Saxo Bank vs CMC Markets

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

Saxo vs CMC Markets Comparison Table 2025
Saxo CMC Markets
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4
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4.7
Saxo is ranked #82 among CFD brokers. CMC Markets is ranked #3 among CFD brokers.
Saxo Markets is a multi-award-winning trading brokerage, investment firm and regulated bank. With a huge 72,000+ trading instruments, plus investment products and managed portfolios, clients have no shortage of opportunities. The trusted brand also offers transparent pricing and top-tier regulatory protection from 10+ agencies including FINMA, FCA & ASIC. Established in 1989, CMC Markets is a respected broker listed on the London Stock Exchange and authorized by several tier-one regulators, including the FCA, ASIC and CIRO. More than 1 million traders from around the world have signed up with the multi-award winning brokerage.
66% of retail accounts lose money. Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 70% of retail investor accounts lose money when spread betting and/or trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Pros
  • Powerful proprietary trading platforms with comprehensive charting packages and advanced analysis tools
  • High-level research hub with curated market research, plus unique insights with 'Outrageous Predictions'
  • Excellent educational resources including podcasts, webinars and expert-led video insights
  • Access to comprehensive third-party analysis tools including TradingView and Updata
  • The ISA account is highly accessible and flexible with no entry or exit fees
  • Heavily regulated and trustworthy brand based in Switzerland
  • Low fees with premium account tiers
  • The CMC web platform delivers a fantastic user experience with advanced charting tools for trading and customizable features, catering to both beginners and experienced traders. MT4 (but not MT5) and TradingView (added in 2025) are also supported.
  • We've bumped up its 'Assets & Markets' rating after almost monthly product additions in early 2025, from extended hours trading on US stocks to new share CFDs.
  • CMC offers excellent pricing, including tight spreads and low trading fees for all but stock CFDs. The Alpha and Price+ schemes also offer perks for active traders with up to 40% discounts on spreads.
  • CMC Markets is heavily regulated by reputable financial authorities and maintains its stellar reputation, helping to ensure a secure and trustworthy trading environment.
  • The brokerage continues to stand out with its wide range of value-add resources, including pattern recognition scanners, webinars, tutorials, news feeds, and research from respected sources like Morningstar.
Cons
  • High funding requirements for the trading accounts
  • Access to Level 2 pricing requires a subscription
  • Clients from some jurisdictions not accepted including the US and Belgium
  • Despite improvements, the web platform still requires enhancements to make it as intuitive to trade on as software from rivals like IG.
  • While CMC offers an above-average suite of assets, there is no support for trading real stocks and UK clients can’t trade cryptocurrencies.
  • Trading stock CFDs incurs a relatively high commission, especially compared to the cheapest brokers like IC Markets.
  • An inactivity fee of $10 per month is applied after 12 months of inactivity, which may deter casual investors.
  • The CMC Markets app offers the complete trading package but the design and user experience trails category leaders like eToro.
Awards
  • Best Trading App 2023 - DayTrading.com
  • No.1 Platform Technology 2022
  • No.1 New Tool 2022
  • No.1 Most Currency Pairs 2022
  • Best Trade Execution 2021
  • Best Forex Broker For Beginners 2021
  • Most Transparent Forex Broker Europe 2020
  • Best Trading Platform 2020
  • Best Trading App 2019
  • Best Customer Service 2018
FCA Regulated
Yes Yes
Instruments
Forex, CFDs, indices, shares, commodities, cryptocurrencies, futures, options, warrants, bonds, ETFs CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Treasuries, Custom Indices, Spread Betting
Demo Account
Yes Yes
Minimum Deposit
£500 $0
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade
Vary by asset 0.01 Lots
Regulator
DFSA, MAS, FCA, SFC, FINMA, AMF, CONSOB FCA, ASIC, MAS, CIRO, BaFin, FMA, DFSA
Mobile Apps
SaxoTraderGo (iOS, Android, Windows) iOS & Android
Trading App

The award-winning app from CMC Markets has transformed mobile trading. The app’s modern and customizable interface offers a unique user experience, distinct from competitors. Moreover, with its comprehensive charting capabilities featuring 25 technical indicators and 15 drawing tools, as well as its fast and stable trading environment, it’s an exceptional choice for traders.

iOS App Rating
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4.6
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4.1
Android App Rating
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4.6
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3.7
Margin Trading
No Yes
Margin Rate
1%
MetaTrader 4
No Yes
MetaTrader 5
No No
cTrader
No No
AlgoTrader
No No
OmniTrader
No No
TradingView
Yes Yes
Autochartist
No No
eSignal
No No
Trading Central
No No
STP Account
No No
ECN Account
Yes No
DMA Account
No No
MAM Account
No No
PAMM Account
No No
LAMM Account
No No
Demat Account
No No
AI / Machine Learning
No No
Robo Advisor
No No
Negative Balance Protection
No Yes
Market Maker
No Yes
P2P Trading
No No
Spot Trading
Yes Yes
Auto Trading
Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader
Copy Trading
No No
Social Trading
No Yes
Trade Signals
Yes Yes
VPS Hosting
No Yes
Tournaments
No No
Demo Competitions
No Yes
Ethical Investing
No No
Custodial Account
No No
Guaranteed Stop Loss
No Yes
Inactivity Fee
$10
Islamic Account
Yes Yes
Account Currencies
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • JPY
  • SEK
  • DKK
  • CHF
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • NZD
  • SEK
  • NOK
  • SGD
  • PLN
Commodities
  • Gold
  • Silver
  • Natural Gas
  • Oil
  • Copper
  • Corn
  • Gold
  • Oil
  • Silver
  • Copper
  • Coffee
  • Wheat
  • Precious Metals
  • Natural Gas
  • Soybeans
  • Orange Juice
  • Nickel
  • Palladium
  • Steel
  • Cannabis
  • Platinum
  • Livestock
  • Sugar
  • Gasoline
CFD
Trade 8,900+ CFDs spanning forex, stocks, indices, commodities, options and bonds with powerful tools and signals. CMC lets you trade CFDs on 12,000+ assets across currencies, indices, commodities, shares, ETFs and treasuries with new equities spanning quantum computing, AI learning, and digital car sales in 2025. Spreads are tight, there are no hidden fees and the industry-leading MetaTrader 4 platform is also supported for leveraged trading. Year after year, CMC shines as one of the best CFD brokers in the market.
Leverage
1:30 1:30 (Retail), 1:500 (Pro)
FTSE Spread
1.2 pts (Variable) 1 pt
GBPUSD Spread<
0.7 (var) 0.9
Oil Spread
0.03 3.5
Stocks Spread
0.10% (subject to min commission) 0.02
Forex
Tier 1 liquidity on an impressive range of 189 currency pairs and spot metals, plus 130 forwards, from 0.4 pips. CMC presents an extensive array of 300+ forex pairs characterized by tight spreads and rapid executions, surpassing the offerings of many competitors in terms of currency diversity. Forex indices also present a fairly unique and holistic way to speculate on the value of key currencies like the USD, EUR and GBP.
Assets
40+ 300+
GBPUSD Spread
0.7 (varies by region) 0.9
EURUSD Spread
0.2 (varies by region) 0.7
EURGBP Spread
0.6 (varies by region) 1.1
Currency Indices
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • JPY
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • NZD
  • CHF
Saxo CMC Markets
66% of retail accounts lose money. Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 70% of retail investor accounts lose money when spread betting and/or trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
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