Exness: A Deep Dive into its MT5 Offering
Exness is a globally recognised broker known for its competitive trading conditions, particularly its raw spreads and flexible account types. While primarily known for offering its own proprietary WebTerminal and the popular MetaTrader 4 (MT4) platform, Exness also supports MetaTrader 5 (MT5), providing an enhanced trading environment with more analytical tools and additional order types. Their MT5 offering is designed to cater to both new and experienced traders seeking a powerful and versatile platform.
Spreads and Trading Costs on Exness MT5
Exness prides itself on offering some of the tightest spreads in the industry, often available as raw spreads on certain account types, accompanied by a commission. This structure can be highly beneficial for high-volume traders and scalpers. On their Standard MT5 account, spreads are typically variable but competitive. For Pro, Raw Spread, and Zero accounts, you'll often find significantly tighter spreads, sometimes as low as 0 pips on major currency pairs, with a per-lot commission applied. It's important to consider the total cost of trading, which includes both spreads and commissions, when evaluating Exness.
Other Key Features of Exness
Beyond spreads, Exness offers a range of features that enhance the trading experience. These include instant withdrawals, a wide variety of deposit and withdrawal methods, and robust customer support available in multiple languages. Their analytical tools and educational resources are also noteworthy, helping traders make more informed decisions. Exness also stands out for its high leverage options, though UK traders should be mindful of FCA-imposed leverage restrictions.
Plus500: Exploring its Proprietary Platform and CFD Focus
Plus500 is a prominent CFD provider, widely recognised for its user-friendly, proprietary trading platform. Unlike Exness, Plus500 does *not* offer MetaTrader 4 or MetaTrader 5. Their entire trading experience is built around their in-house platform, which is available across web, desktop, and mobile applications. This platform is renowned for its simplicity, intuitive interface, and extensive range of CFD instruments.
Spreads and Trading Costs on Plus500
Plus500 operates on a spread-only model, meaning they do not charge commissions on trades. Their revenue is generated through the spread, which is the difference between the buy and sell price of an instrument. For this reason, their spreads tend to be wider than the raw spreads offered by brokers like Exness (which charge commission), but they are transparently displayed and integrated into the quoted prices. This can be simpler for traders who prefer an all-inclusive pricing model without separate commission calculations.
Other Key Features of Plus500
Plus500's platform is particularly strong in its instrument variety, offering CFDs on forex, indices, commodities, shares, options, and cryptocurrencies. Its charting tools are comprehensive yet accessible, and it provides risk management features such as stop-loss, limit, and trailing stop orders. While it lacks the customisation and algorithmic trading capabilities of MT5, its streamlined approach is favoured by many traders, especially those who prefer a less complex environment.
Exness vs Plus500: A Comparative Overview
Understanding the core differences between these two brokers is essential for making an informed choice. While Exness offers MT5 and a commission-plus-spread model, Plus500 provides a proprietary platform with a spread-only pricing structure.
Regulatory Environment
Both brokers operate under strict regulatory frameworks, ensuring client fund safety and operational transparency. Exness is regulated by multiple authorities globally, including the CySEC (Cyprus), FSC (BVI), FSA (Seychelles), and the FCA (UK) through its UK entity, though the UK entity offers different conditions due to local regulations. Plus500UK Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK, ensuring a high level of protection for UK-based clients, including FSCS coverage.
Trading Instruments
Exness offers a wide array of forex pairs, metals, cryptocurrencies, energies, indices, and stocks via CFDs on MT5. Plus500, as a dedicated CFD provider, offers an extensive selection across various asset classes, including forex, indices, commodities, shares, options, and ETFs, all as CFDs on its proprietary platform.
Comparison Table: Exness vs Plus500
| Feature | Exness | Plus500 |
| :------------------- | :----------------------------------------------------------------------- | :-------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Platform(s) | MT4, MT5, Exness Terminal, Exness Trade App | Plus500 Proprietary WebTrader, Desktop, Mobile |
| Spreads (EUR/USD)| From 0.0 pips (Raw/Zero accounts + commission), typical 0.7-1.5 (Standard) | Typical 0.8-1.5 pips |
| Spreads (GBP/USD)| From 0.0 pips (Raw/Zero accounts + commission), typical 1.0-2.0 (Standard) | Typical 1.5-2.5 pips |
| Spreads (XAU/USD)| From 0.0 pips (Raw/Zero accounts + commission), typical 10-30 cents (Standard) | Typical 30-50 cents |
| Commission | Yes (on Raw Spread, Zero, Pro accounts for MT5) | No (spread-only model) |
| Min. Deposit | From $10 (Standard account) | From £100 |
| Regulators | FCA (UK entity), CySEC, FSC, FSA, etc. | FCA (UK entity), CySEC, ASIC, MAS, FSCA, etc. |
*Note: Spreads are typical and variable at the time of writing — always check the brokers' official websites for the most current information.*
Verdict by Trader Type
Choosing between Exness and Plus500 largely depends on your trading style, platform preference, and priority for pricing models.
For the MT5 Enthusiast & Scalper:
Traders who highly value the advanced analytical capabilities, Expert Advisor (EA) support, and customisation options of MetaTrader 5, and who seek the tightest possible spreads (even with commissions), will likely find Exness to be the more suitable option. Its Raw Spread and Zero accounts are particularly attractive for high-frequency trading and scalping strategies.
For the CFD-Focused & Simplicity Seeker:
If you prefer a streamlined, user-friendly platform with a wide range of CFD instruments and an all-inclusive, spread-only pricing model, Plus500 is an excellent choice. Its proprietary platform is ideal for those who prioritise ease of use and do not require the advanced features of MT5 or EA support. It's also well-suited for traders who prefer a clear, single cost built into the spread.
As our featured partner, we recommend exploring Vantage, which offers competitive trading conditions and a robust MT4/MT5 platform experience. Open a Vantage account.
Conclusion
Both Exness and Plus500 are reputable brokers, but they cater to different segments of the trading community. While Exness provides the flexibility and advanced features of MT5 with various pricing structures, Plus500 offers a unique, intuitive proprietary platform with a spread-only model for CFD trading. Your choice should align with your specific trading needs and preferences, always keeping in mind the significant risk of capital loss associated with CFD trading. Remember, CFD trading carries significant risk of capital loss.
Risk Warning: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Your capital is at risk. Always ensure you understand these risks before engaging in trading activities.