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Head to head

Alpari vs HYCM

Alpari has no licence we could confirm on a regulator's register. HYCM is licensed by FCA in the United Kingdom 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 $30 at Alpari and $20 at HYCM. Only HYCM offers negative balance protection and segregated client money.

Facts last checked: Alpari on 20 October 2026, HYCM on 20 October 2026.

Alpari profileHYCM 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
AlpariRead the profile
HYCMStrictly regulatedRead the profile
Comparing
Alpari
HYCMUnited Kingdom

Overview

Founded
1998
Not yet checked
Headquarters
Fomboni, Mohéli, Comoros
London, United Kingdom
Official websites
  • alpari.com
  • hycm.com
  • hycm.co.uk
Facts last checked
20 October 2026
20 October 2026

Regulation and protection

Company you would contract with
No licence listed
HYCM Capital Markets (UK) Limited
Regulator
No licence listed
FCA
United Kingdom
Regulation level
No licence listed
Strictly regulated
Licence number
No licence listed
186171
Check the register
Clients this company serves
No licence listed
UK residents
All licences held
None listed
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • DFSA (United Arab Emirates (DIFC))
Segregated client money
No
Yes
Negative balance protection
No
Yes
Compensation scheme
None
FSCS for eligible clients of HYCM Capital Markets (UK) Limited only

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
Yes

Leverage and margin

Maximum retail leverage
Up to 1:3000 (ECN and Pro ECN); 1:1000 on Standard; 1:500 on Micro
1:30 on major pairs for FCA retail clients; up to 1:500 at the Costa Rica company
Retail leverage by asset class
  • Micro account: Up to 1:500
  • Standard account: Up to 1:1000
  • ECN and Pro ECN accounts: Up to 1:3000 (floating)
  • Major currency pairs: 1:30 (FCA); up to 1:500 (Costa Rica)
  • Bitcoin CFDs: 1:5 (Costa Rica company only)
Margin call level
50% on Micro and Standard; 80% on ECN and Pro ECN
Not yet checked
Stop-out level
20% on Micro and Standard; 50% on ECN and Pro ECN
50% (HYCM may start closing positions from 55%)

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
  • Alpari trading app
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • HYCM Trader app
  • Web Trader
Markets
Forex, metals, indices, commodities, cryptocurrencies, stocks, ETF, futures and crosses CFDs
300+ CFDs on forex, metals, indices, commodities, shares and cryptocurrencies, plus US stocks
Demo account
Yes
Yes
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
  • Debit or credit card
  • Bank wire
  • E-wallet
  • Cryptocurrency
  • Local payment methods
  • Bank wire
  • Visa card
  • Cryptocurrency
Withdrawal fee
Varies by method; the fee is taken from the amount withdrawn
No HYCM fee; your bank may charge. Profits are withdrawn by wire transfer only
Inactivity fee
Not yet checked
Not yet checked

Support

Customer support
Live chat, chatbot, messengers and phone helpline
Live chat and online help centre

Our notes

Strengths
  • Four account types, from a $30 Micro account to a raw-spread Pro ECN account
  • Commission-free Micro, Standard and ECN accounts
  • MetaTrader 4 and 5, PAMM investing and a demo account
  • UK company authorised by the FCA since 2001 and allowed to hold client money
  • Client money kept in segregated accounts, with negative balance protection
  • Low $20 minimum deposit on every account type
Watch out for
  • Says it holds Mwali International Services Authority (MISA) licence T2023236; we could not confirm it on MISA's register on 2026-10-20, because the register sits behind a bot check
  • No licence from a strict regulator; not available to UK or EU residents
  • We found no statement on its site about segregated client money or negative balance protection
  • Leverage up to 1:3000, and deposit bonuses that come with conditions
  • The international website (hycm.com) signs clients up with HYCM Capital Markets S.R.L., a Costa Rica company with no financial licence
  • Leverage of up to 1:500 at the Costa Rica company, against 1:30 for FCA retail clients
  • The FCA has warned about many clone firms using HYCM's name, including hycmarkets.net and hycmarket.com
  • Spreads are published only as "from" figures, so typical costs are hard to compare

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:

  • Alpari: Before trading, you should ensure that you've undergone sufficient preparation and fully understand the risks involved in margin trading.
  • HYCM: Contracts for Difference (‘CFDs’) are complex financial products that are traded on margin. Trading CFDs carries a high degree of risk. It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent expert advice if necessary and speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose. Please think carefully whether such trading suits you, taking into consideration all the relevant circumstances as well as your personal resources. We do not recommend clients posting their entire account balance to meet margin requirements. Clients can minimise their level of exposure by requesting a change in leverage limit. For more information please refer to HYCM’s Risk Disclosure.

Open this comparison in the full tool to share a link with your own accounts and companies chosen.

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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