19 Best Forex Brokers For Beginners in 2026
| Forex Brokers | Demo account | Min trade price | Available in Ukraine |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. IQ Option | Yes | 0$ | Yes |
| 2. Alpari | Yes | 0$ | Yes |
| 3. Raceoption | Yes | 1$ | Yes |
| 4. 365 trading | Yes | 5$ | Yes |
| 5. JustForex | Yes | 0$ | Yes |
| 6. AvaTrade | Yes | 1$ | Yes |
| 7. Forex Club | Yes | 0$ | Yes |
| 8. Xm.com | Yes | 0.01$ | Yes |
| 9. Libertex | Yes | 20€ | Yes |
| 10. IG.com | Yes | 1$ | Yes |
| 11. Grand Capital | Yes | 1$ | Yes |
| 12. Trade.com | Yes | 0$ | Yes |
| 13. Forex.com | No | 0.1$ | Yes |
| 14. Easy Markets | Yes | 0.01$ | Yes |
| 15. ThinkMarkets | Yes | 1$ | Yes |
| 16. AAATrade | Yes | 0.01$ | Yes |
| 17. Saxo bank | Yes | 0.01$ | Yes |
| 18. Swissquote | Yes | 0.01$ | Yes |
| 19. LiteForex | No | 0.01$ | Yes |
I’ve experienced many forex broker scams in the past, and some still exist. In addition, the internet is full of fake information. Therefore, finding a forex broker you can trust is not always easy. Also, you may be looking for certain features before deciding on a trading platform. I’ll share knowledge with you to help beginning and experienced traders looking for a new forex broker.
In the list I will share, you’ll find several forex brokers’ best features and flaws. This information will help you save time, money, and, most important — your nerves. Unfortunately, you may be dealing with a scam broker without knowing.
The first step in trading is avoiding a bad broker who will only frustrate you in the end. That’s why I made this unbiased, informative page to get you moving in the right direction.
Also, if you’re looking for a particular feature, you’ll learn which broker has what you need. The information is straightforward, and you’ll know if a forex broker fits you in less than a minute.
But, first, read each broker’s short description and consider the pros and cons in each category.
1. IQ Option
Product Range
FX options and CFDs in currency pairs, commodities, stocks, crypto, ETFs. A total of over 300 CFD assets and FX Options.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Good range of shares published on many worldwide stock exchanges | The average currency pair offer |
| FX Options offered on forex and other assets | Uncommon trading schedule |
| Unique ability to trade during weekends (OTC assets) | Variable asset range availability |
| Good range of ETFs |
Trading Costs, Leverage, and Sizes
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Leverage up to 1:30 for currency pairs and up to 1:2 for cryptocurrencies | Dormant account fees |
| Low commissions | A few assets are only tradeable with a minimum deposit |
| OK spreads and swap costs | |
| Minimum lot size of 0.001 |
Withdrawals and Deposits
WebMoney, Skrill, Perfect Money, Netteller, Mpesa, AdvCash, VISA, and MasterCard are available.
However, not all deposit and withdrawal channels may be available in your country.
Therefore, IQ has customized some payment methods for different countries.
The platform has a minimum deposit of 20 euros and a minimum trading amount of $1.
However, if you want to try out trading, you can always start with a free demo account.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Ok range of e-wallets supported | A minimum of 100 euros withdrawal requirement for bank transfers |
| Commission-free withdrawals | May require more documents |
| Large number of payment methods available | |
| 1 business day processing time |
Customer support
24/7 customer support is available via live chat, email, and phone in multiple languages.
Reputation and Regulation
CySEC registration: IQ Option Europe Ltd., license number 247/14, IQ Option.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Fund segregation | Banned in several countries |
2. Alpari
Product Range
CFD on currency pairs, indices, commodities, and custom portfolios.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Great range of forex pairs | No cryptocurrency, individual stocks, or ETFs |
| Custom portfolios | Some asset information is outdated |
| Good range of indices |
Trading Costs, Leverage, and Sizes
Alpari offers leverage up to 1:1000 depending on account type.
