easyMarkets Review 2024

Trust

easyMarkets Regulations

In our reviews, we examine the licenses and regulations of each entity operated by a broker, allowing us to compare their different levels of protection. We rank licenses by various regulatory bodies on a three-tier system, where Tier-1 licensing indicates the highest level of regulation.

This is what I discovered about the several entities operating under the Blue Capital Markets Group trade name:

• Easy Forex Trading Limited is licensed and regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) under license number 079/07. We rate CySEC as a Tier-1 regulator.
• Easy Markets Pty Ltd is licensed and regulated by the Australian Securities and Exchange Commission (ASIC) under license number 246566. We rate ASIC as a Tier-1 regulator.
• EF Worldwide (PTY) Ltd is licensed and regulated by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) of South Africa under license number 54018. We rate the FSCA as a Tier-2 regulator.
• EF Worldwide Ltd is licensed and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) of the Seychelles under license number SD056. We rate the FSA as a Tier-3 regulator.
• EF Worldwide Ltd is also licensed and regulated by the Financial Services Commission (FSC) of the British Virgin Islands under license number SIBA/L/20/1135. We rate the FSC as a Tier-3 regulator.

Why is it Important to Know Where Your Broker’s Subsidiaries are Regulated?

Brokers operate multiple entities to serve clients worldwide. However, licenses obtained from regulators in different jurisdictions do not always entail the same degree of protection.

Some regulators mandate compliance with the strictest financial frameworks, while others are less rigid. That is why traders must familiarize themselves with the safety mechanisms ensured by the entity they want to open an account.

Here is what you need to be looking for in a broker in terms of safety mechanisms:

• Segregation of client funds. Keeping client funds in segregated bank accounts from the ones used for the broker’s corporate capital negates the risk of accounting errors. All easyMarkets entities ensure the segregation of client funds.
• Negative balance protection. This safety mechanism removes the risk of trading losses exceeding the account balance. In other words, the losses you incur from trading are capped at the amount you have put in your trading account. All easyMarkets entities guarantee negative balance protection.
• Compensation scheme. A compensation scheme protects traders against the broker’s liabilities if the company becomes insolvent. Clients of Easy Forex Trading Ltd are protected by up to EUR 20,000 under the Investor Compensation Scheme (ICF).
• Maximum leverage. Capping the maximum leverage restricts the extent of market exposure to retail traders. The higher the leverage, the higher the potential profits and potential losses. The maximum retail leverage for European and Australian traders is 1:30, while global entities offer up to 1:2000 of retail leverage.

Stability and Transparency

In our Trust category assessments, we evaluate factors tied to stability and transparency, including the broker’s longevity, company size, and information transparency.

I learned that Easy Forex Trading Limited is a financial holding company that offers online financial services solutions to its subsidiaries. It is the sole shareholder and ultimate parent entity of all easyMarkets entities.

I reviewed Easy Forex Trading Ltd’s legal documents and found everything to be in order. The information is clear, readily available, and easy to understand. Additionally, the broker has issued a ‘best execution policy,’ legally mandating them to provide optimal price quotes under current market conditions. The broker also publishes regular order execution reports.

Is easyMarkets Safe to Trade With?

I concluded that easyMarkets is safe to trade with due to the following factors:

• Tightly regulated in multiple jurisdictions
• Ensures negative balance protection
• Keeps client funds in segregated accounts
• Has issued a ‘best execution policy’

Fees

easyMarkets Trading Fees

easyMarkets Spreads

I tested easyMarkets’ spreads on 13 November 2024 during the London and the New York open. The results are shown in the table below:

Broken down by asset class and compared to the industry average, easyMarkets charges low spreads on share CFDs, low-to-high spreads on currency pairs, average spreads on commodities and indices, and high spreads on cryptocurrencies.

easyMarkets Swaps

A swap fee is a trader’s cost for holding an open position overnight because of changing interest rates. Swap long refers to the charge deductible or credit receivable for holding a buy position open overnight. In turn, swap short relates to the charges/credits deductible or receivable for holding a selling position open overnight.

