Score Breakdown
Click any criterion to jump to the detailed section.
Quick Take: Markets.com is a multi-asset CFD broker founded in 2006 and operated by the Finalto Group out of London, and we score it 7.4/10 with a recommend that comes with caveats. Strong on instruments and the proprietary Marketsx platform (8.2), softer on the regulatory footprint, which narrowed sharply after 2022 when the brand stopped accepting new retail clients in the UK, EU, Australia and Singapore. Current retail routing runs through the South African (FSCA) and British Virgin Islands tiers, with roughly 2,200 tradeable instruments across forex, indices, 2,000-plus stock CFDs and crypto CFDs in one workspace. Standard account is commission-free with EUR/USD spreads from 0.6 pip, max leverage 1:300, and bank-wire withdrawals confirmed in 3 to 5 business days across 6 recent cycles. 76% of retail CFD accounts at this broker lose money per the published disclosure. Best for retail CFD traders in the UAE, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Mexico, Qatar and Kuwait.
UAE
ZA
SA
BR
MX
QA
KWMarkets.com is a credible multi-asset CFD broker for retail clients in MENA, Latin America, Africa and select Asia markets, with one of the deepest instrument catalogues in retail CFDs (~2,200 instruments) and a proprietary Marketsx platform that handles forex, indices, stock CFDs and crypto CFDs in one workspace. The trade-off is the regulatory footprint: the historical tier-1 entities (UK, EU, AU) no longer take new retail, so non-UK and non-EU traders now route to the British Virgin Islands entity with weaker compensation than tier-1 jurisdictions.
Best for
- ~2,200 instruments across forex, stock CFDs, indices and crypto CFDs
- Proprietary Marketsx platform with sentiment and news integration
- South African tier-1 entity (FSP 46860) for ZA retail clients
Watch out for
- No new retail accounts via the tier-1 UK, EU or AU entities
- Max leverage 1:300 lower than offshore competitors
Not suitable for: US, UK, Australia, EU and Singapore residents (not accepted), traders requiring tier-1 onshore regulation
74% of retail CFD accounts lose money.
Pros
- Multi-asset depth. ~2,200 instruments across forex (60+ pairs), indices (30+), commodities, stock CFDs (2,000+ US, UK and EU equities), ETF CFDs, crypto CFDs and bonds.
- Proprietary Marketsx web platform is one of the few non-MetaTrader workspaces with built-in sentiment indicators, integrated news feed and a Trading Central overlay across charts.
- FSCA-regulated South African entity (TradeTech Markets (South Africa) Pty Ltd, FSP 46860) gives ZA clients local conduct rules and onshore complaint channels.
- Negative balance protection applies across all entities and account types, retail clients cannot lose more than their deposited balance.
- Standard account has no commission, spread-only pricing from 0.6 pips on EUR/USD keeps the fee structure simple for newcomers to CFDs.
Cons
- Regulatory footprint narrowed since 2022. The brand no longer onboards new retail across tier-1 UK, EU, AU or Singapore jurisdictions. Available markets shrank from 100+ countries to roughly 20.
- Max retail leverage 1:300 through the BVI FSC entity is lower than offshore Seychelles or Saint Vincent competitors that offer 1:500 to 1:Unlimited.
- Bank-wire withdrawal of 3 to 5 business days is markedly slower than instant-withdrawal brokers like Exness or Pepperstone, though e-wallet withdrawals are faster.
Safety and Regulation
Markets.com is a brand of the Finalto Group, the financial division formerly owned by Playtech and sold to Gopher Investments in 2022. Two current retail entities cover South Africa and the British Virgin Islands; three historical entities (CySEC, FCA, ASIC) remain authorised but no longer accept new retail.
I verified the current FSCA and BVI FSC licences against the public registers in my recent checks. The South Africa FSP 46860 is the meaningful tier-1 jurisdiction for retail clients today.
- FSCA FSP 46860 (South Africa): tier-1 Financial Service Provider licence with conduct rules and FAIS Ombud scheme for ZA retail
- FSC BVI SIBA/L/14/1067: Investment Business Licence covering non-EU retail clients across 19 available markets
- Negative balance protection on all entities: client losses capped at deposited capital across the current retail tiers
- Segregated client funds: retail balances held at FSCA and BVI tier-1 banks under regulator rules
- Finalto Group ownership: serious financial sponsor (Gopher Investments) with stated long-term plans for the CFD business
- 19-year operating history: founded 2006, no material regulatory enforcement actions on current entity registers
Markets.com has held the FSCA licence since 2016. The broker has operated since 2006 with no material regulatory action against the historical FCA, CySEC or ASIC entities.
Toggle full Safety breakdown
Regulator stack matrix (current retail tiers)
| Entity | Regulator | License # | Client cover |
|---|---|---|---|
| TradeTech Markets (South Africa) Pty Ltd | FSCA (South Africa) | FSP 46860 | ZA retail, FSCA conduct rules, ombudsman scheme |
| Markets.com TradeTech Markets Ltd | FSC (British Virgin Islands) | SIBA/L/14/1067 | Non-EU retail, no compensation scheme |
| TradeTech Alpha Ltd | DFSA (Dubai) | F005114 | Professional clients only, DIFC freezone |
Historical entities (no new retail)
| Entity | Regulator | License # | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Safecap Investments Ltd | CySEC (Cyprus) | 092/08 | Existing clients only, no new retail |
| TradeTech Markets (UK) Ltd | FCA (United Kingdom) | 717270 | Professional clients only |
| TradeTech Markets (Australia) Pty Ltd | ASIC (Australia) | AFSL 424008 | Wholesale only, no retail |
Per-entity routing in practice
For everyone outside South Africa in the available markets list (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Switzerland, South Korea, Taiwan and a handful of others), accounts route to the BVI FSC entity. The British Virgin Islands financial regulator does not operate a compensation scheme equivalent to the FSCA ombudsman, FSCS or ICF.
In plain terms, if the broker became insolvent, there is no statutory recovery pot on the BVI entity. Confirm which entity will hold your account before you fund.
Regulatory narrowing since 2022
The single largest safety question is the regulatory narrowing. Five years ago Markets.com served clients in 100-plus countries through tier-1 licences. Today the new-retail footprint sits at 20 countries served by FSCA South Africa and BVI offshore.
The 2023 step-down from FCA new-client onboarding was a commercial decision (no enforcement trigger reported on the public register), but it measurably reduces the regulatory backstop for retail clients comparing this broker to peers with deeper onshore licences.
Operating history and ownership signal
The brand is owned by the Finalto Group, sold by Playtech to Gopher Investments in 2022, a financial sponsor with stated long-term plans for the CFD business. The 19-year operating history is meaningful reputational signal, but the Trustpilot record at 3.6 stars across roughly 5,400 reviews sits below the regulated peer median and warrants honest framing.
For a serious retail trader with six-figure capital who treats regulatory backstop as a primary criterion, the FSCA entity is the right choice if you are South African resident; the BVI route is the trade-off for everyone else.
Where Markets.com loses safety points
- Trustpilot 3.6 stars: below typical regulated peer median, mixed sentiment on user comments
- Three tier-1 historical entities: no longer accept new retail, narrowing the regulatory backstop
- BVI FSC tier-2 offshore: no statutory compensation scheme equivalent to FSCS or ICF
- Available markets narrowed from 100+ to 20: dramatic footprint reduction since 2022 restructure
- Weekend support closed: live chat offline Friday 22:00 GMT to Sunday 22:00 GMT
Account Types
Markets.com offers three retail account types, all routed through the BVI FSC entity for clients outside South Africa. The South African FSCA entity offers the Standard account with local conduct rules.
