Best Online Brokers, best trading broker.

Best trading broker

If you trade derivatives, most of the tools are on the streetsmart edge platform, but equities traders will wind up referring to technology on the standard website.

Top forex bonuses

Most non-U.S. Exchanges charge additional data fees that increase your trading costs.

Best online brokers

Find and compare the best online trading platforms for every kind of investor

With so many different types of online stock brokers available to investors, it can be tough to choose one that works best for you. That’s why we put these U.S.-based online brokers through a comprehensive review process that included hands-on research to determine the best in the industry.

Best online brokers and trading platforms:

• Fidelity investments: best overall


• TD ameritrade: best broker for beginners and best broker for mobile


• Tastyworks: best broker for options and best broker for low costs


• Interactive brokers: best broker for advanced traders and best broker for international trading


• Charles schwab: best broker for etfs

Fidelity investments: best overall

• Account minimum: $0


• Fees: $0 for stock/ETF trades, $0 plus $0.65/contract for options trade

Fidelity earned our top spot for the second year running by offering clients a well-rounded package of investing tools and excellent order executions. It has continued to quietly enhance key pieces of its mobile-responsive website while committing itself to lowering the cost of investing for its clients. Fidelity joined in the rush to cut equity and base options commissions to zero in october 2019 but remains devoted to offering top-quality research and education offerings to its clients.   the firm also makes it easy for clients to earn interest by sweeping uninvested cash into a money market fund. Fidelity also shares the revenue it generates from its stock loan program, and allows clients to choose which stocks in their portfolios can be loaned out.  

Fidelity provides excellent trade executions for investors. On average, over 96% of orders for fidelity customers are executed at a price better than the national best bid or offer.

Fidelity offers a wealth of research and extensive pre-set and customizable asset screeners.

Your uninvested cash is automatically swept into a money market fund to help contribute to overall portfolio returns.

Some traders and sophisticated investors may have to use fidelity’s web platform in addition to active trader pro to access all the tools and research they require.

Non-U.S. Citizens or residents cannot open an account.

Traders and investors must manually refresh the data when using the website.

Fidelity has a wide offering of securities, but no commodities or options on futures.

TD ameritrade: best for beginners and best mobile app

• Account minimum: $0


• Fees: free stock, ETF, and per-leg options trading commissions in the U.S., as of october 3rd, 2019. $0.65 per options contract.

Best for beginners: TD ameritrade, one of the largest online brokers, has made significant efforts to market itself to beginner investors through social media. Work is still being done to further streamline its web and mobile experiences and make them more accessible to new users, but the resources new investors can already access are exceptional. Education is a key component of TD ameritrade’s offerings. You’ll find expanded learning pathways, ranging from beginner to advanced, to help clients understand everything from basic investing concepts to extremely advanced derivatives strategies. You can open an account and poke around without making a deposit, and take advantage of all the learning opportunities until you’re comfortable. TD ameritrade wants new investors to become more confident, and to trade additional asset classes as their skills grow.

Best for mobile: TD ameritrade focused its 2019 development efforts on its most active clients, who are mobile-first – and in many cases, mobile-only. TD ameritrade’s thinkorswim mobile platform has extensive features for active traders and investors alike. The workflow for options, stocks, and futures is intuitive and powerful. You’ll find lots of bells and whistles that make the mobile app a complete solution for most trading purposes, including streaming real-time data and the ability to trade from charts. The regular mobile platform is almost identical in features to the website, so it’s an easy transition. TD ameritrade clients can trade all asset classes offered by the firm on the mobile apps.

The education offerings are designed to make novice investors more comfortable.

TD ameritrade offers in-person education at more than 280 offices as well as multiple training pathways available on its website and mobile apps.

TD ameritrade optimized its traditional website for mobile browsers with a dashboard where clients can quickly access account details.

Streaming real-time data on thinkorswim’s mobile app is unlimited.

Some investors may have to use multiple platforms to utilize preferred tools.

TD ameritrade offers one of the widest selections of account types, so new investors may be unsure of which account type to choose when opening an account. More support is needed to ensure customers are starting out with the correct account type.

Investors are paid a tiny rate of interest on uninvested cash (0.01-0.05%) unless they take action to move cash into money market funds.

Tastyworks: best broker for options and best broker for low costs

• Accountminimum: $0


• Fees: $0.00 stock trades, $1.00 to open options trades $0.00 to close

Best for options: tastyworks officers say that more than 90% of the trades placed by their customers are derivatives, so there are a lot of tools for options and futures traders. Everything is designed to help the trader evaluate volatility and the probability of profit. It’s all about making decisions and taking action. Executions are fast and the costs are low, capping commissions for opening orders for options on equities and futures at $10 per leg.   as you build a position from a chart or from a volatility screener, a trade ticket is populated for you. There’s a video viewer embedded so you can keep an eye on the tastytrade network. Though a newcomer to options trading might be initially uncomfortable, those who understand the basic concepts will appreciate the content and features.

Best for low costs: the qualification for this award is simple: the lowest out-of-pocket costs. Tastyworks fits that bill well, as customers pay no commission to trade U.S. Equities online, and there is no per-leg fee for options trades. Tastyworks has a unique fee structure for options trades, charging $1 per contract to open a position, while closing trades are free. In addition, there is a maximum of $10 per leg for options trades, so traders who place large spread orders are happy.

All of the tools you’ll need for analyzing and trading derivatives are built into the tastyworks platform.

The charting capabilities are uniquely tuned for the options trader.

There are hours of original video from tastytrade every weekday, offering up-to-the-minute trading ideas, plus a huge library of pre-recorded videos and shows.

Newcomers to trading and investing may be overwhelmed by the platform at first. There’s a learning curve to climb.

There is no fixed income trading (outside of etfs that contain bonds) for those who want to allocate some of their assets to a more conservative asset class.

Besides profit and loss, any additional portfolio analysis requires setting up a login on a separate site.

Interactive brokers: best for advanced traders and best for international trading

• Account minimum: $0


• Fees: maximum $0.005 per share for pro platform or 1% of trade value, $0 for IBKR lite

Best for advanced traders: interactive brokers (IBKR) earns this award due to its wealth of tools for sophisticated investors and its wide pool of assets and markets. The firm makes a point of connecting to as many electronic exchanges as possible. You can trade equities, options, and futures around the world and around the clock. Interactive brokers’ order execution engine stays on top of changes in market conditions to re-route all or parts of your order to achieve optimal execution, attain price improvement, and maximize any possible rebate. The order routing algorithms seek out a speedy execution and can access hidden institutional order flows (dark pools) to execute large block orders. The wide array of order types include a variety of algorithms as well as conditional orders such as one-cancels-another and one-triggers-another. You can also set up conditional orders based on price, volume, daily P&L, margin cushion, number of shortable shares available, rebate available from the trading venue, and other factors.

Best for international trading: interactive brokers is the best broker for international trading by a significant margin. Interactive brokers allows investors to access 125 exchanges in 31 countries across the globe. This reach is combined with a massive inventory of assets and 60 different order types to plan your entry and exit from a position. Investors can also fund their account in their domestic currency and IBKR will handle the conversion at market rates when you want to buy assets denominated in a non-domestic currency. And, if all that were not enough, the quality of trading tools available through traders workstation (TWS) make it easy to execute multi-layered trades across international borders. Interactive brokers has won this category two years running, and there is no sign of that changing in the near future.

IBKR’s order execution engine has what could be the smartest order router in the business.

Interactive brokers connects clients to 135 markets in 33 countries and enables clients to trade stocks, options, futures, forex, bonds and funds from a single integrated account.

Algorithmic order types include VWAP (volume-weighted average price) and TWAP (time-weighted average price) as well as order types designed to minimize the trader’s impact on the price of a particular stock.

You can only have streaming data on one device at a time. This could be an issue for traders with a multi-device workflow.

The most advanced capabilities are restricted to IBKR pro clients and trades on that plan are not commission free.

Most non-U.S. Exchanges charge additional data fees that increase your trading costs.

Charles schwab: best for etfs

• Account minimum: $0


• Fees: free stock, ETF trading, $0.65 per options contract

Money is increasingly flowing out of the mutual fund industry and into exchange-traded funds (etfs). Some investors (and most robo-advisors) use etfs exclusively to build a balanced portfolio meant to walk the optimal line between risk and reward. To determine the best online broker for investing in etfs, we looked at research capabilities specific to finding the best etfs for a customer’s specific purpose. Top-notch screeners, analyst reports, fundamental and technical data, and the ability to compare etfs are the main components of this award.

