Markets.com is a global CFD and forex broker that was founded in 2008. It is regulated by a handful of financial authorities, including the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) and the Financial Conduct Authority of the United Kingdom (FCA).
Markets.com has two platforms that give clients options to trade different financial instruments.
The Marketsi platform is used for stock trading and investing, while the Marketsx platform is used for CFD trading such as forex. In this review, we will reflect on Markets.com’s trading services, their reliability, and their overall features.
So, if you are looking to open an account with Markets.com, consider this review first.
You can find our transparent Markets.com review below. Broker reviews are updated frequently!
We value your feedback: Rate this broker by leaving a comment and rating below this review.
>Markets.com Regulation
The Financial Conduct Authority regulates Markets.com in the United Kingdom (FCA). The United Kingdom has the world’s most trusted regulatory body.
Markets.com is also operated in the European Union by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), which can cover deposits up to €20,000, as well as in Australia by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).
These are usually known as top-tier regulators.
The Financial Sector Conduct Authority in South Africa and the Financial Services Commission (BVIFSC) in the British Virgin Islands also regulate Markets.com.
Markets.com is also regulated by the FSCA in South Africa and the FCA in the UK. This makes them a well-established multi-regulated broker.
Investors residing in the United Kingdom, the European Union, Australia, or South Africa are assigned to branches supervised by their respective home regulators.
Markets.com’s branch in the British Virgin Islands serves residents from other nations. Markets.com is owned by Playtech PLSC, a subsidiary of a publicly-traded firm on the British FTSE 250. (LSE: PTEC).
Traders should feel more secure as a publicly-traded company is expected to be tightly controlled and highly open and cannot afford the reputational harm that might result from any misconduct by its owned broker.
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>Reliability
As mentioned above, Markets.com is the trading and investment arm of TradeTech, which is owned by Playtech, a London Stock Exchange-listed company.
Markets.com is regulated by vast majority of financial authorities around the world, including the top-tier FCA. Moreover, negative balance protection is given.
So, rest assure your investments are in safe hands.
>Markets.com Tradeable products
Traders on the Marketsx platform have access to over 2,200 assets across eight asset groups. Forex traders have a good selection of 67 currency pairs and 25 cryptocurrency pairings.
A list of 28 commodities allows for cross-asset diversification, while the majority of the offering consists of 2,027 individual equity CFDs.
The number of trading instruments available which vary depending on the Markets.com regulatory body in which your trading account is opened, and the platform selected.
Please be aware that Cryptocurrency CFDs are not available to U.K. residents or via Markets.com’s U.K. agency.
The Marketsi platform allows you to invest in over 7,000 publicly listed stocks and bonds traded on 16 different global stock exchanges.
>Markets.com Account types
Markets.com offers two types of accounts: retail and professional.
Retail is the most common type of live trading account that inexperienced users sign up for. You will trade over 2200 tradable assets with the retail account.
A professional account is for people who spend more than $500,000. A professional account provides further leverage.
There is also an Islamic-friendly account that works in accordance with the Islamic Sharia Principle of interest-free trading. The sign-up process is fast for all accounts, and traders from the United Kingdom, Europe, and Australia can also use electronic verification.
It should be noted that U.K. residents can open their CFD. trading accounts as spread-betting accounts, which can provide significantly more favourable tax treatment for successful traders residing in these jurisdictions.
Markets.com would automatically allocate European Union residents to its Cyprus branch, United Kingdom residents to its United Kingdom branch, South African residents to its South Africa branch, and Australian residents to its Australian branch.
Other countries residents will be accepted through the B.V.I. division.
Average Standard Account Spreads on Majors
- EUR/USD: 0.6
- GBP/USD: 1.2
- USD/JPY: 0.9
- AUD/USD: 0.9
>Opening an account
Here are the steps of Markets.com’s account opening process:
- Provide personal and financial information.
- Describe your trading background and take a skills test.
