Admirals and Plus500 face off on account variety, platform options, and cost structures. The debate centers on regulatory strength, raw spreads, and proprietary versus MT platforms.
Admirals earns the higher editorial score and is the overall winner. Its stronger regulation coverage and broader instrument variety explain the gap.
Find out which broker best suits your trader profile.
Which broker wins for each type of trader, based on costs, safety, platforms, and editorial scoring.
Admirals offers tighter spreads from 0.50 pips vs 0.60 pips for Plus500, reducing trading costs.
| Editorial score | 4.3/ 5 | 4.0/ 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Score Breakdown | ||
Trust & Regulation 40% weight | 4.3 / 5▲ | 4.2 / 5 |
Pros
Extensive range of accounts including Zero, Trade, and Invest
Strong FCA and CySEC regulation covering EU and UK traders
High-quality educational content including live webinars
Zero account offers spreads from 0.5 pips with $6 round-turn commission
Client funds held in segregated accounts
A closer look at the specific criteria each broker meets or misses within each scoring category.
| Criteria | Admirals | Plus500 |
|---|---|---|
| Trust & Regulation | ||
| Top-tier regulator (FCA, ASIC, CFTC, etc.) | Pass | Pass |
| Segregated client funds | Pass | Pass |
| Negative balance protection | Pass | Pass |
| Compensation scheme (e.g. FSCS) | Pass | Pass |
| Fees & Spreads | ||
| Raw/ECN spreads available | Pass | Fail |
| No deposit fee | Pass | Pass |
| No inactivity fee | Fail | Fail |
| Transparent pricing page | Pass | Pass |
| Platforms & Tools | ||
| MT4/MT5 available | Pass | Fail |
| Proprietary platform | Fail | Pass |
| Mobile app | Pass | Pass |
| Advanced charting tools | Pass | Fail |
| Customer Support | ||
| 24/5 live chat | Pass | Pass |
| Phone support | Pass | Fail |
| Multilingual support | Pass | Pass |
The scores are close: Admirals rates 4.3/5 and Plus500 rates 4/5. Admirals has a marginal edge in our scoring, but the difference is small enough that your specific priorities — fees, platforms, or regulatory jurisdiction — should guide the final choice.
Admirals starts from 0.5 pips, tighter than Plus500's 0.6 pips. Tighter spreads lower the cost per trade, which matters most for high-frequency and scalping strategies.
Both Admirals and Plus500 require a minimum deposit of $100 to open a live trading account.
Both Admirals and Plus500 hold licences from top-tier regulators, indicating a high standard of regulatory oversight. Check each broker's specific regulatory bodies to confirm coverage in your jurisdiction.
For beginners, both brokers provide negative balance protection. Also compare demo account availability and educational resources on each broker's site before deciding.
Admirals lists maximum leverage of 500:1, while Plus500 lists up to 30:1. Available leverage depends on your jurisdiction. EU retail clients under ESMA rules are capped at 1:30 on major forex pairs.
Admirals charges $6 per lot on commission-based accounts. Commission details for Plus500 are not currently available. Check their website for up-to-date pricing.
Admirals supports MetaTrader 5, MetaTrader 4, while Plus500 supports Proprietary Web/Mobile. Admirals has exclusive access to MetaTrader 5 and MetaTrader 4. Plus500 has exclusive access to Proprietary Web/Mobile.
Equally matched in regulation and fund protection.
Admirals wins for active traders due to MT4/MT5 access, advanced charting, and 8000 instruments.
Admirals is better suited for scalpers: raw/ECN spreads available, tighter spreads from 0.50 pips.
Plus500 wins for platform choice because of its proprietary platform.
Admirals offers high-quality educational content and diverse account options for beginners.
Admirals offers 8000 instruments, more than Plus500’s 2000.
Fees & Spreads 30% weight | 4.4 / 5▲ | 4.0 / 5 |
|---|
Platforms & Tools 20% weight | 4.2 / 5▲ | 3.7 / 5 |
|---|
Customer Support 10% weight | 4.2 / 5▲ | 3.9 / 5 |
|---|
| Founded | 2001 | 2008 |
|---|
| Headquarters | Tallinn, Estonia | Haifa, Israel |
|---|
| Min Deposit | $100 | $100 |
|---|
| Spreads From | 0.5 pips▼ lower | 0.6 pips |
|---|
| Commission / lot | $6/lot | N/A |
|---|
| 1.1 pips | N/A |
| Max Leverage | 500:1▲ higher | 30:1 |
|---|
| Inactivity Fee | $10/month (after 24 months) | $10/month (after 3 months) |
|---|
| Deposit Fee | Free | Free |
|---|
| Deposit methods | Bank transferCredit cardDebit cardSkrillNeteller | Bank transferCredit cardDebit cardPayPalSkrillApple Pay |
|---|
| Withdrawal methods | Bank transferCredit cardSkrillNeteller | Bank transferCredit cardPayPalSkrill |
|---|
| Withdrawal Fee | Free | Free |
|---|
| Regulators | FCA ASIC CySEC KNF | FCA ASIC MAS CySEC CMA |
|---|
| Platforms | MetaTrader 5 MetaTrader 4 | Proprietary Web/Mobile |
|---|
| Active bonuses |
|---|
Negative balance protection
Investor compensation scheme coverage
No deposit fees
MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 supported
Mobile trading app available
Advanced charting tools included
Transparent pricing with clear cost disclosure
24/5 live chat support
Phone support available
Multilingual customer support
Pros
LSE-listed providing strong institutional credibility
Zero commission on all trades
Intuitive proprietary platform with a clean mobile app
Negative balance protection across all accounts
Regulated by top-tier authorities (FCA, ASIC, CySEC)
Client funds held in segregated accounts
Investor compensation scheme coverage
No deposit fees
Transparent pricing with clear cost disclosure
24/5 live chat support
Multilingual customer support
Cons
Platform-heavy, MT4 and MT5 only, no proprietary platform
Customer support quality varies by region
Not available to US clients
Inactivity fee applies
Cons
No MT4 or MT5 support
Limited research tools and market analysis
US residents not accepted
No copy trading
No raw spread account option
Inactivity fee applies
No MetaTrader support
Limited charting capabilities
No phone support
Dig deeper into each broker’s features, fees, and regulation.
Score 4 / 5
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