Highest rated, and the reasons why

A score with nothing behind it is just a number. Every rating here opens to show what produced it.

Where every broker sits

Not a ranked list - a distribution. The gaps between brokers matter as much as the order.

IC Markets5★TabTrade4.5★AvaTrade4.5★XM4.5★FxPro4.5★Markets.com4.5★Plus5004.5★Admirals4.5★eToro4.5★Focus Markets4.5★Eightcap4.5★easyMarkets4.5★

Rated brokers

One score, applied identically to every broker. How we rate.

BrokerRatingSpread fromMin depositRegulation
IC Markets logoIC Markets
5★0.0 pips$200ASICCySECSeychelles FSA+2Review
TabTrade logoTabTrade
4.5★0.0 pips$0FSCReview
AvaTrade logoAvaTrade
4.5★0.9 pips$100ASICCySECCentral Bank of Ireland+7Review
XM logoXM
4.5★0.8 pips$5CySECASICDFSA+2Review
FxPro logoFxPro
4.5★0.0 pips$0FCACySECFSCA+2Review
Markets.com
4.5★0.6 pips$100CySECFSCASVG registrationReview
Plus500 logoPlus500
4.5★0.6 pips$100FCAASICCySEC+12Review
Admirals logoAdmirals
4.5★0.0 pips$25FCACySECASIC+5Review
eToro logoeToro
4.5★0.2 pips$50FCACySECASIC+4Review
Focus Markets
4.5★0.0 pips$0ASICMauritius FSCReview

How we rate

One method, applied the same way to brokers who pay us and brokers who do not.

Regulation first

Who holds the licence, under what number, and what that obliges them to do.

Real trading costs

Spread and commission together, from published schedules rather than promotional pages.

Platforms named

What you would actually trade on, and whether your setup transfers if you leave.

Terms you can find

If withdrawal terms need a sales call, that counts against them.

Common questions

How do you make money?

Some brokers pay us a commission when a reader opens an account through our link. It costs you nothing extra, and it has no bearing on the rating - several brokers listed here have no commercial relationship with us at all.

Where do the figures come from?

Each broker's own published material in the first instance, recorded with the date it was compiled. We show every broker their review and correct it on evidence.

Is a higher rating a recommendation?

No. It means the broker scored well on regulation, cost, platform and transparency. Whether it suits you depends on what you trade and where you live.

Why is a broker I know missing?

We publish a review only when we hold enough verified detail to be useful. A broker with a name and nothing else gets no page rather than an empty one.