ACY Securities Review Australia 2026

ACY Securities quick facts

Trading costs and fees

Pro Zero (RAW) account for active traders

Pro Zero is the account Australian clients trade at ACY, and the only one ACY offers under its AFSL. EUR/USD spreads averaged 0.10 pips in our May to June 2026 captures, and the eight majors we track averaged 0.41 pips. That average places ACY 11th of the 16 raw accounts in our lowest spread forex brokers test. Commission is A$3.00 round-turn per standard lot (A$1.50 per side), charged on forex and metals only; indices and crypto CFDs trade commission-free on Pro Zero. ACY confirmed in July 2026 that Australian clients are billed in their account currency, so an AUD-funded account pays A$1.50 a side rather than the US dollar rate quoted on the global site. That is the cheapest per-side commission of any broker in our commission comparison, though the eight-pair spread average keeps ACY mid-table on all-in cost.

Pro Zero follows the standard raw spreads plus commission model, so the headline spread is only half the cost. Add the commission before you compare it with a spread-only account.

Standard account for casual traders

The Standard account is not open to Australian clients. It prices spread-only with no commission, from 1.0 pip on EUR/USD, but ACY offers it through its offshore entities rather than under AFSL 403863. So there is no spread-only option here for the once-or-twice-a-week trader. You either trade Pro Zero’s raw spread plus commission, or you use a broker whose AU licence covers a spread-only account.

Other fees AU traders should check

• Overnight swap rates apply on positions held past 5 PM New York. Direction-dependent. ACY’s swap rates are competitive but worth checking against your typical holding period.
• Currency conversion applies if you hold positions denominated outside your account base. Choose AUD as your base if you primarily trade AUD pairs.
• Withdrawal fees are $0 on most methods. Bank transfers may incur intermediary fees from your bank.
• Inactivity fee is $0 at time of publish.

Trading platforms

ACY runs three platforms: MT4, MT5 and the proprietary ACY Trading Platform. Each is also available through WebTrader in the browser, useful when you’re on a machine that can’t install the desktop software.

MetaTrader 4

The default for legacy expert advisors and the classic forex retail experience. ACY’s MT4 build connects to the Pro Zero pricing engine and supports the full menu of forex pairs, indices, commodities and gold. If you’ve got an existing MT4 strategy, it ports straight across.

MetaTrader 5

Go with MT5 if you want broader native asset class coverage (it supports indices, stocks and futures natively) or you run MT5-only EAs. ACY’s MT5 build is the same Pro Zero pricing as MT4. Most of our test team preferred MT5 here for the cleaner depth-of-market view.

ACY Trading Platform (proprietary)

The ACY Trading Platform is the broker’s in-house web and mobile platform. Strengths: clean order ticket, integrated news feed, charting that’s good enough for most retail use, and a Mandarin-language interface, which is the real reason Chinese-speaking AU traders pick it. It also carries a built-in Guaranteed Stop Loss Order (GSLO), which MT4 and MT5 don’t offer. Weaknesses: doesn’t yet match the depth of CMC’s Next Generation or cTrader’s order book transparency. Useful if you’d rather not install MT4/MT5 and just want to trade in the browser.

Copy and social trading

Copy trading is not available to ACY’s Australian retail clients, and there is no social feed of the kind eToro is built around. The MT4 and MT5 builds ship without a broker-run signal or copy layer on the AU entity. If copying other traders is the main reason you are picking a broker, that is a point against ACY rather than for it; eToro or cTrader Copy at Pepperstone are stronger options.

Mobile apps

MT4, MT5 and the ACY Trading Platform all have mobile apps. The ACY Trading Platform app is the best of the three for Mandarin-language users and has biometric login on both iOS and Android.

Trust and safety

Trust score: 6/10. The trust score factors regulation, operating history and public-record reputation against the strongest brokers in our 29-broker set.

ASIC regulation and global licences

ACY Securities Pty Ltd holds AFSL 403863 with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. The AFSL has been continuously held since 2011, when ACY established Australian operations from Sydney. There have been no material ASIC enforcement actions or licence conditions imposed on the AU entity in the last 36 months. Our ASIC regulation guide sets out what the licence obliges a broker to do.

ACY also operates an offshore entity, ACY Capital LLC, registered in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) and used for international clients seeking higher leverage. SVG does not regulate forex or CFD trading, so the offshore entity operates without any of the investor protections that apply under ASIC. We don’t recommend the offshore route for AU retail traders. Stay on the AU AFSL entity.

