BlackBull Markets vs City Index

BlackBull Markets or City Index – which is better for UK traders 2025? Compare BlackBull Markets and City Index in this detailed breakdown of their platforms, features and fees.

BlackBull Markets vs City Index Comparison Table 2025
BlackBull Markets City Index
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3.7
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4.4
BlackBull Markets is ranked #14 among CFD brokers. City Index is ranked #18 among CFD brokers.
BlackBull is a New Zealand-based CFD broker providing diverse trading opportunities on over 26,000 instruments. After undergoing a rebrand in 2023, it now sports a modern look and feel complete with professional-grade trading tools and ultra-fast execution speeds averaging 20ms. Established in 1983 and now a part of the Nasdaq-listed StoneX Group, City Index is a renowned and award-winning broker specializing in forex, CFDs, and spread betting. Offering over 13,500 instruments, an evolving Web Trader platform, top-tier educational resources, and 24/5 customer support, City Index delivers a comprehensive trading experience.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Pros
  • BlackBull offers every ingredient for traders; fast execution speeds of <100ms, leverage up to 1:500, and tight spreads from 0.0 pips.
  • BlackBulls’s research is superb, especially the daily ‘Trading Opportunities’ articles that break down complex market movements into easy-to-understand insights, making it simpler to capitalize on emerging trends.
  • After partnering with ZuluTrade and Myfxbook, alongside improvements to its own CopyTrader, BlackBull offers one of the most comprehensive copy trading experiences we've seen.
  • With three ECN-powered accounts (Standard, Prime, and Institutional), BlackBull accommodates beginners, experienced traders, and professionals, offering flexibility based on trading needs and capital.
  • City Index is regulated by top-tier authorities like the FCA (UK), ASIC (Australia), and MAS (Singapore), while its ownership by StoneX Group Inc., a listed company, further reinforces its credibility.
  • City Index has made strides to enhance the trading experience, notably through its Performance Analytics in 2024 for insights into trades and discipline, plus an upgraded mobile app featuring in-built market research and news at a swipe.
  • City Index boasts 13,500+ markets spanning forex, indices, shares, commodities, bonds, ETFs, and interest rates, with the platform's inclusion of niche markets like interest rates offering unique trading avenues not always found elsewhere.
  • City Index provides versatile trading platforms for all skill levels. The intuitive Web Trader platform is ideal for beginners, while support for MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and TradingView adds robust analysis and automation features, ensuring a flexible experience for traders of all levels.
Cons
  • Despite a growing selection of 26,000+ assets, including additions to its Asia Pacific indices, they are mainly stocks with an average selection of currency pairs and indices.
  • Unlike most top brokers, BlackBull charges an irritating $5 withdrawal fee, which can detract from the overall cost-effectiveness, especially for active traders who frequently move funds.
  • Although the Education Hub now features improvements like webinars and tutorials, the courses we’ve explored need more focus on explaining the wider economic factors influencing prices.
  • BlackBull lacks a proprietary platform, relying on MetaTrader, cTrader and TradingView. While these are excellent, other brokers' exclusive platforms, notably eToro’s, often have unique features for beginner traders.
  • While many brokers like eToro have expanded their crypto offerings, City Index only provides crypto CFDs, and the limited range may not satisfy traders looking for a broader selection of altcoins.
  • Unlike brokers such as AvaTrade and BlackBull, City Index does not provide passive investment opportunities like social copy trading, or real stock or ETF ownership, making it less appealing for hands-off trading.
  • City Index lacks an Islamic account with swap-free trading conditions, making the broker less appealing to Muslim traders compared to providers like Eightcap and Pepperstone.
Awards
  • Fast 50 Index (multiple years) - Deloitte
  • Best Global FX Broker 2022 - Forex Expo Dubai
  • Fastest Growing Exporter for Auckland 2018 - Westpac Auckland Business Awards
  • Best CFD Provider 2024 - ADVFN International Financial Awards
  • Best Trading Platform 2022 - Online Money Awards
FCA Regulated
No

List of FCA Regulated Brokers

Yes
Instruments
CFDs, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Futures, Crypto CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Crypto, Futures, Options, Bonds, Interest Rates,ETFs,Spread Betting
Demo Account
Yes Yes
Minimum Deposit
$0 $0
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade
0.01 Lots 0.01 Lots
Regulator
FMA, FSA FCA, ASIC, CySEC, MAS
Mobile Apps
iOS & Android iOS & Android
Trading App

BlackBull offers one of the most complete mobile trading ecosystems we’ve seen, providing active traders with first-rate charting tools and the broker’s impress execution speeds of <100ms on a choice of MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView apps, catering to diverse preferences.

