HFM Account Types Compared: Which Account Should You Choose?

By BrokaBoy Research Team · Reviewed 14 October 2026 · Updated 14 October 2026 · 5 min read

HFM's global site offers five live accounts: Cent (micro trading in US cents), Premium (no minimum, no commission, spreads from 1.4 pips), Pro ($100, spreads from 0.6 pips, no commission), Zero (spreads from 0.0 pips plus commission) and InfinityX ($500, unlimited leverage on selected instruments). For most beginners Cent or Premium makes sense; active traders usually compare Pro and Zero on all-in cost.

HFM

BrokaBoy score 9.7/10Listed min deposit $0Advertised spread 0.0 pipsRegulators FCA, CySEC, DFSA, FSCA, CMA, FSA

Visit HFM

CFDs are high risk. Capital at risk.

Affiliate link - see our Methodology

Key takeaways

Five accounts: Cent, Premium, Pro, Zero and InfinityX
Premium and Pro charge no commission; Zero charges about $6 per lot round turn on majors
Cent is the only account built for very small balances
InfinityX has a 0% stop-out and unlimited leverage on select instruments, which magnifies risk
UK and EU clients may see a different line-up under their regulated entity

The five HFM accounts side by side

From HFM's global account comparison (HF Markets (SV) Ltd, checked October 2026):

	Cent	Premium	Pro	Zero	InfinityX
Minimum deposit	$0	$0	$100	$0 (table) / $25 (FAQ)	$500
Spreads from	1.4 pips	1.4 pips	0.6 pips	0.0 pips (forex)	0.3 pips
Commission	None	None	None	~$6/lot round turn on majors	None
Max leverage	1:2000	1:2000	1:2000	1:2000	Unlimited (select instruments)
Margin call / stop-out	50% / 20%	50% / 20%	50% / 20%	50% / 20%	20% / 0%
Account currency	USC	USD, EUR	USD, EUR	USD, EUR	USD, EUR, NGN, JPY, THB, IDR, GHS
Instruments	Forex + gold	All	All	All	Forex, metals, indices, crypto, energies
Max open orders	300	500	500	500	500

All five run on MT4, MT5, HFM WebTrader and the HFM app, use market execution, and start at 0.01 lots. HFM notes that leverage "may be adjusted" under its terms. Our HFM leverage guide covers the per-instrument limits.

Clients of HFM UK or HFM Europe: regulated entities offer their own line-ups, with leverage capped for retail clients and no bonus features. Use the comparison inside your own registration rather than this table.

What each account is really for

Cent: learning with real money

Your balance is in US cents, so $20 shows as 2,000 USC, and one cent lot is 1,000 units instead of 100,000. That lets a small account trade with sensible stop distances. The catch is that only forex and gold are available, and spreads start at 1.4 pips. See our HFM Cent account guide.

Premium: the simple default

No minimum, no commission, every instrument. You pay the spread (from 1.4 pips) and nothing else. HFM describes it as aimed at retail traders who want swap-free trading with no minimum deposit or commission. It's the account to choose if you'd rather not think about commission maths.

Pro: tighter spreads, still no commission

Spreads start at 0.6 pips, and it needs $100 to open. For someone trading a few lots a month on majors, the narrower spread adds up. HFM pitches it at more experienced traders.

Zero: raw spreads plus commission

Spreads start at 0.0 pips on selected symbols, and you pay a commission. In HFM's table that's $0.06 per 1,000 units, or $6 per standard lot round turn on the listed majors, and $10 per 100 oz of gold. The marketing copy says "from $3 per lot", which presumably means per side. Zero suits scalpers and EA traders whose cost depends heavily on spread.

InfinityX: unlimited leverage, zero stop-out

A $500 minimum, spreads from 0.3 pips with no commission, and unlimited leverage on selected instruments. The 0% stop-out means positions aren't closed until equity is effectively gone. That doesn't make trades safer. It means a losing position can run until your whole balance is used up. Only consider it if you already size every trade by stop-loss risk.

All-in cost: a worked comparison

The "from" spreads are minimums, not averages. To compare fairly, add spread and commission for one standard lot of EUR/USD (1 pip = $10):

Account	Spread used	Spread cost	Commission	All-in per lot
Premium	1.4 pips	$14	$0	$14
Pro	0.6 pips	$6	$0	$6
Zero	0.1 pips (assumed typical)	$1	$6	$7
InfinityX	0.3 pips	$3	$0	$3

These use HFM's advertised minimums (plus an assumed 0.1-pip raw spread on Zero). Real spreads widen at the rollover, around news and in thin markets. Pro and Zero come out close, so the cheaper one is whichever has the tighter live spread on your pair. Check both on a demo during the hours you trade. Our HFM spreads and fees guide goes deeper, including gold.

Which HFM account should you choose?

Balance under $100, or first time live? Cent.
Want simplicity, $100–$1,000, trade a few times a week? Premium, or Pro once you have $100.
Scalping, EAs or high volume on majors and gold? Zero, after comparing live costs with Pro.
Experienced, strict risk control, need a local account currency like NGN or GHS? InfinityX, with care.
Need swap-free for religious reasons? Ask HFM which accounts and instruments qualify. See the HFM Islamic account guide.

HFM

BrokaBoy score 9.7/10Listed min deposit $0Advertised spread 0.0 pipsRegulators FCA, CySEC, DFSA, FSCA, CMA, FSA

Visit HFM

CFDs are high risk. Capital at risk.

