FOREX.com vs Plus500 (2026): regulation, platforms and costs compared
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Data refreshed 25 Sep 2026 · Compiled by David Ispiryan
FOREX.com is a well-regarded forex broker offering broad access to forex markets through web, desktop, and mobile platforms, with research, education, and risk management tools. It operates under applicable regulatory oversight in…
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…
FOREX.com (United States, founded 2001) holds 4 regulatory licences (ASIC, CFTC, FCA, NFA), 4 of them tier-1, offers MT4, MT5, Proprietary, TradingView 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 231 countries; FOREX.com is available in 0 countries where Plus500 is not, and Plus500 in 0 where FOREX.com is not.
Verdict at a glance
FOREX.com leads on trust rank, track record and platform choice.
Plus500 leads on regulatory coverage, instrument range and tier-1 licences.
Level on editorial rating, country coverage and fee level.
Scored on 9 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.
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
FOREX.com
Multi-jurisdiction regulation (US/UK/CA)
Accepts US clients
Proprietary platform + MT4/MT5 support
Competitive spreads with raw/commission pricing options
Extensive FX pair offering
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
FOREX.com
No CFDs for U.S. clients
FIFO and no-hedging rules on U.S. accounts
No negative balance protection in the U.S.
Inactivity fee after 12 months of no trading
High minimum balance for STP Pro/DMA accounts
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
FOREX.com
Spot forex and multi asset CFD trading
Top tier regulation and segregated client funds
MetaTrader 4 MetaTrader 5 and Advanced Trading platform
TradingView integration and advanced charting tools
API trading via REST and FIX plus VPS support
Raw pricing with commission and standard spread only accounts
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 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.