Capital.com Review 2024

Trust

Capital.com Regulations

In our reviews, we examine the licenses and regulations of each entity operated by a broker. This allows us to compare their different levels of protection. We rank licenses by various regulatory bodies on a three-tier system, where Tier-1 licensing indicates the highest level of regulation.

This is what I discovered about Capital.com:

• Capital Com (UK) Limited is licensed and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK under license number 793714. We rank the FCA as a Tier-1 regulator.
• Capital Com Australia Pty Ltd is licensed and regulated in Australia by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) under license number 513393. We rank ASIC as a Tier-1 regulator.
• Capital Com SV Investments Limited is licensed and regulated in Cyprus by the Cyprus Securities and Investments Commission (CySEC) under license number 319/17. We rate CySEC as a Tier-1 regulator.
• Capital Com Online Investments Ltd is licensed and regulated by the Securities Commission of the Bahamas (SCB) under license number SIA-F245. We rank the SCB as a Tier-3 regulator.

We have summarized the most essential aspects of Capital.com in terms of regulation and safety in the table below:

Why is it Important to Know Where Your Broker’s Subsidiaries are Regulated?

Brokers operate multiple entities because it allows them to serve clients worldwide. However, licenses obtained by regulators in different jurisdictions do not always entail the same degree of protection. Some regulators mandate compliance with the strictest financial frameworks, whereas others are less rigid. That is why traders need to familiarize themselves with the safety mechanisms ensured by the entity they want to open an account with beforehand.

Here is what you need to be looking for in a broker in terms of safety mechanisms:

• Segregation of client funds. Keeping client funds in segregated bank accounts from the ones used for the broker’s corporate capital negates the risk of accounting errors. All of Capital.com’s entities ensure this.
• Negative balance protection. This safety mechanism removes the risk of trading losses exceeding the account balance. In other words, the losses you incur from trading are capped at the amount you have put in your trading account. This is especially important in volatile markets. All Capital.com entities provide negative balance protection.
• Compensation scheme. A compensation scheme protects retail traders against the broker’s liabilities in the unlikely event that the company becomes insolvent. Clients of Capital Com (UK) Limited are protected under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) of the FCA by up to 85,000 GBP. Clients of the CySEC-regulated entity, Capital Com SV Investments Limited, are protected by up to EUR 20,000 under the Investor Compensation Fund (ICF).
• Maximum leverage. Capping the maximum leverage restricts the extent of market exposure to retail traders. The higher the leverage, the higher the potential profits and potential losses. Capital.com’s entity with the highest leverage, 1:200, is Capital Com Online Investments Ltd.

Is Capital.com Safe to Trade With?

Most of Capital.com entities are authorized by top-tier regulators and adhere to some of the strictest safety requirements. Capital Com (UK) Ltd entity is licensed by the FCA, one of the most trusted financial regulators in the industry. The entity has also issued a ‘best execution policy’, ensuring the provision of the most favorable price quotes to traders under prevailing market conditions. Also, the entity provides other less common safety mechanisms, such as two-step authentication.

With regards to the broker’s practical protections, I found its provision of guaranteed stop orders extremely useful, as it negates the risk of negative slippage. Overall, Capital.com can be considered reliable to trade with.

Stability and Transparency

In our tests for the Trust category, we also cover factors relating to stability and transparency. Here, we focus on how long the broker has been in business, how big the company is, and how transparent it is in terms of readily available information.

Capital.com is a globally recognized brand with offices in multiple countries. It employs hundreds of people across various fields. I also appreciated its clear corporate structure, especially Capital.com’s leadership team.

The broker is highly transparent about its fees, which is underscored by the fact that you can quickly check the spread rates and overnight fees on all available instruments directly on the website without having to be a registered client.

In summary, my research indicates that Capital.com can be regarded as having a very good level of trust and stability due to the following factors:

• Authorized by several top-tier regulators
• High level of transparency
• Maintains best execution standards
• Provides two-step authentication and guaranteed stop orders

Fees

Capital.com’s Trading Fees

Capital.com’s Spreads

I tested Capital.com’s spreads during the most actively traded times – the London open at 8:00 a.m. GMT and just after the U.S. open at 2:45 p.m. GMT. The test was conducted on 23 October 2023. The results are shown in the table below:

Broken down by asset class and compared to the industry average, Capital.com charges low-to-high spreads on FX pairs, low-to-average spreads on commodities, very low spreads on share CFDs, and low-to-average spreads on indices.

