Markets vs Plus 500: Which Broker Is Better?

Markets.com operates through a structure connected to several legal entities, including Safecap Investments Ltd, regulated by CySEC under licence number 092/08, together with entities linked to the Finalto group and supervised by the UK FCA and South Africa’s FSCA. International services may also be connected to a regulatory entity in Belize, depending on the client’s region and registration website.

The group’s licences do not necessarily mean that every Markets.com client contracts with the same legal entity. The company name, products, leverage, investor protection and complaint procedures may differ according to the client’s country, while the strength of oversight varies between the UK, Cyprus, South Africa and international entities.

Before opening a Markets.com account, traders should review the client agreement to identify the company holding the account and funds, then verify its licence number in the official register. This is particularly useful for traders attracted by the platform and analytical tools who want to assess regulation separately from the available markets.

Markets.com client fund protection depends on the legal company through which the trading account is opened. Regulated entities must keep eligible client money separate from the funds used for company operations according to the rules of their respective regulators. This arrangement helps prevent client funds from being used to cover the broker’s normal operating expenses.

Eligible clients registered with the CySEC-regulated entity may qualify for an investor compensation scheme, subject to the programme’s conditions and statutory limits. This protection does not automatically extend to international entities. Traders should verify the company holding their funds and review the applicable complaint and compensation procedures before depositing.

Plus500 operates through entities supervised by leading regulators, including Plus500UK Ltd, authorised by the UK FCA under licence number 509909; Plus500AU Pty Ltd, regulated by ASIC under licence number 417727; and Plus500CY Ltd, authorised by CySEC under licence number 250/14. The group also holds regulatory approvals from the FMA in New Zealand and MAS in Singapore.

Plus500 is also listed on the London Stock Exchange, which adds disclosure and governance requirements alongside the supervision applied to its operating entities. However, products, leverage, complaint procedures and investor-protection arrangements depend on the Plus500 company serving the account and the client’s country of residence.

When assessing Plus500’s safety, traders should identify the legal entity responsible for the account rather than relying only on the brand’s reputation or the group’s stock-market listing. This is particularly important for CFD traders because it determines the regulator they can contact and the legal rights that apply to their account and funds.

Plus500 states that eligible retail client funds are held in segregated bank accounts under the rules applying to the relevant legal entity. Client money is kept separate from company operating funds and should not be used to cover the broker’s business expenses. Eligible accounts may also receive negative balance protection, limiting liability caused by a negative account balance.

Some clients may qualify for statutory investor compensation depending on the jurisdiction, entity and eligibility rules. Client-money protection, compensation limits and complaint procedures may differ between the FCA, CySEC, ASIC, FMA and MAS entities. Traders should verify the legal company responsible for their Plus500 account before depositing.