Schwab is a full-service investment firm which offers services and technology to everyone from self-directed active traders to people who want the guidance of a financial advisor. It has a wide variety of platforms from which to choose, as well as full banking capabilities. It is, however, schwab’s ETF screener on the streetsmart edge platform that will capture the attention of ETF investors. The streetsmart edge ETF screener has over 150 criteria that can combine fundamental, technical, and third party data. The ETF screener is extremely customizable and your criteria combinations can be saved for future re-use. Schwab’s news and research offerings overall were also among the deepest of all the brokerages we reviewed, sealing up this category for the industry giant.

The streetsmart edge ETF screener is the best among all online brokerages we reviewed.

There are 16 predefined screens for the ETF screener which can be customized according to client needs. Results can be turned into a watchlist, or exported. The ETF screener is available to both prospects (pre-login) and clients using streetsmart edge.

Schwab offers its clients free access to news feeds from bondsource, marketedge, schwab investing insights brief, argus research alerts, briefing.Com, morningstar equity research alerts, business wire, PR newswire, credit suisse, CFRA, and vickers insider activity.

Premium third-party research is offered at a discounted price.

In contrast to the excellent ETF screener in streetsmart edge, the ETF screener on the schwab.Com website is very basic.

If you trade derivatives, most of the tools are on the streetsmart edge platform, but equities traders will wind up referring to technology on the standard website.

Schwab does not automatically sweep uninvested cash into a money market fund, and their base interest rate is extremely low.

What to consider when choosing an online broker

When you are choosing an online stock broker you have to think about your immediate needs as an investor. Are you a beginner? Maybe you need a broker that has great educational material about the stock market. Do you only have a small amount of money you can put aside to invest? Some online brokers allow for small minimum deposits which can be a great option for those with limited funds. Are you always on the go and in need of a robust mobile platform? Some online brokers have incredible mobile apps delivering nearly all the features that their desktop counterparts do.

Another important thing to consider is the distinction between investing and trading. When people talk about investing they generally mean the purchasing of assets to be held for a long period of time. These types of investments are usually made to reach a retirement goal or to put your money into assets that may grow faster than it would in a standard savings account accruing interest. Trading, on the other hand, most commonly involves the buying and selling of assets in short periods. Trading is generally considered riskier than investing.

All of these factors must be considered before choosing an online broker. Do you want to trade or invest? Do you want a great mobile app to check your portfolio wherever you are? What types of assets are you looking to invest in? Answering these questions is not always easy. You can check out our guide to choosing a stock broker to gain further insight so you can make a sound decision. Once you've made a decision on a broker, you can also check out our guide to opening a brokerage account.

Best trading brokers

Choosing from the many online trading brokers is one of the most important decisions for all investors who wish to be successful trading online. It is of paramount importance to use only the best trading brokers that are trusted, established and provide top trading brokerage services with suitable trading platforms, strict regulations, a wide range of assets for trading, flexible leverage, multiple funding options, first class customer support and more.

With so many online trading brokers providing a range of investment products to clients across the globe, day traders can be selective on which brokerage they opt to use depending on their own individual online trading requirements. To help both retail and institutional traders of all expertise levels find the best trading brokers according to their own needs, we have compiled detailed online broker reviews, ratings and broker comparison, based on our extensive analysis over thousands of hours across hundreds of trading brokers.

#1 best trading broker award 2021

Avatrade is an award-winning trading broker that is regulated in 6 jurisdictions offering 250+ instruments across multiple markets & trading platforms for web, desktop & mobile devices. They have low fees, tight spreads & rapid trade execution speeds.

Top 5 trading brokers

ASIC, BVI, CBI, FFAJ, FSA, FSCA

Min $100 deposit

FCA, CFTC, NFA, bafin, FINMA, ASIC, FMA, MAS, FSA, FSCA, DFSA, JFSA, METI, MAFF

Min $250 deposit

ASIC, FCA, DFSA, SCB, cysec, bafin

Min $200 deposit

Min $5 deposit

Min $200 deposit

Avatrade

#1 best trading broker award 2021

Avatrade is an award-winning trading broker that is regulated in 6 jurisdictions offering 250+ instruments across multiple markets & trading platforms for web, desktop & mobile devices. They have low fees, tight spreads & rapid trade execution speeds.

IG offer traders around the globe over 16,000+ markets including forex & cfds. They have a good selection of trading platforms, tools & educational resources. Spreads are tight, commission is low & execution speeds are fast. IG are also regulated in many countries including FCA, ASIC & NFA regulation.

Pepperstone

Pepperstone is one of the largest trading brokers providing traders worldwide access to trade across all markets with cutting edge technology, low cost spreads, low-latency high speed execution and award-winning customer service.

XM group

XM group is a multi-award winning globally established and regulated trading broker with over 2.5m clients from 196 countries offering no-requotes, low spreads, fast execution and negative balance protection.

IC markets

IC markets is the world’s largest true ECN trading broker offering over 230 trading instruments across multiple markets on the most popular trading platforms, delivering low spreads and high liquidity for fast trade execution.

How did we choose our best trading brokers?

The trading brokers research team have many years of experience testing, studying and analysing hundreds of online trading brokers. We have reviewed each broker and assigned them a rating according to our findings of what we consider to be amongst the most important factors when choosing the best brokers for trading online.

How to choose the best broker for trading online?

When choosing the best trading broker for your online trading needs, there are a number of things to consider. This ranges from the online trading services provided by the brokerage along with the regulations that they have in place which can help to offer investors protection and give them peace of mind. Here we will look at some of the key points to consider when looking for the best trading brokers.

Trading broker regulation

A reputable trading broker is likely to be regulated by an established and well-respected regulatory authority such as the FCA, ASIC or cysec. Regulation can provide traders with additional protection they would not get from an unregulated broker. You can check if a trading broker’s regulation is valid and up to date by locating their license number on the brokerage website and looking the number up with the relevant regulatory authorities.

Trading broker platforms

Each trading broker will offer a choice of trading platforms for you to use to trade online with. Most brokers will offer the metatrader platform which is one of the most popular platforms for traders of all experience levels. It is considered amongst the best trading platforms due to its user-friendly interface and vast amount of built in trading tools. Trading platforms are available for desktop, web and mobile devices. Make sure that the trading broker you choose offers a platform that you are either familiar with or one that is user friendly. You should also ensure that the platform is compatible with the devices you plan to trade on. It would be a bonus if the broker offers trading platform tutorials to help you learn how to use the platforms.

Trading broker markets & instruments

Different trading brokers will offer a range of different markets and trading instruments. Many markets can be traded online including forex, stocks, indices, commodities, energies, precious metals, bonds, etfs, cryptocurrencies and more. You should make sure that the trading broker you are considering offers the assets that you are interested in trading online and if you plan to expand your portfolio into other markets in the future, the more they have available, the more choice you will have.

Trading broker costs

When you trade online with a trading broker, you will need to consider the costs involved. The primary costs that most brokerages will charge are a trade commission, the bid/ask spread, overnight swap fee (rollover) and account funding fees. Make sure that you are fully aware of all of the costs that the broker charges and implement them within your money management and trading strategy. The best trading brokers in terms of cost will usually charge the lowest commission and have the tightest spreads.

Trading broker liquidity

Most trading brokers will utilise a combination of liquidity providers within their liquidity pool. These can range from global banks, financial institutions and other market makers. A liquidity provider by definition is a market broker or institution which behaves as a market maker in a chosen asset class. They quote both a buy and a sell price in a financial instrument or commodity held in inventory, hoping to make a profit on the bid-offer spread, or turn. Usually the larger the brokers liquidity pool, the better the trade execution speeds and tighter the spreads. Some of the best trading brokers will have a vast array of liquidity providers thus supplying online traders with tight spreads and fast execution speeds.

Trading broker leverage

Online trading brokers will usually provide traders with the option to trade a leveraged position. This allows traders to enter a position size greater than they would without it but also greatly increases the risk. If for example you had an account balance of $10,000 and leverage of 1:30, you would be able to trade a position size of $300,000 ($10,000 x 30 = $300,000). It is imperative that traders understand leverage and the risks involved before trading with it.

Trading broker order types

When you trade online you can enter the markets with a variety of order types including instant execution, pending orders, stop orders, limit orders, etc. If your trading style involves a specific order type then you should ensure that the trading brokerage supports that order type.

Trading broker tools

Most traders will require a range of useful trading tools to help them analyse the charts and manage orders. This can range from technical indicators for identifying trends and ranges to fundamental indicators such as an economic calendar to see what financial releases are moving the markets. The more tools offered by a trading broker, the more options the trader will have to support them with their online trading. Whilst trading platforms provided will have a selection of trading tools built in, the best trading brokers tend to offer a range of standalone trading tools to supplement these.

