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Head to head

HYCM vs Orbex

HYCM is licensed by FCA in the United Kingdom and DFSA in the United Arab Emirates (DIFC). Orbex is licensed by FSC Mauritius in Mauritius (international clients), and also has an offshore registration. 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 $100 at Orbex. Both offer negative balance protection and segregated client money.

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

HYCM profileOrbex 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
OrbexRegulatedRead the profile
Comparing
HYCMUnited Kingdom
OrbexMauritius (international clients)

Overview

Founded
Not yet checked
2011
Headquarters
London, United Kingdom
Ebène, Mauritius
Official websites
  • hycm.com
  • hycm.co.uk
  • orbex.com
Facts last checked
20 October 2026
20 October 2026

Regulation and protection

Company you would contract with
HYCM Capital Markets (UK) Limited
Orbex Global Ltd
Regulator
FCA
United Kingdom
FSC Mauritius
Mauritius (international clients)
Regulation level
Strictly regulated
Regulated
Licence number
186171
Check the register
C118023330 (SEC-2.1B Investment Dealer)
Check the register
Clients this company serves
UK residents
International clients; Orbex's trading terms name Orbex Global Limited as the counterparty
All licences held
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • DFSA (United Arab Emirates (DIFC))
  • FSC Mauritius (Mauritius (international clients))
  • FSA Seychelles (Seychelles (international clients))
Segregated client money
Yes
Yes
Negative balance protection
Yes
Yes
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 (1:30 by default when the account is opened)
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)
  • All CFDs, up to 19.99 lots open: Up to 1:500
  • All CFDs, 20 to 39.99 lots open: 1:300
  • All CFDs, 40 lots or more open: 1:100
Margin call level
Not yet checked
100%
Stop-out level
50% (HYCM may start closing positions from 55%)
20%

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
  • MT4 and MT5 web terminals
  • Orbex mobile app
  • FIX API
Markets
300+ CFDs on forex, metals, indices, commodities, shares and cryptocurrencies, plus US stocks
400+ CFDs on forex, stocks, metals, indices, energies and futures
Demo account
Yes
Yes
Copy trading
Not yet checked
Yes
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
  • Mastercard
  • Skrill
  • Neteller
  • Perfect Money
  • UnionPay
  • Bank wire
  • Local payment methods
Withdrawal fee
No HYCM fee; your bank may charge. Profits are withdrawn by wire transfer only
0% from Orbex on cards and e-wallets listed on its funding page
Inactivity fee
Not yet checked
Not yet checked

Support

Customer support
Live chat and online help centre
24/5 live chat, email and phone, plus call-back requests

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
  • Orbex Global Ltd is on the FSC Mauritius register as an investment dealer (SEC-2.1B), licensed since 7 January 2019
  • Says client money is held separately from company money and offers negative balance protection on all accounts
  • Commission-free Starter account from $100, and raw-spread accounts with a published per-lot commission
  • MetaTrader 4 and 5, a FIX API and PAMM 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
  • Its CySEC licence (124/10, ORBEX Ltd) is shown on the CySEC register as under examination for voluntary renunciation, so new clients are not covered by EU rules or the Cyprus compensation fund, even though the website still mentions the ICF
  • The website names several operating companies (Orbex Global Ltd in Mauritius, Orbex Limited in Seychelles, an Orbex Limited registered in Saint Lucia and Orbex LLC in St Vincent); check which one is named in your agreement
  • Leverage up to 1:500, far above the 1:30 cap that applies in the UK and EU
  • The spreads it publishes are minimums ("as low as"); typical spreads are not published

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.
  • Orbex: Trading foreign exchange on margin carries a high level of risk, and may not be suitable for all investors. Before deciding to trade foreign exchange, you should carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite. There is a possibility that you may sustain a loss of some or all of your investment and therefore you should not invest money that you cannot afford to lose. You should be aware of all the risks associated with foreign exchange trading, and seek advice from an independent financial advisor if you have any doubts.

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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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