Capital.com’s Swaps

A swap fee is a trader’s cost for holding an open position overnight because of changing interest rates. Swap long refers to the charge deductible or credit receivable for holding a buy position open overnight. In turn, swap short relates to the charges/credits deductible or receivable for holding a selling position open overnight.

The values listed below are for one full contract (100,000 units) of the base currency.

The recorded swaps are average to high compared to the industry average.

Capital.com’s Non-Trading Fees

Deposits and withdrawals are charge-free with Capital.com, though third-party banking fees may apply. Dormant accounts that have been inactive for a period longer than 1 year are liable for an inactivity fee of 10 EUR/USD/GBP or equivalent. The fee is charged monthly until activity resumes or the account balance drops to zero.

Are Capital.com’s Fees Competitive?

I assessed Capital.com’s combination of commission-free trading, floating spreads, and swaps to be indeed very competitive, though this varies depending on which instrument is being traded. The absence of a fixed commission makes Capital.com’s offering better suited for those traders who prefer frequent getting in and out of trades.

Accounts Comparison

Usually, we compare the fee competitiveness of a broker’s trading accounts, but since Capital.com only provides a single CFDs Trading account type, I decided to compare it to the industry average.

The table below illustrates the spreads and commissions I have recorded on the EUR/USD pair on Capital.com’s CFD Trading account and the usual values I record on classic STP and ECN accounts in other brokers. It shows how much you have to pay to trade 1 full lot (100,000 units) on the EUR/USD with a pip value of $10.

To calculate the cost of such a full-sized trade, I used this formula: Spread x pip value+commission

My tests indicate that Capital.com’s fees are comparatively lower than the industry average. However, it is important to keep in mind that this applies only to the EURUSD pair and that the same may not be the case for instruments from other asset classes.

Platforms and Tools

I quite enjoyed using Capital.com’s web-trader platform, which allows for easy price action examination and order placing. You can also use it for carrying out more sophisticated technical analysis and market research. There is also the rather cumbersome but easy-to-learn MetaTrader 4. Alternatively, you can use the same login credentials to execute orders from TradingView’s platform, which I consider to be among the top platforms for usability.

As shown, the best thing about TradingView is how easy it is to apply technical indicators and drawing tools to examine various setups. As a chart artist, I have always valued clean and precise price action illustrations, which is where TradingView truly excels. It is packed with hundreds of analytical tools and chart configurations.

Moreover, it is very easy to connect your Capital.com account to the platform and trade from there. You can also use TradingView’s Strategy Tester tool for algorithmic trading. Additionally, TradingView is the largest social trading community on the internet, and clients of Capital.com can easily access a vast pool of trading ideas for all kinds of trading strategies. All they have to do is click the ‘Ideas Stream’ button on the right-hand panel and scroll through hundreds of ideas published daily.

I was also impressed by Capital.com’s rich offering of mobile apps. Catering to various trading needs, the platform offers separate apps for CFD trading and spread betting. (Note: Spread betting is only available with Capital Com (UK) Limited entity). What sets Capital.com apart is the Investmate app – a distinct and interactive educational tool designed to help traders navigate shifts in market sentiment.

Last but not least, the market maker supports fast execution speeds of around 32 milliseconds. This is ideal for high-frequency and precise trading. The performance is further enhanced by Capital.com’s FIX API offering.

Capital.com’s Web Trader Platform

General Ease of Use

The platform has a highly intuitive design. There is a chart screen at the bottom and a watch list of selected instruments at the top. Market news and instrument info are available from the right-hand panel, whereas account info and settings can be reached from the left side.

Navigating the platform is easy, and the instruments search bar makes it easy to find a particular asset from the broker’s vast array of available instruments. The platform supports one-click trading, as well as has an alert setting option and trading from the chart.

I found the ‘Market Info’ and ‘Trading Info’ panels particularly useful. They can be accessed by clicking the info button on the right-hand side of the main panel. Through it, you can access vital trading information relating to a selected instrument’s trading fees, margin, leverage, and more. Whereas the ‘Market Info’ tab underscores the prevailing market sentiment on the same instrument and its price change over a specific period.

