A contract for difference (CFD) is a derivative product which enables you to trade on the price movements of underlying financial assets (such as forex, indices, commodities, shares and treasuries). It's an agreement to exchange the difference in the value of an asset from the time the contract is opened until the time it's closed. With a CFD, you never actually own the asset or instrument you're trading, but you can still benefit if the market moves in your favour, or make a loss should the market move against you. Trading CFDs involves trading on leverage, which means that you can enter a position with a set initial deposit, known as the margin requirement. It's important to remember that leverage amplifies your gains and losses in equal measure, based on the full value of the trade, and not just the initial margin amount. Learn more about CFD trading

What's the difference between trading CFDs and share trading?

The main difference between CFD trading and share trading is that you don't own the underlying share when you trade on a share CFD. With CFDs, you never actually physically buy or sell the underlying asset that you've chosen to trade, but you can still benefit if the market moves in your favour, or make a loss if it moves against you. With CFDs, you also trade with leverage, which means your initial deposit is smaller, although any profits or losses you make are based on the trade's full value. With traditional share trading, you enter a contract to exchange the legal ownership of the shares for the full value upfront, and you then own this equity.

What are the risks with CFD trading?

The main risks associated with CFDs are trading on leverage, which means your profits and losses are amplified based on the full value of your trade, and slippage, or market gapping, which can occur in volatile markets. It's important to manage your risk carefully as part of your overall trading strategy. As a retail (non-professional) client, your account is protected by negative balance protection, which means that you can't lose more than your account value. Learn about the risks of trading CFDs

Is CMC Markets regulated?

CMC Markets has 15 global offices, including in the UK, Australia, Germany, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore and Bermuda. CMC Markets' entities are licensed and regulated by the local authorities, for example, CMC Markets Bermuda is licensed to conduct investment business and digital asset business by the Bermuda Monetary Authority (‘BMA’).

How does CMC Markets protect my money?

As a CMC Markets' client, your money is held separately from CMC Markets' own funds. It is held in segregated client bank accounts distributed across a range of major banks, which are regularly assessed against our risk criteria. Under the BMA rules, retail clients must be provided with negative balance protection. This means that your maximum loss is the amount you have deposited with us.

How do I place a trade?

If you're trading on MT5, select the instrument you wish to trade ('double-click' on your PC), and a new order window will appear. Enter your desired volume (in lots), add any risk-management orders such as a stop-loss or take-profit order. Then place a market order in the direction you wish to trade; buy to go long, or sell to go short. There are several ways to place trades or orders using MT5 – you can learn more about MT5 functionality by navigating to Help > Help topics or Help > Video guides. If you’re trading on our Next Generation platform, search for your desired instrument from the 'Product Library'. Select your chosen instrument ('right-click' on your PC), and select ‘Order Ticket’. In the order ticket box, choose your order type (from Market, Limit, and Stop-Entry Order), and then enter your desired volume in units or amount (this can be configured from the ‘Settings’ menu in the main navigation). Add stop-loss and take-profit levels to minimise your risk, and choose to ‘BUY’ or ‘SELL’, depending on whether you want to go long or short. When you’re ready, select ‘Place Buy Market Order’, or ‘Place Sell Market Order’.

What is the maximum leverage offered by CMC Markets?

For retail clients, the maximum leverage you can currently trade with is 200:1 (or 0.5% margin) with our CFD trading and FX Active accounts.

TradingView is a trading research platform where you can view charts, analyse trends and interact with an online community. You can connect your TradingView account to your CMC Markets account, enabling you to open, manage and close trades within TradingView. Learn more about TradingView here.

What are the key differences between MT5, TradingView and CMC's trading platforms?