- Confirm your identity and citizenship. You can check your identity by uploading a national I.D., passport, or driver’s license. Utility bills and bank statements are accepted as proof of residency.
>Account currency
The currencies for which Markets.com offers account creation are EUR, AUD, DKK GBP, NOK, PLN, SEK, USD, ZAR, CHF.
The choice of currencies for their MT4/5 platform consists of EUR, GBP, USD, AUD, CAD, JPY, and PLN.
Note that if your deposit is executed in a different currency than the above, there may be conversion fees applied.
>Markets.com Commissions and fees
Markets.com has particularly low fees for forex traders, although its fees for commodity and index C.F.D.s are slightly higher.
Markets.com earns income from spreads and commissions paid on trades, overnight fees, and an inactivity fee as a broker that primarily uses a market-making model.
Markets.com clients usually pay a very favourable spread of 0.7 pips on the EUR/USD currency pair and 1.7 on GBP/USD.
When trading commodities, the Markets.com MetaTrader platform charges a $1.40 spread, while the Marketsx platform usually charges a $0.50 spread, which is much more affordable.
Markets.com accounts are subject to a $10 monthly inactivity charge after 90 days of trading inactivity. Such fees are reasonable in the industry, and a monthly inactivity fee of $10 is competitive where they are paid.
Overnight payments on open forex positions charged or paid after the New York close are usually marginally higher than the industry average.
>Leverage
Leveraged trading is available at Markets.com. The European Securities and Markets Authority sharply reduced the amount of leverage available to E.U. traders during the summer of 2018. (ESMA).
With this in mind, leverage levels for traders in the United Kingdom and Europe increase to 1:30, while maximum leverage available in Africa and elsewhere increases to 1:300
In Australia, ASIC recently limited leverage to a maximum of 1:30.
Keep in mind that overall leverage can vary depending on your account form and instrument. Leverage levels for cryptocurrencies are typically low, while more liquid and less volatile assets, such as common forex pairs, may have higher leverage levels.
Before receiving a margin call, Markets.com sends an alert to traders if leverage levels fall below 70%. The broker also closes positions if the leverage falls below 50%.
>Trading platform
Markets.com provides four trading platforms: the industry standard MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 and personalized trading platforms, Marketsx and Marketsi. There is also a mobile version for iOS and Android.
The famous retail trading platform MT4 completely supports automated trading solutions, but only the most basic version is available.
The MT5 trading platform is also available and can be a better option for some traders looking for a more efficient set of features that compare favourably to MetaTrader 4.
Markets.com has two in-house trading platforms: Marketsx and Marketsi. Marketsx caters to forex and C.F.D. traders, while Marketsi is an investment site geared toward long-term speculation.
Features like Bloggers Opinions, Hedge Funds Investment Trust, Insider Trades, Trading Analyst Recommendations, Advanced Charting, Financial Commentary, Advanced Alerts, Stock Report, and Dow Jones News are all available on the Marketsx and Marketsi platforms.
They each provide both manual traders and investors with a comprehensive range of resources to help them make smarter, more educated decisions.
They represent a genuine service provided by Markets.com to help dedicated traders boost their trading performance.
>Deposits and Withdrawals
Bank wires, credit cards, debit cards (deposit only), Neteller, Skrill, PayPal, Quick Bank Transfers, Sofort, and iDeal are all available deposit and withdrawal methods at Markets.com.
The minimum deposit is $100 or equivalent, and the minimum withdrawal amount varies depending on the payment choice but is usually between $5 and $100. Markets.com does not charge any extra fees for withdrawals, but third-party fees apply.
>Bonuses and Promotions
Markets.com currently provides a first-time graduated deposit bonus of up to $3,500 on a $10,000 deposit via its B.V.I. entity.
Terms and conditions apply, which means that the bonus cannot be withdrawn before a certain number of trades have been completed.
