TradingCritique

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

Broker Name

HYCM

HYCM

VS
Freetrade

Freetrade

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Broker Overview

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

Market maker

STP broker

Years of Existence / Established Year

1977

2016

Customer Base / Number of Accounts

No information

1.5 M


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Regulation & Security

Regulations (governing bodies)

FCA, DFSA, CySEC,CIMA

FCA

Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)

Most Trusted Broker 2023 UAE, Most Transparent Forex Broker 2023

Best Online trading platform 2024

Security Measures

Tier-1 Client Fund Security

Yes

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)

300+ instruments

6200+ U.S Treasury Bills, Investment trust

Currency Pairs

Yes

No

Commodities

Yes

No

Indices

Yes

No

Cryptocurrencies

Yes

No

CFDs

Yes

No

ETFs

No

Yes

Stocks

Yes

Yes

Options

No

No

Futures

No

No

Bonds

No

No

Mutual Funds

No

No

Fractional Shares

Yes

Yes

Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)

No

No

Precious Metals

No

No

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)

No

Yes

Equities

No

No


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Trading Platforms & Technology

Trading Platform Availability

Yes

Yes

MT4

Yes

No

MT5

Yes

No

cTrader

No

No

Social Trading

Yes

Yes

Copy Trading

Yes

Yes

Other Trading Platforms (proprietary, etc.)

HYCM Trader, Web trader

Freetrade web and mobile trading platform

Platform Compatibility (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)

Yes

Yes


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Account Types & Conditions

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

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

General investment account, Stocks and shares ISA, Personal pension account

Demo Account (Yes/No)

Yes

No

Islamic Accounts (Yes/No)

Yes

No

Minimum Deposit

$20

$0

Leverage Available

1:20- 1:500

100:1

Trade Limit (maximum per trade)

250 for MT4 Unlimited for HYCM trader and MT5

depends on asset class

Commission (per account type)

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

$0

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

Beginners traders

Beginners to experienced traders


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Deposit & Withdrawal Options

Deposit Methods

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

Bank transfer, debit card, Apple pay, google pay

Withdrawal Methods

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

Linked bank account

Other E-Wallets Supported

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

Apple pay , google pay


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Tools & Educational Resources

Economic Calendar

Yes

No

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

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

Learn (Trading Education), Freetrade Blog (Market Insights), Webinars, Investing Guides, Video Tutorials, Community Forum


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Fees & Commissions

Trading-Related Fees

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

FX fee of 0.59%

Spread (typical, fixed, variable)

Variable /Fixed

Variable

Per Lot Fees

$4 per round

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

1:500

100:1


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Non-Trading Fees

Dormant Fees

$10 inactive for 90 days

$0

Subscription Fees (for premium features, data feeds)

NA

$0

Advisory Fees

NA

NA

Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)

Yes

NA

Statement or Document Fee

NA

NA

Account Opening Fee

NA

NA

Account Maintenance Fee

$50

£10.97

Deposit Fee

$0

£5

Currency Conversion Fee

$10

Exchange rate + 0.99%

Withdrawal Fee

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

£5


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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)

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

Monday to Friday: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM GMT Monday to Friday: 9:30 AM - 4:00 PM ET (2:30 PM - 9:00 PM GMT) European Market Hours- Monday to Friday: 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM CET (8:00 AM - 4:30 PM GMT)


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Customer Support

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

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

24/5

Customer Support Methods (phone, email, live chat)

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

Help hub, community forum, E-mail, Social media

Support Languages

15+

1


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Additional Information

Headquarters Location

27-28 Clement's Lane, St Clement's HouseLondon EC4N 7AEUnited Kingdom

Level 2, The Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, London, England, E1 6QL

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.
If minimizing trading costs is your top priority, HYCM might be more attractive due to its lower commissions. Meanwhile, Freetrade justifies its moderate fees with more robust tools and professional-grade features.
While HYCM prioritizes fast registration with minimal steps, Freetrade focuses on a thorough vetting process that gives more flexibility in choosing account types and features.
The trading interface of HYCM is known for its speed and ease-of-use, while Freetrade shines with its customizable layouts and advanced charting capabilities, making it a strong choice for serious analysts.
HYCM delivers a robust ecosystem for seasoned traders, whereas Freetrade focuses on ease of access and modern usability.