Fortrade vs CMC Markets

Fortrade or CMC Markets – which is better for UK traders 2025? Compare Fortrade and CMC Markets in this detailed breakdown of their platforms, features and fees.

Fortrade vs CMC Markets Comparison Table 2025
Fortrade CMC Markets
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3.8
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4.7
Fortrade is ranked #60 among CFD brokers. CMC Markets is ranked #3 among CFD brokers.
Fortrade is a well-regulated broker with oversight from authorities such as the FCA, CySEC, and ASIC. The firm offers trading on diverse instruments like stocks, bonds, commodities, forex, indices, cryptocurrencies, and ETFs. It provides competitive fees and supports both MetaTrader 4 and its own trading platform. Founded in 1989, CMC Markets is a reputable broker publicly listed on the London Stock Exchange. It holds authorisation from top-tier regulators such as the FCA, ASIC, and CIRO. The brokerage, which has received multiple awards, boasts a global membership exceeding one million traders.
Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 70% of retail investor accounts lose money when spread betting and/or trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Pros
  • A diverse array of markets is accessible, such as cryptocurrencies.
  • Extensive educational materials and content
  • The FCA and CySEC have implemented robust trading regulations. These measures ensure that traders operate within a secure and transparent financial environment. Compliance is essential for all market participants to maintain licensure and avert penalties.
  • Selection of platforms including MT4.
  • Unlimited access demo account
  • Online Trading App: Android Edition
  • The CMC web platform offers an exceptional user experience with sophisticated charting tools for trading and customisable options, suitable for both novice and seasoned traders. It supports MT4 but not MT5, and TradingView will be available from 2025.
  • We've upgraded the 'Assets & Markets' rating due to frequent product enhancements in early 2025. These include extended trading hours for US stocks and the introduction of new share CFDs.
  • CMC provides competitive pricing with narrow spreads and low trading fees, except for stock CFDs. The Alpha and Price+ programmes offer additional benefits for active traders, including discounts on spreads of up to 40%.
  • CMC Markets is well-regulated by respected financial authorities, ensuring a secure and reliable trading environment. It upholds a strong reputation, providing traders with confidence.
  • The brokerage excels with an extensive array of valuable resources, such as pattern recognition scanners, webinars, tutorials, news feeds, and research from reputable sources like Morningstar.
Cons
  • Broader than typical spreads on certain assets.
  • Only a single account option is provided.
  • Delayed Withdrawals
  • Although there have been improvements, the online platform still needs further refinement to match the user-friendly trading experience offered by competitors such as IG.
  • CMC provides a robust range of assets; however, it does not support trading actual stocks, and UK clients are unable to trade cryptocurrencies.
  • Trading stock CFDs comes with a relatively high commission, particularly when compared to low-cost brokers such as IC Markets.
  • A monthly inactivity charge of $10 is imposed after a year's inactivity, potentially discouraging occasional traders.
  • The CMC Markets app provides a comprehensive trading package; however, its design and user experience lag behind market leaders such as eToro.
Awards
  • Best Trading App 2023 - DayTrading.com
  • No.1 Platform Technology 2022
  • No.1 New Tool 2022
  • No.1 Most Currency Pairs 2022
  • Best Trade Execution 2021
  • Best Forex Broker For Beginners 2021
  • Most Transparent Forex Broker Europe 2020
  • Best Trading Platform 2020
  • Best Trading App 2019
  • Best Customer Service 2018
FCA Regulated
Yes Yes
Instruments
Forex, CFDs, indices, shares, commodities, cryptocurrencies, DMAs, ETFs, bonds CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Treasuries, Custom Indices, Spread Betting
Demo Account
Yes Yes
Minimum Deposit
$100 $0
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade
0.01 Lots 0.01 Lots
Regulator
FCA, ASIC, CySEC, NBRB, FSC, CIRO FCA, ASIC, MAS, CIRO, BaFin, FMA, DFSA
Mobile Apps
iOS & Android iOS & Android
Trading App

The Fortrader mobile app can be used to trade 60+ currency pairs. Clients can also access daily market insights and manage deposits and withdrawals via the application. The forex trading app is available from the Apple App Store and Google Play.

