BrokerCue

Broker Comparison

CMC Markets vs TradeStation

Compare CMC Markets and TradeStation side by side: fees, regulation, platforms.

CMC Markets

CMC Markets

Active forex and CFD traders

CMC Markets is a CFD and forex broker founded in 1989, with MT4, MT5, TradingView and its own web and mobile …

VS
TradeStation

TradeStation

Active traders using stocks, options and futures

TradeStation offers active trading in stocks, ETFs, options, futures, mutual funds and bonds, with desktop, w…

Head-to-head comparison

CMC Markets vs TradeStation
Feature CMC Markets TradeStation
Minimum deposit There is no minimum deposit required to open an account —
Stock trading fee — $0 commissions; sub-dollar/OTC $0.005 per share
Regulators BMA SEC, CFTC, FINRA, NFA
Best for Active forex and CFD traders Active traders using stocks, options and futures
Markets & account
Stocks
ETFs
Forex
—
CFDs
—
Crypto
—
Bonds
Options
—
Futures
—
Spread Betting
—
Demo Account
Funds
—
Margin
—

Pros & cons

CMC Markets

CMC Markets

Pros

  • No minimum deposit required to open an account
  • No CMC deposit or withdrawal fees currently charged
  • FX Active spreads from 0.0 pips on six major FX pairs
  • 25% spread discount on 300+ other forex pairs with FX Active
  • $2.50 commission per $100,000 currency trade on FX Active
  • 0% commission on UK and European share CFDs
  • GSLO premium refunded 100% when the order is not triggered
  • MetaTrader accounts allow hedging positions by default

Cons

  • £10 monthly inactivity fee after one year without trading
  • Market data subscriptions may apply for some share CFDs
  • Guaranteed stop-loss orders require a premium
  • MT4 CFD accounts cannot access Next Generation or TradingView
  • MT4 offers only currencies, indices, commodities and cryptocurrencies
  • MT4 and MT5 demo accounts expire after 30 days of inactivity
  • MetaTrader close-out can occur below 50% of margin requirement
  • Term deposits for client money may require up to 95 days' notice
TradeStation

TradeStation

Pros

  • $0 stock and ETF commissions in the pricing table
  • Options fall to $0 per contract above 10,000 monthly contracts
  • Micro futures commissions start at $0.25 per contract, per side
  • FuturesPlus has no platform fees
  • Simulated trading supports paper trading and backtesting
  • API access supports custom multi-asset execution workflows
  • Cash balances over $100,000 can earn 0.15%

Cons

  • $10 monthly inactivity fee unless minimum activity is met
  • Outgoing account transfers cost $125
  • Sending wires cost $25 or $35 depending on account type
  • Mutual fund trades cost $14.95 per transaction
  • Sub-dollar and OTC equity trades cost $0.005 per share
  • FuturesPlus futures trades cost $1.75 per contract, per side
  • Margin positions require a minimum of $2,000
  • Non-brokerage platform access costs $99.99/$199.99 monthly
CMC Markets

CMC Markets

CMC Markets is a CFD and forex broker founded in 1989, with MT4, MT5, TradingView and its own web and mobile platforms.

Visit CMC Markets Read review

Your capital is at risk. Other fees apply.

TradeStation

TradeStation

TradeStation offers active trading in stocks, ETFs, options, futures, mutual funds and bonds, with desktop, web, mobile, FuturesPlus and API tools.

Visit TradeStation Read review

Your capital is at risk. Other fees apply.

Not the right match?

Line up any two brokers side by side, or browse the full list to find your next platform.

Compare another broker Browse all brokers