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

Broker Name

Plus500 Futures

Plus500 Futures

VS
Lightyear

Lightyear

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Broker Overview

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

Market Maker

STP

Years of Existence / Established Year

2008

2020

Customer Base / Number of Accounts

30+ Million

Info not available


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Regulation & Security

Regulations (governing bodies)

NFA, CFTC

FCA EFSA

Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)

NA

No major awards listed

Security Measures

NA

SIPC, EIPSF Upto Euro 20,000

SSL Encryption / 2FA

Yes

Yes

Segregated Funds

Yes

Yes

Negative Balance Protection

No

No


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Trading Instruments/Products Offered

Assets Types / Trading Instruments (total count and breakdown)

2800+ including Equity index

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

Currency Pairs

Yes

No

Commodities

Yes

No

Indices

No

No

Cryptocurrencies

Yes

No

CFDs

Yes

No

ETFs

No

Yes

Stocks

No

Yes

Options

No

No

Futures

Yes

No

Bonds

Yes

Yes

Mutual Funds

No

No

Fractional Shares

No

Yes

Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)

No

No

Precious Metals

Yes

Yes - through Exchange Traded Commodities

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)

No

Yes - through REIT stocks

Equities

No

Yes


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Trading Platforms & Technology

Trading Platform Availability

Yes

Yes

MT4

No

No

MT5

No

No

cTrader

No

No

Social Trading

No

Yes

Copy Trading

No

No

Other Trading Platforms (proprietary, etc.)

Mobile and web trading platform

Lightyear's proprietary platform

Platform Compatibility (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)

Yes

Yes


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Account Types & Conditions

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

Plus500 futures trading account

Personal Business

Demo Account (Yes/No)

Yes

No

Islamic Accounts (Yes/No)

No

No

Minimum Deposit

$100

$0

Leverage Available

1:30 - 1:300

No

Trade Limit (maximum per trade)

Depends on the asset type

Varies for each product

Commission (per account type)

$0

Euro 0

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

Beginners

Beginners


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Deposit & Withdrawal Options

Deposit Methods

Visa, Master card, Bank 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

Visa, Master card, Bank transfer, e-wallets

Bank Transfers

Other E-Wallets Supported

Apple pay, GPay, Klarna

No


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Tools & Educational Resources

Economic Calendar

Yes

No

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

Trading academy, News and Markets insights, Risk management tools

Savings interest calculator Inflation calculator Ticker time machine Rate comparison calculator


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Fees & Commissions

Trading-Related Fees

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

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

NA

Per Lot Fees

NA

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

1:300 for professional account

Info not available


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Non-Trading Fees

Dormant Fees

$0

$0

Subscription Fees (for premium features, data feeds)

NA

NA

Advisory Fees

NA

NA

Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)

NA

NA

Statement or Document Fee

$0

NA

Account Opening Fee

NA

$0

Account Maintenance Fee

NA

$0

Deposit Fee

$0

In EUR & GBP Debit Card / ApplePay / Google Pay - First Euro500 lifetime free, 0.5% after In USD FedWire & Swift - $6.11

Currency Conversion Fee

NA

0.35%

Withdrawal Fee

$0

$0


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Bonuses, Promotions & Benefits

Bonuses, Promotions, and Referrals

Yes

Yes

Customer Benefits (e.g., Retirement Plan)

Yes

Yes


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Trading Hours

Trading Hours (for each asset class if applicable)

Depends on the assets type

Vary for each asset class


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Customer Support

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

24/7

24/7

Customer Support Methods (phone, email, live chat)

E-mail through Query Form, Live chat

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

Support Languages

2

20+


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Additional Information

Headquarters Location

Israel

Volta 1 Tallinn 10412 Estonia

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.
For costs, Plus500 Futures follows exchange-style pricing-flat commission plus regulatory fee-keeping futures costs predictable. Lightyear typically varies fees by asset class and account type. Check each broker's schedule for the markets you trade most.
Opening an account at Plus500 Futures is digital with ID verification; a demo account is available. Minimum deposit is $100 and Islamic accounts aren't offered. Lightyear may add extra checks or account tiers, which can help advanced users tailor margin and permissions.
Plus500 Futures supports WebTrader and mobile, with core charting. Social/copy trading isn't the focus. Lightyear may offer additional research suites or specialist tools depending on its product mix.
If your priority is regulated access to U.S. futures with straightforward costs, Plus500 Futures is a solid fit. Choose Lightyear if you want broader multi-asset coverage or platform extras beyond core futures trading.