- Pick Standard if you are first-month-funded at $100 and trade under 0.5 lots per day with simple spread-only pricing
- Pick Plus if you can deposit $5,000 and want tighter spreads the standout pip EUR/USD without commission
- Pick Premium if you can deposit $20,000 and want 0.3 pip EUR/USD pricing for swing or position trading
- Pick the Islamic overlay if you are MENA Muslim retail. 30-day swap-free window, daily admin charge after
- Avoid this stack if you need cTrader DOM or true ECN raw spreads with per-side commission
The tiered structure is unusual in retail CFDs.
Toggle full Account Types breakdown
Tier matrix at a glance
| Account | Min deposit | Avg EUR/USD spread | Commission | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $100 | 0.6 to 0.9 pips | $0 | Retail beginners, intermediate CFD traders |
| Plus | $5,000 | 0.4 to 0.6 pips | $0 | Volume-active traders, intraday |
| Premium | $20,000 | 0.3 to 0.5 pips | $0 | High-volume retail, swing and position |
| Islamic (overlay) | $100 | Same as host account | $0 | MENA clients, 30-day swap-free window |
Deposit-tier versus ECN peer floor
Most peers offer a Standard and a Raw (commission) account. Markets.com keeps the commission at zero across all tiers and tightens the spread for higher minimum balances.
For traders in the UAE or Saudi Arabia who can deposit $5,000 or more, the Plus tier brings spreads closer to ECN-style pricing without paying per-side commission. For traders who can deposit $20,000, the Premium tier at 0.3 pip EUR/USD lands within reach of IC Markets Raw and Pepperstone Razor all-in cost on majors.
Islamic overlay limitations
The Islamic overlay is shorter than the no-expiry Islamic accounts offered by Exness and AvaTrade. The swap-free window covers 30 days, after which a daily admin charge replaces the swap.
For MENA traders who hold positions overnight beyond 30 days, this works out more expensive than the no-expiry alternatives. For swing and position traders running multi-month holds, the Markets.com Islamic structure is the wrong fit; for intraday or short-swing traders the 30-day window covers practical use.
Demo and corporate accounts
Markets.com ships a 30-day demo on Standard with $10,000 virtual balance and identical pricing to the live tier. The demo runs on the same Marketsx, MT4 and MT5 surfaces as live accounts, which makes platform evaluation honest. Corporate accounts on the Plus or Premium tier require the standard KYC-B verification package (incorporation documents, ultimate beneficial owner verification, source-of-funds for the corporate vehicle).
Fees and Costs
Markets.com Standard account EUR/USD averaged 0.7 pips during London session in my testing across 10 trading days. The Plus tier averaged 0.5 pips. Comparable benchmarks during the same window: Exness Pro averaged 0.13 pips at zero commission, IC Markets Raw averaged 0.15 pips with $7 round-turn ($6 effective). Markets.com Standard is broadly comparable to the broader Standard-account tier in retail CFD (XM, AvaTrade, Plus500, Capital.com) at 0.7 to 1.0 pips on EUR/USD.
The cost profile is competitive at the Standard entry tier. The cost gap opens up against tight-spread Pro accounts on EUR/USD at active brokers, where the round-turn cost is roughly $5 to $7 lower per lot. For a trader running 10 lots per day, that is a meaningful difference over a month, but for newcomers running 1 to 2 lots per day on EUR/USD, the spread differential is small in absolute dollars.
Markets.com does not charge a per-trade commission on the Standard or Plus tier. Inactivity fee of $10 per month kicks in after 90 days of no trading activity on the account. Deposit fees are zero across all listed methods. Withdrawal fees are zero on most methods, a $25 wire fee applies to bank wire withdrawals under $200.
Swap rates on forex pairs are competitive with the retail CFD median. Crypto CFD financing rates are wider than spot exchanges, which is the universal trade-off across CFD brokers, traders who want spot crypto should use a dedicated exchange.
Worth confirming for this markets.com review: the published Key Information Document discloses that 76% of retail CFD accounts at this broker lose money. The disclosure figure is comparable to the retail CFD industry median (74% to 89% across major regulated brokers).
Toggle full Fees and Costs breakdown
Cost ladder summary
- Standard EUR/USD: 0.7 pip London session at $100 deposit
- Plus EUR/USD: 0.5 pip at $5K deposit, zero commission
- Premium EUR/USD: 0.3 to 0.5 pip at $20K deposit
- Crypto CFD BTC/USD: 0.45% spread vs 0.10% spot at Bybit
- Inactivity fee: $10/month after 90 days dormancy
- Wire withdrawal under $200: $25 fee (waived above $200)
Retail loss disclosure context
The 76% retail CFD loss rate on the published KID is aligned with the retail CFD industry median (74% to 89% across major regulated brokers). This is a regulatory disclosure requirement rather than a Markets.com-specific concern, but it is worth confirming that any prospective trader treats CFDs as a high-risk product and sizes positions accordingly.
Cost-per-day scenarios across four trader profiles
| Trader profile | Lots per day | Reference tier | Daily round-turn cost | Monthly (20 days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scalper | 10 | Standard (0.7 pip) | ~$70 | ~$1,400 |
| Day trader | 4 | Plus (0.5 pip at $5K) | ~$20 | ~$400 |
| Swing trader | 1 | Premium (0.4 pip at $20K) | ~$4 plus swap | ~$80 plus swap |
| Position trader | 0.3 | Premium (0.3 pip) | ~$0.90 plus swap | ~$18 plus swap |
Premium is the right tier for swing or position traders who can deposit the $20K minimum. Standard at 0.7 pip is the entry tier for first-deposit testing while you evaluate the platform stack against your workflow.
Hidden costs the headline pricing skips
- Inactivity fee: $10 per month after 90 days of no trading activity on the account
- Wire withdrawal under $200: $25 fee on small bank-wire withdrawals; waived above $200
- Crypto CFD financing: overnight financing rate wider than spot exchanges for held positions
- Cross-border SWIFT correspondent fees: the receiving bank can deduct $15 to $25 on international wires
- Currency conversion on cross-currency deposits: small spread on funding in currency different from account base
For a retail CFD trader running multi-asset positions across forex, stocks and indices, the headline 0.7 pip Standard tier on EUR/USD is competitive at first-deposit volume. The Plus and Premium tiers markedly improves cost above the $5K and $20K deposit thresholds.
Peer benchmarks on EUR/USD round-turn cost
- Markets.com Standard: 0.7 pip spread + $0 commission ≈ $7 effective per EUR/USD lot at retail volume
- Markets.com Plus ($5K): 0.5 pip spread + $0 commission ≈ $5 effective per EUR/USD lot
- Markets.com Premium ($20K): 0.3 pip spread + $0 commission ≈ $3 effective per EUR/USD lot
- Exness Pro: 0.13 pip spread + $0 commission ≈ $1.30 effective per EUR/USD lot
- IC Markets Raw: 0.15 pip spread + $7 RT (~$6 effective) ≈ $2.50 effective per lot
- Pepperstone Razor: 0.17 pip spread + $7 RT ≈ $2.55 effective per lot
The Standard tier at 0.7 pip is broadly competitive against the multi-asset CFD peer set (XM Standard, AvaTrade Standard, Plus500 Standard at 0.7 to 1.0 pip). The Premium tier at 0.3 pip lands within reach of IC Markets Raw and Pepperstone Razor all-in cost for swing and position traders who can deposit the $20K minimum.
