Since 2013, we have reviewed over 330 brokers worldwide. We go through the exact same drill you do: we open real accounts, engage with the web platforms and mobile apps, test live spreads and those sneaky overnight fees, and even contact customer support to see if they’re actually helpful.
This way, we have collected a massive database that allows us to compare brokers side-by-side and show you the best options tailored for traders with different goals and strategies.
You don’t have to guess – we’ve already done the testing for you. Ready to see who made the cut? Check out our top broker picks for this year below.
Our extensive testing confirms that the best forex brokers excel across several non-negotiable categories. These are the core features we focus on because they directly affect your safety and ability to profit, separating a good trading experience from a frustrating one.
Our team of experts has identified each broker’s strengths and weaknesses using FXEmpire’s comprehensive methodology.
Now, let’s dive into the selected brokers.
Exness is a global CFD broker offering competitive pricing, fast execution, and a broad lineup of markets. Traders can choose between Exness Terminal, the mobile app, or MT4/MT5. With low fees, Raw Spread accounts, and VPS hosting, Exness is a great fit for active and cost-conscious traders.
Key Features:
During my live tests, EUR/USD spreads averaged around 0.9 pips during the London and New York trading sessions, beating the industry average for commission-free accounts. Costs are easy to manage thanks to a straightforward fee structure, with no charges for deposits, withdrawals, or account inactivity.
Exness’s proprietary Terminal platform adds meaningful value through built-in tools like a sentiment indicator that shows the percentage of traders positioned long or short in each market. The platform also integrates Trading Central–powered signals, giving traders access to professional analysis and actionable trade ideas.
Education is another strong point. Exness Academy offers a well-structured library of short videos and articles covering essential topics such as leverage, margin, and technical analysis. Taken together—tight spreads, flexible leverage, multiple platforms, solid research tools, and high-quality education—Exness stands out as a strong all-around choice for forex traders.
RoboForex is an established broker founded in 2009 and headquartered in Belize. It uses a hybrid STP/ECN execution model designed for speed. In my tests, average order execution came in at roughly 45 milliseconds, comfortably faster than the industry average of about 60 milliseconds.
Key Features:
RoboForex keeps its account lineup flexible and low-barrier. Traders can choose from five account types, including two raw-spread options designed for tighter pricing. A $10 minimum deposit makes it easy to get started, while leverage of up to 1:2000 gives experienced traders room to scale positions when appropriate.
The platform lineup is practical and easy to navigate. RoboForex’s in-house R StocksTrader web platform and mobile app are built specifically for stock and CFD trading, while MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 are available for those who prefer industry standards. MT4/MT5 can be enhanced with trading signal add-ons.
RoboForex also stands out for its well-rounded research offering. Traders get daily market commentary, along with practical tools such as trading signals, an economic calendar, and a currency heatmap. Content is available in both written and video formats and is timely, actionable, and helpful for staying oriented throughout the trading day.
OCTA is a solid choice for beginners who want a low-friction way to get started. Founded in 2011, the broker offers a free demo account for practice and a commission-free live account once you’re ready, keeping costs and complexity to a minimum while you learn the basics of trading.
Key Features:
In my live tests, OCTA’s EUR/USD spreads averaged 0.9–1.0 pips during the London and New York sessions, which is competitive. Pricing is strongest on major forex pairs and share CFDs, and the broker keeps costs minimal by charging no inactivity, deposit, or withdrawal fees.
The broker’s proprietary OctaTrader platform is built with simplicity in mind, making it a comfortable starting point for new traders. It combines clean charts with built-in market research and AI-driven insights. For more advanced users, OCTA also supports MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, offering deeper customization and algorithmic trading tools.
OCTA also offers a broad, beginner-friendly education center designed to help new traders understand how the markets actually work. Its resource library includes webinars, videos, articles, and structured courses that walk users through core concepts like technical and fundamental analysis, risk management, and the psychological side of trading.
IC Markets is a well-established online broker founded in 2007, best known for its rock-bottom trading costs and professional-grade platforms. The broker operates under strong regulatory oversight, offering a high level of client protection, and provides access to more than 2,200 CFD instruments across global markets.
Key Features:
IC Markets stands out for low trading costs, offering consistently tight spreads on major instruments that rank among the best I have tested. Crude oil and Bitcoin spreads are especially competitive. Costs are kept simple, with no inactivity fees and minimal commissions on raw spreads accounts.
