Online broker comparison: Interested in the world of trading? Then you need the right platform to get started! You’ve come to the right place: we’ve put together a comparison of online brokers. Technological progress lets you trade wherever you are through these online brokers, so if you want to succeed, you first need to consider certain selection criteria. Throughout this article, we compare the best online brokers to help you choose the one that fully meets your needs.
6 Steps to Choosing the Right Online Broker
Before choosing the online broker that can meet your needs as a trader, you should take a systematic selection approach. The main goal of trading on the stock market is to generate profits efficiently and quickly. To achieve this, you need to consider certain criteria when choosing a broker, especially an online broker.
To make the right choice of online broker, follow these steps:
- Determine your needs based on the type of trader you are
- Choose the trading style that matches your profile
- Set up your trading plan to reduce the risk of losses through sound money management and to maximise your gains
- Using the online broker comparison, identify the best offers available to you
- Identify the training and analysis tools you need to carry out your trading plan and perform better
- Select the broker that suits your trading style and trader profile
If this topic interests you, also see “Swiss Brokers” and “What Is a Broker?“.
Pros and Cons of an Online Broker
The arrival of new information and communication technologies, such as the internet and web apps, has clearly improved the world of finance. It has brought countless benefits to financial players such as online brokers and stock market investors. However, our analysis has also revealed some drawbacks of online brokerage that are hard to ignore.
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AvaTrade – The Best Broker for Platforms
Since it was founded in 2006, AvaTrade has continually improved its trading platforms for traders’ benefit. This online broker operates worldwide under international regulators such as the JFSA, the FCA and ASIC. AvaTrade also offers its services in France thanks to AMF approval.
Our online broker comparison shows that AvaTrade’s biggest advantage is its range of specialised, professional trading platforms that help both beginners and professionals succeed in trading. However, this online broker loses points because it does not allow a live account to be opened, charges inactivity fees, and restricts deposit methods to credit card and bank transfer.
BDSwiss – The Best Broker for Account Types
BDSwiss is an online broker that has specialised in forex and CFD trading since 2012. It operates in France under the authority of the AMF. In terms of regulation, BDSwiss is regulated by the Cypriot authority as well as by internationally recognised regulators.
BDSwiss is a reference for automated trading via MetaTrader. It offers some of the best trading tools for accurate market analysis, to your advantage. Its use of advanced technology to strengthen its security system also helps secure your investments during trading.
That said, some BDSwiss platforms often suffer from significant bugs. In addition, the educational content is either in German or in English.
FXCM – The Best Publicly Listed Broker
FXCM was founded in 1999, making it one of the oldest online brokers. It is mainly known for its regulation across continents. FXCM has websites and offices worldwide, such as in Australia, South Africa and the United Kingdom, to ensure regulation everywhere. It also holds AMF approval.
FXCM also ensures transparency in asset trading. It offers discount rebates for active traders and has a low fee schedule. This online broker is also known for its tight spreads and high-quality educational content.
However, there are some drawbacks to trading with FXCM. First, if you transact by bank transfer, you’ll pay fairly high fees. You also can’t buy real stocks and ETFs directly. And the online broker sets the leverage itself.
IG Markets – The Best Broker for Choice of Financial Products
From our comparison list, IG Markets is the most experienced online broker. Since 1974, under the supervision of major stock market regulators, this broker has offered trading on more than 17 financial instruments. IG Markets also holds an AMF licence authorising it to operate in France.
IG Markets has developed very popular trading apps. It also offers free withdrawals on every payment method available. This broker also lets you trade forex with very low fees. However, CFD trading fees are fairly high, and customer service could be improved. These findings come from our online broker comparison.
XM – One of the Best Brokers for Trading Tools
XM is an online broker that has been operating since 2009. It offers its brokerage services worldwide under international regulators such as the FSC, CySEC and ASIC.
XM offers affordable trading fees, especially on CFDs. It is known for the quality of its services, both in pricing and training. Another strength of XM is that it allows professional accounts to be opened.
XTB – The Best European Broker
XTB has established itself in Europe in CFD trading. Since it was founded in 2000, this online broker has kept looking for innovative ways to stand out. XTB has dozens of branch offices around the world, which also means it holds some of the best stock market regulations, not to mention AMF approval, which allows it to operate in France.
XTB is known for its educational content and powerful tools. This online broker also has some of the lowest trading fees and makes its various trading accounts easy to access. However, XTB charges withdrawal fees that vary depending on the amount withdrawn.
Diversifiez votre patrimoineInvestissez dans l’artDes tableaux originaux, pièces uniques signées par l’artiste. Un actif tangible, loin des écrans et des cotations.Voir les tableaux →Vantage – The Best Forex Broker
Vantage is this year’s best forex broker. Since 2009, this online broker has offered the best currency pair brokerage services. It also holds international regulations that allow it to extend its trading services across the globe. Vantage is also authorised to operate in France by the AMF.