The platform also integrates Refinitiv stock reports for share CFDs trading. They could be very useful for longer-term day and position traders, allowing them to gain in-depth insights into a company’s performance and thereby enabling a more informed decision-making process before trading stocks.

Charts

I consider the chart screen a platform’s most important feature. It aids technical analysis by providing an overview of price action behavior and allows traders access to a number of analytical tools and chart configuration possibilities. A good chart should afford easy scaling up and down of price action.

I have broken down the available analytical tools and chart configurations below

• 76 technical indicators. The platform supports trend-based, volume-based indicators, oscillators, and more. These can be applied to study price action behavior and determine the underlying market sentiment. In general, technical indicators are used to gauge where the market is likely to head next. Unlike other more rigid platforms like MT4, applying two or more indicators on Capital.com’s platform does not obscure the actual price action.
• 18 drawing tools. Drawing tools, such as Fibonacci retracement levels and Elliott waves, are used to study repeatable price patterns. Additionally, they can be applied to determine key support and resistance levels and potential breakout or breakdown levels.
• 8 timeframes. The platform affords multi-timeframe analysis of price action behavior. The greater the number of timeframes, the more intricate examinations that can be carried out across the short-term and long-term.
• 6 chart types. Price action can be represented as an area, as a line, using candlesticks, bars, and more. This diversity makes it possible to examine potential trading opportunities from different angles.

Orders

Executing orders on the platform is simple, and what stands out is the comprehensive pre-trade information provided. Before you even open a position, you’re presented with key details like your potential margin exposure.

I have broken down the available order types on the platform below:

• Market orders. Market orders are used for immediate entry at the best possible price. If triggered, they guarantee volume filling, though there could be a discrepancy between the requested price and the price where the order actually gets filled.
• Limit orders. Unlike market orders, limit orders guarantee exact price execution. However, a limit order will not be filled if the price action does not reach the pre-determined execution price.
• Stop orders. They are used to support open positions by limiting the maximum loss that can be incurred if the market turns in the opposite direction. A stop-loss order is placed at a fixed price below or above the spot price. If the market does indeed turn and triggers the stop-loss, it will transform into a market order and get filled at the best possible price.

My Key Takeaways After Testing Capital.com’s Proprietary Platform

I appreciated Capital.com’s platform for its practical design and easy-to-navigate charts. Trading by myself, I always look for two things: speed of order execution and intuitive charts that accommodate easy scaling of price action up and down. These two are essential for carrying out high-frequency intraday trading and probing technical analyses. And I am happy to say that Capital.com achieves both.

As I mentioned above, one of Capital.com’s standout features is its impressive average execution speed of around 32 milliseconds, which I consider ideal for the successful execution of high-intensity strategies.

Capital.com’s CFD Trading Mobile App

Capital.com’s CFD Trading app also has an intuitive design, which is very useful when it comes to fast order placing and position adjustment. The app also affords traders quick and easy access to detailed information about various markets. In other words, the app is a great research tool in and of itself.

My Key Takeaways After Testing Capital.com on its Proprietary Mobile App

Most trading apps have a rather limited scope. They are great for checking your account performance on the go but not for much else. But Capital.com’s app goes beyond that. What makes the CFD Trader app so unique is its educational section. Novice traders can use it in conjunction with the Investmate app to learn about trading whenever and wherever they can.

I am generally very skeptical of trading apps because they all share one inherent problem: representing price action on a low-resolution device entails a very high risk of giving traders a false impression about market sentiment. But I would recommend Capital.com’s app to those eager to learn about trading and stay on top of the latest trading developments.

Tradable Instruments

What Are CFDs?

Contracts for difference (CFDs) are derivatives used to speculate on the price of the underlying asset without physical delivery. For example, a long position on gold would generate profit as the price rises or incur a loss as it falls, all without the need to purchase actual gold bars. One of the biggest advantages of trading CFDs is that traders can get in and out of the market almost instantaneously, thereby catching even minute changes in the price of the derivative.

What Can You Trade With Capital.com?