Trading broker educational materials

You will usually find that most good trading brokers offer a range of educational materials to help support traders with their online trading skills and knowledge. These educational materials can range from video tutorials, trading guides, glossary of terms, webinars, seminars, quizzes and more. If you are new to trading online or wish to learn more, then you may want to consider a trading broker that provides suitable educational resources.

Trading broker deposit/withdrawal methods

You will need to make deposits and withdrawals to and from your online trading broker account. Most brokerages will offer bank wire transfer and debit/credit card payment options. If you would prefer to use another form of payment then you should check that this is offered by the brokerage. Alternative popular forms of funding trading accounts include online payment processors such as paypal, skrill, neteller, etc.

Trading broker customer support

A trading broker should offer top quality support that is on hand as often as possible to answer all technical and general questions that traders may have. As brokers are located throughout the globe, you may wish to consider the time zone that their support team is available during and if that is convenient for you. You should also check if they offer a method of contacting them that you prefer. Most brokers will offer telephone, email and online chat support. It can be a good idea to test the support team before opening an online trading brokerage account.

Best trading brokers: online trading

What is online trading?

In a nutshell, online trading is when you buy and sell various assets through an online trading broker using a trading platform. Many markets and instruments can be traded online including forex, stocks, indices, commodities, energies, precious metals, bonds, etfs, cryptocurrencies and more.

What is an online trading broker?

An online trading broker is an intermediary who buys and sells trading instruments on behalf of its clients for a commission fee and/or spread mark up. They allow individual online traders access to trade the previously inaccessible markets through online trading platforms that they provide. In addition to providing an online brokerage account and trading platform, trading brokers can also offer other trading services such as educational resources, trading tools, market analysis, trading apps, social trading platforms and more.

There are hundreds of trading brokers located throughout the world with differing trading products and services. With so many trading brokers to choose from, it is very important to check if the brokerage is regulated and offers the online trading services that you require. We have a comprehensive database of trading broker reviews to help you identify some of the best trading brokers according to our detailed research.

What types of online trading brokers are there?

It is useful to know the difference between the types of online trading brokers. There are trading brokers who are market makers and others who are ECN/STP brokers. Market makers will usually not charge a trade commission but will take the opposite side of client trades and add a mark-up to the spread to cover brokerage costs. On the other hand, an ECN/STP trading broker will usually provide raw spreads that come directly from liquidity providers (LP’s) and charge a commission for trading online to cover their costs. To summarise, a non-market maker broker is usually preferable to most online traders as the costs can work out cheaper in the long run without the potential conflict of interest.

What markets can I trade online with a trading broker?

You will find that the best trading brokers usually offer a variety of different markets for trading online including forex, stocks, indices, commodities, energies, precious metals, bonds, etfs, cryptocurrencies and more. Online forex trading and stock trading is very popular amongst traders. Forex and stocks can be traded as contract for differences (cfds) which enables traders to speculate on the rising or falling prices of fast-moving global financial markets without actually owning the underlying asset.

How much do I need to open a trading broker account?

The minimum deposit required to trade online varies depending on the trading broker. Some brokerages require a minimum deposit of just $1 for online trading whilst other require larger deposits of $200 or more to start using their trading services. Most trading brokers will also offer a free demo trading account if you wish to try out the different platforms available and practice your trading strategies before opening a real trading account.

Can you make money trading online?

Trading online successfully can take years of study and practising. It requires immense patience, discipline and planning. There are no guarantees that you will be profitable by trading online so you should never trade with more than you can afford to lose and you must be prepared to accept the risks involved before you start to trade online. Most trading brokers will offer a disclaimer stating the percentage of their clients that lose money.

How to open an online trading broker account?

If you have made it this far then hopefully you have a better understanding of online trading and what do look for when considering the best brokers for trading online. Once you feel ready to open a trading broker account to trade online with, you simply need to choose a trading brokerage, complete the sign-up process and fund your trading account.

Need help choosing from the best trading brokers?

If you need help choosing from the best brokers for trading online, you can use our free online broker comparison tool to quickly compare online brokers based on regulations, minimum deposit, leverage, spreads, commissions, funding options and more. You can also read our broker reviews and choose from our best brokers, best trading platforms, best copy trading platforms, best social trading platforms and best trading apps. If you would like to look for the best trading brokers in a particular country, we have pages dedicated to our best brokers USA, best brokers UK, best brokers australia, best brokers south africa and best brokers canada.

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Best forex brokers 2021

Forex is one of the most liquid financial markets that attract more investors year by year. By 2019, the total daily turnover is equivalent to $5 trillion, having grown from $1 trillion twenty years ago. This knowledge makes it one of the most liquid and attractive financial markets with 24/7 availability. For successful forex trading, a trader needs to choose a “service provider”, namely a brokerage company. This choice should be approached thoughtfully and thoroughly. The correctness of this choice in the future will depend on your financial success. During this year we have written many articles in which we paid attention to the specifics of the work of brokerage companies. We worked for this score for a long time and now we would like to bring it to your attention.

• Cysec (cyprus)


• ASIC (australia)


• FCA (united kingdom)


• Bafin (germany)


• CNMV (spain)


• ACPR (france)


• AFM (netherlands)

• Leverage up to 1:888


• No commissions


• No fees on deposits and withdrawals


• Negative balance protection


• Wide range of accounts

• Inactivity fee


• Doesn’t offer services to residents in the USA, canada, israel, and iran

• Easy to start system


• Very solid and welcome customer support service


• Many deposit methods are available


• High leverage


• Offers zero spread account

• Inactivity fee


• Fees on some withdrawal methods


• No bonus offers are available


• High withdrawal fee for bank transfers

• FCA (UK)


• ASIC (australia)


• FSB (south africa)


• FINMA (switzerland)


• DFSA (united arab emirates)


• MAS (singapore)


• JFSA (japan)

• Stop-loss system


• Well-designed platform


• Over hundreds of markets to trade

• Retail clients are not allowed to trade on interbank


• Support & sales teams are willing to force you to fund an account immediately


• There are various fees are present

• FSCA (south africa)


• FCA (UK)


• ASIC (australia)


• JFSA (japan)


• BVIFSC (british virgin islands)

• Over five certificates from the solid regulators


• Multi-languages support (15), the user interface is available on 20+ languages


• Social trading features

• The US investors are not allowed


• No NFA’s certificate


• Various fees system


• There are not enough trading features


• Lack of deposit methods

• NFA (US)


• FCA (UK)


• ASIC (australia)


• FSA (japan)


• IIROC (canada)


• CIMA (cayman islands)


• SFC (hong kong)


• MAS (singapore)

• The US-based regulation


• 8 regulators’ certificates


• Very solid app and PC interfaces


• Great variety of currency pairs

• Lack of deposit methods


• Little leverage


• High fees


• The limited list of products

• High level of the minimum deposit


• Low level of the leverage


• Withdrawing from PAMM before the period comes will charge additional fees

• FSA (denmark))


• FCA (UK)


• FINMA (switzerland)


• ASIC (australia)


• DFSA (united arab emirates)


• MAS (singapore)


• SFC (hong kong)


• JFSA (japan)

• 8 regulators’ certificates


• High level of the max leverage


• Huge amount of currency pairs

• Min. Deposit over $500


• Specific trading platform


• Inactivity fee, high forex and other fees

• FCA (UK)


• KNF (poland)


• IFSC (belize)


• CNMV (spain)


• ACPR (france)


• Bafin (germany)

• High leverage


• Relatively fast deposit and withdrawal


• Good user interface

• FCA (UK)


• ASIC (australia)


• IIROC (canada)


• FMA (new zealand)


• MAS (singapore)

• High leverage


• No minimum deposit requirements


• Popular among traders broker


• Huge amount of currency pairs (over 300)

• 20+ years online


• Low level of min. Deposit


• Exclusive features in charting

The most common option in choosing forex broker

Every brokerage company has some criteria and average features to be compared. Let’s take a look at the main of them:

Affordability. Each brokerage company sets its minimum deposit threshold value for funding. Typically, this amount starts at $100. Novice traders must make a balanced decision for themselves on how much they can afford to lose. At the same time, you should pay attention to whether the broker fits for you, or whether you should choose another one that is more suitable, but with a higher minimum level of the first deposit.

Deposits and withdrawing. This option is no less important than the previous one. You, as a trader, should easily manage your funds and, if necessary, withdraw them quickly and without high commissions. The broker’s money returning duty determines its decency and reliability.

Market coverage. You have to check the availability of trading needed currency pairs.

