1, different risks: the risk of forward trading exceeds that of futures trading;

2. Different delivery methods: futures trading will not adopt product delivery, and forward trading is mainly product delivery;

3. The margin system is different: the margin is paid according to the prescribed proportion for futures trading and a certain margin for forward trading, but there is no uniform proportion;

4. Different trading places: futures trading has a fixed place and is traded on the exchange, while forward trading has no fixed place and is traded over the counter;

5. Different contract standards: Futures contracts are standardized contracts, and contracts have unified requirements for everything except price. Forward transaction is a non-standardized contract, and the transaction matters are agreed by both parties.

The similarity between futures trading and forward contract trading lies in that both futures contracts and forward contracts agree to buy and sell a certain amount of certain subject matter at a certain time in the future according to the agreed conditions.

Futures trading and forward trading are similar in that they can be operated in both directions, that is, they can buy bullish or sell bearish, that is, the effective trading opportunities increase, that is, they can make maximum use of funds and maximize wealth.