Affiliate link - see our Methodology

Margin call and stop-out in real numbers

The stop-out level decides when HFM starts closing your trades. Take a Pro account with $500 and one standard lot of EUR/USD at 1.1000 with 1:2000 leverage:

Used margin = 100,000 × 1.1000 ÷ 2,000 = $55.
Margin level = equity ÷ used margin × 100. At the start that's 500 ÷ 55 = 909%.
Margin call (50%) comes when equity falls to $27.50, a loss of $472.50, or about 47 pips.
Stop-out (20%) comes at equity of $11, a loss of $489, or about 49 pips.

So high leverage let you open a position worth $110,000 on $500. But a move of less than 50 pips, which EUR/USD can manage in one news release, takes nearly the whole account. Lower leverage wouldn't change the loss per pip. Position size is what matters. Our margin calculator shows the margin for any trade, and the stop-out level explainer covers the mechanics.

Switching accounts later

You don't need to get the choice right first time. HFM lets you open more trading accounts from the same verified profile, and you can move funds between your own accounts through the Client Area. A common path is to start on Cent, move to Premium or Pro once you have a few months of records, and add Zero if you start trading actively. Keep your trade journal per account so you can compare costs and results honestly.

Practical details people miss

Symbol suffixes. On MT5, Zero symbols carry a "b" suffix (EURUSDb), Cent symbols a "c" (EURUSDc), and Premium symbols have no suffix. If you add the wrong symbol to an EA, it won't trade.
Platform lock-in. An MT4 account can't be used in MT5, or the other way round. ETFs and DMA products aren't available on MT4.
Order limits. Cent caps you at 300 open orders, the others at 500. Grid EAs can hit that limit.
Stop-out differences. The 20% stop-out on most accounts closes positions while some equity remains. InfinityX's 0% doesn't.

For the general difference between commission and spread-only pricing, see our ECN vs market maker explainer and forex account types explained.

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Most retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. Consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Full risk disclosure.

Frequently asked questions

Which HFM account is best for beginners?

For a first live account, the Cent account is usually the most forgiving because your balance is shown in US cents and trades can be sized 100 times smaller than on a standard account. If you prefer standard lots and have a few hundred dollars, Premium is simple: no minimum deposit, no commission and spreads from 1.4 pips.

What is the difference between HFM Pro and Zero?

Pro has no commission and spreads from 0.6 pips, with a $100 minimum deposit. Zero has spreads from 0.0 pips on forex but charges a commission of about $6 per standard lot round turn on major pairs. Which is cheaper depends on the actual spread at the time you trade, so compare the all-in cost on your main pair.

What is the HFM InfinityX account?

InfinityX is an HFM account with a $500 minimum deposit that advertises unlimited leverage on selected instruments, spreads from 0.3 pips, no commission, a 20% margin call and a 0% stop-out level. It also offers more account currencies, including NGN, GHS, THB, IDR and JPY. It suits only experienced traders who size positions strictly.

Can I have more than one HFM account?

Yes. HFM lets you open several trading accounts under one profile, for example a Cent account to test a strategy and a Pro or Zero account for your main trading. MT4 accounts only work on MT4 and MT5 accounts only on MT5, so choose the platform for each account when you open it.

Do HFM accounts have swap-free options?

HFM offers swap-free conditions on specific accounts and instruments, including for clients who observe Sharia law. Its account tables note that swap-free status applies only to certain instruments and that carry charges can apply after positions roll over for a sequence of days. Check the rollover policy for the instruments you trade.

Sources

HFM Minimum Deposit by Account Type and Payment Method

HFM's global site lists no minimum deposit for its Cent and Premium accounts, $100 for Pro and $500 for InfinityX. The Zero account shows $0 in the comparison table but $25 in its FAQ. In practice the payment method sets a floor too: $5 by card, $10 to $30 for alternative methods and $100 by bank transfer.

Deriv Account Types Compared: Which Account Should You Choose?

Deriv gives each person one account with a Wallet, under which you open trading accounts: six MT5 types (Standard, Zero Spread, Swap-free, Financial, Gold and Crypto), plus Deriv cTrader and the options platforms Deriv Trader and Deriv Bot. Most beginners should start with MT5 Standard; active forex traders should compare Zero Spread costs, and overnight holders Swap-free.

XM Account Types Compared: Standard vs Ultra Low vs Shares

XM's global entity offers three accounts: Standard and Ultra Low from $5, and Shares from $10,000. Standard is bonus-eligible but has wider spreads (about 1.6 pips on majors per reviews); Ultra Low drops the bonus for spreads from about 0.8 pips, which makes it the better choice for anyone who trades regularly.

XM Demo Account: How to Open It and Practise Properly

An XM demo account is a free MT4 or MT5 account with virtual funds that you open from xm.com without depositing. Set its balance, leverage and account type to match the live account you plan to fund. XM's app listing says the demo has no time limit, but log in regularly, as some reviews report closure after inactivity.

XM Islamic (Swap-Free) Account: Eligibility and Conditions

Yes, XM offers an Islamic (swap-free) option on all its accounts, Standard, Ultra Low and Shares, as a status you request after verifying a live account. XM's public pages don't publish detailed terms, so confirm fees, excluded instruments and holding limits with support before relying on it.