The values listed below are for one full base currency contract (100,000 units).

My tests indicate that easyMarkets has average-to-high swaps, which is acceptable for longer-term trading. Please keep in mind that a broker’s rollover charges change over time. Traders can avoid paying overnight charges with vanilla options.

easyMarkets Non-Trading Fees

Client accounts that have not had transactions for twelve consecutive months are considered dormant. Dormant accounts incur an inactivity fee of $25 or the entire free balance if it is less than $25. easyMarkets charges this fee every six months until trading activity resumes or the account balance reaches zero.

The broker does not charge a handling fee for deposits or withdrawals.

Accounts Comparison

I have compiled the table below to help you better understand the difference between the trading fees with easyMarkets’ three retail account types and the industry average. It illustrates the spreads and commissions I have recorded for the EUR/USD pair and compares them against the typical costs for ECN and STP accounts in the industry at large.

The table demonstrates how much you would have to pay to trade 1 full lot (100,000 units) in EUR/USD with a pip value of $10 for each account.

To calculate the cost of such a full-sized trade, I used this formula: Spread x pip value+commission

My research indicates that easyMarkets’s pricing mechanism offers more favorable conditions than most standard accounts in the industry.

Are easyMarkets’ Fees Competitive?

I discovered that the competitiveness of easyMarkets’ fees largely depends on the traded instrument. For example, its share CFD spreads are at rock bottom, but the Bitcoin spread is rather elevated, while spreads on other popular instruments I measured were in line with the industry average.

Platforms and Tools

easyMarkets Web Platform

easyMarkets Platform features advanced charts powered by TradingView. While easy to navigate, the platform boasts many features, including essential trading tools such as depth of market (DOM), a wide range of technical indicators, drawing tools, and several unique features.

The platform integrates actionable trading signals from Trading Central, allowing easyMarkets clients to assess emerging opportunities and place orders accordingly. Another standout feature of easyMarkets’ platform is the no-slippage trading through the Freeze Rate feature, along with guaranteed stop-loss orders. Both features enable traders to execute precise entries and exits from positions.

The platform also offers unique trading modes, such as easyTrade. This mode operates similarly to a binary option, allowing traders to limit potential losses, set the trade duration in advance, and speculate on market direction.

The broker also features dealCancellation, a type of insurance that allows traders to pay a flat fee to protect a specific position. Should the trade start incurring a significant loss, the trader can terminate the position at no extra cost.

General Ease of Use

Charts

I consider the charts screen a platform’s most important feature. It facilitates technical analysis by providing an overview of price action behavior. Chart artists use many analytical tools and chart configuration possibilities to examine it from multiple angles. In my experience, the really important aspect of a chart is how easy it is to scale price action up and down.

The easyMarkets charts are fluid and highly detailed, and users can open them in a separate window. This helps in carrying out deep and penetrating technical analyses without being distracted.

I have broken down the available analytical tools and chart configurations below:

• 92 technical indicators. The platform supports trend-based, volume-based indicators, oscillators, and more. These can be applied to study price action behavior and determine the underlying market sentiment. In general, technical indicators are used to gauge where the market is likely to head next.
• 85 drawing tools. Drawing tools, such as Fibonacci retracement levels and Elliott waves, are used to study repeatable price patterns. Additionally, they can be applied to determine key support and resistance levels and potential breakout or breakdown levels.
• 11 timeframes. The more timeframes available, the more detailed analyses that can be conducted across the short and long terms.
• 12 chart types. Price action can be represented as a line, bars, candlesticks, and more. This diversity allows traders to examine potential trading opportunities from different angles.

Orders

easyMarkets platform features several types of order execution: market, pending, easyTrade, forward rates, and vanilla options.