Leverage can be floating or fixed. ECN-type accounts have a commission of $3 per lot traded.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Competitive floating spreads for ECN-type accounts | Average spreads for Micro and Standard Accounts |
| Great trade size variety | Variable leverage |
| Competitive commission for ECN accounts | 6-month inactivity fee of $5 |
| High leverage | |
| Cashback for trading |
Withdrawals and Deposits
Generally accepted channels are FasaPay, TC Payment, Skrill, Neteller, Qiwi, Cryptocurrencies, TC Pay Wallet, WebMoney, Perfectmoney, Latin American solutions, Nganluong, GlobePay, Bank Wire, VISA, MasterCard, and Maestro.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Many deposit and withdrawal channels | Very high withdrawal fees |
| Reasonable withdrawal processing times | |
| Cryptocurrency channels |
Reputation and Regulation
Alpari International is an Exinity Limited brand holding a regulation license from the Financial Services Commission of Mauritius.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Regulated by a recognized entity FSC Mauritius | Mild regulator |
| Long presence in the forex industry | Alpari was fined £140,000 in 2010 for speculative trading |
| Average client ratings |
3. Raceoption
Customer support
Support is available via live chat, email, and phone in multiple languages.
Reputation and Regulation
The IFMRRC is a less recognized regulatory body compared to established financial authorities, raising concerns about investor protection. Additionally, the registration in the Marshall Islands raises further concern about the platform’s trustworthiness.
4. 365 trading
Product Range
TD365 offers Forex, Precious Metals, Cryptocurrencies, Commodities, Bonds, Indexes, and Stocks.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Good range of equities | No ETFs |
| Several cryptocurrencies | There are no essential Precious Metals and Commodities range |
| Bonds category |
Trading Costs, Leverage, and Sizes
Trading with TD365 doesn’t involve commissions, even for stocks. Spreads are fixed and competitive but only on the Cloudtrade platform. Leverage is up to 1:200.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Good leverage | Uncommon trade sizes |
| No commissions | Not transparent enough |
| Competitive Fixed Spreads on Couldtrade |
Withdrawals and Deposits
TD365 doesn’t have any other options except bank transfers and bank cards. You can only deposit once you send your ID/residence documents to TD365.
If there’re any costs related to funding, they’re not yet published.
| Cons |
|---|
| Only basic funding channels |
| No information on funding fees |
Reputation and Regulation
According to Trade Nation, TD365 is a broker related to them, but it’s another company. TD365 uses the Bahamas Securities Commission license of Trade Nation, so I am not sure there is any regulation.
Also, TD365 does not have many client ratings, and that points to a small client base. However, trade Nation is regulated and offers the same trading features as TD365.
5. JustForex
JustMarkets is regulated in three jurisdictions and offers more than 200 tradable assets including forex, stocks, cryptocurrencies, commodities, and stock indices via contract for difference (CFDs).
Boasting a nearly flawless 4.8 out of 5 rating on TrustPilot based on customer reviews, it’s no surprise that they also just won the Best Broker Asia award as determined by Fintech Awards 2022. JustMarkets doesn’t provide services to residents of the US, UK, EU, Japan, Canada, or Australia. Let’s jump and see what JustMarkets has to offer you.
6. AvaTrade
Product Range
AvaTrade has a lot to offer when choosing tradeable CFD assets.
You can pick from forex, indices, stocks, bonds, precious metals, commodities, ETFs, cryptocurrencies, and forex options.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Overall great asset range | Average range of stocks |
| Options and bond category | Only two bonds offered |
| Addition of new, popular assets |
Trading Costs, Leverage, and Sizes
AvaTrade does not charge commissions.
The platform has allegedly fixed the spreads, but in some instances, AvaTrade states they can widen.