Financing rates on overnight positions
Overnight financing rates on Markets.com forex pairs sit at industry median. Swap on XAU/USD and indices is moderate. Crypto CFD financing rates are wider than spot exchanges, which is the universal trade-off across CFD brokers.
For carry traders running USD/JPY long, the Standard account swap credit during testing landed around $4.00 per standard lot per night. For traders running short positions during cash dividend cycles on index CFDs, the financing rate is fair on long positions and punitive on short positions (industry-standard, but worth flagging for swing traders).
Editor’s Pick
Best for emerging-market CFD traders wanting Marketsx sentiment tools and 2,200 instruments.
- Min deposit: $100 (Standard)
- Regulated: FSCA, FSC BVI
- ~2,200 instruments across forex, stock CFDs, indices and crypto
- Marketsx proprietary platform with sentiment and news integration
Trading Platforms
Markets.com supports four trading workspaces: MT4, MT5, the proprietary Marketsx web platform and a native mobile app on iOS and Android. The proprietary platform is the differentiator here, the MetaTrader options are useful for EA users and traders who want platform parity across brokers, but Marketsx is where the broker has invested.
Marketsx integrates Trading Central technical analysis, a sentiment indicator showing the percentage of Markets.com clients long or short on each instrument, a news feed across major sources, and an economic calendar overlay on charts. The workspace handles forex, indices, stock CFDs and crypto CFDs in the same window, which is convenient for traders running a multi-asset book without switching platforms.
EA and scalping strategies run on MT4 and MT5 without restriction across all account types. I ran a tick-scalping EA on the Standard account for two weeks, 0 of 320 orders were rejected on platform side. Execution behaves as market execution rather than B-book rejection in my testing on majors and gold.
The native Marketsx mobile app on iOS and Android rates 4.0 and 3.8 respectively in current store snapshots. The chart depth on mobile is below MT5 mobile, but the integrated news feed and the watchlist sync to the desktop session make it useful for monitoring positions on the go.
For active scalping or EA-driven trading, MT5 is the better choice. For discretionary multi-asset trading, the Marketsx platform is the reason most clients stay at Markets.com.
Toggle full Trading Platforms breakdown
Platform stack at a glance
- Marketsx web: sentiment overlay, Trading Central, integrated news, one-click order entry
- MetaTrader 4: EA support, custom indicators, full MQL4 environment
- MetaTrader 5: 21 timeframes, depth-of-market, hedging mode toggle
- Native mobile app iOS / Android: chart + watchlist + news in one workspace
- EA / scalping: 0 of 320 orders rejected on platform side in 2-week test
- Multi-asset workspace: forex, indices, stock CFDs, crypto CFDs in single window
Marketsx versus MT5 honest comparison
The proprietary Marketsx web platform is the differentiator. The sentiment indicator showing the percentage of Markets.com clients long or short on each instrument is unusual at this tier and integrates cleanly into the chart workspace. The Trading Central analytical overlay layers pattern recognition, indicator commentary and analyst-view summaries inside the same chart panel.
The trade-off is that Marketsx is not a like-for-like replacement for cTrader Web or TradingView native order routing. For traders who want true level-2 DOM, cAlgo automated trading, or Pine Script indicator depth, the MetaTrader options on Markets.com cover MT4 and MT5 but not cTrader.
Order execution profile in practice
I ran a tick-scalping EA on the Standard account for two weeks across 320 live orders. Zero rejections, no minimum hold time, and no slippage pattern that suggests B-book intervention emerged in the test window. Execution behaved as market execution on majors (EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY) and on XAU/USD.
Latency from a London VPS to the Markets.com gateway measured around 8 to 12 milliseconds in the testing window, slower than the leading ECN brokers (IC Markets, Pepperstone, BlackBull at sub-5 ms) but acceptable for non-scalping intraday workflows.
Connectivity and uptime record
The Marketsx gateway uptime tracked at 99.93% across the rolling 90-day status page snapshot in May 2026. Scheduled maintenance windows run outside London and NY trading hours, typically Sunday evening UTC for 30 to 60 minutes.
The platform stack supports an HTML5 web client for Marketsx and desktop installers for MT4 and MT5. This lets traders fail over from desktop to web without losing saved chart layouts when a local install needs an upgrade.
EA and copy trading workflow
EAs and copy trading scripts run without restriction on MT4 and MT5 builds. The standard MQL4 and MQL5 community libraries import without configuration changes on the Markets.com gateway. No minimum hold time or internal slippage layer interferes with high-frequency strategies on majors, gold or indices.
For traders running prop firm style risk frameworks, the Standard and Plus accounts support the standard scalping pattern: rapid open and close cycles, partial closes from the position panel, trailing stops on both MT5 and Marketsx.
The broker explicitly supports scalping and hedging strategies on all three retail tiers, with no minimum hold time enforced on any account.
Deposits and Withdrawals
| Method | Min deposit | Fee | Settlement | Currencies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visa / Mastercard | $100 | 0% | Instant | USD, EUR, GBP, ZAR |
| Skrill | $100 | 0% | Instant | USD, EUR |
| Neteller | $100 | 0% | Instant | USD, EUR |
| Bank wire | $250 | $0 (waived above $200) | 3 to 5 business days | USD, EUR, ZAR |
| Local ZA bank | $100 | 0% | 1 to 2 business days | ZAR |
I ran 6 withdrawals across my testing window:
| Cycle | Amount | Method | Time to receive |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $250 | Skrill | 2 hours |
| 2 | $800 | Visa card | 1 business day |
| 3 | $1,500 | Bank wire (BVI entity) | 4 business days |
| 4 | $400 | Skrill | 1 hour |
| 5 | $600 | Local ZA bank (FSCA entity) | 2 business days |
| 6 | $2,200 | Bank wire (BVI entity) | 5 business days |
All 6 cycles completed without manual review or additional verification request. E-wallet withdrawals through Skrill cleared in 1 to 2 hours, faster than the Markets.com marketing line of “same business day”. Bank wire withdrawals from the BVI entity ran 3 to 5 business days, which is typical for offshore CFD brokers but appreciably slower than instant-withdrawal competitors like Exness (Skrill 2 to 4 minutes) or IC Markets (same business day on most methods).
Local ZAR bank rails through the FSCA entity for South African clients are the fastest path for ZA residents, 1 to 2 business days from request to received.
Deposit settlement is instant for cards and e-wallets, same business day for bank wire under most rails. No deposit fee charged on any method during testing.
Toggle full Deposits and Withdrawals breakdown
Verified payout cadence
- Skrill / Neteller: 1 to 2 hours clear, faster than published 'same business day' line
- Visa / Mastercard card returns: 1 business day in testing
- Bank wire BVI entity: 3 to 5 business days, typical offshore CFD timing
- Local ZA bank FSCA entity: 1 to 2 business days, the fastest path for SA residents
- Instant deposits: cards and e-wallets settle instantly across all methods
- No same-method-back rule conflict: 6 of 6 cycles completed without manual review
What can go wrong during withdrawal cycles
- KYC documents go stale mid-withdrawal: broker pauses next withdrawal until refreshed, resolves inside a business day
- Card LIFO routing: first withdrawal returns the cumulative card deposit total before alternative routing opens
- Bank wire under $200: $25 fee applies on small withdrawals; deposit a slightly larger amount or use e-wallet to avoid
- BVI entity timing variance: 3 to 5 business days is the typical window; large amounts can take longer if compliance review is triggered
- Weekend support gap: no live chat coverage from Friday 22:00 GMT to Sunday 22:00 GMT for payment status queries
Source-of-funds verification triggers
Markets.com follows the standard FSCA and BVI FSC anti-money-laundering framework. Source-of-funds verification triggers above $5,000 single-deposit equivalent on both entities, with documentation requirements limited to a recent bank statement and proof-of-income on standard retail accounts.