Client money and negative balance protection

ACY Securities holds retail client money in segregated accounts at an Approved Australian Bank, separate from the company’s own funds. ASIC requires negative balance protection on retail CFD accounts, so a retail account cannot lose more than the money in it. If a dispute with the broker goes wrong, AFCA can hear claims up to $1,263,000 and award compensation up to $631,500. The Compensation Scheme of Last Resort sits behind that with a $150,000 cap, but it excludes CFD trading losses, so it protects you against unpaid awards for misconduct, not against losing trades.

One point is worth knowing before you chase leverage. These are retail protections, and they follow the AU entity. Route through the offshore SVG entity and none of them apply. For how ACY sits against the field on protection, see our list of the safest regulated brokers and our explainer on negative balance protection at AU brokers.

History and ownership

Founded in Sydney in 2011 and privately held. ACY has grown out from its original Australian-Chinese trader base into broader Asia-Pacific markets while keeping the AU entity as the primary regulated home. The Newcastle Jets A-League sponsorship is the most visible local marketing investment; it lifted brand recognition meaningfully over the 2023 to 2025 seasons.

Australian context that matters:

• AFSL 403863 continuously held since 2011
• Member of AFCA for retail dispute resolution
• Segregated client funds at an Approved Australian Bank
• Newcastle Jets A-League sponsor (lifts AU brand recognition)
• Active AU-Chinese community presence (Mandarin marketing, bilingual desk)

Public reviews

ACY carries solid Trustpilot scores across regional pages. Mandarin-speaking reviewers in particular praise the platform translation and language support. Common positives in our review of public commentary: bilingual desk responsiveness, Pro Zero pricing for the volume traded, MT4/MT5 stability. Common negatives: occasional verification delays on first withdrawal (AML compliance), and some confusion among new traders about which entity (ASIC AU vs offshore SVG) they’re onboarding to.

Account types and minimum deposit

Account options for AU clients

Australian clients get one account. Pro Zero is the only account ACY offers under AFSL 403863, and it carries raw spreads plus a round-turn commission. Two of the accounts in ACY’s global lineup, Basic and Standard, roll the cost into the spread instead, and neither is available under the Australian licence. They sit with ACY’s offshore arms: the SVG entity, ACY Capital LLC, and the FSCA entity, ACY Securities SA Pty Ltd. The SVG entity is the unregulated one flagged above. Check which entity is named on your application before you fund it.

Swap-free (Islamic) trading is eligibility rather than pricing, so it belongs here, and the answer for Australians is no. ACY publishes swap-free as a feature of the Standard account rather than a separate account type, and Standard is not available under the Australian licence. Pro Zero, the one account ACY does offer under AFSL 403863, carries no swap-free option, confirmed with the desk in July 2026. So there is no swap-free route at ACY for an Australian client at all: not on the account you can open, and not by asking. If Sharia-compliant trading is a requirement, this is a broker to rule out at the start.

Traders chasing higher leverage have two routes. The onshore option is ACY’s Experienced Trader classification: wholesale clients under the ASIC entity can access leverage up to 1:500 (apply at acy.com.au/en/experienced-trader/). To qualify, you must pass the Corporations Act wholesale client tests (broadly: net assets of at least AUD 2.5 million, or gross income of at least AUD 250,000 in each of the last two financial years, certified by a qualified accountant). The offshore alternative, ACY Capital LLC in St Vincent and the Grenadines, is unregulated and not one we recommend. For most retail traders, the AU AFSL entity is the right home.

Minimum deposit

The AU minimum deposit is USD 200. That is the Pro Zero figure, and Pro Zero is the only account on the Australian licence. The USD 50 Basic and USD 100 Standard entries you will see on ACY’s global site are offshore-entity accounts, so they are not an option for you. Position sizing at USD 200 is tight; most active traders we surveyed start with AUD 500 to 1,000.

Funding and withdrawals

Deposit methods (AU clients)

Crypto deposits are not available to clients of the Australian entity, and neither are BPAY or POLi. For most AU retail traders, PayID is the fastest option.

Withdrawals

$0 fee on most methods. Withdrawals must use the same source as deposits where possible (AML compliance). Card refunds typically clear within 1 to 3 business days. Bank transfers 1 to 2 business days.

