CompareForexBrokers: Find the Perfect Forex Broker

Best Forex
Brokers

Low Spread
Brokers

Brokers For
Beginners

CFD
Brokers

High Leverage
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CompareForexBrokers

CompareForexBrokers was founded by traders for traders

One of the oldest forex broker comparison sites founded in 2014

Detailed facts, charts and forex trading calculations

Trusted trading guides created by actual traders

Top Forex Brokers

CompareForexBrokers reviews all the best Forex brokers in the industry. These brokers are have the best trading platforms and software, low and competitive spreads and the best range of trading instruments. Brokers we recommend are regulated, well trusted and have top security.

Why traders should compare Forex brokers?

Choosing the right forex broker is the second most important factor to successful trading; only your skills as a trader are more important. Good brokers provide the right infrastructure for you to execute your trading plan and give you the best chance of succeeding. Trading conditions provided by the broker to look for include low costs and fees, fast execution, a wide range of instruments, top trading platforms along with other features like automation, copy trading and social trading.

Broker Fees

The main fee a broker charges is the spread which is the difference between the ask and sell price for any currency pair. Our research found that spreads can be up to 300% higher between the most competitive brokers and expensive ones.

The second fee is the commission which applies to RAW/ECN accounts. In this case, the broker with the lowest fee had half the commission rate of the most expensive provider. The commission rate varies also by the base currency a trader selects when opening an account.

Trading Platforms

Most brokers offer a number of mainstream forex platforms such as MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader and TradingView. If you’re used to one of these platforms, then you should visit our broker-by-platform pages. Other options include proprietary platforms which often have features not found in mainstream platforms such as a guaranteed stop loss, extra pending order types and charts.

Broker Performance

The technology stack of each broker can impact factors such as slippage. Based on this, we tested each broker’s execution speed over two 24-hour periods so traders can understand the performance of each provider’s platform, liquidity and servers.

Trading Conditions

Brokers and often their regulators determine what can be traded and under what conditions. This includes leverage for retail traders, which can range from a maximum of 30:1 to 500:1. Regulation rules can also determine what type of trading is available, for example, in the UK, only some brokers offer financial spreads betting accounts. These trading conditions can often be tested on a demo account first before trading with real money. There is also a large variation in regard to the minimum deposit requirements to start trading on a live account.

Range Of Markets

While all providers offer currency trading on major currency pairs including EUR/USD, AUD/USD, EUR/USD and USD/JPY they will vary when it comes to minor and exotic pairs. There is also variation when it comes to Share CFDs, commodities, indices, EFTs and crypto CFDs.

How do you get started trading forex in Australia?

To get started trading forex in Australia, we recommend a measured approach based on research and extensive testing.

Choose a
forex broker

Take into account your experience level, budget and overall goals for forex trading. Ensure that the broker offers access to currency pairs you want to trade and provides the tools and platforms you need for technical analysis.

Refine your
trading strategy

If your preferred broker offers a demo account, take this opportunity to test out different platforms to ensure that you’re comfortable with the interface and trading tools available

We also suggest taking it slow. Backtest your strategies extensively and open small positions while you finetune your ideas. Emotional overtrading will cost you more money than poor market analysis.

Set up risk
management tools

Once you understand your entry and exit points, take measures to limit your exposure and control your risk. Popular methods include hedging, stop loss and limit orders and, where available, guaranteed stop loss orders.

FAQS

What is ASIC in Forex?

The Australia Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) regulates Australia’s financial markets, securities and investment industry to ensure fairness and transparency.

Is Forex trading legal in Australia?

Yes, Forex trading is legal for Australian citizens and residents. If you use a broker regulated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), you can be confident the broker complies with Corporations Act of 2001.

Do you pay taxes when forex trading in Australia?

Yes, you pay taxes when forex trading in Australia. As a trader, you will be liable to Capital gains of 50% of your marginal tax rate. If you trade Forex as a business owner, profits may be considered business income rather than capital. In this case, all profits are taxed at your current rate.

What Is Forex Trading?

Forex trading involves buying one currency with another and profiting from the relative price difference. For example, if you think the US dollar will increase in value against the euro, you might buy dollars with euros. If the dollar appreciates on a relative basis, you can sell your dollars back for more than you spent to buy them.

Which is the best forex trading platform in Australia?

Pepperstone is the best forex trading platform in Australia. This Melbourne-based broker offers excellent customer support for Aussie traders on a 24/5 basis, as well as excellent execution speeds and competitive spreads. This broker also features an extensive selection of trading platforms, including MetaTrader 4 with Smart Trader Tools for Forex.

What is the highest leverage I can trade Forex in Australia?

ASIC caps the leverage that ASIC-regulated brokers can offer retail traders at 30:1 for major currency pairs and 20:1 for minors and exotics. Sophisticated traders can trade Forex with leverage of up to 500:1.

Which Forex broker has the best mobile app?

Plus500 has the best mobile trading app. Like its award-winning trading platform, Plus500 mobile offering combines powerful features with an intuitive interface.

Features of the Plus500 app that will appeal include an unlimited demo account, 0 commissions, real-time alerts via email, SMS and push. One feature we think beginner traders will appreciate is the guaranteed stop-loss and negative balance protection.