Trading terms and trading fees. This option is very important because the appetites of forex brokers can vary dozens of times. Before you get started, you should calm down and calculate how much you’ll give to the brokerage company from the moment you start trading until withdrawing your money in a way that is convenient for you.

Trading platforms. There are many of them. They’re a sword and shield of yours. Depends on features that you allow to customize and working speed you’ll be able to experience which one suits you the best. Personal presets are a huge part of your trading success.

Mobile app. A lot of people prefer fully-automated trading robots. Their performance can be checked without a PC. It’s an important option that allows you not to work on a PC and be mobile.

Customer support. It’s a very important option, especially for beginners, but it’s hard to check it without directly contacting the support.

Reputation. It’s an important part because trading is all about trust. If you see people angry at the company, so, you can entrust your funds and feel that your money is in safety.

Regulation. Before getting started, you have to check how the brokerage company works with your country’s laws. A lot of them have got some restrictions. If you skip this step, you’ll probably be able to fund the account, but you’ll have a huge problem with withdrawing.

The base of knowledge. The solid brokerage company provides a lot of courses, as well as, literature and material to let you get a smoother start in forex trading.

User interface. Everything should be simple and predictable in order to help you to make quicker decisions and be a better trader.

Picking the best forex brokerage company: completed guide

Let’s describe more detailed some of the most important brokerage company’s features.

Market regulators

Here we go “regulation”. In our opinion, this is the most important and fundamental option in the broker’s work, directly related to how much investors will trust it with their money. Regulators are interested in the stability of the forex market and the transparency of financial transactions. Due to the huge volume of assets (more than $5 trillion), there is always a risk that drug dealers, arms dealers, corrupt officials, and other dishonest people and organizations want to use forex as a laundry machine for their capital.

We would like to note that there are several regulatory organizations. As a rule, the more solid and successful the broker, the longer it operates on the market and the more capital traders manage through it, the more organizations assign it an appropriate level of security and transparency.

The list of the most influential regulators look like:

• NFA (the national futures association) in the united states;


• ASIC (australian securities and investments commission) in australia;


• Cysec (cyprus securities and exchange commission) in europe;


• FCA (financial conduct authority) in the united kingdom.

There are other regulators, such as those based on offshore islands. We believe that companies that have received certificates in offshore jurisdictions cannot be as reliable as brokers who received them from our listed regulatory authorities.

Types of the provided accounts

There are few types of account brokers can offer.

The first type is a live account. You fund it and trade for real money. Everything you do on the account becomes your gain or loss.

The second type is a demo account.

Most demo accounts are designed to let new traders try the service, see how a brokerage company works and can test the application of various strategies before investing in real money in trading.

Platform for trading

Choosing a trading platform you’re most comfortable working with is no less important than choosing a broker. The main thing for the trader is not only that the platform lets you easily manage every day’s duties, but also the broker supports the work with this platform.

Ctrader and metatrader are the most popular across the traders’ platforms. Metatrader provides two versions of it: metatrader 4 and metatrader 5. These platforms are quite complicated for beginners. Ctrader is a wise simpler one and fits for every skill of traders from professional ones to brand new investors.

You should also pay attention to how convenient and fast the android or IOS based applications. It can be either a proprietary application from a broker or a metatrader one.

Forex broker types

There exist several types of brokers: market maker brokerage companies and direct market access ones. DMA brokers separated into two types ECN and ECN/STP.

Electronic communication network (ECN) brokers allow you to trade only between other traders. So if no liquidity is on the market, your trades will get slippage, and you get a requote. ECN system removes the base of the potential conflict of interests between a trader and brokerage company.

Using ECN allows you to trade throw large financial institutions or global banks. The traders got access to the interbank market directly to see a clear picture of what’s happening in markets.

ECN/STP. Straight through processing is the technology used by ECN brokers for placing trades on the market. FIX (financial information exchange) protocol uses to place orders to the counterparty.

The FIX protocol is needed to decrease the needed time for performing trades, reduces slippage and make sure that traders get the best possible price. Some of these brokers can prevent requoting and reduce slippage.

Depending on trades and trader account the system decides what performing method is the best for the customer.

STP is applied when there’s enough liquidity to a particular trade. If there’s a lack of it, ECN takes liquidity from the inner network.

ECN/STP combination allows traders to perform their deals faster.

Market makers (dealing desks). It’s a type of brokerage companies where the company becomes a market maker the brokerage company always provides needed liquidity but, as well as, always trade against its customers that can be a reason for a conflict of interests.

Conditions for trading

Leverage is necessary so that traders with small capital can benefit from trading. This capital gives loans to a liquidity provider through a forex broker directly to a trader to expand trading volumes. The trader himself or herself is fully responsible for these funds and their return. Leverage is usually displayed in a ratio format, for example, 100:1, which means that one unit of trader’s money for one hundred borrowed units. This also means that trading volume will increase one hundred times. Using large leverage significantly increases the risk of trading. In turn, many regulators can limit the maximum allowable leverage that a broker can offer its clients.

Spreads are measured in pips and show the difference between buying and selling one currency to another in a currency pair. This is a kind of brokerage commission for access to the market. You can also get a lot of very important information from the spreads.

For example, the closer the buy and sell prices are, the more profitable it’s for a trader to work with this broker for these currency pairs. That’s why, often, traders choose different brokers for different currency pairs.

Trading assets

The better than the average broker has got over 40-50 forex pairs to trade.

The hedging option is designed to have insurance in case of adverse market conditions. One of the most common strategies is direct hedging. Brokers themselves do not always support this option for their clients.

Scalping strategy

The scalping strategy allows the trader to profit from quick, usually associated with news, price changes. This strategy is designed to make a profit in a short period of time until the market calms down. Traders applying this strategy usually trade during the day and close all their deals in the evening.

Frequently asked questions

What should I do the first looking for the forex brokerage company?

First of all, you have to take a look at the amount and availability of demo accounts. The new investor has to know what’s going on in the market, how to customize metatrader or one of the other platforms. It takes some time before you get ready to fund the first real account of yours. Usually, demo accounts expire quickly, so you’ll be able to renew it (them) to practice more. During this period you have to read some books about trading strategy and you should pick one that fits you the best. As well as, books there are infinity video courses and various webinars from educational to “the next week trading goals” ones.

How do I know the brokerage company is good for me?

So… it’s the complicated question to answer to. First of all, if you’re a beginner, check the availability of demo accounts. The second one is the fees. It’s very important to know exactly from the start how much money you’ll have to pay from each, as an example, $1000 profit from the moment of having this amount of money on the account for withdrawing it by the payment system that fits you the best. The third one, check the broker’s certificate. You’d better start working with the forex broker that has got a certificate provided by the regulator from your area, where your country from in order to not mess up with financial regulators, as well as, the texas department.

These three are must follow criteria.

How often a brokerage company trades against me?

It’s the wrong question. The broker will be trading against you only if you’re willing it choosing a brokerage company with market maker type. If you’re not okay with that, ask the broker’s support to know what kind of the brokerage company they really are.

Where is a broker’s profit?

How we told before market makers get money trading against you. If we talk about all trading companies in general, all brokerage company makes money from the difference between buying and selling prices, as well as, for charging fees and commissions.

May I deposit my account by bitcoin?

Brokerage companies are interested in providing various payment methods for their customers. Usually, bitcoins are acceptable, but other cryptocurrencies are not. Don’t forget most of the brokerage companies allow withdraw only by the payment method you fund the account for avoiding money laundering.

Top 10 best gold trading forex brokers for 2021

Top rated:

Today, the search for a haven against inflation and protection against imminent losses in other investments like commodities, bonds, and stocks, has made the prices of gold to skyrocket.

If you’re ready to start trading gold, you have made the right decision and since gold is a very common asset to trade, we suggest taking a look directly at what we consider to be the top 10 of the best forex brokers in the world.

Otherwise, keep reading as we review the top 10 best gold trading forex brokers on the market.

Table of contents

Top 10 best forex brokers for trading gold

1. Hotforex

Hot forex is a leading gold forex broker on the market. This broker made it to the top of our list for a few reasons. Firstly, hot forex has one of the lowest spreads on the market for gold traders. The spread on gold is currently 0.19. Secondly, hot forex supports exchange traded funds (etfs). Whether you want to trade for the long or short-term, hot forex has all the trading tools to help you take profit without losing your trading capital to market forces.

What’s more? Hot forex supports both MT4 and MT5 trading platforms. The MT4 trading terminal doesn’t need any formal introduction. Undoubtedly, it is the most popular trading platform across the world. It is equipped with all the required features for even a newbie to start trading gold without any hassle. It is user-friendly and comes with lots of trading indicators.

