Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as CFD/FX brokers (leveraged trading on forex, indices, commodities and crypto), using the data of Exante's UK entity and HFM's Saint Vincent and the Grenadines entity. Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as stock brokers (real shares and ETFs you own outright), using the data of Exante's UK entity and HFM's Saint Vincent and the Grenadines entity.
Exante
Not regulated in your country Exante does not accept residents in Australia because it is not regulated by ASIC.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.
HFM
Not regulated in your country HFM does not accept residents in Australia because it is not regulated by ASIC.
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 Exante and HFM are best suited to, based on what each one actually offers in Australia.Exante is better than HFM for long-term investors, futures traders and options traders, while HFM is better for scalpers, news traders and crypto traders. Both are a good fit for professional traders, swing traders and algo traders.
| Overall score | Exante 77 -7 78 | HFM 84 Best not offered |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Exante and the ones that supervise HFM.Neither Exante nor HFM is regulated in Australia. Exante and HFM are both regulated by top-tier authorities, Exante by CySEC, MFSA and the SFC (Hong Kong) and HFM by CySEC and the FCA (United Kingdom).
| Section score | Exante 100 100 | HFM 100 not offered |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Exante and HFM have in place to protect your money in Australia.Both Exante and HFM offer segregated client funds and two-factor authentication. Exante also offers an investor compensation scheme. HFM also offers additional money insurance.
| Section score | Exante 78 Best 78 | HFM 74 -4 not offered |
|---|---|---|
| Company info | ||
| Is it publicly traded i | ||
| Is it a bank i | ||
| Year founded i | 2008 | 2010 |
| Parent company i | XNT Ltd | HF Markets Group |
| CEO i | Alexey Kirienko | Domluke Da Silva |
| Money safety | ||
| Segregated client funds i | ||
| Two-factor authentication i | ||
| Investor compensation scheme i | ||
| Additional money insurance i | ||
| Partner bank i | N/A | N/A |
| Brand power | ||
| Number of customers worldwide i | 3,500,000 | |
| Annual revenue i | ||
| Monthly website search traffic i | ||
Costs
What we compare A comparison of what it costs to trade with Exante and with HFM in Australia, both on each trade and on holding the account.HFM is better than Exante for CFD/FX costs, given that HFM charges lower forex commissions, at US$6 per lot (against Exante's US$11.61), has tighter EUR/USD raw spreads, at 0.1 pip (against Exante's 0.3 pips), and charges lower US stock CFD fees, at US$0.1 (against Exante's US$2). Neither Exante nor HFM charges account maintenance fees or deposit fees.
Exante and HFM cannot be set side by side for real stock costs, as HFM is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks, unlike Exante.
| Section score | Exante 55 -4 60 | HFM 59 Best not offered |
|---|---|---|
| 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$11.61 | US$6 |
| 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$8.805 | US$10.5 |
| S&P 500 fees (CFD) i | 0.4 points | |
| Gold fees (CFD) i | 0.32 points | |
| Bitcoin fees (CFD) i | US$39 | |
| US stocks fees (CFD) i | US$2 | US$0.1 |
| Fees on stocks | ||
| Stock fee type i | Commission, Percentage | Commission, Percentage |
| US stocks fees (real) i | US$2.4 | |
| ETF fees (real) i | US$2.4 | |
| Management costs i | ||
| Connection costs i | ||
| Fees on futures | ||
| Futures fees per contract i | US$1.5 | |
| Platform fees i | ||
| Fees on options | ||
| Options fees per contract i | US$1.5 | |
| 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 Exante and with HFM in Australia, and of how many instruments each one gives access to.Exante is better than HFM for CFD/FX markets, because Exante gives access to 1,000,000 tradable symbols (against HFM's 500), lets you own ETFs and stocks outright, which HFM does not, and offers futures on commodities and indices, which HFM does not. Both Exante and HFM offer CFDs on commodities, forex, indices and stocks.
Exante and HFM cannot be compared for real stock markets, because Exante is a broker offering both CFDs and stocks while HFM is a CFD broker.
| Section score | Exante 100 Best 90 | HFM 75 -25 not offered |
|---|---|---|
| Total tradable symbols i | 1,000,000 | 500 |
| Currency pairs i | ||
| Indices i | ||
| Commodities i | ||
| Stocks i | ||
| ETF i | ||
| Cryptocurrencies i | ||
| Bonds i | ||
| Interest rates i | ||
| Portfolios i | ||
| CFDs i | Commodities, Forex, Indices, Stocks | Commodities, Crypto, ETF, Forex, Indices, Stocks |
| Futures i | Commodities, Indices | |
| Options i | Commodities, Stocks | |
| Assets you can own i | ETF, Stocks |
Platform
What we compare A comparison of the trading platforms that Exante and HFM make available to their clients in Australia.Exante is better than HFM for platforms, given that Exante offers a proprietary platform, which HFM does not. Both Exante and HFM offer MetaTrader 4 and one-click trading.
