In this text, I will do an Eightcap vs CMC Markets so in 2025 you can decide which broker aligns with your trading needs.
We will analyze trading platforms, spreads, commission structures, regulations, range of assets, crypto options, and overall user experience. No matter what your experience level is, this overview will showcase the pros and cons of each broker distinctly.
What is Eightcap?
Founded in Melbourne, Australia in 2009, Eightcap is a global online broker and provider of financial services and trading infrastructures.
They offer access to over 800 instruments spanning forex, indices, commodities, stocks and crypto derivatives. They facilitate trading in popular platforms like MT4, MT5 and TradingView. Eightcap is regulated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), the British Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC).
(ForexBrokers.com) Eightcap has accounts for different trading styles and is accessible to beginners and experienced traders alike, with a minimum deposit of roughly USD 100. (learn2.trade)
What is CMC Markets?
Founded in 1989, CMC Markets is a London-based, online trading and investing firm. CMC Markets provides services to retail and institutional clients and allows for trading in forex, indices, shares, commodities, ETFs and CFDs.
CMC Markets is publicly listed and operates under regulation of the UK FCA and other regulatory bodies worldwide. CMC Markets prides itself on providing cutting edge technology and competitive trading conditions on their CMC Markets trading platform. CMC Markets offers extensive tools and offers competitive trading conditions.
Key Differences Between Eightcap vs CMC Markets
| Feature | Eightcap | CMC Markets |
|---|---|---|
| Company & History | Founded in Australia; newer/relatively smaller global footprint. | Founded in the UK in 1989, large global presence and publicly listed. |
| Platforms & Technology | Offers MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, and TradingView integration. | Strong proprietary platform “Next Generation” with robust charting features and tools. |
| Market & Instrument Range | Offers 800 + CFD instruments including crypto derivatives, indices, commodities. | Very broad asset coverage across forex, shares, commodities, indices and global markets. |
| Fee & Spread Structure | Spread-only Standard account + Raw account (low spreads + commission). Minimum deposit ~$100. | Advanced fee structure, competitive spreads, but slightly more complex. |
| Charting & Trading Tools | Good tools with MetaTrader/TradingView, but fewer proprietary advanced tools. | Extensive chart types, 100+ technical indicators, pattern-recognition tools. |
| Minimum Deposit & Account Types | Minimum deposit around USD 100; offers Standard and Raw accounts. | Some accounts may have higher minimums depending on region; broader account offerings. |
| Regulation & Global Reach | Regulated in various jurisdictions but comparatively smaller scale. | Strong regulatory history, large global footprint and publicly traded status. |
Who Should Choose Each Broker?
Why someone might choose Eightcap
- Traders seeking lower spreads and more competitive fees, particularly considering that Eightcap has a strong reputation for low trading costs.
- Day-traders or algorithm traders needing quick execution and support for popular platforms like MetaTrader 5/MetaTrader 4 as well as integration with TradingView.
- Clients who value excellent customer support and a simple, particularly for onboarding and getting started.
- Beginner to intermediate traders who don’t need the broadest set of asset classes or ultra-institutional services, but need a robust broker.
Why someone might choose CMC Markets
- Traders needing access to a very broad spectrum of instruments (forex, shares, commodities, ETFs, CFDs) and appreciate “one-stop” coverage.
- Users who prioritise strong charting and advanced analytic tools within a sophisticated proprietary platform.
- Traders who appreciate having no (or very low) minimum deposit requirements and a more flexible account setup.
- Intermediate to advanced traders, or even professionals, who need the institutional-style features, research and global footprint that CMC provides.
Available Countries
| Region | Eightcap | CMC Markets |
|---|---|---|
| United States | No | Yes |
| Europe | Yes | No |
| Latin America | Yes | No |
| India | Yes | No |
| China | No | Yes |
| Canada | Yes | Yes |
| United Kingdom | Yes | Yes |
Benefits of Eightcap and CMC Markets Compared
Benefits of Eightcap
- Particularly on the Raw account, spreads are tight, and the trading fees are very reasonable.
- Traders can use MT4, MT5, and TradingView.
- One of the best options for automated trading and algo trading.
- Crypto traders can access a more extensive range of Crypto CFDs than most brokers.
- Very attractive for beginners since the minimum deposit is low.
- Very good and reliable execution speeds. Stable trading or investment infrastructure.
- Onboarding and customer support are very good especially for new traders.
Benefits of CMC Markets
- Extremely large market including thousands of forex, share, index and commodity CFDs.
- Very sophisticated trading platform called Next Generation.
- Advanced charting and built in analytical tools.
- Strong global reputation and also publicly listed in the UK, increasing trust.
- Very competitively priced spreads and priced with no hidden fees.
