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Comparison · eToro vs Plus500

eToro vs Plus500

eToro quotes EUR/USD from 0.005% of the trade value; Plus500 publishes no EUR/USD spread figure at all, only that its price is a dynamic spread. Both run FCA-authorised companies for UK clients: eToro (UK) Ltd and Plus500UK Ltd. Terms below are the brokers’ own, checked 19 Oct 2026.

  • 19 Oct 2026latest broker data check

Low Spread Brokers does not give personal investment advice.

Quick answer

Plus500 or eToro: which is better for you?

Neither wins outright: both get 4 for platforms, and neither has a costs score because neither publishes a EUR/USD spread in pips. eToro scores higher on regulation (9 against 8): our method takes a point off Plus500 for a regulatory fine, the FSA’s £205,128 penalty on Plus500UK in 2012 for transaction reporting failures. Plus500 scores higher on accounts (6 against 4.5) for a published Australian minimum deposit of A$100. Overall: eToro 6.0 against Plus500 5.9. The split is practical: eToro publishes its spread and lists 9 funding methods; Plus500 has 14 companies in our data, including Canada, which eToro does not accept.

  1. UK clients sign with eToro (UK) Ltd (FRN 583263) or Plus500UK Ltd (FRN 509909); both numbers checked on the FCA Register on 20 Oct 2026.
  2. Published loss rates: 55% of retail CFD accounts at eToro, a figure that names no company (checked 19 Oct 2026); at Plus500, 76% at Plus500UK Ltd and 80% at Plus500CY Ltd.
  3. At 1.10, eToro’s 0.005% equals 0.55 pips on EUR/USD. Plus500 gives no number to set against it, so “which is cheaper” cannot be settled from published terms.

eToro and Plus500 at a glance

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.

eToro vs Plus500: published terms side by side

eToro vs Plus500: published terms side by side
Published termeToroPlus500
Preliminary score6.0/105.9/10
Minimum depositNot publishedA$100
Lowest EUR/USD spread publishedNot measuredNot measured
CommissionNot published0 AUD per lot per side
Platformsproprietaryproprietary
Account typesStandard, Demo, ProfessionalStandard, Demo, Professional
Funding methodseToro Money, Debit/credit card, Bank transfer, PayPal, Neteller, Skrill, iDEAL, Trustly, Przelewy24Debit/credit card (Visa, Mastercard only), PayPal, Skrill, Bank transfer
Regulators and licence numbers, as publishedFCA 583263, CySEC 109/10, ASIC AFSL 491139, FSA Seychelles SD076, FSRA FSP 220073, MAS CMS101824, SEC / FINRA FINRA CRD 298361; SEC 8-70212, FinCEN NMLS ID 1769299FCA 509909, CySEC 250/14, Finantsinspektsioon 4.1-1/18, ASIC AFSL 417727, FMA FSP 486026, FSCA FSP 47546, MAS CMS100648-1, DFSA F005651, SCA 20200000232, JFSA 156, CIRO Not published, FSA Seychelles SD039, SCB SIA-F250, Israel (regulator not named) Not published
Max. retail leverage, by company1:30 (major FX, retail) — eToro Responsible Trading Policy, entity not specified on page (FCA, CySEC)1:30 (forex, retail; EUR/USD initial margin 3.33%) (FCA) · 1:30 (forex, retail — per Plus500 forex page en-fr) (CySEC)
Retail loss rate, first company listed55% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider (entity not named).76% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider (Plus500UK Ltd).

Where eToro and Plus500 score higher

Preliminary scores from published data, 0–10 per criterion. Plus500 scores higher on accounts; eToro scores higher on regulation; platforms is level. Plus500’s accounts lead is the A$100 minimum in its Australian disclosure statement; eToro publishes no single minimum, so that part of its score is zero. The costs bar shows 0 for both: neither publishes a EUR/USD spread in pips. Research and support are not scored yet.

eToroPlus500

  • Costs (not measured for either)0.00.0Not compared: no published data for one broker
  • Platforms4.04.0Level
  • Regulation9.08.0eToro higher
  • Accounts4.56.0Plus500 higher
  • Research (not scored yet)0.00.0Not compared: no published data for one broker
  • Support (not scored yet)0.00.0Not compared: no published data for one broker

eToro compared with Plus500

Pros

  • A published FX spread: EUR/USD from 0.005% of trade value, 4 pairs in our data. Plus500 publishes no figure.
  • 9 funding methods against 4; only eToro lists eToro Money, Neteller, iDEAL, Trustly and Przelewy24.
  • Negative balance protection stated for its UK, EU and Australian companies; Plus500 states it for its UK company only in our data.
  • Lower published loss rate: 55% against 76% at Plus500UK Ltd, although eToro’s figure names no company.