Exante and HFM cannot be set side by side for platforms, as HFM is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks, unlike Exante.
| Section score | Exante 83 Best 83 | HFM 71 -12 not offered |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Exante and HFM in Australia, and of what each one lets you do from your phone.HFM is better than Exante for mobile trading, because HFM offers the MetaTrader 5 app, a social trading app and a copy trading app, which Exante does not. Exante and HFM both offer a proprietary mobile app and the MetaTrader 4 app.
There is no like-for-like comparison for mobile trading, as HFM is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.
| Section score | Exante 86 -7 86 | HFM 93 Best not offered |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Exante and HFM allow on their platforms in Australia.HFM is better than Exante for CFD/FX trading features, because HFM offers guaranteed stop losses and VPS hosting, which Exante does not, and allows for scalping. Exante and HFM both offer negative balance protection and trailing stops. The leverage shown for HFM is set by its Saint Vincent and the Grenadines entity and exceeds the retail limit in Australia (30:1 on major currency pairs).
Only Exante can be assessed for real stock trading features, since HFM is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.
| Section score | Exante 81 -8 85 | HFM 89 Best not offered |
|---|---|---|
| Trade execution | ||
| Broker type i | NDD | NDD |
| Average execution time i | 10 ms | |
| Slippage occurrence i | ||
| Requotes occurrence i | ||
| Tier-1 liquidity providers i | ||
| PFOF i | ||
| Leverage | ||
| Major FX pairs leverage i | 30:1 | 2000:1 |
| Minor/Exotic FX pairs leverage i | 20:1 | 2000:1 |
| Major indices leverage i | 20:1 | 1000:1 |
| Minor indices leverage i | 10:1 | 500:1 |
| Gold leverage i | 20:1 | 2000:1 |
| Commodities leverage i | 10:1 | 500:1 |
| Equities leverage i | 5:1 | 5:1 |
| Cryptocurrency leverage i | 1000:1 | |
| 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$0 | 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 Exante and at HFM in Australia, and of who each one is meant for.HFM is better than Exante for CFD/FX account types, as HFM offers an ECN account, an Islamic account and a copy trading account, which Exante does not. Both Exante and HFM offer a demo account and a professional traders account.
Only Exante can be assessed for real stock account types, since HFM is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.
| Section score | Exante 59 -38 84 | HFM 97 Best not offered |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Exante and with HFM in Australia.HFM is better than Exante for account opening, as HFM does not require a minimum deposit (against Exante's US$10,000), and offers credit cards and debit cards, which Exante does not. Both Exante and HFM offer wire transfers. Neither Exante nor HFM holds a licence in Australia.
Exante and HFM cannot be set side by side for account opening, as HFM is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks, unlike Exante. Neither Exante nor HFM holds a licence in Australia.
| Section score | Exante 40 -40 40 | HFM 80 Best not offered |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit i | US$10,000 | US$0 |
| Minimum withdrawal i | US$0 | US$0 |
| Wire transfers i | ||
| Credit cards i | ||
| Debit cards i | ||
| eWallets i | Neteller, Skrill | |
| Local payment methods i | ||
| Account base currencies i | CHF, CZK, EUR, PLN, RUB, USD | EUR, USD |
| Deposit waiting time i | up to 5 business days | up to 1 business days |
| Withdrawal waiting time i | up to 5 business days | up to 2 business days |
| Bonus program i |
Customer care
What we compare A comparison of the customer support of Exante and HFM in Australia, in how it can be reached and how fast it answers.HFM is better than Exante for customer care, given that HFM has a website in 16 languages (against Exante's 6). Exante and HFM both offer a dedicated account manager and phone support.
Exante and HFM cannot be set side by side for customer care, as HFM is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks, unlike Exante.
| Section score | Exante 66 -9 66 | HFM 75 Best not offered |
|---|---|---|
| Number of languages supported i | 6 | 16 |
| Website languages i | Arabic, Czech, English, Polish, Spanish, Chinese | Arabic, German, English, French, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Malay, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese, Chinese |
| Website available in English i | ||
| Customer support languages i | English | 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 Exante and HFM provide to their clients in Australia.HFM is better than Exante for learning, because HFM offers education for beginners, an education center and daily market commentary, which Exante does not. Exante and HFM both offer education for advanced traders and webinars.
HFM does not offer real stocks, being a CFD broker, so Exante and HFM cannot be compared for learning.
| Section score | Exante 64 -36 64 | HFM 100 Best not offered |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||
Exante vs HFM: which one should you choose?
Exante
CFD/FX Choose Exante if you want an online CFD broker for high-frequency trading, with fast order execution and a wide choice of markets and live in a country where it is licensed to operate.
Stocks Choose Exante if you want a stock brokerage service with a wide choice of markets and live in a country where it is licensed to operate.
Not licensed in Australia CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.
HFM
CFD/FX Choose HFM if you want a CFD and forex broker for scalping and hedging, with no minimum deposit and live in a country where it is licensed to operate.
Not licensed in Australia 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 Exante or HFM, each scored with the same data and method as this page.