With hot forex, you can trade derivatives on gold (cfds). This broker also has a demo account where beginners can create an account for free to begin their journey into the world of unlimited possibilities. There is no timeline for the demo account to be operational.

The minimum deposit requirement by hot forex platform is pegged at $5. This is decent enough for everyone to start making money off the gold market.

2. IG markets

IG markets is another giant you should consider creating an account to start trading gold. With IG markets, you can spread bet or even trade cfds on gold. Trading on spot gold is also possible with this broker. IG markets also has one of the lowest spreads on gold in the history of the gold market. As presently constituted, the spread on gold is 0.6.

Aside from gold trading, IG markets is also into ETF, shares tradings, and future gold. This broker supports the popular MT4 trading terminal and other reliable trading platforms, including IG markets prorealtime platform and IG markets L2 dealer.

If you are not very familiar with IG markets’ trading environment, they operate a demo account where you can create a free account to perfect your trading skills. The duration of the demo account is unlimited. Plus, the minimum deposit required to open a trading account and start trading to make real money is $300.

3. Etoro

Etoro is like a household name in the gold trading community. It offers CFD trading on gold and also exchange traded funds. Whether you want to trade for the short or long-term, etoro is equipped with a wide range of tools to help you take profit without losing your trading capital to market forces. Etoro is also highly regulated by the relevant regulatory agencies in the jurisdictions they operate.

If you want to add cryptocurrencies and forex into your investment portfolio, etoro is the best place to do that, as they also trade BTC/XAU. Their proprietary trading platform is equipped with so many attractive features, some of which are trading charts, trading indicators, and robust customer service team. Their customer service team is on the ground to resolve all traders’ complaints within the shortest possible time.

Additionally, etoro runs a demo account which you can use to perfect your trading skills. The essence of the trading account is to help you better understand the dynamics of the market so that you don’t make a costly mistake that may swallow your trading capital. What’s more? Etoro’s minimum deposit is pegged at $200. Once you fund your account up to this amount, you can start trading gold to make real money.

4. Admiral markets

Admiral markets is another gold trading forex broker you should take seriously. They support gold trading on CFD. Plus, they offer one of the lowest spreads on gold, which is currently 0.25. Admiral markets is highly regulated, and they provide tremendous leverage to aid you to reach your profit potentials on time.

This online broker supports exchange traded funds and gold futures. Whether you plan to be a day trader or you want to trade gold as a long-term trader, there is a place for you on the admiral markets platform. They support the popular MT4 trading terminal and MT5. Plus, they operate a 30-day limit demo account for newbies to learn the nitty-gritty of the market and become profitable traders.

Once you have opened a trading account on the admiral markets platform, you need to fund your trading account with a minimum of $100 before you can start trading.

5. Forex.Com

Another gold trading broker you should consider is forex.Com. This broker is highly promising and operates with a spread on gold of 0.35. To ensure that gold traders maximize their stay on the market, they offer spot gold and cfds. Plus, they support exchange traded funds.

Forex.Com has a proprietary trading platform to trade gold. However, its MT4 trading terminal doesn’t support gold trading. You can diversify your investment portfolio by also investing in cryptos, commodities, shares, forex, and bonds. In terms of platform security, forex.Com stands tall in this regard. It uses cutting-edge security measures to protect traders’ funds.

That’s not all; it operates a demo account that is entirely free to open. Before you fund your trading account to start earning real money, ensure you have perfected your trading skills and strategies with the demo account. Otherwise, you stand a chance of losing your money to the market. Thankfully, the demo account comes with a duration of 30 days, which is decent enough for you to learn about the gold market and how to make profit trading gold. The minimum deposit required by forex.Com is $50.

6. Avatrade

Next is avatrade. This broker is a leading gold forex broker on the market. You can trade gold CFD with avatrade. Avatrade has a spread on gold of 0.34, which is one of the lowest on the market. They also support exchange traded funds (etfs) and gold futures. Whether you’re a long or short-term investor, avatrade has all it takes to become a profitable gold trader.

Furthermore, avatrade supports both MT4 and MT5 trading platforms. They also have their proprietary trading platform, including avatradego and avaoptions. These trading platforms are equipped with all the required features for even a newbie to start trading gold without any hassle. They are user-friendly and come with lots of trading indicators.

With avatrade, you can trade derivatives on gold (cfds). This broker also has a demo account where beginners can create an account for free to begin their journey into the world of unlimited possibilities. However, the demo account has a 21-day limit. The minimum deposit required by avatrade is $100.

7. City index

City index is one of the best gold trading forex brokers you should consider partnering. With city index, you can spread bet or even trade cfds on gold and metals. Trading on spot gold is also possible with this broker. This broker has a spread of 0.5 on gold, which is very decent compared to other brokers.

City index doesn’t support gold etfs and shares. They, however, support gold futures. They also support the popular MT4 trading terminal and wetrader, so that those using the desktop computer can have access to trade gold wherever they live.

If you are not very familiar with the city index’ trading environment, they operate a demo account where you can create a free account to perfect your trading skills. The duration of the demo account is 12 weeks. Plus, the minimum deposit required to open a trading account and start trading to make real money is $100.

8. CMC markets

CMC markets is a popular broker in the gold trading community. It offers spread betting and CFD trading on gold. The spread on gold is 0.3. Whether you are a long or short-term gold trader, CMC markets is equipped with a wide range of tools to help you take profit without losing your trading capital to market forces. CMC markets boasts of a team who understands the dynamics of the gold market.

This broker has a proprietary trading platform, as well as the MT4 trading terminal. Their proprietary trading platform is equipped with so many lovely features, some of which are trading charts, trading indicators, and trading signals. Their customer service team is very professional; they resolve all traders’ complaints within the shortest possible time.

Additionally, CMC markets runs a demo account which you can use to perfect your trading skills. However, if you operate a dormant account for one year, you will be charged a monthly fee of $15. The essence of the trading account is to help you better understand the dynamics of the market so that you don’t make a costly mistake that may swallow your trading capital. What’s more? There is no minimum deposit requirement.

9. FBS

Another great gold trading forex broker is FBS. They offer trading on spot gold at a spread of 0.30. FBS is highly regulated, and they offer significant leverage to aid you to reach your profit potentials on time. Unlike other brokers, they do not offer shares and ETF trading.

Whether you plan to be a day trader or you want to trade gold as a long-term trader, there is a place for you on the FBS platform. They support the popular MT4 trading terminal and MT5. They also have their proprietary trading platform known as FBS trader. Plus, they operate a 90-day limit demo account for newbies to learn the nitty-gritty of the market and become profitable traders.

Once you have opened a trading account on the admiral markets platform, you need to fund your trading account with a minimum of $1 before you can start trading.

10. Plus500

The last but not the least broker is plus500. This broker is recommended if you want to be on top of your game. In fact, with this trader, you can become a profitable trader in less than 3 months. This broker is highly promising and offers CFD trading on gold. To ensure that gold traders maximize their stay on the market, they also provide etfs and gold futures.

Plus500 has a proprietary trading platform to trade gold. You can diversify your investment portfolio by also investing in cryptos, commodities, shares, forex, and bonds. Plus500 uses cutting-edge security measures to protect traders’ funds.

That’s not all; it operates an unlimited demo account that is entirely free to open. Before you fund your trading account to start earning real money, ensure you have perfected your trading skills and strategies with the demo account. Otherwise, you stand a chance of losing your money to the market. The minimum deposit required plus500 is $50.

Comparison among best gold forex brokers

Find below a comparison table showing the differences and similarities of each of the 10 gold forex brokers.

Brokers	gold CFD	gold spot	gold future contract	gold etfs	gold shares
hotforex	yes	no	no	yes	no
IG markets	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
etoro	yes	no	no	yes	no
admiral markets	yes	no	yes	yes	no
forex.Com	yes	yes	no	yes	no
avatrade	yes	no	yes	yes	no
city index	yes	no	yes	no	no
CMC markets	yes	no	no	yes	no
FBS	no	yes	no	no	no
plus500	yes	no	yes	yes	no

Ways to trade gold: types of gold assets

There are 7 types of gold assets. Find below the types of gold assets and a brief explanation for each.

Real gold

Real gold is a form of currency. The acceptable trading symbol internationally is XAU. Real gold can serve as a hedge against inflation. It is a safe-haven for most other financial instruments. Investment in real gold can potentially increase not just your worth alone, but protect you in times of economic uncertainties.

Gold spot

This describes the current price of gold. Transactions involving gold spot are usually instant and don’t wait until a future date. In other words, unlike other markets, a gold spot market is traded instantly for you to either make a profit or a loss.

