Plus500 Futures and Optimus Futures are leading US futures brokers, but which one should you trust your portfolios with?
I have conducted an in-depth review of Plus500 Futures vs. Optimus Futures to determine which is the better overall choice and which traders will benefit most from either broker.
- Features and Platforms
- Available Markets
- Typical Spreads and Fees
- Security and Trust
- Plus500 Futures versus Optimus Futures - Verdict
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Headquarters | United States | United States |
Regulators | CFTC | CFTC |
Tier 1 Regulator(s)? | ||
Owned by Public Company? | ||
Year Established | 2022 | 2004 |
Execution Type(s) | Market Maker | Market Maker |
Minimum Deposit | $75 | $500 |
Negative Balance Protection | ||
Trading Platform(s) | Proprietary platform, Web-based | Other, MetaTrader 5, Proprietary platform, Trading View+ |
Minimum Standard Spreads | 0.5 pips | Exchange-driven |
Minimum Commission for Forex | $0.49 (mini) / $0.89 (standard) | $0.25 (micro) / $0.75 (standard) |
Islamic Account | ||
Signals | ||
US Persons Accepted? | ||
Managed Accounts | ||
| Visit Website | Visit Website |
Main advantages of Plus500 Futures:
- Fastest account opening process in the industry
- Unlimited demo mode
- Futures and prediction markets
- A low initial margin requirement (for example, Micro E-mini S&P 500 intraday margin is only $50)
- Free live market data (most brokers charge $10-$25 monthly)
- Parent company is publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange and has over 13 million clients worldwide.
- Access to prediction markets
- A choice of standard, mini, and micro contracts
- A user-friendly web-based trading platform and mobile app ideal for beginner traders
- 24/7 customer support
- Education via the Futures Academy
Main advantages of Optimus Futures:
- A quality trading platform with TradingView integration and a mobile app
- Intra-day margins as low as 10% or $50 for Micro E-mini S&P 500, Micro E-mini Dow Jones, and Micro E-mini Russell 2000 futures contracts
- Free demo trading
- Volume-based commission rebates
Features and Platforms
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MT4 | ||
MT5 | ||
MT4/MT5 Add-Ons | ||
cTrader | ||
Proprietary Platform | ||
Automated Trading | ||
Social/Copy Trading | ||
DOM? | ||
Guaranteed Stop Loss | ||
Scalping | ||
Hedging | ||
One-Click Trading | ||
OCO Orders | ||
Interest on Margin | ||
| Visit Website | Visit Website |
Available Markets
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Currency Pairs | ||
Cryptocurrencies | ||
Commodities | ||
Crude Oil | ||
Gold | ||
Metals | ||
Stocks (non-CFDs) | ||
Bonds | ||
ETFs | ||
Options | ||
Futures | ||
Synthetics | ||
| Visit Website | Visit Website |
Why Plus500 Futures is a better choice for most traders:
- The availability of prediction markets, which is a high-growth asset class across the US
- Over 100 CME futures with below-standard CME intra-day margin rates
- Automatic liquidation, similar to negative balance protection
- Plus500 Futures demo account has no time limit, while the demo account of Optimus Futures has a 14-day time limit.
- Active guidance to use stop-loss, take-profit, and trailing-stops
Typical Spreads and Fees
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Minimum Standard Spreads | 0.5 pips | Exchange-driven |
Minimum Commission for Forex | $0.49 (mini) / $0.89 (standard) | $0.25 (micro) / $0.75 (standard) |
Deposit Fee | ||
Withdrawal Fee | ||
Inactivity Fee | N/A | |
| Visit Website | Visit Website |
Both brokers offer traders competitive commission-based trading accounts, but which one is cheaper?
Plus500 Futures offers competitive commissions, but Optimus Futures offers a more affordable pricing structure overall. Micro contracts carry a $0.25 commission, and standard contracts cost $0.75. High-volume rebates also exist.
Account Types
Account Types | Plus500 Futures | Optimus Futures |
Commission-free Accounts | No | No |
Commission-based Accounts | Yes | Yes |
Demo Accounts | Yes | Yes |
Islamic Accounts | No | No |
Social / Copy Trading | No | Yes |
Managed Accounts | No | No |
The account structure at Plus500 Futures and Optimus Futures is similar, including free demo accounts.
Are there any other noteworthy differences in the account structure between Plus500 Futures vs. Optimus Futures?
