Head to head

CMC Markets vs Cornèrtrader — which broker is better?

CMC Markets or Cornèrtrader? Fees, regulation, platform and product range compared side by side — with a verdict drawn from the data.

Risk warning: CFDs and leveraged products are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly. Investments can fall in value. Past performance is not an indicator of future results.

CMC Markets

The best charting package in retail CFD trading, wrapped around a narrower product range than the market count suggests.

4,4

Group index 94/100Protection depends on your legal entity

FCAFCAFCA+3

Stocks (per order): Free
Minimum deposit: None
EUR/USD spread: 0.7 pips

Visit broker Full review

Cornèrtrader

A genuine Swiss bank behind a genuine multi-asset terminal — priced for portfolios, not for pocket money.

3,8

Group index 80/100Protection depends on your legal entity

FINMA

Stocks (per order): 0.12 %
Minimum deposit: CHF 1,000
FX conversion: 0.5 %

Visit broker Full review

Advertising disclosure: where a partnership is active, we may earn a commission through broker links. The provider’s terms apply. Commissions do not influence our ratings; paid placements are separately labelled as sponsored.

The verdict in numbers

Four decision axes, each derived from the recorded data.

Overall CMC Markets takes it, 4.4 against 3.8 out of 5. CMC Markets is the cheaper of the two: a reference EUR 5,000 stock order costs €0.00 there against €9.36. CMC Markets scores 94 against 80 out of 100 on the group index. Your account's protection depends on its legal entity. Both cover 10 of 14 asset classes. On platform and app CMC Markets is ahead, 4.7 against 3.9 out of 5. Which one is right depends on which of these axes matters for your trading profile.

Overall score

CMC Markets: 4.4 — Better
Cornèrtrader: 3.8

Costs

CMC Markets: €0.00 — Better
Cornèrtrader: €9.36

Group indexNo winner

CMC Markets: 94 of 100
Cornèrtrader: 80 of 100

Product rangeTie

CMC Markets: 10/14
Cornèrtrader: 10/14

Platform & app

CMC Markets: 4.7 — Better
Cornèrtrader: 3.9

Compare brokers side by side

Up to four brokers at once — every row a decision point.

Data as of: 30 Aug 2026

Best value in the row

CMC Markets · Cornèrtrader
Criterion	CMC Markets 4,4 Visit broker	Cornèrtrader 3,8 Visit broker

Overall score	4.4 — Better	3.8
Group index	94 of 100	80 of 100
Best for	Technical and chart-driven tradersUK and Irish spread bettingActive FX traders on FX ActiveShare CFD traders in UK and EuropeSmall starting balances	Swiss multi-asset investorsOptions and futures traders in SwitzerlandPortfolios above CHF 100,000Traders who want banking and trading in one place

Regulation	FCAFCAFCAASICBaFinMAS	FINMA
Top-tier licences	6 — Better	1
Investor protection	£85,000	CHF 100,000 — Better
Listed group	Yes	No
Banking licence	No	Yes
Segregated client accounts	Yes	Yes
Negative balance protection	Yes	No
Audited financials	Yes	Yes
Disclosed regulatory actions	1	None
Founded	1989	1952
Headquarters	London, GB	Lugano, CH

Fees	4.3 — Better	3.2
Safety & regulation	4.6 — Better	4.4
Trading platform	4.8 — Better	4.2
Product range	4.4	4.4
Mobile app	4.5 — Better	3.6
Research	4.4 — Better	3.8
Customer support	4.1 — Better	3.6
Deposit & withdrawal	4.0 — Better	3.2
Account opening	4.3 — Better	3.2
Education	4.2 — Better	3.4