I have broken down the available order types on the platform below:

• Market orders. Market orders are used for immediate entry at the best possible price. If triggered, they guarantee volume filling, though there could be a discrepancy between the requested price and the price at which the order is filled.
• Limit orders. Unlike market orders, limit orders guarantee exact price execution. However, a limit order will not be filled if the price action does not reach the pre-determined execution price.
• Stop orders. They are used to support open positions by limiting the maximum loss that can be incurred if the market turns in the opposite direction. A stop-loss order is placed at a fixed price below or above the spot price. If the market does indeed turn and triggers the stop-loss, it will transform into a market order and get filled at the best possible price. easyMarkets’ platform also features guaranteed stop-loss orders.

easyMarkets Platform: My Key Takeaways

easyMarkets Platform is light and easy to navigate. Its charts, powered by TradingView, allow for seamless scaling of price action, making them ideal for comprehensive technical analysis. I also appreciated the platform’s variety of trading modes, which enable traders to manage their market exposure in different ways.

easyMarkets TradingView Platform

easyMarkets clients can also connect their accounts to TradingView and place orders directly from the platform. In my estimation, TradingView has the best charting capabilities of any platform, making it the perfect solution for chart artists. It features over 150 analytical cools and chart configurations.

TradingView also represents the biggest hub for social and copy trading. easyMarkets clients can publish their own trading ideas or replicate the trades of other members of the biggest social trading network in the world.

easyMarkets Execution Model

easyMarkets operates as a market maker without a dealing desk. It serves as a principal to client orders. The advantage of market makers is that they usually have quick access to liquidity, making it possible for traders to jump in and out of trades promptly with decreased risk of negative slippage.

easyMarkets Trading App

easyMarkets App retains the functionality of its desktop counterpart. The app is great for account management, as traders can place and adjust their positions on the go. The app also incorporates content from Trading Central so that traders can access actionable trading signals on various trading instruments at all times.

easyMarkets App: My Key Takeaways

In my opinion, easyMarkets’ mobile app is as good as a trading app can get. It offers the same range of technical indicators and drawing tools as the desktop version. However, like all mobile trading apps, it faces the inherent challenge of limited price action visibility on smaller screens.

Despite this, the app remains an invaluable tool for traders, providing quick and easy access to the market.

Tradable Instruments

Compared to the industry average, easyMarkets offers fewer share CFDs, an average number of currency pairs, and a high number of commodities, indices, and cryptocurrencies.

What Are CFDs?

Contracts for difference (CFDs) are derivatives that speculate on the underlying asset’s price without physical ownership.

For example, a long position on gold would generate profit as the price rises or incur a loss as it falls, all without the need to purchase actual gold bars.

One of the biggest advantages of trading CFDs is that traders can get in and out of the market almost instantaneously, thereby catching even minute changes in the price of the derivative.

What Can You Trade With easyMarkets?

easyMarkets Instruments: My Key Takeaways

The broker offers a choice of CFDs for price speculation and nearly 40 vanilla options and futures contracts for capping the market exposure in the medium and long terms. As a whole, the instruments offering caters to the needs of both day and swing traders.

Customer Support

Customer Support Channels

Customer Support Test

When we test a broker’s customer support, we evaluate the agent’s knowledge of their own website, how long it takes them to respond to questions, and how detailed their answers are.

I conducted my test on September 2 at around 12:49 a.m. CET via live chat, and an agent connected almost instantly. I asked a series of questions, including about handling fees for deposits and withdrawals.

The agent responded promptly, providing concise and straightforward answers without unnecessary detail. Overall, I found the experience very helpful.

Deposit and Withdrawal

easyMarkets Deposit Methods

easyMarkets Withdrawal Methods

Account Types and Terms

easyMarkets Account Opening Process

To open an account with easyMarkets, follow these easy steps:

1. Click ‘Sign Up’ at the top-right corner of the main page.
2. Enter your name and email address.
3. Choose a password.
4. Provide the rest of your personal information.
5. Confirm your email address.
6. Upload proof of ID and proof of address to verify your account.

easyMarkets Trading Accounts

I found that the broker’s MT4 and MT5 accounts offer more favorable fees, but the proprietary platform provides a better selection of tools. While easyMarkets doesn’t offer a raw account with spreads starting from 0.0 pips, it does support 18 base currencies, which is quite generous.

