Forex.com vs Lightyear : Fees, Safety & Trading Conditions Compared (2026)

Broker Name

Forex.com

Lightyear

Broker Overview

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

Market maker

STP

Years of Existence / Established Year

2001

2020

Customer Base / Number of Accounts

454k + Customers

Info not available

Regulation & Security

Regulations (governing bodies)

CIRO, FSA, MAS, CySEC, NFA, CFTC, CIMA, FCA, ASIC

FCA EFSA

Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)

Best HNW Service, Best Broker for CFDs, Best in Class Overall Best in Class Mobile Trading Apps Best in Class Offering of Investments Best New Tool Performance Analytics

No major awards listed

Security Measures

FSCS

SIPC, EIPSF Upto Euro 20,000

SSL Encryption / 2FA

Yes

Segregated Funds

Yes

Negative Balance Protection

Trading Instruments/Products Offered

Assets Types / Trading Instruments (total count and breakdown)

5, 500+ 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

Yes

MT5

Yes

cTrader

Social Trading

Yes

Copy Trading

Yes

Other Trading Platforms (proprietary, etc.)

Forex.com Proprietary platform

Lightyear's proprietary platform

Platform Compatibility (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)

Yes

Account Types & Conditions

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

Standard, Raw spread, MetaTrader account

Personal Business

Demo Account (Yes/No)

Yes

Islamic Accounts (Yes/No)

Minimum Deposit

$100

Leverage Available

50:1

Trade Limit (maximum per trade)

No information

Varies for each product

Commission (per account type)

Raw account - $7 per 100k USD traded

Euro 0

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

Beginners to experienced traders

Beginners

Deposit & Withdrawal Options

Deposit Methods

Credit/ debit card, bank wire

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

Credit/ debit card, bank wire

Bank Transfers

Other E-Wallets Supported

Neteller, skrill

Tools & Educational Resources

Economic Calendar

Yes

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

Forex Trading University, Market Analysis and Insights, Webinars, Video Tutorials, Trading Guides and eBooks, Market News and Research

Savings interest calculator Inflation calculator Ticker time machine Rate comparison calculator

Fees & Commissions

Trading-Related Fees

Commission: Fixed $7 USD per $100k USD traded

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

50:1

Info not available

Non-Trading Fees

Dormant Fees

$15 inactive for 12 months

Subscription Fees (for premium features, data feeds)

Advisory Fees

$30

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

0.50%

0.35%

Withdrawal Fee

Free for bank transfers and debit cards, US: $25, International: $40, except over $10,000

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)

Depends on the instrument offer

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)

Live chat: https://www.forex.com/en/contact-forex-com, Phone New accounts: Tollfree: 1-877-367-3946, International: 1-908-731-0750 Existing customers: Tollfree: 1-877-367-3946,Email New accounts: [email protected] Existing customers & inquiries: [email protected] International: 1-908-731-0750

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

Support Languages

20+

Additional Information

Headquarters Location

30 Independence Blvd Suite 300, 3rd Floor, Warren, New Jersey 07059, US.

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

Creating an account with Forex.com is generally faster and more user-friendly, often taking just a few minutes, while Lightyear requires more detailed steps and identity verification, which may suit more cautious investors.

Traders who value simplicity and execution speed may prefer Forex.com platform. Meanwhile, Lightyear offers more flexibility through tools like advanced order types and multi-screen support.

Forex.com is geared toward frequent trading and analytics, while Lightyear fits those who value simplicity and guided experiences.

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