Reference order EUR 5,000	€0.00 — Better	€9.36
Minimum deposit	None — Better	CHF 1,000
Stocks (per order)	Free	0.12 %
US stocks	US$0.02/share — Better	0.15 %
ETFs	Free	0.12 %
Options	Free — Better	€4
Futures	Not offered	€4
Crypto	n/a	Not offered
Bonds (order)	n/a	n/a
Funds (order)	n/a	n/a
EUR/USD spread	0.7 pips	n/a
Index CFD spread	n/a	1.38 points
FX conversion	0.7 %	0.5 % — Better
Inactivity fee	£10 · after 12 months	n/a
Custody fee	n/a	n/a
Withdrawal fee	free	n/a
Deposit fee	free	n/a
Overnight financing	n/a	n/a
Other fees	Suggested opening balance: No formal minimum deposit; CMC suggests around GBP 100 to cover margin on a first position FX conversion: ±0.7% applied to the mid-price when converting realised profit, loss and charges into your account currency FX Active account: Spreads from 0.0 pips on six major pairs plus USD/GBP 2.50 commission per side per 100k notional Greek share CFDs: 0.45% commission — the only European market not on the 0% schedule Holding cost: Charged daily on positions held overnight; the rate varies by instrument and trade direction Index CFD spreads: Not published as a fixed table; CMC quotes variable spreads that vary by session — check the platform before trading	Default price tier: CONSISTENCY (the most expensive) applies automatically unless a better tier is agreed — deposit thresholds are CHF 100,000 / 250,000 / 500,000 for the three cheaper tiers Multi-currency accounts: CONSISTENCY max 1, SOLIDITY max 5, OPPORTUNITY max 10, ENERGY unlimited FX spot commission: 12 per lot of 100,000 nominal at the entry tier (9 / 5 / 3 at higher tiers); gold 1.5 per oz, silver 1.8 per 100 oz Index CFD minimum spreads (entry tier): US 500 0.75, US Tech 100 0.625, DAX 40 1.375, EU Stoxx 50 1.25, UK 100 1.375, SMI 1.75, Wall Street 2.5 index points Phone orders: CHF 50 at the two lower tiers, CHF 30 at the two higher tiers Incoming securities transfer: CHF 30,000 minimum accepted amount at all tiers except ENERGY +7

Asset classes (of 14)	10	10
Exchanges	n/a	n/a
Stocks	Yes	Yes
ETFs	Yes	Yes
Options	Yes	Yes
Futures	No	Yes
Forex	Yes	Yes
CFDs	Yes	Yes
Crypto	Yes	No
Bonds	Yes	Yes
Funds	No	Yes
Commodities	Yes	Yes
Indices	Yes	Yes
Warrants	No	No
Spread betting	Yes	No
Social trading	No	No

Platforms	Next Generation (web)Next Generation desktopCMC mobile appMetaTrader 4TradingView	Cornèrtrader web platformCornèrtrader desktopiCornèr AppDemo platform
Demo account	Yes	Yes
Fractional shares	No	No
Maximum leverage	1:30	Switzerland does not apply the ESMA retail leverage caps, so Swiss clients can in principle take more leverage on FX and CFDs than an EU retail client.
Account opening	Online application, usually approved the same day; funded and trading within 24 hours in most jurisdictions	Online application with full Swiss bank onboarding and document checks; the demo platform is available immediately without an account
Account types	Spread betting accountCFD accountFX ActiveCorporate accountProfessional account	CONSISTENCYSOLIDITYOPPORTUNITYENERGY

Payment methods	Bank transferSEPACredit cardDebit card	Bank transferSEPA
Account currencies	GBPEURUSDAUDCADNOKNZDPLNSEKSGD	CHFEURUSD
Deposit time	Instant by debit or credit card; up to 2 business days by bank transfer	SEPA and domestic Swiss transfers typically 1–2 business days
Withdrawal time	1–3 business days back to the original funding source	1–3 business days by bank transfer
Free withdrawals	n/a	n/a

Languages	EnglishGermanFrenchItalianSpanishPolishSwedishNorwegianChinese	ItalianGermanFrenchEnglish
Channels	PhoneEmailLive chat	PhoneEmailLive chatTicket system
Availability	24/5, from the Sunday market open to the Friday close	Swiss business hours; separate technical support and trading support desks, plus Relationship Managers for larger accounts

Strengths and weaknesses side by side

Editorial assessment based on the recorded data.

