Markets.com Review

Any honest Markets.com review in 2026 has to start with change. The brand that once advertised heavily across the UK and Europe has been sold, restructured and pulled out of its biggest retail market in the space of a few years. What remains is a Cyprus-centred CFD broker with a big product shelf and solid EU oversight, but a narrower footprint than its marketing history suggests. Here is how the business looks today and whether it still deserves a place on your shortlist.

From Playtech Subsidiary to Private Ownership

Markets.com launched in 2008 and for most of its life sat inside Playtech, the London-listed gambling technology group, as the retail arm of its financial trading division alongside the institutional liquidity business Finalto. In July 2022 Playtech completed the sale of that division to Gopher Investments for around $250 million, taking Markets.com out of public-company ownership.

The bigger shift came in November 2024, when the brand stopped onboarding UK retail clients. The UK entity, Finalto Financial Services, now states on its website that it no longer offers services to retail customers and no longer trades under the Markets.com name. Australian retail access has also been withdrawn, according to recent reviews. Prospective clients in those countries should look elsewhere.

Who Regulates Markets.com Now

For most remaining customers, the relevant licences are:

• CySEC (Cyprus): Safecap Investments Limited, licence 092/08, covering EU clients under ESMA rules
• FSCA (South Africa): Finalto (South Africa), FSP number 46860
• BVI FSC: Finalto (BVI) Limited, licence SIBA/L/14/1067, used for many international clients

EU retail clients receive negative balance protection, segregated funds and Investor Compensation Fund cover of up to €20,000. Clients onboarded through the BVI company get higher leverage but considerably weaker protection, so it is worth checking which entity appears on your client agreement.

Pricing in Practice

Markets.com runs a single core CFD account with no commission. Costs are built into floating spreads, which start at 0.6 pips on EUR/USD, though reviewers commonly record averages nearer 0.8 to 1 pip. That makes it a mid-table option on headline cost rather than a low-cost specialist.

The minimum deposit is $100 on the standard account (one recent review cites a higher figure for some regions), and the broker does not charge for deposits or withdrawals itself. Two fees deserve attention. A $10 monthly inactivity charge applies once an account has been idle for just three months, which is aggressive compared with the 12-month thresholds common elsewhere. A currency conversion charge, reported at 0.6% by several reviewers, applies when you trade assets priced in a currency other than your account’s.

Leverage limits

EU retail traders are capped at 1:30 on major currency pairs. Professional clients and those under the South African or BVI entities can reach 1:300.

Platforms and the Product Shelf

The breadth of the menu is the strongest argument for Markets.com. It lists more than 2,200 CFDs, covering about 65 to 70 forex pairs, roughly 2,000 share CFDs, 40 or so indices, commodities, ETFs, a handful of bonds, crypto CFDs and its distinctive Blends, thematic baskets that bundle several stocks into one tradable product.

Trading happens on the proprietary web platform and mobile app, or on MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 for traders who rely on expert advisors. The in-house platform includes Trading Central analysis and sentiment tools. There is no native copy-trading service, and education is thin, so beginners will need outside learning resources. Islamic swap-free and Professional accounts are available, and a free demo account lets you test conditions first.

Our Assessment

Markets.com still offers a broad CFD range under a respected EU licence, with straightforward commission-free pricing and familiar MetaTrader access. However, its retreat from the UK, the short inactivity window and the conversion charge mean it is no longer the obvious mainstream pick it once was. It is best suited to EU or South African traders who value a wide selection of share CFDs and themed baskets over rock-bottom spreads. Be cautious of clone websites using the brand name, which the company itself warns about.

CFD trading uses borrowed exposure, and losses can exceed what you expect, so only risk money you can afford to lose.

Markets.com FAQ

Risk warning: Trading forex and CFDs on margin carries a high level of risk. Bonus terms are set by each broker and may change; always check the broker's official terms before claiming.