Markets.com offers multi-asset CFD trading through MetaTrader and its proprietary platform, with client protections that depend on the contracting entity.
Spreads from
1.1 pips
Commission
$0 (spread-only)
Min deposit
$100
Established
2008
Regulated by
CySEC · FSCA (South Africa)
Written byLaverlane Team·Updated19 Oct 2026
Researched with AI assistance and verified by our editors
Regulation
Markets.com operates through three subsidiaries, of which only two are licensed.
Safecap Investments Limited is authorised by CySEC (092/08) and Markets (South Africa) Pty Limited by the FSCA (46860). Markets International Ltd, registered in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, is not itself a regulated financial institution. Which entity a client contracts with depends on their country of residence, so protections differ between clients.
Key facts
Markets.com is a long-running online CFD broker with a multi-entity structure.
Client-facing entity
Safecap Investments Limited
Regulators
CySEC, FSCA (South Africa)
Restricted countries
US, CA, BE, JP, GB, AU
Negative-balance protection
Yes
Minimum deposit
$100
Max leverage (EU/EEA Retail)
1:30
Max leverage (South Africa)
1:300
Max leverage (offshore entity)
1:300
Typical EUR/USD spread
1.1 pips
Platforms
MT4, MT5, Proprietary
Account currencies
USD, EUR, GBP
The brand has operated since 2008, around 18 years, and serves clients through CySEC-regulated, FSCA-regulated and offshore subsidiaries. International clients outside regulated regions are typically onboarded to the offshore entity.
Best for
Pros & cons
Fund safety
Client protection varies depending on the contracting entity.
Safecap clients are covered by the Cyprus Investor Compensation Fund up to €20,000 and money is held in segregated accounts. Clients of the South African and Saint Vincent entities have no statutory compensation scheme. Negative balance protection is stated to apply across the group.
Account terms
Account terms follow a single standard account model with an inactivity fee.
Markets.com offers a standard account with variable spreads and no commission. A $10 monthly inactivity fee is charged when a live account has no trades or deposits for 90 days or more, provided there is a balance to deduct from.
Costs
Pricing is spread-based, with no separate commission on the standard account.
The broker publishes typical spreads of 1.1 pips on EUR/USD and GBP/USD and 1.5 pips on USD/JPY. Overnight swaps are charged as a percentage of position value per instrument, for example -0.0144% long and -0.0075% short on EUR/USD, and are tripled on Wednesdays for forex. A $10 monthly fee applies to inactive accounts.
| Instrument | Asset class | Typical spread | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | Forex CFD | 1.1 | pips |
| GBP/USD | Forex CFD | 1.1 | pips |
| USD/JPY | Forex CFD | 1.5 | pips |
| US 100 (Nasdaq) | Index CFD | 2.5 | points |
| XAU/USD (Gold) | Commodity CFD | 0.39 | $ / oz |
| US Crude Oil | Commodity CFD | 0.23 | $ / bbl |
Spreads shown are typical, not guaranteed, and widen during volatile sessions or outside main market hours. Figures reflect the broker's standard retail account.
Markets
The broker provides CFD access across the main asset classes.
Forex CFD
56 pairs
Index CFD
30 indices
Commodity CFD
Metals, energies, softs
Single-Stock CFD
2000 shares
Crypto CFD
Available ✓
Real ownership: Stocks / ETFs
N/A for this broker, CFDs only
Traders can access forex, stock CFDs, indices, commodities and cryptocurrencies. Availability of individual instruments varies by region and entity.
Platforms
Software options include a proprietary WebTrader alongside MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 suites.
The WebTrader offers user-friendly charting tools and integrated risk management functions. Automated trading enthusiasts can utilise MT4 and MT5 for expert advisor integration and custom technical strategies.
Execution
Execution operates under a market maker model.
Under the client agreement Markets.com acts as principal rather than agent, so it is the counterparty to client trades. Open positions are closed out automatically when the margin level falls to 50%. The broker does not publish execution quality statistics.
Leverage
Leverage limits depend on the client’s contracting entity.
EU/EEA retail clients are capped at 1:30 under ESMA rules, and the South African entity offers up to 1:300. The offshore entity offers up to 1:300 according to the broker's Help Centre, which still carries a high risk of rapid losses, so confirm your account limit before trading.
Account types
Account structure centres on a streamlined commission-free layout for retail clients.
| Account | Min deposit | Commission | Swap | Spread | Demo | Islamic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $100 | Spread-only | Variable overnight swap | From 1.1 pips · Variable | Yes | Yes |
Markets.com offers a primary Standard Account featuring variable spreads and no separate commissions. Professional account tiers exist for eligible clients meeting explicit volume and portfolio thresholds.
Funding
Deposits and withdrawals cover bank, card and e-wallet options.
The global offering page lists bank wire, cards, Skrill, Neteller and local bank transfers, with PayPal for European clients only, and Help Centre guides also cover crypto, Apple Pay and Google Pay. Markets.com states it charges no deposit or withdrawal fee, although banks and payment providers may. No standard withdrawal time is published, so confirm it in the client area.
