Firstrade vs Capital.com: Fees, Security, Features & Which to Choose (2025)

Trying to choose between Firstrade and Capital.com This side-by-side comparison reveals total cost (fees + spreads), security & licenses, coins/derivatives, deposits/withdrawals, and app quality. In 2 minutes you’ll see who wins for beginners, active traders, and long-term holders. Clear pros/cons, a quick verdict, and safe links to get started.

Last updated on August 16, 2025

Firstrade

Capital.com

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Available Countries

United States

Yes

Europe

Latin America

India

China

Canada

United Kingdom

United States

Yes

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

China

Yes

Canada

Yes

United Kingdom

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Firstrade is ideal if:

Perfect if you value simplicity and self-led growth — Firstrade shines for investors who want a straightforward platform enhanced by rich educational content and intuitive tools like Options Wizard and FirstradeGPT.
Great for cost-conscious traders focused on the US market — It delivers commission-free trading across stocks, ETFs, options, and mutual funds, ideal if you prioritize low ongoing costs and trade U.S. securities.
Not ideal if you need advanced or global asset access — The platform doesn’t offer futures, forex, crypto, IPOs, or international markets, so it's not suited for highly diversified or exotic investment strategies.

Capital.com is ideal if:

For tech-savvy learners – Its intuitive, AI-powered platform and rich educational resources make it a great fit if you rely on smart tools to refine your trading strategy.
For traders across devices – With both proprietary web/mobile platforms and MetaTrader 4 support, it's ideal if you value flexibility in how and where you trade.
For internationally regulated users – Strong oversight from trusted authorities (FCA, CySEC, ASIC, and others) ensures you benefit from high-tier security and compliance.

Firstrade isn’t ideal if:

If you seek automated or advisor-led services — Firstrade doesn’t provide AI-driven trading automation, robo-advice, or personalized financial planning options.
If you need access to non-U.S. or exotic markets — It excludes futures, forex, international equities, and advanced asset classes, limiting your global exposure opportunities.
If you prioritize sleek navigation and advanced macroscopic insights — The platform’s layout can feel cluttered, with limited portfolio tracking and broader market analytics visible at a glance.

Capital.com isn’t ideal if:

If you want direct ownership – It only offers CFD-based exposure, which means you don’t acquire the actual underlying assets.
If you need a wide variety of account types – Options beyond demo, retail, or professional are limited compared to some competitors.
If you're looking for copy trading or social features – It doesn’t support social trading or copy-trading capabilities.

Fees & Total Costs

Spot Maker/Take

Firstrade does not operate on a crypto exchange-style maker/taker fee model since it primarily offers commission-free trading for stocks, ETFs, options, and mutual funds; there are no volume-based discounts tied to a native token.

Capital.com does not use classic maker/taker fees for spot trading; instead, all trading costs are embedded in the dynamic spread, and there is no tiered volume-based discount or native token benefit.

Futures/Derivatives

Firstrade does not support trading in futures, options on crypto, or any leveraged derivative contracts, so there are no maker/taker or funding fees in this category.

Capital.com offers CFDs on derivatives rather than crypto futures, so there are no separate maker/taker or funding fees—rather, overnight financing charges apply depending on position leverage and duration.

Average Spreads on Liquid Pairs

As Firstrade does not currently offer direct spot cryptocurrency trading, there are no applicable spreads for BTC/USDT or ETH/USDT pairs within its platform.

While exact numbers shift with market conditions, spreads on major crypto CFDs tend to be competitive and relatively tight during normal liquidity, reflecting a cost structure built into the quoted prices.

Fiat Deposits & Withdrawals

Deposits and withdrawals are processed via ACH, wire transfers, and check requests; ACH is typically free and fast (1–2 business days), while wires may have a fee and take 1–3 days depending on the bank.

You can deposit via credit/debit cards, bank transfers, or e-wallets with no deposit fees; card or digital payments are typically instant, while bank transfers may take a few days. Withdrawals are also free but processing can take up to five business days depending on the method.

On-chain Withdrawals

Since Firstrade does not facilitate direct on-chain crypto transfers, there are no blockchain network withdrawal fees for BTC, ETH, TRX, or other tokens.

Capital.com does not support direct on-chain crypto withdrawals, as it operates using CFDs—so there is no blockchain withdrawal fee to consider because you can’t withdraw crypto into an external wallet.

Hidden Costs

The main extra cost to be aware of is currency conversion for non-USD accounts; Firstrade does not charge inactivity or expedited account verification fees.

Hidden costs may include a currency conversion fee when trading in a currency different from your account base (around 0.7%), and an inactivity fee charged monthly after a year of dormancy; there are no express KYC fees.

Real-World Cost Example: “€500 BTC

This action cannot be performed directly on Firstrade, as it does not provide native crypto purchasing; acquiring BTC would require an external platform, where costs would depend on that provider’s commission, spread, and withdrawal fee structure.

If you buy €500 in BTC (via CFDs), your cost would include the embedded spread on entry, possible conversion if your base currency differs, and if you withdraw funds later via bank transfer, you’ll incur no Capital.com fee—only standard bank or intermediary charges may apply.

