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Head to head

CPT Markets vs eToro

CPT Markets is licensed by FSCA in South Africa and UAE CMA in the United Arab Emirates, and also has an offshore registration. eToro is licensed by CySEC in the European Union; FCA in the United Kingdom; ASIC in Australia and FSRA (ADGM) in Abu Dhabi (ADGM), UAE, 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 $500 at CPT Markets and $10 at eToro. Only eToro offers negative balance protection. Both offer segregated client money.

Facts last checked: CPT Markets on 20 October 2026, eToro on 20 October 2026.

CPT Markets profileeToro 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
CPT MarketsRegulatedRead the profile
eToroStrictly regulatedRead the profile
Comparing
CPT MarketsSouth Africa
eToroEuropean Union

Overview

Founded
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Headquarters
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Official websites
  • cptmarkets.com
  • cptfx.com
  • etoro.com
Facts last checked
20 October 2026
20 October 2026

Regulation and protection

Company you would contract with
CPT Markets (PTY) Ltd
eToro (Europe) Ltd
Regulator
FSCA
South Africa
CySEC
European Union
Regulation level
Regulated
Strictly regulated
Licence number
FSP 45954
Check the register
109/10
Check the register
Clients this company serves
South African residents, through the South African website and terms
Residents of EU and EEA countries
All licences held
  • FSCA (South Africa)
  • Belize FSC (Belize (international clients))
  • UAE CMA (United Arab Emirates)
  • CySEC (European Union)
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • ASIC (Australia)
  • FSRA (ADGM) (Abu Dhabi (ADGM), UAE)
  • FSA Seychelles (Seychelles)
Segregated client money
Yes
Yes
Negative balance protection
No
Yes
Compensation scheme
None
FSCS up to £85,000 (UK); ICF up to €20,000 (Cyprus); none we know of for the Abu Dhabi or Seychelles companies

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
1:30 on major pairs (UK, EU, Australia)
Retail leverage by asset class
  • All accounts: Up to 1:1000
  • Major currency pairs (UK: 1:30
  • Non-major currency pairs: 1:20
Margin call level
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Stop-out level
Not yet checked
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 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • CPT app
  • CPT desktop platform
  • Copy trading
  • MAM
  • eToro web platform
  • eToro mobile app
Markets
Forex, indices, metals, energies, commodities, futures, stocks and crypto CFDs
Currency, index and commodity CFDs alongside stocks, ETFs and crypto (this profile covers CFDs only)
Demo account
Yes
Yes
Copy trading
Yes
Yes
Expert advisors (automated trading)
Yes
No
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
Not yet checked
$5 on withdrawals from a USD account; none from GBP, EUR or DKK local-currency accounts
Inactivity fee
Not yet checked
None since 28 May 2026, according to eToro's help centre

Support

Customer support
Not yet checked
Not yet checked

Our notes

Strengths
  • CPT Markets (PTY) Ltd is authorised by the FSCA (FSP 45954), confirmed on the FSCA register
  • CPT Markets Limited is listed as active on the Belize FSC register, for trading and arranging transactions in securities
  • Says client funds are fully segregated
  • MetaTrader 4 and 5 plus its own app, copy trading and MAM accounts
  • Licensed by CySEC, the FCA and ASIC, with retail negative balance protection in those regions
  • Copy trading built into the platform, with the same account used for CFDs, stocks and crypto
  • Low first deposit in some countries ($10 in the UK)
Watch out for
  • Clients outside South Africa are likely to sign with the Belize company, which holds an offshore licence
  • The UAE company is licensed only for introduction and promotion, not for dealing
  • Its risk warning says you can lose more than your deposit; we found no negative balance protection policy
  • No minimum deposit, typical spread or commission rate is published for the Classic or ECN accounts; the Prime account starts at USD 500
  • eToro's website could not be loaded during our check on 2026-10-20; the cost details on this page come from eToro's own fee and help pages read through a search tool, so confirm them on etoro.com before you trade.
  • eToro now prices CFDs as the market spread plus an opening and closing spread fee charged as a percentage (0.005% per trade on EUR/USD), which is harder to compare with pip-based spreads.
  • Deposits and withdrawals that need a currency conversion carry a conversion fee, and USD withdrawals cost $5
  • MetaTrader is not offered; you can only trade on eToro's own platform

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:

  • CPT Markets: The FX and CFD contracts on our online facility are traded on a margin or leverage basis, a type of trading that carries a high degree of risk to your capital. The price of the contract you make with us may change quickly, and your profits and losses may be more than your initial investment or deposit. If you do not hold sufficient funds to meet your margin requirements, we may close your open positions immediately and without notice. It is possible to lose more than your initial deposit. Trading these products is not suitable for all investors. Make sure that you understand and accept the risks before trading on a margin or leverage basis and can sustain potential losses.

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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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