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Our team of experts work to continually re-evaluate the reviews and information we provide on all the top Forex / CFD brokerages featured here. Our research focuses heavily on the broker’s custody of client deposits and the breadth of its client offering. Safety is evaluated by quality and length of the broker's track record, plus the scope of regulatory standing. Major factors in determining the quality of a broker’s offer include the cost of trading, the range of instruments available to trade, and general ease of use regarding execution and market information.
Huzefa Hamid
With many hundreds of Forex / CFD brokers to choose from globally, finding the right broker for you can seem an impossible challenge. That’s why we at DailyForex keep our team of industry analysts at work, to make choosing the best broker easier for you.
The ratings shown on DailyForex.com are determined by hours of research from our editorial team into over 10 factors, including account fees, deposit/withdrawal options, regulatory status, tradable assets, and more.
The ratings shown on DailyForex.com are determined by hours of research from our editorial team into over 10 factors, including account fees, deposit/withdrawal options, regulatory status, tradable assets, and more.
The ratings shown on DailyForex.com are determined by hours of research from our editorial team into over 10 factors, including account fees, deposit/withdrawal options, regulatory status, tradable assets, and more.
Capitalise AI for code-fee automation of trading strategies & Cryptocrusher
Low trading fees & swap rates on leveraged overnight positions
The ratings shown on DailyForex.com are determined by hours of research from our editorial team into over 10 factors, including account fees, deposit/withdrawal options, regulatory status, tradable assets, and more.
Compliant with nine regulators & a spotless operational history
Balanced asset selection, including options & Ava Social/DupliTrade for copy traders
The ratings shown on DailyForex.com are determined by hours of research from our editorial team into over 10 factors, including account fees, deposit/withdrawal options, regulatory status, tradable assets, and more.
The ratings shown on DailyForex.com are determined by hours of research from our editorial team into over 10 factors, including account fees, deposit/withdrawal options, regulatory status, tradable assets, and more.
Operational since 2005 & compliant with 10 regulators
1M excess of loss insurance per account underwritten by Lloyd’s of London
The ratings shown on DailyForex.com are determined by hours of research from our editorial team into over 10 factors, including account fees, deposit/withdrawal options, regulatory status, tradable assets, and more.
The ratings shown on DailyForex.com are determined by hours of research from our editorial team into over 10 factors, including account fees, deposit/withdrawal options, regulatory status, tradable assets, and more.
The ratings shown on DailyForex.com are determined by hours of research from our editorial team into over 10 factors, including account fees, deposit/withdrawal options, regulatory status, tradable assets, and more.
The ratings shown on DailyForex.com are determined by hours of research from our editorial team into over 10 factors, including account fees, deposit/withdrawal options, regulatory status, tradable assets, and more.
Best ECN execution on the MT4 platform
Excellent implementation of cTrader and Smart Trader Tools
Best all-around broker with high floating leverage and fast execution
We have made FXTM one of our top-rated brokers because in addition to its lengthy track record, it enjoys a very high level of regulation and reputation, and it offers a highly competitive fee structure which tends to keep down the cost of trading.
Pros
Excellent commission-based Forex pricing environment and transparency
Upgraded MT4/MT5 trading platforms plus proprietary mobile trading app
Quality market research and educational content for beginner traders
Proprietary copy trading platform, low minimum deposit, and high leverage
Cons
Limited choice of cryptocurrencies and commodities
fpmarkets is an ASIC-regulated Australian brokerage which launched in 2005. For most traders, the unique selling point of this broker is in the extremely wide range of tradable assets offered, providing the opportunity to trade over ten thousand individual stocks and shares including publicly quoted Hong Kong and Australian companies. Ffpmarkets also offers 60 Forex pairs and crosses, 11 equity indices, the major commodities, and 5 cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin. fpmarkets offers an unusual hybrid ECN/STP execution model, meaning their clients can choose between ECN style of execution giving a very high level of speed, and a “straight through processing” execution style which allows for more “natural” spreads.
Pros
Choice of trading platforms and auxiliary trading tools
Very competitive cost structure and excellent asset selection
Low minimum deposit requirement and leverage of up to 1:500
Highly regulated, choice of fixed or floating spreads
AvaTrade is one of the largest Forex / CFD brokers and well-known for offering their clients a choice of fixed or floating spreads. They have a very high and strong level of regulation. AvaTrade is directly regulated in Ireland (and by extension, the European Union), Australia, Japan, South Africa, and the British Virgin Islands. Outside the European Union, Ava offers maximum leverage on Forex currency pairs as high as 400 to 1. AvaTrade offers trading in over 55 different Forex currency pairs, 17 commodities, 20 equity indices, 14 cryptocurrencies, plus 66 individual stocks and shares. 2 bonds and 6 ETFs are also on the menu.
