Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as CFD/FX brokers: leveraged trading on forex, indices, commodities and crypto. Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as stock brokers: real shares and ETFs you own outright.
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.
Saxo
Regulated in your country Saxo operates in Australia through Totality Wealth, which 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 Saxo are best suited to, based on what each one actually offers in Australia.Saxo is better than CMC Markets for day traders, long-term investors and professional traders. Both are a good fit for high-volume traders, scalpers and swing traders.
| Overall score | CMC Markets 80 -4 not offered | Saxo 84 Best 84 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Saxo.CMC Markets and Saxo are both regulated in Australia, by ASIC.
| Section score | CMC Markets 100 not offered | Saxo 100 100 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Saxo have in place to protect your money in Australia.Both CMC Markets and Saxo offer segregated client funds and two-factor authentication.
| Section score | CMC Markets 73 Best not offered | Saxo 66 -7 66 |
|---|---|---|
| Company info | ||
| Is it publicly traded i | ||
| Is it a bank i | ||
| Year founded i | 1989 | 1992 |
| Parent company i | CMC Markets plc | DMA Pty Ltd |
| CEO i | Peter Cruddas | Kim Fournais |
| 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 | Citi Bank, HSBC Bank Australia, NAB |
| Brand power | ||
| Number of customers worldwide i | 1,000,000 | 1,200,000 |
| Annual revenue i | US$324,700,000 | US$727,595,340 |
| Monthly website search traffic i | 10.5M monthly visits | 1.7M monthly visits |
Costs
What we compare A comparison of what it costs to trade with CMC Markets and with Saxo in Australia, both on each trade and on holding the account.Saxo is better than CMC Markets for CFD/FX costs, since Saxo does not charge forex commissions (against CMC Markets' US$5 per lot), has tighter S&P 500 CFD spreads, at 0.4 points (against CMC Markets' 0.5 points), and has tighter gold CFD spreads, at 0.13 points (against CMC Markets' 0.2 points). Neither CMC Markets nor Saxo charges account maintenance fees or withdrawal fees.
Only Saxo can be assessed for real stock costs, since CMC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.
| Section score | CMC Markets 68 -13 not offered | Saxo 81 Best 68 |
|---|---|---|
| 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$7 |
| S&P 500 fees (CFD) i | 0.5 points | 0.4 points |
| Gold fees (CFD) i | 0.2 points | 0.13 points |
| Bitcoin fees (CFD) i | US$15 | US$308 |
| US stocks fees (CFD) i | US$0.02 | US$0.08 |
| Fees on stocks | ||
| Stock fee type i | Commission, Percentage | |
| US stocks fees (real) i | US$2 | |
| ETF fees (real) i | US$2 | |
| Management costs i | ||
| Connection costs i | ||
| Fees on futures | ||
| Futures fees per contract i | US$3 | |
| Platform fees i | ||
| Fees on options | ||
| Options fees per contract i | US$2 | |
| 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 Saxo in Australia, and of how many instruments each one gives access to.Saxo is better than CMC Markets for CFD/FX markets, given that Saxo gives access to 47,000 tradable symbols (against CMC Markets' 12,000), lets you own bonds, ETFs, funds and stocks outright, which CMC Markets does not, and offers futures on commodities, forex and indices, which CMC Markets does not. Both CMC Markets and Saxo offer CFDs on commodities, crypto, forex, indices and stocks.
Saxo and CMC Markets cannot be compared for real stock markets, because Saxo is a broker offering both CFDs and stocks while CMC Markets is a CFD broker.
| Section score | CMC Markets 75 -25 not offered | Saxo 100 Best 100 |
|---|---|---|
| Total tradable symbols i | 12,000 | 47,000 |
| 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, Forex, Indices, Stocks |
| Futures i | Commodities, Forex, Indices | |
| Options i | Commodities, Forex, Indices | |
| Assets you can own i | Bonds, ETF, Funds, Stocks |
Platform
What we compare A comparison of the trading platforms that CMC Markets and Saxo make available to their clients in Australia.CMC Markets is better than Saxo for platforms, given that CMC Markets offers MetaTrader 5, MetaTrader 4 and TradingView, which Saxo does not. CMC Markets and Saxo both offer a proprietary platform and one-click trading.
