Spreadex vs CMC Markets

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

Spreadex vs CMC Markets Comparison Table 2025
Spreadex CMC Markets
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3.5
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4.7
Spreadex is ranked #26 among CFD brokers. CMC Markets is ranked #3 among CFD brokers.
Spreadex, regulated by the FCA, provides spread betting across 10,000+ CFD instruments, including 60 forex pairs. Traders have the option to engage in short-term positions on sporting events as well. With a history exceeding 20 years, the company has earned numerous accolades. 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
  • There is a superb selection of instruments and trading vehicles for short-term traders.
  • Spreadex offers UK traders the chance to earn tax-free profits via spread betting.
  • A unique broker offering access to low market cap stocks on the AIM.
  • There are appealing new account promotions, such as double the odds and matched betting offers.
  • Traders can place wagers on sporting events directly through their brokerage accounts.
  • A wide array of signals, analytical tools, and risk management options, such as guaranteed stops, is available.
  • The broker provides a user-friendly custom charting platform and mobile application.
  • 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
  • The absence of a demo account may dishearten potential clients wishing to evaluate Spreadex's offerings.
  • Limited customer support may lead to delays in resolving issues.
  • The proprietary terminal does not offer the detailed charting capabilities found in platforms such as MT4 and MT5.
  • There is no support for expert advisors or trading bots.
  • Third-party e-wallets are not permitted.
  • 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 Spread Betting Provider - 2020 COLWMA Awards
  • Best Mobile Trading Platform - 2020 ADVFN Awards
  • Best Trading Alerts System - 2020 ADVFN Awards
  • Best Spread Betting Provider - 2019 GMG 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, Commodities, Stocks, Crypto, Bonds, Interest Rates, ETFs, Options, Spread Betting CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Treasuries, Custom Indices, Spread Betting
Demo Account
No Yes
Minimum Deposit
£0 $0
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade
£0.01 0.01 Lots
Regulator
FCA FCA, ASIC, MAS, CIRO, BaFin, FMA, DFSA
Mobile Apps
iOS & Android iOS & Android
Trading App

Spreadex delivers a first-rate mobile trading app on iOS and Android, featuring sophisticated charts with intervals from 1 tick to 1 month and 10+ years of historical data. Price alerts are also easy to set up using the bell icon next to each asset, ensuring you don’t miss opportunities. However, integration of features like the economic calendar and market updates could be improved, as they redirect you to an external browser, dampening the mobile trading experience.

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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4.5
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4.1
Android App Rating
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4.5
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3.7
Margin Trading
Yes Yes
Margin Rate
1%
MetaTrader 4
No Yes
MetaTrader 5
No No
cTrader
No No
AlgoTrader
No No
OmniTrader
No No
TradingView
Yes Yes
Autochartist
No No
eSignal
No No
Trading Central
No No
STP Account
No No
ECN Account
No 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
Yes Yes
Auto Trading
No Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader
Copy Trading
No No
Social Trading
No Yes
Trade Signals
Yes
VPS Hosting
No Yes
Tournaments
No No
Demo Competitions
No Yes
Ethical Investing
Yes No
Custodial Account
No No
Guaranteed Stop Loss
No Yes
Inactivity Fee
£0 $10
Islamic Account
No Yes
Account Currencies
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CAD
  • CHF
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • NZD
  • SEK
  • NOK
  • SGD
  • PLN
Commodities
  • Oil
  • Gold
  • Cocoa
  • Silver
  • Coffee
  • Copper
  • Cotton
  • Platinum
  • Natural Gas
  • Gold
  • Oil
  • Silver
  • Copper
  • Coffee
  • Wheat
  • Precious Metals
  • Natural Gas
  • Soybeans
  • Orange Juice
  • Nickel
  • Palladium
  • Steel
  • Cannabis
  • Platinum
  • Livestock
  • Sugar
  • Gasoline
CFD
Trade CFDs on Spreadex's extensive range of instruments, offering leverage up to 1:30 and competitive spreads. Although spread betting is their unique selling point, the favourable trading conditions and broad market selection make them an excellent option for CFD trading as well. 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 1:30 (Retail), 1:500 (Pro)
FTSE Spread
1.0 1 pt
GBPUSD Spread<
0.9 0.9
Oil Spread
2.8 3.5
Stocks Spread
0.15% 0.02
Forex
Engage in trading across over 60 forex pairs with zero commission and highly competitive spreads starting at 0.6 on major pairs like EUR/USD. This offers a robust selection and excellent pricing for commission-free trades, significantly undercutting industry norms. 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
0.9 0.9
EURUSD Spread
0.6 0.7
EURGBP Spread
0.9 1.1
Currency Indices
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • JPY
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • NZD
  • CHF
Cryptocurrency
Spreadex provides spread betting on cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ether, Litecoin, and Ripple, paired with USD. Traders can engage in leveraged trading of these digital assets via derivative contracts, without the need to own them. 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
1 - 140 pips From 1.3
Coins
  • BCH
  • BTC
  • ETH
  • LTC
  • XRP
  • 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
Spreadex 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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