Pros
High-quality educational offering via SharpTrader
Excellent choice of trading platforms catering to various trading needs
Broad asset selection and cross-asset diversification opportunities
Well-regulated and trusted broker with oversight from a central bank
Best ECN trading environment, with scalping and hedging
BlackBull Markets was founded in 2014 in New Zealand. Like many antipodean Forex brokers, BlackBull Markets is an ECN broker, offering raw spreads and commissions. They are regulated in New Zealand by the Financial Services Providers Register (FSPR) and offer a maximum leverage on some Forex currency pairs as high as 500 to 1. In addition to their global headquarters in New Zealand, BlackBull Markets also has presences in the form of branch offices in New York and Malaysia. BlackBull Markets offers a relatively tight range of tradable assets: 27 Forex currency pairs and crosses, gold, silver, crude oil, natural gas, and 6 major equity indices. That should be sufficient for those traders with more focused strategies not requiring wide diversification.
Pros
ECN/NDD execution model with deep liquidity
Institution-grade pricing for retail traders via proprietary price aggregation
MultiBankFX complies with 10 regulators and operates offices in 20 countries, ensuring clients have an unmatched global network with deep liquidity pools across major financial centers and in core emerging markets. Traders get the MT4/MT5 trading platforms, which fully support algorithmic trading, and a proprietary copy trading service. The asset selection consists of 55+ currency pairs and 20,000+ equity CFDs and ETFs, while cryptocurrency traders get eleven highly liquid coins. MAM/PAMM accounts cater to traditional retail account management, VPS hosting to algorithmic traders, and FIX API trading to advanced trading requirements featuring custom solutions. A high-paying partnership program also exists.
Plus500 is an Australian company founded in 2008, with main offices located in Sydney. The company’s sophisticated trading platform features over 2000 instruments, and allows clients to trade on movements in the price of shares, indices, forex, commodities, cryptocurrencies, ETFs and options without having to buy or sell the underlying instrument. For the Australian market, Plus500 is licensed to offer CFDs through ASIC (AFSL #417727), and through the FMA (FSP #486026), for licensed CFDs in New Zealand. Plus500 trading services are also available in South Africa (Authorised Financial Services Provider #47546). Plus500 Ltd is listed on the London Stock Exchange’s Main Market for Listed Companies, with de facto headquarters located in Haifa, Israel. In its original form, the Plus500 trading platform was only available to PC users. However, in 2010, Plus500 launched a new web-based trading platform update, which allowed clients to trade using Windows PC, Mac, Linux, as well as most smartphones operating on either iOS or Android. Since its launch in 2008, Plus500 has placed considerable emphasis on its technological development through continuous innovation to obtain a technological edge in the market. In 2021, Plus500 opened a new R&D centre in Tel Aviv, Israel, aimed at increasing its scope, particularly in mobile trading technologies. Plus500AU Pty Ltd holds all client money in a segregated trust account, and offers users the option of a demo account for trial purposes.
A commission-free broker with a proprietary copy trading service.
Founded in 2011, OctaFX is a “Straight Through Processing” (STP) broker, which means they do not have an internal dealing desk. They simply connect buyers and sellers directly. With this model, OctaFX aims to be more cost-effective than anyone else in the market. They offer low spreads and claim 97.5% of trades are executed without slippage.
OctaFX offers their clients a choice of three Forex trading platforms: the world’s most popular MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5). All of these can be traded as a desktop application, and on Android and iOS devices.
OctaFX is an unregulated broker but continues to earn the trust of traders around the globe, with more than 1,500,000 accounts opened. One reason for the ongoing success of this market maker is appealing bonus campaigns. This broker paid out almost $3,000,000 in bonus funds. OctaFX offers traders the MT4 and MT5 platforms, and a proprietary mobile trading platform. OctaFX additionally grants their clients Autochartist, but traders require a Silver Level in the Status Program. Traders have a choice between fixed and floating spreads, and the overall cost structure remains competitive.
Asset selection remains the distinct weakness at OctaFX, making it most suitable for new retail traders. A series of short educational articles offers a basic Forex introduction, and this broker maintains an excellent arsenal of research and analytics tools.