Despite the high leverage and a somewhat unclear website translation, traders like this online broker for its various trading bonuses and affordable brokerage fees.
Best Brokers Compared: Spreads
The online broker comparison table below shows the main spreads of each broker on our list. As forex currencies are the most popular instruments in trading, we’ll highlight them. We’ll also show the spreads applied to stock indices and commodities.
Forex Spreads of the Best Online Brokers
BROKER | GOLD | BRENT | WTI | NATGAS | SILVER | PALLADIUM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Try |  | 0.32 | 0.036 | 0.027 | 0.005 | 0.032 | – |
| Try |  | 20 | – | – | – | 1 | – |
 | 0.45 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.01 | 0.05 | 20 | |
| Try |  | 0.34 | 0.02 | 0.03 | interbank + 0.002 | 0.029 | interbank + 0.65 |
| Try |  | 0.25 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.003 | 0.021 | 19 |
 | 0.3 | 0.05 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.03 | – |
Index Spreads of the Best Online Brokers
BROKER | DAX 30 | CAC 40 | DJI30 | S&P 500 | Nasdaq 100 | Nikkei 225 | Stoxx 50 | FTSE 100 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Try | | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 0.4 | 1 | 9 | 1.3 | 0.8 |
| Try | | 1.5 | 1 | 3 | 0.25 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 1 |
| Try |  | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | – | 2 | – |
| 2 | 10 | 6 | 0.75 | 2.4 | 10 | 3 | 1.5 | |
| Try |  | 2.3 | 1 | 3.3 | 0.45 | 1 | 15 | 1.2 | 1 |
| Try |  | 1.2 | 1 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 1 | 7 | 1.5 | 1 |
| 2 | 1.8 | 2.8 | 0.7 | 2 | 12 | 2.5 | 1.5 | |
 | 1 | 1.2 | 3 | 0.6 | 1 | 25 | 2.2 | 1.9 | |
| Try | | 0.8 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 1 | 9 | 1.5 | 1.1 |
Best Brokers Compared: Customer Reviews
Customer reviews are an essential part of any online broker comparison. Reading traders’ reviews lets you see how much clients trust online brokers. Customer satisfaction also helps you judge a broker’s reliability and choose the best online broker.
We’ve gathered some customer reviews for you to help you make the right choice.
Best Brokers Compared: Regulation
Regulators mainly oversee the legitimacy of online brokers as well as their legality and security. These regulators around the world also act as arbitrators in disputes between a broker and its clients.
Regulation is therefore a key criterion when choosing the best online broker. That’s why we’ve drawn up the online broker comparison table below, showing the regulators of each broker on our list.
MetaTrader Brokers | Headquarters | Year Founded | Regulation | ||
 | United Kingdom | 2001 |
| Try | |
| Ireland | 2006 |
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 | Cyprus | 2012 |
| Try | |
| Cyprus | 2007 |
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| United Kingdom | 1999 |
| Try | |
| United Kingdom | 1974 |
| Try | |
| Limassol (Cyprus) | 2009 |
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| Warsaw (Poland) | 2002 |
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 | Sydney | 2009 |
| Try |
The most respected regulators in stock market trading are the FCA, ASIC and CySEC. These bodies have the best regulatory tools to oversee brokers internationally.
Best Brokers Compared: Minimum Deposit
Most online brokers require an initial deposit when you open an account to use their brokerage services. It is essentially a formality to build trust between the broker and its clients. However, a minimum deposit is not always required.
Each broker sets its own initial deposit, but it should not exceed 500 EUR. The table below shows the minimum deposit required by each online broker.
Broker | Minimum Deposit | |
 | At Admiral Markets, the initial deposit depends on the account type:
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| AvaTrade’s minimum deposit | |
| The required initial deposit is 200 USD | |
| The initial deposit is 200 USD | |
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| Opening a live account requires 300 EUR | |
| Depending on the account chosen, the initial deposit is as follows:
*XM Zero, XM Ultra Low and Shares accounts are not available with all XM Group entities. | |
| This broker requires no starting capital |
From this information, we can conclude that XTB is the best online broker on this point, since it requires no minimum deposit.
Finally, with an initial deposit of 200 EUR for a single account, Vantage and eToro offer better options.
Best Brokers Compared: Financial Instruments
Before you start trading, you need to know which tradable products the online broker offers. These financial instruments are at the heart of stock market trading.
So, to choose the best online broker, you should prioritise analysing the products on offer using an online broker comparison. Brokers generally offer trading in stocks, indices, commodities, forex currencies and CFDs.