With a strong lineup of trading platforms, including MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView, and ZuluTrade, IC Markets offers traders plenty of flexibility. Whether you prefer manual trading, automated strategies, or social trading, there’s a suitable option. For more active traders, VPS hosting helps support faster execution and more reliable, low-latency performance.
IC Markets also stands out in research and education. Traders receive in-house market analysis alongside third-party insights from Trading Central and Autochartist, covering technical, fundamental, and sentiment-based analysis. The educational offering is equally robust, with hundreds of webinars, articles, videos, ebooks, and a dedicated podcast.
Founded in 2010, Pepperstone appeals to traders who prioritize low costs, fast execution, and platform flexibility. The broker offers access to more than 1,380 CFDs across forex, indices, commodities, shares, and crypto. Tight spreads and reliable execution make it a strong fit for day traders, scalpers, and automated traders.
Key Features:
In my tests, execution speeds averaged around 30 milliseconds, substantially faster than the industry norm. VPS hosting adds a further advantage by enabling stable, low-latency connections that help reduce slippage and ensure orders are executed as intended. This is particularly valuable in fast-moving markets or when running automated trading strategies.
Pepperstone pairs this strong execution with a well-rounded platform lineup suited to both beginners and experienced traders. Newer traders can get started with TradingView or the intuitive Pepperstone mobile app, while advanced users have access to MT4, MT5, and cTrader. Copy trading is supported, and MetaTrader users benefit from a deep ecosystem of custom indicators and expert advisors.
Market access is a key highlight. The broker offers CFDs across forex, stocks, ETFs, indices, and cryptocurrencies, including 116 popular share CFDs available for trading 24/5. With solid depth in forex, commodities, and crypto, Pepperstone is a strong choice for traders who value flexibility and broad market coverage.
If you’re a professional trader seeking ECN-style pricing with interbank spreads, FXTM is worth considering. Founded in 2011, the broker operates under multiple regulators. Professionals can trade via commission-free ECN accounts on advanced platforms and earn extra income by acting as strategy managers through FXTM’s copy-trading service.
Key Features:
In my live tests, FXTM’s commission-free Advantage Account averaged around 2.0 pips on EUR/USD during the London and New York sessions, which is higher than some competitors. More active and professional traders may find better value with the Advantage Plus Account, which offers raw spreads from as low as 0.1 pips, sourced directly from the interbank market.
FXTM prioritizes reliability over flashy features. Traders have access to the dependable MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 platforms across desktop, web, and mobile, alongside a modern FXTM app powered by TradingView charts. MT5 delivers fast, intuitive execution, while the Pro Trader Tools plugin enhances market research and technical analysis.
For traders interested in social trading, FXTM Invest serves as the broker’s dedicated copy-trading platform, connecting investors with experienced traders. Skilled professionals can become strategy managers, build a track record, attract followers, and earn additional income through performance-based fees tied directly to the results they generate.
FP Markets is a strong option for traders who prefer managing positions on a powerful mobile app. Founded in 2005, the broker has a broad global presence and is regulated across multiple jurisdictions. Its mobile platform supports 70+ forex pairs, plus hundreds of CFDs on shares, commodities, indices, and cryptocurrencies.
Key Features:
The FP Markets mobile app covers the basics and then some. You can manage your account and get access to hundreds of forex, global share CFDs, indices, commodities, and crypto, plus practical tools like stop-losses, charting, and full funding controls. It’s a capable, all-in-one trading app for managing positions on the go.
From FP Markets’ desktop and web platforms, you can access an impressive range of 10,000 CFDs, which is way above the industry average across most categories, particularly forex and commodities, though most share CFDs are accessed through the Iress platform.
FP Markets also delivers above-average research. Its Traders Hub offers clear, text-driven fundamental and technical analysis from in-house analysts, plus third-party insights from Autochartist and Trading Central. Coverage spans forex, indices, and crypto, with an economic calendar and actionable trade ideas that genuinely help inform decisions.
FxPro is a leading CFD broker regulated by multiple authorities globally, including the FCA UK and CySEC. It offers 2,100+ tradable instruments covering forex, stocks, indices, commodities, and cryptos. All clients benefit from order execution in under 12 milliseconds, which is substantially faster than the industry average and helps give day traders and scalpers an edge.
