HF Markets Broker Review

Is HF Markets Safe?

Regulated by CySEC (license 183/12) since 2012, the FCA (license 801701) since 2013, and the FSCA (FSP 46632) since 2016, HF Markets adheres to strict internal processes and auditing policies.  See below for more details: 

• HF Markets (Europe) Ltd – authorized by CySEC (Cyprus) registration no. 183/12.
• HF Markets (UK) Limited – authorized by FCA (UK) registration no. 801701.
• HF Markets (DIFC) Ltd – authorized DFSA (Dubai) registration no. F004885.
• HF Markets (SV) Ltd – authorized by FSA (St. Vincent and the Grenadines) registration no. 22747 IBC 2015.
• HF Markets SA (PTY) Ltd – authorized by FSCA (South Africa) registration no.  46632.
• HF Markets (Seychelles) Ltd – authorized by FSA (Seychelles) registration no. SD015.

As with all highly-regulated brokers, HF Markets takes the security of client funds seriously and uses segregated accounts to ensure that, in the unlikely event of broker bankruptcy, all clients can be refunded.

With awards for Best Client Funds Protection Broker 2015 (Mena Dubai Fx Show) and Best Client Fund Security 2014 (Global Financial Market), the trading industry has specifically highlighted HF Markets for their commitment to the protection of the client funds.

More recently, HF Markets won awards for Best New Forex Broker South Africa 2016 (Global Banking & Finance Review Awards) and Best Forex Broker Latin America 2018 (International Business Magazine). In 2019, further underscoring its commitment to client security, HF Markets won the award for Best Client Fund Security (Global Brands).

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Trading Conditions

HF Markets is an STP broker; all trades have market execution and the broker will not profit directly from any losses you make. Account types suit traders who wish to deposit as little as 50 USD and over 500 USD. All accounts have variable spreads, and deposits and withdrawals at HF Markets are free.

Account Types

HF Markets can provide clients with a choice of six account types, depending on location (clients in Europe will only have access to three accounts), and trading conditions vary as the minimum deposit increases. A trader will be able to choose their account based on their trading strategy, level of funding, and the size of the trades they wish to make.

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Spreads and Commissions

The spreads on all accounts are variable, where the Zero account has the tightest spreads on FX pairs, and an additional commission is charged based on the trading volume.

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Broker

Trading Conditions

Base Currencies

EURUSD (Standard)

Trading Cost (Standard)

EURUSD (Best)

GBPUSD (Best)

USDJPY (Best)

Commission

HF Markets

5/ 5

EUR, USD, GBP

0.00 pips

USD 6

1.30 pips

1.80 pips

1.90 pips

USD 6

Admirals

4.5/ 5

EUR, USD, GBP, CHF, BGN, CZK, HRK, HUF, PLN, RON, RUB, AUD, ZAR

0.80 pips

USD 8

0.10 pips

0.60 pips

0.30 pips

USD 0

IronFX

3/ 5

USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, JPY, BTC, PLN, CZK

2.20 pips

USD 22

0.00 pips

0.00 pips

0.00 pips

USD 0

Deposit & Withdrawal Fees

Deposits are handled on weekdays and conditions apply to each of the deposit options.

• Bank Wire – HF Markets will cover the fees for transfers over the minimum amount of 250 USD. The funds will be added to your trading account within one business day of the funds reflecting in HF Markets’s account.
• Bank Cards & e-Wallets – A minimum deposit of 50 USD is required, and will take approximately 10 minutes to reflect in your trading account. There are no fees for this deposit method.

Withdrawals are processed within 24 hours (weekdays only) of receiving them, and different conditions apply to each of the payment methods.

• Bank Wire – No fees & minimum withdrawal of 150 USD
• Bank Cards & e-Wallets – No fees & minimum withdrawal of 5 USD.

HF Markets For Beginners

Award-winning customer service and a client-focused approach to doing business means that beginner traders at HF Markets can rely on excellent support. Quality educational material in both a structured layout and market analysis format will benefit traders of all learning levels.  Note that while the website is fully translated into Malay, some market analysis and educational materials are only available in English.

Educational Material

Traders who open a demo or live account will get access to the HF Markets e-Course, a well-structured way to learn the basics. This course includes the basics of Forex theory and Forex trading, reading and interpreting charts, trading strategies, trading psychology, and technical analysis.

Video tutorials are available without registration and these cover introductory concepts, Metatrader tutorials, trading strategies, and lessons in economic theory.

Webinars on current events, advanced trading strategy, and risk and money management are run every few days. These webinars do not require an account at HF Markets, but you will need to register to participate.

