articles, beginner and advanced video libraries, webinars, and a dedicated education area inside both the website and the mobile app. During our evaluation we confirmed the absence of structured courses, progress tracking, and quizzes.
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
|---|---|
| Education (Forex) | Yes |
| Education (CFDs) | Yes |
| Education (Crypto) | Yes |
| Education (Stocks) | Yes |
| Education Area (Website) | Yes |
| Education Area (Mobile App) | Yes |
| Webinars | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes |
Final thoughts
CMC Markets makes it easy to trade almost anything from a single account, and the 303 currency pairs behind our 2026 Industry Award for #1 Most Currency Pairs are the clearest example of what that breadth looks like in practice. Unfortunately, a standard-account spread that has widened year over year, an education library with no courses behind it, and the absence of a retail API or any performance analytics keep it from the very top of the category.
For experienced CFD and forex traders who want range, charting depth, and a platform you can rebuild around your own workflow, CMC Markets is a strong choice. If cost is your first filter, open FX Active rather than the standard account; if you need copy trading or programmatic access, I'd price the alternatives before opening an account.
CMC Markets Star Ratings
| Feature |
CMC Markets
|
|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
|
| Trust Score | 99 |
| Range of Investments |
|
| Trading Fees |
|
| Trading Platforms |
|
| Research |
|
| Mobile Trading |
|
| Education |
|
Our testing
Why you should trust us
Steven Hatzakis is a well-known finance writer, with 25+ years of experience in the foreign exchange and financial markets. He is the Global Director of Online Broker Research for Reink Media Group, leading research efforts for ForexBrokers.com since 2016. Steven is an expert writer and researcher who has published over 1,000 articles covering the foreign exchange markets and cryptocurrency industries. He has served as a registered commodity futures representative for domestic and internationally-regulated brokerages. Steven holds a Series III license in the US as a Commodity Trading Advisor (CTA).
All content on ForexBrokers.com is handwritten by a writer, fact-checked by a member of our research team, and edited and published by an editor. Our ratings, rankings, and opinions are entirely our own, and the result of our extensive research and decades of collective experience covering the forex industry.
Ultimately, our rigorous data validation process yields an error rate of less than .1% each year, providing site visitors with quality data they can trust. Click here to learn more about how we test.
How we tested
At ForexBrokers.com, our online broker reviews are based on our collected quantitative data as well as the observations and qualified opinions of our expert researchers. Each year we publish tens of thousands of words of research on the top forex brokers and monitor dozens of international regulator agencies (read more about how we calculate Trust Score here).
Mobile testing is conducted on modern devices that run the most up-to-date operating systems available:
- For Apple, we use MacBook Pro laptops running the latest, and the iPhone XS running the latest version of iOS.
- For Android, we use the Samsung Galaxy S20 and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra devices running the latest Android OS.
All websites and web-based platforms are tested using the latest version of the Google Chrome browser.
Our researchers thoroughly test a wide range of key features, such as the availability and quality of watch lists, mobile charting, real-time and streaming quotes, and educational resources – among other important variables. We also evaluate the overall design of the mobile experience, and look for a fluid user experience moving between mobile and desktop platforms.
Forex Risk Disclaimer
There is a very high degree of risk involved in trading securities. With respect to margin-based foreign exchange trading, off-exchange derivatives, and cryptocurrencies, there is considerable exposure to risk, including but not limited to, leverage, creditworthiness, limited regulatory protection and market volatility that may substantially affect the price, or liquidity of a currency or related instrument. It should not be assumed that the methods, techniques, or indicators presented in these products will be profitable, or that they will not result in losses. Read more on forex trading risks.
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Popular Forex Broker Reviews
Formerly named City Index, StoneX Trading is a trusted brand known for its versatile trading platforms, excellent mobile app, and diverse market research.
Steven Hatzakis August 28, 2026
Best known for its mobile trading app, Trading 212 offers an easy-to-use trading platform suite for CFD and share trading.
Steven Hatzakis May 14, 2026
Traders choose Swissquote for its quality research and vast multi-asset offering.
Steven Hatzakis May 04, 2026
Our expert Tickmill review tests the broker's Raw account pricing, spreads, MetaTrader platforms, and tools to help you decide if it fits your trading in 2026.
Steven Hatzakis May 22, 2026
ACY Securities is a MetaTrader-only broker with a reasonable range of markets and a balanced account offering.
Steven Hatzakis May 04, 2026
Eightcap review 2026: low-cost forex and CFD trading on TradingView, MetaTrader, and TradeLocker, with a deep crypto CFD lineup. Read our expert verdict.
Steven Hatzakis October 05, 2026
In my 2026 Exness review, I tested the Exness Terminal, MT4, and MT5 across 78 forex pairs. See my verdict on costs, research, and product range.