CMC Markets

The best charting package in retail CFD trading, wrapped around a narrower product range than the market count suggests.

4,4

Pros

Next Generation is the strongest charting suite bundled with a retail CFD account — 115+ indicators, 70 chart patterns, 12 chart types and pattern-recognition scanners, at no extra cost
0% commission on UK and European share CFDs (Greece the sole exception at 0.45%), against IG's spread-plus-conversion model
EUR/USD averages around 0.7 pips on the standard account, and FX Active delivers from 0.0 pips for USD/GBP 2.50 per side per 100,000 notional
No minimum deposit at all — CMC only suggests around GBP 100 to cover margin, which makes it genuinely testable with small money
Three FCA licences (173730, 170627, 948126) plus ASIC AFSL 238054, BaFin and MAS, with FSCS cover of GBP 85,000 and client money segregated at NatWest, Barclays and Lloyds under annual PwC audit
Cash-settled OTC options, available as a spread bet or through the CFD account, carry no commission and no holding or financing charge — the whole cost is in the spread
12,029 instruments on Next Generation, all of which are also tradable from TradingView charts
Ten account base currencies including NOK, SEK, PLN and SGD, which removes conversion drag for Nordic and Asian clients

Cons

None of CMC's derivatives is exchange-traded: the options it quotes are OTC and cash-settled, and there are no cleared futures at all, so CMC is the counterparty on every derivative contract and no clearing house stands behind it
The 0.7% FX conversion charge on realised profit, loss and costs is high; IG applies 0.8% on the equivalent CFD trades
Inactivity fee of GBP 10 per month starts after just 12 months without trading activity
ASIC required CMC to remediate Australian retail clients in 2023 over CFDs offered above the product intervention leverage limits, and an Australian class action over 2011–2021 marketing remains outstanding
MT4 carries only about 220 instruments against 12,029 on Next Generation, so algo traders who need MT4 lose most of the product range
CMC does not publish a fixed index spread table, which makes cost comparison against brokers that do quote fixed minimums harder than it should be

Best for

Technical and chart-driven tradersUK and Irish spread bettingActive FX traders on FX ActiveShare CFD traders in UK and EuropeSmall starting balances

Cornèrtrader

A genuine Swiss bank behind a genuine multi-asset terminal — priced for portfolios, not for pocket money.

3,8

Pros

Cornèr Bank Ltd is a FINMA-supervised Swiss bank founded in 1952 and ranked second in Switzerland for capital strength in The Banker's Top 1000 World Banks 2026
A genuine multi-asset platform: shares, ETFs, ETPs, ETNs, ETCs, bonds, mutual funds, FX spot, FX options, futures and micro futures, listed stock options and CFDs on indices, single stocks, commodities, bonds and forex
More than 40,000 tradable instruments and over 10,000 pieces of research covering technical, fundamental and momentum analysis, included rather than sold as a subscription
Trading and banking in one relationship: multi-currency account, free Visa debit card, no separate cash transfer needed to move between investing and spending
Free demo platform available without opening an account — rare among Swiss bank-owned brokers and the best way to test the terminal first
Commissions fall sharply with portfolio size: SIX drops from 0.12% to 0.07% and US shares from 0.15% to 0.08% across the four tiers
Securities lending is offered as an optional way to generate income from an existing equity portfolio

Cons

The most expensive tier applies by default — Cornèrtrader states explicitly that if no other agreement is in place, the highest price category in the table applies
The entry CONSISTENCY tier is limited to a single account currency, so a CHF-based client buying US or German shares is forced into a currency conversion on every trade
Every conversion for a foreign-currency trade carries a 0.5% mark-up over the FX spot mid-price — more than the 0.15% commission on a US share order at the entry tier
Incoming securities transfers require a minimum accepted amount of CHF 30,000 at every tier except ENERGY, which blocks smaller portfolios from consolidating here
No spot cryptocurrency — only Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs and ETPs
Cornèr Bank is privately held and not listed, so there is no share price or continuous market scrutiny of the counterparty, only periodic published accounts

Best for

Swiss multi-asset investorsOptions and futures traders in SwitzerlandPortfolios above CHF 100,000Traders who want banking and trading in one place

Open an account with either

A demo account costs nothing and answers the platform question in ten minutes.