Crypto Offering & Trading Features

Number of Coins & Pairs

Firstrade offers trading in approximately 38–41 cryptocurrencies, focusing on spot pairs only—there’s no full order book with crypto-to-crypto pairings, just single-asset buys priced in USD on their platform.

Capital.com offers CFD trading on around 400 crypto assets, with the most traded pairs including prominent names like BTC/USD, ETH/USD, SOL/USD, XRP/USD, DOGE/USD, SHIB/USD, and others that typically rank among the top 20 by volume.

Product Range

Firstrade supports only spot cryptocurrency trading; it does not support margin, perpetuals, futures, options, ETFs on crypto, staking, lending, copy trading, grid bot tools, or automated DCA programs.

The platform focuses on spot-style CFD trading with leverage and margin; it does not support perpetuals, options, crypto ETFs, staking, lending, copy trading, grid bots, or automated DCA features.

Liquidity

Firstrade does not disclose actual 24-hour volume or order book depth data for crypto; trading occurs via their internal system with instant settlement but without traditional exchange-level liquidity metrics.

While exact figures vary with market conditions, BTC and ETH CFDs usually benefit from strong liquidity and tight order-book depth, ensuring that positioning in these flagship pairs remains fluid and responsive to market moves.

Tools

Their crypto offering includes basic order types, real-time quotes, charts, and research features, but lacks advanced tools such as stop/OCO orders, advanced charting, native TradingView integration, alerts, or API/WS access for crypto.

Traders get limit, stop and OCO-like functionality, plus smart price alerts, richly featured charting powered by a native TradingView integration, and a full REST & WebSocket API for deep automation and data access.

Geographic Restrictions by Product

Crypto trading is available only to users in the United States; there are no crypto markets or services offered outside U.S. jurisdictions.

Crypto CFD derivatives are broadly available, but notably not offered to UK retail clients, reflecting regulatory constraints that may apply depending on your residence.

Innovation

Firstrade has not rolled out innovation tools like launchpad/launchpool, nor any flexible vs blocked crypto-earned programs—its crypto offerings remain simple and limited to direct spot purchases.

The platform focuses on core CFD trading and charting infrastructure and does not currently provide features like launchpads, launchpools, or flexible vs blocked “earn” products.

Security, Regulation & Custody

Operating Entity & Jurisdiction

The crypto service is delivered through Firstrade Crypto LLC, a U.S.-based subsidiary operating under parent company Firstrade Securities Inc., founded in 1985 and headquartered in Flushing, New York.

Capital.com operates through several legal entities—most notably Capital Com SV Investments Ltd in Cyprus (head office in Limassol), with regional arms like Capital Com MENA Securities Trading LLC in the UAE—established around 2016 and headquartered across jurisdictions like Cyprus, the UK, Australia, the Bahamas, and UAE.

Licenses/Registration

Firstrade Securities operates as a registered broker-dealer under FINRA and the SEC; crypto trading itself is facilitated by Apex Crypto LLC, acting under regulatory standards but without explicit VASP or MiCA licensing.

The broker is regulated by top-tier authorities including CySEC (EU), FCA (UK), ASIC (Australia), SCB (Bahamas), and SCA (UAE); it complies with MiFID standards in the EU but is not classified as a VASP under current crypto-specific regulatory frameworks.

Custody

Cryptocurrency custody is handled by Apex Crypto LLC as a third-party provider—not held on Firstrade’s own infrastructure. There’s no publicly shared proof of reserves, audit reports, or stated cold-storage percentages.

Client funds are held in segregated accounts with top-tier banks and not commingled with company assets, though there’s no public evidence of Proof of Reserves, audit reports, or specified cold-storage percentages specific to crypto holdings.

Insurance & Protection Funds

While traditional account assets benefit from SIPC and possibly FDIC protections, crypto holdings are not covered under these programs and have no dedicated insurance or extra custodian protection.

Retail clients in the EU receive coverage through Cyprus’ Investor Compensation Fund (up to a certain limit), and UK clients through FSCS; there is also mandatory negative balance protection for retail users, but there appears to be no standalone private insurance for custody.

Incident History

Firstrade hasn’t suffered publicized hacks or major suspensions tied to its crypto platform; however, it recently received FINRA censure and a fine for misleading communications about crypto offerings via an affiliate.

There are no publicly reported major security breaches, trading suspensions, account freezes, or regulatory fines associated with the platform to date, indicating a clean historical safety record.

Risk Controls

Firstrade enforces strong security measures including multi-factor authentication, SSL encryption, firewalls, fraud detection systems, phishing education, and a secure security center, but doesn’t highlight features like API permissions or sub-accounts for crypto.

Security features include 2FA, internal fraud and anti-phishing safeguards, and supported tools for risk management; however, there is no explicit mention of whitelisted addresses, sub-account structures, or highly granular API permission tiers.

