Plus500 US Review 2025

Pros

• Plus500 US stands out due to its affordable fees for trading. It offers competitive margins and does not charge for inactivity, live data, routing, or platform usage.
• Plus500 is a respected publicly traded company. It boasts an impressive base of over 24 million traders and sponsors the Chicago Bulls, adding to its credibility.
• The account setup, pricing structure, and web platform make futures trading simpler than competitors like NinjaTrader.
• The Futures Academy is a useful resource for beginner traders due to its captivating videos and simple articles. Its unrestricted demo account is also beneficial for practicing trading strategies.
• The trading app offers an excellent user interface with an updated design, straightforward layout, and charts optimized for mobile use.

Cons

• Testing showed fast response times for support, but phone aid is not available.
• Plus500 US presently offers about 50 futures for trading, but currently does not provide stocks.
• Plus500 US doesn't include social trading features, unlike platforms such as eToro US. Including this feature may benefit potential traders.
• Despite its competitive pricing, Plus500 US does not offer a discount for high-volume traders, a feature that brokers such as Interactive Brokers provide.
• The private trading platform is easy to use, but doesn't have the advanced analysis tools that platforms like MetaTrader 4 do.

Explore the strengths and weaknesses of Plus500 US as a trading broker. Its competitive edge lies in a broad range of trading instruments and straightforward terms. Plus500 US operates under strict regulatory oversight, ensuring a reliable and secure trading environment. However, it’s crucial to weigh these advantages against its limitations to make an informed decision.

Regulation & Trust

Plus500 US stands out for its solid trustworthiness. It is regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the National Futures Association through Cunningham Commodities LLC, showcasing its reliability. Its registration with the CME Group means it follows strict risk management and financial oversight.

Plus500 Ltd is also listed on the London Stock Exchange, providing transparency. However, a downside is that Plus500 US has been around only since 2021, compared to its longer global presence.

Although promising signs are present, it’s early to be fully certain of the US branch’s security. Additionally, a class action lawsuit against its Australian counterpart for allegedly misleading marketing led to a lower trust rating.

Accounts & Banking

Plus500 US offers a simple account setup in just 10 minutes, ideal for new traders looking for an easy entry into online trading. Despite a $100 minimum deposit, higher than some brokers, it remains accessible for many. They offer a welcome deposit bonus of up to $200 in trading credit based on your initial investment.

Deposits & Withdrawals

Funding options include debit cards, ACH, and bank transfers, common among US brokers. However, wire transfer fees can impact profits.

Demo Account

The platform provides an unlimited demo account for practice, which is fast and easy to register for. It’s perfect for honing strategies without risking your money. New users should explore this feature to familiarize themselves with the platform before committing to a live account.

Assets & Markets

Plus500 US excels in offering over 50 futures contracts that span forex, commodities, and cryptocurrencies. Unique options like interest rate futures stand out, and their e-mini and micro contracts are ideal for traders on a budget.

However, the absence of stocks is notable since futures don’t cover equities. But the 10 global index futures provide an alternative way to engage with stock price shifts. Plus500 US was only acquired in 2021, and its market offerings are still developing. It lags behind established US brokers like Interactive Brokers and NinjaTrader, which offer a wider array of futures and instruments.

During my experience with Plus500 US, I traded:

• Crypto – Micro-Bitcoin and Micro-Ethereum
• Agriculture – Eight products like wheat, live cattle, and soybeans
• Precious Metals – Four metals including gold and silver
• Forex – Over 10 pairs like GBP/USD and CAD/USD
• Interest Rates – Four such as US T-Bond and Micro 10-Year Yield
• Energy – Eight options like natural gas and Brent crude oil
• Equity Indices – 10 indices such as NASDAQ 100 and S&P 500

Plus500’s international branches offer thousands of assets including US stocks, unlike its limited US offering. This is because Plus500 specializes in CFDs, which are banned in the US.

Margin Trading

Plus500 US focuses on futures, traded with margin, allowing positions larger than the initial investment. The margin requirements are:

Margin Requirement | $500 | $50 | $1000 | $300 | $400

Trading with leverage involves risk.

Fees & Costs

Plus500 US shines with competitive trading fees, significantly compensating for a limited investment range. Clients enjoy no inactivity or platform fees and free deposits and withdrawals, except for wire transfers. Trading fees are low, with Micro and Standard contracts costing $0.49 and $0.89 per side, respectively, outperforming E-Trade’s $1.50. This positions Plus500 as a low-cost broker, rivaling Interactive Brokers, which charges $0.85. However, Plus500 lacks a tier system like Interactive Brokers, which benefits high-volume traders with fees as low as $0.25. This makes Plus500 more appealing to casual retail traders than seasoned high-volume traders.

Platforms & Tools

Plus500 US shines with its superb proprietary software. Trading is fast and intuitive, with a user-friendly interface, dynamic charts, and analytic tools.

It boasts 100+ indicators, live price alerts, and features like take profit and stop-loss orders. These make trading simple and effective for everyone, even beginners.

However, advanced traders might find it lacking in-depth analytics and customization options. The absence of MetaTrader 4 could be a downside for those used to it.

Despite this, Plus500 is great for new traders. It’s straightforward and supports Apple and Android devices, offering full desktop functionality.

Trading on the go with Plus500 is easy, with no small-screen hassle. The seamless integration between desktop and mobile apps further enhances the user experience.

Research

Plus500 offers some handy in-house analysis on its site and platform. The economic and earnings calendars, news feed, and sentiment graphics are useful when setting up trades. However, the lack of expert commentary makes it feel limited. In contrast, Interactive Brokers excels with extensive research analysis resources, leaving Plus500 trailing behind.

Education

Plus500’s Futures Academy offers top-notch educational resources, including informative articles and videos for beginners. A standout feature is the video tutorials covering various topics, like trading strategies and the advantages of futures contracts. You can filter educational content by asset class, customizing the experience for your portfolio. The introductory videos excel in explaining trading futures contracts basics. While not as extensive as competitors like IG, Plus500 provides ample content for new traders, with useful information on trading futures.

Customer Support

Plus500 US lacks phone and live chat support, unlike many of its competitors. However, its online help center offers useful FAQs and guides, though adding a search bar or categorizing topics would improve usability.

The only way to contact customer service is via an email request form, but I received a knowledgeable reply within eight minutes. This response was both swift and accurate, addressing all my questions well.

Despite the initial disappointment, I find their email support reliable. Still, introducing live chat would be a welcome addition.

Should You Trade With Plus500 US?

Plus500 US provides a reliable and transparent trading environment. Its user-friendly platform and responsive customer support are significant strengths. Although the product range isn’t vast and some advanced features are missing, it excels with mini and micro futures contracts and competitive fees. This makes it an excellent choice for new traders interested in forex, commodities, crypto, and interest rate markets.

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