Visit broker: CMC Markets Visit broker: Cornèrtrader

More comparisons

Alternatives people weigh up alongside these two.

CMC Markets vs Cornèrtrader — which broker is better?

CMC Markets or Cornèrtrader? Fees, regulation, platform and product range compared side by side — with a verdict drawn from the data.

The verdict in numbers

Four decision axes, each derived from the recorded data.

CMC Markets · Cornèrtrader
Criterion	CMC Markets 4,4 Visit broker	Cornèrtrader 3,8 Visit broker

Overall score	4.4 — Better	3.8
Group index	94 of 100	80 of 100
Best for	Technical and chart-driven tradersUK and Irish spread bettingActive FX traders on FX ActiveShare CFD traders in UK and EuropeSmall starting balances	Swiss multi-asset investorsOptions and futures traders in SwitzerlandPortfolios above CHF 100,000Traders who want banking and trading in one place

Regulation	FCAFCAFCAASICBaFinMAS	FINMA
Top-tier licences	6 — Better	1
Investor protection	£85,000	CHF 100,000 — Better
Listed group	Yes	No
Banking licence	No	Yes
Segregated client accounts	Yes	Yes
Negative balance protection	Yes	No
Audited financials	Yes	Yes
Disclosed regulatory actions	1	None
Founded	1989	1952
Headquarters	London, GB	Lugano, CH

Fees	4.3 — Better	3.2
Safety & regulation	4.6 — Better	4.4
Trading platform	4.8 — Better	4.2
Product range	4.4	4.4
Mobile app	4.5 — Better	3.6
Research	4.4 — Better	3.8
Customer support	4.1 — Better	3.6
Deposit & withdrawal	4.0 — Better	3.2
Account opening	4.3 — Better	3.2
Education	4.2 — Better	3.4

Reference order EUR 5,000	€0.00 — Better	€9.36
Minimum deposit	None — Better	CHF 1,000
Stocks (per order)	Free	0.12 %
US stocks	US$0.02/share — Better	0.15 %
ETFs	Free	0.12 %
Options	Free — Better	€4
Futures	Not offered	€4
Crypto	n/a	Not offered
Bonds (order)	n/a	n/a
Funds (order)	n/a	n/a
EUR/USD spread	0.7 pips	n/a
Index CFD spread	n/a	1.38 points
FX conversion	0.7 %	0.5 % — Better
Inactivity fee	£10 · after 12 months	n/a
Custody fee	n/a	n/a
Withdrawal fee	free	n/a
Deposit fee	free	n/a
Overnight financing	n/a	n/a
Other fees	Suggested opening balance: No formal minimum deposit; CMC suggests around GBP 100 to cover margin on a first position FX conversion: ±0.7% applied to the mid-price when converting realised profit, loss and charges into your account currency FX Active account: Spreads from 0.0 pips on six major pairs plus USD/GBP 2.50 commission per side per 100k notional Greek share CFDs: 0.45% commission — the only European market not on the 0% schedule Holding cost: Charged daily on positions held overnight; the rate varies by instrument and trade direction Index CFD spreads: Not published as a fixed table; CMC quotes variable spreads that vary by session — check the platform before trading	Default price tier: CONSISTENCY (the most expensive) applies automatically unless a better tier is agreed — deposit thresholds are CHF 100,000 / 250,000 / 500,000 for the three cheaper tiers Multi-currency accounts: CONSISTENCY max 1, SOLIDITY max 5, OPPORTUNITY max 10, ENERGY unlimited FX spot commission: 12 per lot of 100,000 nominal at the entry tier (9 / 5 / 3 at higher tiers); gold 1.5 per oz, silver 1.8 per 100 oz Index CFD minimum spreads (entry tier): US 500 0.75, US Tech 100 0.625, DAX 40 1.375, EU Stoxx 50 1.25, UK 100 1.375, SMI 1.75, Wall Street 2.5 index points Phone orders: CHF 50 at the two lower tiers, CHF 30 at the two higher tiers Incoming securities transfer: CHF 30,000 minimum accepted amount at all tiers except ENERGY +7