Transparency

There’s no public monthly reporting or wallet audit data available for crypto holdings. Users rely on Firstrade’s Online Protection Guarantee for unauthorized trades, yet there’s no SLA or public wallet addresses disclosed.

The platform provides regulatory compliance transparency through standard policies, but does not offer monthly audit reports, public wallet listings, or formal service-level agreements (SLAs) as part of its disclosures.

Deposits, Withdrawals, KYC & Support

Fiat Deposit Methods

Firstrade supports fiat deposits via ACH, wire transfer, check, and transfers from other brokerages; ACH from U.S. bank accounts is fee-free and takes a couple of business days, wires are faster but involve sending-bank fees, and check deposits vary by type and processing, with some available immediately.

Capital.com lets you deposit via bank transfer, debit/credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, Neteller, Skrill, and regional services like iDEAL, Trustly, SPEI or Lean; minimums vary by method (typically $20 or equivalent), and funds via card or e-wallet tend to arrive instantly, whereas bank transfers may take a few business days.

Supported Fiat Currencies & Conversion

KYC (Verification Levels)

There’s no formal tiered KYC structure; account opening requires ID verification, and once verified, users can access full services—there are no intermediate “basic” or “advanced” levels with differing limits.

You must complete KYC before trading; basic verification covers deposits up to your initial funding, with advanced verification required for higher withdrawal amounts or accessing profits via bank transfer, but there’s no public tiered structure labeled “basic” vs “advanced” on their site.

Withdrawals

Withdrawals are available via ACH, check, or wire—ACH (up to $50,000 per day) is free and takes 1–2 business days, checks may take up to two weeks depending on delivery, and wires cost a fee and take several days; crypto token withdrawals (e.g. ERC20/TRC20) are not supported.

Withdrawals must be made via the original deposit method up to that amount; profits require a verified bank account; minimums start around $20 or local equivalent, processing occurs within 24 hours (most within minutes), although it can take up to five business days depending on the provider.

Customer Support

Support is offered via email and U.S. phone during business hours, complemented by a Help Center with FAQs—there’s no 24/7 live chat, and response times and knowledge base depth are moderate and office-hour dependent.

Capital.com offers 24/7 chat support and email response through a help centre with quick turnaround, backed by a robust knowledge base covering deposits, tools, trading, and troubleshooting.

Languages & Localization

The platform and mobile app support English, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese; the interface displays USD values only, with no localized support for Spanish or Euro-based users—reflecting its U.S.-centric design.

The platform supports a wide array of languages including native-level Spanish, presents fees and pricing in local fiat formats like €, and is tailored and regulated per locale via regional subsidiaries.

App Quality & Stability

The Firstrade app (iOS/Android) is well-rated, noted for intuitive navigation and sync across devices, though some users report occasional crashes; regular updates enhance features and UX, but no official crash-rate metrics are disclosed.

Their mobile app is regularly updated to enhance performance and tools, showing strong stability with minimal reported crashes—though no specific crash rate or version history is publicly shared.

Experience, Performance & Ecosystem

UX/UI

Firstrade delivers a clean, beginner-friendly interface that helps new users get started quickly, though it doesn’t offer distinct “Lite” or “Pro” modes; advanced traders may find the layout functional but not deeply customizable.

The interface is friendly for beginners, with a clean layout and intuitive navigation, while offering advanced charting tools that feel like a “Pro” experience—there’s no separate mode labeled Lite or Pro, but the design scales nicely with your growing skill.

Performance

Firstrade offers solid performance under normal conditions, but during high-volatility events, users sometimes note slight delays in order execution; account verification remains swift even during surges, with KYC queues rarely causing major hold-ups.

The platform executes orders swiftly with minimal latency and holds up well even during volatile market conditions; account verification remains efficient without major backlogs, even when markets heat up.

Education

The platform provides a rich library of written and video educational resources for investing concepts, though it lacks a dedicated simulator or demo trading environment and does not yet offer educational content in Spanish.

Capital.com features a strong educational ecosystem, including a richly featured demo account, live webinars, glossaries, articles, and full Spanish-language content to guide both new and intermediate traders.

Community

Firstrade does not operate official community channels like Discord or Telegram. It did run a referral program in the past, but that has been discontinued, and users must rely on formal help centers rather than peer-driven forums.

While it doesn’t host its own public forum or Discord, the platform encourages community via integrated social tools and offers a referral program that rewards users for inviting new traders.

Integrations

Firstrade recently integrated advanced research tools from Trading Central, but doesn’t support direct TradingView charting, bot trading, or built-in tax/accounting integrations—users rely on manual methods or third-party tools.

The integration with TradingView is seamless and empowers deep charting and automation, but there are no built-in tools for external bots, tax reports, or accounting features—those must be sourced externally.

Who Each One Is Best For

Firstrade shines with investors who value a reliable, easy-to-use platform with educational support and occasional advanced tools—ideal for self-directed U.S. investors prioritizing simplicity over complex trading setups.

This setup works best for traders who value polished interfaces with pro-level tools, rich educational support, and solid integrations—making it ideal for both curious beginners and performance-oriented intermediate users.