The award-winning app from CMC Markets has transformed mobile trading. The app’s modern and customizable interface offers a unique user experience, distinct from competitors. Moreover, with its comprehensive charting capabilities featuring 25 technical indicators and 15 drawing tools, as well as its fast and stable trading environment, it’s an exceptional choice for traders.

iOS App Rating
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3.5
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4.1
Android App Rating
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4.2
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3.7
Margin Trading
Yes Yes
Margin Rate
1%
MetaTrader 4
Yes Yes
MetaTrader 5
No No
cTrader
No No
AlgoTrader
No No
OmniTrader
No No
TradingView
No Yes
Autochartist
No No
eSignal
No No
Trading Central
Yes No
STP Account
No No
ECN Account
Yes No
DMA Account
Yes No
MAM Account
Yes No
PAMM Account
Yes No
LAMM Account
No No
Demat Account
No No
AI / Machine Learning
No No
Robo Advisor
No No
Negative Balance Protection
Yes Yes
Market Maker
No Yes
P2P Trading
No No
Spot Trading
No Yes
Auto Trading
Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader
Copy Trading
No No
Social Trading
No Yes
Trade Signals
Yes Yes
VPS Hosting
No Yes
Tournaments
No No
Demo Competitions
No Yes
Ethical Investing
No No
Custodial Account
No No
Guaranteed Stop Loss
No Yes
Inactivity Fee
$10 $10
Islamic Account
Yes Yes
Account Currencies
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • NZD
  • SEK
  • NOK
  • SGD
  • PLN
Commodities
  • Gold
  • Silver
  • Oil
  • Gasoline
  • Copper
  • Corn
  • Cotton
  • Palladium
  • Platinum
  • Sugar
  • Wheat
  • Natural Gas
  • Gold
  • Oil
  • Silver
  • Copper
  • Coffee
  • Wheat
  • Precious Metals
  • Natural Gas
  • Soybeans
  • Orange Juice
  • Nickel
  • Palladium
  • Steel
  • Cannabis
  • Platinum
  • Livestock
  • Sugar
  • Gasoline
CFD
Fortrade offers a diverse selection of leveraged CFDs across various asset classes such as forex, stocks, bonds, indices, commodities, and cryptocurrencies. Traders benefit from leverage up to 1:30, zero commission, fast execution, and low latency, whether using MetaTrader 4 or Fortrade’s bespoke platform. CMC enables trading of CFDs on over 12,000 assets, including currencies, indices, commodities, shares, ETFs, and treasuries. In 2025, new equities will feature sectors like quantum computing, AI learning, and digital car sales. Enjoy competitive spreads without hidden fees, and leverage the renowned MetaTrader 4 platform. Consistently, CMC stands out as a leading CFD broker.
Leverage
1:30 (varies by entity) 1:30 (Retail), 1:500 (Pro)
FTSE Spread
2 1 pt
GBPUSD Spread<
2 0.9
Oil Spread
0.04 3.5
Stocks Spread
Variable 0.02
Forex
Fortrade provides over 60 currency pairs, featuring a solid range of major, minor, and exotic options. Traders can use MT4 or Fortrade's proprietary, low-latency platform. The USD/GBP spread typically averages a competitive 2 pips. CMC offers a broad selection of over 300 forex pairs, featuring tight spreads and quick execution. This exceeds many competitors in currency variety. Their forex indices provide a distinctive and comprehensive method to speculate on major currencies such as USD, EUR, and GBP.
Assets
60+ 300+
GBPUSD Spread
2 0.9
EURUSD Spread
2 0.7
EURGBP Spread
3 1.1
Currency Indices
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • JPY
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • NZD
  • CHF
Fortrade CMC Markets
Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 70% of retail investor accounts lose money when spread betting and/or trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
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