City Index Review 2026: Spread Betting, CFDs & StoneX Trading

Quick Verdict: City Index Earns 8.8/10

City Index earns 8.8/10 for its established combination of spread betting, index and forex CFDs, broad market coverage and a choice of TradingView, MT4 and proprietary platforms. The former UK service continues as StoneX Trading.

What appeals to me is the way these features work together: wide index/forex coverage, a dedicated spread-betting route and useful charting choices. For eligible UK clients, StoneX Financial Ltd (FCA 446717) provides the account. Other StoneX brands, notably FOREX.com, serve different markets under different terms.

The trade-off is straightforward: it does not offer the same raw-spread/cTrader specialism as some active forex brokers. I would compare real dealing spreads, share-CFD commissions and financing on the instruments I trade, rather than choosing from a headline minimum spread.

City Index At A Glance — Now StoneX Trading

Why City Index Scores 8.8/10

City Index’s 8.8/10 reflects how well its broad index and forex offering, spread betting and platform choices fit together. I particularly value the combination of WebTrader and TradingView, with MT4 available for traders who prefer it. The mark is held back by the absence of cTrader/MT5 in the UK retail line-up and the need to weigh spread-based costs against the commission-based accounts offered elsewhere.

Where City Index Fits In The GradTraders Broker Bank

City Index built its reputation around financial spread betting, forex, indices and CFDs. Under StoneX Trading, the former UK service still offers that combination, including TradingView, its own WebTrader and MT4. I see its strongest appeal as an established all-round spread-betting and index-trading setup, rather than a specialist raw-spread or exchange-investment broker.

My view: if I wanted broad index and forex trading with a spread-betting option, City Index’s continuing StoneX Trading service would warrant a serious look. If my priority were raw-spread automation or owning investments on an exchange, I’d compare a broker built specifically for that job. These differences are developed in our platform, costs and market-coverage comparisons.

What Happened To City Index?

City Index was an established UK financial spread-betting and CFD brand acquired by StoneX Group when it bought GAIN Capital in 2020. The UK broker was already operated through StoneX Financial Ltd, FCA reference 446717.

On 9 September 2026, StoneX announced that City Index UK would relaunch as StoneX Trading, with the legacy UK brand retiring on 12 September 2026. The group explicitly said existing customers would keep their accounts, platforms and support arrangements; new account openings would be through StoneX Trading. This is a brand change to the existing UK offering, not evidence of an independently established replacement broker with a wholly new trading record.

For someone arriving here after searching for City Index, the relevant current UK trading website is StoneX Trading. The FCA-supervised provider remains StoneX Financial Ltd. Read the 9 September 2026 StoneX announcement for the first-party explanation.

Web Trader, Mobile, TradingView And MT4

StoneX Trading continues City Index’s practical four-platform setup: proprietary WebTrader, mobile apps, a TradingView broker integration and MetaTrader 4. Official UK StoneX product pages still list these routes after the 12 September 2026 rebrand.

WebTrader remains the main browser-based route, supporting charting, watchlists, research and Performance Analytics. Its mobile apps offer a more portable trading interface. Exact analytics and market tools may differ with the product or platform.

TradingView is valuable for chart-first traders who want to place supported CFD or spread-bet orders from their charts. MT4 serves established Expert Advisor and forex workflows but uses its own account route and narrower instrument catalogue.

City Index Is Now StoneX Trading On TradingView

TradingView confirmed on 1 October 2026 that its City Index broker partner is now named StoneX Trading in the TradingView trading panel. Eligible customers should select StoneX Trading, sign in and check the products available to their account.

The integration allows supported forex, CFDs and eligible UK financial spread bets through TradingView charts. Custom indicators, drawing tools, alerts and strategy analysis remain TradingView features; which markets can actually be traded depends on the connected StoneX account.

The underlying UK broker is StoneX Financial Ltd (FCA 446717), not TradingView. StoneX determines available products, margins, trading costs and execution conditions; the charts do not change a client’s legal account.