Cons

  • No company for Canada: eToro lists Canadian residents as not accepted, while Plus500 serves them through Plus500CA Ltd (CIRO).
  • Fewer Tier 1 regulators: FCA, CySEC, ASIC and MAS, against Plus500’s 8, which add Finantsinspektsioon, DFSA, JFSA and CIRO.
  • No single minimum deposit; Plus500 at least publishes A$100 for Australia.
  • Demo balance is set at $100,000 in virtual funds; Plus500 publishes unlimited virtual funds and no end date while the account is open.

How to choose between eToro and Plus500

Both are single-app CFD brokers with FCA companies, so four questions decide it.

  1. 1

    Do you want to know the cost before you trade?

    eToro publishes EUR/USD from 0.005% of the position: $0.50 on a $10,000 trade, opened and closed, in what eToro calls the lowest possible scenario. Plus500 says it is paid mainly through a dynamic bid/ask spread and gives no figure; its UK User Agreement adds a currency conversion fee of up to 0.7% of realised profit or loss.

  2. 2

    Which company will hold your account?

    In the UK, eToro (UK) Ltd (FRN 583263) or Plus500UK Ltd (FRN 509909). Elsewhere eToro has Tier 1 companies with FCA, CySEC, ASIC and MAS; Plus500 with FCA, CySEC, Finantsinspektsioon, ASIC, MAS, DFSA, JFSA and CIRO. Both also run offshore companies in the Seychelles, so check the company named in your account application.

  3. 3

    How much FSCS cover is stated?

    eToro states FSCS cover up to £85,000 for eToro (UK) Ltd. Plus500’s documents disagree: its UK User Agreement says £85,000, other Plus500 pages say £120,000. FSCS protects against the firm failing, not against trading losses.

  4. 4

    Do you want to practise first?

    eToro’s demo is a virtual portfolio of $100,000 in virtual funds, reset through customer service; eToro states no time limit. Plus500 publishes unlimited virtual funds and no end date while the account is open, with the balance adjustable in Funds Management. Both run on the broker’s own platform only.

Other brokers licensed in the UK, Australia and Singapore

Brands that, like eToro and Plus500, have retail companies authorised by the FCA, ASIC and MAS, by our regulation score; ties broken by the overall score.

  1. 1

    OANDA

    8.1/10
    Minimum deposit
    $0
    EUR/USD spread from
    0.0 pips
    Regulated by
    CFTC / NFA, FCA, KNF, ASIC, CIRO, MAS, JFSA, BVI FSC
    Visit brokerUnpaid link

    76.6% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider (OANDA Europe Limited).

    Read review
  2. 2

    IG

    8.0/10
    Minimum deposit
    £1
    EUR/USD spread from
    0.6 pips
    Regulated by
    FCA, FCA, FCA, BaFin, ASIC, FMA, FINMA, MAS, DFSA, JFSA, FSCA, BMA, CFTC/NFA
    Visit brokerUnpaid link

    70% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider (IG Markets Ltd / IG Index Ltd (UK)).

    Read review
  3. 3

    CMC Markets

    7.9/10
    Minimum deposit
    £0
    EUR/USD spread from
    0.0 pips
    Regulated by
    FCA, FCA, BaFin, ASIC, FMA, MAS, CIRO, DFSA
    Visit brokerUnpaid link

    69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider (CMC Markets UK plc).

    Read review

Methodology v1 · preliminary scores

Where the scores on this page come from

Both brokers are scored by the same formula from their published terms. We have not opened live accounts with either, so no figure on this page is a test result.

  1. 1Copy published termsSpreads, commission, deposits, platforms and account types from each broker’s own pages, each with its date (latest 19 Oct 2026).
  2. 2List the entitiesEvery licensed company of a brand, with the licence number the broker publishes. Matching each number on the regulator’s register is the next step.
  3. 3Score four criteriaCosts, platforms, regulation and accounts, 0–10 each, by a fixed formula. Research and support stay unscored until we test them.
  4. 4Apply this page’s ruleThe filter and sort written under the ranking heading. Ties are broken by the overall score.

Weights in the preliminary score

  • Costs · 31%
  • Regulation & safety · 31%
  • Platforms · 19%
  • Accounts & funding · 19%
  • 5brokers scored
  • 19 Oct 2026latest data check

What does not affect a score

Partner status and advertising. We have no affiliate or advertising agreements with brokers.