Demo Accounts

easyMarkets offers demo accounts that introduce traders to the broker’s services and allow them to tweak their strategies in a risk-free environment. The market is continually evolving and never static, so it is important to hone your skills in a safe environment. You can set up a demo account for yourself prior to or alongside your live CFD account.

Islamic Account

The broker offers Islamic accounts for swap-free trading, as mandated under Shariah law. Traders seeking an Islamic account must contact easyMarkets customer support and request the service from there.

What is CFD Leverage?

Leverage determines a trader’s overall market exposure. When trading Contracts for Difference (CFDs), positions can be opened for a fraction of their value because of leverage. Essentially, the broker lends the trader money so that they can open bigger positions. Leverage multiplies the profits a trader generates from winning positions but also the losses incurred from failed trades.

Maximum Leverage By Asset Class

In the table below, I have listed the maximum retail leverage available with easyMarkets for instruments from different asset classes:

easyMarkets Restricted Countries

easyMarkets does not accept as clients traders who are residents of the United States of America, Israel, British Columbia, Manitoba, Quebec, Ontario, Afghanistan, Belarus, Burundi, Cambodia, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Cuba, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Kosovo, Libya, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nicaragua, North Korea, Palau, Panama, Russian Federation, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Yemen, Anguilla, Mali, Trinidad and Tobago, and Vanuatu.

Research

Research Tools

I have listed the most important types of research content with the broker below:

• Market News: easyMarkets publishes highly informative market breakdowns daily. These articles cover important macroeconomic data, geopolitical developments, and more. Each article contains an illustrative chart.
• Trading Central: Trading Central is one of the two biggest and most sophisticated providers of market analyses and trading signals. easyMarkets has integrated actionable trading signals from Trading Central directly on its web-based platform.
• Victory Vanguard: This is a monthly blog series that covers major behavioral patterns that affect long-term trading decisions. Each blog post is quite exhaustive and presents the reader with a broad picture of how and why the market has been behaving recently.
• ‘What If’: easyMarkets’ ‘What if’ blog series offers an intriguing dive into alternative scenarios, with articles covering topics like ‘What if Bitcoin Hits $200,000?’. While speculative in nature, these posts encourage readers to think outside the box and explore unconventional possibilities.
• MindsetMastery: The content is designed to boost one’s trading performance with expert insights and simple, actionable steps. It is hosted by easyMarkets’ Head of Market Analysis, Darius Anucauskas. The seasoned expert teaches traders how to adopt a proper trading mentality.

easyMarkets Research: My Key Takeaways

I was impressed by the diversity of easyMarkets’ research content. On the one hand, it provides unique materials like the ‘What If’ blog series, which explores alternative scenarios and their market impact. On the other hand, it offers highly practical resources, such as trading signals from Trading Central. Overall, easyMarkets’ research is well-balanced and insightful.

Education

easyMarkets clients can access around 70 educational videos in English, Arabic, Spanish, and Polish via its YouTube channel. These videos cover various trading topics, including technical and fundamental analysis, the psychology of trading, advanced risk management, and more. The same topics are covered in length in the broker’s ebooks.

The course for beginners explains how to conduct basic market analysis, read Japanese candlesticks, and more. I appreciated that after completing its trading course, traders can check what they have learned by taking a test.

The Bottom Line

Established in 2001 and based in Cyprus, easyMarkets is a market maker licensed and regulated in multiple jurisdictions, offering over 230 CFDs and vanilla options.

easyMarkets offers its own web platform with TradingView charts, also available as a mobile app, along with MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. Users can also trade directly via TradingView. This software supports advanced charting capabilities, comprehensive market research materials, and easy order execution.

What sets easyMarkets apart is its innovative services like easyTrade, dealCancellation, and Freeze Rate, making it an excellent option for casual traders focused on tight risk management and precise order execution.

However, the lack of a raw spread account and higher-than-average spreads on some instruments, such as Bitcoin, are notable drawbacks. Despite this, easyMarkets caters well to traders of all experience levels.

FAQ