Find the best broker for you

Looking to trade or invest in forex, stocks, commodities or crypto? Read broker reviews, check the ratings, and compare brokers side by side - with the working shown, because a score with nothing behind it is just a number.

Brokers rated
100
Scored across
6 categories
Markets covered
6

Highest rated, and the reasons why

One score, applied identically to every broker. Every rating opens to show what produced it. How we rate.

BrokerRatingSpread fromMin depositRegulation
1IC Markets logoIC Markets
5★0.0 pips$200ASICCySECFSA (Seychelles)+2Read Review
2TabTrade logoTabTrade
4.5★0.0 pips$0FSC (Mauritius)Read Review
3AvaTrade logoAvaTrade
4.5★0.9 pips$100Central Bank of IrelandASICFSA (Japan)+7Read Review
4XM logoXM
4.5★0.8 pips$5CySECASICDFSA (DIFC)+2Read Review
5FxPro logoFxPro
4.5★0.0 pips$0FCACySECFSCA (South Africa)+2Read Review
6Markets.com logoMarkets.com
4.5★0.6 pips$100CySECFSCA (South Africa)Read Review
7Plus500 logoPlus500
4.5★0.6 pips$100FCAASICCySEC+12Read Review
8Admirals logoAdmirals
4.5★0.0 pips$25FCACySECASIC+5Read Review
9eToro logoeToro
4.5★0.2 pips$50FCACySECASIC+4Read Review
10Focus Markets logoFocus Markets
4.5★0.0 pips$0ASICFSC (Mauritius)Read Review

View all 100 reviews

How we make the reviews

Every broker on this site goes through the same five steps, in the same order.

  1. Step 1

    Broker research

    We identify brokers that meet our criteria: a named regulator with a checkable licence number, published trading costs, and withdrawal terms in writing.

  2. Step 2

    Identifying key features

    Once a broker is shortlisted we go through the products and services in detail - account types, platforms, markets, funding methods and what each of them actually costs.

  3. Step 3

    Choosing brokers

    If a broker passes that inspection it is listed. If we cannot verify enough to be useful, it gets no page rather than an empty one.

  4. Step 4

    Broker review

    We write the full review from the broker's own published material, record the date it was compiled, and send it to the broker so errors are corrected on evidence.

  5. Step 5

    Broker rating

    Six category scores - regulation, costs, platforms, markets, support and education - average into one rating, applied identically to every broker.

What do you want to invest in?

Each market costs different money and goes wrong in different ways. Start where you actually trade.

ForexCurrency pairs, traded around the clock five days a week.StocksShares in individual companies, owned outright or traded as CFDs.CryptosDigital assets, traded as CFDs or held on a regulated venue.CommoditiesGold, oil, gas and agricultural markets.IndicesWhole markets in a single position - the S&P 500, FTSE, DAX.CFDsThe contract underneath most of the products on this site.

Why trust our reviews?

Every review covers the same six areas, in the same depth, whether or not the broker has a commercial relationship with us.

Investment products

What you can actually trade, and whether you own the asset or a contract on it.

Commissions and fees

Spread, commission, swap, inactivity and conversion - added together rather than advertised separately.

Platforms and tools

What the broker offers, what runs on it, and whether automated trading is permitted.

Research and education

Whether the material is genuinely useful or a sign-up funnel with charts on it.

Deposit and withdrawal

How money gets in, how it gets out, how long that takes and what it costs.

Regulation and safety

The entity, its licence, segregation, negative balance protection and any compensation scheme.

Find your best broker

With this many to choose from it is easy to end up with whichever brand advertised hardest. Having them all in one place, rated the same way, makes that decision a short one.

  1. Discover brokers. Start from 100 rated brokers rather than the first advert you saw.
  2. Read broker reviews. Every review shows the working: the facts, the source, and the date.
  3. View broker ratings. One score, six categories, applied the same way to everyone.
  4. Compare brokers. Put the numbers side by side, including the costs nobody advertises.
  5. Choose your broker. Open a demo first. It answers in an afternoon what a week of reading will not.

Ready to start?

If you are short of time, IC Markets is our highest rated broker this month at 5 out of 5. Read the review first - it takes four minutes and covers what the rating is built on.

Read the IC Markets reviewVisit IC Markets

Free investing guides

Open a demo account, or learn how the platforms actually work. None of these tell you what to trade.

How to choose a broker

The five checks worth doing before you deposit anything.

Beginner · 6 min read

Understanding spreads and commission

What trading actually costs, and how to compare two accounts fairly.

Beginner · 5 min read

What regulation actually protects

Segregated funds, compensation schemes, and what a licence does not cover.

Beginner · 6 min read

Demo accounts and first steps

How to use a demo properly, and what it will not teach you.

Beginner · 4 min read

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.