OctaFX Pros & Cons
Pros
Well-regulated globally, with the Bank of Ireland as the primary regulator
Low minimum deposit and in-depth educational tools
Best broker for social traders and crypto traders : 78% of retail CFD accounts lose money
eToro was founded in the early days of the online retail Forex era, in 2007 – this broker occupies a unique space as the king of social and copy trading. eToro has a long track record and unique reputation to protect, although this image is more focused on its copy trading model than on any other individual feature, except maybe its special relationship with cryptocurrencies.eToro is regulated in Cyprus, the U.K., Australia, and the United States although its U.S. offering is firmly differentiated from its offering to the rest of the world. eToro is a leading cryptocurrencies CFD broker. Following its 2019 acquisition of Danish blockchain company Firmo and Belgian crypto portfolio tracker application Delta, it released its cryptocurrency wallet for mobile devices.
Pros
Active investment community ideal for social trading
Dedicated tools for social trading
Broad cryptocurrency selection
Expanding educational offering for beginner traders
Cons
Internal withdrawal fees
Low retail leverage and higher minimum deposits, but within a reasonable range
Pepperstone, founded in 2010 and headquartered and regulated in Australia, the U.K., and Dubai, is probably the most well-known ECN Forex broker in the world. As an ECN broker, Pepperstone offer raw spreads and low commissions. Taken together, Pepperstone’s “Razor” account offers one of the most competitive costs of trading in Forex that you will find anywhere. In addition to their global headquarters in Australia, Pepperstone also have presences in London, England, where they enjoy full regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and in Dubai, where they are regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA).
Pros
Excellent choice of trading platforms consisting of MT4/MT5, and cTrader
Market-leading MT4/MT5 upgrade package, Autochartist, and API trading
Social trading support via Myfxbook, MetaTrader Signals, and DupliTrade
Making a deposit at a Forex / CFD broker is something you should take seriously.
Your first step in seeking the best Forex brokers is to restrict your shortlist to include only the brokers you feel comfortable trusting as a custodian of your money. Ideally, you should only be looking at regulated Forex brokers, and it is advisable to consider the stronger financial centers such as brokers regulated in the U.S.A.., brokers regulated in Cyprus or brokers regulated in the U.K . Consider also whether you would be in a stronger position choosing a Forex broker regulated in the same country in which you live.
Your second priority should be determining whether a broker gives value for money to its customers in return for the services it provides.
Below is a list of the factors worth using to assess any Forex broker.
Broker Regulation & Reputation - A quick google search can determine if a broker has ever been fined by their regulator for a breach of rules, and which rules were breached. Are they a public company? Does their financial position look healthy? Have they been in business a long time?
Minimum Deposit – Most brokers require minimum deposits to open a real money account, usually at affordable amounts. Some brokers ask for higher minimum deposits for their accounts with the best trading conditions. Typically, the more you can deposit up to $10,000, the better the trading conditions (including fees) you will be able to access.
Fees - The most important fees charged by brokers are spreads and commissions applied to every trade you make, but there are other, more hidden fees as well, such as swaps (overnight financing) inactivity fees, and withdrawal fees.
Trading Conditions - A good Forex broker should offer consistently good liquidity and smooth execution without requotes or slippage, which are the mainstays of smooth trading conditions.
Choice of Markets - Will you be able to trade everything you want? If you are only interested in the major Forex currency pairs, that will be easy, but if you really want to trade individual stocks and shares, or the less common commodity offerings, you will find that not all brokers offer them, although most offer some of them wrapped as CFDs.
Does the Broker Suit My Trading Style? - Some brokers offer better conditions for longer-term traders than short-term traders, or vice versa. This is because short-term traders will pay nearly all their trading costs in spreads, while longer-term traders will likely pay more in overnight financing fees (also known as swaps).
Suitable Account Types – Traders with smaller deposits may want a micro account, where position sizes as low as 0.01 lots (1 micro-lot) can be traded.
Ease of Deposits and Withdrawals - A broker that will not speedily send you funds which you have requested and are in your account, raises a big red flag, and is to be avoided at all costs.
Execution Method - Forex brokers typically advertise themselves as one of the following:ECN brokers, STP brokers, or market-makers. Some brokers claim they are a hybrid of two of these. Some traders are very keen to deposit with ECN brokers because they think the cost of trading will be less or that this model makes the broker more honest somehow. The truth is more complicated: each execution method has both potential advantages and disadvantages.
Choice of Trading Platforms - The best Forex trading platforms are widely held to be MetaTrader 4 and cTrader, although many brokers have their own unique proprietary platforms that are arguably as good. MetaTrader 5 is usually seen as acceptable and eay to use too.
Demo Account – Almost all brokers offer one, and any broker which does not should be questioned.