The leverage is up to 1:400 for clients outside the EU and some other countries.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| High leverage for forex pairs | Inactivity fee for three months ($50) |
| Somewhat fixed spreads | Higher spreads than average |
| No commissions | Substantial contract sizes for some assets |
| Low Stop Out at 10% for non-EU clients |
Withdrawals and Deposits
Bank Wire, VISA, MasterCard, Boleto, DinPay, FasaPay, GCard, Neteller, PaySec, SafeCharge, Skrill, Tranzila, UnionPay, VeriTrans, VoguePay, and WebMoney are available.
The minimum deposit is $100.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Affordable minimum deposit | Withdrawal methods are obscured in the client portal until you deposit |
| It gives a bonus for any successful referral | Clients report withdrawal problems |
| OK range of available deposit ways | Has a high minimum deposit amount |
| No withdrawal fees |
Reputation and Regulation
AvaTrade is a popular broker with a large marketing budget and worldwide presence.
Several authorities regulate it.
However, you’ll have to check the company to agree to their terms.
The AvaTrade website publishes all the licenses.
However, clients mostly complain about withdrawals, especially from profitable accounts.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| It’s regulated | Market-maker type broker with potential conflicts of interest |
| A large broker with a long history | Mixed client ratings on independent websites |
7. Forex Club
Product Range
The categories included are currency pairs, precious metals, commodities, indices, stocks, ETFs, and cryptocurrencies.
The total tradeable asset count is over 250.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Wide range of assets in each category | Asset Contract specification is obscured |
| Exceptional local stocks, currencies, and indexes | |
| Extensive range of cryptocurrencies | |
| Optional portfolio investing |
Trading Costs, Leverage, and Sizes
You’ll have slightly different trading conditions with each platform.
The commission isn’t fixed and can change from $0 to other amounts.
For example, crypto has a 1% commission.
Leverage is also variable from 1:20 to 1:999, depending on the asset.
Spreads are variable, from 0 pips. Stop Out is at 20%.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Competitive spreads | Trading costs and conditions are not always correct |
| High leverage | Commissions |
| No swaps on Rumus | No micro-lots or accounts |
| Some assets execute slowly |
Withdrawals and Deposits
Channels available are bank cards, Bitcoin, Tether USDT, Skrill, Neteller, Jeton Wallet, Webmoney, VLOAD, and wire transfers.
In addition, there are some small fees with e-wallets.
The withdrawal channels are Bitcoin, USDT, and wire transfer.
The minimum deposit amount is $10.
Unfortunately, not all channels are compatible with certain countries, even if listed.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Many deposit channels | Limited withdrawal channels |
| Low or no fees | Some channels might not work |
| Low minimum deposit | Longer than expected withdrawal times |
Reputation and Regulation
Forex Club has been fined several times to date.
Also, the brokers’ group doesn’t operate in several countries.
In addition, clients’ ratings from independent sources are negative.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Large broker group | No official regulation |
| Long history | Low ratings |
8. Xm.com
XM is highly regulated, overseen by three regulatory agencies. It serves five million clients in over 190 countries and provides support in more than 25 languages. It doesn’t provide services to the residents of the USA.
9. Libertex
Product Range
Libertex has over 250 CFD products. It has categories ranging from Forex currency pairs, precious commodity metals, Commodities, Stocks, ETFs, Options CFD, and Cryptocurrencies. Unfortunately, Crypto isn’t available to certain countries.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Many assets | Asset range isn’t the same across different platforms |
| Good range of categories | |
| Wide range of cryptocurrencies | |
| Russian stocks and other localizations |
Trading Costs, Leverage, and Sizes
Trading commissions start from €0 to €7 (depending on assets) per lot traded in Metatrader platforms, while the Libertex platform may have a variable fee expressed in percentage.