Asset classes (of 14)	10	10
Exchanges	n/a	n/a
Stocks	Yes	Yes
ETFs	Yes	Yes
Options	Yes	Yes
Futures	No	Yes
Forex	Yes	Yes
CFDs	Yes	Yes
Crypto	Yes	No
Bonds	Yes	Yes
Funds	No	Yes
Commodities	Yes	Yes
Indices	Yes	Yes
Warrants	No	No
Spread betting	Yes	No
Social trading	No	No

Platforms	Next Generation (web)Next Generation desktopCMC mobile appMetaTrader 4TradingView	Cornèrtrader web platformCornèrtrader desktopiCornèr AppDemo platform
Demo account	Yes	Yes
Fractional shares	No	No
Maximum leverage	1:30	Switzerland does not apply the ESMA retail leverage caps, so Swiss clients can in principle take more leverage on FX and CFDs than an EU retail client.
Account opening	Online application, usually approved the same day; funded and trading within 24 hours in most jurisdictions	Online application with full Swiss bank onboarding and document checks; the demo platform is available immediately without an account
Account types	Spread betting accountCFD accountFX ActiveCorporate accountProfessional account	CONSISTENCYSOLIDITYOPPORTUNITYENERGY

Payment methods	Bank transferSEPACredit cardDebit card	Bank transferSEPA
Account currencies	GBPEURUSDAUDCADNOKNZDPLNSEKSGD	CHFEURUSD
Deposit time	Instant by debit or credit card; up to 2 business days by bank transfer	SEPA and domestic Swiss transfers typically 1–2 business days
Withdrawal time	1–3 business days back to the original funding source	1–3 business days by bank transfer
Free withdrawals	n/a	n/a

Languages	EnglishGermanFrenchItalianSpanishPolishSwedishNorwegianChinese	ItalianGermanFrenchEnglish
Channels	PhoneEmailLive chat	PhoneEmailLive chatTicket system
Availability	24/5, from the Sunday market open to the Friday close	Swiss business hours; separate technical support and trading support desks, plus Relationship Managers for larger accounts

Criterion

4,4

3,8

Overall score

4.4

3.8

Group index

94 of 100

80 of 100

Best for

Technical and chart-driven tradersUK and Irish spread bettingActive FX traders on FX ActiveShare CFD traders in UK and EuropeSmall starting balances

Swiss multi-asset investorsOptions and futures traders in SwitzerlandPortfolios above CHF 100,000Traders who want banking and trading in one place

Regulation

FCAFCAFCAASICBaFinMAS

FINMA

Top-tier licences

Investor protection

£85,000

CHF 100,000

Listed group

Banking licence

Segregated client accounts

Negative balance protection

Audited financials

Disclosed regulatory actions

None

Founded

1989

1952

Headquarters

London, GB

Lugano, CH

Fees

4.3

3.2

Safety & regulation

4.6

4.4

Trading platform

4.8

4.2

Product range

4.4

Mobile app

4.5

3.6

Research

4.4

3.8

Customer support

4.1

3.6

Deposit & withdrawal

4.0

3.2

Account opening

4.3

3.2

Education

4.2

3.4

Reference order EUR 5,000

€0.00

€9.36

Minimum deposit

None

CHF 1,000

Stocks (per order)

