CMC Markets Review 2027 Fees, Features and Safety

This CMC Markets review for 2027 looks at the London, United Kingdom-based forex broker, founded in 1989, and covers its 7 listed regulators, the $0 minimum deposit, leverage of up to 1:500 (professional) and trading platforms, so you can decide whether it fits the way you trade.

CMC Markets in brief (2027)

CMC Markets is one of the founding firms of online retail trading. Peter Cruddas started the company in London in 1989 with £10,000, originally as a foreign exchange broker called Currency Management Corporation. In 1996 it launched what it describes as the world's first online retail forex trading platform. The group floated on the London Stock Exchange in 2016, and Cruddas, now Lord Cruddas, remains chief executive and majority shareholder.

CMC serves retail and institutional clients from offices in more than a dozen countries and has a particularly strong presence in the UK, Australia and Germany.

Regulation and security

CMC Markets is authorised by the UK Financial Conduct Authority and regulated by ASIC in Australia, BaFin in Germany, CIRO in Canada, the Monetary Authority of Singapore, New Zealand's FMA and the Dubai Financial Services Authority. A Bermuda entity serves some international clients.

Client funds are held in segregated accounts at major banks. UK retail clients are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, and negative balance protection applies to retail accounts in the UK, EU and Australia. As a listed company, CMC publishes its results twice a year.

A very wide forex range

CMC's headline strength is choice. It offers more than 330 currency pairs, a larger number than almost any other retail broker, including many unusual crosses. On top of that it publishes its own forex indices, which track the value of a single currency such as the dollar or pound against a basket of others and can be traded like any other market.

In total there are around 12,000 instruments: indices, commodities, treasuries, thousands of shares and ETFs, and share baskets built around themes. UK and Irish clients can spread bet as well as trade CFDs.

Spreads and costs

Standard accounts are commission-free for forex, with spreads on EUR/USD starting from 0.5 pips and other majors priced competitively. Share CFDs carry a commission.

For frequent traders, the FX Active account offers spreads from 0.0 pips on six major pairs with a fixed commission of 0.0025% per side, and discounted spreads on the remaining pairs. The Alpha programme adds further savings and perks for high-volume clients.

There is no minimum deposit. Overnight holding costs apply, guaranteed stop-loss orders carry a premium that is refunded if the stop is not triggered, and a monthly inactivity fee is charged on accounts unused for a year.

The Next Generation platform

CMC's proprietary web platform, Next Generation, is widely regarded as one of the most advanced in the retail industry. Highlights include:

• more than 115 technical indicators and drawing tools, with over 35 years of historical price data on some markets;
• automatic chart pattern recognition;
• a client sentiment tool that shows positioning by all clients and by the most profitable ones;
• fully customisable layouts and advanced order tickets with boundary orders and price ladders;
• integrated Reuters news, Morningstar equity research and an economic calendar.

The mobile app carries most of these features. CMC also supports MetaTrader 4 with a smaller product range, and connects to TradingView.

Leverage

Retail clients in the UK, EU and Australia receive up to 30:1 on major currency pairs, as required by regulators. Clients who meet the criteria for professional status can obtain up to 500:1. Other entities set limits according to local rules.

Research and education

CMC's in-house analysts publish daily market commentary, video updates and a weekly outlook. The education section covers platform tutorials, strategy guides and webinars. Much of the best research is built into the platform itself, where it can be viewed alongside the relevant chart.

Beyond leveraged trading

CMC has been diversifying. In Australia, CMC Invest is one of the country's largest stockbroking platforms, and the group has launched investment apps in the UK and Singapore. It also provides trading technology to banks and other financial firms and has been investing in digital asset and tokenisation capabilities.

Who is CMC Markets best for?

CMC is well suited to active traders who want a powerful platform and a huge range of currency pairs, and to chart-focused traders who will use the pattern tools and long price history. The FX Active account makes it competitive for cost-sensitive forex traders, and UK spread bettors get a top-tier offering.

Fans of MetaTrader 5 or cTrader, and traders wanting high leverage without professional status, should look elsewhere.

Pros and cons

• Pros: more than 330 forex pairs, outstanding proprietary platform, listed in London, strong regulation, tight FX Active pricing, no minimum deposit.
• Cons: limited MetaTrader offering, share CFD commissions, inactivity fee, retail leverage capped at 30:1 in main markets.

CMC Markets review: verdict for 2027

CMC Markets has been refining online trading for more than three decades, and it shows. The combination of an exceptional platform, unmatched forex choice and solid regulation makes it one of the best brokers for serious retail traders.

Compare this CMC Markets review with all 60 forex brokers in our 2027 list, and confirm the latest terms on the official CMC Markets website before you open an account.