Maximum Leverage – If you want higher leverage than 30:1 on Forex currency pairs, you will need to find a broker regulated somewhere that allows a higher maximum leverage.
Order execution types - There are two especially worth checking which can be especially useful for some trading styles: trailing stop, and OCO (“one order cancels the other”).
Best Forex Trading Platform Comparison
MT4
MT5
cTrader
Ninja Trader
eSignal
Pro RealTime
Trading Station
Automated Trading
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Advanced Charts
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
One-Click Trading
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Technical Analysis
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Fundamental Analysis
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
User-Friendly Interface
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Trading Alerts
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
Broker Availability
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
Beginner Friendly
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
Demo Version
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
Desktop Client
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Mobile Application
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
ZuluTrade
FXTrader
Plus500
xStation
LCG Trader
JForex
Automated Trading
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
Advanced Charts
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
One-Click Trading
No
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
Technical Analysis
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Fundamental Analysis
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
User-Friendly Interface
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Trading Alerts
Yes
No
Yes
No
No
No
Broker Availability
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
Beginner Friendly
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Demo Version
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Desktop Client
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Mobile Application
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
What is Forex Regulation?
Forex regulationis a set of rules by an authority with enforcement powers that ensures Forex / CFD brokers treat customers fairly.
Forex regulation also enables the financial health and stability of the system and provides a mechanism for dispute resolution. In some cases, an investor compensation fund in case of bankruptcy by a broker exists.
Not all regulators grant equal protection and enforcement.
I highly recommend that traders always trade with one of the thousands of regulated Forex brokers. While it cannot guarantee against fraud and malpractice, as well-documented cases in the US and Cyprus have shown, regulationoffers a layer of protection and security that can benefit traders.
When a regulator finds a Forex broker guilty of treating clients unfairly, the broker is often fined, and the fine becomes public knowledge. So, it is a good idea to make a google search for “regulator fines *broker name*” when you are considering making a new deposit with a broker.Some brokers have incurred fines but continue to cater to clients. It shows that an attempt to take advantage of unknown retail traders was made, but the regulator caught them.
Why Should You Choose a Regulated Broker?
Regulated Forex brokers must adhere to financial regulations and maintain a certain amount of capital reserves before receiving a license to operate.
Frequent audits ensure that client deposits and earnings reflect the accurate value, and regulated Forex brokers must segregate client funds from corporate ones.
The processing times of financial transactionsaregenerally faster and more transparent at regulated brokers.
Regulation helps ensure the protection of confidential information provided by traders during the registration process.
Regulated Forex brokers must satisfy know-your-client (KYC) and anti-money laundering (AML) stipulations, adding another layer of security.
Some regulators operate compensation fundsto help protect against any unexpected financial failure of the broker, which remains dependent on the jurisdiction.
Regulated Forex brokers are more likely to act in the best interest of clients and stay clear of manipulating prices or stop-loss hunting.
Regulators require brokers to submit trade execution and financial data and command minimum capital requirements before granting an operating license.
Scams
Unfortunately, the Forex industry has historically suffered from scammers setting up unregulated or extremely lightly regulated brokers. These scam brokers tended to use a range of tricks to make their clients lose money, or to make it very difficult for clients to withdraw any funds they deposited.
I have taken care to ensure the brokers listed do not fall into this category.
There are also various scams which unscrupulous brokers may run quietly to maximize their clients’ losses where possible. You may find a broker which is well regulated and which will return your deposit, but which quietly engages in unfair manipulation.
Best Forex BrokersTrading Platforms Review Methodology
At DailyForex, we have assembled a team of expert traders who have experience in trading their own money with retail online Forex / CFD brokers to conduct an overall assessment of what is on offer in this space. Our dedicated team examines hundreds of Forex / CFD brokers and assesses the offering and performance of each across nine key evaluation categories:
Regulation and Security: we check the broker’s claims against the regulatory registers and include detailed information such as license numbers to verify the broker’s regulatory position.
Fees
What Can I Trade?
Account Types
Trading Platforms
Unique Features
Research and Education
Customer Support
Bonuses and Promotions.
Opening an Account
Deposits and Withdrawals
We do not give these key categories equal weighting as some categories are much more important than others. Our team of expert analysts conduct reviews by opening live accounts and report a “user’s experience” as well as detailed research into the entity which is included as background within each review. Additionally, our calls are backed up by evidence which is presented within the reviews.
On average, a broker review takes about 10 hours to research, test, compile and write. Our more popular Forex brokers are completely re-reviewed approximately once every six months.We scour the news daily for any new developments which are worthy of being included in a review as an update.
