Plus 500 vs Ultima Markets: Which Broker Is Better?

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.

Ultima Markets appears in the available regulatory data through Ultima Markets ZA (Pty) Ltd, registered with the FSCA in South Africa under number 52497, and Ultima Markets Ltd, supervised by the financial regulator in Mauritius under number GB23201593. This structure is less diverse than that of brokers with entities authorised by the FCA, ASIC or CySEC.

Two regulated entities provide a legal framework for delivering services, but they do not automatically offer the same protection as brokers supervised by leading regulators. Leverage, account conditions, complaint procedures and legal protection may vary according to the entity assigned to the client during registration.

Before opening an Ultima Markets account, traders should verify the legal company name, licence number and permitted activities in the official register. This is particularly important for traders attracted by flexible accounts or promotional conditions, as it helps assess regulatory strength independently from the broker’s trading offer.

Ultima Markets states that client funds are separated from the company’s operating money under the requirements of the entity responsible for the account. Negative balance protection may also apply according to the relevant trading conditions, helping eligible clients limit liability arising from a negative account balance.

The current regulatory structure in our data includes entities supervised by FSCA in South Africa and FSC in Mauritius, without an FCA, ASIC or CySEC-regulated entity. Traders should carefully review the client agreement, withdrawal policy, complaint process and protection limits before depositing or maintaining a large balance with Ultima Markets.