Admirals vs Plus500 (2026): regulation, platforms and costs compared

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Data refreshed 25 Aug 2026 · Compiled by David Ispiryan

Admirals

Trust rank #13 · Founded 2001

Admirals is a well-regarded forex and CFD broker offering broad market access, user-friendly platforms, and integrated research and education. It provides a range of account options and risk management tools under established…

Read the Admirals review

Plus500

Trust rank #3 · Editorial rating 10 / 10 · Founded 2008

Plus500 is a regulated forex and CFD broker offering broad access to currency pairs and other markets on a proprietary web and mobile platform. It provides built-in charting, order types, and risk…

Read the Plus500 review

Admirals (Estonia, founded 2001) holds 5 regulatory licences (ASIC, CySEC, FCA, FSCA, JSC), 2 of them tier-1, offers MT4, MT5 and sits in our low-fee bracket. Plus500 (Israel, founded 2008) holds 11 regulatory licences (ASIC, CFTC, CySEC, DFSA, FCA…), 6 of them tier-1, offers Proprietary and sits in our low-fee bracket. The two overlap in 228 countries; Admirals is available in 0 countries where Plus500 is not, and Plus500 in 3 where Admirals is not.

Verdict at a glance

  • Admirals leads on track record and platform choice.
  • Plus500 leads on trust rank, regulatory coverage, country coverage and tier-1 licences.
  • Level on instrument range and fee level.

Scored on 8 measurable dimensions where both brokers have verified data. Dimensions missing for either side are excluded rather than guessed. This is a data summary, not a recommendation.

Admirals vs Plus500: side-by-side data

CriteriaAdmiralsPlus500
Editorial ratingNot verified10 / 10
Trust rank#13#3
Founded20012008
HeadquartersEstoniaIsrael
RegulatorsASIC, CySEC, FCA, FSCA, JSCASIC, CFTC, CySEC, DFSA, FCA, FMA, FSA Seychelles, FSCA, ISA, MAS, NFA
Broker typeMarket Maker, STPMarket Maker
PlatformsMT4, MT5Proprietary
InstrumentsCommodities, Cryptocurrencies, Forex, Indices, MetalsCommodities, Cryptocurrencies, Forex, Indices, Metals
Countries accepted228 countries231 countries
Fee levelLowLow
Trading typesCFD Trading, Spot TradingCFD Trading, Spot Trading
Best-for use casesProfessional Trading, Retail TradingProfessional Trading, Retail Trading

Highlighted cells mark the stronger value where a direction is objectively better (e.g. more licences, lower fees). "Not verified" means the field is not yet in our catalogue for that broker — we never fill gaps with estimates.

Pros

Admirals

  • FCA, ASIC, CySEC regulation
  • MT4/MT5 with MetaTrader Supreme Edition
  • Zero Accounts with raw spreads and low commissions
  • Wide multi-asset range (FX, indices, commodities, stocks, ETFs, crypto CFDs)
  • Volatility Protection and negative balance protection

Plus500

  • Multi-jurisdiction regulation and segregated client funds
  • Commission-free FX trading with competitive spreads
  • Negative balance protection and advanced risk tools
  • Intuitive WebTrader and mobile apps
  • Broad FX pair selection

Cons

Admirals

  • Charges inactivity fee
  • Limited free withdrawals
  • No cTrader platform support
  • Leverage capped at 1:30 for EU/UK retail
  • Not available to U.S. residents

Plus500

  • Market-maker execution (no ECN/STP/DMA)
  • Proprietary platform only (no MetaTrader/cTrader)
  • No algorithmic/API trading support
  • No commission-based raw-spread accounts
  • Inactivity fee after inactivity

Key features

Admirals

  • Forex and CFD trading on MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5
  • Invest MT5 real stocks and ETFs
  • Multi jurisdiction regulation and segregated client funds
  • Negative balance protection and volatility protection
  • Zero account raw spreads with market execution
  • MetaTrader Supreme Edition and premium analytics

Plus500

  • Multi asset CFD trading Forex Indices Commodities Shares ETFs Options and Crypto
  • Proprietary WebTrader platform on web and mobile advanced charting alerts and sentiment
  • Top tier regulation segregated client funds and FTSE 250 listed parent company
  • Risk management Guaranteed Stop Orders Trailing Stops and Negative Balance Protection
  • Commission free spread only pricing with overnight funding and conversion fees
  • Free unlimited demo account and 24 7 multilingual support

Country availability: Admirals vs Plus500

Available at both (228): Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bonaire, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Christmas Island and 188 more.

Only Plus500 (3): Canada, Japan, United States of America.

Availability reflects the countries each broker declares it serves. Local rules change; confirm on the broker's own site before signing up.

Admirals vs Plus500: common questions

Which broker is more regulated, Admirals or Plus500?

Plus500 holds more regulatory licences: Admirals (ASIC, CySEC, FCA, FSCA, JSC) versus Plus500 (ASIC, CFTC, CySEC, DFSA, FCA, FMA, FSA Seychelles, FSCA, ISA, MAS, NFA). Tier-1 licences: Admirals 2, Plus500 6.

Which trading platforms do Admirals and Plus500 offer?

Admirals offers MT4, MT5; Plus500 offers Proprietary.

Which has lower fees, Admirals or Plus500?

Both sit in the same fee bracket (low) in our catalogue; compare the spreads and commission rows above for detail.

Which is older, Admirals or Plus500?

Admirals is the older of the two, founded in 2001; Plus500 was founded in 2008.

Are Admirals and Plus500 available in the same countries?

They overlap in 228 countries. Admirals is additionally available in 0 countries () and Plus500 in 3 countries (Canada, Japan, United States of America).

Keep comparing

Admirals

Plus500

Risk warning: CFDs and forex are complex, leveraged instruments and carry a high risk of losing money rapidly. A majority of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. Nothing on this page is financial advice; verify licence status on the regulator's register before depositing. Full risk disclosure.