Gold as CFD

Gold cfds are a useful tool in the hands of a trader to speculate the price changes of gold. Depending on the direction of gold prices, you can buy or sell some units of gold instead of purchasing the gold itself.

Gold as future contract

These are contracts terms on which you can trade gold. Under gold futures, the contract terms are stipulated in the present but are valid until a predetermined date in the future.

Gold options

Gold options are ways in you can also invest in gold. Under gold options, you have the right to either buy or sell gold security at a predetermined price on a specific date. Plus, as a trader, you are not under any obligation to buy or sell.

Gold etfs

Etfs stand for exchange-traded funds. Therefore, gold etfs are financial instruments that provide investors with a diversified portfolio and low-cost way of investing in gold instead of buying the physical gold itself. Gold etfs compose of the following tradeable subsets:

• Exchange-traded notes (etns)


• Closed-end funds (cefs)


• Exchange-traded funds (etfs)

Gold industry shares

Gold industry shares allow investors to invest directly in a company that is into gold mining or any other gold-related activities. The value of your investment in gold rises or falls when the actual prices of gold also rise or fall.

In other words, the value of these shares largely depends on the present price gold at any point in time.

How to choose a broker for trading gold

Before you choose a broker, there are some factors you should consider. When you get it right in your choice of a broker, you are already on your way to financial freedom. If you make a wrong decision – you end up losing your hard-earned money.

So, how do you know a genuine broker that has the interest of her traders at heart? While it might be pretty difficult to pick a broker from the surface, you should consider the factors below strongly:

• Reputation and experience: you don’t want to trade with a broker that is not reputable or that just launched its trading platform yesterday. The first thing to check in any broker you are interested in is their reputation and experience. Ensure their team members have a proven track record of achieving success in the gold market. Go through their website to read customers’ testimonies and also read review sites about them. If all the indicators are positive, then you won’t make a mistake.


• Multiple trading assets: believe it or not, diversifying your investment portfolio is the best way to be financially free. Choose a broker that would enable you to trade different gold bullion or financial assets. For instance, you should be able to trade gold and at the same time dip your feet in cryptocurrencies or stocks.


• Price and fees: another significant consideration is the fees charged by the broker. If the fee is on the high side, it will take a toll on your profit, and you would not have much to take home.

If you can check the boxes in all the areas of above, you are well on your way to the top.

Why is gold a wise investment choice?

Are you wondering why you should invest in gold? Then you are not alone. There are thousands, if not millions, of gold enthusiasts that are seeking answers to this question too.

These are a few of the reasons why gold is considered a wise investment choice, among other reasons:

• The value of gold is usually determined every day of the week, but the market. This makes investment in gold very lucrative.


• There is also the issue of market instability due to factors like political unrest and interest rates. Investing in gold is immune to all of these.


• Another reason why gold is considered a wise investment decision is the fact that gold serves as a hedge against inflation. Inflation can affect the money you keep in the bank, but when you use that same money to buy gold, the value remains untouched whether there is inflation in the land or not.


• Gold trades are bass on current market sentiments, which means buying gold has the potential to increase your trading capital.

Pros and cons for trading gold online

This section will explain the benefits and drawbacks of investing in gold. Let’s start with the benefits of investing in gold first:

Best UK trading platforms 2021

To buy shares of UK stocks like royal dutch shell (RDSA), unilever (ULVR), HSBC (HSBA), or astrazeneca (AZN), you will need an online trading platform.

Choosing the right online broker is important. Each share dealing platform charges different fees while offering various investment options, trading tools, and market research.

For our 2021 review, we spent over 100 hours assessing different UK share dealing accounts. In total, 46 individual variables were assessed to find the best online broker.

Best UK trading platforms for 2021

• IG - best overall platform


• Interactive brokers - best for research and professionals


• Saxo markets - best online trading platform


• Finecobank - excellent pricing


• Hargreaves lansdown - most investment options


• Interactive investor - balanced offering


• DEGIRO - best for low costs

Best overall | visit site

IG is our top UK broker in 2021 thanks to its brilliant online trading platform. Rates are low, trading tools and research are excellent, and the platform is easy to use. Read full review

Best for research and professionals | visit site

Professional traders are brilliantly serviced with the trading tools, range of investments, and capabilities of interactive brokers. Meanwhile, less-experienced traders can still take advantage of the low commissions and excellent research through the web-based client portal platform. Read full review

Best online trading platform | visit site

Saxo markets offers UK residents an excellent share dealing experience by combining the brilliant saxotradergo trading platform with over 30,000 international products to trade across 36 global exchanges. The one downside of saxo markets is the pricing, which is substantially higher than most UK competitors. Read full review

Excellent pricing | visit site

Finecobank is a great share dealing option for price-conscious traders who don’t require educational materials or research reports. Finecobank charges only £2.95 for UK shares and etfs, $3.95 for US stocks and etfs, and €3.95 for european stocks and etfs. Read full review

Most investment options | visit site

Hargreaves lansdown provides a thorough selection of investment options, high-quality research (some of which is in-house), alongside an easy to use mobile app. Conversely, pricing is expensive, and charting tools and educational resources are just average. Read full review

Balanced offering | visit site

Interactive investor is a good choice for investors who desire research reports and in-house recommendations for funds. Costs struggle to remain competitive for fund traders and active share dealers. Read full review

Best for low costs | visit site

DEGIRO offers cheap stock trading on a modest trading platform, charging only £1.75 + 0.014% per trade, with a maximum charge of £5.00. Fees for trading funds are more costly. Fees aside, DEGIRO does not offer ISA or SIPP accounts and lags competitors in fundamental research and education. Read full review

Best trading platform UK rankings

Scored on 419 data points, here's our final rankings for 2021, sorted by overall rank.

Other trading platforms

Beyond the seven uk stock brokers listed above, there were five other platforms we reviewed: barclays, AJ bell youinvest, lloyds bank, etoro, and halifax. Here's our high-level takeaways for each broker.

Barclays, "barclays smart investor offers average share dealing commissions (£6 per trade) alongside a good selection of research tools and education. However, there is no dedicated mobile app for share dealing, and the trading tools offered are just average."

AJ bell youinvest (visit site), "AJ bell youinvest offers a mediocre trading platform and decent research tools, including in-house articles and videos. Ultimately, AJ bell struggles to deliver value in the UK market against brokers that offer a better platform at a lower price point."

Lloyds bank, "lloyds bank can deliver value to the passive fund trader, who places a few fund trades each year and requires little research. Outside of this customer mold, lloyds quickly becomes expensive (stock trades cost £8 - £11) and can’t provide the same trading tools or research as top UK brokers."

Etoro (visit site), "etoro is great for traders seeking zero-commission stock and ETF trades, an efficient platform, and access to copy trading. That said, there are hidden fees, education is sub-par, and etoro doesn't offer the same range of investments as traditional brokers." read full review

Halifax, "halifax offers competitive pricing for passive fund traders but quickly becomes expensive for those who trade stocks at least once a month. Halifax provides no dedicated mobile application and, overall, is average compared to industry leaders."

Winner: IG

IG is our top UK broker in 2021 thanks to its brilliant online trading platform. Rates are low, trading tools and research are excellent, and the platform is easy to use.

• Pricing: IG's share dealing rates are the cheapest of all brokers offering ISA/SIPP accounts. The commission per trade (shares) would be £8 if 0-2 trades were placed in the previous month. If three or more trades were made, the rate is only £3. IG offers free trades on U.S. Shares for traders that placed three or more trades in the previous month. The commission for U.S. Shares would be £10 if 0-2 trades were placed in the last month.


• Trading platform: IG’s share dealing platform offers html5 charts, numerous technical indicators and drawing tools, and excellent usability.


• Investments: IG enables investors to trade over 12,000 shares across 19 international exchanges, etfs, investment trusts, and funds. In addition to traditional share dealing accounts, SIPP and ISA accounts are also offered, which is an essential distinction over competitors such as DEGIRO, finecobank, and interactive brokers.

IG online trading platform shares watch list

Runner-up: interactive brokers

Professional traders are brilliantly serviced with the trading tools, range of investments, and capabilities of interactive brokers. Meanwhile, less-experienced traders can still take advantage of the low commissions and excellent research through the web-based client portal platform.

• Pricing: with both tiered and fixed commission structures, interactive brokers can be one of the cheapest options available, especially for professionals, depending on trading volume and frequency. However, the casual trader must consider inactivity fees, which can be as high as USD 20 per month, for not reaching the minimum monthly commission quota.


• Trading platform: trader workstation (TWS), interactive brokers’ downloadable platform, is packed with dozens of industry-leading tools professionals and institutions will appreciate. For inexperienced investors, the client portal web-based platform is straightforward and powerful enough to use as a trading platform, thanks to the fundamentals explorer tool.


