Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of FOREX.com vs HFM, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 51% and 89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Comparing FOREX.com vs HFM on regulation and safety: FOREX.com was founded in 1999 and is publicly traded, while HFM launched in 2010 and is not publicly traded. Neither broker is a bank. ForexBrokers.com rates trust on a 0–99 scale (90–99 highly trusted, 80–89 trusted, 70–79 average risk, 60–69 high risk, below 59 not trusted). FOREX.com scores 99 (highly trusted) and HFM scores 85 (trusted).
License coverage also differs. FOREX.com holds 7 Tier-1 licenses (highly trusted regulators) and 2 Tier-2 licenses (trusted regulators). HFM holds 2 Tier-1 licenses and 3 Tier-2 licenses. In short, both brokers are regulated and considered trustworthy by ForexBrokers.com, with FOREX.com carrying a higher Trust Score and more top-tier oversight.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2010 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
FOREX.com comes out ahead of HFM on commissions and fees, thanks to clearer pricing and more account choices. FOREX.com’s costs are a little higher than the industry average overall, but they can be attractive for active traders, especially on the RAW account, where EUR/USD spreads were about 0.13 pips plus commission. Its Standard account is pricier in the U.S., with typical EUR/USD spreads around 1.4 pips, while the Raw account charges a per-trade commission and can offer lower all-in costs for high-volume traders.
HFM’s pricing is also a bit above average, but it is less transparent. Its standard accounts list a typical spread of 1.2 pips, though no date range is given, so the real average may be higher. The Zero account lowers trading costs to an effective 0.7 pips after commission, but this is not shown as an average either. For most traders comparing the two, FOREX.com is the better value and the easier broker to evaluate.
Ratings and rankings: FOREX.com earns 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #15 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees. HFM earns 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #29 out of 36. In short, FOREX.com has the edge on both price structure and overall score, while HFM trails behind on cost and ranking.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.00 | 1.8 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.13 | 1.1 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
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When it comes to range of investments, FOREX.com offers a much wider menu than HFM. FOREX.com supports forex trading as a CFD or spot contract, gives access to 5,500 tradeable symbols and 80 forex pairs, and also lets clients buy exchange traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges. By comparison, HFM also offers forex trading as a CFD or spot contract, but its lineup is smaller, with 344 tradeable symbols and 38 forex pairs, and it does not offer exchange traded securities on U.S. or international markets.
Both brokers offer cryptocurrency CFDs, but neither lets clients buy actual crypto. HFM does have copy trading, while FOREX.com does not. Overall, FOREX.com is rated 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #6 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while HFM is rated 4 stars and ranks #29, making FOREX.com the stronger choice for traders who want more market options.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 344 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 80 | 38 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Disclaimers | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
FOREX.com and HFM both give traders a wide range of platform choices, including free demo accounts, their own in-house platforms, web-based access, Windows desktop downloads, and support for MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. Both also let users trade directly from charts, which is helpful for fast order entry and day-to-day analysis. In short, each broker covers the main platform basics well, so beginners and active traders can test strategies and trade across devices with ease.
The main difference is in trading extras and overall platform quality. HFM offers copy trading, while FOREX.com does not. Even so, FOREX.com earns a higher score for Trading Platforms and Tools, with 5 stars and a ForexBrokers.com ranking of #5 out of 36 brokers, compared with HFM’s 4 stars and #34 ranking. That makes FOREX.com the stronger pick overall for platform and tool quality, while HFM may appeal more to traders who want copy trading.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 90 | 38 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
FOREX.com and HFM both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, along with price alerts, trendline drawing, and auto-saving chart drawings. That means traders can stay connected to the markets and manage charts from either broker while on the go. Both apps cover the basic needs most mobile traders look for, especially if you want access to forex or stock trading from a phone.
Where FOREX.com stands out is in app quality and charting tools. Its mobile app includes watchlist symbol syncing, so changes made on the app and in your online account stay linked, and it offers 90 technical studies for chart analysis compared with just 5 at HFM. These differences help explain why FOREX.com is rated 5 out of 5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps and ranked #2 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while HFM is rated 4 stars and ranked #33.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 90 | 5 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When it comes to market research, both FOREX.com and HFM give traders a strong set of everyday tools. Each broker offers daily market commentary, news from top sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, a sentiment tool that shows long and short positioning, and an economic calendar for tracking major global events. Both also rate well for research overall, but FOREX.com stands out with a 5-star research score and a #7 ranking out of 36 brokers, while HFM is rated 4 stars and ranked #18.
The main difference is in the third-party research tools they include. FOREX.com offers Trading Central, which can help with technical and fundamental analysis, but it does not include Autochartist or Acuity Trading. HFM takes the opposite approach, offering Autochartist and Acuity Trading’s Signal Centre, but not Trading Central. Since neither broker includes TipRanks, the better choice depends on which research tools you prefer most.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central | Yes | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | Yes |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginners looking to learn about forex and CFDs, both FOREX.com and HFM provide a solid range of educational materials. Each broker offers at least 10 pieces of forex or CFDs-focused education, runs monthly client webinars, and has at least 10 beginner videos as well as 10 advanced videos for more experienced traders. That means new traders can find basic lessons, live learning sessions, and more in-depth content at both brokers.
Even so, FOREX.com stands out more in this category. It is rated 5 stars for education and ranks #4 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while HFM is rated 4 stars and ranks #29. For a beginner who wants a broker with a stronger overall learning library and a higher industry ranking for education, FOREX.com appears to have the edge over HFM.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that FOREX.com is better than HFM. FOREX.com finished with an overall rank of #4, while HFM finished with an overall rank of #27.
FOREX.com is a trusted brand that delivers an excellent trading experience for forex and CFDs traders across the globe. It offers a wide range of markets and provides an impressive suite of proprietary platforms – alongside limited access to MetaTrader.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
HFM
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 85 |
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FOREX.com vs HFM: both online brokers do not support buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but each offers cryptocurrency CFD trading.
Compared with HFM, FOREX.com supports more deposit and withdrawal options—ACH/SEPA and PayPal (both unavailable at HFM), plus Skrill and bank wires for both—while Visa/Mastercard availability for either broker is not specified.
Please note:
We review each broker’s overall global offering – a “Yes” checkmark in our Compare Tool does not guarantee the availability of any specific features in your country of residence. To verify the availability of any features within your country of residence, please contact the broker directly.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | FOREX.com | HFM | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FOREX.com Review | HFM Review |
| Broker Screenshots | FOREX.com | HFM | |
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| Regulation | FOREX.com | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 85 | |
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2010 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | FOREX.com | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | Yes | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | FOREX.com | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | FOREX.com | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 344 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 80 | 38 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Disclaimers | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). |
| Cost | FOREX.com | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.00 | 1.8 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.13 | 1.1 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | FOREX.com | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | FOREX.com | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | FOREX.com | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 90 | 38 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | FOREX.com | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 90 | 5 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | FOREX.com | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | FOREX.com | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | FOREX.com | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | FOREX.com Review | HFM Review |
| Overall | FOREX.com | HFM | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FOREX.com Review | HFM Review |
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