eToro vs Markets.xyz (2026): full platform comparison
Is eToro still worth it in 2026? We compare fees, leverage, assets, and custody against Markets.xyz so you can make the right call.
Introduction
If you've been trading on eToro and started wondering whether there's a better option, you're not alone. eToro has built a massive user base with its social trading features, copy trading tools, and beginner-friendly interface. But in 2026, a new category of trading platform has emerged that makes eToro's centralized, session-limited model look like a product from a different era.
Markets.xyz is a decentralized 24/7 trading platform built on Hyperliquid's blockchain infrastructure. It offers perpetual futures on equities, indices, commodities, FX, and crypto, all available around the clock, with no custody risk, no geographic restrictions for most of the world, and professional-grade order types at fees a fraction of what eToro charges for equivalent trades.
This guide is a complete, honest comparison of both platforms. We'll cover trading hours, fees, available assets, leverage, geographic access, custody, order types, and who each platform is actually built for. If you're deciding between the two, or just curious whether it's time to make a switch, this is the only guide you need.
At a glance: how they compare
Before diving into the detail, here is the full side-by-side breakdown across every dimension that matters to active traders.
No KYC, no custody risk, no closing time. Markets.xyz is open to traders in 180+ countries right now. Start trading on markets.xyz.
Trading hours: always open vs. mostly closed
This is the single biggest structural difference between the two platforms, and it matters more than most traders initially realize.
eToro follows the hours of the underlying exchanges it provides access to. Stock and ETF trading is largely restricted to Monday through Friday during exchange hours. Crypto trading on eToro is available 24/7, but stock CFDs and most other instruments close on weekends. When you hold a CFD position over a weekend on eToro, you pay a triple overnight fee for the Friday-to-Monday gap, a hidden cost that compounds significantly for active traders.
Markets.xyz operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. There is no closing bell. There is no weekend gap. There are no Friday triple overnight fees. The platform runs on Hyperliquid's blockchain, which has no concept of business hours. If a major macro event hits on Saturday morning, you can position, hedge, and execute immediately. On eToro, you'd be watching from the sidelines until Monday.
The weekend gap problem: eToro CFD holders pay an overnight fee every weekday night, and that fee is tripled over weekends to account for Friday close to Monday open. For a trader holding a position over a typical weekend, that's three days of overnight fees charged in one go. Markets.xyz charges a straightforward hourly funding rate with no multipliers, displayed transparently before you open any trade.
Fees: a real side-by-side comparison
Fees are where the difference between these two platforms becomes most stark, particularly for active traders. Let's look at the real numbers.
Crypto trading fees
eToro charges a 1% spread fee when you buy cryptocurrency and between 0.6% and 1% when you sell, creating a minimum 1.6% to 2% round-trip cost on every crypto trade. Transferring your crypto to an external wallet adds another 2% fee. For anyone actively trading Bitcoin, Ethereum, or other digital assets, these costs accumulate rapidly.
Markets.xyz charges a total taker fee of 0.0431% per trade at the base tier (combining the Hyperliquid base fee and builder fee). That's the total cost, both ways. A round-trip on a $10,000 BTC trade costs approximately $8.62 on Markets.xyz. The same trade on eToro costs a minimum of $160 to $200.
Stock and equity trading fees
eToro charges $1 to $2 per stock trade (depending on your country and the exchange) for real share purchases, and a 0.15% CFD spread on open and close for leveraged stock positions. ETFs are commission-free but carry spread costs.
Markets.xyz offers perpetual futures on individual equities (TSLA, NVDA, AAPL, GOOGL, BABA, and more) at the same 0.0431% total taker fee that applies across all markets. No different pricing for stocks vs. crypto vs. commodities.
Non-trading fees
eToro charges a flat $5 withdrawal fee for USD accounts (though GBP and EUR accounts withdraw for free), a $10 monthly inactivity fee after 12 months of no login, and currency conversion fees of up to 1.5% if your account currency differs from the traded asset's currency.
Markets.xyz has no withdrawal fee beyond a minimal Hyperliquid network fee, no inactivity fee of any kind, and no currency conversion fees since all positions are margined in USDH.
