CMC Markets
Regulated in your country CMC Markets is allowed by ASIC to onboard clients residing in Australia.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.
Plus500
Regulated in your country Plus500 is allowed by ASIC to onboard clients residing in Australia.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.
Best for
What we compare A comparison of the kinds of traders CMC Markets and Plus500 are best suited to, based on what each one actually offers in Australia.CMC Markets is better than Plus500 for high-volume traders, scalpers and algo traders. Swing traders, news traders and CFD stock traders can choose either CMC Markets or Plus500.
| Overall score | CMC Markets 80 Best | Plus500 75 -5 |
|---|---|---|
| Day trading i | ||
| Long-term investing i | ||
| Professional traders i | ||
| High-volume traders i | ||
| Scalpers i | ||
| Swing traders i | ||
| News traders i | ||
| Algo traders i | ||
| Stock traders i | ||
| Crypto traders i | ||
| Futures traders i | ||
| Options traders i |
Regulation
What we compare A comparison between the financial authorities that supervise CMC Markets and the ones that supervise Plus500.CMC Markets and Plus500 are both regulated in Australia, by ASIC.
| Section score | CMC Markets 100 | Plus500 100 |
|---|---|---|
| Tier-1 regulators | ||
| ESMA (European Union) i | ||
| FCA (United Kingdom) i | ||
| ASIC (Australia) i | ||
| CFTC (United States) i | ||
| NFA (United States) i | ||
| SEC (United States) i | ||
| CIRO (Canada) i | ||
| MAS (Singapore) i | ||
| SFC (Hong Kong) i | ||
| JFSA (Japan) i | ||
| FINMA (Switzerland) i | ||
| Tier-2 regulators | ||
| FMA (New Zealand) i | ||
| CBR (Russia) i | ||
| FSCA (South Africa) i | ||
| DFSA (Dubai) i | ||
| CSRC (China) i | ||
| ISA (Israel) i | ||
| LFSA (Malaysia) i | ||
| JSC (Jordan) i | ||
| CMA (Kenya) i | ||
| Tier-3 regulators | ||
| FSA (Seychelles) i | ||
| MMA (Maldives) i | ||
| SCB (Bahamas) i | ||
| FSC (Mauritius) i | ||
| VFSC (Vanuatu) i | ||
| FSC (Belize) i | ||
| CIMA (Cayman Islands) i | ||
| SV FSA (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) i | ||
| FSRC (St. Kitts & Nevis) i | ||
| BMA (Bermuda) i | ||
| BVI FSC (British Virgin Islands) i | ||
| EDR (External Dispute Resolution) i | ||
Safety
What we compare A comparison of the tools and services that CMC Markets and Plus500 have in place to protect your money in Australia.Both CMC Markets and Plus500 offer segregated client funds and two-factor authentication.
| Section score | CMC Markets 73 | Plus500 72 -1 |
|---|---|---|
| Company info | ||
| Is it publicly traded i | ||
| Is it a bank i | ||
| Year founded i | 1989 | 2008 |
| Parent company i | CMC Markets plc | Plus500 Ltd |
| CEO i | Peter Cruddas | David Zruia |
| Money safety | ||
| Segregated client funds i | ||
| Two-factor authentication i | ||
| Investor compensation scheme i | ||
| Additional money insurance i | ||
| Partner bank i | Barclays Bank Ireland, J.P. Morgan SE | N/A |
| Brand power | ||
| Number of customers worldwide i | 1,000,000 | 33,000,000 |
| Annual revenue i | US$324,700,000 | US$768,300,000 |
| Monthly website search traffic i | 10.5M monthly visits | |
Costs
What we compare A comparison of what it costs to trade with CMC Markets and with Plus500 in Australia, both on each trade and on holding the account.CMC Markets is better than Plus500 for costs, as CMC Markets is cheaper on EUR/USD, at US$6.5 per lot (against Plus500's US$8), has tighter S&P 500 CFD spreads, at 0.5 points (against Plus500's 0.7 points), and has tighter gold CFD spreads, at 0.2 points (against Plus500's 0.75 points). Neither CMC Markets nor Plus500 charges account maintenance fees or withdrawal fees.