Key Features:
FxPro offers a versatile platform lineup that caters to traders at different experience levels. Beginners and casual investors can start with the clean, intuitive FxPro Trading platform and mobile app, while more advanced traders have access to MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, and cTrader for deeper charting, automation, and algorithmic strategies.
In my live tests, Standard account spreads landed squarely around the industry average. Where this broker shines is at the top end: Raw+ and Elite accounts deliver meaningfully lower trading costs, which makes a real difference for active, high-volume, and short-term traders who are sensitive to spreads and commissions.
Another of FxPro’s strengths is its research offering. Traders have access to in-house analysis alongside an FxPro Squawk, powered by LiveSquawk News, which delivers real-time alerts on breaking news, economic data releases, and market-moving stories. There is also a full package of Trading Central signals and tools.
If you want a broker-built platform with serious depth, Swissquote is worth a close look. Founded in 1996, the globally regulated broker offers its proprietary CFXD platform, known for powerful charting and tools. With access to more than three million investment products, it’s best suited to experienced traders who prioritize advanced tools and flexibility.
Key Features:
CFXD is built for traders who like control without clutter. The platform is powered by TradingView, offering advanced charts, 80+ technical indicators, and flexible layouts. Integrated Autochartist scans markets for trade ideas, while advanced order types like OCO and IF-DONE add precision. I liked the deep customization, making it easy to tailor the workspace to your trading style.
Swissquote offers a strikingly broad range of tradable assets. Traders can access 400+ forex and CFD instruments across currencies, commodities, shares, indices, cryptocurrencies, and bonds. Beyond CFDs, Swissquote also provides millions of real stocks, ETFs, options, and other investment securities, making it a solid option for building a diversified portfolio.
The education offering is thoughtfully structured and genuinely useful. Content is clearly layered for beginner, intermediate, and advanced traders, with videos, ebooks, and regular webinars covering technical and fundamental analysis, risk management, trading psychology, and even value investing. It’s a well-rounded learning library that goes beyond the basics without feeling bloated.
For traders who prioritize research-driven trading, Tickmill is a solid, well-rounded option. Founded in 2014, it pairs strong regulatory oversight with a deep research lineup, including Signal Centre, Acuity signals, and market-sentiment dashboards. It’s a practical, data-driven toolkit designed to support smarter, more confident trading decisions.
Key Features:
Tickmill combines solid research, education, and platform choice into a well-rounded trading experience. Its research suite includes an economic calendar, detailed fundamental and technical analysis, market insights, AI-driven signals, and weekly video breakdowns that add context to major market moves, helping traders assess risk and spot opportunities more effectively.
Education is another strong point. Traders have access to articles, ebooks, videos, webinars, and the Bright Minds podcast, which breaks down practical trading topics in an approachable format. The material covers everything from core fundamentals to intermediate strategies, making it useful for both beginners and developing traders.
On the platform side, Tickmill offers flexibility. You can trade through the streamlined Tickmill Trader on web and mobile, or choose familiar platforms like MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, and TradingView. Extras such as MetaTrader add-ons and VPS hosting further support active and automated trading styles.
ActivTrades is a long-established broker that emphasizes asset depth, safety, and platform flexibility. Founded in 2001, it offers access to more than 1,100 global share CFDs, enhanced client fund protection of up to £1M, and low commissions. Trading platforms include MT4, MT5, TradingView, and the proprietary ActivTrader.
Key Features:
ActivTrades stands out for share traders, offering access to more than 1,000 US and European share CFDs with consistently tight spreads in my live testing. Fractional share trading adds flexibility to position sizing, while dividend adjustments on long positions make the offering more appealing for longer-term CFD traders.
The broker also delivers a strong platform choice. Traders can use the clean, web-based ActivTrader or opt for familiar platforms like TradingView, MT4, and MT5, alongside a capable mobile app. ActivTrader impresses with its intuitive layout, TradingView-powered charts, one-click trading, and advanced risk tools, including a progressive trailing stop.
Support is another strength. ActivTrades provides dependable 24/5 customer service via live chat, WhatsApp, phone, and email, with a callback option available. In my testing, responses were fast and agents were knowledgeable, making it easy to resolve issues without unnecessary back-and-forth.
IronFX is a solid option for traders who value choice and flexibility. Founded in 2010 and globally regulated, the broker offers four account types designed to suit different trading styles. With access to 500+ instruments on the reliable MetaTrader 4 platform, it provides a well-rounded and dependable trading setup.
