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Plus500 vs Admiral Markets

If you are reading this article, you’re likely having trouble deciding whether Plus500 or Admiral Markets is the better trading platform for you. While both platforms generally provide positive user experiences, there are some essential differences to note.

In this Plus500 vs Admiral Markets review, we outline the highlights of each trading platform to help you make a more informed decision. We evaluate:

Headquarters
IsraelUnited Kingdom
Regulators
ASIC, CySEC, FCA, FMA, FSCA, MASASIC, CySEC, FCA, FSCS
Tier 1 Regulator(s)?
Owned by Public Company?
Year Established
20082001
Execution Type(s)
Market MakerMarket Maker
Minimum Deposit
$100$100
Negative Balance Protection
N/A
Trading Platform(s)
Proprietary platform, Web-basedOther, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5+
Average Trading Cost EUR/USD
1.3 pips0.1 pips ($1.00)
Average Trading Cost GBP/USD
1.7 pips0.1 pips ($1.00)
Average Trading Cost WTI Crude Oil
$0.04 $0.03
Average Trading Cost Gold
$0.34 $0.25
Retail Loss Rate
80.00%N/A
Minimum Raw Spreads
Not applicableN/A
Minimum Standard Spreads
Not applicableN/A
Minimum Commission for Forex
Commission-free N/A
Islamic Account
Signals
US Persons Accepted?
Managed Accounts
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Features and Platforms

MT4
MT5
MT4/MT5 Add-Ons
N/A
cTrader
Proprietary Platform
Automated Trading
Social/Copy Trading
N/A
DOM?
Guaranteed Stop Loss
Scalping
Hedging
One-Click Trading
OCO Orders
Interest on Margin
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Plus500 launched the first version of its proprietary trading platform in 2008 out of Israel, followed by the introduction of commission-free CFD trading in 2009. This market maker promises fast execution, guaranteed stop-limit orders, and free e-mail/push notifications related to market-moving events and price alerts set by traders. Admiral markets, operational since 2001 in Estonia, offers traders the MT4 and MT5 trading platforms, together with the Supreme Edition upgrade for a superior trading experience. Unlike Plus500, it maintains a highly competitive research and educational division. 80% of retail CFD accounts lose money at Plus500 versus 81.0% at Admiral Markets.

Available Markets

Currency Pairs
N/A
Cryptocurrencies
N/A
Commodities
Crude Oil
Gold
Metals
Equity Indices
Stocks (non-CFDs)
Bonds
N/A
ETFs
Options
N/A
Futures
Synthetics
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Over 2,000 assets are available at Plus500, cryptocurrencies, commodities, equities, indices, ETFs, and options. Pure Forex traders have 70 currency pairs to trade, offering comprehensive market coverage, supported by 22 commodity CFDs. It also introduced sector indices, offering an attractive alternative for index investors focused on trending market sectors. Admiral Markets maintains an overall more superior asset selection with over 8,000 across the same categories except for options, substituted by bonds. It grants notably better coverage of global equity markets, while only 47 currency pairs are available. Besides CFD trading, Admiral Markets also features over 4,500 equities and ETFs for investment purposes.

Typical Spreads and Fees

Average Trading Cost EUR/USD
1.3 pips0.1 pips ($1.00)
Average Trading Cost GBP/USD
1.7 pips0.1 pips ($1.00)
Average Trading Cost WTI Crude Oil
$0.04 $0.03
Average Trading Cost Gold
$0.34 $0.25
Average Trading Cost Bitcoin
$78 $125.60
Minimum Raw Spreads
Not applicableN/A
Minimum Standard Spreads
Not applicableN/A
Minimum Commission for Forex
Commission-free N/A
Deposit Fee
N/A
Withdrawal Fee
N/A
Inactivity Fee
$10 monthly after 3 months N/A
Get StartedGet Started

Plus500 maintains a commission-free Forex pricing environment with dynamic market spreads plus internal markups. While it offers commission-free CFDs, the markup is significantly higher than at competitors, covering the difference. Admiral Markets also allows commission-free CFD trading, where spreads remain tight. The EUR/USD shows a markup of 0.6 pips. Both brokers levy swap rates on leveraged overnight positions, and Plus500 and Admiral Markets pass on corporate actions. While both apply a $10 monthly inactivity fee, the currency conversion cost is 0.7% at Plus500 and 1.0% at Admiral Markets, which maintains a more competitive cost structure overall.

