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Lightspeed vs CMC Markets : Fees, Safety & Trading Conditions Compared (2026)
Broker Name
Lightspeed
CMC Markets
Broker Overview
Broker Type (e.g., Market Maker, ECN/STP)
STP broker
Market maker
Years of Existence / Established Year
2005
1989
Customer Base / Number of Accounts
No information
265k+
Regulation & Security
Regulations (governing bodies)
FINRA, SEC
FCA, ASIC, CIRO, MAS, FMA
Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)
No major awards listed
Best Mobile Trading Platform, No.1 Most Currency Pairs, Best for CFDs -2024, No.1 Web Platform, Best Forex Broker, Best In-House Analysts 2023
Security Measures
SIPC
FSCS
SSL Encryption / 2FA
Yes
Yes
Segregated Funds
Yes
Yes
Negative Balance Protection
No
Yes
Trading Instruments/Products Offered
Assets Types / Trading Instruments (total count and breakdown)
Commodity futures
12,000+ tradable instruments including shares, Treasuries
Currency Pairs
No
Yes
Commodities
No
Yes
Indices
No
Yes
Cryptocurrencies
No
Yes
CFDs
No
Yes
ETFs
Yes
Yes
Stocks
Yes
No
Options
Yes
No
Futures
Yes
No
Bonds
No
Yes
Mutual Funds
No
No
Fractional Shares
Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)
No
No
Precious Metals
No
Yes
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
No
No
Equities
Yes
No
Trading Platforms & Technology
Trading Platform Availability
Yes
Yes
MT4
No
Yes
MT5
No
No
cTrader
No
No
Social Trading
Yes
Copy Trading
No
Yes
Other Trading Platforms (proprietary, etc.)
Light speed trader, Web and mobile trading, Speciality trading platform, Future trading platform, Risk management Software
CMC web platform, iOS and Android app
Platform Compatibility (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)
Yes except Mac, iOS, Android
Yes
Account Types & Conditions
Account Types (Retail, Pro, VIP, etc.)
Standard account- Individual, Joint, Retirement, Corporate, Trust, LLC, Institutional account- Prime brokerage, Separately Manged account, DVP, RVP,Cash and Margin account
Spread betting, CFD account , FX active, Corporate account
Demo Account (Yes/No)
Yes
Yes
Islamic Accounts (Yes/No)
No
No
Minimum Deposit
$2,000
$0
Leverage Available
4:1 to 2:1
30:1 to 1:500
Trade Limit (maximum per trade)
Depends on asset class
No information
Commission (per account type)
Accounts under $15,000: $25 monthly fee, Lightspeed Trader and Sterling Trader Pro: $0.50 minimum per order, Eze EMS (formerly RealTick): $3.00 minimum commission, Lightspeed Web & Mobile: $1 minimum commission
Standard - No commission, FX active account- $2.50
Best Suited For (e.g., beginners, experienced traders)
Active traders, professionals, and institutional traders
Professional and retail traders
Deposit & Withdrawal Options
Deposit Methods
Wire transfer, ACH, account transfer, Check
Bank transfer, Debit/credit card, Online banking
Withdrawal Methods
Wire transfer, ACH, account transfer,Check
Bank transfer, Debit/credit card, Online banking
Other E-Wallets Supported
No
No
Tools & Educational Resources
Economic Calendar
No
Yes
Tools & Educational Resources (tutorials, webinars, market news, etc.)
Trading Platform Tutorials, Market Insights and Analysis, Webinars and Online Events, Trading Education Resources, Market News and Research
Learn spread betting, Learn to trade CFDs, Learn forex trading, technical indicators, Fundamental analysis, Webinars & events, Platform guides, Trading guides
Fees & Commissions
Trading-Related Fees
ETFs- $2, Share- $0.001, Future option fee- $1.29
CFD trading -US shares from $10; FX active - US shares from $10; Typical STP: Spread of 1.2 pips, Typical ECN: Spread of 0.2 pips, Spread- starts from 0.0 to 0.6 pips, Overnight holding costs: 0.0027%
Spread (typical, fixed, variable)
NA
Fixed/Variable
Per Lot Fees
NA
$2.50
Options Contract Fees
$0.20
NA
Futures Contract Fees
NA
NA
Markup Fees on Spread
NA
$5.00 per $100,000 in nominal value
Guaranteed Stop Loss Fees
NA
Crude Oil Brent $0.02 per unit, Apple Inc $0.41 per unit, US 30 $1.50 per unit, GBP/USD $0.00015 per
Maximum Leverage
4:1
1:500
Non-Trading Fees
Dormant Fees
$25 monthly minimum
$0
Subscription Fees (for premium features, data feeds)
$130
ASX Dynamic Data package $41.25 a month (non-professional investors) $118.80 a month, International Data service fees (US) $11, International Data service fees (NZ) $11, Live Data package Free
Advisory Fees
NA
NA
Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)
Yes
NA
Statement or Document Fee
$15 - $50 per month
NA
Account Opening Fee
$20
$0
Account Maintenance Fee
Maintenance fees will be billed weekly, based on the previous month's commissions
NA
Deposit Fee
$0
$0
Currency Conversion Fee
$10
0.50%
Withdrawal Fee
$20 fee for domestic wires and a $50 fee for international wires, Check standard time- free or overnight $30
$0
Bonuses, Promotions & Benefits
Bonuses, Promotions, and Referrals
Yes
Yes
Customer Benefits (e.g., Retirement Plan)
Yes
No
Trading Hours
Trading Hours (for each asset class if applicable)
4 AM to 8 PM EST on weekdays only.
Depends on the instrument offer
Customer Support
Support Hours (e.g., 24/7, weekdays only)
24/7
Monday to Friday from 8am to 8pm
Customer Support Methods (phone, email, live chat)
E-mail: [email protected], Phone: 1-888-577-3123 , 1-646-393-4800, Schedule a call
Email: [email protected], Phone: +44 (0)20 7170 8200
Support Languages
1
12+
Additional Information
Headquarters Location
Chicago office, 181 West Madison Street, Suite 2950, Chicago, IL 60602
CMC Markets UK plc, 133 Houndsditch, London, EC3A 7BX, United Kingdom
Complaints (for crypto brokers)
No
No
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