TradingCritique

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EC Markets vs FXCM : Fees, Safety & Trading Conditions Compared (2026)

Broker Name

EC Markets

EC Markets

VS
FXCM

FXCM

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Broker Overview

Broker Type (e.g., Market Maker, ECN/STP)

STP broker

Market maker

Years of Existence / Established Year

2011

1999

Customer Base / Number of Accounts

No information

No information


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Regulation & Security

Regulations (governing bodies)

FSA,FCA, FSC

FCA, CySEC, ASIC, FSCA, ISA

Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)

Best Trading Liquidity Award, Best Customer Awards

Best In Class 2024 - ForexBrokers.com

Security Measures

FSCS

FSCS

SSL Encryption / 2FA

Yes

Yes

Segregated Funds

Yes

Yes

Negative Balance Protection

Yes

Yes


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Trading Instruments/Products Offered

Assets Types / Trading Instruments (total count and breakdown)

150+

10,000+ trading instruments shares

Currency Pairs

Yes

Yes

Commodities

Yes

Yes

Indices

Yes

Yes

Cryptocurrencies

Yes

Yes

CFDs

No

Yes

ETFs

No

No

Stocks

No

No

Options

No

No

Futures

No

No

Bonds

No

No

Mutual Funds

No

No

Fractional Shares

No

No

Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)

No

No

Precious Metals

Yes

Yes

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)

No

No

Equities

No

No


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Trading Platforms & Technology

Trading Platform Availability

Yes

Yes

MT4

Yes

Yes

MT5

Yes

No

cTrader

No

No

Social Trading

Yes

Yes

Copy Trading

Yes

Yes

Other Trading Platforms (proprietary, etc.)

No

Trading station, Trading View Pro

Platform Compatibility (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)

Yes except Mac

Yes


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Account Types & Conditions

Account Types (Retail, Pro, VIP, etc.)

Standard and ECN accounts

Standard, Active trading, Spread betting, Professional

Demo Account (Yes/No)

Yes

Yes

Islamic Accounts (Yes/No)

No

Yes

Minimum Deposit

$10

$50

Leverage Available

200:1 to 500:1

30:1 to 1000:1

Trade Limit (maximum per trade)

Unlimited

50 million per trade

Commission (per account type)

$0 for standard account, $5 per lot per side for ECN account

$ 4 / lot

Best Suited For (e.g., beginners, experienced traders)

Both beginners and experienced traders

Active and experienced traders


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Deposit & Withdrawal Options

Deposit Methods

Union Pay, OCT 365, Swift wire transfer, Indonesia bank ATM, Bank Transfer Malaysia, THAI QR payment,e-wallets

Debit/Credit Card Via mobile app, Bank wire, China online payment, Crypto

Withdrawal Methods

Union Pay, OCT 365, Swift wire transfer, Indonesia bank ATM, Bank Transfer Malaysia, THAI QR payment, e-wallets

Debit/Credit Card, Bank Wire, Local Bank Transfer, and Online Bank Transfer.

Other E-Wallets Supported

VN pay, PoLi.

Skrill, Neteller, Google pay, Apple pay


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Tools & Educational Resources

Economic Calendar

Yes

Yes

Tools & Educational Resources (tutorials, webinars, market news, etc.)

Trading Education, Market Analysis, Webinars, eBooks and Guides, Video Tutorials, MT4 Indicator Plugin

Education, Trading Guides, Trading Tools, Research


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Fees & Commissions

Trading-Related Fees

Spread for Std account: Starts from 1.0 pip, Spread for ECN accounts: Starts from 0.0 pips

Spread- 1.3 pips

Spread (typical, fixed, variable)

Variable

Typical

Per Lot Fees

$5

NA

Options Contract Fees

NA

NA

Futures Contract Fees

NA

NA

Markup Fees on Spread

NA

NA

Guaranteed Stop Loss Fees

NA

NA

Maximum Leverage

500:1

1000:1


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Non-Trading Fees

Dormant Fees

NA

$50

Subscription Fees (for premium features, data feeds)

NA

NA

Advisory Fees

NA

$30

Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)

Yes

No

Statement or Document Fee

NA

NA

Account Opening Fee

NA

$0

Account Maintenance Fee

NA

$25

Deposit Fee

$0

$0

Currency Conversion Fee

NA

$0

Withdrawal Fee

$0 bank fees may apply

$0


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Bonuses, Promotions & Benefits

Bonuses, Promotions, and Referrals

Yes

Yes

Customer Benefits (e.g., Retirement Plan)

No

No


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Trading Hours

Trading Hours (for each asset class if applicable)

Varies by asset type

Varies by product


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Customer Support

Support Hours (e.g., 24/7, weekdays only)

24/5

24/5

Customer Support Methods (phone, email, live chat)

Phone: +248 422 4099, E-mail: [email protected], Live chat

WhatsApp: +44 7537 432259 (message only), Email: [email protected], Live chat, Request a call

Support Languages

23

7


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Additional Information

Headquarters Location

3rd Floor, 30 City Road, London, United Kingdom, EC1Y 2AY.

London, United Kingdom

Complaints (for crypto brokers)

No

No


At TradingCritique, we don't just list brokers. We test, compare, and simplify your decision-making. Whether you're a beginner or a pro, our data-driven comparisons are built to match your trading style and region. Learn how we Evaluate a broker.
EC Markets is known for competitive pricing on basic trades, especially for beginners. However, FXCM fee structure, though slightly higher, covers a broader range of services, making it more suitable for active traders.
EC Markets makes starting out easy with a simple application, especially for retail clients. FXCM platform, while requiring more effort to join, allows experienced traders to customize their accounts from the start.
EC Markets provides a modern trading experience with its proprietary or MT4/MT5 platform, ideal for technical traders. FXCM, on the other hand, offers more research tools and is better suited for data-driven investors.
EC Markets is geared toward frequent trading and analytics, while FXCM fits those who value simplicity and guided experiences.