We may earn a commission if you open an account or buy a challenge through links on this page. Commissions never change our scores. How we make money

GBM vs Lightyear: fees, markets and protection

Facts for both companies from their official pages; each was checked on the date shown in its review.

Facts verified on October 18, 2026

Key differences

Only GBM lists Mexican Stock Exchange (BMV).
Only Lightyear lists Euronext, London Stock Exchange, and Xetra (Deutsche Börse).
Only GBM is licensed by CNBV.
Only Lightyear is licensed by EFSA and FCA.
Only GBM supports SPEI for deposits and withdrawals.
Only Lightyear supports Bank transfer for deposits and withdrawals.

Criterion	GBM	Lightyear
Rating	4.6/5 on other platforms 17.4K ratings	4.6/5 on other platforms 5.5K ratings
Regulators	CNBV	EFSA, FCA
Minimum deposit	MX$100	—
Markets	Mexican Stock Exchange (BMV), US exchanges (NYSE, Nasdaq)	US exchanges (NYSE, Nasdaq), Euronext, London Stock Exchange, Xetra (Deutsche Börse)
Products	stocks, ETFs, fractional shares, bonds, funds	stocks, ETFs, fractional shares, bonds, funds
US stock or ETF order	0.25% of the order	0.1% of the order, minimum $0.10, maximum $1
Deposits and withdrawals	SPEI	Bank transfer, Visa / Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay
Founded	1985	—
Headquarters	Mexico	—
Currency conversion fee	—	0.35%
Investor protection	—	Estonian Investor Protection Sectoral Fund, SIPC (US securities held with Alpaca)
Available only in	—	Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark +20
	Read review	Read review

Which regulators license GBM and Lightyear?

GBM is licensed by CNBV; Lightyear by EFSA and FCA.