This table shows the financial products available at each online broker on our comparison list.
Online Broker | Financial Instruments | |
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The table shows that each broker in our online broker comparison offers several tradable financial instruments. Diversifying the products you trade can increase your chances of making gains. Based on these instruments, IG Markets offers the most complete range for forex and CFD trading.
Best Brokers Compared: Platforms Offered
Today, stock market trading takes place almost exclusively online, which means every broker offers its services through web platforms. To suit different trader profiles, online brokers generally offer several platforms.
The table below highlights the platforms offered by the brokers in our online broker comparison:
Online Broker | Platforms | |
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Note that some brokers, such as Vantage and IG Markets, offer platforms for professional traders, such as Myfxbook AutoTrade or ProRealTime, that are hard to beat.
Best Brokers Compared: Mobile Trading
All the online brokers in our ranking have mobile or tablet apps. This type of broker favours automated trading, meaning it lets all traders trade at any time. To do so, brokers need dedicated Android and iOS apps for their platforms.
Some brokers also offer MetaTrader apps, which make it much easier to access and analyse their trading services. An online broker comparison lets you identify the best online broker for mobile trading.
Best Brokers Compared: Demo Account
A demo account lets traders test the services offered by online brokers under real trading conditions.
A demo account also lets you try out the different strategies the broker allows, to gauge the risk of losses or the opportunities for gains. In other words, you can try different trading styles to build your action plan.
We’ve drawn up an online broker comparison table to help you choose the best broker based on its demo account.
MetaTrader Broker | Demo Account Duration | Demo Account Balance | ||
| For clients: unlimited | €10,000 | Try | |
| 21 days | €100,000 | ||
| Unlimited | $10,000 | Try | |
| Unlimited | $100,000 | ||
| FXCM | 30 days | €50,000 | Try |
| 15 days | €10,000 | Try | |
| Unlimited | $10,000 | ||
| 14 days | €20,000 | ||
| On MT4, the demo account is unlimited | $100,000 | Try |
Based on this data, Vantage and eToro are the best online brokers for demo accounts. These brokers offer an unlimited demo account with a balance of 100,000 USD.
Best Brokers Compared: Trading Accounts
Being able to open several types of account with an online broker benefits both the broker and traders. Each account type lets you trade different numbers of assets using different trading styles. This helps traders earn more and lets the broker expand its business.
To determine the best online broker based on the trading accounts available, we’ve drawn up the following online broker comparison:
Online Broker | Trading Accounts | |
| Admiral Markets offers several account types depending on the MetaTrader platform used and the tradable products:
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| At AvaTrade, you can open a retail or professional trader account, choosing between:
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| With BDSwiss, you can choose between 4 accounts:
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| eToro gives you access to two accounts:
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| Use FXCM’s services by opening:
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| IG Markets offers 5 account types:
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| At XM, you can choose between:
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| XTB lets you open:
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| For retail or professional traders, Vantage FX lets you open:
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Best Brokers Compared: Training
Stock market investing is no longer reserved for finance professionals. Thanks to the educational content offered by online brokers, you no longer need a degree in finance or business to make money trading.
Training, whether introductory or advanced, allows the general public to trade on the stock market. That said, educational content varies from one broker to another.
The online broker comparison below can help you find the broker that offers the best trading education.
Online Broker | Training | |
| Admiral Markets offers comprehensive trading training through:
Plus free courses to get off to a good start in trading, such as:
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| AvaTrade offers several types of training, such as:
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| BDSwiss gives you access to plenty of educational content:
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| eToro provides the following types of training:
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| FXCM provides educational content such as:
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| IG Markets helps you with:
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| XM offers:
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| XTB provides its traders with:
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| Vantage FX offers several types of training:
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Best Brokers Compared: Trading Tools
Bear in mind that the stock market is constantly changing. It moves all the time, as the value of tradable assets changes with every trade. To follow market movements, you need powerful trading tools.
The best online broker offers you the best tools to refine your technical analysis and maximise your profit on every trade.
Online Broker | Trading Tools | |
| To help you optimise your gains, Admiral Markets offers these fundamental analysis tools:
Admiral Markets also provides competitive technical and charting tools:
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| AvaTrade has technical and charting tools, especially for advanced traders:
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| To analyse market trends, BDSwiss offers both fundamental tools and charting and technical tools:
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| eToro offers several market analysis tools, such as:
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| For better performance, FXCM provides traders with:
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| IG Markets provides the following trading tools:
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| XM offers:
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| XTB provides analysis tools such as:
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| At Vantage FX, market analysis is carried out with the following tools:
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Based on this online broker comparison, if you’re looking for an online broker with powerful tools suited to your profile, we recommend Vantage. This broker offers cutting-edge tools that give you market movements in real time.
