Which broker is better for Bhutan traders in 2026? Expert analysis across 12 categories.
Choosing between EasyMarkets and Plus500 is a key decision for retail traders in Bhutan. Both brokers are well-known internationally and cater to the specific needs of Bhutanese traders by supporting local deposit methods such as Bank Transfer, Skrill, Neteller, and USDT TRC20. EasyMarkets, with a rating of 3.4/5, is known for its risk-management tools like guaranteed stop-loss and a fixed-spread model. Plus500, rated 3.7/5, is a leading CFD platform offering competitive spreads and a proprietary trading app used by millions. For Bhutanese traders, factors like regulatory oversight (the local financial regulator does not license these brokers directly), execution quality, and platform availability in English are critical. Both brokers operate under respected licenses (EasyMarkets under CySEC; Plus500 under FCA and other top-tier regulators), providing a reasonable safety net. This comparison evaluates their trading costs, account types, deposit/withdrawal processes, and support options tailored to the Bhutan market, helping you decide which broker aligns with your trading style and goals.
| Instrument | EasyMarkets | Plus500 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD avg spread | 0.09 pips + $3.5/lot | 0.0 pips + $3.5/lot | Plus500 |
| XAU/USD (Gold) | $0.14 typical | $0.12 typical | Plus500 |
| GBP/USD avg spread | 0.29 pips | 0.23 pips | Plus500 |
| Standard acc spread | from 1.0 pips | from 0.8 pips | Plus500 |
| ECN commission | $3.5/lot/side | $3.5/lot/side | Tie |
| Min deposit | $25 | $100 | Plus500 |
For Bhutan traders, trading costs directly impact profitability. Plus500 generally offers tighter spreads on major forex pairs (e.g., EUR/USD around 0.6 pips) compared to EasyMarkets (fixed spreads around 1.0 pip). Plus500 charges a spread-only cost with no commission on most instruments, while EasyMarkets uses fixed spreads with no hidden fees. However, EasyMarkets includes guaranteed stop-loss without extra charge, which can save costs for risk-averse traders. With typical retail volumes (e.g., 1 lot on EUR/USD), Plus500’s lower spread can save Bhutanese traders $4-8 per trade, making it the more cost-effective option for active day traders.
| Account Type | EasyMarkets | Plus500 |
|---|---|---|
| Standard account | ✓ | ✓ |
| ECN / Raw spread | ✓ | ✓ |
| Islamic (swap-free) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Demo account | ✓ | ✓ |
| PAMM / MAM account | ✗ | ✗ |
| Zero spread account | ✗ | ✗ |
| Copy trading | ✗ | ✗ |
| Min deposit | $25 | $100 |
| Entity / Asset | EasyMarkets | Plus500 |
|---|---|---|
| Bhutan (offshore) | Up to 1:2000 | Up to 1:300 |
| Forex major pairs | 1:2000 | 1:300 |
| 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 | EasyMarkets | Plus500 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex pairs | 90+ | 65+ | EasyMarkets |
| Gold (XAU/USD) | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
| Oil (WTI/Brent) | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
| Stock indices | 25+ indices | 20+ indices | EasyMarkets |
| Crypto CFDs | 30+ | 20+ | EasyMarkets |
| Stocks / Share CFDs | ✗ | 1,700+ | Plus500 |
| ETFs | ✗ | ✓ | Tie |
| Platform | EasyMarkets | Plus500 |
|---|---|---|
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | ✗ | ✗ |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | ✗ | ✗ |
| cTrader | ✗ | ✗ |
| TradingView | ✗ | ✗ |
| Expert Advisors (EAs) | ✗ | ✗ |
| Scalping allowed | ✓ | ✗ |
| Hedging allowed | ✓ | ✗ |
Both brokers offer web and mobile platforms, but the experience differs. Plus500’s proprietary platform is sleek, user-friendly, and optimized for CFD trading on a wide range of assets, including forex, indices, commodities, and cryptocurrencies. It features advanced charting tools and a clear risk management interface. EasyMarkets also provides its own web and mobile platforms, plus integration with TradingView for charting. For Bhutan traders who value simplicity and speed, Plus500’s one-click trading is attractive. EasyMarkets’ platform focuses on risk control with features like deal cancellation and guaranteed stop-loss, which may appeal to less experienced retail traders.
| Factor | EasyMarkets | Plus500 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Execution model | ECN/STP | True ECN | Plus500 |
| Avg execution speed | ~30ms | ~40ms | EasyMarkets |
| Slippage | Very low | Very low | Tie |
| Requotes | Very rare | Very rare | Tie |
| Scalping allowed | ✓ | ✗ | Tie |
| EA / Bot trading | ✗ | ✗ | Tie |
Both brokers offer reliable order execution. EasyMarkets uses a market execution model with no requotes and offers guaranteed stop-loss on all trades, which prevents slippage. Plus500 uses an STP/ECN model with variable slippage, but its execution speed is very fast on liquid markets. For Bhutan traders who trade volatile assets like cryptocurrencies, guaranteed stop-loss from EasyMarkets can be a safety net, while Plus500’s speed is ideal for scalping strategies.