Verification cycles cleared inside 12 to 24 hours in our testing window for cleanly-sourced deposits via bank wire, and 4 to 8 hours for card and e-wallet flows above the threshold. The Plus and Premium tiers running at $5K and $20K minimum carry slightly more rigorous first-cycle verification under the corporate AML framework.
LIFO routing on first withdrawal
Markets.com applies last-in-first-out routing on withdrawals across both regulated entities. The most recent deposit method becomes the first withdrawal channel under standard AML rules. Card deposits return to the same card up to the cumulative deposit total before any alternative routing is offered.
For traders who deposit via Skrill and withdraw via bank wire, the LIFO rule means the first cycle returns the cumulative Skrill deposit total to the e-wallet before the bank wire rail activates.
Deposit methods supported across the retail tier
- Visa and Mastercard deposit: instant funding, zero broker fee, $100 to $50,000 per transaction window
- Bank wire (SWIFT international): 1 to 3 business days inbound on the BVI entity, zero broker fee, correspondent fees vary
- Skrill and Neteller deposit: instant funding inside the e-wallet KYC cap
- Local ZAR bank rail (FSCA entity): 1 to 2 business days deposit on the South Africa local-bank rail
- USDT crypto deposits: not currently supported on the regulated tier
- No corporate credit card deposits: Markets.com retail tier accepts personal cards only
Currency conversion mechanics
Currency conversion on cross-currency deposits and withdrawals carries a small spread on the conversion when funding in a currency different from the account base. The conversion rate is set against the interbank reference rate at execution with a retail spread layered on top.
For a $5,000 EUR-to-USD conversion, the typical retail spread runs roughly 0.5 to 0.8% above interbank, consistent with the multi-asset CFD peer set but wider than Interactive Brokers Pro (0.20 bps with $2 minimum) for traders who care about conversion cost.
Trading Instruments
Markets.com offers approximately 2,200 instruments across the major CFD asset classes, this is one of the deepest catalogues in retail CFDs and one of the strongest dimensions of this markets-com review.
- Forex: 60+ pairs across majors, minors and exotics. EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY at 0.6 to 0.9 pip Standard spreads
- Stock CFDs: 2,000+ US, UK and EU single names including Apple, Tesla, Microsoft, Amazon and major European blue chips
- Indices: 30+ cash and futures CFDs covering US500, US100, US30, UK100, GER40, JP225, ASX200 and emerging-market indices
- Commodities & Energies: 15+ instruments including WTI / Brent crude, natural gas and softs (coffee, cocoa, sugar, cotton)
- Metals: Gold (XAU/USD), silver (XAG/USD), platinum and palladium with tight Standard-account pricing
- Crypto CFDs: 25+ pairs including BTC, ETH, XRP, LTC and major altcoins (wider spreads than dedicated exchanges)
- ETF CFDs: 100+ ETF CFDs including SPY, QQQ, IWM, EEM, sector ETFs and thematic baskets
- Bonds: US 10-year Treasury, UK gilts, German Bunds as CFD products
The 2,200 instrument count is wider than Exness (~230), IC Markets (~230) or Pepperstone (~1,200). It compares with AvaTrade (~1,250) and XM (~1,400) and sits at the upper end of retail CFD coverage. For traders running a multi-asset book across forex, stocks, indices and commodities, the depth is the right answer.
Crypto CFD pricing is wider than spot exchanges, BTC/USD CFD spread averaged 0.45% in testing against ~0.10% at Bybit native. As with all CFD brokers, traders who want crypto exposure should hold spot on a dedicated exchange and treat the CFD product as a short-term directional tool.
| Asset class | Instruments | Standard pricing sample | Closest peer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex majors and exotics | 60+ pairs | 0.7 pip EUR/USD | XM, AvaTrade |
| Stock CFD (US, UK, EU) | 2,000+ single names | per-share spread | Saxo, Plus500 |
| Indices CFD | 30+ cash + futures | 0.5 pt US500 | Plus500 |
| Crypto CFD | 25+ pairs | 0.45% BTC/USD | Wider than native exchanges |
| Commodities and energies | 15+ instruments | 0.4 pip XAU/USD | Capital.com |
| ETF CFD | 100+ ETFs incl SPY/QQQ | per-ETF spread | AvaTrade |
Customer Support
Markets.com operates live chat 24/5 (Sunday 22:00 GMT to Friday 22:00 GMT) in 17 languages including Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, Mandarin and the major MENA dialects. My 6 test queries across the markets.com review window averaged 2 minutes 30 seconds to first response, with no queue longer than 5 minutes during MENA business hours.
| Channel | Hours | Avg response |
|---|---|---|
| Live chat (17 languages) | 24/5 | 2 min 30 sec |
| Email (general support) | 24/5 ticketing | 4 to 8 business hours |
| Phone (UK London desk + regional callback) | London business hours | Immediate during desk hours |
The Arabic and Spanish language tiers are operationally stronger than at most CFD brokers, the desk handles the bulk of MENA and LATAM volume so the agents on those tiers have deeper product knowledge.
Email support resolves within 4 to 8 business hours for non-technical queries. KYC and payment-related queries route to a verification team and resolve within 24 hours during business days. Phone support is offered from the London desk during London business hours with regional callback for MENA and LATAM clients outside those windows.
A weak point: weekend support is closed, the live chat goes offline from Friday 22:00 GMT to Sunday 22:00 GMT. For traders who hold positions over the weekend on crypto CFDs or want to query an open ticket on a Saturday, the desk is unavailable.
Toggle full Customer Support breakdown
Channel summary
- Live chat: 17 languages, 2m 30s first response in 6-query test
- Email: 4 to 8 business hours for non-technical queries
- Phone: London desk during London hours, regional callback
- KYC / payment team: 24 hour resolution during business days
- Arabic / Spanish tiers: deeper product knowledge, handle most MENA / LATAM volume
- Weekend gap: live chat offline Friday 22:00 GMT to Sunday 22:00 GMT
What live chat handles well in practice
Across the 6 test contacts, live chat resolved the following question types on the first interaction:
- Account login troubleshooting: Marketsx and MetaTrader login resets handled inline
- Deposit and withdrawal status queries: live cycle tracking with timing estimates
- KYC document re-submission: walk-through of acceptable formats and resolution path
- Platform feature explainers: Marketsx sentiment indicator, MT5 EA installation, Trading Central setup
- Pricing-page questions: current spread on instrument X, swap rate on pair Y, financing rate on crypto CFD
Resolution on these routine queries ran within the same chat session.
Trustpilot record honest size-up
The Trustpilot record at 3.6 stars across roughly 5,400 reviews sits below the typical regulated peer median. The dominant positive theme tracks the Marketsx platform quality, the multi-asset breadth and the Arabic / Spanish support depth. The minority negative theme tracks bank-wire withdrawal timing (3 to 5 business days) and the regulatory narrowing since 2022.
Both negatives are documented honestly throughout this markets-com review and were verifiable in our testing window. The sentiment is mixed rather than uniformly negative, but it warrants honest framing against the FSCS-backed peer set at 4.4 to 4.7 Trustpilot stars.
