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CMC Markets

CMC Markets Review (2026)

Written by BrokerSpecs TeamLast Updated: 2 March 2026

This 2026 review of CMC Markets breaks down its fee structure, tradable assets, tools, customer support, and more to help you determine whether it’s the right broker for your trading goals.

Established in 1989 and publicly listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE), CMC Markets is a global multi-asset brokerage regulated by multiple Tier 1 authorities including the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC), Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin), Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO), and Financial Markets Authority (FMA).

It's a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index, serving over 1 million clients globally, and offering access to over 12,000 tradable instruments across forex, indices, commodities, shares, bonds, ETFs, cryptocurrencies, and more.

CMC Markets Review

CMC Markets Overview

CMC Markets Logo
4.5/5
Average
  • Minimum Deposit$0
  • SpreadLow
  • Trading FeeFree
  • Deposit FeeFree
  • Withdrawal FeeFree
  • Account OpeningWithin 24 hours

Pros and Cons

Pros
  • Strong global regulation by multiple top-tier authorities
  • Modern and intuitive trading platforms for web and mobile
  • Vast library of educational resources
  • Diverse range of asset classes and a large number of tradable instruments
  • Powerful suite of integrated research tools
  • Publicly listed on the LSE
Cons
  • Inactivity fees apply after one year without trading
  • No support for copy trading

Top-Rated
Brokers

  • 1CMC MarketsCMC Markets
  • 2City IndexCity Index
  • 3PepperstonePepperstone
  • 4XTBXTB
  • 5AdmiralsAdmirals

Account Types

Score: 4/5

CMC Markets provides three main accounts for retail clients: Spread Betting, CFD Trading, and FX Active. Below is a comparison of the respective account types:

Account Type
Minimum Deposit
Spread
Commission
Maximum Leverage
Asset Class
CFD Trading
$$0
From From 0.5 pips pips
$US shares: $0.02 per share ($10 minimum) UK shares: 0.1% per trade (£9 minimum)
1:500
-
Spread Betting
$$0
From From 0.5 pips pips
$$0
1:500
-
FX Active
$$0
From From 0.0 pips pips
$US shares: $0.02 per share ($10 minimum) UK shares: 0.1% per trade (£9 minimum) $5 per lot (round turn)
1:500
-

The broker also provides corporate accounts and demo accounts for practice. However, there are no swap-free options available for Muslim traders.

CMC Markets Fees, Spreads, and Commissions

Score: 4.3/5

Trading Fees

CMC Markets has competitive trading fees and generally low spreads starting from 0.5 pips for index and forex CFDs. However, stock CFD fees are relatively high, at $0.02 per share for US equities with a minimum commission of $10. For UK equities, it charges 0.1% per trade with a minimum commission of £9. The FX Active account has tighter spreads, but incurs a commission of $5 per lot (round turn).


Deposit, Withdrawal, and Other Account Fees

CMC Markets doesn’t charge fees for deposits or withdrawals, but a £10/$15 monthly inactivity fee applies to accounts with no activity for 12 months or more. Accounts can be denominated in 10 different base currencies, and currency conversion charges apply when funding an account in a different base currency.

Swap fees also apply to overnight positions. A premium is charged for using a guaranteed-stop loss order, but this cost is refunded automatically if the order isn’t triggered.

Trading Platforms Available on CMC Markets

Score: 4/5

CMC Markets offers its proprietary Next Generation platform, a highly customizable, cutting-edge platform featuring advanced tools. It also integrates with TradingView. However, CMC Markets only provides access to MetaTrader 4 (MT4), lacking support for the feature-rich MetaTrader (MT5).

For mobile users, CMC Markets provides dedicated iOS and Android mobile apps that offer:

  • Live trading
  • Account management
  • Custom alerts
  • Watchlists
  • TradingView charts

The mobile app is user-friendly and designed with a modern interface consistent with the web version.

Trading PlatformsAvailability
MetaTrader 4
MetaTrader 5
cTrader
TradingView
NinjaTrader
Proprietary Platform
Mobile App

Assets You Can Trade on CMC Markets

Score: 4.8/5

CMC Markets offers an extensive selection of CFDs across various asset classes, with nearly 12,000 tradable instruments in total. This includes over 300 currency pairs and over 10,000 stocks from 23 countries. Here’s how it compares to other industry-leading CFD brokers such as City Index and XM:

CMC Markets
City Index
XM
No. of Tradable Assets
12,000+
13,500+
1,400+
Stock CFDs
Index CFDs
Bond CFDs
Forex CFDs
Commodities CFDs
Metals CFDs
Energy CFDs
Crypto CFDs
Options CFDs

In addition to the broad range of assets available, clients also have access to real options trading, warrants, and IPO subscriptions.

*Comparison between CFD brokers only

Looking for something else? Compare tradable assets, features, and more at a glance with our powerful broker comparison tool.