MetaQuotes' MetaTrader 5 is globally popular forex and CFD trading platforms. TradingView is a trading and charting platform which you can link to your broker account to place trades. Our proprietary web-based platform is feature-rich and enables access to trade CFDs on 12,000 instruments. With each platform you can choose from our CFD trading or FX Active accounts. Our FX Active account offers spreads from 0.0 pips on six major FX pairs, with a 25% spread discount on all other pairs. There is a fixed, low commission at $2.50 per $100,000 notional value traded. Our trading platform doesn’t require any downloads, while MT5 requires downloading to fully utilise its features, such as algorithmic trading (through Expert Advisors) and social trading available via the MQL5 community. The MetaTrader platforms offer hedging positions by default, while CMC’s trading platform offers netted positions by default.

Can I hedge positions in MetaTrader?

Yes, you can open an opposite, related, or alternative trade, with no interruption for traders using Expert Advisors.

How can I withdraw my funds?

Log in to your MT5 client portal or our trading platform and follow the instructions in the funding section.

How do I reset my password?

You can reset your password by selecting 'Forgot password?' on the login page. We'll then send instructions for changing your password to the email address you use to log in to your account.

What is the complaints procedure at CMC Markets?

Our aim is to provide a high level of service to all our clients, all of the time. We value all feedback and use it to enhance our products and services. We appreciate that from time to time things can go wrong, or there can be misunderstandings. We are committed to dealing with queries and complaints positively and sympathetically. Where we are at fault, we aim to put things right at the earliest opportunity. You can find our complaint handling procedure here{{{ SCROLL-TO-#dispute-resolution }}} or contact us at support@cmcmarketseu.comto begin your account query. Please note that all queries and complaints will be handled in English.

OTC leveraged products, including CFDs, are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 58% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand, CFDs, OTC leveraged products or any of our other products work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Trade CFDs with an award-winning broker¹

Open an account with one of the industry's leading forex brokers
Trade up to 12,000 instruments²
Trade with leverage on forex, indices, commodities, crypto, shares and more
Spreads from 0.0 pips with our FX Active account³
Precise charting and advanced tools

Established 1989

2m+ global clients³

FTSE 250 group

0.0

Pips FX minimum spread⁴

1:200

Maximum retail leverage

0.01

Micro lot trading*

12,000

Financial instruments

24/5

Dedicated customer support

*Trade one-hundredth the size of a standard lot

What is CFD trading?

CFD (contracts for difference) trading enables traders to speculate on the performance of a huge range of global markets, such as forex, indices, stocks and commodities, without owning the underlying asset.

Why trade CFDs with CMC Markets?

35+ years' experience

Founded in 1989, CMC Markets provides its clients with local expertise, backed by the security and financial strength of a global company.

London-based server

Our London based server and industry reputation helps us provide a tier-one liquidity solution, so we can consistently deliver lightning-quick execution speeds⁵.

Unrestricted trading

Our MetaTrader platforms have no restrictions on minimum stop-loss or take-profit distances and limits, especially useful for high-volume traders.

Hedge your positions

Go long and short at the same time on a specific instrument, with no interruption for traders using Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader.

Free premium indicators and EAs

Hone your technical analysis with our suite of free additional premium indicators and EAs.

Straightforward funding

Deposit and withdraw funds easily, and whenever you want to.

What are other traders saying about CMC Markets?

As a financial services pioneer, we combine technical excellence with 35 years' industry know-how. That's why 2 million+ global traders and investors put their confidence in us.?

Invited

Good for beginners.

Easy to understand, all necessary tools are right on your fingertips.

Upanderdeep Singh, 14 hours ago

Invited

Using this platform for 20 years

Started by Lord Peter Cruddas. Always been reliable.

Philips, 1 day ago

Invited

Good Broker

Good Broker. Fast execution, easy to use.

Danish Zultan, 6 days ago

Invited

Easy to trade and quick payments

Quick payments when you request it. Highly recommend.

mark turner, April 9

Invited

Amazing broker

Amazing broker with great customer service.

Robert, April 9

Invited

Best CFD platform

Best platform. Great tools and competitive spreads.

James W., April 7

Invited

Reliable and transparent

Always transparent about fees. No hidden surprises.

