Straight-Through-Processing (STP) is a popular execution model among forex brokers. It means that traders’ orders are getting filled by the broker’s liquidity providers. In layman’s terms, whenever you place an order with an STP broker, it will be filled externally by a major investment bank, fund, or some other financial institution.
There are two advantages to STP forex brokers. First, access to deep liquidity usually means fast and precise order execution. And second, STP brokers do not act as counterparties to your orders. This means that they do not profit from your trading losses. In other words, the risk of conflict of interest between STP brokers and traders is greatly reduced.
With all that in mind, we picked the best STP brokers across several categories.
Our team of experts has identified brokers’ strengths and weaknesses using FXEmpire’s comprehensive methodology.
Now let’s dive into the selected brokers.
FP Markets leads the curve among STP forex brokers with its tight fees, wide stack of trading platforms and tools, and superior execution. I pored over its order execution reports and learned that FP Markets maintains average execution speeds below 40 ms. This outstrips the industry average of 60ms and demonstrates the broker’s access to deep liquidity.
Key Features:
FP Markets passed my price testing with flying colors. The broker keeps its costs on FX Crosses, metals, stocks, indices, and cryptocurrencies tight. The only outliers were the $13 EURUSD and $40 WTI trade costs I calculated using the broker’s Standard account.
Another highlight of FP Markets is its range of trading platforms. I personally recommend going for cTrader because it is the most well-balanced of the bunch. cTrader stands out with its intuitive charting, information-rich panel (which provides a comprehensive picture of your position’s parameters), and custom-built environments for copy and automated trading.
STP enthusiasts can also use FP Markets’ cTrader platform to obtain actionable trading signals from Autochartist. Those are integrated next to the order-placing window so you can learn about viable entry and exit levels, where to place your protective stop-loss order, and more. I consider Autochartist integration a great perk for day and news traders.
Over the past several years, Swissquote has carved out a reputation as the go-to option for STP traders seeking fast, precise order execution. The Swiss investment bank’s numbers speak for themselves: 9ms average order execution with a 58% positive fill rate. This makes Swissquote the premier choice for high-volume traders and scalpers.
Key Features:
Swissquote breaks the mold of STP trading with its access to deep liquidity. The Swiss investment bank provides more than 3 million investment products, including 450+ trading assets. I was also impressed by its diversity of contracts: you can trade FX, commodities, stocks, indices, digital assets, options, futures contracts, government treasuries, bonds, and more.
The company also held its own on the tradable platforms front. Swissquote’s proprietary CFXD station outclasses more conventional names like MT4 and MT5 with its superior charting. Scaling price action up and down is incredibly easy, while the high-definition chart visuals enable probing technical analysis. It allows you to zoom in on even the smallest price fluctuations – perfect for scalpers.
Swissquote’s prices are a different story, though. I observed above-average costs across the board, which is why I consider Swissquote best-suited for high-end clients who are willing to pay top dollar for Swissquote’s superior execution performance.
VT Markets appeals to beginner STP traders with its low-cost accounts starting from $100, favorable costs, and reliable customer support. VT Markets has also got you covered with its broad and diverse selection of learning materials.
Key Features:
If you want to learn the ropes, then you can turn to VT Markets’ video content library. It covers essential trading topics related to technical analysis and fundamental analysis. I also worked my way through a couple of videos dedicated to trading psychology and rated them very high. I found them very instructive on the topic of developing the right trading attitude.
VT Markets also deserves credit for offering a dedicated Cent account to traders who want to cap their account exposure. When you trade on a Cent account, your profit and loss margins are measured in cents, not in dollars.
Last but not least, beginner STP traders with VP Markets can use the readily available actionable trading signals by Trading Central. With just a few clicks, you can replicate them directly on your MT4 or MT5 platforms. Alternatively, you can replicate the trades of other, more experienced clients of VT Markets via the broker’s VTrade platform for copy trading.
If STP forex trading is the most popular execution model and MetaTrader 4 is the most popular trading platform, then IronFX is the best broker to sign up with and make the most out of both.
Key Features:
First of all, IronFX offers its clients the MT4 Advanced add-on package, which features dozens of technical indicators, drawing tools, and Expert Advisors (EAs) you can add on top of MetaTrader’s standard stack. The broker also provides free Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting for low-latency trading.
IronFX impressed me further with its diverse account types. In particular, the broker offers the MT4 MultiTerminal and PMAM Account features. Those are aimed at account managers and enable the simultaneous execution of bulk others. In simpler terms, your account manager can place the same order across all his or her clients’ accounts.
Last but not least, IronFX offers a massive 1:2000 retail leverage, which is unavailable with most other brokers in its category. It is up to you to decide whether you want to cap your market exposure with smaller leverage or use it in full.
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.
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.
At FXEmpire, we strive to provide unbiased, thorough and accurate broker reviews by industry experts to help our users make smarter financial decisions.