| Safety Factor | EasyMarkets | Plus500 |
|---|---|---|
| Primary regulator | CySEC | FCA |
| Top-tier regulated | ✓ | ✓ |
| Investor protection | ✓ | ✓ |
| Segregated funds | ✓ | ✓ |
| Neg. balance protection | ✓ | ✓ |
EasyMarkets is regulated by CySEC (Cyprus) and offers additional oversight from ASIC, FSA, and BVIFSC. Plus500 is regulated by top-tier authorities including the FCA (UK), CySEC, ASIC, and the FMA (New Zealand). For Bhutan traders, neither broker is directly supervised by the local financial regulator. However, the robust regulatory framework of Plus500 (especially FCA) provides a higher level of client protection under investor compensation schemes. EasyMarkets also offers protection via CySEC’s ICF up to €20,000. Bhutanese traders should consider the jurisdiction of the entity they open an account with – Plus500’s UK entity offers FCA protection, whereas EasyMarkets’ Cyprus entity offers EU-level safeguards.
| Payment Method | EasyMarkets | Plus500 |
|---|---|---|
| Bank Wire Transfer | ✓ | ✓ |
| Visa / Mastercard | ✓ | ✓ |
| Skrill | ✓ | ✗ |
| Neteller | ✓ | ✗ |
| USDT / Crypto | ✗ | ✓ |
| Withdrawal time | Cards 1-2 business days; e-wallets instant-1 business day; bank wire 3-10 business days; overall back-office processing within 1 business day (24h) | 1 to 3 business day |
Depositing and withdrawing funds is convenient for Bhutan traders with both brokers. They accept Bank Transfer, Skrill, Neteller, and USDT TRC20. Plus500 also supports major credit/debit cards, while EasyMarkets adds PayPal and UnionPay. The minimum deposit for EasyMarkets is $100, while Plus500 has no minimum deposit requirement. USDT TRC20 deposits are processed almost instantly with very low fees, which is ideal for Bhutanese traders who prefer cryptocurrency transfers. Withdrawals are processed within 1-2 business days on both platforms, though Plus500 generally returns funds via the same method used for deposit. EasyMarkets may require additional verification for certain withdrawal methods. Both brokers do not charge internal deposit fees, but Bank Transfer fees may apply from the Bhutanese bank side.
| Islamic Account Feature | EasyMarkets | Plus500 |
|---|---|---|
| Swap-free available | ✓ | ✗ |
| Admin fee instead of swap | On some instruments | On some instruments |
| MT4 / MT5 supported | ✓ | ✓ |
| How to apply | Contact support | Contact support |
Bhutan has a growing Muslim minority, and both EasyMarkets and Plus500 provide Islamic swap-free accounts that comply with Sharia law. EasyMarkets offers an Islamic account upon request, with no swap or interest charges, but no additional admin fees. Plus500 automatically applies swap-free status to eligible clients based on jurisdiction or request, and also charges no extra fees. The key difference is that EasyMarkets’ Islamic account may have a wider fixed spread to compensate for the lack of swap, while Plus500 maintains its already low spreads. Bhutanese Muslim traders should verify that their account type does not include hidden overnight charges on positions held open past the market close.
| Support Feature | EasyMarkets | Plus500 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live chat | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
| Phone support | ✗ | ✗ | Tie |
| Email support | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
| 24/7 support | ✗ | ✗ | Tie |
| Response time (chat) | <2 minutes | <3 minutes | EasyMarkets |
Customer support is available in English for both brokers. EasyMarkets offers 24/5 live chat, email, and phone support with a dedicated account manager option for VIP clients. Plus500 provides 24/7 live chat and email support, but phone support is limited to certain regions. For Bhutan traders, Plus500’s 24/7 availability is beneficial given the time zone difference (Bhutan Time, BTT, is UTC+6). EasyMarkets’ response times are generally quick, but support is not available on weekends.
| Mobile Feature | EasyMarkets | Plus500 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| iOS App Store rating | 4.5 stars | 4.3 stars | EasyMarkets |
| Google Play rating | 4.3 stars | 4.2 stars | EasyMarkets |
| Biometric login | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
| Push notifications | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
| Full charting on mobile | ✓ | ✓ | Tie |
| TradingView mobile | ✗ | ✗ | Tie |
| Resource | EasyMarkets | Plus500 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Video tutorials | 100+ videos | ✗ | EasyMarkets |
| Webinars (live) | Weekly | ✗ | EasyMarkets |
| Economic calendar | ✓ | ✗ | Tie |
| Market analysis | Daily | Basic | EasyMarkets |
Choose EasyMarkets if you...
Choose Plus500 if you...
For Bhutan traders, Plus500 emerges as the stronger choice with a higher overall rating (3.7/5) and lower trading costs, especially for active retail traders. Its FCA regulation offers an extra layer of security that EasyMarkets’ CySEC license cannot fully match. The availability of local payment methods – Bank Transfer, Skrill, Neteller, and USDT TRC20 – makes both brokers accessible, but Plus500’s no minimum deposit and 24/7 support give it an edge. EasyMarkets remains a solid option for risk-averse traders who value guaranteed stop-loss and a fixed spread structure, despite higher costs. Ultimately, Bhutani traders should weigh their personal priorities: cost-efficiency and platform sleekness vs. risk management tools. For most, Plus500 will be the better fit.