Key Features:
My analysis shows that IronFX is a flexible choice for traders who value variety and accessibility. With no minimum deposit, it offers fixed and floating spreads, commission-free and raw-spread pricing, and swap-free Islamic accounts. Professional traders and money managers can also use the PMAM platform to manage multiple client accounts.
Beyond account options, IronFX delivers a well-rounded research experience by blending in-house analysis with Trading Central tools. Traders benefit from daily market breakdowns, short video updates, actionable trade ideas, sentiment indicators, and a streamlined economic calendar, all supported by a regularly updated blog that explains key market moves clearly.
Education is another area that impressed me. IronFX provides a structured learning ecosystem that scales from beginner to advanced, with step-by-step tutorials, multilingual webinars, video courses, and a long-running podcast. The content goes beyond basics to cover strategy, risk management, and trading psychology, making it a genuinely useful learning hub.
XM is a solid pick for swing traders because it keeps holding costs low and offers a superb range of supporting tools. The Ultra Low account offers swap-free trading on selected majors, saving money on positions held for days. The 1,400+ instrument lineup gives traders the flexibility to rotate between trends.
The XM Standard Account has wider spreads, but the Ultra Low account offers tighter pricing and swap-free trading on many popular instruments, which helps reduce holding costs for active and swing traders. Deposits and withdrawals are free, keeping non-trading fees to a minimum.
In my experience, XM stands out for usability and range. The clean web platform and polished mobile app make everyday trading simple, while MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 are fully supported for traders who want deeper charting, automation, and professional-grade tools.
Market access is broad, covering forex, commodities, indices, shares, and cryptocurrencies across both spot and futures CFDs. Research and education are also strong, with daily in-house analysis, Trading Central insights, and a live Reuters news feed. These are complemented by multilingual webinars and structured video courses that support both new and experienced traders.
US-based traders looking for a well-established forex broker should consider tastyfx. Launched in 2019 by IG, the platform draws on decades of industry experience and provides powerful trading software.
Key Features:
tastyfx keeps things focused by specializing exclusively in forex, and it delivers. U.S. traders get access to 86 spot currency pairs spanning majors, minors, and a wide mix of regional and emerging-market crosses. If you want one streamlined platform with broad FX coverage, tastyfx fits the bill.
Costs are another highlight. In hands-on testing, spreads on major pairs ranked among the tightest I measured, while swap fees landed better than the industry average. High-volume traders can further reduce costs through rebate programs.
The platform lineup rounds out the offering nicely. tastyfx’s web and mobile platforms impressed me with their clean design, fast execution, and built-in sentiment data. More advanced traders can also use MT4, MT5, TradingView, or ProRealTime for deeper charting and automation.
Plus500 has expanded into the U.S. with a futures trading offering built around its streamlined WebTrader platform. US clients can trade futures across forex, indices, commodities, bonds, and cryptocurrencies, making it a straightforward option for traders who want broad futures market access in a single, modern interface.
Key Features:
Plus500 US makes it simple for new traders to get started in futures trading with a low minimum deposit and its intuitive platform. WebTrader has a range of popular features, including watchlists, trading from the chart, and access to live chat support from within the platform. The design and UX are outstanding, really putting it in a class of its own. I especially liked how easy it is to flip between demo and live trading.
My hands-on tests showed that Plus500 US offers highly competitive trading commissions and minimal account-related fees. In addition to low costs, trading futures via Plus500 US has several important advantages: access to high leverage, ease of going short, and the ability to day trade with a relatively small account balance.
Traders can further benefit from excellent educational materials on the futures market, available in both text and video formats via the Futures Trading Academy. Easy-to-digest materials help new traders orient themselves in the world of futures trading.
A good forex broker is one that prioritizes your safety and offers trading conditions that enable, rather than detract from, your profitability. Essentially, it needs to be an institution you can trust that gives you competitive access to the world’s financial markets.
Here’s how we assess a quality broker, broken down into the key criteria that separate the best from the rest:
Since the broker holds your capital and executes your trades, safety and trust are non-negotiable. A good broker must be regulated by a reputable financial body to guarantee your protection.
Many brokers have multiple global entities with different regulations. Always confirm the specific entity you are opening an account with and what protections apply. We advise avoiding unregulated brokers at all costs: if they handle your capital negligently, you have no legal recourse.
