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Head to head

AYA Markets vs FXCM

AYA Markets has no licence we could confirm on a regulator's register. FXCM is licensed by FCA in the United Kingdom, CySEC in the European Union and ASIC in Australia. 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 $10 at AYA Markets and $50 at FXCM. Only AYA Markets offers negative balance protection. Both offer segregated client money.

Facts last checked: AYA Markets on 29 October 2026, FXCM on 20 October 2026.

AYA Markets profileFXCM 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
AYA MarketsRead the profile
FXCMStrictly regulatedRead the profile
Comparing
AYA Markets
FXCMUnited Kingdom

Overview

Founded
Not yet checked
1999
Headquarters
Fomboni, Mwali (Comoros)
London, United Kingdom (Stratos Group)
Official websites
  • ayamarkets.com
  • my.ayamarkets.com
  • fxcm.com
  • tradu.com
Facts last checked
29 October 2026
20 October 2026

Regulation and protection

Company you would contract with
No licence listed
Stratos Markets Limited
Regulator
No licence listed
FCA
United Kingdom
Regulation level
No licence listed
Strictly regulated
Licence number
No licence listed
217689 (applied to cancel)
Check the register
Clients this company serves
No licence listed
Existing UK clients; FXCM's UK site sends new accounts to Trade Nation
All licences held
None listed
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • CySEC (European Union)
  • ASIC (Australia)
Segregated client money
Yes
Yes
Negative balance protection
Yes
No
Compensation scheme
None
FSCS up to £85,000 (UK company); ICF up to €20,000 (Cyprus company); none for the St Vincent company

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
Not yet checked
Not yet checked

Leverage and margin

Maximum retail leverage
Up to 1:1000 on MT5 (forex and gold, for equity under $1,000; lower as equity grows)
1:30 on major pairs (UK, EU, Australia); up to 1:1000 at the St Vincent company
Retail leverage by asset class
  • Forex and gold (MT5): 1:1000 under $1,000 equity, stepping down to 1:100 above $40,000
  • Silver: 1:100
  • Other metals: 1:20
  • S&P 500, Dow Jones 30, Nasdaq 100 and DAX 40: 1:200
  • Other indices: 1:50
  • Energies: 1:20
  • Major cryptocurrencies: 1:10
  • Other cryptocurrencies: 1:5
  • Shares and ETFs: 1:5
  • Major currency pairs: 1:30
  • Non-major currency pairs: 1:20
  • Other commodities and non-major indices: 1:10
  • Share CFDs: 1:5
  • Crypto CFDs: 1:2
Margin call level
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Stop-out level
80%
Not yet checked

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 5
  • cTrader
  • Trading Station
  • MetaTrader 4
  • TradingView
Markets
230+ CFDs on 45 forex pairs, 12 indices, 13 metals, 3 energies, 33 cryptocurrencies, 120 shares and 7 ETFs
Forex, index, commodity, share and crypto CFDs, plus FXCM baskets
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
  • USDT (TRC-20 and ERC-20)
  • Bitcoin
  • Litecoin
  • Ethereum
  • TopChange (TC Pay)
  • Visa and Mastercard
  • Apple Pay
  • Debit card
  • Credit card
  • Bank wire
  • Google Pay
  • Skrill
  • Neteller
  • Crypto
Withdrawal fee
No fee from AYA Markets; the agreement allows a 3% charge if you withdraw without trading since your last deposit
Not yet checked
Inactivity fee
$5 a month after six months with no trading (accounts with a positive balance)
Not yet checked

Support

Customer support
Email, support ticket and Telegram, Monday to Friday 06:00 to 16:00 GMT
24/5 live chat

Our notes

Strengths
  • The customer agreement says client funds are held in segregated accounts, separate from the company's own money
  • No deposit or withdrawal fees from AYA Markets, with deposits from $10
  • MetaTrader 5 and cTrader, on desktop, web and mobile
  • On MT5, maximum leverage falls in steps as your equity grows, from 1:1000 down to 1:100
  • Long-running brand (since 1999) with companies licensed by the FCA, CySEC and ASIC
  • Its own Trading Station platform alongside MetaTrader 4, TradingView and API access
  • Low first deposit of 50 in the account currency on the international site
Watch out for
  • Says AYA Markets (Comoros) Ltd holds MISA licence T2023263; we could not confirm it on MISA's register on 2026-10-29 (the register blocked automated access with a bot check).
  • The account page lists negative balance protection, but we did not find it in the customer agreement, and the risk disclosure says you could lose more than your initial investment
  • Commission on the Pro and Raw accounts is charged per side ($4 and $8 per lot each way, so $8 and $16 per round lot), and a 3% withdrawal charge can apply if you withdraw without trading
  • The 25% welcome bonus is trading credit that cannot be withdrawn and disappears with any withdrawal; dormant accounts pay $5 a month after six months
  • The UK company, Stratos Markets Limited, has applied to cancel its FCA authorisation (shown on the FCA register since 15 October 2026), and FXCM's UK site says new trading accounts are now provided through Trade Nation.
  • FXCM's EU site says new trading accounts are now provided through AvaTrade, a separate broker
  • International clients join Stratos Global LLC in St Vincent and the Grenadines, which holds no financial licence; leverage there goes up to 1:1000 and losses can exceed deposits
  • Says Stratos South Africa (Pty) Ltd is FSCA FSP 46534 and Stratos Light Limited is supervised by the Israel Securities Authority; we could not confirm either on the regulator's register on 2026-10-20 (the FSCA FSP register could not be reached).

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:

  • AYA Markets: Trading financial instruments carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. CFDs and Forex are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage (trading on margin). Before deciding to trade any financial instrument or making any other decision with financial impact you should carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience and risk appetite. Only invest with money you can afford to lose. If necessary you should seek independent advice.
  • FXCM: Our products are traded on leverage which means they carry a high level of risk and you could lose more than your deposits. These products are not suitable for all investors. Please ensure you fully understand the risks and carefully consider your financial situation and trading experience before trading. Seek independent advice if necessary.

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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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