Free

0.12 %

US stocks

US$0.02/share

0.15 %

ETFs

Free

0.12 %

Options

Free

€4

Futures

Not offered

€4

Crypto

n/a

Not offered

Bonds (order)

n/a

Funds (order)

n/a

EUR/USD spread

0.7 pips

n/a

Index CFD spread

n/a

1.38 points

FX conversion

0.7 %

0.5 %

Inactivity fee

£10 · after 12 months

n/a

Custody fee

n/a

Withdrawal fee

free

n/a

Deposit fee

free

n/a

Overnight financing

n/a

Other fees

Suggested opening balance: No formal minimum deposit; CMC suggests around GBP 100 to cover margin on a first position
FX conversion: ±0.7% applied to the mid-price when converting realised profit, loss and charges into your account currency
FX Active account: Spreads from 0.0 pips on six major pairs plus USD/GBP 2.50 commission per side per 100k notional
Greek share CFDs: 0.45% commission — the only European market not on the 0% schedule
Holding cost: Charged daily on positions held overnight; the rate varies by instrument and trade direction
Index CFD spreads: Not published as a fixed table; CMC quotes variable spreads that vary by session — check the platform before trading

Default price tier: CONSISTENCY (the most expensive) applies automatically unless a better tier is agreed — deposit thresholds are CHF 100,000 / 250,000 / 500,000 for the three cheaper tiers
Multi-currency accounts: CONSISTENCY max 1, SOLIDITY max 5, OPPORTUNITY max 10, ENERGY unlimited
FX spot commission: 12 per lot of 100,000 nominal at the entry tier (9 / 5 / 3 at higher tiers); gold 1.5 per oz, silver 1.8 per 100 oz
Index CFD minimum spreads (entry tier): US 500 0.75, US Tech 100 0.625, DAX 40 1.375, EU Stoxx 50 1.25, UK 100 1.375, SMI 1.75, Wall Street 2.5 index points
Phone orders: CHF 50 at the two lower tiers, CHF 30 at the two higher tiers
Incoming securities transfer: CHF 30,000 minimum accepted amount at all tiers except ENERGY
+7

Asset classes (of 14)

Exchanges

n/a

Stocks

ETFs

Options

Futures

Forex

CFDs

Crypto

Bonds

Funds

Commodities

Indices

Warrants

Spread betting

Social trading

Platforms

Next Generation (web)Next Generation desktopCMC mobile appMetaTrader 4TradingView

Cornèrtrader web platformCornèrtrader desktopiCornèr AppDemo platform

Demo account

Fractional shares

Maximum leverage

1:30

Switzerland does not apply the ESMA retail leverage caps, so Swiss clients can in principle take more leverage on FX and CFDs than an EU retail client.

Account opening

Online application, usually approved the same day; funded and trading within 24 hours in most jurisdictions

Online application with full Swiss bank onboarding and document checks; the demo platform is available immediately without an account

Account types

Spread betting accountCFD accountFX ActiveCorporate accountProfessional account

CONSISTENCYSOLIDITYOPPORTUNITYENERGY

Payment methods

Bank transferSEPACredit cardDebit card

Bank transferSEPA

Account currencies

GBPEURUSDAUDCADNOKNZDPLNSEKSGD

CHFEURUSD

Deposit time

Instant by debit or credit card; up to 2 business days by bank transfer

SEPA and domestic Swiss transfers typically 1–2 business days

Withdrawal time

1–3 business days back to the original funding source

1–3 business days by bank transfer

Free withdrawals

n/a

Languages

EnglishGermanFrenchItalianSpanishPolishSwedishNorwegianChinese

ItalianGermanFrenchEnglish

Channels

PhoneEmailLive chat

PhoneEmailLive chatTicket system

Availability

24/5, from the Sunday market open to the Friday close

Swiss business hours; separate technical support and trading support desks, plus Relationship Managers for larger accounts