Account opening

Account opening is fully online and AUSTRAC-compliant. You’ll need one form of ID (driver’s licence or passport) and a second proof of address (utility bill or bank statement). Most AU applications are approved within 24 hours. The application form is offered in English and Mandarin, and the verification team includes Mandarin-speaking staff for callback support.

Product range

ACY’s product range covers forex traders well, with a moderate share CFD offering and a broader-than-average commodity menu. Forex is the only class ACY publishes a headline count for, at 60 plus pairs; the rest of the list is set out below, and our CFD asset class guides cover each class across the AU field.

The index list carries the ASX 200 (S&P/ASX SPI 200) alongside the major global benchmarks, which is what most local traders check first; see how the field compares on indices. The commodity menu runs wider than most AU brokers of this size, covering gold, silver, oil, gas and softs, and our commodity guide ranks the class. Crypto CFDs trade at ASIC’s 2:1 retail cap. ETF CFDs cover the major exchanges, and the bond list runs to Australian and global government issues.

Share CFDs

ACY’s share CFDs span ASX, NYSE, NASDAQ and the major EU exchanges, but the range is narrower than CMC, IG or Interactive Brokers, per its own cons. Every equity position here is a CFD; there is no direct ASX share investing at all. If you want to hold ASX shares outright alongside CFD trading, CMC Markets or Interactive Brokers are the stronger picks. Start by comparing share CFD ranges if the class is what decides your broker.

Leverage for AU traders

ACY’s AU entity holds the ASIC caps on Pro Zero, the only account it offers under AFSL 403863. The unregulated SVG entity advertises higher leverage to international clients; it is not a route AU retail traders should use and this review does not score it.

ASIC caps retail CFD leverage at 30:1 on major forex pairs, 20:1 on minor pairs, gold and major indices, 10:1 on commodities other than gold, 5:1 on share CFDs and 2:1 on crypto assets. The caps come from a product intervention order that ASIC has extended to 23 May 2027, so they apply at every ASIC broker, not just ACY Securities. ACY Securities offers higher leverage to wholesale clients who pass the eligibility tests: up to 1:500 under its Experienced Trader classification, for clients with net assets of at least AUD 2.5 million, or gross income of at least AUD 250,000 in each of the last two financial years, certified by a qualified accountant.

ASIC requires every CFD issuer to close out a retail client’s positions once account equity falls below 50 percent of the total initial margin on all open positions. The rule is set by the product intervention order and applies to ACY Securities the same way it applies to every ASIC-licensed CFD issuer. Positions cannot be netted off against each other to reduce that figure, and a gapping market can close a position below the 50 percent level.

If you are weighing that trade-off, read how CFD leverage works first, then our comparison of brokers offering higher leverage for eligible traders.

Customer service

24/5 phone, live chat and email. Multilingual desk covering English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese and Korean. Few ASIC-regulated brokers run this depth of language coverage. Average live chat response time in our testing: under 90 seconds during AU and Asia business hours.

The 24/5 window (closed Saturday and Sunday) is the main negative. Pepperstone runs 24/7 and IG offers some weekend support. If you trade weekend crypto markets and want live support, you’ll be waiting until Monday here.

Research and education

ACY’s research and education stack covers the standard bases without leading the pack:

• Daily market analysis (English and Mandarin)
• Economic calendar and news feed integrated in the ACY Trading Platform
• Trading guides for MT4, MT5 and the ACY Trading Platform
• Webinar series with in-house analysts
• VPS hosting available for active traders

The Mandarin-language research feed is the real draw. If English isn’t your first language, this stack covers more ground than most AU brokers offer.

How ACY Securities compares to alternatives

No single broker wins on every axis. The table below points to the brokers we would pick for specific priorities; for the full field, see our guide to the best forex brokers in Australia.

Should you open an account with ACY Securities?

Open an ACY account if the Pro Zero account’s tested pricing is the draw and you trade forex on MetaTrader. At 0.10 pips on EUR/USD it matches the tightest raw accounts in our capture, though the 0.41 pip eight-pair average puts it 11th of 16, so the win is pair-specific. Skip it if brand depth matters or if the proprietary platform is your main venue, because the ACY Trading Platform is not yet at the depth of Next Generation or cTrader; Pepperstone and CMC Markets serve both needs better. Never route through the offshore SVG entity; the AU account is the only one this review covers. A demo runs Pro Zero pricing, so you can test the spread before you fund anything.

Open an ACY Securities demo → (affiliate link, see our advertiser disclosure)