MetaTrader 4: The StoneX Trading Account Route

StoneX Trading continues to offer MetaTrader 4 for forex and CFD traders who rely on Expert Advisors, custom indicators and established automation workflows.

The MT4 account is separate from StoneX Trading’s WebTrader-based account. Platform-specific credentials, access and instrument availability should therefore be verified before depositing or migrating an existing setup.

StoneX’s current UK platform menu confirms MT4 for forex, commodities and indices. Older City Index documentation described a wider currency list and different minimum-funding terms, but traders should use the live StoneX account application for current funding rules and product availability.

The current UK StoneX Trading retail platform range does not advertise native MT5 or cTrader. Anyone depending on those systems should compare brokers that explicitly support them for the required entity and product.

StoneX Trading Costs: What A City Index Trader Pays

StoneX Trading’s UK retail model largely prices forex, indices and commodities through the spread, while share CFDs have separate commission. This is one reason City Index’s 8.8/10 assessment rewards broad practical access rather than treating it as a raw-spread specialist.

Pricing distinction: This table gives examples from StoneX Trading’s current UK CFD cost schedule and trading-cost guidance. They are not globally guaranteed spreads or live executable quotes. For spread betting, compare the specific market’s bet size, spread, applicable financing and tax treatment. Futures-style spread bets or CFDs have expiry and pricing structures that differ from cash contracts.

Markets And Product Coverage

StoneX Trading advertises more than 13,500 markets on its current UK retail site, continuing the breadth long associated with City Index. Forex, indices, shares, commodities, bonds and other leveraged instruments are covered through relevant account types.

Eligible UK spread bettors can access more than 8,500 advertised markets. TradingView and MT4 do not necessarily show the full WebTrader product list, and these UK counts should not be carried over to Australian or US FOREX.com accounts.

These are principally leveraged derivatives. A share CFD or index spread bet is not direct ownership of a listed share or a futures contract, and it can produce rapid losses.

City Index For Forex And Index Trading

Forex and indices are central to City Index. The broker advertises 84 FX pairs with 24-hour weekday access and more than 40 global indices.

Several major indices—including UK 100, Wall Street, US Tech 100 and Germany 40—have extended or near-continuous weekday trading, subject to scheduled breaks.

Cash indices generally offer tighter spreads for shorter-term trading but can attract overnight financing. Futures contracts have wider spreads, fixed expiries and no separate overnight financing charge because the cost is reflected in the price.

City Index is therefore a credible option for UK index traders, though Pepperstone may be stronger for cTrader and broader platform flexibility, while IG and CMC Markets provide deeper proprietary ecosystems.

Funding, Withdrawals, Demo Accounts And Support

StoneX Trading’s UK account is the current route for new clients, with funding methods and verification handled under the StoneX account agreement. Historic City Index customers were told their existing accounts and support would continue through the rebrand. The broker should not be chosen from a nominal minimum deposit alone because required margin and prudent risk capital determine whether an account is usable.

Avoid relying on an old City Index deposit minimum or inferring a universal amount from third-party pages. The current application, margin requirement and payment method determine what a new StoneX Trading account needs. Withdrawal timing depends on verification and the receiving bank.

StoneX Trading advertises demo account access and an MT4 route. Verify the current demo duration and virtual balance on the new site rather than assuming the historical City Index terms still apply.

The group announced that existing UK customer support services continued through the brand transition. Published contact hours do not prove response speed or resolution quality, and GradTraders has not run its own live deposits or withdrawals here.

FCA Regulation And UK Client Protection

The UK service formerly branded City Index now operates as StoneX Trading. The relevant provider is still StoneX Financial Ltd, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under reference number 446717.

Eligible UK retail CFD/spread-betting clients are subject to applicable UK leverage restrictions, margin close-out and negative-balance rules, as well as FCA client-money requirements. These protections depend on the account and client classification.

