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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
E
eToro
6.0/10
Fits: a cost you can work out before trading (EUR/USD from 0.005% of the position) and e-wallet funding: eToro Money, Neteller, iDEAL, Trustly and Przelewy24
55% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider (entity not named).
P
Plus500
5.9/10
Fits: residents of Canada or Japan, where eToro has no company in our data, and a demo with unlimited virtual funds and no end date while the account is open
55% 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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
1Copy published termsSpreads, commission, deposits, platforms and account types from each broker’s own pages, each with its date (latest 19 Oct 2026).
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.
3Score four criteriaCosts, platforms, regulation and accounts, 0–10 each, by a fixed formula. Research and support stay unscored until we test them.
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
Checked
Quote
Spread
19 Oct 2026
EUR/USD, Spread-only (OANDA Europe Limited, UK) account, OANDA
0.6 pips
19 Oct 2026
EUR/USD, UK spread bet/CFD account, IG
0.6 pips
19 Oct 2026
EUR/USD, FX Active account, CMC Markets
0.0 pips
Reviewed by the Low Spread Brokers team · 21 Oct 2026
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.
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.
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.