- Entrusting new traders with comprehensive resources for educational purposes.
- Good mobile app trading with extensive research in hand.
Mobile Trading Experience
| Feature | Eightcap | CMC Markets |
|---|---|---|
| App Platforms | Supports mobile trading via MT4/MT5 + integration with TradingView mobile app. | Offers award-winning mobile apps for iOS and Android, covering CFDs, forex, shares, commodities. |
| Charting & Tools on Mobile | Good charting via MT4/MT5 and TradingView; user feedback indicates the mobile app is “better than average” but has some limitations in advanced tools. | Very strong mobile charting and analysis tools: 25+ technical indicators, 15 drawing tools, sentiment tracker, customizable dashboard. |
| Order Execution & Features | Mobile trading supports market, limit, stop orders; mobile experience is adapted for touch devices. | Mobile app supports full trading features: open/modify/close trades from charts; fast execution (0.040 s median reported). |
| Integration & Additional Tools | Integration with TradingView allows analysis + order execution; however some advanced mobile-only features (e.g., streaming news, advanced research) are more limited. | Offers deep integration: real-time alerts/notifications, tipRanks research, news feed, fully mobile-optimised interface. |
| User Feedback & Usability | Mobile app usability is rated ~3.8/5 in one review; users noted good speed and reliability but missing some advanced mobile features. | Generally receives positive awards for mobile platform quality; though some user reviews mention specific glitches or transfer delays. |
Crypto Offering & Trading Features
Eightcap – Crypto Offering & Trading Features
- Eightcap provides derivatives on more than 250 cryptocurrencies, giving traders the opportunity to deal with a diverse range of coins without having to own the underlying asset.
- Their offerings allow traders to take both long and short positions on crypto crosses, crypto indices, and leading altcoins.
- There’s no need to have a physical crypto wallet, as all trading occurs through CFDs (Contracts for Difference) or derivatives.
- The ability to trade crypto as well as other asset classes through MT4 / MT5 / TradingView platforms simplifies trading for users.
- Active traders appreciate tight spreads on crypto and the ability to take speculative positions with leverage (rule set by country of residence).
- Eightcap has partnered with index-provider CoinDesk Indices to launch a regulated crypto benchmark product (CoinDesk 20 Index) accessible via derivatives.
- Note: the availability of crypto derivatives varies based on country of the user and the regulatory entity.
CMC Markets – Crypto Offering & Trading Features
- CMC Markets provides the option of trading CFDs along with spread betting all the cryptos in CFDs including the major coins Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, XRP and more.
- They offer “crypto indices”, which are collections of different cryptocurrencies (e.g., All Crypto Index, Major Crypto Index, Emerging Crypto Index) which helps traders gain broad exposure to multiple cryptos in a single offering.
- No wallets are necessary when trading crypto CFDs on CMC as you trade on their platforms, unlike traditional crypto trade which involves purchasing, storing, and securing the coins.
- CMC provides crypto CFD trading without time restrictions in Australia and other similar places, which is a great improvement from the usual trading hours.
- Rapid execution of trades and reduced spread are core to crypto offerings as slippage is minimized through a multi-feed pricing model.
- Key point of focus however is that in some places, UK retail clients in particular, there is no buying or selling spot crypto, which means owning the asset, is allowed. You are left with only trading CFDs which provides derivative exposure.
