*AvaTrade doesn’t allow CFD trading in Spain; only Futures are available.
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.
Renowned for its dedication to client satisfaction and delivering superior trading services, FxPro ranks among the best and most diverse financial derivatives brokers in the industry. The UK-based company was established in 2006 and offers more than 2100 tradable instruments across different markets.
Key Mac Trading Features:
FxPro achieves ultra-fast order execution speeds averaging 11 milliseconds. The broker also offers a variety of advanced trading platforms. The user-friendly FxPro Trading platform caters to beginners and casual traders, while the robust MetaTrader and cTrader are better suited for advanced and algorithmic traders.
Algo traders can enhance their performance by making use of FxPro’s Virtual Private Server (VPS), available against a monthly subscription of $30. FxPro clients can also access top-of-the-line market research content, including highly informative market breakdowns, trading sentiment gauges, featured trading ideas, and more.
I opened a Standard trading account with FxPro, which features a $100 minimum deposit, floating spreads from 1.1 pips, and no commissions. My tests revealed that FxPro charges low spreads share CFDs, Gold, and indices, while forex and Bitcoin spreads were less competitive.
Founded in 2005, FP Markets provides a range of excellent trading products and tools for professional traders. Regulated by ASIC, CySEC, the FSCA, and with one unregulated entity in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, professional traders can access multiple trading platforms and account types, including PAMM accounts, to trade on 850+ financial instruments.
Key Mac Trading Features:
During our live test, I found that FP Markets provides its own custom-built application to use MT4 and MT5 on a Mac. Typically, brokers provide only the mobile or web version for use on a Mac, so having this feature is a significant advantage.
I also found that the FP Markets client web portal allows you to access real-time trading ideas from Autochartist’s automated technical analysis scanner and market research from Trading Central. This means it is easy to access from a Mac and that you don’t need to download an MT4 plugin like with other brokers.
Professional traders can choose from various account types at FP Markets, all featuring ECN pricing. This pricing model delivers currency quotes directly from the interbank market and FP Markets’ liquidity providers. In the live fee test, I found the spread for EUR/USD averaged 1.1 pips, which is around the industry average of 1.0 pips for a commission-free trading account.
IC Markets is the ‘go-to’ broker for serious forex traders. Established in 2007, IC Markets is regulated by ASIC, SCB, CySEC, and the FSA Seychelles and provides access to trade on more than 1,700 financial instruments with some of the best fees in the industry and all from a Mac.
Key Mac Trading Features:
During my live test, I found that you can trade from a variety of different platforms from an Apple Mac. This includes the MT4, MT5, and cTrader web platforms, which can be accessed from any web browser, such as Safari or Chrome. The cTrader web platform is by far the most feature-rich, with access to Level II market depth, inbuilt economic calendars and news, a real-time chart pattern recognition scanner from Autochartist, and copy trading – all from the same platform.
IC Markets is recognized as the first-choice broker for high-frequency, algorithmic traders. Even though you can only access automated trading through one of the broker’s Windows platforms, you can still benefit from excellent trading fees and low spreads designed for short-term traders. In our live fee test, I found the spread for EUR/USD during the London and New York session averaged 0.6 pips which is much better than the industry average of 1.0 pips for a commission-free trading account.
Founded in 2006, AvaTrade provides an excellent range of trading accounts with low spreads to trade on over 1,250 financial instruments from a Mac. Regulated by multiple authorities globally, including ASIC, CySEC, and FSA Japan, it is a top broker to consider.
Key Mac Trading Features:
With AvaTrade, you can trade from the MT4, MT5, and AvaTrade web platforms. The broker does offer an MT4 and MT5 desktop solution for Mac, but this is simply the MT4/MT5 mobile app designed for an iPad. While it has limited charting functionality, it is easy to trade from. I was impressed with the AvaTrade Web platform. Easy to navigate and with a wide range of platform video tutorials, it is an excellent option for beginner traders.
During our live fee test, I found the spread for EUR/USD during the most active London and New York trading sessions averaged 0.9 pips which is better than the industry average of 1.0 pips for a commission-free trading account. With access to commission-free Forex, CFD, Spread Betting, and Islamic trading accounts from a Mac, AvaTrade provides a good offering for beginners.
Founded in 2002, XTB is a company listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange and is regulated by the UK FCA and CySEC. If you’re looking for a top-notch, superior trading platform to trade on 5,400+ financial instruments then the XTB xStation 5 Mac platform could be for you.
Key Mac Trading Features:
During our live test, I was impressed with the features and functionalities available from XTB’s xStation 5 platform. It can be used as a desktop app from a Mac or from a web browser such as Safari. Both provide the same features such as the ability to trade on more than 5,400+ financial instruments and competitive fees. The spread for EUR/USD in our live test averaged 0.85 pips which is better than the industry average of 1.0 pips for a commission-free trading account.
Having tested the xStation 5 web version from a Mac, I found it simple to use and easy to navigate. There are three different windows: one is the market watch where you can search for your instruments, at the bottom is the trading window for open and pending positions and then you have the chart window which has tabs that include news, calendar, education, and market analysis. The last tab has an excellent stock and ETF screener and a currency heatmap which I found useful to quickly see what currencies are strong and weak.
tastyfx is a new brand name of IG US and a part of IG Group. Registered with the CFTC and NFA, the broker offers over 80 forex pairs with low margin, competitive spreads, feature-rich trading platforms, and spread rebates for high-volume traders.
Key Mac Trading Features:
tastyfx offers an impressive range of over 80 forex pairs covering majors, minors, exotics, Australisian, Scandinavian, and emerging markets. In our live fee test, I found the spread for EUR/USD averaged 0.8 pips during the London and New York sessions. This beats the industry average of 1.0 pips for a commission-free trading account. Furthermore, the margin required to trade EUR/USD is only 2%. This means you only need to put up 2% of the total trade value to open a trade.
The tastyfx proprietary and ProRealTime platforms are available on Mac. ProRealTime caters to algorithmic traders and is a stand-alone platform. tastyfx Web Platform caters to beginner and intermediate traders. Browser-based and feature-rich, it offers one-click trading, sentiment data, market news, and trading signals from Autochartist. There are 33 technical indicators, 19 drawing tools, 17 timeframes, and 5 chart types.
Founded in 2008, Plus500 is listed on the London Stock Exchange. Regulated worldwide, including by the CFTC and NFA, over 50 futures contracts are available from the broker’s proprietary, user-friendly trading platform.
Key Mac Trading Features:
The Plus500 US Futures Trading Academy is an excellent resource for beginner traders. Both articles and videos cover the futures trading basics, such as understanding futures contracts, strategies, and risk management. The material is well-presented and easy to digest.
The WebTrader platform is browser-based and caters to beginners. A user-friendly interface makes it easy to search for over 50 futures contracts covering forex, cryptocurrencies, energy, metals, agriculture, equity indices, and interest rate markets. There are over 100 technical indicators, 11 timeframes, and multiple chart types with built-in live chat support from the platform.
In our live fee test, we found the spread for the Euro FX futures contract averaged 0.5 pips in the London session and 1.0 pips in the US session, beating the industry average of 1.0 pips. There is also a standard contract fee of $0.89 per contract, which is competitive among the industry.
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.
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.
At FXEmpire, we strive to provide unbiased, thorough and accurate broker reviews by industry experts to help our users make smarter financial decisions.