Uphold vs CMC Markets

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

Uphold vs CMC Markets Comparison Table 2025
Uphold CMC Markets
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3.4
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4.7
Uphold is ranked #6 among crypto brokers. CMC Markets is ranked #3 among CFD brokers.
Review
Review
Uphold is a financial platform enabling trading, staking, and rewards through payment cards, all with seamless multi-currency transactions. Since its inception in 2015, it has managed transactions totaling over $4 billion. Serving more than 180 countries, Uphold offers over 200 cryptocurrency and fiat currency options. 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.
Terms Apply. Cryptoassets are highly volatile. Your capital is at risk. 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
  • Fees are competitive according to assessments, with 26 platforms assisting in finding optimal prices.
  • Uphold consistently leads the industry by frequently being among the initial platforms to introduce new crypto tokens.
  • Crypto staking is accessible for over 30 tokens, offering competitive rates reaching up to 16%.
  • Uphold maintains full reserves, ensuring client funds are safeguarded.
  • More than 250 cryptocurrencies are available, featuring leading tokens such as Bitcoin and Ethereum.
  • The proprietary app is exceptionally user-friendly, featuring an elegant design and intuitive navigation.
  • UK users can obtain the Uphold card, offering up to 2% cashback in XRP.
  • Two-step authentication enhances user security.
  • 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 platform's chart analysis tools lag behind those of specialised exchanges.
  • Customer service is sluggish according to assessments, offering few communication channels.
  • A 2.49% charge applies for credit or debit card usage.
  • Uphold functions under minimal regulatory supervision.
  • 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
Cryptos CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Treasuries, Custom Indices, Spread Betting
Demo Account
Yes Yes
Minimum Deposit
$0 $0
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade
$1 0.01 Lots
Regulator
FCA, ASIC, MAS, CIRO, BaFin, FMA, DFSA
Mobile Apps
iOS & Android iOS & Android
Trading App

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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4.6
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4.1
Android App Rating
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rating full
4.4
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3.7
Margin Trading
No Yes
Margin Rate
1%
MetaTrader 4
No 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
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
No Yes
Market Maker
No Yes
P2P Trading
No No
Spot Trading
Yes Yes
Auto Trading
Automated crypto trading bots 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
$10
Islamic Account
No Yes
Account Currencies
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • NZD
  • SEK
  • NOK
  • SGD
  • PLN
Commodities
  • Platinum
  • Gold
  • Silver
  • 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
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 (Retail), 1:500 (Pro)
FTSE Spread
1 pt
GBPUSD Spread<
0.9
Oil Spread
3.5
Stocks Spread
0.02
Forex
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
300+
GBPUSD Spread
0.9
EURUSD Spread
0.7
EURGBP Spread
1.1
Currency Indices
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • JPY
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • NZD
  • CHF
Cryptocurrency
With Uphold's user-friendly mobile app or web platform, you can trade over 250 crypto assets using fiat currencies or crypto pairs—offering more options than many competitors. Additionally, earn up to 16% APY by staking any of the 32 eligible tokens or transfer tokens to an external wallet. 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
Up to 1.5% From 1.3
Coins
  • BTC
  • BTCO
  • AAVE
  • ALCX
  • DYDX
  • INH
  • XYO
  • API3
  • GHST
  • LSK
  • AUDIO
  • GLMR
  • NMR
  • CAKE
  • GODS
  • REQ
  • CHR
  • TRB
  • DAO
  • ROOK
  • XRP
  • ETH
  • BAT
  • ADA
  • ALGO
  • ATOM
  • AVAX
  • AXS
  • BCH
  • BAL
  • BTG
  • CSPR
  • COMP
  • CRV
  • DASH
  • DCR
  • DGB
  • DOGE
  • DOT
  • EGLD
  • ENJ
  • EOS
  • FIL
  • FLOW
  • FTM
  • GRT
  • HBAR
  • HNT
  • IOTA
  • LINKLTC
  • LUNA
  • MATIC
  • MKR
  • NANO
  • NEO
  • OMG
  • OXT
  • RUNE
  • SAND
  • SNX
  • SOL
  • SRM
  • THETA
  • TRAC
  • TRX
  • VET
  • WBTC
  • UNI
  • UPBTC
  • UPCO2
  • UPT
  • XCH
  • XLM
  • XTZ
  • ZIL
  • ZRX
  • AR
  • SPELL
  • CVX
  • SHIB
  • MANA
  • NEAR
  • MOVR
  • NU
  • QNT
  • 1INCH
  • BNT
  • SGB
  • RAY
  • LRC
  • KP3R
  • SKL
  • KNC
  • SUKU
  • GALA
  • APE
  • BTC
  • BCH
  • ETH
  • LTC
  • EOS
  • TRON
  • NEO
  • ADA
  • XLM
Crypto Lending
No No
Crypto Mining
No No
Crypto Staking
Yes No
Auto Market Maker
No No
Uphold CMC Markets
Review
Review
Terms Apply. Cryptoassets are highly volatile. Your capital is at risk. 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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