Cryptocurrencies have 0.4% commission. Spread is a dynamic type. Stop Out is at a 50% margin level.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Spreads from 0 pips | Commissions for some assets |
| High leverage for certified pro traders | No micro lot sizes |
| Competitive spreads and trading costs | |
| Normal Swaps |
Withdrawals and Deposits
Bank transfer, Bank cards, Skrill (1,9% fee), Sofort ( for Germany, Spain, Italy, Austria), Ideal (Netherlands), GiroPay (Germany), Trustly, P24 (Poland), Rapid, Netteler, Multibanko. Withdrawal options are limited to Bank transfers.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Reasonable withdrawal times | No Crypto deposits |
| Local channels for deposits | |
| Low or no fees |
Reputation and Regulation
Libertex is a large forex broker with some history. It’s relatively popular but does not have many client ratings.
The company was fined €160,000 for inappropriate margin stop out and leverage limits in 2020. In Addition, Libertex has some problems with clone websites that tarnish its reputation.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| CySEC compensation fund | Beginner traders can easily fall victim to clone websites |
| Well regulated | It’s a prominent broker but doesn’t have enough client reviews |
| Transparent |
10. IG.com
You’ll find almost every tradeable asset from indices, forex, shares, ETFs, commodities, cryptocurrencies, digital 100s (not available for retail traders), options, interest rates, sectors (industry), bonds, spread betting, and CFDs.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Comprehensive asset range | Beginner traders will not understand most of the content |
| Spread betting and CFD trading | Some special offers, like DMA Shares trading, are available once you’re a professional trader |
| Offers rare shares, ETFs, currencies, and more | Basic crypto and precious metals range on MT4 |
Trading Costs, Leverage, and Sizes
Spreads are floating, and commissions are paid only for shares trading, from 0.08% to 0.18% per side.
Trading sizes are standard – 0.01 lots minimum but with increased stop levels.
Leverage starts at 1:200. Stop Out is 50%, and Margin Call is 100%.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| OK leverage | Spreads are not competitive |
| No commissions except for shares | Wide stop levels |
| Asset specifications don’t have swaps disclosed in MT4 | |
| Trading conditions are not good enough on MT4 for automated trading |
Withdrawals and Deposits
The minimum deposit is $300 for bank cards and no minimum for wire transfers.
Deposit and withdrawal channels are bank wire, VISA, MasterCard, and PayPal.
IG.com also has a minimum withdrawal amount of $150 for cards unless you have less on your account.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Low waiting time | No multilingual support on IG.com |
| Knowledgeable staff | Client support is not up to the broker’s standards |
| Clients often complain about the quality of customer support |
Reputation and Regulation
There are no potent regulators who regulate the IG.com domain.
Instead, the Bermuda Monetary Authority has licensed IG International Limited.
Other domains for the specific country have different regulators.
IG.com forex broker doesn’t have the best reputation among clients.
Complaints are various, including trading problems, support, and documentation.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Long history | Low client ratings |
| Large broker | Inconsistent trading conditions |
| Various features | Weak regulation |
11. Grand Capital
Product Range
You can trade forex, commodities, stocks, indices, ETFs, cryptocurrencies, futures, and bonds.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Great asset range | You can’t trade all possible assets of this broker in one account |
| Unique currency indices | |
| Portfolio collections for beginners |
Trading Costs, Leverage, and Sizes
Trading sizes are standard from 0.01 lots. Micro account currency is cent value allowing small value trading.
The leverage of the Standard Account is up to 1:500. Spreads are dynamic for all accounts.
For example, ECN, MT5, and Crypto accounts have spread from 0.4 pips, while Standard has one pip.
Commissions exist for all accounts except for Micro.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Micro Account sizes offered | Commissions are high for some assets |
| High leverage | Variable leverage can make some traders uncomfortable |
| Competitive spreads |
Withdrawals and Deposits
You can deposit BTC, ETH, and USDT from crypto.
Other funding channels are Bank Transfers, Astropay, FasaPay, Help2Pay, M-PESA, Neteller Ngan Luong, PayRetailers, PayTrust, Paylivre, Perfect Money, Skrill, Thunder X, Vload, and Webmoney.
