As regulated and globally recognized brokers, City Index and FOREX.com stand out in 2025 for their robust trading platforms, low spreads, and deep market access. In fact, both are operated by the same parent company — StoneX Group, a publicly traded financial powerhouse listed on NASDAQ.
But despite their shared ownership, these two brokers offer different strengths. In this comparison of City Index vs FOREX.com, we’ll explore how they differ across platforms, pricing, regulation, markets, tools, and more — helping you decide which is the better fit for your trading goals.
Broker Review Contents
🛡 Regulation & Trust
| Broker | Regulated By | Parent Company |
|---|---|---|
| City Index | FCA (UK), ASIC (Australia), MAS (Singapore) | StoneX Group (NASDAQ) |
| FOREX.com | CFTC/NFA (USA), FCA, ASIC, CySEC | StoneX Group (NASDAQ) |
👉 Winner: FOREX.com
While both are well-regulated and backed by the same financial group, FOREX.com has broader global regulation, especially in the U.S.
💻 Platforms & Execution
| Feature | City Index | FOREX.com |
|---|---|---|
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | ✅ Advanced Trader, WebTrader | ✅ Web & Mobile Apps |
| TradingView Support | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Execution Type | Market & Instant | Market, STP, DMA options |
👉 Winner: FOREX.com
MT5 support and more execution flexibility make FOREX.com stronger for advanced and algorithmic traders, while City Index offers TradingView support.
💰 Spreads & Pricing
| Instrument | City Index Avg Spread | FOREX.com Avg Spread |
|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | 0.8 pips | 1.0 pips |
| Gold | 0.3 | 0.15 |
| S&P 500 | 0.5 | 0.6 |
| BTC/USD | 90 | 90 |
- Both offer commission-free and commission-based account options.
- FOREX.com edges out on precious metal pricing, while City Index performs better on forex pairs.
👉 Winner: Tie
City Index is slightly better on FX spreads, while FOREX.com dominates on commodities like gold.
📈 Tradable Instruments
| Asset Class | City Index | FOREX.com |
|---|---|---|
| Forex | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Indices | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Stocks (CFDs) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Commodities | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Cryptocurrencies | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Bonds | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| ETFs | ❌ No | ❌ No |
👉 Winner: FOREX.com
FOREX.com includes bond CFDs, giving it a slight edge in asset diversity.
👥 Account Types & Minimums
| Feature | City Index | FOREX.com |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Account | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Commission Account | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Islamic Account | ✅ Yes (by request) | ✅ Yes |
| Demo Account | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Minimum Deposit | $0–100 | $100 |
👉 Winner: Tie
Both brokers offer flexible account types and support Islamic accounts.
🧠 Tools, Research & Education
| Feature | City Index | FOREX.com |
|---|---|---|
| Autochartist | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Trading Central | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Performance Analytics | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Economic Calendar | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Educational Courses | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
👉 Winner: FOREX.com
Both brokers offer rich research, but Autochartist and more robust MT5 analytics give FOREX.com the edge for technical traders.
💳 Deposit & Withdrawal Options
| Method | City Index | FOREX.com |
|---|---|---|
| Bank Transfer | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Credit/Debit | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| PayPal | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Skrill/Neteller | ❌ No | ❌ No |
👉 Winner: Tie
Both support the most common payment methods, including PayPal.
📊 Broker Scorecard (2025)
| Category | City Index | FOREX.com |
|---|---|---|
| Regulation | 9/10 | 10/10 |
| Platforms | 8/10 | 9/10 |
| Pricing | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Market Access | 8/10 | 9/10 |
| Account Flexibility | 9/10 | 9/10 |
| Tools & Research | 8/10 | 9/10 |
| Deposit Options | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Education | 9/10 | 9/10 |
| Total Score | 67/80 | 71/80 |
🏁 Final Verdict: City Index or FOREX.com?
✅ Choose City Index if you:
- Prefer TradingView integration
- Want a highly intuitive platform (Advanced Trader)
- Need competitive forex spreads and $0 minimum deposit
✅ Choose FOREX.com if you:
- Want MT4 + MT5
- Need broader global regulation
- Prefer Autochartist, bond CFDs, and advanced tool support
Bottom Line: Both are excellent, FCA-regulated brokers with strong parentage under StoneX.
FOREX.com is more suited to advanced and algorithmic traders, while City Index is ideal for retail traders who prefer intuitive tools and slightly better forex spreads.
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