Head to head
FXCM vs Swissquote
FXCM is licensed by FCA in the United Kingdom, CySEC in the European Union and ASIC in Australia. Swissquote is licensed by FINMA in Switzerland; FCA in the United Kingdom; CySEC in the European Union; SFC in Hong Kong and DFSA in Dubai (DIFC), UAE. 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 $1,000 at Swissquote (the Prime account needs $50,000). Neither offers negative balance protection. Only FXCM offers segregated client money.
Facts last checked: FXCM on 20 October 2026, Swissquote on 20 October 2026.
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
Comparing
FXCMUnited Kingdom
SwissquotePrime account · Switzerland
Overview
Founded
1999
Not yet checked
Headquarters
London, United Kingdom (Stratos Group)
Switzerland
Official websites
- fxcm.com
- tradu.com
- swissquote.com
- swissquote.ch
- swissquote.co.uk
- swissquote.eu
- swissquote.cy
Facts last checked
20 October 2026
20 October 2026
Regulation and protection
Company you would contract with
Stratos Markets Limited
Swissquote Bank Ltd (Swissquote Bank SA)
Regulation level
Strictly regulated
Strictly regulated
Clients this company serves
Existing UK clients; FXCM's UK site sends new accounts to Trade Nation
Swiss residents and international clients not served by a local Swissquote company
All licences held
- FCA (United Kingdom)
- CySEC (European Union)
- ASIC (Australia)
- FINMA (Switzerland)
- FCA (United Kingdom)
- CySEC (European Union)
- SFC (Hong Kong)
- DFSA (Dubai (DIFC), UAE)
FSCS up to £85,000 (UK company); ICF up to €20,000 (Cyprus company); none for the St Vincent company
Swiss depositor protection up to CHF 100,000 (Swissquote Bank); FSCS up to £85,000 (UK); ICF up to €20,000 (Cyprus)
Costs
Your monthly cost
No accounts listed
$120$12 per lot × 10 lots
Typical GBP/USD spread
Not yet checked
1.6 pips
Typical USD/JPY spread
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Typical XAU/USD spread
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Leverage and margin
1:30 on major pairs (UK, EU, Australia); up to 1:1000 at the St Vincent company
1:30 on major pairs (UK, EU); 1:100 standard at Swissquote Bank
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 (UK: 1:30
- EUR/USD and other major pairs (Swissquote Bank): 1:100 (1% margin)
- Gold (Swissquote Bank): 1:50 (2% margin)
Stop-out level
Not yet checked
30%
Account
Minimum deposit (this account)
No accounts listed
$50,000
Platforms and features
Platforms
- Trading Station
- MetaTrader 4
- TradingView
- MetaTrader 4
- MetaTrader 5
- CFXD
- TradingView
- FIX API
Markets
Forex, index, commodity, share and crypto CFDs, plus FXCM baskets
About 130 currency pairs, metals and CFDs on indices, commodities and bonds
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
- Debit card
- Credit card
- Bank wire
- Google Pay
- Skrill
- Neteller
- Crypto
- Bank transfer
Withdrawal fee
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Inactivity fee
Not yet checked
10 units of the account currency a month after 6 months without activity
Support
Customer support
24/5 live chat
Not yet checked
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
- Forex accounts held with a Swiss bank supervised by FINMA, with Swiss depositor protection up to CHF 100,000
- Subsidiaries licensed by the FCA, CySEC and Hong Kong's SFC
- Spread-only pricing with no commission on forex, and live spreads shown per account on its website
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).
- High entry level: $1,000 for Standard, $10,000 for Premium and $50,000 for Prime.
- At Swissquote Bank, Swissquote warns that losses are in theory unlimited and you may have to pay in more if your balance falls below margin
- Inactivity fee of 10 a month in the account currency after only 6 months
- Says Swissquote South Africa (Pty) Ltd holds FSCA licence 43908 (advice and intermediary services); we could not confirm it on the FSCA register on 2026-10-20.
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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.
- Swissquote: Trading leveraged products on the Forex platform, such as foreign exchange, spot precious metals and Contracts for Difference (CFDs), involves significant risk of loss due to the leverage and may not be suitable for all investors. Prior to opening an account with Swissquote, consider your level of experience, investment objectives, assets, income and risk appetite. Losses are in theory unlimited and you may be required to make additional payments if your account balance falls below the required margin level and therefore you should not speculate, invest or hedge with capital you cannot afford to lose, that is borrowed or urgently needed or necessary for personal or family subsistence. Over the past 12 months, 68.22% of retail investors have either lost money when trading CFDs, experienced a total loss of their margin at the closing of their position or ended up with a negative balance after closing their position.
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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.