FAQs
What Does a Regulated Broker Mean?
A regulated broker satisfied requirements by the supervising authority to receive an operating license. It includes financial stability, staff training, support infrastructure, risk management, and compliance.
Are Forex Brokers Regulated?
Many Forex brokers have an operating license from one or multiple regulators, but numerous brokers operate as unregulated entities, including subsidiaries, from well-known brokers.
What is the Best Forex Broker for Beginners?
The best Forex broker for beginners is one that offers not only competitive spreads and commissions, but also competitive overnight swap rates, as beginners usually find longer-term trading styles more profitable. Offering an intuitive, easy to use trading platform is also a big help to beginner traders.
Are Forex Brokers Reliable?
Some Forex brokers are reliable, and some are unreliable. The easiest and best way to tell whether a broker is reliable is to check whether they have secured regulatory approval in a major financial center with a good regulatory reputation.
What is the Best Website for Forex Trading?
Forex brokers offer trading in Forex, not Forex websites, although all brokers have websites. The best Forex broker for you will depend upon how much money you want to deposit, what you want to trade, how often you want to trade, and your overall risk tolerance. Your country of residence and citizenship can also play a role in answering this question.
How Do I Choose the Best Forex Broker for Me?
Consider what assets you want to trade, what style of trading you want to do (long or short-term), and how much money you wish to deposit. These factors are the most important considerations and applying them will enable you to create a shortlist from brokers which are well-regulated and have good reputations. You can then make your final choice on the nice-to-have factors.
What is the Minimum Deposit for Forex?
Many Forex brokers require a minimum deposit of $100 or the equivalent, but it is becoming more common to find brokers requiring only $10 or even stipulating no minimum at all. Remember though, that it is very difficult to trade safely with even a micro account unless you deposit at least $100.
What is the Best Forex Trading Platform?
The best Forex trading platforms are MetaTrader 4 (if enhanced add-ins are used) and cTrader.
How Do I Know if My Forex Broker is Regulated?
You can tell very easily whether a Forex broker is regulated, as brokers will almost always publish this information prominently on their websites, as it is good marketing to potential customers.You do not have to take a broker’s word that it is regulated by a particular regulatory authority – you can and should check the regulator’s website to ensure the broker in question is listed there as having secured their regulatory approval.
What is the Difference Between a Dealing Desk and an Agency Broker?
A dealing desk broker gives its clients a price to trade, but often makes no actual trades in the real market to cover this, or only partially covers the net trades being made by its clients. Dealing desk brokers get to keep so or all the money their clients lose.
An agency broker just matches the orders of their clients, so if one wants to sell and the other wants to buy in the same quantity, they effectively just facilitate the exchange, while taking a commission and/or a spread as their profit margin. ECN brokers are agency brokers.
How Do I Calculate Forex Trading Costs?
You can calculate your likely cost of trading with any broker by looking at their typical spread and / or commission in what you want to trade and multiply that by the quantities you typically trade. If you hold trades open overnight (past 5pm New York time), you will need to do the same with their overnight swap rates applicable, although these can change quite markedly from day to day so are difficult to calculate in advance.
What is the best trading platform for Forex?
The best trading platform for Forex for most traders is MT4, followed by cTrader and ProRealTime.
What platform do Forex traders use?
Most Forex traders use the MT4 trading platform, which is offered by almost every Forex broker, and became the cornerstone of the online Forex trading industry.
Can I trade Forex with $10?
While some brokers offer trading accounts from $10 or less, sufficient to maintain one micro position, it is not enough to trade Forex.
Is trading Forex worth it?
Forex trading is worth it if new traders approach it with the same mindset as any other demanding profession. The failure rate, as high as 85%, confirms that most do not take it seriously or have misplaced and unrealistic expectations. Misleading marketing campaigns take partial blame for it.
I’m a trader and manage my own capital. I trade the major Forex pairs, some Futures contracts, and I rely entirely on Technical Analysis to place my trades. Today, I am also a Senior Analyst for DailyForex.com.
I began trading the markets in the early 1990s, at the age of sixteen. I had a few hundred British pounds saved up (I grew up in England), with which I was able to open a small account with some help from my Dad. I started my trading journey by buying UK equities that I had read about in the business sections of newspapers. The 1990s were a bull market, so naturally, I made money.
I was fortunate enough in my early twenties to have a friend that recommended a Technical Analysis course run by a British trader who emphasized raw chart analysis without indicators. Having this first-principles approach to charts influences how I trade to this day.
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