Eligible UK account holders may have access to the Financial Ombudsman Service and qualifying investment compensation through the FSCS under applicable failure conditions. That is not compensation for market losses. StoneX Financial Ltd’s FCA registration should be checked directly before depositing.

Professional clients can lose retail protections in exchange for different account conditions. The account classification and contracting entity should be checked before trading.

City Index, StoneX Trading And FOREX.com: Which Brand Serves You?

StoneX Group is a Nasdaq-listed financial-services group that acquired GAIN Capital in 2020. City Index and FOREX.com both came into StoneX through that acquisition, but the group’s retail brands have since been consolidated differently by country.

The UK City Index brand retired in September 2026, and new UK customers now open accounts with StoneX Trading. In Australia, the former City Index service moved to FOREX.com AU, whose current official site explicitly identifies the previous City Index business. FOREX.com also operates separate services elsewhere, including the United States, under locally applicable regulatory arrangements.

These changes are not a worldwide guarantee of identical account terms. A UK StoneX Trading spread bet is not the same account or product as an Australian FOREX.com CFD or a US FOREX.com forex product. Check your actual region, legal provider, accepted instruments and signed account terms.

City Index Spread Betting Continues Under StoneX Trading

StoneX Trading currently advertises financial spread betting across more than 8,500 markets for eligible UK clients, continuing the former City Index product. Spread bets use a cash stake per point rather than a CFD quantity.

Under current UK rules, spread-betting profits are generally exempt from capital gains tax and stamp duty for individuals, but tax treatment depends on personal circumstances and can change. This is not tax advice.

Eligible UK clients can spread bet through supported StoneX Trading platforms, including TradingView’s broker integration now branded StoneX Trading. Check exact markets, margins and product permissions.

The tax structure does not reduce market risk. Spread betting is leveraged, losses can occur quickly and overnight financing can materially affect longer-held cash positions.

Who Is The City Index Trading Proposition Best For?

GradTraders Best Native Platform Choice: Plus500

City Index / StoneX Trading Pros And Cons

My View On City Index And StoneX Trading

City Index’s attraction for me has always been the combination of index trading, spread betting and a broad range of markets. Being able to move between its own web platform and TradingView is appealing, and MT4 gives forex traders another familiar route. It’s a practical combination, particularly for someone who trades several markets rather than spending the entire day on one currency pair.

I would pay close attention to costs before opening an account. The spread on an index, the cost of holding it overnight and any share-CFD commission matter more to me than a promotional minimum spread. I’d also compare the platform against what I actually need. If I wanted cTrader, MT5 or a raw-commission account for an automated strategy, other brokers would be higher on my list.

The StoneX change is worth understanding, but it doesn’t erase the qualities that made City Index an established name. The UK offering continues as StoneX Trading, while the old Australian City Index operation now sits under FOREX.com. I would compare those as distinct regional services within the same wider group, not assume that the name gives every customer identical trading conditions.

Final Verdict: City Index / StoneX Trading Earns 8.8/10

City Index earns 8.8/10 because its broad index/forex offering, spread betting and flexible trading platforms make a convincing combination. It is the balance of these strengths—not simply a large market count—that stands out to me.

StoneX Trading continues the UK service, including WebTrader, TradingView and MT4. Financial spread betting remains available for eligible UK customers; the group also operates international retail services under FOREX.com, with different account terms and regulated companies.

Where I see room for improvement is in account flexibility for highly specialised traders. There is no advertised cTrader or MT5 UK retail route, and active traders need to compare spreads, financing and share-CFD commissions carefully.

GradTraders verdict: I would shortlist the continuing City Index proposition for eligible traders who want spread betting, index/forex CFDs and a genuine choice of charting platforms. New UK applications go through StoneX Trading. Overseas readers should check the appropriate FOREX.com or other locally available StoneX service rather than assume the UK products are available in their country.