Here is what stands out the most:
- Plus500 Futures often opens accounts in minutes, with 85% passing KYC without additional documents
- Optimus Futures supports algorithmic and copy trading
- Optimus Futures has a high minimum deposit requirement
Minimum Deposit
Deposit Snapshot | Plus500 Futures | Optimus Futures |
Minimum Deposit | $75 | $500 |
Deposit Fees | Third-party | Third-party |
E-wallets | Yes | No |
Cryptocurrencies | No | No |
Localized Methods | Yes | Yes |
Total Deposit Methods | 4 | 2 |
Supported Deposit Currencies | USD | USD |
How difficult is it to deposit at Plus500 Futures vs. Optimus Futures?
Optimus Futures limits traders to bank transactions, including online transfers and traditional paper cheques. Traders at Plus500 Futures can deposit funds via bank wire transfers, credit/debit cards, Google Pay, and Apple Pay. It also allows clients to trade with deposited funds in transit. So, Plus500 Futures makes the deposit process more trader friendly.
Minimum Withdrawal
Withdrawal Snapshot | Plus500 Futures | Optimus Futures |
Minimum Withdrawal | $50 to $100 (payment processor dependent) | No minimum withdrawal amount |
Internal Withdrawal Fees | $10, but only on withdrawals below the minimum | $7 to $75 (payment processor dependent) |
Internal Processing Times | Instant to three business days | One to seven business days |
Which withdrawal process is better: Plus500 Futures or Optimus Futures?
Optimus Futures has no minimum withdrawal but relies on slower withdrawal methods that can cost up to $75. Plus500 has a reasonably low minimum withdrawal, no internal withdrawal fees, and supports instant withdrawals via e-wallets, making it the better choice.
Security and Trust
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Country of the Regulator | United States | United States |
Name of the Regulator | CFTC | CFTC |
Regulatory License Number | NFA ID 0001398 | 0481133 |
Regulatory Tier | 1 | 1 |
| Visit Website | Visit Website |
Which broker is more secure and trustworthy?
Plus500 Futures and Optimus Futures segregate client deposits from corporate funds and have established themselves as trustworthy. Overall, I rank Plus500 Futures ahead of Optimus Futures, as it is a licensed FCM (Futures Commission Merchant), enabling direct, regulated futures trading, is part of a publicly listed group on the London Stock Exchange, and has an average rating of 4.2 out of 5.0 from 18,000+ reviews.
Plus500 Futures versus Optimus Futures - Verdict
Plus500 Futures
Pros | Cons |
A user-friendly trading platform and mobile app | A minimum deposit between $75 and $100 |
Education for beginners via the Futures Trading Academy | |
Prediction markets with low minimum trading requirements from $0.01 | |
Official global partner of the Chicago Bulls |
Optimus Futures
Pros | Cons |
A quality trading platform with TradingView integration | A high $500 minimum deposit |
Ultra-low trading fees for active traders that trade over 1,000 contracts monthly | |
Low minimum day margins | |
Well-regulated and trustworthy |
Which futures broker is better?
Plus500 Futures and Optimus Futures are high-quality futures brokers, and I recommend traders test them in the Plus500 Futures demo account and the Optimus Futures demo account.
Our Verdict:
Plus500 Futures is superior overall, offering a user-friendly futures platform and low costs. Optimus Futures is a good choice for traders who transact 1,000+ contracts per month, as they benefit from ultra-low fees.
Read full Plus500 Futures Read full Optimus Futures Optimus Futures is better for high-volume traders, as trading fees are ultra-low once traders transact 1,000 contracts monthly. Plus500 is the better choice for most retail traders due to its user-friendly platform and availability of prediction markets. Plus500 Futures commissions are between $0.49 and $0.89, depending on the asset, while prediction markets are as low as $0.01. Optimus Futures offers educational resources, but its trading platform has a learning curve and is not ideal for beginners. While both futures brokers maintain competitive trading fees, Optimus Futures has lower costs. Yes, Plus500 sponsors the Chicago Bulls. Optimus Futures is not known to have any sponsorship.FAQs
Which is better, Plus500 Futures or Optimus Futures?
How much commission does Plus500 Futures take?
Is Optimus Futures good for beginners?
Do Plus500 Futures or Optimus Futures have lower costs?
Do Plus500 or Optimus Futures sponsor any sports teams?

