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Head to head

ePlanet Brokers vs HYCM

ePlanet Brokers holds only an offshore registration (Vanuatu). 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 ePlanet Brokers and $20 at HYCM. Only HYCM offers negative balance protection and segregated client money.

Facts last checked: ePlanet Brokers on 20 October 2026, HYCM on 20 October 2026.

ePlanet Brokers 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
ePlanet BrokersOffshore registration onlyRead the profile
HYCMStrictly regulatedRead the profile
Comparing
ePlanet BrokersVanuatu
HYCMUnited Kingdom

Overview

Founded
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Headquarters
Fomboni, Mohéli (Comoros); User Agreement address in Podgorica, Montenegro
London, United Kingdom
Official websites
  • eplanetbrokers.com
  • hycm.com
  • hycm.co.uk
Facts last checked
20 October 2026
20 October 2026

Regulation and protection

Company you would contract with
Nebula Ventures Ltd
HYCM Capital Markets (UK) Limited
Regulator
VFSC
Vanuatu
FCA
United Kingdom
Regulation level
Offshore registration only
Strictly regulated
Licence number
Financial Dealers Licence, company no. 700819
Check the register
186171
Check the register
Clients this company serves
Not stated by ePlanet. Its published User Agreement is with Eplanet Brokers Ltd (Comoros), not this company
UK residents
All licences held
  • VFSC (Vanuatu)
  • 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
Not yet checked
Yes

Leverage and margin

Maximum retail leverage
Up to 1:500
1:30 on major pairs for FCA retail clients; up to 1:500 at the Costa Rica company
Retail leverage by asset class
Not yet checked
  • Major currency pairs: 1:30 (FCA); up to 1:500 (Costa Rica)
  • Bitcoin CFDs: 1:5 (Costa Rica company only)
Margin call level
100%
Not yet checked
Stop-out level
50% (Zero, Gold); 40% (ECN); 30% (Elite)
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 5
  • cTrader
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • HYCM Trader app
  • Web Trader
Markets
400+ CFDs on forex, gold and metals, shares, indices and energy
300+ CFDs on forex, metals, indices, commodities, shares and cryptocurrencies, plus US stocks
Demo account
Yes
Yes
Copy trading
Yes
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
  • Cryptocurrency (USDT TRC20
  • TRX
  • BTC
  • ETH
  • BNB)
  • Bank wire
  • Visa card
  • Cryptocurrency
Withdrawal fee
Crypto deposits are listed as free; withdrawal fees are shown in the client portal
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
24/7 multilingual support
Live chat and online help centre

Our notes

Strengths
  • Group company Nebula Ventures Ltd is on the VFSC list of financial dealer licensees (active, licensed 10 July 2025)
  • Low entry point, with a $30 Zero account
  • Both MetaTrader 5 and cTrader are offered
  • 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
  • The User Agreement is with Eplanet Brokers Ltd, a Comoros-registered company, not the Vanuatu licensee; the website does not say which clients the Vanuatu company serves
  • The website links to a Mwali (MISA) record for Eplanet Brokers Ltd but quotes no licence number; we could not open MISA's register on 2026-10-20 to check it.
  • The risk warning says you can lose more than your deposit, and we found no negative balance protection or client money segregation commitment
  • Deposits are listed by cryptocurrency only
  • 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:

  • ePlanet Brokers: Trading involves a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all traders or investors. You should carefully consider your trading goals or objectives, financial situations, level of experience and needs before entering into margin trading with eplanet brokers. There is a risk of losing substantially more than the investor’s initial investment. Hence, we advise you to only trade the products if you fully understand the risks involved, and can afford them.
  • 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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