I have broken down the available instruments with Capital.com below:

• 125 Currency Pairs
  Majors, Minor, Exotic
• 20 Commodities
  Metals, Energy, Agriculture
• 3942 Share CFDs
  US, UK, Europe, Australia, Asia
• 20 Indices
  US, UK, Europe, Asia
• 104 ETFs
  Financial, Tech, Healthcare, Other

Compared to the broader industry, Capital.com offers an above-average amount of FX pairs, commodities, indices, share CFDs, and ETFs. There are no cryptocurrencies available with the UK entity, though it affords spread betting on over 2,000 instruments. (Note: Spread betting is only available with Capital Com (UK) Limited entity).

My Key Takeaways After Exploring Capital.com’s Tradable Instruments

I was impressed by Capital.com’s wide range of 125 FX pairs, which is one of the largest I have ever seen. In addition to the above-average amount of major and minor pairs, there is also an ample variety of exotic pairs, which is ideal for those speculative traders interested in more unconventional opportunities.

And even though Capital.com already has quite a diverse instruments offering, I still see room for improvement. Namely, the incorporation of lower-risk securities like bonds would benefit more risk-averse traders interested in hedging trading risk. Whereas the inclusion of options would benefit more experienced traders seeking to exploit changing volatility levels over time.

Customer Support

The live chat is available at the bottom-right corner of the main page. You can also call the support team at +44 2030978888. Alternatively, you can request additional help by submitting a form here.

Customer Support Test

When we test a broker’s customer support team, we evaluate the agent’s knowledge of their own website, how long it takes them to respond to questions, and how detailed their answers are.

I conducted my test on 24 October by inquiring into Capital.com’s execution performance. Initially, I attempted to submit my questions via the live chat, but I  struggled to get past the automated bot and through with an agent. After failing to get an answer, I decided to submit a form at around 10:12 CET. Eventually, I received an answer in about half an hour. The agent was kind enough to introduce himself, and his explanations were clear and concise.

Deposit and Withdrawal

Capital.com Deposit Methods

Capital.com Withdrawal Methods

Deposits and withdrawals can be processed via bank wire, using credit or debit cards, or via an e-wallet. The broker may process most withdrawal requests within 1 business day, though transaction times may vary from 1 to several business days. You should check with your personal bank whether any banking fees may apply.

Account Types and Terms

Why is Choosing the Right Account Type Important?

Your account should reflect your goals, needs, and ambitions on the market. You should take into consideration several factors, such as whether the account type has a minimum deposit requirement, its spreads and commissions, the execution method, and more.

What Account Types Does Capital.com Offer?

I have broken down Capital.com’s account types below:

Capital.com’s two trading accounts – CFD Trading and 1X (available only with Capital Com (UK) Limited entity) – feature commission-free trading and floating spreads starting from 0.6 pips. The CFD Trading account is suitable for speculative trading because it supports a maximum retail leverage of 1:30. In contrast, the 1X account is tailored to satisfy the needs of those interested in lower-risk/lower-yield trading. Both support ultra-fast execution speeds of around 32 milliseconds, suitable for high-frequency trading.

Another advantage of Capital.com is that its two trading accounts are very accessible, with minimum deposit requirements of only $20. Thus, even traders with more moderate means can take advantage of Capital.com’s professional-grade services.

Capital.com’s Execution Model

Capital.com operates as a market maker, which means that it acts as a counterparty to its clients’ orders. The benefit of this execution model is its superior execution standards. Market makers support fast and precise order execution, mitigating the risk of negative slippage. In short, Capital.com’s execution model is just another aspect of the broker’s offering that makes it such a great choice for high-frequency trading.

What is CFD Leverage?

The leverage determines a trader’s overall market exposure. When trading Contracts for Difference (CFDs), positions can be opened for a fraction of their value because of the leverage. Essentially, the broker lends the trader money so that the latter can open bigger-sized positions. The leverage multiplies the profits a trader generates from winning positions but also the losses incurred from failed trades.

Capital.com’s Account Opening Process

The account creation process with Capital.com is straightforward and quick. You can go at your own pace, though realistically, you will be done with everything within an hour. I have summarized the process step-by-step below.