Sarah T., April 5

Rated 4.3 / 5 based on 3,027 reviews. Showing our 5 star reviews.
Trustpilot

How we support our traders

Building trust

With over 35 years' industry experience, we're constantly evolving. We're regulated globally and listed on the London Stock Exchange. Client funds are held separately from our own funds in segregated bank accounts.

Dedicated support

You can contact us whenever the markets are open, from Sunday night to Friday night, when our experienced customer service team will be happy to help.

Educational content

Our free educational resources cover everything from the stock markets to the intricacies of CFD trading.

Powerful technology you can rely on

To trade with us, you choose a CFD account that suits the platform you want to use.

Standard CFD account provides access to our proprietary and award-winning Next Generation platform, available on PC and mobile. This account can also be linked to TradingView.

To trade on MetaTrader 5, you must create a separate MT5 CFD account. This account is only compatible with MT5 and does not provide access to Next Generation or TradingView.

Read more below about the platforms we offer and find out which one best suits your trading style.

recommended

MetaTrader 5

Trade on the world's most popular trading platform, with tight spreads and ultra-fast execution.

Trade on forex, indices, commodities and cryptocurrencies
Spreads start from 0.0 pips with our FX Active account³
Fast, one-click trading
Lightning-fast execution ⁴
Customisable charts with pre-installed indicators
Automated trading with Expert Advisors

Open MetaTrader account

Mobile

Millions of traders have already chosen the MetaTrader 5 mobile app to trade on the financial markets, anytime and anywhere.

Scan the QR code to download the app.

Desktop

Download MetaTrader 5 for PC or MAC and trade on the world's most popular trading platform.

Download MT5

Access MT5 WebTrader

MetaTrader 5

A powerful trading platform designed to provide access to global markets, with advanced trading features and real-time data.

Trade on forex, indices, commodities, shares and cryptos
Spreads from 0.0 pips with our FX Active account³
One-click trading
Ultra-fast execution⁴
More order types, timeframes, and pre-installed indicators than on MT5
Depth of market display and inbuilt economic calendar
Experts Advisors with faster strategy tester

Mobile

Download the mobile application for Android and take the trading platform with you.

Scan the QR code to download the app.

Desktop

Download MetaTrader 5 for PC or MAC to experience its advanced trading tools and features from an industry’s leading provider.

Download MT5

Access MT5 WebTrader

recommended

TradingView

Enjoy the best of both worlds: view and analyse charts on TradingView; trade with our tight spreads and fast execution.

Enhance your trading experience with TradingView’s renowned charts and indicators.
Get inspiration and ideas from one of the world’s largest online trading communities.
Prepare for key announcements with TradingView's easy-to-use financial calendar.
Set up personalised alerts using 13 built-in conditions based on price and volume.
Open, manage and close your trades with us in TradingView.

Open an accountLearn more

Mobile app

TradingView's mobile apps are available on the App Store and Google Play Store. Ensure that your device is up to date and your operating system is supported.

Desktop app

Tradingview's desktop app is available for download on Windows, Mac and Linux.

LinuxWindowsMacOS

CMC Web platform

We've invested over £100m into our award-winning platform¹, creating pioneering technology to suit all trading styles.

Integrated TradingView charts
Advanced order execution
Optimised mobile platform
TipRanks analysis
Client sentiment tracker
Pattern recognition scanner
Morningstar equity research and Reuters news
Fund your account with USDT and USDC, via Binance Pay.

Trade on our platform

Mobile

Packed with powerful features, yet intuitive, and available to all traders. Whatever the next step in your trading journey, our mobile platform can help you get there.

Desktop

We've built our web trading platform to be powerful and intuitive. It combines leading-edge features and security, fast execution, and best-in-class insight and analysis. Designed to support any strategy.

Try our platform

Superior execution and reliability

Our pioneering technology and highly-regarded customer service, alongside a choice of powerful platforms, offers an ideal combination for serious traders.

