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Head to head

HYCM vs ITBFX

HYCM is licensed by FCA in the United Kingdom and DFSA in the United Arab Emirates (DIFC). ITBFX has no licence we could confirm on a regulator's register. 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 $20 at HYCM and $10 at ITBFX. Only HYCM offers negative balance protection. Both offer segregated client money.

Facts last checked: HYCM on 20 October 2026, ITBFX on 29 October 2026.

HYCM profileITBFX 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
HYCMStrictly regulatedRead the profile
ITBFXRead the profile
Comparing
HYCMUnited Kingdom
ITBFX

Overview

Founded
Not yet checked
2017
Headquarters
London, United Kingdom
Rodney Bay, Gros-Islet, Saint Lucia
Official websites
  • hycm.com
  • hycm.co.uk
  • itbfx.com
  • itbfx.net
Facts last checked
20 October 2026
29 October 2026

Regulation and protection

Company you would contract with
HYCM Capital Markets (UK) Limited
No licence listed
Regulator
FCA
United Kingdom
No licence listed
Regulation level
Strictly regulated
No licence listed
Licence number
186171
Check the register
No licence listed
Clients this company serves
UK residents
No licence listed
All licences held
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • DFSA (United Arab Emirates (DIFC))
None listed
Segregated client money
Yes
Yes
Negative balance protection
Yes
No
Compensation scheme
FSCS for eligible clients of HYCM Capital Markets (UK) Limited only
None

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
Yes
Yes

Leverage and margin

Maximum retail leverage
1:30 on major pairs for FCA retail clients; up to 1:500 at the Costa Rica company
Up to 1:500 (ECN account)
Retail leverage by asset class
  • Major currency pairs: 1:30 (FCA); up to 1:500 (Costa Rica)
  • Bitcoin CFDs: 1:5 (Costa Rica company only)
  • Forex and metals (Nano): 1:200
  • Forex, metals, indices and crypto (Standard): 1:400
  • Gold and silver (Gold): 1:400
  • Forex, metals, indices, crypto and shares (ECN): 1:500
  • Cryptocurrencies (Crypto): 1:10 to 1:50
  • Shares (Stock): 1:10
Margin call level
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Stop-out level
50% (HYCM may start closing positions from 55%)
15% Gold; 20% Nano and Standard; 30% ECN; 40% Crypto and Stock

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
  • HYCM Trader app
  • Web Trader
  • MetaTrader 5
Markets
300+ CFDs on forex, metals, indices, commodities, shares and cryptocurrencies, plus US stocks
CFDs on forex, gold and silver, indices, energies, shares and cryptocurrencies
Demo account
Yes
Yes
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
  • Bank wire
  • Visa card
  • Cryptocurrency
  • Cryptocurrency
  • Local currency exchange services
Withdrawal fee
No HYCM fee; your bank may charge. Profits are withdrawn by wire transfer only
None charged by ITBFX, says its FAQ; the agreement allows a 3% charge, or a refund of deposit fees, if you withdraw without trading
Inactivity fee
Not yet checked
Up to US$5 a month per account after six months without trading

Support

Customer support
Live chat and online help centre
24/7 by live chat, phone, WhatsApp, Telegram, email and ticket, in Persian, English, Arabic and other languages

Our notes

Strengths
  • 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
  • Six account types on MetaTrader 5, with a demo version of each
  • The Nano account opens from $10 and trades in steps of 0.001 lots
  • Swap-free (Islamic) option on request
  • The client agreement says client money is held in segregated accounts
Watch out for
  • 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
  • Says it is regulated by the Mwali International Services Authority (MISA) but publishes no licence number; we could not confirm a licence on MISA's register on 2026-10-29 (the register sits behind a bot check).
  • The BVI Financial Services Commission's Public Statement 2 of 2020 says www.itbfx.com circulated a forged BVI investment business licence and has never been licensed in or from the BVI.
  • No negative balance protection: the account risk warnings say losses can exceed your deposit, and the agreement makes you pay any shortfall within two working days.
  • The website names International Trading Brachium Ltd (Saint Lucia), while the client agreement names ITB Limited (Seychelles); neither is a licensed firm on any register we checked.

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.
  • ITBFX: Before trading, you should ensure that you’ve undergone sufficient preparation and fully understand the risks involved in margin trading.

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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