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Head to head

CMC Markets vs Exness

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). Exness is licensed by FSCA in South Africa, CMA (Kenya) in Kenya, CMA (UAE) in the United Arab Emirates, FCA in the United Kingdom and CySEC in the European Union, and also has an offshore registration. 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 CMC Markets and $10 at Exness. Both offer negative balance protection and segregated client money.

Facts last checked: CMC Markets on 20 October 2026, Exness on 20 October 2026.

CMC Markets profileExness 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
CMC MarketsStrictly regulatedRead the profile
ExnessOffshore registration onlyRead the profile
Comparing
CMC MarketsUnited Kingdom
ExnessSeychelles

Overview

Founded
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Headquarters
London, United Kingdom
Not yet checked
Official websites
  • cmcmarkets.com
  • cmcinvest.com
  • exness.com
  • exness.eu
  • exness.uk
  • exness.ke
Facts last checked
20 October 2026
20 October 2026

Regulation and protection

Company you would contract with
CMC Markets UK plc
Exness (SC) Ltd
Regulator
FCA
United Kingdom
FSA Seychelles
Seychelles
Regulation level
Strictly regulated
Offshore registration only
Licence number
173730
Check the register
SD025 (Securities Dealer)
Check the register
Clients this company serves
UK residents (spread betting, CFDs and FX Active)
Clients who sign up through exness.com (Exness assigns the company by country; it names it in the client agreement)
All licences held
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • BaFin (European Union)
  • ASIC (Australia)
  • MAS (Singapore)
  • CIRO (Canada)
  • FMA (New Zealand) (New Zealand)
  • DFSA (United Arab Emirates (DIFC))
  • FSA Seychelles (Seychelles)
  • FSC (BVI) (British Virgin Islands)
  • FSCA (South Africa)
  • CMA (Kenya) (Kenya)
  • CMA (UAE) (United Arab Emirates)
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • CySEC (European Union)
Segregated client money
Yes
Yes
Negative balance protection
Yes
Yes
Compensation scheme
FSCS (UK, CMC Markets UK plc clients); other countries have their own schemes or none
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
Not yet checked
Yes

Leverage and margin

Maximum retail leverage
1:30 on major currency pairs (UK and EU retail clients)
Up to 1:Unlimited on some accounts (offshore companies)
Retail leverage by asset class
  • 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
Not yet checked
Margin call level
Not yet checked
60% (Standard); 30% (Pro, Zero, Raw Spread)
Stop-out level
50% of margin (UK and EU retail close-out rule)
0% (stocks differ)

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
  • CMC web platform
  • CMC mobile app
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • TradingView
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • Exness Terminal
  • Exness Trade app
Markets
300+ currency pairs on its own platform (175+ on MetaTrader 4), indices, commodities, shares, ETFs, bonds and share baskets as spread bets and CFDs
Currency pairs, metals, cryptocurrencies, energies, stocks and indices as CFDs
Demo account
Not yet checked
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
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Withdrawal fee
No charge from CMC for deposits or withdrawals (UK site)
No withdrawal fees from Exness; third-party fees may apply depending on the payment method
Inactivity fee
£10 a month (or currency equivalent) after a year with no trading, only taken while the account holds money
Not yet checked

Support

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

Our notes

Strengths
  • 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
  • Licences confirmed with the FSCA in South Africa, the CMA in Kenya and the UAE's Capital Market Authority
  • Low $10 minimum deposit on the Standard account and no withdrawal fees from Exness
  • Exness says client money is held in segregated accounts and retail accounts have negative balance protection
Watch out for
  • 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
  • Most retail clients join offshore companies (FSA Seychelles or BVI FSC), and the strictly regulated UK and Cyprus companies do not accept retail clients
  • Exness also says it holds licences from the Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten (Exness B.V., 0003LSI), the FSC of Belize (Forexite Ltd., 9110312), the FSC of Mauritius (Exness (MU) Ltd, GB20025294), the Jordan Securities Commission (Exness Limited Jordan) and an FSCA ODP authorisation for Exness (SC) Ltd. We could not confirm these on the regulators' registers on 2026-10-20.
  • Leverage up to 1:Unlimited and a 0% stop-out mean a position can be closed only when your margin is gone

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:

  • 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.
  • Exness: Risk Warning: Our services relate to complex derivative instruments requiring appropriate knowledge and understanding. Their prices may fluctuate rapidly and may become valueless. Trading involves a high risk of loss, with traders likely to incur losses exceeding the potential for profits. Losses may extend up to the full amount of funds in the trading account. Under no circumstances shall Exness have any liability to any person or entity for any loss or damage in whole or part caused by, resulting from, or relating to any investing activity.

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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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