Pepperstone vs AxiTrader

Looking for a Forex broker based in Australia? There are many options, and this article will compare the merits of two of the country’s titans, Pepperstone and AxiTrader. Pepperstone was founded in 2010 and quickly grew into a market leader with a razor focus on automated trading solutions. This broker continues to grow through a noted scale of a fintech company and the agility of a startup. AxiTrader has been operational since 2007, and while it has some minor regulatory issues and discrepancies, it provides traders with a solid overall trading environment. This broker shines with auxiliary services like Autochartist MT4 Plugin, VPS hosting, and PsyQuation Premium.

This comparison will focus on the following four aspects plus an ultimate verdict:

• Features and Platforms
• Available Markets
• Typical Spreads and Fees
• Security and Trust
• Pepperstone vs AxiTrader - Verdict

Feature	Pepperstone (visit site)	AxiTrader (visit site)
Headquarter:	Australia	Australia
Regulation:	ASIC, FCA	ASIC, FCA, FSA
Type of Broker:	ECN	Market Maker
U.S. Clients Allowed:
Minimum Deposit:	None, $500 recommended	None
Maximum Leverage:	1:500	1:500
Commissions / Spreads:	Spreads, commissions	Spreads, commissions
Account 1:	Standard	Standard
Account 2:	Razor	Pro
Demo Account:
Islamic Account:
Segregated Account:
Managed Accounts:
Institutional Accounts:
Website Languages:	English Chinese	English Chinese +7
Support Hours:	24/5	24/5
E-mail Support:
SMS Support:
Chat:
Broker Offers:	See what Pepperstone offers	See what AxiTrader offers

Features and Platforms

Pepperstone

Pepperstone traders have access to over 150 assets across five categories from the MT4, MT5, and cTrader trading platforms. Pepperstone has established itself as a premier choice for automated trading solutions. Retail traders are treated to professionals trading and risk management tools through the Smart Trader Tools upgrade, which consists of 28 plugins for the MT4/MT5 trading platforms. cTrader Automate allows for the development of automated trading solutions. Pepperstone additionally supports social trading through partnerships with Myfxbook, ZuluTrade, Mirror Trader, MetaTrader Signals, and DupliTrade.

Manual trading is not forgotten, and an in-house duo of professional traders provides research to clients. This service is further enhanced through partnerships with BK Forex, FX Evolution, and Autochartist. A sound educational course provides new traders with an attractive entry into financial markets. Complementing a great trading environment is the premium client service and an Active Trader Program, which are both based on trading volume.

AxiTrader

As compared to Pepperstone which offers an impressive suite of platform options and MetaTrader plugins, AxiTrader only provides the MT4 trading platform, without any of the required third-party plugins necessary to unlock the full potential of the most popular trading platform in the retail sector. AxiTrader does support the MT4 Multi-Account Manager (MAM). While the bare minimum is provided when it comes to market access, PsyQuation Premium is free of charge for all AxiTrader clients who maintain a minimum balance of $500 and trade one standard lot per month. One of the prime features is the AI-guided analysis of a trader’s daily performance.

Trading signals, comprehensive forecasting, and quantitative analytics are provided via PsyQuation Premium. In-house commentary is provided in the market analysis section, while educational content is acceptable. Autochartist is a market scanner that can identify chart patterns and trading opportunities in real-time while delivering market reports three times per day. Automated traders will find the offer of four VPS providers appealing, which can be obtained free of charge of twenty standard lots are trader per month.

Available Markets

Forex traders have sixty-one currency pairs to choose from at Pepperstone. This is supplemented with fifteen commodity CFDs, fifteen index CFDs, and sixty-four equity CFDs. Unfortunately, only five cryptocurrency pairs are offered. The asset selection is sufficient for retail traders, but more advanced portfolios will likely want a wider choice. AxiTrader offers more currency pairs with eighty and features a more comprehensive commodity selection. Equity CFDs remain limited with only thirty-one names, while the cryptocurrency offering is scarce with just six.

Typical Spreads and Fees

Pepperstone deploys an ECN execution model, which is evident in its Razor Account, where the average spread clocks in at 0.13 pips for a commission of seven units of the base currency. This produces one of the most competitive trading environments in the Forex market. The Standard Account carries an average spread of 1.13 pips but remains commission-free. AxiTrader sustains an equally competitive trading environment in its MT4 Pro Account, where the average spread is 0.10 pips for a $7 commission. The MT4 Standard Account is listed with a spread of 1.0 pips with no commission charges. AxiTrader is a market maker and profits directly from client losses.

Both brokers apply swap rates on leveraged overnight positions, but clients may request a swap-free Islamic account at Pepperstone. Traders may obtain the exact swap rates from inside the trading platforms. Corporate actions like dividends, stock splits, and mergers apply to equity and index CFDs and are passed onto traders. Pepperstone applies withdrawal fees solely to bank wires, and third-party fees are levied at both brokers. Pepperstone and AxiTrader have both created an excellent, cost-effective trading environment. Due to the Active Trader Program at Pepperstone, the net costs are slightly more competitive as compared to AxiTrader.