Security and Trust

Country of the Regulator
United Arab Emirates, Australia, Cyprus, Estonia, Israel, New Zealand, Seychelles, Singapore, United Kingdom, South AfricaAustralia, Cyprus, Jordan, Kenya, United Kingdom, South Africa
Name of the Regulator
ASIC, CySEC, FCA, FMA, FSCA, MASASIC, CySEC, FCA, FSCS
Regulatory License Number
509909, 250/14, 417727, 486026, 47546, SD039, 100648-1, NOT AVAILABLE, 4.1-1/18, F005651595450, 201/13, 410681, 51311, 178, 57026
Regulatory Tier
N/A1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2
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All client funds deposited with Plus500’s Cyprus subsidiary are held in segregated client bank accounts in accordance with the Cyprus Security and Exchange Commission’s (CySEC) client funds rules. Plus500AU Pty Ltd holds client money in a segregated trust account, in accordance with the Australian legal requirements.In this Plus500 vs Admiral MarketsPlus500 maintains regulation in seven jurisdictions consisting of the UK, Cyprus, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Seychelles, and Singapore. Most international traders will manage their portfolios from the subsidiary operating out of Seychelles. The UK FAC levied a fine in 2012 for not reporting transactions accurately. Admiral Markets operates under the oversight of regulators in the UK, Cyprus, and Australia, where it has a clean track record. Client deposits remain segregated at both brokers, and negative balance protection exists. While Plus500 had several issues in the past, the trading environment at both brokers is overall secure, but Admiral scores better when it comes to trust.All client funds deposited with Plus500’s Cyprus subsidiary are held in segregated client bank accounts in accordance with the Cyprus Security and Exchange Commission’s (CySEC) client funds rules. Plus500AU Pty Ltd holds client money in a segregated trust account, in accordance with the Australian legal requirements.

Plus500 vs Admiral Markets – Verdict

Plus500, listed in the London Stock Exchange and a constituent of the FTSE 250, offers manual traders a clean trading platform, which ranks below average as compared to competitors. The absence of support for automated trading solutions and marketing-inspired educational material deducts further from the core trading environment. Research is non-existent, and while commission-free trading on over 2,000 assets sounds appealing, the higher spreads offset the savings for traders. Admiral Markets presents traders with the MetaTrader Supreme Edition, offering an excellent upgrade to the core MT4/MT5 trading platforms. The commission-free asset selection on over 4,000 CFDs features lower spreads, and investors have over 4,500 equities and ETFs available. New traders can benefit from the educational content at Admiral Markets, supplemented by quality research. While Plus500 invests in sponsorships of sports teams at the expense of its products and services, Admiral Markets maintains a notably more competitive overall trading environment for traders and investors alike.

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FAQs

Does Admiral Markets or Plus500 offer lower pricing?

Admiral Markets offers traders overall lower pricing with commission-free spreads as low as 0.5 pips versus Plus500, where it is 0.8 pips. The former additionally provides traders with a commission-based alternative where the mark-up commences from 0.0 pips for a cost of $6.00 per round lot. High-frequency traders and scalpers can lower their total cost structure, and Admiral Markets maintains a more competitive pricing environment.

Is Admiral Markets or Plus500 safer for Forex and CFDs trading?

From a security perspective, both stand on equal footing with full compliance at numerous global regulators, segregation of client deposits, and negative balance protection. Admiral Markets remains more trustworthy, as the UK FCA fined plus Plus500 in 2012

Which trading platform is better: Admiral Markets or Plus500?

Admiral Markets presents traders with a notably more competitive choice of trading platforms. It provides the MetaTrader Supreme Edition plugin for MT4 and MT5, features full support for automated trading, and a dedicated account for investors. Plus500 merely maintains its sub-standard proprietary trading platform for manual traders.

Which is better, Admiral Markets or Plus500?

Overall, Admiral Markets grants clients a more superior product and services portfolio versus Plus500. Everything from trading platforms to asset selection and from education to research is either inferior at Plus500 or missing. Therefore, Admiral Markets remains well-ahead of Plus500 and gives clients a complete broker experience.

Which is the more reliable broker?

Both brokers provide traders with a reliable trading environment, but Admiral Markets has more experience. Admiral Markets and Plus500 segregate client deposits from corporate funds and honor withdrawal requests without delay. While the former maintains a greater degree of trust, given the several missteps by the latter, from a reliability perspective, traders can rest assures that either choice delivers.

Which broker is better for beginner traders?

Admiral Markets offers new traders an in-depth educational division, including its 20-day Zero to Hero course and the Forex 101 lessons, an extensive video library, and quality written content. Seminars, webinars, and eBooks are equally available, placing Admiral Markets in a distinct leadership position when it comes to education versus all online brokers. Plus500 provides low-quality and limited resources and cannot compete with Admiral Markets.

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