Plus500 review

EU/EEA licence Israel Forex / CFD Founded 2008 Reviewed 30 September 2026
82
Strong protectionProtection Score out of 100. See breakdown

Single-platform CFD provider listed in London; runs European entities in Cyprus (CySEC) and Estonia (Finantsinspektsioon) plus a UK entity.

Headquarters
Israel
Founded
2008
Type
Forex & CFD brokers
Licences on record
9 (3 European)
EU client entity
Plus500CY Ltd (CySEC) and Plus500EE AS (Estonia)
Platforms
Own platform
Products
CFDs, Futures, Stocks
Website
plus500.com

Strengths

  • Part of a London-listed group
  • Two EU-licensed entities (Cyprus and Estonia) plus UK and many other licences
  • Clean, easy proprietary platform with risk-management alerts
  • Guaranteed stops available on many instruments

Watch-outs

  • No MetaTrader, cTrader or API for automated strategies
  • CFDs only for most EU clients – no real shares or ETFs
  • Limited research and education compared with some rivals

Overview

Plus500 was founded in Israel in 2008 and is listed on the London Stock Exchange. It built one of the most successful mass-market CFD apps by keeping the product simple: one proprietary platform, no commissions on standard CFDs, and a focus on mobile.

Which entity serves you

European clients are served by Plus500CY Ltd, licensed by CySEC, or by Plus500EE AS, licensed by Estonia's Finantsinspektsioon. UK clients deal with the FCA-authorised Plus500UK. The group holds further licences in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, the UAE and elsewhere, and runs a futures business in the US.

Platform and products

The web and mobile platform covers CFDs on forex, indices, commodities, shares, options and cryptocurrencies (crypto CFDs at 2:1 for EU retail clients). There is no MetaTrader or third-party platform support, which rules Plus500 out for algorithmic traders.

Costs

Costs are mainly in the spread, plus overnight funding, currency conversion and an inactivity fee after a period without logins. Spreads can be wider than on raw-spread accounts at ECN-style brokers.

Our view

Plus500 scores well for corporate transparency and European licensing. It suits traders who want simplicity; active or automated traders will find it limited.

Licences on record

Brands often operate several companies. The one that onboards you depends on where you live, and that company's regulator decides your protection. Confirm the entity on the official register before you deposit.

RegulatorJurisdictionTypeCheck it
FCA Financial Conduct Authority United Kingdom UK Official register
CySEC Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission Cyprus EU/EEA – passportable Official register
Finantsinspektsioon Finantsinspektsioon (Estonian Financial Supervision and Resolution Authority) Estonia EU/EEA – passportable Regulator website
ASIC Australian Securities and Investments Commission Australia Non-European Regulator website
FMA NZ Financial Markets Authority (New Zealand) New Zealand Non-European Regulator website
FSCA Financial Sector Conduct Authority South Africa Non-European Regulator website
MAS Monetary Authority of Singapore Singapore Non-European Regulator website
DFSA (Dubai) Dubai Financial Services Authority United Arab Emirates Non-European Regulator website
SCB Securities Commission of The Bahamas Bahamas Offshore Regulator website

What protection would you get?

If you are a retail client of Plus500's European entity, these safeguards apply by law. Which one applies to you depends on the entity you sign with.

Via a FCA-licensed entity
United Kingdom
Via a CySEC-licensed entity
Cyprus · EU member state
Via a Finantsinspektsioon-licensed entity
Estonia · EU member state
  • Investor compensation: At least €20,000 per investor (EU minimum under the Investor Compensation Schemes Directive 97/9/EC; schemes may cover 90% of the claim). – Tagatisfond (Guarantee Fund) (confirm with the scheme)
  • Leverage for retail clients: capped at 30:1 on major currency pairs, down to 2:1 on crypto. Details
  • Negative balance protection: you cannot lose more than the money in your account.
  • Margin close-out: positions are closed when equity falls to 50% of required margin.
  • Complaints: Consumer Disputes Committee (TTJA)
  • Best forex brokers in Estonia

Verify Plus500 yourself

  1. Find the exact company name in the footer of the website and in the client agreement you are asked to sign.
  2. Search that name on the register of the regulator listed for your country (links above). Make sure the register shows the same website domain.
  3. Check warning lists for look-alike names: IOSCO I-SCAN covers alerts from regulators worldwide.
  4. Never download remote-access software or move money because someone "from the broker" phoned you. How clone-firm scams work.

Protection Score breakdown

FactorPoints
Holds at least one European licence (EU/EEA, UK or Swiss)+40
ESMA/FCA retail protections available (leverage caps, negative balance protection, compensation scheme)+15
Supervised in 7 strong jurisdictions+12
Publicly listed group (audited public accounts)+8
Operating for 18 years+7
Total82/100

The score measures structural protection from licences and corporate facts, not costs, service or platform quality. A high score does not mean a firm is right for you. Methodology.

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About this data

Profile type: reviewed profile. Licence data is from our research and has not yet been re-checked against every register; confirm it on the official register before relying on it. Last updated 30 September 2026.

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