>Special features
Marketsi provides investors with a plan builder to help in the analytics process. Offering unique resources to improve trading results is often commendable; however, given the limited knowledge available, it is uncertain how this strategy builder tool works.
The execution figure is another plus for Markets.com.
Over 86 percent of orders in 2019 had zero or positive slippage, indicating a well-managed and straightforward process.
>Customer Service
Customer service is available 24 hours a day, five days a week in over ten languages. You can contact them via email, phone, live chat, or an online question form.
We suggest using Markets.com’s live chat support for a quick answer, as wait times are usually less than a minute. The contact form and phone number for your area can be found on the ‘Contact Us’ tab.
Customer support agents can assist with a wide range of problems, from determining why a platform is down to helping traders in understanding why an order was refused.
Markets.com also has a comprehensive support centre and FAQ Section where users can get help.
>Education and Research
Markets.com has excellent educational resources, such as a demo account, daily webinars, and instructional videos on its YouTube channel.
Previously, instructional videos could be found in the website’s Knowledge Centre, but they can now be found on the platform or on the Markets.com YouTube channel.
Tutorial videos, short videos about trading tips, and longer, 60-minute videos on specialized topics such as trend signals are all part of the educational material.
Markets.com provides excellent research resources such as XRay, News, Analysis, and Webinars.
This broker’s live stream is XRay, accessible from inside the proprietary trading platforms, and provides regular analytics and discussion of market-related developments.
The News tab is regularly updated with new material, discussing breaking news and its effect on assets; it is delivered to traders in a clear and concise manner. You can also obtain basic asset info.
>IB affiliate program
Markets.com offer forex affiliates and online marketers a healthy affiliate program. You can earn up to $600 CPA by introducing traders to the broker by becoming IB/Affiliate. Speaking to a resolute affiliate manager can assist with their offerings that best fit your needs.
Join the Markets.com IB Affiliate Program: Join Now & Earn
>Markets.com South Africa
As a South African, you’ll be glad to know that FSCA regulates Markets.com South Arica, and you can open an account in ZAR.
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>Our verdict
Markets.com is a repu brokerage with strong corporate sponsorship. A trustworthy trading environment is created by the global regulatory structure and full compliance with it and a consistent approach and remarkable execution statistics.
With over 2,200 assets listed, the selection appeals to retail traders as well as small institutional clients. Pure Forex traders would find the spreads to be widely appealing and the range of currency pairs available.
Markets.com offers a good mix of convenience and versatility thanks to its MarketsX platform. Having said that, Markets.com’s analysis methods are respec but lag behind industry leaders.
Although spreads have improved, Markets.com remains pricey, especially for its MetaTrader offering.
>From a South African perspective
Markets.com strongest suits are accessibility, beginner friendly Marketsi and Marketx platforms, and reliability, which are key areas where it stands out against its peers.
We value your feedback: Rate this broker by leaving a comment and rating below this review.
>Broker FAQ
Thinking of Trading with Markets.com?
Is Markets.com regulated?
Markets.com is regulated by several regulatory bodies such as FCA in the UK, ASIC in Australia, CySec in Cyprus, FSCA in South Africa, and FSC in the British Virgin Islands.
How do I deposit into my Markets.com account?
You can use bank wires, credit cards, debit cards, Neteller, Skrill, PayPal, Fast Bank Transfers, Sofort, and iDeal.
How long does a Markets.com withdrawal take?
Withdrawal processing time can take up to 72 hours.
What is the minimum deposit with Markets.com?
The minimum deposit is $100.
What is the maximum leverage with Markets.com?
Markets.com has a maximum leverage of 1:300. However, it varies from region to region.
Is Markets.com good for new traders?
The in-house research generates new trading ideas, and the overall product and customer service makes it a perfect broker for both new and experienced traders.
Is Markets.com available in South Africa?
Yes, Markets.com has a South African subsidiary regulated by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA).
