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Head to head

FXCM vs LiteFinance (LiteForex)

FXCM is licensed by FCA in the United Kingdom, CySEC in the European Union and ASIC in Australia. LiteFinance (LiteForex) is licensed by CySEC in the European Union. 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 $50 at FXCM and $50 at LiteFinance (LiteForex). Only LiteFinance (LiteForex) offers negative balance protection. Both offer segregated client money.

Facts last checked: FXCM on 20 October 2026, LiteFinance (LiteForex) on 20 October 2026.

FXCM profileLiteFinance (LiteForex) 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
FXCMStrictly regulatedRead the profile
LiteFinance (LiteForex)Strictly regulatedRead the profile
Comparing
FXCMUnited Kingdom
LiteFinance (LiteForex)European Union

Overview

Founded
1999
Not yet checked
Headquarters
London, United Kingdom (Stratos Group)
Limassol, Cyprus (EU company)
Official websites
  • fxcm.com
  • tradu.com
  • litefinance.org
  • liteforex.eu
  • liteforex.pl
Facts last checked
20 October 2026
20 October 2026

Regulation and protection

Company you would contract with
Stratos Markets Limited
Liteforex (Europe) Ltd
Regulator
FCA
United Kingdom
CySEC
European Union
Regulation level
Strictly regulated
Strictly regulated
Licence number
217689 (applied to cancel)
Check the register
093/08
Check the register
Clients this company serves
Existing UK clients; FXCM's UK site sends new accounts to Trade Nation
Residents of the EEA (the EU site also lists the UAE and the Marshall Islands)
All licences held
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • CySEC (European Union)
  • ASIC (Australia)
  • CySEC (European Union)
Segregated client money
Yes
Yes
Negative balance protection
No
Yes
Compensation scheme
FSCS up to £85,000 (UK company); ICF up to €20,000 (Cyprus company); none for the St Vincent company
Investor Compensation Fund (Cyprus) for eligible retail clients of Liteforex (Europe) Ltd

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
1:30 on major pairs (UK, EU, Australia); up to 1:1000 at the St Vincent company
1:30 on major pairs for EU retail clients (ESMA rules); global leverage not checked
Retail leverage by asset class
  • 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
  • Major currency pairs: 1:30 (EU company)
  • Other currency pairs, gold and major indices: 1:20 (EU company)
Margin call level
Not yet checked
100% (EU company)
Stop-out level
Not yet checked
50% (EU company)

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
  • Trading Station
  • MetaTrader 4
  • TradingView
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
Markets
Forex, index, commodity, share and crypto CFDs, plus FXCM baskets
Currency pairs, stock indices, commodities and share CFDs (NYSE and Nasdaq)
Demo account
Yes
Yes
Copy trading
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Expert advisors (automated trading)
Yes
Yes
News trading allowed
Not yet checked
Yes
Guaranteed stops
Not yet checked
Not yet checked

Deposits and withdrawals

Deposit methods
  • Debit card
  • Credit card
  • Bank wire
  • Google Pay
  • Skrill
  • Neteller
  • Crypto
  • Visa and Mastercard cards
  • Bank transfer
  • E-payment systems
Withdrawal fee
Not yet checked
Card payments are processed with 0% commission and LiteForex says it refunds deposit fees on all methods (EU company)
Inactivity fee
Not yet checked
€3 a month on dormant accounts (EU company)

Support

Customer support
24/5 live chat
24-hour support by live chat

Our notes

Strengths
  • 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
  • EU company licensed by CySEC since 2008, with Cyprus Investor Compensation Fund cover
  • Negative balance protection on both EU account types
  • $50 minimum deposit and a choice of MT4 or MT5
Watch out for
  • 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).
  • Says LiteFinance Investment Limited holds Mauritius FSC licence GB20025921; we could not confirm it on the FSC Mauritius register on 2026-10-20, because the register blocked our access
  • Clients outside the EEA deal with LiteFinance Global LLC, a St Vincent and the Grenadines company with no financial licence
  • litefinance.org could not be reached from our network on 2026-10-20, so we have not checked the global company's accounts, leverage or fees
  • Dormant EU accounts are charged €3 a month

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:

  • 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.

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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