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

Broker Name

EC Markets

Lightyear

Broker Overview

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

STP broker

STP

Years of Existence / Established Year

2011

2020

Customer Base / Number of Accounts

No information

Info not available

Regulation & Security

Regulations (governing bodies)

FSA,FCA, FSC

FCA EFSA

Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)

Best Trading Liquidity Award, Best Customer Awards

No major awards listed

Security Measures

FSCS

SIPC, EIPSF Upto Euro 20,000

SSL Encryption / 2FA

Yes

Segregated Funds

Yes

Negative Balance Protection

Yes

Trading Instruments/Products Offered

Assets Types / Trading Instruments (total count and breakdown)

150+

US / EU / UK Stocks (3500+) Interest Money Market Funds Baltic Stocks Baltic Bonds

Currency Pairs

Yes

Commodities

Yes

Indices

Yes

Cryptocurrencies

Yes

CFDs

ETFs

Yes

Stocks

Yes

Options

Futures

Bonds

Yes

Mutual Funds

Fractional Shares

Yes

Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)

Precious Metals

Yes

Yes - through Exchange Traded Commodities

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)

Yes - through REIT stocks

Equities

Yes

Trading Platforms & Technology

Trading Platform Availability

Yes

MT4

Yes

MT5

Yes

cTrader

Social Trading

Yes

Copy Trading

Yes

Other Trading Platforms (proprietary, etc.)

Lightyear's proprietary platform

Platform Compatibility (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)

Yes except Mac

Yes

Account Types & Conditions

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

Standard and ECN accounts

Personal Business

Demo Account (Yes/No)

Yes

Islamic Accounts (Yes/No)

Minimum Deposit

$10

Leverage Available

200:1 to 500:1

Trade Limit (maximum per trade)

Unlimited

Varies for each product

Commission (per account type)

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

Euro 0

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

Both beginners and experienced traders

Beginners

Deposit & Withdrawal Options

Deposit Methods

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

EUR - SEPA, Debit Card, Apple Pay, Google Pay GBP - FPS, CHAPS, BACS, SWIFT, Apple Pay, Google Pay USD - ACH, FedWire, SWIFT HUF - Bank transfers within Hungary

Withdrawal Methods

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

Bank Transfers

Other E-Wallets Supported

VN pay, PoLi.

Tools & Educational Resources

Economic Calendar

Yes

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

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

Savings interest calculator Inflation calculator Ticker time machine Rate comparison calculator

Fees & Commissions

Trading-Related Fees

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

US Shares per order - 0.1% upto $1 maximum EU Shares per order - Euro 1 UK Shares per order - Euro 1 Money Market Funds - 0.25% annually Nasdaq Baltic - Euro 1 ETFs -Euro 0 Multi-currency account -Euro 0

Spread (typical, fixed, variable)

Variable

Per Lot Fees

Options Contract Fees

Futures Contract Fees

Markup Fees on Spread

Guaranteed Stop Loss Fees

Maximum Leverage

500:1

Info not available

Non-Trading Fees

Dormant Fees

Subscription Fees (for premium features, data feeds)

Advisory Fees

Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)

Yes

Statement or Document Fee

Account Opening Fee

Account Maintenance Fee

Deposit Fee

In EUR & GBP Debit Card / ApplePay / Google Pay - First Euro500 lifetime free, 0.5% after In USD FedWire & Swift - $6.11

Currency Conversion Fee

0.35%

Withdrawal Fee

$0 bank fees may apply

Bonuses, Promotions & Benefits

Bonuses, Promotions, and Referrals

Yes

Customer Benefits (e.g., Retirement Plan)

Yes

Trading Hours

Trading Hours (for each asset class if applicable)

Varies by asset type

Vary for each asset class

Customer Support

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

24/5

24/7

Customer Support Methods (phone, email, live chat)

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

Email: mailto:[email protected], Live chat Phone number:+1 332-333-4220.

Support Languages

20+

Additional Information

Headquarters Location

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

Volta 1 Tallinn 10412 Estonia

Complaints (for crypto brokers)

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.

Both EC Markets and Lightyear offer affordable fee structures, but EC Markets generally edges out with no inactivity fees and lower commissions on standard trades, whereas Lightyear shines with bundled research and platform access.

EC Markets offers a quick and paperless account setup that appeals to traders on the go, whereas Lightyear more involved onboarding process adds an extra layer of safety and regulatory checks.

If you're trading on-the-go, EC Markets mobile platform is fluid and intuitive. Lightyear desktop and web apps are more robust, making them suitable for in-depth trading sessions.

EC Markets delivers a robust ecosystem for seasoned traders, whereas Lightyear focuses on ease of access and modern usability.

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