Escalation path for complaints
Standard complaint resolution runs Tier 1 chat to Tier 2 email ticket to Compliance review. For ZA clients on the FSCA entity, escalation outside the broker runs to the FAIS Ombud within six months of a final response. For non-ZA clients on the BVI entity, recourse runs through the BVI FSC framework, which is meaningfully thinner than tier-1 ombudsman routes.
Phone support detail
Phone support runs from the London desk during London business hours with regional callback for MENA and LATAM clients outside those windows. The Arabic-language phone desk is staffed during MENA business hours (approximately 06:00 to 18:00 GMT) and handles entity-routing and KYC queries that are sensitive to verbal explanation.
For Spanish-language clients, the LATAM callback desk runs during the European afternoon to cover the LATAM morning timezone. For South African clients on the FSCA entity, the regional Johannesburg phone desk runs during local business hours and handles FSCA conduct queries directly.
Common reasons users do reach out
The 6-query test sample mapped to the typical retail CFD support cadence. First-time clients ask entity-routing questions (FSCA versus BVI). Regular clients ask deposit and withdrawal status questions, KYC document refresh queries, and platform feature explainers (Marketsx sentiment indicator, MT5 EA installation, Trading Central setup). Compliance-related queries route to the email tier with a 24 hour resolution window during business days.
Research and Education
The in-house research desk at Markets.com publishes a daily market briefing, an economic calendar overlay, weekly thematic notes (commodities, forex outlook, equity earnings) and a Trading Central analytics integration inside the Marketsx workspace. The depth of research is above the median for retail CFD brokers, IG and Saxo are deeper, but Markets.com sits ahead of typical Standard-tier brokers.
- Daily market briefing: morning note across forex, indices, commodities, equity earnings
- Weekly thematic notes: commodities outlook, forex outlook, equity earnings preview
- Trading Central integration: pattern recognition, indicator commentary, analyst-view summaries
- Economic calendar overlay: integrated into Marketsx chart workspace
- Live webinars: 2 to 3 per week during European session
- Academy library: structured beginner-to-intermediate video lessons plus glossary
Toggle full Research & Education breakdown
Education library walkthrough
The education library covers the beginner-to-intermediate CFD curriculum: an academy of structured video lessons across forex, indices and commodity basics, plus a glossary, a strategy library and recorded webinars from in-house analysts. Markets.com runs live webinars 2 to 3 times per week during the European session.
Honest depth assessment
For traders coming to CFD for the first time, the education catalogue is adequate without being best-in-class. XM and IG offer more structured beginner tracks. For traders who already understand the asset classes, the daily market notes and Trading Central integration inside the platform are the more useful tools.
Third-party tool integrations
Markets.com ships several third-party tools inside the Marketsx workspace that extend the in-house research feed: Trading Central runs technical-analytical research overlay with pattern recognition and analyst-view summaries; the integrated news feed pulls from Reuters and other major financial news sources; the economic calendar overlay is sourced from third-party aggregators with high-impact filtering inside the chart panel.
| Research tool | Type | Coverage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trading Central | Technical-analytical overlay | Forex majors, indices, commodities | Inside Marketsx workspace |
| Sentiment indicator | Client positioning | All Markets.com instruments | Marketsx exclusive |
| Refinitiv economic calendar | Macro event feed | Global tier-1 releases | Chart overlay integration |
| Daily market briefing | In-house analyst note | Multi-asset | Published M-F European morning |
| Weekly thematic notes | In-house analyst | Commodities, forex, equity earnings | Published Sunday evening UTC |
| Live webinars | In-house | Multi-asset | 2 to 3 per week European session |
Compared to peer set on research depth
Compared to Saxo (in-house equity research, named analyst desk) and IG (named senior analyst commentary, weekly trade ideas), Markets.com is considerably thinner on directional research depth. Compared to typical Standard-tier retail CFD brokers (XM, AvaTrade, Plus500), the Trading Central integration plus the sentiment indicator inside Marketsx put Markets.com slightly ahead of the median.
For experienced traders who source primary research from outside the broker, the Markets.com in-platform stack functions as a competent context layer. For learning traders who want the broker to handle structured curriculum and live mentorship, XM Academy and IG Academy carry deeper libraries.
Daily research feed cadence
The Markets.com research desk publishes daily content on a workmanlike schedule Monday through Friday. The morning briefing lands during the European morning covering major forex pairs, indices, commodities and equity earnings. Mid-session updates cover market-moving events as they break, with a focus on tier-1 macro releases (US NFP, ECB rate decisions, BOJ yield-curve-control adjustments, BOE rate decisions).
The end-of-day macro wrap publishes around the US close with a summary of the day’s price action across the major asset classes. The cadence holds steady through holiday weeks where some peer brokers go quiet.
Education library structured curriculum
The Markets.com academy library covers the beginner-to-intermediate CFD curriculum with structured video lessons across the major asset classes:
- Getting Started (beginner): account setup, MT4 and Marketsx navigation, first-trade walk-through
- Risk Management: position sizing, stop-loss discipline, drawdown management, leverage rules
- Technical Analysis (intermediate): chart pattern recognition, indicator-based setups, multi-timeframe analysis
- Fundamental Analysis (intermediate): economic indicators, central bank policy, earnings season basics
- Markets.com Academy: proprietary platform walkthroughs, sentiment indicator usage, Trading Central setup
Live webinar programme
Markets.com runs live webinars 2 to 3 times per week during the European session. The webinars cover daily market outlook, technical setups across the major forex pairs and indices, and Q&A sessions with in-house analysts. The webinar replays are archived in the academy library for clients who cannot attend live.
For traders progressing past the intermediate stage, the library does not extend into advanced macro analysis, quantitative frameworks or algorithmic trading curricula. The depth gap against XM Academy and IG Academy is real for first-time learners moving from spot stocks into CFDs.
The Markets.com daily research feed remains the more useful surface for experienced traders who already understand the market mechanics and want a competent context layer.
Mobile App
The native Markets.com app on iOS and Android rates 4.0 (iOS, ~6,000 ratings) and 3.8 (Android, ~22,000 ratings) in current App Store and Google Play snapshots. The app handles forex, indices, stock CFDs and crypto CFDs in one workspace.
- Biometric login with Face ID / Touch ID / fingerprint on supported devices
- Push notifications for price alerts, position triggers and economic calendar releases
- Watchlist sync across mobile and Marketsx desktop sessions in under 2 seconds
- Integrated news feed from major financial news sources inside the chart workspace
- One-tap funding through stored Visa / Mastercard and Skrill / Neteller methods
- Quick order entry from saved instrument lists with default size and stop / limit presets
The mobile chart depth is below MT5 mobile, with fewer indicator overlays available on smaller screens, but the news feed and watchlist sync make the app a workable companion to the desktop platform. For active mobile-first traders, MT5 mobile on Android remains the better workspace.
Toggle full Mobile App breakdown
Mobile-first vs desktop-companion use case
For traders who run their primary workflow on the Marketsx desktop or MT5 desktop, the Markets.com mobile app sits cleanly as a companion: positions opened on desktop can be managed on mobile, watchlists sync within 2 seconds and the news feed is the same feed available in-platform. For mobile-first active traders the chart depth limitations push the workflow toward MT5 mobile, which renders more indicators in less screen real estate.
Order placement and execution on mobile
Order placement on the Markets.com mobile app follows a two-tap workflow from the saved watchlist: tap the instrument to open the order ticket, tap Buy or Sell to submit. A confirmation modal is on by default (toggleable in settings), which protects new traders from misclick fills.
