Both Puprime and EC Markets feature a documented premium-account pricing trap in this series’s research — but the two brokers’ overall structures differ in ways worth understanding before choosing between them.
Licensing: EC Markets holds a currently accessible Tier-1 entity
Puprime‘s ASIC entity has stopped accepting new clients entirely, per our overview article. EC Markets holds both FCA and ASIC licensing that remain open to eligible new clients, per its own overview — a meaningful structural advantage for EC Markets, even though most non-UK, non-Australian clients at either broker still land under an offshore entity by default.
The premium-account trap: EC Markets’ version is more severe
Puprime’s ECN account requires $10,000 versus Prime’s $1,000 — a 10x gap, at least partially explained by ECN’s genuinely lower commission ($1.50/lot vs $3.50/lot). EC Markets’ PRO account requires $5,000 versus its ECN account’s $10 — a 500x gap with no documented cost advantage at all, per our EC Markets pricing-trap article. Puprime’s version of this issue is real but less extreme.
Account structure and cost at the entry level
EC Markets’ Standard and ECN accounts share a $10 minimum deposit, making its entry point far more accessible than Puprime’s, where even Cent requires $20. For a trader prioritizing lowest possible entry cost, EC Markets has a clear edge.
Platform infrastructure
EC Markets runs 19 MT4 servers and 4 MT5 servers, suggesting deeper infrastructure investment, per our overview. Both brokers fully support MT4 and MT5 across all account types without platform fragmentation.
Which one fits which trader?
Given EC Markets’ currently-open dual Tier-1 licensing, lower entry cost, and less severe premium-account trap, it holds a meaningful edge for most traders comparing the two directly — provided you avoid its own PRO account and stick to ECN or Standard.
A subtle point in Puprime’s favor: the IBT fee reimbursement
Puprime reimburses the first international bank transfer withdrawal fee each month, covered in our Puprime fees article — a small but genuine cost-saving feature not documented at EC Markets in the same way. This is a minor factor, but worth knowing if bank transfer is your primary withdrawal method.
A practical way to decide instead of guessing
Given EC Markets’ ECN account only requires a $10 deposit, testing it costs almost nothing before deciding whether its stronger licensing and lower entry cost outweigh any specific advantage Puprime might offer for your situation.
Frequently asked questions
Is Puprime worth choosing over EC Markets for any specific reason? Possibly if a specific feature or promotion at Puprime suits your needs better, but on pure structural comparison, EC Markets holds the stronger position here.
Should you avoid both brokers’ premium accounts entirely? Not necessarily avoid, but definitely verify — neither PRO nor ECN’s premium tier should be chosen without running the specific break-even math covered in each broker’s own comparison article.
Does EC Markets’ stronger licensing mean it’s risk-free? No — it means stronger regulatory backing where applicable, not the elimination of trading risk itself.
Want to compare Puprime‘s account options directly? Prime offers a more reasonable value ratio than its own ECN tier.
Puprime currently has a welcome offer for new accounts for a limited time — terms may change, check directly when you register.
Forex and CFD trading involves leverage and carries a high risk of capital loss regardless of which broker you choose. This is not investment advice. Learn more at FXM680’s Forex Academy.