The minimum deposit starts from $10 for Micro accounts to $500 for ECN Prime.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Serenity escrow for crypto deposits | No cards use for deposits; however, there are cards for withdrawal |
| Local bank transfers | Withdrawal fees of up to 3.5% |
| Low minimum deposit | |
| Crypto funding | |
| Bonuses and payback programs |
Reputation and Regulation
Grand Capital doesn’t have a lot of positive feedback from the clients.
However, I can’t be sure if the broker is at fault for every bad rating.
The reason is scam traders often pretend to be affiliates of Grand Capital.
Grand Capital isn’t fully regulated, but it doesn’t mean this broker is problematic.
For example, you can test small withdrawals before significant investments.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| FinCom regulation with $20,000 compensation fund per case | No official regulator |
| Has escrow | Various client ratings |
12. Trade.com
Product Range
The primary benefit of Trade.com is the vast number of tradeable assets.
You can trade forex, stocks, ETFs, indices, crypto, bonds, commodities, and precious metals.
Choose another area if you want to sell on the DMA market (with over 100,000 assets), IPO, Spread Betting, or customized asset management.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| One of the best asset coverage | Crypto is available only on the web platform |
| Multiple solutions | Crypto trading isn’t open 24/7 |
| Each category has uncommon assets | Forex trading hours are a bit shorter |
Trading Costs, Leverage, and Sizes
Spreads are dynamic (officially) but behave like fixed spreads on my MT4.
Commissions are only applied to stocks, up to 0.20% per lot for Silver Account.
There’s also a minimum fee of $10 per trade for stocks. Stop Out is at 50%.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Standard contract sizes | Commissions |
| Dormancy (90 days) and conversion fees ($25) | |
| Wide spreads | |
| Reduced leverage | |
| Expensive broker for small deposit accountsс |
Withdrawals and Deposits
Available channels are Bank Cards, Skrill, Paypal, and Neteller.
In addition, you might also have EPS, Giropay, iDEAL, Multibanco, Neteller, Przelewy24, SafeCharge, Trustly, and SafetyPay.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| No fees | The minimum deposit of $100 isn’t enough for trading conditions |
| OK range of funding options | You cannot see which withdrawal options are available to you from the portal |
Reputation and Regulation
The Markets.com brand was fined multiple times before it changed to Trade.com.
Then, Trade Capital Markets took it over.
Trade.com retained the assets range Market.com had, but the trading conditions are different.
TCM holds licenses from CySEC, FSCA, and FCA for UK clients.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Regulated | Bad history |
| Large capital | Conflict of interest is possible |
13. Forex.com
Product Range
Cryptocurrencies are only available on the Forex.com and MT5 platform.
Forex.com offers over 4500 assets in forex, indices, commodities, precious metals, and cryptocurrencies.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Numerous assets in the forex and stocks category | Minimal MT4 products |
| Only Forex.com platforms offer a complete asset range | |
| No ETFs or bonds | |
| Has a limited number of cryptocurrencies | |
| Short trades are only possible with ETH and BTC |
Trading Costs, Leverage, and Sizes
Depending on the account type, you may be charged commissions.
For example, the commission account charges $5 per lot traded on forex CFD and shares.
Leverage can be up to 1:200. Trade sizes are not standard.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| OK leverage | Spreads are not competitive |
| Fixed and variable spreads | Minimum trade size isn’t adequate for smaller accounts |
| Rebate program for active traders |
Withdrawals and Deposits
You can deposit with Skrill, Neteller, wire transfer, and bank cards.
For withdrawals, you can only select bank cards or wire transfers.
The minimum deposit is $100.
The minimum withdrawal amount is $100 unless you want to close your trading account.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| No fees | Few funding channels |
| Withdrawal minimum | |
| No crypto funding |
Reputation and Regulation
Forex.com is an old broker with a robust global presence and regulation.
Forex brokers with that asset range are few.
Forex.com offers a wide range of assets.
Trading conditions are also not the best.
14. Easy Markets
Product Range
Registering under the BVI FSC regulator will give you a full range of assets and leverage.