Automated execution

Your trades will be filled without any dealer intervention.

MetaTrader 5 - Superior execution and reliability - Fill rate - 99.2%

Fill rate⁶

We fulfil your order without off-quotes, and wherever possible at the price you see.

Platform stability⁷

We consistently achieve almost 100% core platform uptime, so you can focus on your trading.

Become a CMC Markets partner

Partner with one of the industry's leading CFD and forex brokers. With our advanced IB portal reporting functions and high customer conversion rates, our program is designed to help you grow your business. Be rewarded with generous remunerations, including support for multi-tiered and customisable deals and payments structures. Contact us today to talk with one of our experienced regional representatives.

Become a partner Log in to partner portal

CFD trading

Ready to get started?

If you already have an account, log in to your chosen platform.

Don't have one yet? Open an account now.

Open account

Do you have any questions?

Email us at

support@cmcmarketseu.com

, or call us on

(UK) +441970709813 (Lines open 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday)

¹Recent awards include: No.1 Most Currency Pairs & Best-in-class for Overall Excellence, MetaTrader, Mobile Trading App, Professional Trading, Research & TradingView, ForexBrokers.com Awards 2026; Best Broker for Active Traders, Professional Trader Awards 2025; Best Mobile Trading Platform and Best Spread Betting & CFD Education Tools, ADVFN International Financial Awards 2025; No.1 for Commissions & Fees, ForexBrokers.com Awards 2025.

²The CMC Next Generation platform has approximately 12,000 instruments; MetaTrader 5 has approximately 2,220 instruments; MetaTrader 5 has 220 instruments.

³Spreads from 0.0 pips on six major forex pairs, and a 25% spread discount on 300+ other forex pairs, with a low, fixed commission at $2.50 per $100,000 notional value, with our FX Active account.

⁴0.018 seconds CFD median trade execution time on MetaTrader 5 globally, 1 April 2024-31 March 2025.

⁵Based on over 2 million unique user logins across CMC's trading and investing platforms, including partners, as at November 2025.

⁶99.29% of MT5 market open orders were filled at quote, 23 September 2024-31 March 2025.

⁷99.99%+ MT5 core platform uptime, 1-31 August 2023.

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Select your country and preferred platform for your account

MetaTrader

Trade on the world's most popular platform with our suite of free premium indicators and Expert Advisors.

CMC Next Generation

We've invested over £100m into our award-winning platform creating pioneering technology that suits all styles of trading.

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Choose your trading platform

CMC Next Generation

Our Next Generation trading platform combines institutional-grade features and security, with lightning-fast execution and best-in-class insight and analysis.

Trade contracts for difference (CFDs) on over 12,000+ products including FX Pairs, Indices, Commodities, Shares and Treasuries.

Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 68% of retail investor accounts lose money when spread betting and/or trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets, CFDs, OTC options or any of our other products work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Register for your account

Multi-asset

Share dealing, CFDs and options available
Trade on 12,000+ instruments, including shares, FX, indices and commodities
0% commission with share dealing
No platform fees (other fees may apply)

Create account

Spread betting

Spread bet on 12,000 instruments, including shares, FX, indices & commodities
Profits are free from capital gains tax*
No currency conversion fees (other fees many apply)

FX Active

Spreads on six major FX pairs from 0.0 pips
Commission-based FX trading
Trade on FX, shares, indices, commodities and more

MT5

Spread bet or trade CFDs on 200+ popular instruments
Trade on FX, indices and commodities
Advanced charting and algorithmic trading

Trade CFDs with an award-winning broker¹

What is CFD trading?

Why trade CFDs with CMC Markets?

What are other traders saying about CMC Markets?

How we support our traders

Powerful technology you can rely on

MetaTrader 5

Mobile

Desktop

MetaTrader 5

Mobile

Desktop

TradingView

Mobile app

Desktop app

CMC Web platform

Mobile

Desktop

Superior execution and reliability

Become a CMC Markets partner

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