Look a broker up before you trust it

Search the data on any forex broker before you deposit

Licences, fees, platforms and complaints for the brokers traders ask about most, checked against public regulator records. Add live prices, an economic calendar and a blacklist of flagged firms, and you have what you need to choose with your eyes open.

20
Brokers in our files
13
Regulators we monitor
6
Kinds of asset
2026
Records updated for this year

Who leads each category, according to FXDataSearch

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IG Group logo
Founded 1974 · LSE-listed
FCA BaFin ASIC Leads for strength of regulation
Safest licences
Website
eToro logo
Copy trading · social investing
FCA CySEC ASIC Leads for beginners: easy app, good teaching
Good first broker
Website
Saxo Bank logo
Danish licensed bank · SaxoTrader
FSA-DK FCA MAS Leads for pro-level charts and tools
Professional grade
Website
Pepperstone logo
Forex specialist · MT4 / MT5 / cTrader
FCA ASIC DFSA Leads for forex: low spreads, MetaTrader
Currency specialist
Website
CMC Markets logo
LSE-listed · since 1989
FCA ASIC BaFin Leads for asset variety with top-tier regulation
Most to trade
Website
Plus500 logo
LSE-listed · proprietary WebTrader app
FCACySECASICLeads for a simple CFD app
Simple to use
Website
Capital.com logo
Founded 2016 · award-winning app
FCACySECASICLeads for AI-assisted learning tools
Tools for beginners
Website
Interactive Brokers logo
NASDAQ-listed · global since 1978
SECFCAASICLeads for low-cost professional access
For professionals
Website
OANDA logo
Founded 1996 · forex pioneer
FCACFTCASICLeads for forex, open to US residents
Forex veteran
Website
XM logo
Major retail forex · MT4 / MT5
CySECASICFSCALeads for a range of retail accounts
Built for retail
Website
FxPro logo
Established 2006 · multi-platform
FCACySECFSCALeads for a long-standing forex broker
Long-standing forex
Website
AvaTrade logo
Multi-licensed · MT4 / MT5 / WebTrader
CBIASICFSCALeads for licences in many countries
Many licences
Website
Trading 212 logo
Commission-free · UK / EU retail
FCACySECLeads for commission-free investing under top-tier regulation
No commission
Website
IC Markets logo
Tight spreads · MT4 / MT5 / cTrader
ASICCySECFSA-SCLeads for scalping on narrow spreads
Narrow spreads
Website
Forex.com logo
Since 1999 · StoneX-owned · CFTC / NFA / FCA / ASIC
FCACFTCNFAASICLeads for US retail forex
Regulated in the US
Website
HFM logo
Major retail · MT4 / MT5 · FCA / CySEC / FSCA
FCACySECFSCALeads for retail clients in many regions
Many regions
Website
ThinkMarkets logo
Founded 2010 · ThinkTrader · FCA / ASIC
FCAASICFSCALeads for an established multi-asset broker
Established, many assets
Website
Vantage logo
Founded 2009 · MT4/MT5 · ASIC / FCA
ASICFCALeads for retail CFD trading
CFD specialist
Website
Admirals logo
Founded 2001 · MT4/MT5 · FCA / CySEC / ASIC
FCACySECASICLeads for a broker with a long record
Long track record
Website

Six markets, one account

Shares
Crypto
Currencies
Commodities
Indices
ETFs

Forex prices right now

Streaming · data by TradingView

Sentiment and currency strength

Streaming · TradingView widgets
Main pairs and markets Current price and change on the day

New in Insights

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Review
Inside 200INVEST: what the platform does well and what the licence means
Platform, pricing and withdrawals examined, with a frank word on offshore regulation.
Q&A
Is my broker actually licensed? A two-minute check
Worked example: Seychelles FSA · SD123. Remember that an offshore regulator such as Seychelles sets lighter rules than the top tier.
Heads-up
Three facts to face before opening a CFD account
Losses are magnified by leverage exactly as gains are. Residents of the US are not accepted. You will need $200 for the first deposit.
Risk
The loss statistic regulators make brokers print
Between 70–85% of retail CFD accounts lose, on figures reported under top-tier regulators. Our full disclosure follows lower down.

Before you ask

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A broker says it is regulated. How do I check?
Do not take the claim from the broker's own pages. Note the licence number it gives, go to the official site of the regulator it names (FCA, ASIC, CySEC, NFA, BaFin, MAS and others all run public registers) and search for that number. The entry should show an active licence, not a restricted or revoked one. The legal entity name should match. There should be no published warnings. A licence that cannot be verified at all is a serious red flag.
How much money do I need to get started?
Anything from $0 to five figures. Trading 212, eToro and Plus500 set no minimum. Saxo Bank's institutional accounts start at $10,000 or more. In between, $100–$250 is where most retail forex brokers sit. Read the minimum as a clue to the customer the broker wants; it tells you nothing about whether the platform is any good. You can usually pay in by Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, Skrill, Google Pay or bank transfer.
What will I actually be able to trade?
The core list is much the same everywhere: currency pairs, indices (SPX500, NAS100 and the like), commodities such as gold, oil and gas, and CFDs on major stocks. Beyond that, many brokers also list ETFs, treasuries and cryptocurrencies. Since coverage is not uniform, open the broker's instrument list and check for what you want before you create an account.
How long should it take to get my money back out?
On the broker's side, 1–3 business days is normal at a reputable firm, and the money returns to whichever method you used to deposit. Expect bank wires to be slower than cards and e-wallets. Three things should put you on guard: a demand for more deposits before you may withdraw, fees nobody mentioned, and KYC requests that are raised retroactively at withdrawal time.
Is there an app?
Almost certainly. Native apps for iOS and Android are standard among modern brokers, and they cover most or all of what you can do on desktop. If your broker supports a third-party platform such as MetaTrader 4/5, cTrader or TradingView, those have mobile apps too, and they connect to your broker account.
Will a broker take me as a client where I live?
Two places give the answer: the signup page, and the "Restricted countries" section of the terms of service. Sanctioned jurisdictions are commonly excluded, and so are US clients, because brokers lacking a US licence mostly cannot onboard them. In addition, a broker licensed by a top-tier regulator is not permitted to solicit clients in regions where it has no authorisation.

The small print, in large print

Share of retail CFD accounts in the red (regulators' data)
70–85%
Brokers on file
20 and counting
Top-tier regulators we watch
FCA · ASIC · CySEC · NFA