Easy Markets has forex, precious metals, indices, stocks, commodities, and cryptocurrencies.
Easy Markets also features options trading.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Above-average instruments range | No ETFs and bonds |
| Diverse markets | Average stocks range |
Trading Costs, Leverage, and Sizes
Easy Market has fixed spreads and no commissions.
Spreads start from 0.9 pips on VIP Accounts to 2 pips for Standard Accounts on EUR/USD pair.
Leverage is up to 1:200 on the Easy Markets platform and 1:400 for MT4.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Fixed spreads | Trading features aren’t cheap |
| No commissions | Average stocks rangeWider spreads may not be appropriate for fast trading strategies |
| High leverage |
Withdrawals and Deposits
Depending on your country, withdrawal and deposit channels may differ. The broker has no withdrawal fees.
Available channels are bank wire, bank cards, AstroPay, BPAY, FasaPay, Giropay, iDEAL, JCB, SOFORTNeteller, Skrill, UnionPay, WebMoney, WeChatPay, Sticpay, Bitwallet, and Perfect Money.
The minimum deposit for the Standard tier is $25, Premium is $2,000, and VIP is $10,000.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Low minimum deposit | No crypto funding |
| Multiple funding channels | |
| The broker charges no withdrawal fees |
Reputation and Regulation
Easy Markets holds multiple regulation licenses that you can check.
Advanced traders may like fixed spreads and many markets to trade.
In terms of reputation, Easy Markets has good ratings on some websites, although I welcome client reviews.
Unfortunately, independent ratings are not that good.
Clients mostly complain about profit withdrawals, high trading costs, and conflict of interest.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| OK ratings | Profitable traders complain |
| Regulated, large broker | Conflict of interest |
15. ThinkMarkets
Product Range
You can trade in currency pairs, commodities, precious metals, stocks, indexes, futures, or cryptocurrencies.
Also, you might be interested in spot gold and silver mini contracts that allow trading smaller amounts.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Many assets in each category | No ETFs |
| Mini contracts for precious metals | |
| Rare currencies, crypto, and futures |
Trading Costs, Leverage, and Sizes
From my testing, the spread was more than one pip on average.
For example, the bitcoin spread is $25 per lot.
ThinkMarkets also has mini contracts for gold and silver, meaning one lot is 10 ounces of gold, not 100.
For other assets, it starts from 0.01 lots.
Low-value cryptos do not have increased contracts, so you can trade smaller amounts.
Leverage is up to 1:500. Stop Out is at 50%.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Smaller trade sizes than usual | Commission of $7 per lot for ThinkZero Account |
| Competitive spreads | Higher spreads than advertized |
| Up to 1:500 leverage, 1:10 for crypto |
Withdrawals and Deposits
ThinkMarkets supports only two deposit and withdrawal options for Australian regulated clients – POLi and bank wire.
Unregulated broker business allows bank cards, bank wire, Neteller, Skrill, and Cryptocurrencies.
The minimum deposit for the ThinkZero Account is $500, while the Standard Account has no minimum.
In addition, bank wire withdrawal has a fee of $25 and a $100 minimum.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| OK range of channels | Some withdrawal fees |
| Cryptocurrencies channels for unregulated regions | High minimum for-profits withdrawal via bank wire |
Reputation and Regulation
ThinkMarkets has several entities, each with a different registration location. The broker is marketing three regulations FCA, FSCA, and ASIC.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Regulated for certain countries | No regulation for specific countries, but better leverage, crypto funding, and other benefits |
| Overall good ratings | Complaints repeat about the same issues |
| Competitive with top forex brokers | Variable trading conditions |
| Insurance fund of $1 million per client, although the insurance house name is unknown |
16. AAATrade
AAATrade is a Cyprus-based broker that provides access to shares, as well as CFDs in stocks, forex, crypto, indices, and commodities. The broker is regulated and there is no minimum deposit amount, which means you can start trading with any amount you wish.
17. Saxo bank
Product Range
If we focus only on CFD instruments, Saxo bank offers over 9000 assets.