Fee summary: For active traders, especially those trading crypto, the fee difference between eToro and Markets.xyz is not marginal. It is transformative. The 1 to 2% round-trip eToro charges on crypto versus the 0.086% round-trip on Markets.xyz means Markets.xyz traders keep roughly 23 times more of their trading profits per trade.
Available assets: what can you actually trade?
Both platforms offer a broad range of assets, but with important structural differences in how they're traded.
eToro assets
eToro provides access to over 5,000 stocks across 20 global exchanges, 680+ ETFs, more than 100 cryptocurrencies, forex pairs, commodities, and indices. For real share purchases, you own the underlying stock and are entitled to dividends. For CFD positions (leveraged or short), you are trading a derivative that tracks the price but carries overnight fees and spread costs.
Markets.xyz assets
Markets.xyz offers perpetual contracts across equities (including TSLA, NVDA, AAPL, GOOGL, BABA, PLTR, MU, RTX, TENCENT, and XIAOMI), equity indices (US500, USTECH, SMALL2000, USENERGY, GLDMINE, SEMI), commodities (GOLD, SILVER, USOIL), rates and FX (USBOND, EUR/USD), and crypto perpetuals (BTC, ETH, SOL) plus spot trading via Hyperliquid Builder Codes. New markets are added continuously based on community demand and liquidity availability.
The honest summary: eToro has a significantly wider selection of individual stocks and ETFs if you want to build a long-term equity portfolio with real share ownership. Markets.xyz has a more focused selection of high-liquidity markets available as 24/7 perpetuals, better suited to active traders who want maximum capital efficiency and non-stop access.
Leverage and short selling
Both platforms offer leverage and the ability to short sell, but the mechanics, limits, and availability differ significantly.
eToro leverage
eToro offers leverage through CFDs, with limits that vary by asset class and region. In the EU and UK, regulatory caps restrict retail CFD leverage to 2x for crypto, 5x for commodities and indices, 10x for non-major FX pairs, and 30x for major FX pairs. Short selling on stocks is only available through CFD positions, not for real share holdings. Overnight fees apply to all CFD positions and are tripled on weekends.
Markets.xyz leverage
Markets.xyz offers up to 50x leverage on select markets with no regional caps for eligible users. The platform uses isolated margin, meaning each position's risk is contained independently. You can go long or short on any market at any time, day or night, weekend or weekday. Funding is assessed hourly at a rate that is displayed clearly before you confirm any trade, with no weekend multipliers.
Important: High leverage significantly amplifies both gains and losses. A 2% adverse move on a 50x leveraged position results in a 100% loss of margin. Always trade with a clear risk management plan, use stop-loss orders, and never deploy leverage beyond your experience level.
Custody and security: who holds your money?
This is one of the most important and least-discussed differences between these two platforms.
eToro: custodial
When you deposit funds on eToro, those funds are held by eToro in segregated accounts. eToro is regulated by the FCA (UK), CySEC (EU), SEC/FINRA (US), and ASIC (Australia), and went public on NASDAQ in May 2025. Client funds receive protection up to £85,000 in the UK, €20,000 in the EU, and $500,000 in the US through SIPC.
The regulatory protection is a genuine advantage for risk-averse investors. The trade-off is that you are trusting a corporation with your capital, and if eToro were to face financial difficulty, regulatory action, or a security breach, your access to funds could be affected.
Markets.xyz: non-custodial
Markets.xyz is fully non-custodial. You connect your own Web3 wallet (MetaMask, Rabby, or similar) and your funds remain in your wallet at all times. The platform executes trades through smart contracts on Hyperliquid's blockchain. Markets.xyz never holds your funds and has no ability to freeze, restrict, or confiscate them. You can withdraw at any time without approval.
The trade-off is that self-custody comes with self-responsibility. There is no SIPC protection, no regulator to appeal to if you make a mistake, and if you lose access to your wallet's seed phrase, no one can recover your funds for you.
Geographic access: where can you trade?
eToro operates in 75+ countries and is available to users in the USA, UK, EU, Australia, and many other major markets. However, eToro has faced regulatory restrictions in some jurisdictions and the range of products available varies by country. EU and UK users face regulatory leverage caps on CFDs that do not apply in other regions.