| Section score | CMC Markets 68 Best | Plus500 64 -4 |
|---|---|---|
| Broker fees | ||
| Deposit fees i | ||
| Withdrawal fees i | ||
| Overnight fees i | ||
| Inactivity fees i | ||
| Currency conversion fees i | ||
| Discounts on volume i | ||
| Real time market data fee i | ||
| Dividend withholding i | ||
| Account opening fees i | ||
| Account maintenance fee i | ||
| Portfolio management fee i | ||
| Fees on CFDs | ||
| Forex commission per lot i | US$5 | Free |
| EUR/USD average standard spread i | ||
| EUR/USD average raw spread i | ||
| EUR/USD average fixed spread i | ||
| EUR/USD total cost per lot i | US$6.5 | US$8 |
| S&P 500 fees (CFD) i | 0.5 points | 0.7 points |
| Gold fees (CFD) i | 0.2 points | 0.75 points |
| Bitcoin fees (CFD) i | US$15 | US$118.34 |
| US stocks fees (CFD) i | US$0.02 | Free |
| Fees on stocks | ||
| Stock fee type i | Spread | |
| US stocks fees (real) i | ||
| ETF fees (real) i | ||
| Management costs i | ||
| Connection costs i | ||
| Fees on futures | ||
| Futures fees per contract i | ||
| Platform fees i | ||
| Fees on options | ||
| Options fees per contract i | ||
| Event fees i | ||
| Fees on savings plans | ||
| IRA opening fee i | ||
| IRA maintenance fee i | ||
| 401k opening fee i | ||
| 401k maintenance fee i | ||
Available markets
What we compare A comparison of the markets and products you can trade with CMC Markets and with Plus500 in Australia, and of how many instruments each one gives access to.CMC Markets and Plus500 are equally good for available markets, since CMC Markets gives access to 12,000 tradable symbols (against Plus500's 2,800). On the other hand, Plus500 offers CFDs on ETFs. Both CMC Markets and Plus500 offer CFDs on commodities, crypto, forex, indices and stocks.
| Section score | CMC Markets 75 | Plus500 75 |
|---|---|---|
| Total tradable symbols i | 12,000 | 2,800 |
| Currency pairs i | ||
| Indices i | ||
| Commodities i | ||
| Stocks i | ||
| ETF i | ||
| Cryptocurrencies i | ||
| Bonds i | ||
| Interest rates i | ||
| Portfolios i | ||
| CFDs i | Commodities, Crypto, Forex, Indices, Stocks | Commodities, Crypto, ETF, Forex, Indices, Stocks |
| Futures i | ||
| Options i | ||
| Assets you can own i |
Platform
What we compare A comparison of the trading platforms that CMC Markets and Plus500 make available to their clients in Australia.CMC Markets is better than Plus500 for platforms, because CMC Markets offers MetaTrader 5, MetaTrader 4 and TradingView, which Plus500 does not. Both CMC Markets and Plus500 offer a proprietary platform and one-click trading.
| Section score | CMC Markets 91 Best | Plus500 72 -19 |
|---|---|---|
| Proprietary platform i | ||
| MetaTrader 4 i | ||
| MetaTrader 5 i | ||
| cTrader i | ||
| Social trading platform i | ||
| Copy trading platform i | ||
| ZuluTrade i | ||
| TradingView i | ||
| Duplitrade i | ||
| Mirror Trader i | ||
| NinjaTrader i | ||
| AutoChartist i | ||
| Real time pricing i | ||
| 5 digit pricing i | ||
| One-click trading i |
Mobile
What we compare A comparison of the mobile apps of CMC Markets and Plus500 in Australia, and of what each one lets you do from your phone.CMC Markets and Plus500 are equally good for mobile trading, since CMC Markets offers the MetaTrader 5 app and the MetaTrader 4 app. On the other hand, Plus500 offers mobile charting tools and mobile drawing tools. Both CMC Markets and Plus500 offer a proprietary mobile app and mobile price alerts.
| Section score | CMC Markets 73 -1 | Plus500 74 |
|---|---|---|
| Proprietary app i | ||
| Social trading app i | ||
| Copy trading app i | ||
| MetaTrader 4 app i | ||
| MetaTrader 5 app i | ||
| cTrader app i | ||
| Mobile trading signals i | ||
| Mobile alerts i | ||
| Mobile charting tools i | ||
| Mobile drawing tools i | ||
| Mobile watchlist i | ||
| Smartwatch app i |
Trading features
What we compare A comparison of the trading tools and strategies that CMC Markets and Plus500 allow on their platforms in Australia.CMC Markets is better than Plus500 for trading features, because CMC Markets offers tier-1 liquidity providers, which Plus500 does not, and allows for scalping and automated trading. Both CMC Markets and Plus500 offer negative balance protection and trailing stops.
| Section score | CMC Markets 89 Best | Plus500 67 -22 |
|---|---|---|
| Trade execution | ||
| Broker type i | Agency | Agency |
| Average execution time i | 40 ms | |
| Slippage occurrence i | ||
| Requotes occurrence i | 0.08% | |
| Tier-1 liquidity providers i | ||
| PFOF i | ||
| Leverage | ||
| Major FX pairs leverage i | 30:1 | 30:1 |
| Minor/Exotic FX pairs leverage i | 20:1 | 20:1 |
| Major indices leverage i | 20:1 | 20:1 |
| Minor indices leverage i | 10:1 | 10:1 |
| Gold leverage i | 20:1 | 20:1 |
| Commodities leverage i | 10:1 | 10:1 |
| Equities leverage i | 5:1 | 5:1 |
| Cryptocurrency leverage i | 2:1 | 2:1 |
| Risk management | ||
| Stop losses i | ||
| Take profits i | ||
| Limit orders i | ||
| Trailing stop i | ||
| Margin call i | ||
| OCO orders i | ||
| Guaranteed stop loss i | ||
| Negative balance protection i | ||
| Minimum trade size (FX) i | 0.01 lots | 0.01 lots |
| Minimum trade size (stocks) i | US$1 | US$1 |
| Fractional stocks i | ||
| Trading compliance | ||
| Scalping strategies allowed i | ||
| Hedging strategies allowed i | ||
| Automated trading strategy allowed i | ||
| EAs use allowed i | ||
| HFT strategy allowed i | ||
| VPS use allowed i | ||
| API use allowed i | ||
| Price scraping allowed i | ||
| FIFO rule applies i | ||
Account types
What we compare A comparison of the kinds of account you can open at CMC Markets and at Plus500 in Australia, and of who each one is meant for.CMC Markets is better than Plus500 for account types, as CMC Markets offers a corporate account and a raw spread account, which Plus500 does not. Both CMC Markets and Plus500 offer a demo account and a professional traders account.
