YWO Review 2025

Trust

YWO Regulations

When we review brokers, we look at the licenses held by each of their entities to understand how well they protect clients. We use a simple three-tier system to rank regulatory bodies, with Tier 1 being the most trusted and offering the highest level of protection.

This is what I discovered about the two entities operating under the YWO trade name:

• YWO (CM) Ltd is licensed and regulated by the Mwali International Services Authority (MISA) of the Comoros under license number BFX2025026. We rate MISA as a Tier-3 regulator.
• YWO (PTY) Ltd is licensed and regulated by the Financial Services Conduct Authority (FSCA) of South Africa under license number 54357. We rate the FSCA as a Tier-2 regulator.

How YWO Protects You

Brokers operate multiple entities globally, but regulatory protections vary. Some regulators enforce stricter financial standards than others, so traders should understand the safety measures of the entity with which they choose to open an account.

Here is how YWO protects you:

• Keeps client funds segregated.
• Guarantees negative balance protection.

However, it does not:

• Participate in a compensation scheme

To learn more about the most important safety mechanisms and how they apply to you, click here.

Stability and Transparency

In our Trust category, we assess how stable and transparent a broker is. This includes how long they’ve been in business, the size of the company, and how openly they share important information.

I learned that YWO has been operational for less than a year. According to the broker, the company employs about 30 professionals, which is relatively low. On the plus side, YWO’s legal info is easily accessible and sufficiently comprehensive.

I also discovered that YWO does not display live spreads data on the website, which prevents visitors from assessing the broker’s fee competitiveness. There is either no ‘contracts specification page’, which is where traders would typically learn about the trading parameters for instruments across different markets.

Is YWO Safe?

Although YWO is a newcomer to the industry and shows some gaps in transparency, I concluded that YWO is moderately safe based on the following factors:

• It is licensed by two separate regulators.
• Keeps client funds in segregated accounts.

Fees

YWO Trading Fees

YWO Spreads

I tested YWO’s spreads on 25 July 2025 during the London and New York opens. The results are shown in the table below:

Broken down by asset class and compared to the industry average, I discovered that YWO charges low spreads on forex and share CFDs, low-to-average spreads on indices, average spreads on commodities, and high spreads on Bitcoin.

YWO Swaps

A swap fee is a trader’s cost for holding an open position overnight because of changing interest rates. Swap long refers to the charge deductible or credit receivable for holding a buy position open overnight. In turn, swap short relates to the charges/credits deductible or receivable for holding a selling position open overnight.

The values listed below are for one full base currency contract (100,000 units).

Live testing revealed that YWO’s swaps meet the industry benchmark. However, overnight charges tend to fluctuate over time.

YWO Non-Trading Fees

YWO charges dormant accounts with an inactivity fee depending on the inactivity period. The fee is applied monthly until account activity resumes or the balance drops to zero. Additional information is available below:

YWO does not impose a handling fee on deposits or withdrawals, though third-party processing fees may apply.

Are YWO’s Fees Competitive?

YWO’s fees are generally competitive. The broker charges low-to-average spreads and average swaps, which are suitable for day and swing trading. There are no non-trading fees except for an activity fee that changes depending on the dormancy period.

Platforms and Tools

MetaTrader 5 Desktop

I tested the desktop version of MetaTrader 5. The charts, orders, and various instruments are located in easy-to-find places, and even first-time traders can quickly learn their way around. My only gripe with MT5 is that its charts feel rugged and outdated compared to newer, sleeker trading platforms.

YWO’s MT5 platform is available on Windows and Mac and supports 52 languages, including English, French, Spanish, German, Arabic, Chinese, and more.

MT5 features include:

• Alerts-Setting Option: Traders can set alerts for when the price of a given instrument falls/rises to a predetermined level, which could potentially signal a viable entry opportunity.
• Watchlist Customization: Traders can populate watchlists with their favorite instruments and track market changes more easily.
• One-click Trading: This feature enables instant market entries at the spot price and is invaluable for high-precision traders, such as scalpers.
• Trading from the Chart: Traders can place conventional trading orders directly from the chart, specifying the entry price, volume level, stop and take-profit levels, and more.

In my opinion, MT5 is best suited for automated trading via Expert Advisors (EAs). The platform also has an intuitive strategy tester, allowing experienced algo traders to tweak the parameters of their strategies so that they can be used under different market conditions.

Charts

I have broken down the available analytical tools and chart configurations below:

• 38 technical indicators: Including trend-based and volume-based indicators, and oscillators to analyze price action and assess market sentiment, helping predict market movements.
• 24 drawing tools: Tools like Fibonacci retracement levels and Elliott waves help identify price patterns, support/resistance levels, and breakout points. However, MT5’s design can make price action harder to interpret.
• 21 timeframes: For multi-timeframe analysis, enabling detailed price action analysis. MetaTrader 5 has one of the largest such offerings in the industry.
• 3 chart types: Price action can be displayed as line, bars, or candlesticks, offering diverse perspectives on trading opportunities.

As shown above, MetaTrader’s charts can quickly become cluttered, even with just two indicators. This can obscure price action examination and make it harder to perform detailed technical analysis.

Orders

MetaTrader 5 features three types of order execution: market, pending, and one-click trading, which supports immediate entries at the spot price.

