B

Personal Capital

6.1/10

Virtual Brokers

6.4/10
5/10RegulationWinner7/10
1/10WinnerFees0/10
9/10PlatformsTied9/10
10/10Education & ResearchTied10/10
4/10Deposits & WithdrawalsTied4/10
10/10SupportTied10/10

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Overview

Personal Capital was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in USA, while Virtual Brokers was established in 2008 and is based in Canada. Personal Capital holds licences including Unregulated, while Virtual Brokers is regulated by The Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) among others. Personal Capital serves 10,000+ clients worldwide; Virtual Brokers has 10,000+. The minimum deposit is $100000 at Personal Capital and $1000 at Virtual Brokers.

Virtual Brokers wins this category
FeaturePersonal CapitalVirtual Brokers
Min. Deposit$100000$1000
RegulationUnregulatedThe Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC), Canadian Investor Protection Fund (CIPF)
Founded20082008
CountryUSACanada
Clients10,000+10,000+

Fees

Fees are a critical factor when choosing between Personal Capital and Virtual Brokers, directly affecting your bottom line as a trader. Virtual Brokers has a lower barrier to entry with a minimum deposit of $1000 (vs $100000 at Personal Capital). Virtual Brokers charges withdrawal fees while Personal Capital does not, giving Personal Capital an edge for frequent withdrawers. Virtual Brokers charges deposit fees; Personal Capital does not. Overall, Personal Capital scores higher on fees in our assessment.

Personal Capital wins this category
FeaturePersonal CapitalVirtual Brokers
Min. Deposit$100000$1000
Withdrawal FeesNoYes
Inactivity FeesNoNo
Deposit FeesNoYes
CFD FeesNoNo

Platforms

Personal Capital offers MT4, MT5, cTrader, while Virtual Brokers supports MT4, MT5, cTrader. Both brokers provide mobile trading apps for iOS and Android. Both brokers support copy or social trading, catering to less hands-on investors. The two brokers are closely matched on platform offering.

Tied
FeaturePersonal CapitalVirtual Brokers
MT4YesYes
MT5YesYes
cTraderYesYes
Windows AppYesYes
iOS AppYesYes
Android AppYesYes
Trading PlatformsDesktop,Android,Tablet,iPhoneMT4,Desktop,iPhone/iOS

Education & Research

Education and research tools help traders at every level make more informed decisions, and here's how Personal Capital and Virtual Brokers compare. Both brokers run regular live webinars. Both provide video tutorials, including advanced content. Daily market commentary is available from both brokers. Both integrate third-party research tools including Trading Central. Archived webinars are available at both brokers for self-paced learning. The two brokers are evenly matched on educational content.

Tied
FeaturePersonal CapitalVirtual Brokers
Forex EducationYesYes
CFD EducationYesYes
Weekly WebinarsYesYes
Daily CommentaryYesYes
Trading CentralYesYes
AutochartistYesYes

Deposits & Withdrawals

Convenient deposit and withdrawal options reduce friction for traders, especially important when managing positions across time zones. Personal Capital accepts 2 of the tracked payment methods (bank transfer, credit/debit card), while Virtual Brokers supports 2 (bank transfer, credit/debit card). Both brokers support the same set of payment methods.

Tied
FeaturePersonal CapitalVirtual Brokers
Bank TransferYesYes
Credit CardYesYes
PayPalNoNo
SkrillNoNo
NetellerNoNo

Support

Responsive customer support matters most when you're locked out of your account or need urgent help with a trade. Both Personal Capital and Virtual Brokers offer live chat support. Both provide phone support. Email support is available at both brokers. Both brokers offer support in 2 languages. Both brokers are comparable on support quality.

Tied
FeaturePersonal CapitalVirtual Brokers
Live ChatYesYes
Phone SupportYesYes
Email SupportYesYes
LanguagesEnglish, and ChineseEnglish, and Chinese