The City Index app offers a user-friendly mobile trading experience with bespoke features like one-swipe trading. What’s also neat is the full-screen TradingView charts with 60+ technical indicators to plan your next move, while you can stay ahead with real-time price alerts and notifications. Additionally, Performance Analytics tools, added in 2024, provide insights into your trading metrics, helping you refine your trading strategies.

iOS App Rating
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3.7
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3.8
Android App Rating
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3.7
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3.1
Margin Trading
Yes No
Margin Rate
2.5%
MetaTrader 4
Yes Yes
MetaTrader 5
Yes No
cTrader
Yes No
AlgoTrader
No No
OmniTrader
No No
TradingView
Yes Yes
Autochartist
Yes No
eSignal
No No
Trading Central
No Yes
STP Account
No No
ECN Account
Yes No
DMA Account
No No
MAM Account
Yes No
PAMM Account
No No
LAMM Account
No No
Demat Account
No No
AI / Machine Learning
No Yes
Robo Advisor
No No
Negative Balance Protection
Yes Yes
Market Maker
No Yes
P2P Trading
No No
Spot Trading
Yes Yes
Auto Trading
Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader, cTrader Automate Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader
Copy Trading
Yes No
Copy Trading Platform
Blackbull stands out with its sheer range of copy trading solutions, from its own CopyTrader to HokoCloud, DupliTrade and Myfxbook. With rich metrics to analyze strategy providers, including annual returns and percentage returns, on user-friendly dashboards, it offers one of the most comprehensive copy trading packages that you can find today.
Social Trading
Yes No
Trade Signals
BlackBull Research stock recommendation service SMART Signals
VPS Hosting
Yes No
Tournaments
No No
Demo Competitions
No No
Ethical Investing
No Yes
Custodial Account
No No
Guaranteed Stop Loss
No Yes
Inactivity Fee
$0 £12
Islamic Account
Yes No
Account Currencies
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • NZD
  • JPY
  • ZAR
  • SGD
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • AUD
  • PLN
  • CZK
Commodities
  • Gold
  • Silver
  • Oil
  • Gasoline
  • Cocoa
  • Wheat
  • Corn
  • Sugar
  • Coffee
  • Natural Gas
  • Platinum
  • Palladium
  • Copper
  • Aluminium
  • Lead
  • Zinc
  • Gold
  • Oil
  • Silver
  • Copper
  • Livestock
  • Platinum
  • Natural Gas
  • Soybeans
  • Nickel
  • Iron
  • Orange Juice
  • Cannabis
  • Palladium
  • Coffee
  • Cotton
  • Lean Hogs
  • Sugar
  • Wheat
CFD
BlackBull is an obvious choice for CFD traders, providing leveraged trading up to 1:500, low spreads from 0.0 pips, and 24/7 support that performed excellently during testing, providing a sense of confidence for active traders operating in fast-moving markets. City Index has one of the most extensive suite of CFDs we’ve seen, providing short-term trading opportunities on diverse assets, sectors and regions. Its ‘Trade Ideas’ also excel for active traders looking for information to inform decisions while the Web Trader boasts extensive charting capabilities with 90+ technical indicators.
Leverage
1:500 1:30
FTSE Spread
1.5 1.0
GBPUSD Spread<
0.5 1.1
Oil Spread
1.5 1.5
Stocks Spread
Variable Variable
Forex
BlackBull offers 64 currency pairs with excellent pricing through its ECN accounts, with the Standard commission-free spread starting from 0.8 pips. BlackBull also ensures its rapid execution carries through to MT4, which still stands as the industry’s most popular platform with active forex traders. City Index is one of the most trusted forex brokers, providing an above-average selection of 80+ currency pairs alongside tight spreads from 0.7 pips, trading alerts, and terrific insights into FX markets, with 99.99% of trades successfully executed.
Assets
64 84
GBPUSD Spread
0.5 1.1
EURUSD Spread
0.3 0.8
EURGBP Spread
0.8 1.0
Currency Indices
  • USD
Cryptocurrency
BlackBull supports short-term trading on 11 cryptos including Bitcoin and Ethereum with up to 1:5 leverage. Digital tokens are paired with USD, while the broker’s ‘Daily Opportunities’ excel for their excellent insights into emerging trends in the cryptocurrency space. City Index offers a modest handful of crypto CFDs, including Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple. But where it stands out is its in-house market insights and news coverage of major market moves, alongside its intuitive web platform.
Spread
245 0.5% (BTC)
Coins
  • BTC
  • ETH
  • XRP
  • LTC
  • ADA
  • POLY
  • XFET
  • XINJ
  • XNAKA
  • XAX
  • XCOTI
  • BTC
  • BCH
  • ETH
  • LTC
  • XRP
Crypto Lending
No No
Crypto Mining
No No
Crypto Staking
No No
Auto Market Maker
No No
BlackBull Markets City Index
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
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