To help you understand exactly how the broker protects your funds, be sure to check out our Trader’s Safety Kit: How to Protect Yourself in Forex and CFD Trading.
A good broker ensures fees don’t consume your profits. Fees are categorized into trading and non-trading costs, and both must be transparent and low.
The best way to test the broker’s fees is to use a demo trading account or open a live account with the minimum deposit first. Alternatively, you can check out the broker review at FXEmpire, where our team of analysts has already tested the spreads for you.
Guide to Broker Fees in the Forex and CFD Industry
A quality broker must offer industry-leading software that is reliable and highly functional. We always make sure that brokers offer the essential, industry-standard software that most retail traders prefer.
When we test the platforms, we look at charting, technical indicators, drawing tools, and platform design. Make sure you have enough tools and plugins for your trading strategy and fast execution of trades. You can also check out our list of Best forex trading platforms.
Good brokers provide choices to match different trading needs and capital levels.
You will find a variety of account types that vary by pricing mechanism, margin call, base currencies, range of available tradable instruments, etc.
To simplify the thing, we define to main accounts types:
In my experience, each account type may come with a different minimum deposit. Generally speaking, the higher the minimum deposit is, the better the trading terms, products, and services will be.
Investigate each account type thoroughly to find the one that best suits your needs. Usually, you can test each account first using a demo trading account before opening a live trading account.
While high leverage is awesome for boosting profits, it’s a double-edged sword because it seriously magnifies your losses, too. That’s why the best brokers, especially those regulated by top-tier authorities, keep things responsible by setting smart leverage limits (like the 1:30 cap for retail traders required by MiFID II). This helps protect newer traders from accidentally wiping out their accounts. (If you want to dive deeper, check out our guide on the Best MiFID regulated forex brokers.)
Seriously, be cautious with any broker advertising crazy high leverage (like 1:1000+). They are usually based offshore in places with almost zero regulation. That said, after testing 80 brokers this year, we did select thebest options for those looking to trade with higher leverage safely.
Before you jump into the deep end, make sure to read our complete guide to leverage and margin in forex and CFD trading.
It is wise to steer clear of brokers that aren’t regulated by a reputable authority, as there is no legal recourse if they take your capital and handle your funds fraudulently. Also, beware of brokers who promise high returns and that trading is easy.
Brokers regulated by well-established financial regulators have the highest level of investor protection and must follow strict rules to protect your capital. The safety of your funds should always be the number one priority.
Unfortunately, there are many scam brokers out there nowadays. You can protect yourself by adhering to the following:
Dan Blystone began his career in the trading industry in 1998 on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Later, Dan gained insight into the forex industry during his time as a Series 3 licensed futures and forex broker. He also traded at a couple of different prop trading firms in Chicago. Dan is well-equipped to recommend the best forex brokers due to his extensive experience and understanding of the brokerage industry.
Jitan Solanki is a professional trader, market analyst, and educator. He day trades major currency and index markets and focuses on swing trading US equities and commodities. A qualified Market Technician, Jitan also works with trader education and brokerage companies on various projects. These include market analysis, live trading events, and broker reviews. As an experienced trader and educator, Jitan brings all his qualities in action when reviewing and recommending brokers.
Having been a retail trader since 2013, Plamen has gained an in-depth understanding of the challenges that novice traders face today. His expertise is swing trading and day trading with a heavy emphasis on psychological and fundamental analysis. Plamen’s favourite trading instruments include FX majors and gold. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Economics and International Relations. Plamen's broad experience has equipped him with the expertise to recommend the best forex brokers.
In more than 15 years of trading in the financial markets, Vladimir dealt with a wide range of brokers and financial instruments. His career as a day-trader at a proprietary trading firm goes back to 2007. Later, Vladimir turned to longer time frames and became an independent trader and analyst managing his own portfolio. Using his experience, he helps traders find the best broker in his reviews.
Dan Blystone began his career in the trading industry in 1998 on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Later, Dan gained insight into the forex industry during his time as a Series 3 licensed futures and forex broker. He also traded at a couple of different prop trading firms in Chicago. Dan is well-equipped to recommend the best forex brokers due to his extensive experience and understanding of the brokerage industry.
At FXEmpire, we strive to provide unbiased, thorough and accurate broker reviews by industry experts to help our users make smarter financial decisions.