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Head to head

Admirals (Admiral Markets) vs CMC Markets

Admirals (Admiral Markets) is licensed by FCA in the United Kingdom, CySEC in the European Union and CMA in Kenya, and also has an offshore registration. CMC Markets is licensed by FCA in the United Kingdom, BaFin in the European Union, ASIC in Australia, MAS in Singapore, CIRO in Canada, FMA (New Zealand) in New Zealand and DFSA in the United Arab Emirates (DIFC). The licence that applies to you depends on where you live, so check which company you would contract with before comparing anything else.

Minimum deposits start at $25 at Admirals (Admiral Markets) and $0 at CMC Markets. Both offer negative balance protection and segregated client money.

Facts last checked: Admirals (Admiral Markets) on 20 October 2026, CMC Markets on 20 October 2026.

Admirals (Admiral Markets) profileCMC Markets profile
Broker 1
Broker 2
Broker 3

Monthly cost uses the account chosen in each slot: cost per lot × your lots. Swap and other fees are extra. The lowest monthly cost is highlighted only as a fact about cost, not as a recommendation.

Broker
Admirals (Admiral Markets)Strictly regulatedRead the profile
CMC MarketsStrictly regulatedRead the profile
Comparing
Admirals (Admiral Markets)United Kingdom
CMC MarketsUnited Kingdom

Overview

Founded
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Headquarters
Tallinn, Estonia (Admirals Group AS)
London, United Kingdom
Official websites
  • admiralmarkets.com
  • admirals.com
  • admiralmarkets.com.cy
  • cmcmarkets.com
  • cmcinvest.com
Facts last checked
20 October 2026
20 October 2026

Regulation and protection

Company you would contract with
Admiral Markets UK Ltd
CMC Markets UK plc
Regulator
FCA
United Kingdom
FCA
United Kingdom
Regulation level
Strictly regulated
Strictly regulated
Licence number
595450
Check the register
173730
Check the register
Clients this company serves
UK residents
UK residents (spread betting, CFDs and FX Active)
All licences held
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • CySEC (European Union)
  • CMA (Kenya)
  • FSA Seychelles (Seychelles)
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • BaFin (European Union)
  • ASIC (Australia)
  • MAS (Singapore)
  • CIRO (Canada)
  • FMA (New Zealand) (New Zealand)
  • DFSA (United Arab Emirates (DIFC))
Segregated client money
Yes
Yes
Negative balance protection
Yes
Yes
Compensation scheme
FSCS up to £85,000 (UK); ICF up to €20,000 (Cyprus); none for the Seychelles company
FSCS (UK, CMC Markets UK plc clients); other countries have their own schemes or none

Costs

Your monthly cost
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Cost per lot (EUR/USD)
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Spread from
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Typical EUR/USD spread
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Commission per lot (round turn)
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Typical GBP/USD spread
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Typical USD/JPY spread
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Typical XAU/USD spread
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Swap-free account
Yes
Not yet checked

Leverage and margin

Maximum retail leverage
1:30 on major pairs (UK, EU); up to 1:1000 at the Seychelles company
1:30 on major currency pairs (UK and EU retail clients)
Retail leverage by asset class
  • Currency pairs (Seychelles company): up to 1:1000
  • Indices (Seychelles company): up to 1:500
  • Major currency pairs (UK and EU companies): 1:30
  • Major currency pairs: 1:30
  • Other currency pairs: 1:20
  • Other commodities and non-major indices: 1:10
  • Share CFDs and spread bets: 1:5
Margin call level
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Stop-out level
30% (Seychelles company)
50% of margin (UK and EU retail close-out rule)

Account

Minimum deposit (this account)
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Base currencies
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Execution
No accounts listed
No accounts listed

Platforms and features

Platforms
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • MetaTrader WebTrader
  • Admirals Platform
  • Admirals Mobile App
  • StereoTrader
  • CMC web platform
  • CMC mobile app
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • TradingView
Markets
80 currency pairs, metal, energy, index, stock, ETF and crypto CFDs, plus real stocks and ETFs on Invest.MT5
300+ currency pairs on its own platform (175+ on MetaTrader 4), indices, commodities, shares, ETFs, bonds and share baskets as spread bets and CFDs
Demo account
Yes
Not yet checked
Copy trading
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Expert advisors (automated trading)
Yes
Yes
News trading allowed
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Guaranteed stops
Not yet checked
Not yet checked

Deposits and withdrawals

Deposit methods
  • Bank transfer
  • Debit or credit card
  • Skrill
  • Neteller
  • Crypto
Not yet checked
Withdrawal fee
One free withdrawal a month per payment method, then a fee by method (2% or 3% at the Seychelles company)
No charge from CMC for deposits or withdrawals (UK site)
Inactivity fee
10 EUR a month after 24 months without trades (only on a positive balance)
£10 a month (or currency equivalent) after a year with no trading, only taken while the account holds money

Support

Customer support
Not yet checked
24-hour phone line Monday to Friday (UK)

Our notes

Strengths
  • UK and EU companies licensed by the FCA and CySEC, with client money in segregated accounts
  • Low minimum deposit (25 USD or EUR on Trade.MT5 and Zero.MT5, 1 USD or EUR on Invest.MT5)
  • Fees and charges page lists the inactivity, withdrawal and transfer fees in one place
  • Every company we checked holds a licence from a strict or standard regulator, from the FCA to the DFSA
  • UK client money is held in segregated accounts under the FCA's client money rules, with FSCS cover for eligible claims
  • No minimum deposit on the UK site and no charge from CMC for deposits or withdrawals
Watch out for
  • International clients join Admirals SC Ltd, licensed only in the Seychelles (offshore tier), with leverage up to 1:1000
  • Says Admirals SA (Pty) Ltd is licensed by the FSCA; the FSCA's OTC derivative provider list shows it as Withdrawn, and we could not reach the FSCA FSP register on 2026-10-20 to check its FSP licence.
  • The group also names companies in Jordan, Canada and the UAE; we did not confirm those licences on 2026-10-20.
  • Only one free withdrawal a month per payment method; after 24 months without trades a 10 EUR monthly fee applies
  • Inactivity fee of £10 a month after a year without trading
  • The UK site quotes minimum spreads (from 0.5 pips, or 0.0 pips plus commission on FX Active), not typical spreads, so check live prices before you compare
  • The FCA has warned about clone firms using CMC Markets' details, including ibplatform.info, ib-platform.info, ibplatform.co and marketstradeltd.com

Risk warnings

The buttons to a broker’s website above the table are partner links: we may earn a commission if you open an account through them. That never changes the facts shown here. Trading leveraged products such as forex and CFDs carries a high risk of losing money rapidly, and most retail accounts lose money. Each broker’s own warning:

  • Admirals (Admiral Markets): CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.
  • CMC Markets: Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% 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, CFDs, OTC options or any of our other products work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

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Other head-to-head pages

Cost per lot is the typical EUR/USD spread in busy hours × $10, plus any round-turn commission, for one standard lot. “Not yet checked” means we have not confirmed that fact yet. This page compares facts; it does not rank the brokers or recommend either. Confirm costs and licences on each broker’s site and the regulator’s public register before opening an account: see how we review brokers and check a broker yourself.

Nothing on this page is financial advice. Read the full disclaimer.

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