Steven Hatzakis May 27, 2026
eToro is a winner for its easy-to-use copy-trading platform, where traders can copy the trades of experienced investors – or receive exclusive perks for sharing.
Steven Hatzakis August 04, 2026
Check out our review of Charles Schwab, a highly trusted, multi-asset broker catering to U.S.-based and international forex traders.
Steven Hatzakis May 04, 2026
FxPro competes among the top MetaTrader brokers, featuring multiple account options and various execution methods.
Steven Hatzakis October 07, 2026
IC Markets is built for algorithmic and cost-sensitive forex traders: 0.72 pips all-in on EUR/USD and free colocated VPS, but no platform of its own.
Steven Hatzakis August 31, 2026
Interactive Brokers forex review: I tested IBKR's spreads, commissions, and platforms in 2026. More than 100 pairs, but a $2 minimum commission per order.
Steven Hatzakis September 28, 2026
Is Capital.com worth it in 2026? Our expert review covers 450+ crypto CFDs, a 0.7-pip EUR/USD spread, commission-free pricing, and platform quality.
Steven Hatzakis October 15, 2026
IG offers the ultimate comprehensive trading package, featuring excellent trading and research tools, and industry-leading education.
Steven Hatzakis August 04, 2026
A trusted global brand, OANDA stands out for its reputation and quality market research.
Steven Hatzakis May 04, 2026
For traders who appreciate advanced trading tools and quality market research, FXCM is a winner, especially for algorithmic trading.
Steven Hatzakis October 09, 2026
Saxo is an exclusive multi-asset broker with brilliant research and a superb trading platform experience, along with an extensive selection of over 71,000 securities.
Steven Hatzakis September 10, 2026
FP Markets shines as a low-cost broker for trading forex and CFDs – as long as you use the MetaTrader platform.
Steven Hatzakis October 08, 2026
Our 2026 HFM (HF Markets) review covers MT4, MT5, copy trading, the 344-symbol product offering, and 1.8-pip EUR/USD spreads, based on hands-on testing.
Steven Hatzakis September 30, 2026
FOREX.com is a trusted brand that delivers an excellent trading experience for forex and CFDs traders across the globe.
Steven Hatzakis May 04, 2026
Traders choose Admiral Markets (Admirals) for its excellent investor education and advanced MetaTrader features.
Steven Hatzakis May 04, 2026
Pepperstone offers a growing range of tradeable markets, good-quality research, and support for multiple social copy trading platforms.
Steven Hatzakis October 07, 2026
Plus500 is a trusted global brand that offers an easy-to-use trading platform for online traders, alongside access to share trading and selection of CFDs.
Steven Hatzakis July 22, 2026
Octa offers a basic, low-cost MetaTrader platform experience alongside its social copy-trading platform.
Steven Hatzakis May 04, 2026
AvaTrade is a trusted global brand best known for offering an extensive selection of trading platforms for forex and CFD traders.
Steven Hatzakis May 04, 2026
As a trusted multi-asset broker, XTB offers outstanding customer service, a wide variety of forex and CFDs, and an excellent overall trading experience.
Steven Hatzakis October 07, 2026About CMC Markets
Founded in 1989, CMC Markets (LON: CMCX) has grown to become one of the leading retail forex and CFD brokerages globally. Including forex clients, CMC Markets serves over 336,523 active clients worldwide (between trading and investing) - with £46.3 billion in assets under administration - through its 14 offices globally, and with a staff count of over 1,100 people across its entities regulated in the U.K., Canada, and Australia. CMC Markets holds over £457 million in Tier 1 regulatory capital as of March 31, 2026. The company has a market capitalization of £2 billion as of August 2026.
About the Editorial Team
Steven Hatzakis is the Global Director of Online Broker Research for ForexBrokers.com. Steven previously served as an Editor for Finance Magnates, where he authored over 1,000 published articles about the online finance industry. A forex industry expert and an active fintech and crypto researcher, Steven advises blockchain companies at the board level and holds a Series III license in the U.S. as a Commodity Trading Advisor (CTA).
Jeff Anberg is a Senior Editor at ForexBrokers.com. Along with years of experience in media distribution at a global newsroom, Jeff has a versatile knowledge base encompassing the technology and financial markets. He is a long-time active investor and engages in research on emerging markets like cryptocurrency. Jeff holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature with a minor in Philosophy from San Francisco State University.
Blain Reinkensmeyer has 20 years of trading experience with over 2,500 trades placed during that time. He heads research for all U.S.-based brokerages on StockBrokers.com and is respected by executives as the leading expert covering the online broker industry. Blain’s insights have been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and the Chicago Tribune, among other media outlets.