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Data refreshed 25 Aug 2026 · Compiled by David Ispiryan
Trust rank #18 · Founded 2008
Markets.com is a well‐regarded forex and CFD broker offering broad access to currency pairs and multi‐asset CFDs on intuitive web and mobile platforms. It provides built‐in research, education, and risk management tools…
Read the Markets.com review
Trust rank #26 · Founded 2009
XM is a well-regarded forex and CFD broker providing online access to multiple markets on widely used platforms, along with research tools, education, and multilingual support.
Read the XM reviewMarkets.com (Cyprus, founded 2008) holds 5 regulatory licences (ASIC, BVI FSC, CySEC, FCA, FSCA), 2 of them tier-1, offers MT4, MT5, Proprietary and sits in our low-fee bracket. XM (Cyprus, founded 2009) holds 5 regulatory licences (ASIC, CySEC, DFSA, FCA, IFSC), 2 of them tier-1, offers MT4, MT5 and sits in our low-fee bracket. The two overlap in 174 countries; Markets.com is available in 1 countries where XM is not, and XM in 55 where Markets.com is not.
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.
| Criteria | Markets.com | XM |
|---|---|---|
| Trust rank | #18 | #26 |
| Founded | 2008 | 2009 |
| Headquarters | Cyprus | Cyprus |
| Regulators | ASIC, BVI FSC, CySEC, FCA, FSCA | ASIC, CySEC, DFSA, FCA, IFSC |
| Broker type | Market Maker | Market Maker, STP |
| Platforms | MT4, MT5, Proprietary | MT4, MT5 |
| Instruments | Commodities, Cryptocurrencies, Forex, Indices, Metals | Commodities, Forex, Indices, Metals |
| Countries accepted | 175 countries | 229 countries |
| Fee level | Low | Low |
| Trading types | CFD Trading | CFD Trading, Spot Trading |
| Best-for use cases | Retail Trading | Professional 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.
Available at both (174): Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Benin, Bermuda, Bolivia, Bonaire, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Croatia, Curaçao, Cyprus, Czechia, Côte d'Ivoire and 134 more.
Only Markets.com (1): Israel.
Only XM (55): American Samoa, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belgium, Belize, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Cook Islands, Guam, Haiti, Hong Kong, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Libya, Macao, Maldives, Mali, Micronesia and 30 more.
Availability reflects the countries each broker declares it serves. Local rules change; confirm on the broker's own site before signing up.
Markets.com holds more regulatory licences: Markets.com (ASIC, BVI FSC, CySEC, FCA, FSCA) versus XM (ASIC, CySEC, DFSA, FCA, IFSC). Tier-1 licences: Markets.com 2, XM 2.
Markets.com offers MT4, MT5, Proprietary; XM offers MT4, MT5.
Both sit in the same fee bracket (low) in our catalogue; compare the spreads and commission rows above for detail.
Markets.com is the older of the two, founded in 2008; XM was founded in 2009.
They overlap in 174 countries. Markets.com is additionally available in 1 countries (Israel) and XM in 55 countries (American Samoa, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belgium and 49 more).
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.