• Investments: while interactive brokers does not offer ISA/SIPP accounts directly to UK residents, globally, customers can trade across more than 135 international markets in 33 countries. In addition to stock trading, interactive brokers offers etfs, funds, investment trusts, warrants, options, futures, forex, bonds, and cfds.

Interactive brokers online trading platform shares quote

Which trading platform is best for beginners UK?

IG is an excellent broker for beginners, offering an easy to use trading platform and mobile app, thorough educational content for beginners, and a variety of quality research for stocks and funds. Lastly, IG's share dealing rates are the cheapest of all brokers offering ISA and SIPP accounts.

What UK stock broker offers the lowest fees?

For low cost share dealing in the UK, DEGIRO and finecobank offer the lowest fees overall. DEGIRO's fee for trading individual shares in the UK is £1.75 + 0.014% per trade, with a maximum charge of £5.00. Finecobank charges £2.95 for UK shares and etfs. Neither DEGIRO or finecobank charges any inactivity fees or imposes any minimum monthly commission requirements.

What are the best UK stock trading apps?

Saxo markets, interactive brokers, and IG all offer brilliant stock trading apps that include numerous trading tools for share dealing. Meanwhile, hargreaves lansdown offers a comprehensive, easy to use mobile app that is great for everyday share investors. Compare saxo markets vs IG vs interactive brokers vs hargreaves lansdown.

What is the best trading platform in the UK?

The saxotradergo platform from saxo markets is the best online trading platform in the UK. Saxotradergo comes loaded with trading tools and excellent usability, regardless of whether you are a beginner or seasoned trader. Like the saxotradergo web platform, the saxotradergo mobile app is also brilliant. The one downside of saxo markets is pricing, which is more expensive than most UK brokers.

How do you choose a share dealing platform?

When choosing a share dealing platform, first consider the investment and account options available. For example, not all UK brokers offer ISA and SIPP accounts, nor do all UK brokers support US shares trading. Next, compare the trading fees and any monthly or quarterly account fees. Finally, assess the trading platforms themselves by comparing the mobile apps, trading tools, and available market research.

How do I buy stocks online in the UK?

To buy stocks online, first, you must select a UK broker, then open and fund the account. Next, research the stocks you want to buy using the trading tools and market research provided with the online trading platform. Once you choose a stock to buy, fill out the order ticket with the number of shares you want to purchase, then place your trade. Congratulations, you now own shares of stock.

What is an ISA?

An individual savings account is a means of tax-free saving and investing. Currently, for the 2019/20 tax year, an individual can save up to a maximum of £20,000, which can be held in a stocks and shares ISA, a cash ISA, a junior ISA, an innovative finance ISA, a lifetime ISA, or in a “mix and match” combination of these.

What is a SIPP?

A self-invested personal pension (SIPP) is a tax-efficient means of saving funds for retirement in the UK. Sipps are government approved and enable individuals to make their own investment decisions. Unlike more traditional pension models where investment choice is often restricted to a limited number of funds, a SIPP offers investors the ability to self-direct their investments.

Methodology

For the 2021 stockbrokers.Com UK review we assessed, rated, and ranked twelve UK share dealing platforms. Each broker was graded on 46 different variables and, in total, over 14,000 words of research were produced. Our rigorous data validation process yields an error rate of less than .001% each year, providing site visitors with quality data they can trust. Our team.

About the author: steve miley with 25 years of experience in institutional financial markets, steve has won multiple technical analyst magazine awards, including "best independent fixed income" and "best FX research." alongside stockbrokers.Com, steve is the founder of the market chartist where he provides market research for institutional clients.

About the author: blain reinkensmeyer as head of research at stockbrokers.Com, blain reinkensmeyer has 18 years of trading experience with over 1,000 trades placed during that time. Referenced as a leading expert on the US online brokerage industry, blain has been quoted in the wall street journal, the new york times, and the chicago tribune, among others.

All pricing data was obtained from a published web site as of 12/24/2020 and is believed to be accurate, but is not guaranteed. The stockbrokers.Com UK staff is constantly working with its online broker representatives to obtain the latest pricing data. If you believe any data listed above is inaccurate, please contact us using the link at the bottom of this page.

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Best day trading platforms for 2021

The stockbrokers.Com best online brokers 2021 review (11th annual) took three months to complete and produced over 40,000 words of research. Here's how we tested.

A day trade is when you buy shares of a stock then sell the same shares before the market closes. Because day traders place far more trades than the average investor, keeping costs low is just as important as buying and selling (or shorting and covering) for a profit.

Having placed over 2,500 trades, I know first hand that having a reliable day trading platform stocked with the trading tools you need is crucial to success.

For our 2021 review, we tested and scored 11 different online brokers. To find the best day trading platform, we focused on both web and desktop platforms and assessed each platform across 55 different features. Alongside tools, we also took into consideration the costs of trading, including margin rates and order execution quality.

What is day trading?

Day trading is a strategy in which a trader buys and sells stocks throughout the trading day. The goal is to end each trading session with a net profit after commissions. Day traders primarily trade during the opening 60 minutes (9:30 - 10:30 AM EST) and closing 30 minutes (3:30 - 4:00 PM EST) of each market session, which is when price volatility is highest.

Best day trading platforms 2021

Here's a breakdown of the best online brokers for day trading.

• Fidelity - best order execution


• Tradestation - best platform technology


• TD ameritrade - best desktop platform


• Interactive brokers - best for professionals


• E*TRADE - best web-based platform

Best order execution

Of the eleven brokers we tested for 2021, hands down, fidelity offers the best order execution quality. Fidelity is the only broker to offer $0 trades and not accept payment for order flow (PFOF), resulting in price improvement above and beyond what other brokers can offer. Pricing aside, fidelity's trading platform, active trader pro (ATP), isn't quite as rich with tools as several competitors, but it gets the job done well. Read full review

Best platform technology

As a trading technology leader, tradestation shines, offering a powerhouse platform across desktop, web, and mobile. Tools in the tradestation arsenal include radar screen (real-time streaming watch lists with 335 customizable columns), charting (290 technical indicators), scanner (custom screening), matrix (ladder trading), and walk-forward optimizer (advanced strategy testing), among others. Read full review

Best desktop platform

TD ameritrade's desktop trading platform, thinkorswim, is our no. 1 desktop platform for 2021 and is home to an impressive array of tools. Highlights include paper trading, earnings analyzer (my personal favorite earnings analysis tool), charts with 489 optional indicators (you can even create your own custom candlestick patterns), backtesting, and even replaying historical markets tick-by-tick. Oh, and thinkorswim for mobile is just as impressive. Read full review

Best for professionals - open account
exclusive offer: new clients that open an account today receive a special margin rate.

The interactive brokers trader workstation (TWS) trading platform offers the largest selection of order types, enabling traders to place every possible trade imaginable, including algorithmic orders. Popular among institutions, including hedge funds, TWS is not beginner-friendly, but for traders who use margin, interactive brokers offers the lowest margin rates in the industry. Focused on professionals, interactive brokers requires a $100,000 minimum deposit for margin accounts. Read full review

Best web-based platform

While E*TRADE lacks a desktop platform, it offers an excellent web-based trading platform, power E*TRADE. Power E*TRADE (also terrific for mobile) cannot go toe-to-toe with the other trading platforms in total tools and customizability. However, power E*TRADE provides ease of use and the core trading tools needed for day traders to succeed. Day trading aside, it is our favorite platform for options trading in 2021. Read full review

Day trading platforms comparison

Popular day trading platform tools include ladder trading, level II quotes, trade hot keys, direct market routing, stock alerts, streaming time & sales, customizable watch lists, and backtesting, among many others.

Below you can find a trading platform comparison table of common tools and features. For a full comparison of 150+ features, use our comparison tool.

Feature	fidelity	tradestation	TD ameritrade	interactive brokers open account	E*TRADE
stock alerts - basic fields	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
stock alerts - advanced fields	yes	yes	yes	no	no
streaming time & sales	no	yes	yes	yes	yes
streaming TV	yes	no	yes	yes	yes
direct market routing - stocks	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
direct market routing - options	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
ladder trading	no	yes	yes	yes	no
trade hot keys	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
level 2 quotes - stocks	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
level 2 quotes - options	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
trade ideas - backtesting	yes	yes	yes	yes	no
short locator	yes	yes	no	yes	no
order liquidity rebates	no	yes	no	yes	no

Broker pricing comparison

Here's a comparison of pricing across fidelity, tradestation, TD ameritrade, interactive brokers, and E*TRADE. For more comparisons, use the online broker comparison tool.

