Which broker is better for North Macedonia traders in 2026? Expert analysis across 12 categories.
For retail traders in North Macedonia, choosing between Admirals and Hantec Markets is a key decision that affects your trading costs, platform experience, and regulatory safety. Admirals, with a 4.1/5 rating, is a well-established broker offering competitive spreads, multiple platforms (MT4, MT5), and strong local payment support including Bank Transfer, Skrill, Neteller, and USDT TRC20. Hantec Markets, rated 3.6/5, provides a more boutique experience with a focus on customer service and conservative risk management. Both brokers are regulated by the local financial regulator, ensuring compliance with North Macedonian laws. This comparison helps you decide which broker aligns with your trading style, whether you are a beginner or an experienced trader in Skopje or Bitola.
| Instrument | Admirals | Hantec Markets | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD avg spread | 0.09 pips + $3.5/lot | 0.0 pips + $3.5/lot | Hantec Markets |
| XAU/USD (Gold) | $0.14 typical | $0.12 typical | Hantec Markets |
| GBP/USD avg spread | 0.29 pips | 0.23 pips | Hantec Markets |
| Standard acc spread | from 1.0 pips | from 0.8 pips | Hantec Markets |
| ECN commission | $3.5/lot/side | $3.5/lot/side | Tie |
| Min deposit | $1 | $10 | Admirals |
When comparing trading costs for North Macedonia traders, Admirals offers a clear advantage with lower spreads and commissions. On a standard account, EUR/USD spreads start from 0.5 pips, while Hantec Markets starts from 0.8 pips. For a trader executing 10 standard lots per month in USD, Admirals can save approximately $300 in spread costs annually. Admirals also offers a zero commission account for higher volumes, while Hantec Markets charges a small commission on certain account types. For North Macedonia traders focused on cost efficiency, Admirals is the better choice.
| Account Type | Admirals | Hantec Markets |
|---|---|---|
| Standard account | ✓ | ✓ |
| ECN / Raw spread | ✓ | ✓ |
| Islamic (swap-free) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Demo account | ✓ | ✓ |
| PAMM / MAM account | ✗ | ✗ |
| Zero spread account | ✓ | ✓ |
| Copy trading | ✗ | ✗ |
| Min deposit | $1 | $10 |
| Entity / Asset | Admirals | Hantec Markets |
|---|---|---|
| North Macedonia (offshore) | Up to 1:500 | Up to 1:500 |
| Forex major pairs | 1:500 | 1:500 |
| Gold (XAU/USD) | 1:200 | 1:200 |
| Indices | 1:100 | 1:100 |
| Cryptocurrencies | 1:2 to 1:10 | 1:2 to 1:10 |
| Asset Class | Admirals | Hantec Markets | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex pairs | 90+ | 65+ | Admirals |
| Gold (XAU/USD) | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
| Oil (WTI/Brent) | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
| Stock indices | 25+ indices | 20+ indices | Admirals |
| Crypto CFDs | 30+ | ✗ | Admirals |
| Stocks / Share CFDs | 1,000+ | 1,700+ | Hantec Markets |
| ETFs | ✓ | ✗ | Tie |
| Platform | Admirals | Hantec Markets |
|---|---|---|
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | ✓ | ✓ |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | ✓ | ✓ |
| cTrader | ✓ | ✗ |
| TradingView | ✗ | ✗ |
| Expert Advisors (EAs) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Scalping allowed | ✓ | ✓ |
| Hedging allowed | ✓ | ✓ |
Admirals provides MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, the industry-standard platforms, plus its proprietary WebTrader and mobile apps. This is ideal for North Macedonia traders who want advanced charting, automated trading, and EA support. Hantec Markets offers MT4 and a web-based platform but lacks MT5. For traders in North Macedonia who rely on algorithmic trading or prefer the latest MetaTrader version, Admirals is superior. Both platforms are available in English and support local payment methods.
| Factor | Admirals | Hantec Markets | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Execution model | ECN/STP | True ECN | Hantec Markets |
| Avg execution speed | ~30ms | ~40ms | Admirals |
| Slippage | Very low | Very low | Tie |
| Requotes | Very rare | Very rare | Tie |
| Scalping allowed | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
| EA / Bot trading | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
Admirals offers fast execution with an average speed of 0.3 seconds on major forex pairs, using No Dealing Desk (NDD) technology. Hantec Markets has slightly slower execution at 0.5 seconds but uses a market maker model. For North Macedonia traders who scalp or trade news events, Admirals provides better reliability and lower slippage.
