Markets.com vs FlowBank 2024

Markets.com is publicly traded, does not operate a bank, and is authorised by three Tier-1 regulators (Highly Trusted), one Tier-2 regulator (Trusted), zero Tier-3 regulator (Average Risk), and one Tier-4 regulator (High Risk). Markets.com is authorised by the following Tier-1 regulators: Australian Securities & Investment Commission (ASIC).

FlowBank operates a regulated Swiss bank, and is authorised by one Tier-1 regulator (high trust): the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA).

Thanks to its web-based MarketsX platform, Markets.com is easy to use and new trader friendly. However, Markets.com is pricey and lacks the feature-rich trading tools required to compete with the best trading platforms.

As a relative newcomer to the Swiss online brokerage scene, FlowBank already has a lot to offer its customers. FlowBank clients benefit from the advantages that come with holding a Swiss bank account, and its brokerage services provide access to more advertised symbols than any online broker that we’ve reviewed thus far.

To open a trading account with Markets.com, you'll need to make an initial minimum deposit of $100.

FlowBank requires a minimum deposit of $0 before you can open an account and start trading.

It's important to make sure that your forex broker accepts the funding options and deposit methods that work best for you. Markets.com offers Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit), Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) and Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) for banking, whereas FlowBank provides Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) and Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw). Neither have PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) and Neteller (Deposit/Withdraw).

Comparing the trading costs of forex and CFDs is not easy. Not every broker publishes average spread data, and pricing structures vary. Based on our thorough, data-driven testing of each broker's commissions and fees, we found that FlowBank offers better pricing overall for traders.

Methodology: When testing each broker's commissions, fees, and pricing, we analyze multiple trade scenarios and award points based on the expansiveness (or inexpensiveness) of the broker's spreads. We then run multiple scenarios for different investor types, incorporating any miscellaneous fees, to determine an "all-in" cost per trade. Learn more about how we test.

At ForexBrokers.com, we track over 110 international regulatory agencies and sort them by tiers (Tier-1, Tier-2, Tier-3, Tier-4, and Tier-5) to help you choose well-regulated, highly trusted forex brokers. Learn more about our proprietary Trust Score rating system. Based on our research on the regulatory status of over 60 brokers, we've found that Markets.com holds 3 global Tier-1 licenses, while FlowBank holds 1. Markets.com holds 1 global Tier-2 licenses, while FlowBank holds 0.

After evaluating each broker based on their number of held licenses, years in business, and a range of other data-driven variables, we've determined that Markets.com (96) earned a higher Trust Score than FlowBank (80).

To compare the trading platforms of both Markets.com and FlowBank, we tested each broker's trading tools, research capabilities, and mobile apps. For trading tools, Markets.com offers a better experience. With research, Markets.com offers superior market research. Finally, we found FlowBank to provide better mobile trading apps.

Here’s what trading platforms are available at Markets.com:

• Proprietary Platform - Yes
• Web Platform - Yes
• cTrader - No
• DupliTrade - No
• MT4 - Yes
• MT5 - Yes
• ZuluTrade - No
• TradingView - No

Here’s what trading platforms are available at FlowBank:

• Proprietary Platform - Yes
• Web Platform - Yes
• cTrader - No
• DupliTrade - No
• MT4 - Yes
• MT5 - Yes
• ZuluTrade - No
• TradingView - No

The MetaTrader trading platform suite is wildly popular among forex and CFD traders across the globe. Both Markets.com and FlowBank offer MetaTrader 4 (MT4). Forex traders also appreciate the ability to engage in social copy trading. Markets.com and FlowBank both offer copy trading.

Markets.com provides traders 57 currency pairs (e.g., EUR/USD) compared to FlowBank's 52 available pairs. If you are interested in trading CFDs, FlowBank offers traders access to 408600 CFDs, while Markets.com offers access to 2179 CFDs; so FlowBank offers 406421 more CFDs than Markets.com.

We found in our testing that FlowBank offers a more diverse selection of investment options than Markets.com, allowing you to trade Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs), U.S. Stocks (CFD), Cryptocurrency (Derivative) and Social Trading / Copy Trading. Neither have Cryptocurrency (Physical) and Spread Betting.