PU Prime vs CMC Markets

PU Prime or CMC Markets – which is better for UK traders 2026? Compare PU Prime and CMC Markets in this detailed breakdown of their platforms, features and fees.

PU Prime vs CMC Markets Comparison Table 2026
PU Prime CMC Markets
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4.5
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4.7
PU Prime is ranked #40 among CFD brokers. CMC Markets is ranked #17 among CFD brokers.
PU Prime operates as a forex and CFD broker, providing direct market access to forex, commodities, stocks, bonds, indices, and ETFs. It caters to traders of all levels with four account types: Cent, Standard, Prime, and ECN. Platforms include MetaTrader and the bespoke PU Prime app, designed for active trading. 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. 68% 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
  • Prime and ECN pricing offers strong competition for active traders. Our tests show spreads significantly narrowing during liquid sessions, reaching around 0.0 pips.
  • The platform range is robust. The PU Prime Web Trader and app offer user-friendly interfaces, intuitive order setup, and dynamic charts for swift trade execution.
  • For short-term traders, there's an excellent set of tools, including margin and position sizing calculators, economic calendars, and robust technical insights from Autochartist.
  • Over the years, PU Prime has enhanced its offerings by launching the PU Social app in 2022, obtaining ASIC approval for its Australian branch in 2025, and increasing its trading instruments by over 200, surpassing 1,000 in total.
  • 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.
  • CMC Markets has introduced an AI News feature. This leverages AI to highlight and summarise market stories instead of executing trades, suggesting the future direction of broker research tools.
  • 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
  • Contacting customer support can be cumbersome and time-consuming. Recent tests revealed the need to navigate various chatbot menus, answer questions, and input contact details before speaking to an agent.
  • The ECN account demands a $10,000 minimum deposit, preventing some active retail traders from accessing optimal pricing. These traders might incur higher costs on spreads and commissions with Prime, Standard, or Cent accounts.
  • The internal market updates provide a brief overview but lack the depth required for in-depth strategy development or advanced analysis.
  • 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
No