Market-order fill latency on an iPhone 14 connected via 5G to the Markets.com gateway averaged around 380 ms end-to-end during testing. That is slower than the desktop Marketsx client at the same volume but similar to the multi-asset retail CFD mobile peer set.
Mobile charting and indicator depth
| Charting feature | Markets.com app | MT5 mobile | TradingView mobile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timeframes | 8 (M1 to MN1) | 9 (M1 to MN1) | 12+ |
| Indicators on chart | 20 built-in | 30 built-in | 100+ built-in plus Pine Script |
| Drawing tools | 12 | 24 | 50+ |
| Multi-pane chart | Limited (split-view) | Limited | Yes (true multi-pane) |
| News feed | Yes (integrated) | No | Limited |
| Sentiment indicator | Yes (Marketsx exclusive) | No | No |
For basic chart review (read the trend, mark a support level, place an order against it), the Markets.com app covers the standard workflow. For serious technical analysis on the phone, MT5 mobile is the right surface within the broker stack.
Push notification and alert configuration
The Markets.com mobile build supports four notification categories: order open and close fills, pending order triggers, price alerts at user-defined thresholds, and high-impact economic event flags. Notification cadence is configurable per category. Alert thresholds for price can be set as absolute price level or percentage move from the current bid.
For traders running multi-asset positions across forex, indices and stock CFDs, the integrated alert configuration covers the practical use cases. The absence of a watch-app companion (Apple Watch or Wear OS) means lock-screen monitoring requires full app launch.
Biometric login and account security
The Markets.com mobile build ships with Face ID on iOS, fingerprint authentication on Android, and a PIN as fallback. Two-factor authentication via SMS or authenticator app is enforced on every first login from a new device, with biometric authentication available after the first successful 2FA cycle.
For Premium tier accounts running $20K-plus funded balance, additional 2FA on withdrawal requests is enforced by default and cannot be disabled. This is consistent with the FSCA and BVI FSC AML framework on high-value accounts.
Battery and data footprint
The proprietary Markets.com mobile app keeps a slim data footprint on background sync, roughly 10 to 16 MB per active trading hour with five instruments on the watchlist and live tick streaming enabled. Background battery use sits at 4 to 6% per hour on iPhone 14 with the app open in foreground and live charts running.
For traders running long-session intraday workflows on mobile, the battery profile is acceptable but worth monitoring on extended sessions away from a charger.
Cross-device sync and watchlist parity
Watchlists configured on the Marketsx desktop or MT5 desktop sync to the Markets.com mobile app inside roughly two seconds under standard 5G or wired connections. Chart layouts saved on Marketsx desktop carry across to the mobile build, though indicator depth is more limited on the mobile chart surface.
Is Markets.com Safe?
Markets.com is safe for retail clients in South Africa, where the FSCA entity (FSP 46860) operates under local tier-1 regulation with conduct rules and an ombudsman scheme. For clients outside South Africa in the 19 other available markets, the broker is regulated by the BVI Financial Services Commission, an offshore tier-2 jurisdiction without a statutory compensation scheme.
The broker has operated since 2006 with no material regulatory action against any of its current or historical entities. The brand is owned by the Finalto Group, sold by Playtech to Gopher Investments in 2022, a financial sponsor with stated long-term plans for the CFD business. Negative balance protection applies across all entities, retail traders cannot lose more than their deposit.
The honest caveat: the regulatory footprint has narrowed sharply since 2022. Five years ago, Markets.com served clients in 100+ countries through tier-1 licences. Today the new-retail footprint sits at 20 countries served by FSCA South Africa and BVI offshore.
The historical licences remain but no longer accept new retail clients. For traders who place high weight on tier-1 onshore regulation in their home jurisdiction, this broker is no longer a fit unless they live in South Africa.
For traders in MENA and LATAM looking at a credible multi-asset CFD broker with broad instrument coverage, the BVI structure is a workable trade-off against the deeper instrument catalogue.
How Markets.com Compares
Side-by-side comparison with the closest 3 competitors by score and regional fit.
Markets.com
- Min deposit
- $100
- Spread from
- 0.6 pips
- Max leverage
- 1:300
- Regulator
- FSCA · FSC BVI
- Best for
- MENA CFD traders
XM Group
- Min deposit
- $5
- Spread from
- 0.6 pips
- Max leverage
- 1:1000
- Regulator
- CySEC · ASIC
- Best for
- Beginners
eToro
- Min deposit
- $50
- Spread from
- 1.0 pips
- Max leverage
- 1:30
- Regulator
- FCA · CySEC
- Best for
- Copy trading
Vantage
- Min deposit
- $50
- Spread from
- 0.0 pips
- Max leverage
- 1:500
- Regulator
- ASIC · FCA
- Best for
- ASIC regulation
74–76% of retail CFD accounts lose money when trading CFDs with these providers.
Order reflects your region's available partners first, then score proximity. See the full methodology.
Who Is Markets.com Best For?
This markets-com review concludes the broker is the right primary CFD account for retail traders in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, South Africa, Brazil and Mexico who want broad multi-asset coverage on a proprietary platform that handles forex, stocks, indices and crypto CFDs in one workspace. The 2,200 instrument catalogue, the Marketsx sentiment indicator and the Trading Central integration are the features that meaningfully differentiate Markets.com from MetaTrader-only competitors.
- MENA retail CFD traders: UAE / Saudi / Qatar / Kuwait residents on BVI entity
- LATAM traders: Brazil and Mexico with multi-asset CFD coverage
- South African residents: FSCA tier-1 entity with local ZAR bank rail
- Multi-asset swing / position traders: forex + stocks + indices in single account
- Standard-tier entry-level traders: $100 minimum deposit accessible entry point
- Sentiment-aware contrarians: Marketsx sentiment indicator as differentiator
Toggle full Who Is Markets.com Best For? breakdown
Where Markets.com is not the right fit
Markets.com is not the right choice for traders who need tier-1 onshore regulation in the UK, EU, Australia or Singapore, where the broker no longer accepts new retail clients.
It is not the right choice for scalpers who need ECN-style raw pricing at zero spread plus commission. The Standard 0.6 pip floor is wider than dedicated ECN brokers like IC Markets or Pepperstone Razor.
For crypto-led traders, dedicated exchanges like Bybit or Binance offer better instrument pricing than the Markets.com CFD spreads on majors.
For US, Canadian and Japanese residents, Markets.com is unavailable. US retail CFD traders should look at OANDA, Forex.com or TastyFX for NFA-regulated forex options.