| Section score | CMC Markets 53 Best | Plus500 38 -15 |
|---|---|---|
| Demo account i | ||
| Unlimited demo account i | ||
| Standard account i | ||
| Micro account i | ||
| Cent account i | ||
| Nano account i | ||
| Raw spread account i | ||
| ECN account i | ||
| Swap-free account i | ||
| Islamic account i | ||
| Professional traders account i | ||
| Fixed spread account i | ||
| Spread betting account i | ||
| Copy trading account i | ||
| Corporate account i | ||
| Managed account i | ||
| Stock investing account i | ||
| Margin investing account i | ||
| Savings account i | ||
| Retirement account i |
Account opening
What we compare A comparison of what it takes to open and fund an account with CMC Markets and with Plus500 in Australia.CMC Markets and Plus500 are equally good for account opening, as CMC Markets does not require a minimum deposit (against Plus500's US$70), and offers 3 account base currencies (against Plus500's 1). On the other hand, Plus500 supports 2 e-wallets (against CMC Markets' 1). CMC Markets and Plus500 both offer credit cards and debit cards.
| Section score | CMC Markets 70 | Plus500 69 -1 |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit i | US$0 | US$70 |
| Minimum withdrawal i | US$0 | US$100 |
| Wire transfers i | ||
| Credit cards i | ||
| Debit cards i | ||
| eWallets i | PayPal | PayPal, Skrill |
| Local payment methods i | ||
| Account base currencies i | AUD, USD, HKD | AUD |
| Deposit waiting time i | Instant | Instant |
| Withdrawal waiting time i | Instant | up to 3 business days |
| Bonus program i |
Customer care
What we compare A comparison of the customer support of CMC Markets and Plus500 in Australia, in how it can be reached and how fast it answers.CMC Markets and Plus500 are equally good for customer care, as CMC Markets offers customer support in 2 languages (against Plus500's 1), and offers phone support. On the other hand, Plus500 has a website in 29 languages (against CMC Markets' 9). CMC Markets and Plus500 both offer a dedicated account manager and priority support.
| Section score | CMC Markets 71 | Plus500 71 |
|---|---|---|
| Number of languages supported i | 9 | 29 |
| Website languages i | German, English, French, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Spanish, Swedish, Chinese | Arabic, Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, German, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, Hebrew, Croatian, Hungarian, Icelandic, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Malay, Dutch, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Chinese |
| Website available in English i | ||
| Customer support languages i | English, Chinese | English |
| Customer support in English i | ||
| Call back request i | ||
| Email support i | ||
| Phone support i | ||
| Live chat i | ||
| Priority customer support i | ||
| Dedicated account manager i | ||
| Cash sweep i | ||
| Stock lending i | ||
| Distributes proceeds i | ||
| Tax withholding agent i | ||
| Tax assistance i |
Learning
What we compare A comparison of the educational material that CMC Markets and Plus500 provide to their clients in Australia.CMC Markets is better than Plus500 for learning, because CMC Markets offers professional reports, which Plus500 does not. CMC Markets and Plus500 both offer education for advanced traders and webinars.
| Section score | CMC Markets 88 Best | Plus500 80 -8 |
|---|---|---|
| Education | ||
| Education center i | ||
| Education for beginners i | ||
| Education for advanced traders i | ||
| Webinars i | ||
| Tutorials i | ||
| Glossary i | ||
| Research | ||
| Economic calendar i | ||
| Traders' sentiment i | ||
| Daily market commentary i | ||
| Daily trading ideas i | ||
| News via social media i | ||
| Professional reports i | ||
| Watchlist i | ||
CMC Markets vs Plus500: which one should you choose?
CMC Markets
CFD/FX Choose CMC Markets if you want a CFD and forex broker with low trading costs, no minimum deposit and a choice of trading platforms.
Open Account CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.
Plus500
CFD/FX Choose Plus500 if you want an online CFD broker with conditions for high-volume trading.
Open Account CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.Other popular comparisons
Below are other head-to-head comparisons that include CMC Markets or Plus500, each scored with the same data and method as this page.
