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Head to head

eToro vs HYCM

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. 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 $10 at eToro and $20 at HYCM. Both offer negative balance protection and segregated client money.

Facts last checked: eToro on 20 October 2026, HYCM on 20 October 2026.

eToro 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
eToroStrictly regulatedRead the profile
HYCMStrictly regulatedRead the profile
Comparing
eToroEuropean Union
HYCMUnited Kingdom

Overview

Founded
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Headquarters
Not yet checked
London, United Kingdom
Official websites
  • etoro.com
  • hycm.com
  • hycm.co.uk
Facts last checked
20 October 2026
20 October 2026

Regulation and protection

Company you would contract with
eToro (Europe) Ltd
HYCM Capital Markets (UK) Limited
Regulator
CySEC
European Union
FCA
United Kingdom
Regulation level
Strictly regulated
Strictly regulated
Licence number
109/10
Check the register
186171
Check the register
Clients this company serves
Residents of EU and EEA countries
UK residents
All licences held
  • CySEC (European Union)
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • ASIC (Australia)
  • FSRA (ADGM) (Abu Dhabi (ADGM), UAE)
  • FSA Seychelles (Seychelles)
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • DFSA (United Arab Emirates (DIFC))
Segregated client money
Yes
Yes
Negative balance protection
Yes
Yes
Compensation scheme
FSCS up to £85,000 (UK); ICF up to €20,000 (Cyprus); none we know of for the Abu Dhabi or Seychelles companies
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
1:30 on major pairs (UK, EU, Australia)
1:30 on major pairs for FCA retail clients; up to 1:500 at the Costa Rica company
Retail leverage by asset class
  • Major currency pairs (UK: 1:30
  • Non-major currency pairs: 1:20
  • Major currency pairs: 1:30 (FCA); up to 1:500 (Costa Rica)
  • Bitcoin CFDs: 1:5 (Costa Rica company only)
Margin call level
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Stop-out level
Not yet checked
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
  • eToro web platform
  • eToro mobile app
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • HYCM Trader app
  • Web Trader
Markets
Currency, index and commodity CFDs alongside stocks, ETFs and crypto (this profile covers CFDs only)
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)
No
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
  • Bank wire
  • Visa card
  • Cryptocurrency
Withdrawal fee
$5 on withdrawals from a USD account; none from GBP, EUR or DKK local-currency accounts
No HYCM fee; your bank may charge. Profits are withdrawn by wire transfer only
Inactivity fee
None since 28 May 2026, according to eToro's help centre
Not yet checked

Support

Customer support
Not yet checked
Live chat and online help centre

Our notes

Strengths
  • 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)
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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:

  • 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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