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Broker

Beginner Course

Advanced Course

HF Markets

Yes

Yes

Admirals

Yes

Yes

IronFX

No

Yes

Analysis Material

HF Markets devotes an entire section of their website to market analysis and trading tools; these include daily market news, trade analysis, and outlooks. Trading calculators and economic calendars are also available for reference outside of a trading platform.

This dedication to analysis earned HF Markets the Best Forex News & Analysis Provider 2016 award (Mena Dubai Fx Show).

Customer Support

Support is available 24/5 in over 27 languages. Toll-free local phone numbers and local email addresses give clients direct free access to quality customer service in their language.  Unfortunately, local telephone support is not available in Malaysia.

HF Markets’s goal is to provide the best customer service to clients by maintaining a client-focused culture. This approach to supporting clients won them the Best Global Forex Trading Education Provider 2018 (Global Brands Magazine).

HF Markets Trading Platforms

HF Markets offers both MT4 and MT5 trading platforms. As well as the desktop applications, HF Markets also offers the MT4 and MT5 WebTerminal, a browser-based version of the platforms, along with mobile versions.

The MT5 desktop and WebTerminal at HF Markets offer 21 different time-frames, analysis tools, advantage chart analysis with detailed overlays, pre-programmed analytical tools, and over 80 built-in indicators and tools. Advanced traders can install Expert Advisors to enable programmatic trading.  

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Broker

Platform Choice

Copy Trading

Platforms

HF Markets

4.5/ 5

Yes

MT4

MT5

Admirals

4.5/ 5

Yes

MT4

MT5

MT Supreme

IronFX

4/ 5

Yes

MT4

HF Markets Mobile Apps

HF Markets offers a seamless trading experience with support for MT4 and MT5 mobile trading apps for Android and IOS, including a native iPad app.

Trading Tools

HF Markets offers a number of powerful trading tools to clients with live accounts. These include free VPS hosting, free access to Autochartist, and a collection of Premium Trader Tools such as live sentiment and correlation tracking, tick charts, an MT5 indicator package, a customizable news feed, and a sophisticated alarm manager capable of carrying out a number of automated actions.

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Broker

Autochartist

Trading Central

Trading View

HF Markets

Yes

No

No

Admirals

No

Yes

No

IronFX

No

Yes

No

Evaluation Method

We value transparency and openness in the way we review the partners. To bring transparency to the forefront, we have published our review process that includes a detailed breakdown of the HF Markets offering. Central to that process is the evaluation of the reliability of the broker, the platform offering of the broker, and the trading conditions offered to clients, which are summarised in this review. Each one of these is graded, and an overall score is calculated and assigned to the broker.

HF Markets Risk Statement

Trading Forex is risky, and each broker is required to detail how risky the trading of Forex CFDs is to clients. HF Markets would like you to know that: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 72.83% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with HF Markets (Europe) Ltd. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Overview

HF Markets is a well-regulated STP broker with awards for its client protection and product offerings. With accounts that suit both beginners and professionals, ample training material, frequent market analysis, and a broad selection of trading tools HF Markets is a good choice for new and experienced traders. Robust regulation, mirrored by their awards won in the area of client fund protection makes HF Markets a trusted brokerage.

Editorial Team

 

Chris Cammack
Head of Content

Chris joined the company in 2019 after ten years experience in research, editorial and design for political and financial publications. His background has given him a deep knowledge of international financial markets and the geopolitics that affects them. Chris has a keen eye for editing and a voracious appetite for financial and political current affairs. He ensures that our content across all sites meets the standards of quality and transparency that our readers expect.

 

Alison Heyerdahl
Senior Financial Writer

Alison joined the team as a writer in 2021. She is the Senior Editor for FXScouts.  She has a medical degree with a focus on physiotherapy and a bachelor’s in psychology. However, her interest in forex trading and her love for writing led her to switch careers. She has a passion for Forex trading and over a decade of editorial experience researching Forex and the financial services industry, producing high-quality content. She hosts a weekly podcast, “Let’s Talk Forex,” alongside her colleague, Chris, and has produced over 100 Forex educational videos for the FXScouts YouTube channel. She also writes weekly technical analyses and has tested and reviewed over 100 Forex brokers.

 

Ida Hermansen
Financial Writer

Ida joined our team as a financial writer in 2023. She has a degree in Digital Marketing and a background in content writing and SEO. In addition to her marketing and writing skills, Ida also has an interest in cryptocurrencies and blockchain networks. Her interest in crypto trading led to a wider fascination with Forex technical analysis and price movement. She continues to develop her skills and knowledge in Forex trading and keeps a close eye on which Forex brokers offer the best trading environments for new traders.