Plus500 vs eToro - which one is the better trading platform?

Written by
Bence András R.
Fact checked by
Gyula L.
Updated
Jan 2024

Let’s take a look at how Plus500 stacks up against eToro in terms of fees, trading platforms, products and more.

What’s the main difference? Our experience shows that Plus500 ranks better when it comes to customer service. However, eToro scores high when it comes to fees, markets and products, education and research.

visit plus500
82% of retail CFD accounts lose money
visit etoro
eToro USA LLC; Investments are subject to market risk, including the possible loss of principal

In this article, we’ll compare the two brokers in detail. While Plus500 and eToro share some similarities, the latter is not included in our top 5 Plus500 alternatives list, as it lags behind on some aspects in the BrokerChooser methodology. This doesn’t mean that eToro is not a good alternative to Plus500, it rather illustrates that the broker is not a 100% replacement to Plus500.

eToro USA LCC does not offer CFDs, only real Crypto assets available.

Plus500 summary

  Plus500
Summary Plus500 is a global CFD broker listed on the London Stock Exchange's Main Market and regulated by many authorities including the UK's FCA and CySEC of Cyprus.
Foundation date 2008
Country of origin Israel
Recommended for Experienced traders looking for an innovative platform and a great user experience

The fact that Plus500 is listed on a stock exchange, is regulated by several top-tier financial authorities and discloses its financials publicly are all good signs for the broker's legitimacy.

Plus500 is a CFD broker - with extras

Although its product portfolio consists mainly of CFDs, Plus500 has recently introduced an Invest platform where clients can trade real stocks from some EEA countries and the USA.

In comparison to eToro, Plus500’s product selection lags behind and some popular assets such as ETFs are not available.

Visit Plus500
82% of retail CFD accounts lose money

eToro summary

  eToro
Summary eToro is a global social trading broker. It is regulated by top-tier authorities such as the UK's FCA or Australia's ASIC.
Foundation date 2007
Country of origin Israel
Recommended for Traders interested in social trading (i.e. copying other investors’ trades) and zero-commission stock trading

Visit eToro
eToro USA LLC; Investments are subject to market risk, including the possible loss of principal

Being regulated by the top-tier FCA and ASIC is a good sign for eToro's legitimacy.

eToro is both an investment & a CFD platform

This means that the broker offers CFDs, forex and real investment products like stocks and ETFs. Plus500 also offers stocks, but its main focus is on CFDs.

How eToro compares to Plus500

Key similarities:

  • The quality of trading platforms is mostly the same at eToro and Plus500. The only difference is, that eToro puts heavy emphasis on creating a trading platform that behaves like a social media service.

  • Account opening takes about the same effort at both eToro and Plus500.

Key differences: 

  • eToro’s fees are slightly better, as stock and ETF trading is free. In regard to CFDs, only a spread cost is charged. Spreads are around the same as at Plus500.

  • eToro provides access to more products than Plus500; apart from stocks and ETFs, clients can trade cryptos as well

Plus500 vs eToro
  Plus500 eToro
Overall score 4.3 4.7
Overall pros
  • User-friendly platform
  • Great account opening
  • Quick and helpful customer support
  • Free stock and ETF trading
  • Seamless account opening
  • Social trading
Overall cons
  • Limited product range
  • Mediocre research tools
  • Average CFD fees
  • High non-trading fees
  • Only one account base currency
  • Customer support should be improved
Fees score 2.9 stars 4.3 stars
Account opening score 5.0 stars 5.0 stars
Deposit and withdrawal score 5.0 stars 3.9 stars
Markets and products score 2.3 stars 4.3 stars
Research score 3.4 stars 3.4 stars
Customer service score 5.0 stars 1.5 stars
Education score 3.5 stars 4.3 stars
Recommended for Experienced traders looking for an innovative platform and a great user experience Traders interested in social trading (i.e. copying other investors’ trades) and zero commission stock trading
visit plus500
82% of retail CFD accounts lose money
visit etoro
eToro USA LLC; Investments are subject to market risk, including the possible loss of principal

Plus500 vs eToro: Markets and products

Below is a list of the various assets classes offered by the two brokers. 

Product selection
  Plus500 eToro
Stocks No Yes
ETFs No Yes
Forex No Yes
Funds No No
Bonds No No
Options No Yes
Futures Yes No
Crypto No Yes
CFDs Yes Yes

Conclusion

Which is better, eToro or Plus500?

The Plus500 platform is very innovative and provides a great user experience even for first-timers. Both the account opening process and customer support are great. On the other hand, the broker only offers CFDs and some real stocks, research tools are limited, and CFD fees are average. 

Scalping, however, is taken seriously at Plus500; if you plan to execute many trades within 2 minutes, Plus500 is not your broker.

Trading CFD products is a more seamless experience at Plus500 as fees are lower and the selection is broader, however, the broker lags behind eToro when it comes to investing.

eToro offers commission-free stocks and ETF trades, and most CFD fees and non-trading fees are low as well. The account opening process is seamless and the trading platforms are user-friendly.

Compared to Plus500,  eToro has a wider product portfolio even though it still lacks popular asset classes such as bonds, funds and options. We found that forex fees are relatively high and missed USD as an account currency.

At eToro, investing services are better - fees are lower, and the selection of stocks and the availability of ETFs may be more appealing to users looking for an investment platform. However, CFDs and forex trades come with high fees at the platform.

visit plus500
82% of retail CFD accounts lose money
visit etoro
eToro USA LLC; Investments are subject to market risk, including the possible loss of principal

->Back to Plus500 alternatives

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Risk disclaimer

eToro is a multi-asset platform which offers both investing in stocks and cryptoassets, as well as trading CFDs.

Disclaimer: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 77% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Trading history presented is less than 5 complete years and may not suffice as basis for investment decision.

Copy Trading does not amount to investment advice. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk.

Cryptoasset investing is highly volatile and unregulated in some EU countries. No consumer protection. Tax on profits may apply.

Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment and you should not expect to be protected if something goes wrong. Take 2 minutes to learn more!

eToro USA LLC does not offer CFDs and makes no representation and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the content of this publication, which has been prepared by our partner utilizing publicly available non-entity specific information about eToro.

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Author of this article

Bence András Rózsa
Bence András Rózsa

Bence is a former broker analyst for BrokerChooser. Having an MSc in international economy and finance, he focused on equities, cryptos and newcomer financial services. He also gained years of experience within the brokerage industry, specializing in stock and CFD/forex brokers, crypto providers and robo-advisors.

Everything you find on BrokerChooser is based on reliable data and unbiased information. We combine our 10+ years finance experience with readers feedback. Read more about our methodology.

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