Which Forex broker is best for beginners?

OANDA is the best forex broker for beginners. This broker earned a perfect score for ‘Trust’ in our independent rankings and holds the most Tier-1 licenses of any broker we review. We also like this broker for beginners for its straightforward, accessible platform and competitive trading costs.

Which Forex broker has the best spreads?

IC Markets has the best spreads based on our independent testing. Its standard account averages 0.98 pips for the major currency pairs, while the RAW account posted similarly competitive results.

Best Forex Brokers by country

Australian Forex Brokers

Forex trading in Australia should only choose a broker that is regulated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). You can view our best forex brokers in Australia list which compares the brokers that hold an AFSL licence including brokers established in Australia including Pepperstone, IC Markets, Eightcap and Fusion Markets.

We have also compared the same ASIC-regulated brokers based on their spreads and commissions. You can see this comparison on our low spread forex broker page. A separate comparison also looked at FMA regulated brokers in New Zealand on the best NZ forex broker section.

UK Forex Brokers

Forex trading in the UK is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This regulator has strict rules over leverage, segregation of client funds and negative balance protection. The team at CompareForexBrokers created the best UK forex brokers based on FCA-regulated brokers. This includes brokers based in the United Kingdom including IG, CMC Markets, FxPro and SpreadEx.

A unique way to trade in the UK is spread betting which is an alternative to CFD trading. A key benefit is that capital gains tax (CGT) is not applicable for this type of trading and we compared the best UK spread betting brokers. Remember, like CFD trading the choice of broker is one of the most impact factors that impact a trader’s long-term success on the markets.

Canadian Forex Brokers

The regulator within Canada has recently rebranded from the Investment Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) to the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO). This regulator has only allowed a handful of brokers to offer forex and CFD trading to Canadians and we compared the best forex brokers in Canada. Some of the providers that we compared include Friedberg Direct Powered By AvaTrade Technology, Interactive Brokers, Forex.com and OANDA.

You can also view our Canadian forex broker comparison section to compare brokers by trading platform, broker types or features.

Malaysian Forex Brokers

The Securities Commission Malaysia is the regulator in the region and a number of global forex brokers allow Malaysian traders to open an account. We listed the best forex brokers in Malaysia with tier 1 regulation in a nearby region from ASIC, MAS or the FCA. Our Malaysian forex broker comparison also has several sections from the lowest spread, highest leverage to the best forex trading platforms in the region.

Singapore Forex Brokers

The local regulator is the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) for the region which places strict conditions on trading including leverage and fund segregation. There are a limited number of MAS-regulated brokers so we ranked them all within our best forex brokers in the Singapore section. A full section is also available where each broker type has it’s own page within the Singapore forex broker comparison.

US Forex Brokers

There are dual regulators within the USA including the National Futures Association (NFA) and the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Forex trading and CFDs are not permitted in the United States but spot trading of currency markets is. This is similar to CFD trading in that both are leveraged trading instruments and have similar platforms. To compare brokers regulated by both the NFA and CFTC you can view our best forex brokers in the USA section.

Our Forex Brokers Comparison Methodology

CompareForexBrokers was created by a team that has worked in the forex industry for several years.

Our experienced team collects information based on different regulation standards and ECN brokers combined with their forex trading platforms, such as MetaTrader 4. Factors considered include brokerage (fees and spreads), charting facilities, project management tools, online trading environment, and liquidity offered, which can impact slippage.
No scraping or automation is used to compare forex brokers to ensure the highest quality comparisons. Let us know your thoughts about the forex market or our comparison tables!

In our selection process, we also look at the broker’s social trading features (e.g., eToro and their copy trading platform), algorithmic trading capability, payment methods (e.g., PayPal, direct debit, withdrawals) and mobile apps (i.e., the platform available on iOS and Android). We’d then look at whether the brokers are user-friendly and what kind of forex pairs they offer (e.g., GBP/USD and their volatility). We pay attention to the details, such as inactivity fees.

In 2023 LearnMoney.co.uk merged with CompareForexBrokers to build out the websites UK Spread Betting and CFD resources.

Most content created by Alex Hoar was transitioned to the site and updated where required for the latest FCA changes. It should be noted that some brokers are regulated in multiple regions. Choosing the regulated region for such global regions can impact trading such as FSA-regulated brokers will offer higher leverage on retail investor accounts and the account interest rate. Protections can also be impacted when you trade forex such as negative balance protection.

Along with our top forex broker comparison tables, you can also get information on trading forex markets, trading strategies, CFDs, forex courses and currency trading strategies. We also have a scholarship program for those looking for assistance when studying a finance-related field.

So whether you’re a beginner looking to trade currencies for the first time or an experienced forex trader, you have come to the right place!

Understanding The Risks Of Forex Trading

Currency trading is a leveraged product, which means that an FX broker can amplify your deposit by up to 500 (500:1) times in some regions. This leverage means there is a high risk of losing your money when financial markets become volatile. It is important to understand the risks and disclaimers involved and consider options such as demo accounts prior to trading real money.

CompareForexBrokers picks only trusted CFD brokers that are regulated in their jurisdiction, such as European brokers regulated by CySEC or Australian brokers regulated by the ASIC in Sydney. We do this in order to help you avoid trading scams.

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