For CFD trading, you will have stocks, ETFs, indices, forex, bonds, commodities, index options, and precious metals.
In addition, cryptocurrencies are traded over ETPs and under the forex category.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| One of the best product offers | Limited range to specific platforms |
| Rare categories | Crypto is limited to BTC, ETH, and LTC |
| Portfolio investments |
Trading Costs, Leverage, and Sizes
Saxo Bank charges commissions and has variable spreads.
Dividends also apply to stocks. Contract sizes are not standard, but for the CFD category are smaller.
For example, oil has 25 units per contract, cold only 1 ounce.
Bitcoin has a 0.01 unit minimum trade size.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Trading sizes can be smaller | Commissions |
| Costs are displayed when trading | Spreads are not competitive for Classic tier |
| Dividends | Conversion up to 1% and inactivity fees |
Withdrawals and Deposits
Saxo Bank offers only bank transfers and card deposits.
Some investors might also be interested in portfolio transfers (stocks, bonds, and ETPs).
Withdrawals are made via platform or by filling out a form. Only a bank transfer is available.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| No fees for EEA countries | Minimum deposit of at least $2000 (country-specific) |
| The usual minimum deposit is $10000 | |
| Limited withdrawal/deposit options | |
| Platinum tiers require at least a $200,000 minimum deposit without much benefit | |
| Withdrawal procedure is more complicated than usual |
Reputation and Regulation
Saxo Bank is a heavily regulated and known retail broker.
Yet, similarly to other substantial brokers with a long history, it doesn’t pay attention to client support.
Based on client reviews, I’ve concluded that the most problems traders face are: poor support, unwanted phone calls, conflict of interest, and connection problems.
18. Swissquote
Product Range
Swissquote offers the ultimate product range.
If you’re interested in CFDs, you’ll find 200 instruments.
Categories covered are forex, forex options, stocks, commodities, bonds, precious metals, and indices.
In addition, crypto is available but only through the eTrading platform, without any leverage or shorting.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Bonds and forex options category | No ETFs |
| Good currency range | No crypto CFDs |
Trading Costs, Leverage, and Sizes
The minimum trading size is 0.01 lots, and Swissquote has standard contract sizes.
Prime Account offers about 60% better spreads than the Standard Account.
The leverage is up to 1:100, but Swissquotes can adjust this.
All accounts have a 30% Stop Out level.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| No commissions | Spreads are not competitive |
| OK leverage | Fees for inactivity after six months ($10) |
| Custody fees for eTrading |
Withdrawals and Deposits
Swissquote’s only funding options are bank transfers and bank cards.
The broker will not work with banks lower than AA grade.
The good news is they don’t charge any fees for withdrawals/deposits.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| No fee | Limited funding options |
| It rejects some banks |
Reputation and Regulation
Swissquote is regulated and one of the most secure banks.
It’s also long in the retail forex business.
However, weak customer support could be a significant concern for ordinary traders.
Among independent rating websites, Swissquote holds poor ratings.
Consider other brokers if you’re not interested in investing significant capital for trading.
19. LiteForex
Product Range
LiteForex offers CFDs on precious metals, currency pairs, indices, stocks, and oil.
Overall, the broker has an average product range compared to other brokers but is better in some categories.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Full Forex and precious metals range | Commodities are limited to Brent and WTI |
| Good cryptocurrency range | No ETFs or other markets |
| OK range of stocks |
Trading Costs, Leverage, and Sizes
LiteForex charges commissions for the ECN-type account. Leverage is at 1:500; for Crypto, it’s 1:10.
LiteForex puts low Stop Out and Margin Call levels at 100% and 20%, respectively.
Minimal trading sizes are standard 0.01 lots.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| OK spreads on ECN accounts | High commissions |
| High leverage | Classic Account has high spreads |
| Low Stop Out level | |
| Low Swaps (except for Crypto) |
Withdrawals and Deposits
Deposit channels are bank cards, AdvCash, WebMoney, Perfect Money, QIWI, and several cryptocurrencies.
