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Head to head

HYCM vs Plus500

HYCM is licensed by FCA in the United Kingdom and DFSA in the United Arab Emirates (DIFC). Plus500 is licensed by FCA in the United Kingdom, CySEC in the European Union, EFSA (Estonia) in the European Union, ASIC in Australia, FMA (New Zealand) in New Zealand, FSCA in South Africa, MAS in Singapore, JFSA in Japan, CFTC / NFA in the United States, DFSA in the United Arab Emirates (DIFC), CMA (UAE) in the United Arab Emirates and SCB in the Bahamas, 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 $0 at Plus500. Both offer negative balance protection and segregated client money.

Facts last checked: HYCM on 20 October 2026, Plus500 on 20 October 2026.

HYCM profilePlus500 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
Plus500Strictly regulatedRead the profile
Comparing
HYCMUnited Kingdom
Plus500United Kingdom

Overview

Founded
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Headquarters
London, United Kingdom
Not yet checked
Official websites
  • hycm.com
  • hycm.co.uk
  • plus500.com
  • plus500.com.cy
  • plus500.com.sg
  • plus500.com.sc
Facts last checked
20 October 2026
20 October 2026

Regulation and protection

Company you would contract with
HYCM Capital Markets (UK) Limited
Plus500UK Ltd
Regulator
FCA
United Kingdom
FCA
United Kingdom
Regulation level
Strictly regulated
Strictly regulated
Licence number
186171
Check the register
509909
Check the register
Clients this company serves
UK residents
UK residents
All licences held
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • DFSA (United Arab Emirates (DIFC))
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • CySEC (European Union)
  • EFSA (Estonia) (European Union)
  • ASIC (Australia)
  • FMA (New Zealand) (New Zealand)
  • FSCA (South Africa)
  • MAS (Singapore)
  • JFSA (Japan)
  • CFTC / NFA (United States)
  • DFSA (United Arab Emirates (DIFC))
  • CMA (UAE) (United Arab Emirates)
  • SCB (Bahamas)
  • FSA Seychelles (Seychelles)
Segregated client money
Yes
Yes
Negative balance protection
Yes
Yes
Compensation scheme
FSCS for eligible clients of HYCM Capital Markets (UK) Limited only
FSCS (UK, Plus500UK Ltd clients); other countries differ

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 currency pairs (UK, EU and Australian retail clients)
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
  • Other currency pairs: 1:20
  • Other commodities and non-major indices: 1:10
  • Share CFDs: 1:5
Margin call level
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Stop-out level
50% (HYCM may start closing positions from 55%)
Not yet checked

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
  • Plus500 web platform
  • Plus500 mobile app
Markets
300+ CFDs on forex, metals, indices, commodities, shares and cryptocurrencies, plus US stocks
CFDs on currency pairs, indices, commodities, shares and ETFs; futures in the US
Demo account
Yes
Yes
Copy trading
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Expert advisors (automated trading)
Yes
Not yet checked
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
Not yet checked
Withdrawal fee
No HYCM fee; your bank may charge. Profits are withdrawn by wire transfer only
No deposit or withdrawal fees from Plus500 (UK site)
Inactivity fee
Not yet checked
Not yet checked

Support

Customer support
Live chat and online help centre
Not yet checked

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
  • Licensed by strict regulators in the UK, EU, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Japan and the US
  • UK client money is held in segregated accounts under FCA client money rules
  • No deposit or withdrawal fees and no fees for opening or closing trades on the UK site; costs are in the spread
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
  • Plus500 says Plus500CA Ltd is a CIRO investment dealer and Plus500IL is regulated by Israel's ISA. We could not find Plus500CA on CIRO's dealer list or reach the ISA register on 2026-10-20.
  • Only Plus500's own platform; no MetaTrader or TradingView accounts
  • The FCA has warned about clone sites using Plus500's name, including plus500un.com, plus500v.com, p500.io and p500.online
  • No minimum deposit we could confirm on the current UK site; check it in the app before you fund

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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