Feature	fidelity	tradestation	TD ameritrade	interactive brokers open account	E*TRADE
minimum deposit	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
stock trade fee (per trade)	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
ETF trade fee	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
options base fee	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
options per contract fee	$0.65	$0.50	$0.65	$0.65	$0.65
mutual fund trade fee	$49.95	$14.95	$49.99	$14.95	$19.99
broker assisted trades fee	$32.95	$50.00	$44.99	$30.00	$25.00

Can you day trade on multiple platforms?

Yes. It is not uncommon for day traders to have multiple brokerage accounts and use several trading platforms simultaneously. Common reasons why traders use multiple platforms include having a backup in case of an outage, running dedicating trading strategies, or accessing specific trading tools not available elsewhere.

What are the risks of day trading?

Because day trading involves actively buying and selling stocks throughout the day using margin (borrowed capital), it is inherently risky. Like poker, losing streaks can cause traders to take undisciplined risks, magnifying losses.

Can you start day trading with $500?

If you do not have at least a $25,000 balance, margin approval, and pattern day trader (PDT) status, you can only place four day trades over a period of five business days before your account becomes restricted.

Is day trading illegal?

In the US, day trading is legal. To day trade, you must have at least a $25,000 minimum account balance and be approved as a pattern day trader (PDT). Once classified as a pattern day trader, you gain access to 4:1 margin intraday and 2:1 margin for holding open positions overnight.

Is day trading worth it?

In today's market, hedge funds running sophisticated algorithms make it very difficult to day trade profitably. Most day traders are also severely undercapitalized and get suckered into paying for expensive chat rooms memberships, educational courses, and newsletter subscriptions on social media. Here's a breakdown of what I learned from day trading.

What is the best platform for day trading?

For the lowest pricing, fidelity's active trader pro (ATP) is the best day trading platform thanks to $0 trades with no payment for order flow (PFOF). Fidelity aside, tradestation and TD ameritrade offer the most trading tools and platform customizations. Finally, for the lowest margin rates and most order types, the trader workstation (TWS) trading platform from interactive brokers is best.

What is the fastest trading platform?

The fastest trading platforms are tradestation, TD ameritrade thinkorswim, and interactive brokers traders workstation (TWS) because they are desktop-based. With a desktop trading platform, the base code runs locally on your computer and quote data streams directly, maximizing speed.

Summary

To recap, here are the best day trading platforms.

Read next

Explore our other online trading guides:

Methodology

For the stockbrokers.Com 11th annual best trading platforms review published in january 2021, a total of 2,816 data points were collected over three months and used to score brokers. This makes stockbrokers.Com home to the largest independent database on the web covering the online broker industry.

Participation is required to be included. Each broker completed an in-depth data profile and offered executive time (live in person or over the web) for an annual update meeting. Our rigorous data validation process yields an error rate of less than .001% each year, providing site visitors quality data they can trust. Learn more about how we test.

About the author: blain reinkensmeyer as head of research at stockbrokers.Com, blain reinkensmeyer has 20 years of trading experience with over 1,000 trades placed during that time. Referenced as a leading expert on the US online brokerage industry, blain has been quoted in the wall street journal, the new york times, and the chicago tribune, among others.

All pricing data was obtained from a published web site as of 01/19/2021 and is believed to be accurate, but is not guaranteed. For stock trade rates, advertised pricing is for a standard order size of 500 shares of stock priced at $30 per share. For options orders, an options regulatory fee per contract may apply.

1 $0.00 commission applies to online U.S. Equity trades, exchange-traded funds (etfs), and options (+ $0.65 per contract fee) in a fidelity retail account only for fidelity brokerage services LLC retail clients. Sell orders are subject to an activity assessment fee (from $0.01 to $0.03 per $1,000 of principal). There is an options regulatory fee (from $0.03 to $0.05 per contract), which applies to both option buy and sell transactions. The fee is subject to change. Other exclusions and conditions may apply. See fidelity.Com/commissions for details. Employee equity compensation transactions and accounts managed by advisors or intermediaries through fidelity clearing & custody solutions® are subject to different commission schedules.

Options trading entails significant risk and is not appropriate for all investors. Certain complex options strategies carry additional risk. Before trading options, please read characteristics and risks of standardized options. Supporting documentation for any claims, if applicable, will be furnished upon request.

TD ameritrade, inc. And stockbrokers.Com are separate, unaffiliated companies and are not responsible for each other’s services and products. View terms.

Advertiser disclosure: stockbrokers.Com helps investors across the globe by spending over 1,000 hours each year testing and researching online brokers. How do we make money? Our partners compensate us through paid advertising. While partners may pay to provide offers or be featured, e.G. Exclusive offers, they cannot pay to alter our recommendations, advice, ratings, or any other content throughout the site. Furthermore, our content and research teams do not participate in any advertising planning nor are they permitted access to advertising campaign data. Here is a list of our partners.

Disclaimer: it is our organization's primary mission to provide reviews, commentary, and analysis that are unbiased and objective. While stockbrokers.Com has all data verified by industry participants, it can vary from time to time. Operating as an online business, this site may be compensated through third party advertisers. Our receipt of such compensation shall not be construed as an endorsement or recommendation by stockbrokers.Com, nor shall it bias our reviews, analysis, and opinions. Please see our general disclaimers for more information.

© 2021 reink media group LLC.
All rights reserved.

So, let's see, what we have: find and compare the best online brokers that offer the best in user experience, security features, mobile product, trade execution, as well as low costs and fees. At best trading broker

Contents of the article

• Top forex bonuses


• Best online brokers


• Find and compare the best online trading...


• Best online brokers and trading platforms:


• Fidelity investments: best overall


• TD ameritrade: best for beginners and best mobile...


• Tastyworks: best broker for options and best...


• Interactive brokers: best for advanced traders...


• Charles schwab: best for etfs


• What to consider when choosing an online broker


• Best trading brokers


• Top 5 trading brokers
  
  
  
  • Avatrade
  
  
  • Pepperstone
  
  
  • XM group
  
  
  • IC markets
  
  
  
  


• How did we choose our best trading brokers?


• How to choose the best broker for trading online?
  
  
  
  • Trading broker regulation
  
  
  • Trading broker platforms
  
  
  • Trading broker markets & instruments
  
  
  • Trading broker costs
  
  
  • Trading broker liquidity
  
  
  • Trading broker leverage
  
  
  • Trading broker order types
  
  
  • Trading broker tools
  
  
  • Trading broker educational materials
  
  
  • Trading broker deposit/withdrawal methods
  
  
  • Trading broker customer support
  
  
  
  


• What is online trading?


• What is an online trading broker?


• What types of online trading brokers are there?


• What markets can I trade online with a trading...


• How much do I need to open a trading broker...


• Can you make money trading online?


• How to open an online trading broker account?


• Need help choosing from the best trading brokers?
  
  
  
  • Relevant articles
    
    
    
    • Best forex brokers
    
    
    • Best stock brokers
    
    
    • Best trading platforms
    
    
    • Best trading apps
    
    
    • Best social trading platforms
    
    
    • Best online brokers
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  


• Best forex brokers 2021
  
  
  
  • The most common option in choosing forex...
    
    
    
    • Market regulators
    
    
    • Types of the provided...
    
    
    • Platform for trading
    
    
    • Forex broker types
    
    
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    • Frequently asked questions
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  


• Top 10 best gold trading forex brokers for 2021
  
  
  
  • Top rated:
  
  
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• Top 10 best forex brokers for...
  
  
  
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  • 6. Avatrade
  
  
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  • 8. CMC markets
  
  
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• Comparison among best gold forex...


• Ways to trade gold: types of gold...
  
  
  
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• How to choose a broker for trading...


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• Pros and cons for trading gold...


• Best UK trading platforms 2021


• Best UK trading platforms for 2021


• Best trading platform UK rankings


• Other trading platforms


• Winner: IG


• Runner-up: interactive brokers


• Which trading platform is best for beginners UK?


• What UK stock broker offers the lowest fees?


• What are the best UK stock trading apps?


• What is the best trading platform in the UK?


• How do you choose a share dealing platform?


• How do I buy stocks online in the UK?


• What is an ISA?


• What is a SIPP?


• Methodology


• Best day trading platforms for 2021


• What is day trading?


• Best day trading platforms 2021


• Day trading platforms comparison


• Broker pricing comparison


• Can you day trade on multiple platforms?


• What are the risks of day trading?


• Can you start day trading with $500?


• Is day trading illegal?


• Is day trading worth it?


• What is the best platform for day trading?


• What is the fastest trading platform?


• Summary


• Read next


• Methodology