COMPARE BROKERS

Deposit and Withdrawal

Score: 3.5/5

Funding Methods

CMC Markets supports funding through:

  • Debit / Credit Card
  • PayPal
  • Wise
  • Revolut

Funding Methods

You can deposit funds via:

  • Debit/credit cards
  • Bank transfers
  • E-wallets such as Skrill and Neteller
  • Online payment systems such as PayPal

Deposits via debit/credit card are typically instant, while bank transfers can take several business days to process. Withdrawals vary from 1 hour to 5 business days for card withdrawals, 1-2 business days for domestic bank transfers, and 3-5 business days for international transfers.

Educational Resources & Research Tools on CMC Markets

Score: 4.8/5

CMC Markets provides a powerful suite of research tools to keep traders informed. These include:

  • Global research content from Morningstar
  • Integrated news feed from Reuters
  • Trading Central AI-based signals and Market Buzz
  • AutoChartist indicators
  • Risk analytics
  • Economic calendar


Educational Resources

The broker provides a vast collection of resources in various formats for traders of all experience levels, including: 

  • Guides on a broad range of topics
  • Trading strategy blogs
  • Glossary and essentials for beginners
  • Educational videos such as the Opto series
  • The Artful Trader podcast
  • In-house analyst webinars 

The resources span a broad range of topics and are designed for both beginners and experienced traders.

CMC Markets Customer Support

Score: 3.7/5

Support Channels

CMC Markets offers 24/5 multilingual customer support via:

  • Phone
  • Email
  • Live chat

User reviews mention that the customer service team is proficient and helpful, but rather slow to resolve issues. Email tickets concerning complex issues may be delayed without consistent updates and follow-ups from the support team.


Language Support

Support is available in at least nine languages, including:

  • English
  • Chinese
  • Spanish
  • German
  • French
  • Italian
  • Norwegian
  • Polish
  • Swedish

Safety and Regulations

Score: 5/5

CMC Markets is highly regulated by multiple top-tier financial authorities globally, ensuring a strong level of investor protection. Regulating bodies include:

  • FCA
  • BaFin
  • ASIC
  • CIRO
  • MAS
  • FMA

The company is also publicly listed on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker CMCX, which provides additional transparency and financial scrutiny. To ensure investor protection, client funds are held in segregated accounts, and negative balance protection is provided for UK and EU clients. However, this doesn’t apply to professional clients.

Clients' funds are also protected under investor protection schemes, depending on the regulatory jurisdiction:

  • UK: Clients are subject to FSCS compensation up to £85,000.
  • EU: Investor protection is up to €20,000.
  • Canada: Protection is up to CAD1,000,000 under the Canadian Investor Protection Fund.

User Experience and Interface

Score: 5/5

Desktop Navigation and Performance

CMC Markets delivers a terrific user experience with its market-leading Next Generation platform. The web platform has a clean and modern design and is highly customizable. It features an advanced order panel, good search functions, and clear fee reports.

It also supports two-step login and allows users to save up to 10 custom platform templates. The platform’s layout wizard offers flexibility with floating or fixed windows. Users can set price alerts and notifications for breaking news or economic calendar events.


Mobile Navigation and Performance

The CMC Trading App is well-designed and user-friendly, featuring two-step login and biometric authentication for convenience and security. It offers good search functions, a variety of order types, alerts and notifications, and impressive charting. Watchlists sync with the web version.

Final Verdict

CMC Markets is a robust and highly reputable broker, making it a compelling choice for a diverse range of traders. Its strengths lie in its exceptionally broad range of tradable instruments, particularly CFDs across almost every market and asset class, and its market-leading proprietary Next Generation platform. This platform is lauded for its speed, reliability, and advanced charting and research tools, providing a sophisticated trading environment on both web and mobile.

Furthermore, CMC Markets is publicly listed on the LSE and boasts strong regulatory oversight from multiple Tier-1 authorities globally. The absence of minimum deposit requirements and low forex fees are also significant advantages.


Is CMC Markets the Right Broker for You?

CMC Markets is an excellent broker for traders seeking flexible access to global markets, premium analysis tools, and a reliable trading environment. It’s particularly beneficial for those who value security, broad market access, extensive research tools, and strong investor education resources. Active retail traders will find its combination of zero minimum deposits, deep product range, and premium research access to be a top-tier choice.


Who Should Trade with CMC Markets?

CMC Markets is well-suited for both novices and high-volume professionals. Beginners can benefit from its strong investor education resources, including courses and webinars, and an intuitive platform.

Experienced traders will appreciate the advanced features of the Next Generation platform, the competitive forex pricing, and the extensive range of instruments available. It’s also ideal for traders who are comfortable with MT4 and those who need robust risk control tools like Guaranteed Stop-Loss Orders.

However, the relatively expensive stock CFDs may be a deterrent for those seeking exposure to equities. It’s also not suited for Muslim traders requiring a swap-free account.

FAQ