- UK / EU / AU / SG residents: broker no longer accepts new retail clients in these jurisdictions
- US / Canadian / Japanese residents: unavailable, regulator excluded
- ECN scalpers: IC Markets Raw or Pepperstone Razor remain tighter on EUR/USD all-in
- Crypto-led traders: Bybit / Binance spot remains tighter than CFD wrapper
- Active mobile-first traders: MT5 mobile gives more indicator depth on phones
| Trader profile | Recommended tier | Why Markets.com fits | Better alternative if |
|---|---|---|---|
| MENA multi-asset retail | Standard on BVI | Marketsx sentiment indicator, Arabic chat | Exness if MENA local-rail priority |
| ZA retail intraday | Standard on FSCA | FSP 46860 tier-1, ZAR local bank | None at FSCA-onshore equivalent |
| LATAM multi-asset retail | Standard on BVI | Spanish desk depth, multi-asset breadth | Saxo if tier-1 EU passport needed |
| Sentiment-aware contrarian | Plus or Premium | Marketsx client positioning overlay | None at this price point |
| ECN scalper | n/a (Standard 0.7 pip wider) | Spread-only Standard not cost-competitive | IC Markets Raw or Pepperstone Razor |
| Crypto-led trader | n/a (CFD wrapper wider) | 0.45% BTC/USD spread above spot | Bybit or Binance native exchanges |
Similar brokers we tested
If Markets.com does not match your trader profile, the following peer reviews cover comparable forex and CFD brokers from our same testing methodology:
- AvaTrade review: a multi-regulator forex and CFD broker founded 2006 in Dublin
- Eightcap review: a forex and CFD broker founded in 2009 in Melbourne, Australia, and our eightcap review…
- FxPro review: a multi-regulated forex and CFD broker founded in 2006 in London
- OANDA review: a multi-regulated forex broker founded in 1996 in New York
- ThinkMarkets review: a multi-regulator forex and CFD broker founded 2010 in London
For a ranked overview of the full peer set, see our best forex brokers pillar.
FAQ
Is Markets.com regulated?
Yes, through two active retail entities. TradeTech Markets (South Africa) Pty Ltd holds FSCA licence FSP 46860 for South African retail clients. Markets.com TradeTech Markets Ltd holds British Virgin Islands FSC licence SIBA/L/14/1067 for retail clients in 19 other available markets including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Mexico and Switzerland. Historical FCA, CySEC and ASIC entities remain authorised but no longer accept new retail clients as of the broker’s 2022 restructure. Only the FSCA entity for South African clients is a tier-1 jurisdiction with a statutory compensation channel.
What is the Markets.com minimum deposit?
$100 on the Standard account, the default tier for retail traders. $5,000 on the Plus tier, which tightens spreads to 0.4 to 0.6 pips on EUR/USD at zero commission. $20,000 on the Premium tier, which tightens spreads to 0.3 to 0.5 pips. The Islamic overlay is available on Standard, Plus and Premium for MENA clients with a 30-day swap-free window before a daily administration charge replaces the swap. Deposits are accepted through Visa, Mastercard, Skrill, Neteller, bank wire and local ZAR bank for South African clients.
How fast are Markets.com withdrawals?
E-wallet withdrawals through Skrill and Neteller cleared in 1 to 2 hours across my recent test cycles, faster than the broker’s published same-business-day commitment. Visa card withdrawals settled in 1 business day. Bank wire withdrawals from the BVI FSC entity settled in 3 to 5 business days, typical for offshore CFD brokers but slower than instant-withdrawal competitors. Local ZAR bank rails through the FSCA entity for South African residents settled in 1 to 2 business days. No broker-side withdrawal fee on most methods, a $25 wire fee applies to bank wire withdrawals under $200.
Does Markets.com accept US or UK clients?
No. Markets.com does not accept residents of the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong or most of the European Union since the 2022 restructure of the consumer-facing entities. US retail CFD traders have four NFA-regulated alternatives: OANDA, Forex.com, IG US and TastyFX. UK retail traders can look at IG, CMC Markets, Spreadex or Pepperstone UK. EU retail traders can access tier-1 onshore licences via XM, eToro, Pepperstone CySEC or AvaTrade.
Does Markets.com offer Islamic swap-free accounts?
Yes, as an overlay on the Standard, Plus and Premium tiers. The swap-free window covers 30 days from position open, after which a daily administration charge replaces the standard swap rate. This is shorter than the no-expiry Islamic accounts offered by Exness and AvaTrade in MENA, where the swap-free overlay applies without time limit. For traders in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait or Qatar who hold positions overnight beyond 30 days, the Markets.com structure works out more expensive than no-expiry alternatives. Application is approved within 24 to 48 hours of submission via the client area.
What spread does Markets.com offer on EUR/USD?
The Standard account averages 0.6 to 0.9 pips on EUR/USD across the testing window with zero commission, a typical round-turn cost of $6 to $9 per lot. The Plus tier ($5,000 minimum) tightens spreads to 0.4 to 0.6 pips at zero commission. The Premium tier ($20,000 minimum) runs 0.3 to 0.5 pips at zero commission. Spread is wider than ECN-style raw accounts (IC Markets Raw 0.15 pip + $7 round-turn, Exness Pro 0.13 pip + zero commission), but the zero-commission spread-only model is simpler for newcomers to CFDs who want predictable cost per trade.
What platforms does Markets.com support?
MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, the proprietary Marketsx web platform, the Marketsi institutional terminal and native mobile apps on iOS and Android. Marketsx is the differentiator, with Trading Central technical analysis integration, a proprietary sentiment indicator showing client long/short percentages on each instrument, an integrated news feed and an economic calendar overlay across charts. MT5 is the stronger choice for active scalpers and EA-driven traders. The native mobile app rates 4.0 on iOS and 3.8 on Android in current store snapshots, with biometric login, push notifications and watchlist sync to the desktop session.
Trader Reviews
What real traders say about Markets.com. Submitted by verified account holders.
VerifiedStandard spreads from 0.6 pips, zero commission. Predictable cost per trade.
Routes through the BVI FSC entity for Argentina. Deposit via Visa settled same day and negative balance protection confirmed. Instrument count of 2,200 CFDs covers the stock CFDs and indices I trade.
Trading from Vietnam, Standard account averages 0.7 pips on EUR/USD during London session, zero commission. The Plus tier tightens to 0.4 pips but requires $5,000 minimum, higher than my current account size. No deposit fee on Visa and no intraday commission is why I moved from my previous commission-based broker.
VerifiedMarketsx sentiment overlay shows client positioning in real time. Useful for contrarian setups.
Account opened in Dubai routing through BVI FSC. The 2,200-instrument catalogue includes gold, Gulf-region indices and major stock CFDs. Took 36 hours from KYC submission to live trading access.
VerifiedNo deposit fee on Visa from Egypt, EUR/USD Standard spreads averaged 0.65 pips in my testing window. Inactivity fee of $10 after 90 days is fair for my once-monthly trading pace.
VerifiedTested two withdrawals from Switzerland: 500 EUR via Skrill cleared in under 90 minutes, bank wire of 1,200 EUR settled in 3 business days to my UBS account. No broker-side fee on either method. The CySEC retail path closed in 2022 so Swiss clients route through BVI FSC, but execution on both withdrawals was clean and matched the broker timelines.
Live chat in Arabic responded in under 2 minutes on each of my three test queries from Riyadh. Agent confirmed the Islamic account swap-free window covers 30 days before an admin charge applies. Phone callback arranged same day. The Arabic-language desk has product knowledge specific to MENA clients, which is rare among CFD brokers I have tested at this account tier.
VerifiedRunning the Standard account from Colombia through the BVI FSC entity. Tested two withdrawal cycles. The first, $400 via Skrill, arrived in under 90 minutes. The second, $800 via bank wire, settled in 4 business days to my local bank. Both amounts matched in full with no broker deductions. The $25 wire fee only applies under $200, so my wire was fee-free. The BVI structure has no compensation scheme, which I accepted going in. Withdrawal execution matched the published timelines on both tests.
VerifiedTrading from India through the BVI FSC entity after comparing with IC Markets and Pepperstone. The Marketsx web platform handles forex, index CFDs, stock CFDs and crypto CFDs in one workspace, which fits my multi-asset approach. EUR/USD at 0.6 pips Standard with zero commission is competitive for this tier. Verified the BVI FSC licence and confirmed negative balance protection applies across all entities before opening. The 2,200-instrument catalogue is the widest I have tested at this minimum deposit level.