CMC Markets does not offer real stocks, being a CFD broker, so Saxo and CMC Markets cannot be compared for platforms.
| Section score | CMC Markets 91 Best not offered | Saxo 75 -16 75 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Saxo in Australia, and of what each one lets you do from your phone.Saxo is better than CMC Markets for mobile trading, as Saxo offers mobile trading signals, mobile charting tools and mobile drawing tools, which CMC Markets does not. CMC Markets and Saxo both offer a proprietary mobile app and mobile price alerts.
Saxo and CMC Markets cannot be compared for mobile trading, because Saxo is a broker offering both CFDs and stocks while CMC Markets is a CFD broker.
| Section score | CMC Markets 73 -14 not offered | Saxo 87 Best 87 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Saxo allow on their platforms in Australia.CMC Markets is better than Saxo for CFD/FX trading features, as CMC Markets offers guaranteed stop losses, which Saxo does not, and allows for high-frequency trading and expert advisors. Both CMC Markets and Saxo offer negative balance protection and trailing stops.
CMC Markets does not offer real stocks, being a CFD broker, so Saxo and CMC Markets cannot be compared for real stock trading features.
| Section score | CMC Markets 89 Best not offered | Saxo 85 -4 85 |
|---|---|---|
| Trade execution | ||
| Broker type i | Agency | Hybrid |
| Average execution time i | 40 ms | 12 ms |
| Slippage occurrence i | 20.7% | |
| 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$0 |
| 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 Saxo in Australia, and of who each one is meant for.CMC Markets is better than Saxo for CFD/FX account types, as CMC Markets offers an unlimited demo account and a raw spread account, which Saxo does not. CMC Markets and Saxo both offer a demo account and a professional traders account.
Only Saxo can be assessed for real stock account types, since CMC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.
| Section score | CMC Markets 53 Best not offered | Saxo 42 -11 78 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Saxo in Australia.Saxo is better than CMC Markets for account opening, since Saxo offers 11 account base currencies (against CMC Markets' 3). Neither CMC Markets nor Saxo requires a minimum deposit.
Only Saxo can be assessed for account opening, since CMC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.
| Section score | CMC Markets 70 -10 not offered | Saxo 80 Best 80 |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit i | US$0 | US$0 |
| Minimum withdrawal i | US$0 | US$0 |
| Wire transfers i | ||
| Credit cards i | ||
| Debit cards i | ||
| eWallets i | PayPal | |
| Local payment methods i | ||
| Account base currencies i | AUD, USD, HKD | AUD, CAD, CHF, CNH, EUR, GBP, HKD, JPY, NZD, SGD, USD |
| Deposit waiting time i | Instant | up to 2 business days |
| Withdrawal waiting time i | Instant | up to 5 business days |
| Bonus program i |
Customer care
What we compare A comparison of the customer support of CMC Markets and Saxo in Australia, in how it can be reached and how fast it answers.Saxo is better than CMC Markets for customer care, as Saxo has a website in 12 languages (against CMC Markets' 9), and offers tax assistance, which CMC Markets does not. CMC Markets and Saxo both offer a dedicated account manager and phone support.
Saxo and CMC Markets cannot be set side by side for customer care, as CMC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks, unlike Saxo.
| Section score | CMC Markets 71 -7 not offered | Saxo 78 Best 78 |
|---|---|---|
| Number of languages supported i | 9 | 12 |
| Website languages i | German, English, French, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Spanish, Swedish, Chinese | Arabic, Danish, English, French, Hungarian, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian, Polish, Russian, Slovenian, 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 Saxo provide to their clients in Australia.Saxo is better than CMC Markets for learning, given that Saxo offers daily market commentary and a glossary, which CMC Markets does not. Both CMC Markets and Saxo offer education for advanced traders and webinars.
There is no like-for-like comparison for learning, as CMC Markets is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.
| Section score | CMC Markets 88 -12 not offered | Saxo 100 Best 100 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Saxo: which one should you choose?
CMC Markets
CFD/FX Choose CMC Markets if you want a CFD and forex broker with MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5 and TradingView.
Open Account CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.
Saxo
CFD/FX Choose Saxo if you want an online CFD broker with fast execution and a wide choice of markets.
Stocks Choose Saxo if you want a broker for securities investing with bonds, funds, options and futures.
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 Saxo, each scored with the same data and method as this page.
