Lightspeed vs Plus500 Futures : Fees, Safety & Trading Conditions Compared (2026)

Broker Name

Lightspeed

Plus500 Futures

Broker Overview

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

STP broker

Market Maker

Years of Existence / Established Year

2005

2008

Customer Base / Number of Accounts

No information

30+ Million

Regulation & Security

Regulations (governing bodies)

FINRA, SEC

NFA, CFTC

Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)

No major awards listed

Security Measures

SIPC

SSL Encryption / 2FA

Yes

Segregated Funds

Yes

Negative Balance Protection

Trading Instruments/Products Offered

Assets Types / Trading Instruments (total count and breakdown)

Commodity futures

2800+ including Equity index

Currency Pairs

Yes

Commodities

Yes

Indices

Cryptocurrencies

Yes

CFDs

Yes

ETFs

Yes

Stocks

Yes

Options

Yes

Futures

Yes

Bonds

Yes

Mutual Funds

Fractional Shares

Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)

Precious Metals

Yes

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)

Equities

Yes

Trading Platforms & Technology

Trading Platform Availability

Yes

MT4

MT5

cTrader

Social Trading

Copy Trading

Other Trading Platforms (proprietary, etc.)

Light speed trader, Web and mobile trading, Speciality trading platform, Future trading platform, Risk management Software

Mobile and web trading platform

Platform Compatibility (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)

Yes except Mac, iOS, Android

Yes

Account Types & Conditions

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

Standard account- Individual, Joint, Retirement, Corporate, Trust, LLC, Institutional account- Prime brokerage, Separately Manged account, DVP, RVP,Cash and Margin account

Plus500 futures trading account

Demo Account (Yes/No)

Yes

Islamic Accounts (Yes/No)

Minimum Deposit

$2,000

$100

Leverage Available

4:1 to 2:1

1:30 - 1:300

Trade Limit (maximum per trade)

Depends on asset class

Depends on the asset type

Commission (per account type)

Accounts under $15,000: $25 monthly fee, Lightspeed Trader and Sterling Trader Pro: $0.50 minimum per order, Eze EMS (formerly RealTick): $3.00 minimum commission, Lightspeed Web & Mobile: $1 minimum commission

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

Active traders, professionals, and institutional traders

Beginners

Deposit & Withdrawal Options

Deposit Methods

Wire transfer, ACH, account transfer, Check

Visa, Master card, Bank transfer, e-wallets

Withdrawal Methods

Wire transfer, ACH, account transfer,Check

Visa, Master card, Bank transfer, e-wallets

Other E-Wallets Supported

Apple pay, GPay, Klarna

Tools & Educational Resources

Economic Calendar

Yes

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

Trading Platform Tutorials, Market Insights and Analysis, Webinars and Online Events, Trading Education Resources, Market News and Research

Trading academy, News and Markets insights, Risk management tools

Fees & Commissions

Trading-Related Fees

ETFs- $2, Share- $0.001, Future option fee- $1.29

NFA Regulatory Fee- $0.02 per side, Commission -$0.49 to $0.89

Spread (typical, fixed, variable)

Fixed

Per Lot Fees

Options Contract Fees

$0.20

Futures Contract Fees

Markup Fees on Spread

Guaranteed Stop Loss Fees

Maximum Leverage

4:1

1:300 for professional account

Non-Trading Fees

Dormant Fees

$25 monthly minimum

Subscription Fees (for premium features, data feeds)

$130

Advisory Fees

Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)

Yes

Statement or Document Fee

$15 - $50 per month

Account Opening Fee

$20

Account Maintenance Fee

Maintenance fees will be billed weekly, based on the previous month's commissions

Deposit Fee

Currency Conversion Fee

$10

Withdrawal Fee

$20 fee for domestic wires and a $50 fee for international wires, Check standard time- free or overnight $30

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)

4 AM to 8 PM EST on weekdays only.

Depends on the assets type

Customer Support

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

24/7

Customer Support Methods (phone, email, live chat)

E-mail: [email protected], Phone: 1-888-577-3123 , 1-646-393-4800, Schedule a call

E-mail through Query Form, Live chat

Support Languages

Additional Information

Headquarters Location

Chicago office, 181 West Madison Street, Suite 2950, Chicago, IL 60602

Israel

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.

Lightspeed structures pricing by market and account type, which can be competitive for certain products. Plus500 Futures keeps futures costs predictable with a flat commission $0.49 plus a $0.02 NFA fee per side and no inactivity fee.

With Lightspeed, eligibility and account tiers can shape your experience. Plus500 Futures emphasizes a simple setup with demo access; Islamic accounts aren't available.

Traders who want extensive research might prefer Lightspeed; Plus500 Futures keeps the platform experience streamlined for placing and managing futures orders.

If you want multi-asset flexibility, Lightspeed could be the better home. For focused U.S. futures access under NFA/CFTC oversight, Plus500 Futures keeps things simple.

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