Regulations and Licenses
| Regulator | Eightcap | CMC Markets |
|---|---|---|
| ASIC (Australia) | Yes | Yes |
| FCA (UK) | Yes | Yes |
| MAS (Singapore) | No clear standard listing for Eightcap | Yes |
| CySEC (Cyprus) | Yes | Partial/Varies (via EU branch) |
| CIRO / IIROC (Canada) | Not clearly listed for Eightcap | Yes (IIROC) |
| FMA (New Zealand) | Not clearly listed for Eightcap | Yes |
| DFSA (Dubai) | Not clearly listed for Eightcap | Not clearly listed for CMC (as major) |
| BaFin (Germany) | Not clearly listed for Eightcap | Yes |
| SCB (Bahamas) | Yes | Not clearly listed for CMC |
Fees & Spreads
| Feature | Eightcap | CMC Markets |
|---|---|---|
| Typical spread on EUR/USD | Standard account ~ 1.0 pip on major pairs. Raw account spreads from ~ 0.0 pips (but add commission). | Starting spreads around 0.5-0.7 pips on major FX pairs. |
| Commission structure | Standard (commission-free) account: no commission, wider spreads.Raw account: Commission ~$3.50 per side per standard lot (100,000 units) + ultra-tight spreads. | Offers commission-free “Standard” style FX account with mark-up spreads (~0.7 pips) Also “Active” style accounts with low spreads + commission (e.g., $5 per standard lot) in some regions. |
| Non-trading fees / other costs | Withdrawal & deposit fees: Many sources say zero withdrawal fees for many methods. No inactivity fee mentioned widely for standard accounts. | Has an inactivity fee in some jurisdictions (e.g., £10 after 12 months no trading). Currency conversion fee up to ~0.5% for non-base currency trading. |
| Shares/CFDs commission | On Raw account, share CFD commission applies; Standard account free for many instruments. | For shares CFD: very competitive, but some products cost higher fees; spreads and commission vary by region & product. |
| Transparency & overall cost | Transparent pricing; Raw account offers very low all-in cost if you trade large size. | Known for strong transparency and competitive pricing in forex/CFDs, but some costs (e.g., for indices/CFDs) can be higher compared to ultra-low cost brokers. |
Trading Platforms & Tools
| Feature | Eightcap | CMC Markets |
|---|---|---|
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes — offers MT4 for many entities. | Yes — supports MT4 on its platform. |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes — supports MT5 in many jurisdictions. | Yes — supports MT5 as well. |
| cTrader | No clear indication that cTrader is supported by Eightcap. | No specific mention of cTrader support by CMC Markets (at least publicly). |
| TradingView | Yes — Eightcap offers integration with TradingView. | Yes — CMC Markets supports TradingView charts and integration. |
| Proprietary Platform | No major proprietary platform highlighted — primarily uses third-party platforms (MT4/MT5/TradingView). | Yes — has its own “Next Generation” proprietary platform with extensive features. |
| Automated Trading | Yes — via MT4/MT5 and plugin tools (e.g., FlashTrader for Eightcap) in jurisdictions. | Yes — supports automated trading capabilities via MT4/MT5 and APIs. |
| Social + Copy Trading | Yes — Eightcap offers copy-trading support. | No — CMC Markets is reported not to support social/copy trading formally. |
| Standard Stop Loss | Yes — both brokers support regular stop-loss orders. (Standard stop loss is basic order type) | Yes — supports stop-loss orders as standard. |
| Guaranteed Stop Loss | No — Eightcap states they do not offer guaranteed stop-loss orders. | It is unclear / limited — some coverage indicates guaranteed stop-loss may not be a core offering. |
| Demo Account | Yes — Eightcap offers a demo account. | Yes — CMC Markets offers demo/trial account options. |
Pros & Cons Comparison Table
Pros & Cons Eightcap
Pros
- Extremely low spreads and commissions on Raw accounts.
- Compatible with MT4, MT5, TradingView and great for automated and technical traders.
- A strong crypto CDF with lots of tradable pairs.
- Fast execution perfect for scalpers and automated trading.
- Multiple payment options with no fees on deposits or withdrawals.
- Regulated by ASIC, FCA and other bodies.
Cons
- No proprietary trading platform, which means complete reliance on third-party trading software.
- Research and educational resources are minimal relative to larger brokers.
- Smaller tradable instruments than bigger global competitors.
- Some features are regional and licensing restricted.
Pros & Cons CMC Markets
Pros
- Really broad product offering that includes forex, shares, indices, commodities, bonds etc.
- Next-generation platform that includes sophisticated charting, smart orders and analytics.
- High-trust, Tier-1 global (FCA) regulated.
- Well-structured educational content along with timely market news and robust research.
- In numerous locations, accounts are available with no minimum deposits.
Cons
- U.S. traders are not supported.
- When compared to low-cost brokers, Share & CFD trading costs may become higher.
- In some regions, Crypto Availability may be limited.
- For complete beginners, the Platform may be complicated.
Conclusion
You have recognized both Eightcap and CMC Markets as reliable brokers but they have different competitive advantages directed at different traders. For algo traders and active day traders where execution speed is paramount,
Eightcap provides the most attractive offer owing to low cost forex and crypto trading on MT4/MT5/TradingView. Conversely, the advanced proprietary platform and research excellence at CMC Markets is hard to beat making this broker the best choice to access comprehensive market coverage and professional research.
FAQ
Which broker supports a demo account?
Eightcap offers a demo account, which can be set up quickly.
CMC Markets also offers demo/trial accounts so you can practice before live trading.
What trading platforms do each support?
Eightcap supports third-party platforms including MetaTrader 4 (MT4), MetaTrader 5 (MT5) and integration with TradingView.
CMC Markets offers its proprietary “Next Generation” platform, plus supports MT4 in many regions.
What is the minimum deposit to open an account?
For Eightcap, in many jurisdictions the minimum initial deposit is around US$100 (or equivalent).
For CMC Markets the minimum deposit can vary by region; you’ll need to check the local entity’s requirements.