• Step 1. Click ‘Sign Up’ at the top-right corner of the website.
• Step 2. State your country of residence, birthplace, and nationality.
• Step 3. Provide your investment knowledge, trading experience, name, date of birth, and address.
• Step 4. State your annual income, source of income, current value of investments, employment status, occupation, and highest level of education.
• Step 5. Confirm that you have read and understood the T&Cs.
• Step 6. Verify your account by uploading proof of your ID and address.
• Step 7. Fund your account to start trading.

Why is a Demo Account Important?

Capital.com offers demo accounts that introduce traders to the broker’s services and allow them to tweak their strategies in a risk-free environment. The market is continually evolving and never static, so it is important to hone your skills in a safe environment. You can set up a demo account for yourself alongside your live CFD account.

Capital.com’s Restricted Countries

Afghanistan, American Samoa, Belarus, Canada, China, Cuba, Eritrea, Federated States Micronesia, Gibraltar, Guam, Indonesia, India, Iraq, Islamic Republic of Iran, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Kazakhstan, Libya, Marshall Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, Malta, Malaysia, New Zealand, Palau, Russia, Spain, Sudan, Somalia, South Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, United States Minor Outlying Islands, United States of America, Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Kosovo, Yemen.

Research

Research Tools

I have broken down Capital.com’s different types of research content below:

Research Discover

A research tool available from the platform consists of a news screener, risers and fallers, a volatility measuring tool, and a breakdown of the most traded instruments by market. News traders and intraday traders can use the Discover portion of the platform to inform themselves of changes in market volatility, often driven by the market’s reaction to specific news, and position themselves accordingly. The tool can help them spot good entry and exit levels for intraday trades.

ESG Rating Tool

ESG stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance data. This is a unique tool that allows you to look for a particular company to trade based on how ethical it is (e.g. how well it treats its employees), how clear its corporate structure is, and how eco-friendly it is. Companies with high corporate social responsibility (CSR) are likely to attract more socially responsible investors, which, in turn, attracts capital and helps the company grow in value.

Capital.com’s ESG tool allows traders to look for companies whose share value is likely to grow in the future. I appreciated that at the same time, the tool also displays a risk factor for each company, helping traders and investors make even more informed decisions.

CFD Calculator

The calculator helps you estimate the profit and risk potentials of hypothetical trades based on the instrument traded, leverage, and trade size. What makes Capital.com’s calculator stand out against other such tools is the graphic illustration, which allows you to better understand these values against the scope of a given price trend. I found this very helpful, especially for beginners.

Economic Calendar

The economic calendar serves as the most basic research tool. It informs traders of upcoming economic releases that are likely to cause upsurges in market volatility. This creates potential trading opportunities. The economic calendar shows how the market is likely to react to specific events.

News and Analysis

This section contains all of Capital.com’s market breakdowns and trading analyses. Each article covers the current market outlook or the impact of a recent economic development. The explanations are broad and provide the reader with a comprehensive picture of what is driving the market.

Materials are supported by graphs and charts from TradingView, presenting the reader with a clever overview. I also appreciated that Capital.com employs multifaceted analyses containing technical and fundamental ones.

Data Journalism

Extensive articles that cover broad economic and financial topics, such as global growth prospects in a given quarter, tracking of global interest rates, debt, and more. Useful for longer-term traders and investors wanting to understand what is generally driving the market and its broader trends. It is really helpful for gaining a broader perspective on the market.

TradingView News

Unlike the ‘Data Journalism’ segment, the TradingView news tool provides the reader with more practical trading ideas/setups.

My Key Takeaways From Exploring Capital.com’s Research Materials

Capital.com’s overall research offering is well-rounded and comprehensive. It is written in an easy-to-grasp manner while delving deep into the subject matter. I would, however, like to point out one little detail that is quite important. Over the last couple of years of analyzing brokers, I noticed that many of them tend to use technical indicators that look good on a chart but are not compatible. For instance, the Stochastic RSI and the Ichimoku Cloud indicator, where the former is suitable for ranging environments but the latter for trending ones.

Education

Capital.com’s Educational Tools

I have broken down Capital.com’s educational content by type:

Educational Videos

70+ educational videos are available from the platform and the broker’s YouTube channel. These are separated into several categories, including introduction to CFD trading, trading strategies for novice traders, and trading psychology. I especially appreciated the last type because, in my opinion, having a proper trading mentality is the most crucial determinant of long-term success.

