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Head to head

HYCM vs STB Provider

HYCM is licensed by FCA in the United Kingdom and DFSA in the United Arab Emirates (DIFC). STB Provider 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 STB Provider. Both offer negative balance protection and segregated client money.

Facts last checked: HYCM on 20 October 2026, STB Provider on 20 October 2026.

HYCM profileSTB Provider 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
STB ProviderRead the profile
Comparing
HYCMUnited Kingdom
STB Provider

Overview

Founded
Not yet checked
2021
Headquarters
London, United Kingdom
Gros Islet, Saint Lucia (office in Sofia, Bulgaria)
Official websites
  • hycm.com
  • hycm.co.uk
  • stbbrokers.com
Facts last checked
20 October 2026
20 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
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 1:400 (1:200 on Prime), reduced as position size grows
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)
  • FX majors and gold (Standard, ECN, Prime): Full account leverage up to $799.99K notional, then 33%, 10% and 5%
  • FX minors, metals, indices and commodities: 50% of account leverage up to $199.99K notional, then lower
  • Crypto: 1:75 for small positions, down to 1:3.75
  • Stocks: 1:20 for small positions, down to 1:1
Margin call level
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Stop-out level
50% (HYCM may start closing positions from 55%)
30% (Standard, ECN, Prime); 60% (Zero)

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
350+ CFD and spot instruments, including forex, metals, indices, energies, crypto and stocks
Demo account
Yes
Yes
Copy trading
Not yet checked
Yes
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
  • USDT (BEP20 and TRC20)
  • Top Change exchange
  • Farsi Change exchange
Withdrawal fee
No HYCM fee; your bank may charge. Profits are withdrawn by wire transfer only
$5 by USDT TRC20, $1 by USDT BEP20, minimum $2 via Top Change
Inactivity fee
Not yet checked
Not yet checked

Support

Customer support
Live chat and online help centre
24/7 support

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
  • Four account types from $10, with commissions published per asset class
  • Says client funds are segregated and that every account has negative balance protection
  • Publishes its dynamic leverage tiers and stop-out levels
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
  • The "Licence No. 2023-00478" on its site is the company number on its Saint Lucia certificate of incorporation (International Business Companies Act), not a financial licence
  • It also shows a US FinCEN money services business registration; that is an anti-money-laundering registration, not a licence to offer forex or CFDs, and STB does not serve US residents
  • No licence from any regulator that we could confirm
  • Funding only by USDT and two exchange services; no cards or bank transfer

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.
  • STB Provider: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 75% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs, FX, or any of our other products work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

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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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