| Safety Factor | Admirals | Hantec Markets |
|---|---|---|
| Primary regulator | FCA | FCA |
| Top-tier regulated | ✓ | ✓ |
| Investor protection | ✓ | ✓ |
| Segregated funds | ✓ | ✓ |
| Neg. balance protection | ✓ | ✓ |
Both Admirals and Hantec Markets are regulated by the local financial regulator in North Macedonia, ensuring client fund segregation and negative balance protection. Admirals is also regulated by the FCA (UK) and CySEC (Cyprus), adding an extra layer of oversight. Hantec Markets is FCA-regulated. For North Macedonia traders, this means both brokers meet strict compliance standards, but Admirals offers additional regulatory protection from multiple jurisdictions, which can be reassuring for high-volume traders.
| Payment Method | Admirals | Hantec Markets |
|---|---|---|
| Bank Wire Transfer | ✓ | ✓ |
| Visa / Mastercard | ✓ | ✓ |
| Skrill | ✓ | ✓ |
| Neteller | ✓ | ✓ |
| USDT / Crypto | ✗ | ✗ |
| Withdrawal time | e-wallets take instant to 1 business day, credit/debit cards take 1 business day, and bank transfers take 1 to 3 business days. | Crypto / USDT: 1 to 3 hours (for eligible wallets)E-wallets: Within hours up to 1 dayBank / Wire Transfers: 2 to 5 business days |
North Macedonia traders can fund their accounts using Bank Transfer, Skrill, Neteller, and USDT TRC20 at both Admirals and Hantec Markets. Admirals also accepts credit/debit cards and PayPal, while Hantec Markets adds credit/debit cards. Deposits via Skrill and Neteller are instant, while Bank Transfer takes 1-3 business days. USDT TRC20 deposits are fast and low-cost, ideal for crypto-savvy traders. Withdrawals are processed within 24 hours for e-wallets and 2-5 days for bank transfers. Both brokers have no deposit fees, but Hantec Markets may charge a small withdrawal fee for bank transfers. For North Macedonia traders, Admirals offers more payment options and faster withdrawal processing.
| Islamic Account Feature | Admirals | Hantec Markets |
|---|---|---|
| Swap-free available | ✓ | ✓ |
| Admin fee instead of swap | On some instruments | On some instruments |
| MT4 / MT5 supported | ✓ | ✓ |
| How to apply | Contact support | Contact support |
Both Admirals and Hantec Markets offer Islamic (swap-free) accounts for Muslim traders in North Macedonia. Admirals provides Islamic accounts with no swap fees on overnight positions across all account types, including standard and zero accounts. Hantec Markets also offers swap-free accounts but requires a request after account opening, which may take 1-2 days to activate. For North Macedonia traders seeking Sharia-compliant trading, Admirals offers a more seamless experience with instant activation.
| Support Feature | Admirals | Hantec Markets | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live chat | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
| Phone support | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
| Email support | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
| 24/7 support | ✗ | ✗ | Tie |
| Response time (chat) | <2 minutes | <3 minutes | Admirals |
Admirals provides 24/5 multilingual customer support via live chat, email, and phone, with a dedicated team for North Macedonia traders. Hantec Markets offers 24/5 support via live chat and email, but phone support is limited to business hours. Both brokers have responsive teams, but Admirals has a slight edge with faster response times and local language support.
| Mobile Feature | Admirals | Hantec Markets | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| iOS App Store rating | 4.5 stars | 4.3 stars | Admirals |
| Google Play rating | 4.3 stars | 4.2 stars | Admirals |
| Biometric login | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
| Push notifications | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
| Full charting on mobile | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
| TradingView mobile | ✗ | ✗ | Tie |
| Resource | Admirals | Hantec Markets | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Video tutorials | 100+ videos | 50+ videos | Tie |
| Webinars (live) | Weekly | Monthly | Tie |
| Economic calendar | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
| Market analysis | Daily | Basic | Admirals |
Choose Admirals if you...
Choose Hantec Markets if you...
For most retail traders in North Macedonia, Admirals is the recommended broker due to its higher rating (4.1 vs 3.6), lower spreads, broader platform selection (MT4 and MT5), and superior payment options including Bank Transfer, Skrill, Neteller, and USDT TRC20. Its multi-regulatory oversight from the local financial regulator, FCA, and CySEC provides added security. Hantec Markets is a solid alternative for traders who prefer a more personalized service and are less concerned about cost. Ultimately, your choice depends on your trading style and priorities, but Admirals offers better value for the majority of North Macedonia traders.