The course as a whole presents traders with a nuanced and in-depth understanding of essential trading concepts such as how to read price action, how to use certain indicators to implement various trading strategies, how to avoid falling victim to cognitive biases, and much more. I would recommend exploring the course carefully and diligently, especially for those who want to learn more about trading, as I found it to be of great value.

Trading Courses

The courses, available from the educational section of the website, consist of written articles about trading basics, risk management, and more. Each article is written in an easy-to-grasp language, and I quite liked that at the end of each lesson, traders can test what they’ve learned with an interactive tool. This content is geared towards first-time traders who still need to learn essential trading concepts.

CFD Trading and Spread Betting Guides

Capital.com’s trading guides take your learning experience to the next level. Building on the foundational knowledge you gain from the trading courses, these guides delve deeper into a wider array of trading topics. They are also highly practical, equipping traders with actionable insights to navigate the markets effectively.

Glossary

The glossary contains an impressive collection of hundreds of entries and appears one of the best glossaries I have ever seen. Unlike other brokers’ glossaries, which usually provide 1-2 sentence explanations, Capital.com affords entire articles’ worth of data even for more obscure terms. I also appreciated that the names of the authors of each entry are listed, which makes the content more transparent.

Trading Strategy Guides

In this section of the Educational hub, you can read about the intricacies of specific trading strategies such as margin trading, day trading, position trading, trend trading, swing trading, and a special guide dedicated to trading psychology. The texts are multilayered, covering both the technical and fundamental aspects of trading. They are also supported by intuitive charts, graphs, and other illustrations.

Investmate Mobile App

Investamte is a quite unique and practical educational app. Once you first start the app, it asks you whether you have traded before and in which area you would like to improve your knowledge – the ABCs of finance, how to predict trends, and how to become an expert in CFD trading.

As a chart artist, I decided to check out the trends prediction category. Each lesson is a case study of popular events that have shaped global markets in one way or another, such as the 2008 credit crunch, the Russian annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea region in 2014, the launch of the iPhone in 2007, and more. When you choose a case study, you are asked how you think the market reacted to the event initially. Afterwards, you are given a detailed explanation.

This proactive approach to studying is very practical because it introduces the reader to the impact of supply and demand changes on global prices, as well as the importance of traders’ expectations.

You can also access webinars from the app, determine the pace of your learning progress, and perhaps most importantly: learn about the top 50 cognitive biases in trading. I cannot stress how important that is. Trading psychology is the most crucial aspect of trading. I have reviewed brokers for nearly 2 years now, and Capital.com is the first one to pay so much attention to these biases, which is what I found so useful about Capital.com.

Market Guides

There are 5 comprehensive guides for different asset classes, including Forex, shares, indices, commodities, and ETFs. Each guide provides a general breakdown of the particular market. You can read about how instruments from each of these asset classes are structured (their contracts structure), how they are traded, what you need to know with respect to finance/economics, and more.

The Bottom Line

Capital.com is one of the most well-rounded derivatives brokers in the trading industry. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Cyprus, it has quickly grown into a globally recognized and multi-licensed brand. Capital.com holds several top-tier licenses from some of the most reputable financial regulators and offers over 3,000 tradable instruments.

Capital.com’s UK entity offers spread betting, margin trading, and zero-leverage trading. Its CFD Trading account features commission-free trading and floating spreads from 0.6 pips, which fall below the industry average. The broker offers a choice of versatile platforms for every taste, including its feature-rick proprietary platform and the seamless TradingView. Capital.com operates as a market maker and supports fast execution speeds, making it ideal for high-frequency trading.

One of the best things about Capital.com is that it offers a wide range of research materials and innovative educational materials. I assessed that the broker is equally suitable for inexperienced traders and seasoned professionals.

Capital.com does not have a lot of drawbacks to speak of, though there is room for some marginal improvements. I would expect them to fix their live chat option, as their bot does not appear overly sophisticated.

In conclusion, Capital.com is ideal for those wanting to learn about trading basics and the intricacies of trading psychology. The broker also can be used for social and automated trading.

FAQ