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Head to head

HYCM vs LiteFinance (LiteForex)

HYCM is licensed by FCA in the United Kingdom and DFSA in the United Arab Emirates (DIFC). 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 $20 at HYCM and $50 at LiteFinance (LiteForex). Both offer negative balance protection and segregated client money.

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

HYCM 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
HYCMStrictly regulatedRead the profile
LiteFinance (LiteForex)Strictly regulatedRead the profile
Comparing
HYCMUnited Kingdom
LiteFinance (LiteForex)European Union

Overview

Founded
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Headquarters
London, United Kingdom
Limassol, Cyprus (EU company)
Official websites
  • hycm.com
  • hycm.co.uk
  • litefinance.org
  • liteforex.eu
  • liteforex.pl
Facts last checked
20 October 2026
20 October 2026

Regulation and protection

Company you would contract with
HYCM Capital Markets (UK) Limited
Liteforex (Europe) Ltd
Regulator
FCA
United Kingdom
CySEC
European Union
Regulation level
Strictly regulated
Strictly regulated
Licence number
186171
Check the register
093/08
Check the register
Clients this company serves
UK residents
Residents of the EEA (the EU site also lists the UAE and the Marshall Islands)
All licences held
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • DFSA (United Arab Emirates (DIFC))
  • CySEC (European Union)
Segregated client money
Yes
Yes
Negative balance protection
Yes
Yes
Compensation scheme
FSCS for eligible clients of HYCM Capital Markets (UK) Limited only
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
Yes
Not yet checked

Leverage and margin

Maximum retail leverage
1:30 on major pairs for FCA retail clients; up to 1:500 at the Costa Rica 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 (FCA); up to 1:500 (Costa Rica)
  • Bitcoin CFDs: 1:5 (Costa Rica company only)
  • 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
50% (HYCM may start closing positions from 55%)
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
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • HYCM Trader app
  • Web Trader
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
Markets
300+ CFDs on forex, metals, indices, commodities, shares and cryptocurrencies, plus US stocks
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
  • Bank wire
  • Visa card
  • Cryptocurrency
  • Visa and Mastercard cards
  • Bank transfer
  • E-payment systems
Withdrawal fee
No HYCM fee; your bank may charge. Profits are withdrawn by wire transfer only
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
Live chat and online help centre
24-hour support by live chat

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
  • 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 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 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:

  • 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.

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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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