The minimum deposit to open an account is $50.
Withdrawal options are AdvCash, Alipay, Bank Transfer, bank cards, China UnionPay, QIWI, Perfect Money, WebMoney, and several cryptocurrencies.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Good range of funding channels | Fees for withdrawals can be extreme |
| Affordable minimum deposit amount | Most of the channels might be unavailable to you |
| An above-average number of cryptocurrencies accepted | |
| Multiple funding currencies are available |
Reputation and Regulation
LiteForex.com is not regulated.
Libertex.EU domain is only for EU countries and is regulated by CySEC.
Interestingly, both domains have similar ratings and similar problem reports.
Clients mostly complain about withdrawals and trading.
Still, LiteForex has a medium rating overall because it has a long history and solid presence worldwide.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| CySEC regulation for EU clients | No regulating law for specific clients |
| Long presence in the industry without fines | Average ratings |
*General Risk Warning: Your capital might be at risk
Conclusion
You’ll face a scam broker if you blindly search the internet. To spot them, I’ll give you a few general guiding points.
Things to consider
- Regulation. Scam brokers don’t have information about regulation laws. Also, regulated brokers can use various excuses to hold your funds.
- Ratings. Even if a broker is regulated, it doesn’t mean your funds are safe. Regulators are slow. A broker can claim your trading isn’t according to terms and cancel any profits you made. Therefore, you need to read the ratings from independent websites.
- Reviews. Many scams buy a lot of forex broker reviews. Also, scams have a network of fake review sites. This way, they push their fake reviews up in google search lists. Broker scams can have very high budgets and even involve government officials. Read only forums and independent ratings.
- Do your research. Check every broker with reliable sources and seek news headlines for the broker name or domain. You’ll likely find they are penalized or blocked.
In addition, you should ask the brokers about regulation and their actual location.
Then check the location and check whether the license is published.
Again, check the ratings. You’ll notice that most scammers can’t cover their tracks completely.
If you take the above precautions before trading with any platform, your capital will be safe.
Top 5 Forex Brokers
Check out the best trading platforms
(0)FAQ
What is Forex? Unknown Facts & Figures (The Ultimate Guide)
Forex is the largest financial market in the world. That’s why you might want to hop on the train as I do. Let me help you to enter the forex market and start trading. Read this entire guide about earning money with forex.
How to trade?
First, you need to look for regulators. Only select a broker who is licensed by reputable regulatory bodies. Secondly, look for trading conditions. These include spread, margin, and leverage. Thirdly, you have to look for deposit and withdrawal options . Most brokers provide various options, so it’s good to peek at them. Lastly, you have to look for customer support. Quick communication can get you out of many worrying situations. If you are hunting for the best binary broker, you are lucky. Check out a list of all the top binary options brokers. binary options brokers. This list also includes top-rated brokers for beginners.
* General Risk Warning: Your capital might be at risk
Conclusion
You’ll face a scam broker if you blindly search the internet. To spot them, I’ll give you a few general guiding points.
Things to consider
Regulation Scam brokers don’t have information about regulation laws. Also, regulated brokers can use various excuses to hold your funds.
Ratings Even if a broker is regulated, it doesn’t mean your funds are safe. Regulators are slow. A broker can claim your trading isn’t according to terms and cancel any profits you made. Therefore, you need to read the ratings from independent websites.
Reviews Many scams buy a lot of forex broker reviews. Also, scams have a network of fake review sites. This way, they push their fake reviews up in google search lists. Broker scams can have very high budgets and even involve government officials. Read only forums and independent ratings.
Do your research Check every broker with reliable sources and seek news headlines for the broker name or domain. You’ll likely find they are penalized or blocked.
In addition, you should ask the brokers about regulation and their actual location
Then check the location and check whether the license is published
Again, check the ratings. You’ll notice that most scammers can’t cover their tracks completely
If you take the above precautions before trading with any platform, your capital will be safe