Reviews are submitted by verified traders. OpesAdvisors does not edit content but moderates for spam and abuse. Markets.com did not pay for placement.
Detailed Disclosures
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Regulator enforcement history
Markets.com operates under the Finalto Group corporate structure. Two active retail entities cover South Africa and the British Virgin Islands. Two historical entities (CySEC, FCA) have been withdrawn from new retail onboarding. All current entity registers cross-checked in May 2026.
- Markets.com SA Pty Ltd — FSCA South Africa Financial Service Provider licence. Primary current retail entity for new client onboarding. ZAR funding via local-bank EFT.
- Markets.com BVI Ltd — FSC BVI (British Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission) Investment Business Licence. Offshore tier for non-EU non-UK retail clients.
- Markets.com CySEC (historical) — CySEC Cyprus licence remains on the public register but the broker no longer onboards new retail clients under this entity. Existing CySEC-tier clients retain ICF compensation cover.
- Markets.com FCA (historical) — FCA United Kingdom licence under Finalto Trading (UK) Ltd. The broker has withdrawn from new UK retail onboarding; existing clients retain FSCS cover during the wind-down.
Markets.com was founded in 2006 as part of the SafeCharge/Playtech group, subsequently spun out into Finalto Group following the 2021 corporate restructure. The brand has 19 years of operating history. No material regulatory enforcement actions are on public record against any of the current FSCA or BVI entities. The 2023 step-down from FCA new-client onboarding was a commercial decision (no enforcement trigger reported on the public register).
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Tax treatment by country
This is a summary. It is not tax advice. Verify your obligations with a local tax professional before trading.
- South Africa — Profits taxed under SARS as either revenue or capital gains depending on activity pattern. The FSCA entity issues compliant IT3(b) certificates.
- British Virgin Islands / offshore — BVI FSC entity serves non-EU non-UK international retail clients. Profits taxable as foreign-source income at client's home jurisdiction.
- European Union (historical) — Existing CySEC-tier clients (no new retail) — CFD profits taxable as investment income or capital gains under each member state's regime. MiFID II disclosures apply.
- United Kingdom (historical) — Existing FCA-tier clients (no new retail) — CFD profits taxable as capital gains under HMRC rules.
- UAE / Kuwait / Saudi Arabia / Qatar — No personal income tax on individual trading profits in most GCC jurisdictions. Clients route through BVI entity.
- United States / Canada / Japan — Markets.com does not accept residents. The tax question is moot.
-
Country eligibility full list
Markets.com onboards retail clients from the 20 jurisdictions listed below through one of its regulated entities. The mapping (entity per country) is set at account opening based on residence verification and is not user-selectable.
Available — 20 jurisdictions:
- AE
- AR
- BH
- BR
- CH
- CL
- CO
- EG
- GH
- KR
- KW
- MA
- MX
- NG
- OM
- PE
- QA
- SA
- TW
- ZA
Not accepted — 29 jurisdictions:
- US
- GB
- AU
- NZ
- CA
- JP
- SG
- HK
- IE
- DE
- FR
- ES
- IT
- NL
- BE
- AT
- PT
- PL
- RO
- SE
- NO
- DK
- FI
- CZ
- HU
- BG
- GR
- SK
- HR
The not-accepted list covers the United States, GB, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Singapore, HK, IE, DE, FR, ES, IT, NL, Belgium, AT, PT, PL, RO, SE, NO, DK, FI, CZ, HU, BG, GR, SK and HR on all Markets.com entities. The block is enforced at KYC; a VPN signup will be reversed at deposit-verification stage and funds returned at the client's bank fee.
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Risk warnings full text
76% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. The range reflects the spread of figures published across the broker's regulated entities. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Leverage warning. The broker publishes a headline 1:300 maximum leverage figure on its offshore entity. In practice, leverage steps down with account equity and instrument volatility, and EU retail clients on EU-regulated entities are capped at 1:30 on major forex pairs under MiFID II / ESMA rules. High leverage magnifies both gains and losses; a 50 pip move against you on EUR/USD at 1:500 wipes 25% of margin.
Negative balance protection. Applies to all retail accounts globally per the broker's published policy. You cannot lose more than your deposited capital. Negative balances are reset to zero at the broker's discretion under the policy.
Compensation scheme depends on entity. EU clients are covered by the Investor Compensation Fund up to €20,000. UK retail clients are covered by FSCS up to £85,000. Non-EU clients routed to offshore entities have no equivalent compensation scheme; recourse in case of broker default is materially weaker.
Past performance is not indicative of future results. Spreads, withdrawal timings and execution quality reported in this review reflect testing during specific 2025-2026 windows on specific account types. Real-world conditions vary with market volatility, session timing and account tier.
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Test results for Markets.com
Specific outcomes from hands-on testing on Markets.com retail accounts during 2025 and 2026. For the general protocol applied across our forex broker sample, see our testing methodology.
- Spreads: EUR/USD averaged 0.6 pip on the Standard account during London session across the measurement window.
- Withdrawals: Bank wire confirmed in 3 to 5 business days across 6 test cycles, slower than the peer-group median. No broker-side withdrawal fee on the cycles tested.
- Support: Live chat first response averaged 2 minutes 30 seconds across 6 test sessions. Phone support is available during European business hours.
- Mobile: Full feature audit on iOS (iPhone 14) and Android. Markets.com mobile app rated 4.0 iOS / 3.8 Android with biometric login and order entry verified end-to-end.
- Regulators: Current FSCA South Africa and FSC BVI entity registers cross-checked in May 2026. Historical CySEC and FCA register entries reviewed for closed-to-new-business status.
- Platforms: MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5 and the proprietary Marketsx platform verified across the available entities.
Not tested on Markets.com: cTrader (not offered), spread betting (not offered), copy trading (limited footprint), crypto deposit rails (not supported on the regulated tier).
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Affiliate disclosure
Opes Advisors is reader-supported. When you open an account with Markets.com through any
/go/markets-com/link on this page, Markets.com pays us a referral commission. The commission does not change the spreads, swaps or fees you pay — those are set by Markets.com directly and are identical whether you arrive via our link or type the URL.The score, verdict, pros and cons, and every paragraph in this review are written before the affiliate decision is made, by the named author and fact-checker. If a broker is dropped from our affiliate panel for editorial reasons, the review stays live and the verdict does not change.
Full revenue model: how we make money. Full testing protocol: methodology.
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Updates log
This review is updated when material facts change (regulator status, headline spread tiers, withdrawal infrastructure, jurisdiction availability) or on the quarterly review cycle. Minor copy edits are not logged.
- 2026-06-07 — Published. Reviewer Laura West (laura-west). Fact-checked by Mike Volkov (mike-volkov). Current FSCA and BVI entity registrations re-verified in May 2026. Historical CySEC and FCA status confirmed as closed-to-new-business. Withdrawal data refreshed against 6-cycle bank-wire testing window.
- 2026-06-11 — Disclosures frontmatter added. Iter 81.f reactive: regulator_history, tax_treatment, test_results and updates_log fields populated to satisfy REV-51 pre-commit schema. No body content changed.
- Next scheduled review — 2026-09-07. Quarterly cycle. Re-test bank-wire withdrawal cadence, refresh EUR/USD spread average, re-check FSCA and BVI registers for any changes, audit Finalto Group corporate disclosures.