Markets.xyz is accessible to traders in 180+ countries with no geographic-based product restrictions for eligible users. The platform is not available to users in the USA, UK, or Ontario, Canada. For traders in Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East who may face restrictions or limited product access on eToro, Markets.xyz offers full platform access.
180+ countries. no closing time. no middleman. Markets.xyz gives global traders the access they deserve. Connect your wallet and start trading in minutes. Start trading on markets.xyz.
Onboarding: how long does it take to start trading?
eToro
Opening an eToro account requires creating a username and password, answering questions about your trading experience and investment goals (required by regulators), and uploading a photo ID and proof of address for KYC verification. Verification typically takes 1 to 2 business days. You cannot trade with real money until verification is complete, though a $100,000 demo account is available immediately.
Markets.xyz
There is no account creation on Markets.xyz. You connect a Web3 wallet with a single click, deposit USDH, and you're trading. The entire process takes under five minutes. There is no KYC, no identity verification, no waiting period, and no email required. Your wallet address is your identity.
Platform-specific features
What eToro does that Markets.xyz doesn't
CopyTrader. eToro's flagship feature lets you automatically replicate the trades of experienced investors on the platform. Popular Investors have verifiable track records and earn a percentage of assets under copy. For traders who want market exposure without the time to research individual positions, CopyTrader is a genuinely useful tool with no extra fee beyond standard trading costs.
Smart Portfolios. Pre-built thematic investment portfolios curated by eToro's analysts, covering areas like AI, renewable energy, and crypto. These are a convenient diversification tool for passive investors and carry no management fees.
Real share ownership. For non-leveraged stock positions, eToro gives you actual ownership of the underlying shares, including dividend entitlement and fractional share purchases from as little as $10.
Demo account. eToro provides a $100,000 virtual trading account immediately upon registration, allowing new traders to practice before risking real capital.
Regulatory protection. eToro is regulated across multiple major jurisdictions with fund insurance schemes providing meaningful protection for eligible users.
What Markets.xyz does that eToro doesn't
24/7/365 trading on everything. Every single market on Markets.xyz, stocks, indices, commodities, FX, and crypto, trades around the clock without exception. No weekend gaps, no overnight fee multipliers, no waiting for Monday.
Non-custodial self-custody. Your funds never leave your wallet. No corporation holds your money, no approval is needed to withdraw, and the platform cannot freeze your account under any circumstances.
TWAP and Scale orders. Professional execution tools not available on eToro. TWAP breaks large orders into time-weighted slices to minimize market impact. Scale orders automate dollar-cost averaging across a price range.
Full L4 orderbook transparency. Markets.xyz's L4 orderbook shows individual orders, queue priority, and liquidity attribution. This level of transparency is not available on any centralized retail platform including eToro.
Up to 50x leverage. eToro's leverage caps are significantly lower than Markets.xyz, particularly for EU and UK users subject to regulatory restrictions.
Lower fees, especially on crypto. At roughly 23 times cheaper per crypto trade, the fee advantage for active traders is not marginal.
Who should choose which platform?
Choose eToro if:
• You want to buy and hold real stocks or ETFs long-term, with dividend entitlement and fractional share access
• You are a beginner who wants copy trading or Smart Portfolio features to get started without deep research
• You are a US-based trader (Markets.xyz is not available in the USA or UK)
• You want regulatory protection and fund insurance through FCA, SIPC, or similar schemes
• You prefer a $100,000 demo account to practice before trading real money
• You primarily want a simple, social, beginner-friendly investing experience rather than an active trading platform
Choose Markets.xyz if:
• You want to trade outside market hours, on weekends, overnight, or across global time zones
• You trade crypto actively and cannot afford to give up 1 to 2% per trade in spreads
• You want genuine self-custody of your funds with no corporation holding your capital
• You are an experienced trader who needs leverage up to 50x and professional order types like TWAP and Scale
• You are based outside the USA, UK, or Ontario and want maximum geographic access across 180+ countries
• You want full transparency into the orderbook, not just aggregated price levels
• You want to short any market at any time with no CFD approval process
Built for traders who don't wait for markets to open. Lower fees. No custody risk. 24/7 access. See why traders are making the switch to Markets.xyz. Start trading on markets.xyz.
