Over the last decade, I have seen an explosion in the types of ETFs available to traders, covering every imaginable asset class and subcategory, from global regions to market sectors and themes. More markets mean more opportunities, which is generally a good thing, and the reason I have become a big fan of trading ETFs. But, and this is a big but, to trade them profitably, you need a broker that will hold your capital safely and execute your positions reliably and cost-effectively.
I know that it’s nearly impossible for a single individual to review the hundreds of forex brokers, but our team has done the painstaking work of thoroughly testing 330+ brokers, taking into account multiple categories, including regulation, platforms, and execution quality. Here is my selection of the best brokers for trading ETFs.
*AvaTrade doesn’t allow CFD trading in Spain; only Futures are available.
**80% of retail CFD accounts lose money.
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.
Founded in 2005, FP Markets is regulated by ASIC, CySEC, and FSCA and has one unregulated entity based offshore. The broker offers an excellent range of ETF CFDs available from multiple trading platforms, including direct market access.
ETF Trading Features:
FP Markets stands out as an ETF broker due to its direct market access (DMA) accounts through the IRESS trading platform. It offers access to over 10,000 stocks and ETFs directly from the stock exchange, resulting in lower spreads and faster trade execution. The IRESS platform has a learning curve but provides a professional solution to ETF trading.
Intermediate and beginner traders may prefer the 290 ETF CFDs available on the MT4, MT5, cTrader, and TradingView platforms. These platforms offer commission-free trading with competitive spreads. I find the TradingView platform an excellent way to trade stocks and ETFs. Moreover, it has a social feature that allows investors and analysts to share their trading ideas.
Founded in 2006, FxPro has Tier 1 UK and EU regulatory licenses from the Financial Conduct Authority and CySEC, respectively, and additional regulation in the Bahamas (SCB license) and Seychelles (FSA license). The broker offers a reasonable level of instruments for most traders, and a low minimum deposit for their raw spread accounts.
ETF Trading Features:
FxPro has solid all-around regulation, the most impressive being the UK’s FCA license, which, in my mind, has among the most demanding requirements for brokers globally. Because regulators such as the FCA restrict leverage for its residents, this can limit your leverage depending on where you live. That said, FxPro does offer much higher leverage on many trading instruments as long as your country’s regulators allow it.
It offers the popular trading platforms that most traders use, plus its proprietary WebTrader platform that integrates with TradingView charts (very useful given how many traders use TradingView). Although FxPro’s standard account does not have competitive trading costs, their raw spread accounts (Raw_ and Elite) with more competitive pricing are available with a minimum deposit from $100. They still are not the lowest spreads in the industry, but unless you are a scalper, you should be satisfied. I would not use FxPro for their standard account because of their spreads.
Their ETF offering is strongest in the equities category, covering global markets, sectors, and themes such as dividend equities and growth- and value-specific equity ETFs. FxPro offers plenty of instruments in traditional asset classes, e.g., Forex pairs, so I’d be surprised if FxPro doesn’t offer a market you want.
Founded in 2006, AvaTrade has regulatory licenses from Ireland (CBI), Cyprus (CySEC), Australia (ASIC), Japan (JFSA), South Africa (FSCA), Israel (ISA), Abu Dhabi (FSRA), and the British Virgin Islands (FSC) – a list that contains multiple Tier 1 regulators. It is a market maker/dealing desk broker, without direct market access.
ETF Trading Features:
AvaTrade has created a robust ecosystem for traders, with dedicated tools for copy trading through AvaSocial and DupliTrade, and a dedicated platform for options trading. It is not trying to be a standard broker with the lowest costs, but instead aims to offer supportive technology, access to other professionals, and education for traders who do not want to feel alone in their journey. For option traders in particular, the ability to manage complex options strategies is a huge bonus.
Some of their instruments have competitive spreads, and others are higher than the industry average. As I mentioned above, this broker offers a high-service experience, an internal dealing desk execution to control the execution process, and strong customer support. This is great for traders who want a broker that holds their hand. It’s easy to forget how much support we all need as traders, and AvaTrade closes that gap better than most other brokers.
Founded in 2008, I view Plus500 as the professional’s choice, with access to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) and top-tier regulation from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and National Futures Association (NFA), plus regulatory licenses in multiple other jurisdictions, including Canada, UK, Australia, the EU, Singapore, Japan, Israel, South Africa, New Zealand, the UAE, Bahamas, and Seychelles. Aside from traditional markets, Plus500 has entered the prediction markets.
ETF Trading Features:
Plus500 has a slim ETF offering, and it may not offer ETFs at all depending on your country of residence. But its strength lies in low-cost futures trading with access to the CME and a broad range of other markets, including crypto, indices, forex, commodities, shares, and options.
Plus500 only offers its proprietary WebTrader platform. Although that sounds restrictive, they have invested heavily in the platform to make it an excellent tool that’s intuitive, fast, and packed with trading tools.
The betting Plus500 allows in prediction markets is as wild as you’d expect; when I checked at the time of writing, I could bet on their platform on the US government confirming aliens exist or Taylor Swift’s wedding. I don’t know if it’s healthy for people to engage in prediction markets, but at least Plus500 traders can do it without opening a separate account.
The forex and CFD analysts and editors at FXEmpire bring together seasoned trading professionals and experienced financial journalists. Many of our experts have been featured in leading publications such as Investopedia and Forbes, and all of them combine strong industry credentials with hands-on trading experience.
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.
Huzefa Hamid is a multi-asset technical swing trader and market commentator. He began trading equities and equity options in the early 2000s before expanding into Forex and commodities, focusing on liquid instruments suited to technical analysis. A process-oriented, multi-timeframe trader, Huzefa specializes in support and resistance, trend analysis, and classic chart patterns. Drawing on his experience as a trader, broker analyst, and trading educator, Huzefa has a deep understanding of the brokerage industry, giving readers confidence in his broker reviews and recommendations.
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