Head to head
Axi vs CMC Markets
Axi is licensed by ASIC in Australia; FCA in the United Kingdom; CySEC in the European Union and DFSA in Dubai (DIFC), UAE. 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 $0 at Axi and $0 at CMC Markets. Only CMC Markets offers negative balance protection. Both offer segregated client money.
Facts last checked: Axi on 20 October 2026, CMC Markets on 20 October 2026.
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
Comparing
AxiAustralia
CMC MarketsUnited Kingdom
Overview
Founded
2007
Not yet checked
Headquarters
Sydney, Australia
London, United Kingdom
Official websites
- axi.com
- axi-solaris.com
- cmcmarkets.com
- cmcinvest.com
Facts last checked
20 October 2026
20 October 2026
Regulation and protection
Company you would contract with
AxiCorp Financial Services Pty Ltd
CMC Markets UK plc
Regulation level
Strictly regulated
Strictly regulated
Clients this company serves
Australian residents
UK residents (spread betting, CFDs and FX Active)
All licences held
- ASIC (Australia)
- FCA (United Kingdom)
- CySEC (European Union)
- DFSA (Dubai (DIFC), UAE)
- FCA (United Kingdom)
- BaFin (European Union)
- ASIC (Australia)
- MAS (Singapore)
- CIRO (Canada)
- FMA (New Zealand) (New Zealand)
- DFSA (United Arab Emirates (DIFC))
FSCS up to £85,000 (UK); ICF up to €20,000 (Cyprus); none for the St Vincent 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
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
Leverage and margin
1:30 on major pairs (UK, EU, Australia); up to 1:1000 at the St Vincent company
1:30 on major currency pairs (UK and EU retail clients)
Retail leverage by asset class
- Major currency pairs (UK: 1:30
- Currency pairs (St Vincent company): up to 1:1000
- 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
Stop-out level
20% (liquidation level, St Vincent company)
50% of margin (UK and EU retail close-out rule)
Account
Minimum deposit (this account)
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Platforms and features
Platforms
- Axi Trading Platform
- MetaTrader 4
- MetaTrader 5
- CMC web platform
- CMC mobile app
- MetaTrader 4
- MetaTrader 5
- TradingView
Markets
Forex, metals, commodities, indices, share CFDs, crypto CFDs and perpetual futures CFDs
300+ currency pairs on its own platform (175+ on MetaTrader 4), indices, commodities, shares, ETFs, bonds and share baskets as spread bets and CFDs
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
Not yet checked
Withdrawal fee
Free above US$50 or for the full balance; otherwise an administration fee of US$25 may apply (St Vincent company)
No charge from CMC for deposits or withdrawals (UK site)
Inactivity fee
10 a month in USD, EUR, GBP and most other account currencies after 12 months without trading (St Vincent company)
£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
- Licensed by ASIC, the FCA and CySEC, all strict regulators
- Published commissions per currency on the Premium account (for example $4.50 or €4.00 per standard contract)
- Bank transfers and payments under US$50,000 a month are free to deposit
- 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 AxiTrader LLC, a St Vincent and the Grenadines company (4303 LLC 2025) that is registered, not licensed; its risk warning says you can lose substantially more than your initial investment.
- Axi publishes minimum spreads only, not typical spreads
- The St Vincent company charges a monthly inactivity fee after 12 months and may charge US$25 for withdrawals under US$50
- The FSCA's OTC derivative provider list shows AxiCorp Financial Services Pty Ltd's application as Withdrawn, so Axi has no South African licence we could confirm.
- 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
Choose at least one broker above to start comparing.
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:
- Axi: Over-the-counter derivatives are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing substantially more than your initial investment rapidly due to leverage. You should consider whether you understand how over-the-counter derivatives work and whether you can afford to take the high level of risk to your capital.
- 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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- CMC Markets vs Errante
- CMC Markets vs eToro
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- CMC Markets vs FIBO Group
- CMC Markets vs FP Markets
- CMC Markets vs FXCM
- CMC Markets vs FxPro
- CMC Markets vs HYCM
- CMC Markets vs IC Markets
- CMC Markets vs IFC Markets
- CMC Markets vs IG
- CMC Markets vs Interactive Brokers
- CMC Markets vs Inveslo
- CMC Markets vs Investizo
- CMC Markets vs ITBFX
- CMC Markets vs LiteFinance (LiteForex)
- CMC Markets vs Markets4you
- CMC Markets vs OANDA
- CMC Markets vs OneRoyal
- CMC Markets vs Opofinance
- CMC Markets vs Orbex
- CMC Markets vs Pepperstone
- CMC Markets vs Plus500
- CMC Markets vs Saxo
- CMC Markets vs STB Provider
- CMC Markets vs Swissquote
- CMC Markets vs ThinkMarkets
- CMC Markets vs Tickmill
- CMC Markets vs Trendo
- CMC Markets vs Vittaverse
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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.