TradingCritique

Select Your Brokers to Compare

Firstrade vs HYCM : Fees, Safety & Trading Conditions Compared (2026)

Broker Name

Firstrade

Firstrade

VS
HYCM

HYCM

Icon

Broker Overview

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

STP broker

Market maker

Years of Existence / Established Year

1985

1977

Customer Base / Number of Accounts

1Million

No information


Icon

Regulation & Security

Regulations (governing bodies)

FINRA, SEC

FCA, DFSA, CySEC,CIMA

Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)

Best Online Brokers, Best for Options Traders award.

Most Trusted Broker 2023 UAE, Most Transparent Forex Broker 2023

Security Measures

SIPC

Tier-1 Client Fund Security

SSL Encryption / 2FA

Yes

Yes

Segregated Funds

Yes

Yes

Negative Balance Protection

No

Yes


Icon

Trading Instruments/Products Offered

Assets Types / Trading Instruments (total count and breakdown)

2200+ ETFs including CDs, Treasury bills, Notets and bonds, Primary market CDs, Zeros and strips and more

300+ instruments

Currency Pairs

No

Yes

Commodities

No

Yes

Indices

Yes- Through ETFs

Yes

Cryptocurrencies

Yes- Through ETFs

Yes

CFDs

No

Yes

ETFs

Yes

No

Stocks

Yes

Yes

Options

Yes

No

Futures

No

No

Bonds

Yes

No

Mutual Funds

Yes

No

Fractional Shares

Yes

Yes

Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)

Yes

No

Precious Metals

No

No

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)

Yes

No

Equities

No

No


Icon

Trading Platforms & Technology

Trading Platform Availability

Yes

Yes

MT4

No

Yes

MT5

Yes

Yes

cTrader

No

No

Social Trading

No

Yes

Copy Trading

No

Yes

Other Trading Platforms (proprietary, etc.)

Firstrade platform

HYCM Trader, Web trader

Platform Compatibility (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)

Yes

Yes


Icon

Account Types & Conditions

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

Brokerage account- Individual, Joint, Custodial, Retirement- Retirement (Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA), Corporate, Trust, International, Education Planning, Business Planning

Fixed, Classic and Raw account, Special account for VIP and corpoarte clients

Demo Account (Yes/No)

No

Yes

Islamic Accounts (Yes/No)

No

Yes

Minimum Deposit

$0

$20

Leverage Available

No

1:20- 1:500

Trade Limit (maximum per trade)

Depends on asset class

250 for MT4 Unlimited for HYCM trader and MT5

Commission (per account type)

$0

No commission for fixed and classic accounts, Commissions for raw account: FX $4 per round, Metals $5 per round, Others $0 per round

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

Both beginners and experienced traders

Beginners traders


Icon

Deposit & Withdrawal Options

Deposit Methods

Wire Fund Transfer, Check deposit, Asset transfer, ACH electronic transfer

Bank Transfer, Visa (credit/debit card), and Crypto wallet (cryptocurrency payments), e-wallets

Withdrawal Methods

Wire Fund Transfer, Check Deposit, Asset transfer, ACH electronic transfer, Withdrawal of sales proceed

Bank Transfer, Visa (credit/debit card), and Crypto wallet (cryptocurrency payments), e-wallets

Other E-Wallets Supported

No

Neteller, Skrill, PayTrust, Fasapay, WebMoney, AstroPay, ZOTAPAY, and UPI


Icon

Tools & Educational Resources

Economic Calendar

Yes

Yes

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

Education Center, Investment Education Videos, Option Guide, Margin Guide, Webinars, Tax center, Blogs, Upcoming IPOs

Forex Fundamentals, Trading Tools and Resources, Advanced Trading Concepts, Ethics and Compliance, Technology In Trading, Forex Market History


Icon

Fees & Commissions

Trading-Related Fees

Commission for stocks, ETFs, Options, Mutual funds- $0, Fixed income- Treasury Bills, Notes & Bonds, Municipal Bonds, Agency Bonds, Secondary Market CDs, Zeros & Strips- Net yield basis, Primary Market CDs- $30, Broker-Assisted Stock & Options Trades- $19.95 (+$0.50/Contract)

Spread- 0.1 to 1.5 pips, Raw account - FX- $4 per round, Metals - $5 per round

Spread (typical, fixed, variable)

Typical

Variable /Fixed

Per Lot Fees

NA

$4 per round

Options Contract Fees

$0

NA

Futures Contract Fees

NA

NA

Markup Fees on Spread

NA

NA

Guaranteed Stop Loss Fees

NA

NA

Maximum Leverage

No

1:500


Icon

Non-Trading Fees

Dormant Fees

$0

$10 inactive for 90 days

Subscription Fees (for premium features, data feeds)

NA

NA

Advisory Fees

0.20-0.30%

NA

Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)

NA

Yes

Statement or Document Fee

$2-$5

NA

Account Opening Fee

$0

NA

Account Maintenance Fee

$0

$50

Deposit Fee

$0

$0

Currency Conversion Fee

3%

$10

Withdrawal Fee

$25-$75

e-wallets- 1%, Bank wires- $30, Others-$0


Icon

Bonuses, Promotions & Benefits

Bonuses, Promotions, and Referrals

Yes

Yes

Customer Benefits (e.g., Retirement Plan)

Yes

No


Icon

Trading Hours

Trading Hours (for each asset class if applicable)

Pre-Market: 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM ET Regular Market: 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM ET After-Hours: 4:05 PM to 8:00 PM ET

23: 01GMT on Sunday night and 21: 00 GMT on Friday night


Icon

Customer Support

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

Monday - Friday,10am - 4pm ET

24/5 For complaints 9:00 - 18.00 (GMT +3)

Customer Support Methods (phone, email, live chat)

Phone: U.S. Toll Free: 1-800-869-8800, Outside the US: 1-718-961-6600, E-mail, FAQ, Fax: 1-718-961-3919

Phone: +44 - 208 - 816 - 7812, E-mail:[email protected], Live chat

Support Languages

3

15+


Icon

Additional Information

Headquarters Location

30-50 Whitestone Expwy. Ste. A301 Flushing, NY 11354

27-28 Clement's Lane, St Clement's HouseLondon EC4N 7AEUnited 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.
Both Firstrade and HYCM offer affordable fee structures, but Firstrade generally edges out with no inactivity fees and lower commissions on standard trades, whereas HYCM shines with bundled research and platform access.
Firstrade uses a digital-first onboarding approach with clear instructions and fast ID verification. HYCM goes a step further with manual checks and optional account tiers, ideal for serious professionals.
If you're looking for platform speed and ease of execution, Firstrade delivers a smooth experience. HYCM, however, is tailored toward traders who want deeper analysis tools and portfolio insights.
If you're after professional-grade platforms, Firstrade may be ideal. For casual investors, HYCM offers a low-barrier entry.