List of FCA Regulated Brokers

Yes
Instruments
CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Metals, Crypto, Bonds, ETFs CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Treasuries, Custom Indices, Spread Betting
Demo Account
Yes Yes
Minimum Deposit
$20 $0
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade
0.01 Lots 0.01 Lots
Regulator
ASIC, FSCA, CMA, FSA, FSC FCA, ASIC, MAS, CIRO, BaFin, FMA, DFSA
Mobile Apps
iOS & Android iOS & Android
Trading App
PU Prime offers a sophisticated app for Apple and Android users, featuring over 1,000 instruments. Enjoy spreads starting from 0.0 pips and commissions as low as $1 per side/lot with the ECN account—ideal for traders. The mobile platform includes dynamic charts, account management features, and integrated support. CMC Markets' award-winning app has revolutionised mobile trading. Its modern, customisable interface provides a unique user experience that sets it apart. Enhanced with 25 technical indicators, 15 drawing tools, and a swift, stable trading platform, it is an outstanding option for traders.
iOS App Rating
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4.8
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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
Yes No
cTrader
No No
AlgoTrader
No No
OmniTrader
No No
TradingView
No Yes
Autochartist
Yes No
eSignal
No No
Trading Central
No No
STP Account
Yes No
ECN Account
Yes No
DMA Account
No No
MAM Account
No No
PAMM Account
No 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
Yes No
Copy Trading Platform
PU Social allows clients to replicate expert traders' strategies. With over 6 million trades copied, 32,000 signal providers, and 150,000 copiers, it boasts a robust social investing community. Accessible via iOS, Android, and web platforms, users can select signal providers by returns, win rate, and risk profile.
Social Trading
Yes Yes
Trade Signals
Yes
VPS Hosting
Yes Yes
Tournaments
No No
Demo Competitions
No Yes
Ethical Investing
No No
Custodial Account
No No
Guaranteed Stop Loss
No Yes
Inactivity Fee
$0 $10
Islamic Account
Yes Yes
Account Currencies
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • NZD
  • JPY
  • HKD
  • SGD
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • NZD
  • SEK
  • NOK
  • SGD
  • PLN
Commodities
  • Oil
  • Gold
  • Copper
  • Silver
  • Corn
  • Cocoa
  • Coffee
  • Cotton
  • Natural Gas
  • Orange Juice
  • Soybeans
  • Sugar
  • Wheat
  • Platinum
  • Palladium
  • Precious Metals
  • Gold
  • Oil
  • Silver
  • Copper
  • Coffee
  • Wheat
  • Precious Metals
  • Natural Gas
  • Soybeans
  • Orange Juice
  • Nickel
  • Palladium
  • Steel
  • Cannabis
  • Platinum
  • Livestock
  • Sugar
  • Gasoline
CFD
PU Prime provides CFD trading across hundreds of assets, including stocks, indices, commodities, bonds, ETFs, and cryptocurrencies. Maximum leverage, now increased to 1:1000, varies per asset and region. Traders can choose between the intuitive mobile app or the reliable MetaTrader for trading. Useful tools, like profit, margin, and position size calculators, assist in planning short-term CFD trades. 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
1:1000 1:30 (Retail), 1:500 (Pro)
FTSE Spread
23 (ECN) 1 pt
GBPUSD Spread<
0.2 (ECN) 0.9
Oil Spread
2.2 (ECN) 3.5
Stocks Spread
4.2 (Amazon) 0.02
Forex
PU Prime offers trading on over 65 forex pairs with flexible leverage up to 1:1000. Forex major spreads start at 0.0 pips on Prime and ECN accounts during liquid markets. Clients can access a currency heatmap and choose from dependable platforms and apps. 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
65+ 300+
GBPUSD Spread
0.2 (ECN) 0.9
EURUSD Spread
0.2 pips (ECN) 0.7
EURGBP Spread
0 (ECN) 1.1
Currency Indices
  • USD
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • JPY
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • NZD
  • CHF
Cryptocurrency
PU Prime has expanded its cryptocurrency options, now providing over 65 pairs, both crypto-fiat and exclusive crypto. Trade on major currencies like Bitcoin and Ripple, alongside lesser-known, volatile tokens. Access trading 24/7 through PU Prime's four accounts, available on desktop, web, and mobile platforms. CMC Markets provides trading opportunities with popular digital currencies such as Bitcoin. However, it excels in offering crypto indices, granting broader market exposure. With minimal slippage and an impressive 99.9% fill rate, CMC is an excellent choice for active traders in the cryptocurrency sector.
Spread
27.5 (BTC) From 1.3
Coins
  • BTC
  • SHIB
  • XLM
  • SAND
  • BCH
  • TRX
  • XRP
  • ETH
  • LTC
  • NEO
  • WLD
  • DOGE
  • ONE
  • LRC
  • ATOM
  • NXPC
  • SOL
  • USDT
  • TRUMP
  • XTZ
  • WIF
  • HYPE
  • ZEC
  • ONDO
  • ADA
  • WLFI
  • AVAX
  • BNB
  • ALGO
  • DOT
  • BERA
  • UNI
  • 1INCH
  • BAT
  • ETC
  • SKY
  • CRV
  • CRO
  • MKR
  • EOS
  • GRT
  • OKB
  • NEAR
  • FIL
  • LINK
  • IOTA
  • HBAR
  • SUSHI
  • BTC
  • BCH
  • ETH
  • LTC
  • EOS
  • TRON
  • NEO
  • ADA
  • XLM
Crypto Lending
No No
Crypto Mining
No No
Crypto Staking
No No
Auto Market Maker
No No
PU Prime CMC Markets
Spread bets and 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 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.
More Comparisons
PU Prime
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