I have broken down the available order types on the MetaTrader 5 platform below:

• Market Orders: Used for immediate entry at the best available price. They guarantee volume filling, though the entry price may differ from the requested price.
• Limit Orders: Guarantee exact price entries, but won’t be filled if the price doesn’t reach the trigger level.
• Stop Orders: They are used to support open positions by limiting the maximum loss that can be incurred if the market turns in the opposite direction. A stop-loss order is placed at a fixed price below or above the spot price. If the market does indeed turn and triggers the stop-loss, it will transform into a market order and get filled at the best possible price.

MT5 Desktop: My Key Takeaways

MetaTrader 5 is a decent option for fast and simple order execution. However, its dated and rugged design is inferior to newer and sleeker platforms. While I appreciate MT5’s impressive range of 21 timeframes (its greatest perk), I find its charting capabilities too rigid and cumbersome.

MT5 App

The MT5 mobile app is available on iOS and Android, enabling quick and easy access to the market on the go. It is very useful for opening, terminating, and adjusting open positions.

You can also use the app to place market, limit, and stop orders, as well as to adjust the exposure of your open trades.

MT5 App: My Key Takeaways

The MetaTrader app stands out for its convenience, making it an essential tool for adjusting trades, especially during periods of heightened volatility. However, I consider it cumbersome and not the best choice for analyzing price action.

YWO Execution Model

YWO operates as a market maker. Client orders are filled internally and are not routed to any external execution venues. The broker creates its own liquidity by acting as principal/counterparty to client orders.

Tradable Instruments

Compared to the industry average, YWO provides a low number of stocks and indices, an average amount of currency pairs and commodities, and a high number of cryptocurrencies.

What CFDs Can You Trade With YWO?

YWO Instruments: My Key Takeaways

I rate YWO’s instrument selection as decent and sufficient for retail trading and especially favorable for crypto traders who have a great range of options. However, it could be improved by adding some alternative contract types, such as futures, options, and ETFs.

Customer Support

Customer Support Channels

Customer Support Test

When we test a broker’s customer support, we evaluate the agent’s knowledge of their own website, how long it takes them to respond to questions, and how detailed their answers are.

I conducted my test on 24 July at around 10:32 CET by filling out a form from the client area and received a response less than 15 minutes later. I requested assistance with setting up a demo account with the broker, and the agents provided me with the relevant information.

Deposit and Withdrawal

YWO Deposits

YWO Withdrawals

Account Types and Terms

How Do You Open an Account with YWO

To open an account with YWO, follow these simple steps:

1. Click ‘Get Started’ at the top-right corner of the main page.
2. Fill in your name and email address.
3. Provide your personal phone number.
4. Choose an account password.
5. Declare you are not a citizen/resident of the US.
6. Verify your email address.
7. Provide the rest of your personal information.
8. Configure your account parameters.
9. Upload proof of ID and proof of address to verify your account.

YWO Account Types

*Round-turn per one full contract

Setting up an account with YWO is fairly straightforward. The Standard account is more affordable, given its lower deposit requirement, though it does not feature all the available instruments. In contrast, the Zero account features a more diverse selection of tradable instruments, but its $8 round-turn commission per traded lot exceeds the industry average of $6. Lastly, the Cent account is suitable for algo testing in real-world trading.

Demo Accounts

YWO offers a demo account that lets traders explore the broker’s available platforms and test their strategies in a risk-free environment. Since markets are always changing, it’s important to keep your skills sharp without risking real money. You can open a demo account before or alongside your live CFD account.

Swap-Free (Islamic) Accounts

YWO does not offer Islamic accounts for swap-free trading.

What is CFD Leverage?

Leverage determines a trader’s overall market exposure. When trading Contracts for Difference (CFDs), positions can be opened for a fraction of their value because of leverage. Essentially, the broker lends the trader money so that they can open bigger positions. Leverage multiplies the profits a trader generates from winning positions, but also the losses incurred from failed trades.

What Leverage Does YWO Offer?

In the table below, I have listed the maximum retail leverage available with YWO for instruments from different asset classes:

YWO Restricted Countries

YWO does not accept as clients residents of the U.S., member countries of the European Economic Area (EEA), Australia, Israel, Cuba, Canada, Iran, Iraq, the Russian Federation, or any other jurisdiction where trading with leveraged products is prohibited by law.

Research

YWO’s market research is limited to its social media posts on X, Facebook, and Instagram, which inform traders of upcoming economic releases and other market events. The posts explain at a glance the most important metrics associated with such events, and how they are likely to impact the market. Still, there is a lot of room for future improvements.

Education

The Bottom Line

YWO is a relatively new forex and CFD broker launched in 2024 and based in the Comoros Union. Regulated by MISA and South Africa’s FSCA, it offers a modest level of safety. The broker provides access to 170+ instruments, including forex, commodities, indices, shares, and a wide selection of cryptocurrencies, all through the MetaTrader 5 platform.

During testing, YWO impressed with tight spreads on popular forex pairs and share CFDs, no commission on the Standard account, and overall competitive pricing—especially appealing to cost-conscious traders.

That said, YWO has notable limitations. It lacks research and educational resources, which makes it less suitable for beginners or traders who rely on market analysis. Customer support is only available via a contact form, with no live chat or phone access. Features like copy trading, VPS hosting, and Islamic accounts are also missing.

While YWO shows potential with its low-cost trading environment and solid execution model, it’s best suited for experienced, self-directed traders who value affordability and already have the tools and knowledge to navigate the markets.

FAQ