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

Broker Name

EToro

Lightyear

Broker Overview

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

Market maker

STP

Years of Existence / Established Year

2007

2020

Customer Base / Number of Accounts

20 Million

Info not available

Regulation & Security

Regulations (governing bodies)

FCA, CySEC, MFSA, ADGM, ASIC, FSA, FINRA, SEC

FCA EFSA

Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)

Best Cryptocurrency Platforms by Good Money guide awards

No major awards listed

Security Measures

AML, ICF

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)

5545+ stocks

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

Currency Pairs

Yes

Commodities

Yes

Indices

Yes

Cryptocurrencies

Yes

CFDs

Yes

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

MT5

cTrader

Social Trading

Yes

Copy Trading

Yes

Other Trading Platforms (proprietary, etc.)

Web trading and Mobile trading apps

Lightyear's proprietary platform

Platform Compatibility (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)

Yes

Account Types & Conditions

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

Professional, Retail or Personal account, Corporate account

Personal Business

Demo Account (Yes/No)

Yes

Islamic Accounts (Yes/No)

Yes

Minimum Deposit

$50.00

Leverage Available

1:2 to 1:30

Trade Limit (maximum per trade)

Depends on the assets class

Varies for each product

Commission (per account type)

Euro 0

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

Beginners

Deposit & Withdrawal Options

Deposit Methods

Debit card, Online banking, Wire transfer, 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

Debit card, Online banking, Wire transfer, e-Wallets

Bank Transfers

Other E-Wallets Supported

PayPal

Tools & Educational Resources

Economic Calendar

Yes

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

eToro Guides and eBooks, Crypto and Trading Courses, Trading Academy, Market News and Analysis, Webinars

Savings interest calculator Inflation calculator Ticker time machine Rate comparison calculator

Fees & Commissions

Trading-Related Fees

Stocks- $1 or $2, Commission- $0, ETFs-$0, Spread-0, Crypto-2% of the transaction size; Minimum: $1 to Maximum: $100, CFD(Stocks and EFTs)- 0.15%, Crypto CFDs: 1%

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)

Fixed

Per Lot Fees

Options Contract Fees

Futures Contract Fees

Markup Fees on Spread

1% for both opening and closing a position

Guaranteed Stop Loss Fees

Maximum Leverage

30:1

Info not available

Non-Trading Fees

Dormant Fees

$10/month after 12 months of inactivity

Subscription Fees (for premium features, data feeds)

Advisory Fees

Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)

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

0.75%

0.35%

Withdrawal Fee

$5 fee for withdrawals to external accounts

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)

9:30am ET until 4pm during normal business days

Vary for each asset class

Customer Support

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

24/7

Customer Support Methods (phone, email, live chat)

Chatbot, Live chat, Ticket

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

Support Languages

19+

20+

Additional Information

Headquarters Location

4th floor, One Canada Square Canary Wharf London, E14 5AB United Kingdom

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.

While eToro maintains low trading fees with no minimum deposit, Lightyear includes some charges for premium features and certain asset trades, making eToro the better option for budget-focused traders.

eToro uses a digital-first onboarding approach with clear instructions and fast ID verification. Lightyear goes a step further with manual checks and optional account tiers, ideal for serious professionals.

eToro platform is great for fast-paced day trading, especially with features like one-click trading. Lightyear platform, by comparison, is built for strategy testing and long-term portfolio management.

eToro supports complex strategies and asset diversity, while Lightyear offers clarity and low-cost access for long-term holders.

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