Published spreads behind the scores

CheckedQuoteSpread
19 Oct 2026EUR/USD, Spread-only (OANDA Europe Limited, UK) account, OANDA0.6 pips
19 Oct 2026EUR/USD, UK spread bet/CFD account, IG0.6 pips
19 Oct 2026EUR/USD, FX Active account, CMC Markets0.0 pips

Reviewed by the Low Spread Brokers team · 21 Oct 2026

Editorial policyRead the full methodology

Risk warning:

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Most retail investor accounts lose money. Consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford the high risk of losing your money.

Low Spread Brokers does not give personal investment advice.

FAQ

eToro vs Plus500: questions traders ask

Answers use the brokers’ published terms collected up to 19 Oct 2026. Terms change: check the broker’s own page before you trade.

Ask a question

We cannot give personal investment advice.

1Is eToro or Plus500 cheaper?

Published terms do not settle it. eToro quotes EUR/USD from 0.005% of trade value, about 0.55 pips at a rate of 1.10. Plus500 publishes no EUR/USD spread figure, only that its spread is dynamic, and neither broker’s overnight fees are in our data (collected 19 Oct 2026). Compare the live quote in each app on the same pair at the same time.

Data collected up to 19 Oct 2026

2Which is better, Plus500 or eToro?

On our preliminary scores Plus500 has 5.9 and eToro 6.0. eToro scores higher on regulation (9 against 8): our method takes a point off Plus500 for a regulatory fine, the FSA’s £205,128 penalty on Plus500UK in 2012 for transaction reporting failures. Plus500 scores higher on accounts (6 against 4.5) for a published Australian minimum deposit of A$100. Platforms (4) are level, and costs are not measured for either.

Data collected up to 19 Oct 2026

3Is Plus500 legit and FCA regulated?

Its UK company is Plus500UK Ltd, FRN 509909, checked on the FCA Register on 20 Oct 2026. Plus500 lists 14 companies worldwide in our data, from CySEC and ASIC to offshore ones in the Seychelles and the Bahamas, so the protection you get depends on which one opens your account.

Data collected up to 19 Oct 2026

4Is eToro safe compared with Plus500?

Both UK companies are FCA-authorised: eToro (UK) Ltd, FRN 583263, checked on the FCA Register on 20 Oct 2026. Both state negative balance protection for UK clients and the same 1:30 cap on major currency pairs. Neither protects you from losses: 55% of eToro’s and 76% of Plus500 UK’s retail CFD accounts lose money, as each publishes.

Data collected up to 19 Oct 2026

5Can I use MetaTrader with eToro or Plus500?

No. Both list only their own web and app platform in our data, with no MT4, MT5, cTrader or TradingView trading. Expert advisors built for MetaTrader will not run at either broker.

Data collected up to 19 Oct 2026

6What is the minimum deposit at eToro and Plus500?

eToro sets it by country and publishes no single figure. Plus500 publishes A$100 for its Australian company; for the UK it says each deposit method has its own minimum, shown inside the platform.

Data collected up to 19 Oct 2026

7Can I open an account from Canada?

With Plus500, through Plus500CA Ltd, regulated by CIRO; check its listing on the CIRO site, as Plus500 publishes no licence number for it. eToro’s terms list Canada among the countries it does not accept.

Data collected up to 19 Oct 2026

Sources

Broker pages the figures on this page come from, with the date we copied them.

  1. eToro: retail loss rate, entity not namedChecked on 19 Oct 2026
  2. FCA Register: eToro (UK) LtdChecked on 19 Oct 2026
  3. Plus500: costs and commissionChecked on 19 Oct 2026
  4. Plus500: minimum depositChecked on 19 Oct 2026
  5. FCA Register: Plus500UK LtdChecked on 19 Oct 2026
  6. eToro: regulation and licencesChecked on 19 Oct 2026
  7. eToro: responsible trading policy (leverage)Checked on 19 Oct 2026
  8. Plus500UK: User Agreement (FSCS, conversion fee)Checked on 19 Oct 2026
  9. Plus500: subsidiaries and regulatorsChecked on 19 Oct 2026
  10. eToro: demo account (virtual portfolio)Checked on 20 Oct 2026
  11. Plus500: demo account (UK)Checked on 20 Oct 2026

Who wrote and checked this page

  • Written and checked by

    Low Spread Brokers team

    Copies broker costs and account terms from the brokers’ own pages, records the date and source of each figure and checks entities and licence numbers on the regulators’ registers; for this page that check is still in progress.

    About us

Data collected up to 19 Oct 2026Editorial policyHow we rank

Check both UK companies before you choose

Search FRN 583263 and FRN 509909 on the FCA Register, then compare the live EUR/USD quote in each app.

Back to the side-by-side table

CFDs are complex and carry a high risk of losing money rapidly.