Support
Customer support runs 24 hours a day, five days a week.
Live chat is staffed 24 hours Monday to Friday, with email and phone support also available. Support is offered in several languages, including English, Spanish, Arabic and Italian, and is not available at weekends while markets are closed.
Availability
Regional availability depends on local regulation and entity onboarding.
Markets.com does not accept residents of the United States, Canada, Belgium or Japan, and its UK and Australian entities no longer serve retail clients under the brand. The offshore entity also bans a long list of other jurisdictions, so check the broker’s banned jurisdictions page before applying.
Verdict
Markets.com gives you an accessible way to trade CFDs, backed by a track record that goes back to 2008. The catch is cost and structure: standard spreads are wider, and international clients contract with an offshore entity, so if you're watching costs, weigh both before you commit.
Markets.com may be right for you if you value multi-asset coverage and accessible WebTrader tools, provided you accept wider baseline transaction costs.
Experienced retail traders who value straightforward platform navigation across several asset classes may find Markets.com a reasonable fit, provided they understand the risks of CFDs and accept the costs described above.
FAQ
Markets.com is an online CFD and forex broker offering MetaTrader and proprietary platforms. Clients are served by CySEC-regulated, FSCA-regulated and offshore subsidiaries depending on residency.
Safecap Investments Limited is regulated by CySEC with ICF coverage up to €20,000. Clients of Markets International Ltd in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, which is not a regulated financial institution, have no statutory compensation scheme.
The minimum initial deposit is $100 (or the equivalent in EUR or GBP) for the international entity, and €100 or 100 USD in other regions. Available methods include bank wire, cards, Skrill and Neteller, with PayPal limited to European clients.
Markets.com does not publish a standard withdrawal time. Minimum withdrawals for the international entity are $100 by bank wire, $10 by card and $5 by Skrill or Neteller, and the client agreement states no company fee applies. Confirm current timings in the client area.
EU/EEA retail clients are limited to 1:30 leverage. Clients of the offshore entity can access up to 1:300, which significantly increases risk.
Alternatives
Eightcap offers CFDs on 850+ markets through TradingView, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5 and TradeLocker, with a Raw account that starts from 0.0 pips. Clients outside the regulated regions contract with Eightcap Global Limited in The Bahamas, which carries no statutory compensation scheme.
Octa offers swap-free forex and CFD trading on OctaTrader, MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, with no trading commission and a $25 minimum deposit. Accounts on octabroker.com are with Versustrategy Inc, registered in Saint Lucia, and the legal documents page lists no financial regulator.
JustMarkets offers leverage of up to 1:3000, swap-free trading and MT4, MT5 and its own app, but international clients contract with an offshore Seychelles entity without a statutory compensation scheme.
FXCM offers forex and CFD trading on Trading Station, MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and TradingView. Accounts on the international website are with Stratos Global LLC, an offshore entity in St Vincent and the Grenadines that sits outside the group’s regulated companies.
ThinkMarkets offers ThinkTrader, TradingView, MT4 and MT5 with 4,000+ instruments and leverage of up to 1:500 on Standard and ThinkZero accounts. International clients contract with a Seychelles-licensed entity.
IronFX operates as a retail CFD broker providing high leverage up to 1:1000 on MetaTrader 4, but international clients contract through an offshore entity without statutory compensation protection.
CFI Financial offers MT5, TradingView and its own app with no minimum deposit and leverage of up to 1:500. International clients trade with CFI International Ltd, licensed in Mauritius.
EC Markets offers MT4, MT5 and its own app with a $10 minimum deposit on STD and ECN accounts and leverage of up to 1:1000. International clients trade with the Mauritius-licensed entity.
General CFD risk warning
CFDs are complex leveraged products and carry a high risk of rapid losses. They do not give you ownership of the underlying asset. Depending on your jurisdiction, broker entity and client classification, protections such as leverage limits and negative-balance protection may differ or may not apply. Where negative-balance protection is not provided, losses may exceed the funds you deposit. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford the high risk of losing your money.
Disclaimer
This page is provided for general information only. Nothing on this page constitutes investment, tax or trading advice, or a recommendation to open an account or trade with a particular broker. Laverlane does not provide personalised investment advice. We are not a broker or financial institution, we do not arrange or execute trades, and we do not hold client funds.
Broker availability, spreads, fees, leverage, products and legal protections, including compensation schemes and negative-balance protection, vary by the broker’s legal entity, your country of residence and your client classification, and may change over time. Where a broker is required to publish its retail CFD loss rate, that figure is shown on its review page. Spreads shown are typical figures as at our verification date; they are not guaranteed and may widen, particularly during volatile market conditions.
Laverlane Scores reflect the information available at our most recent review. They are editorial assessments, not guarantees of a broker’s financial strength, reliability or future performance. Where we report a regulator warning or enforcement notice, it reflects the official public information available at the time of our review.
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