Frequently asked questions
Is Markets.xyz better than eToro?
For active traders, yes. Markets.xyz gives you 24/7 access to every market on the platform, fees that are roughly 23 times cheaper than eToro's crypto spread, full self-custody of your funds, and professional order types that eToro simply doesn't offer. You're not waiting for markets to open, not paying a corporation to hold your money, and not giving up 1 to 2% per trade before the market has even moved. Whether you're trading crypto, equities, commodities, or FX, Markets.xyz is built to give you more access, more control, and more of your profits.
Can I trade the same stocks on Markets.xyz that I trade on eToro?
Markets.xyz offers perpetual futures on a curated selection of high-volume equities including TSLA, NVDA, AAPL, GOOGL, BABA, PLTR, MU, RTX, TENCENT, and XIAOMI. eToro has a wider total selection of over 5,000 stocks. If you trade primarily the biggest names in US and international markets, Markets.xyz covers them. If you need access to smaller-cap stocks or the full universe of listed equities, eToro has broader coverage.
How much cheaper is Markets.xyz than eToro for crypto trading?
eToro charges a minimum 1% spread on entry and 0.6 to 1% on exit for a round-trip cost of 1.6 to 2% per crypto trade. Markets.xyz charges a total taker fee of 0.0431% per trade. On a $10,000 crypto trade, eToro costs approximately $160 to $200 round-trip versus approximately $8.62 on Markets.xyz. That is roughly 23 times cheaper per trade at current rates.
Does Markets.xyz have copy trading like eToro?
Markets.xyz does not currently offer copy trading in the same way eToro's CopyTrader feature works. Markets.xyz does have a leaderboard and social feed in the mobile app where you can see what top traders are doing, but the platform is designed for independent trading rather than automated copying. If copy trading is a core part of your strategy, eToro is the better fit.
Is Markets.xyz safe to use?
Markets.xyz operates on Hyperliquid's blockchain infrastructure, which provides full on-chain transparency, near-instant settlement, and non-custodial fund management. Your funds are held in your own wallet, not by Markets.xyz. There is no regulatory insurance scheme as with eToro, but there is also no counterparty risk from the platform holding your capital. The safety profile is different from, not lesser than, a regulated custodial platform. Both carry risk; the nature of that risk differs.
Can I trade on weekends on eToro?
Crypto on eToro is available on weekends, but most stock CFDs and other instruments are closed. If you hold a stock CFD position over a weekend, eToro charges a triple overnight fee to cover the Friday-to-Monday period. Markets.xyz trades all assets 24/7 with no weekend surcharges and no product restrictions based on day of the week.
Does Markets.xyz require ID verification or KYC?
No. Markets.xyz is non-custodial and requires no KYC or identity verification. You connect a Web3 wallet and begin trading immediately. eToro requires full KYC verification including photo ID and proof of address, which typically takes 1 to 2 business days before you can trade with real money.
What countries can use Markets.xyz?
Markets.xyz is available to traders in 180+ countries. The platform is not available to users based in the USA, UK, or Ontario, Canada due to regulatory considerations. eToro operates in 75+ countries but is restricted in some regions and applies different product rules depending on local regulations.
Conclusion
eToro built its reputation on making trading accessible to everyday investors, and for a large category of users, particularly beginners, long-term equity investors, and those who value copy trading, it remains a solid platform. The regulatory protection, real share ownership, and social features are genuine advantages that not every trader needs to give up.
But for active traders, the picture looks very different. eToro's 1 to 2% crypto spread, weekend overnight fee multipliers, custodial fund holding, and traditional market hours create a cost and access structure that is fundamentally misaligned with how modern global trading actually works.
Markets.xyz was built on a different premise: that markets should never close, that your funds should always be yours, and that the fees charged for access to global markets should reflect the actual cost of execution, not the revenue needs of a centralized intermediary.
For the trader who is tired of watching price action move on Saturday while their platform is closed, tired of losing 1 to 2% per crypto trade before the market has even moved, and tired of trusting a corporation with capital they could control themselves, Markets.xyz is not just an alternative. It's the upgrade.
Make the switch. the market is open right now. No KYC. No custody risk. No closing time. Markets.xyz is built for traders who are done waiting. Start trading on markets.xyz.