It has user-friendly tools such as the MetaTrader tools, suitable for beginners, and advanced analysis tools such as Smart Trader Tools, which are ideal for professional traders.
Best Brokers Compared: Trading Styles
Before starting to trade, a trader must choose a clear strategy. This is generally the action plan that determines which orders to execute. Online brokers allow various trading styles, taking possible risks into account, for traders’ benefit.
The online broker comparison table below shows the trading styles allowed by each online broker.
Online Broker | Trading Styles | |
| Admiral Markets allows the following strategies:
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| This broker allows the following trading styles:
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| BDSwiss allows:
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| With eToro, you can choose:
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| Trading styles allowed by FXCM include:
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| IG Markets allows the following trading strategies:
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| With XM, you can use:
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| XTB allows:
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| At Vantage FX, the following trading styles are allowed:
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The best online brokers allow all trading styles and leave the choice of strategy to their clients. The range of options available helps traders find the broker that suits their profile.
Best Brokers Compared: Available Leverage
In finance, you can use leverage to trade assets worth more than the funds you’ve invested. This mechanism lets you increase your exposure using multipliers.
Most online brokers let clients choose the leverage they use when trading. However, they set a maximum leverage depending on the trader’s status.
Online Broker | Maximum Retail Leverage | Maximum Professional Leverage | |
| 1:30 | 1:500 | |
| 1:30 | 1:400 | |
| 1:30 | 1:400 | |
| 1:30 | 1:400 | |
| 1:30 | 1:500 | |
| 1:30 | 1:400 | |
| 1:30 | 1:500 | |
 | 1:30 | 1:200 | |
| 1:30 | 1:500 |
In 2018, ESMA capped leverage on retail accounts at 1:30 for all online brokers. Our online broker comparison is therefore based solely on maximum professional leverage to determine the best broker in this area. After analysing the online broker comparison, we can say that XM offers professional leverage of up to 1:888.
Best Brokers Compared: Protection of Client Funds and Data
Every online broker must put in place robust security measures to protect traders’ funds. Protecting invested capital and client data confirms a broker’s reliability.
First, traders must have full access to their funds, which must be held in a segregated bank account. Online brokers are not allowed to deposit traders’ funds in one of their own accounts. Funds are secured in an account at a partner bank. This allows traders to recover their invested capital if the broker goes bankrupt.
Second, online brokers must have specific security measures for trading. The best protections an online broker can offer are negative balance protection, deposit cover and compensation in the event of bankruptcy.
To keep things simple, we’ve drawn up the following online broker comparison table:
Online Broker | Client Fund and Data Protection | |
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| BDSwiss has the following security measures:
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| To protect you, eToro offers:
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| At FXCM, you benefit from the following protections:
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| Depending on the bank where your funds are held, protection is optimal:
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| XM protects you with the following security measures:
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| XTB offers traders the following protections:
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| Vantage FX offers traders several types of protection, such as:
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Best Brokers Compared: Customer Service
To support clients with their trades, every online broker provides dedicated customer support. This support must be available and have proven trading expertise to give traders useful, professional advice.
The table below shows the customer service offered by each online broker:
Online Broker | Customer Service | |
| Available 24/7 in 10 different languages:
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| Its customer service leaves something to be desired, with an average response time of 7 days. However, it is available in 14 different languages:
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Based on this information, we can say that the best online brokers offer customer support in several languages. Apart from eToro, whose service still leaves something to be desired, these brokers are available most of the time.
4 Tips for Choosing the Right Broker for You
To choose the online broker that suits your profile, carefully apply the selection criteria set out throughout this article. Here are 4 essential points to consider:
Online Broker Regulation
Before choosing an online broker, make sure it is regulated. To keep your funds safe along with your investments, choose a broker regulated by reputable bodies.
In France, you can easily check whether the online broker you’ve chosen is regulated by the competent authorities, notably the ACPR (Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel et de Résolution). All authorised brokers are listed in the REGAFI register of financial agents. Simply search their official website to see whether an online broker holds the necessary regulation.
The Online Broker’s Customer Support
You should also choose an online broker with responsive, available and professional customer service. Make sure your broker offers the best educational content: the best brokers offer comprehensive training for beginner and professional traders. To avoid making the wrong choice, you should also pay close attention to customer reviews.
The Online Broker’s Trading Platforms
All trades are carried out through a trading platform, so you should prioritise this criterion to maximise your profits. In this analysis, also look at the financial instruments, trading styles, brokerage fees and the various technical tools available on the platform.
The Online Broker Comparison
Finally, taking the selection criteria above into account, be sure to study the online broker comparison to find the best way to choose the broker that suits you.
Conclusion
In short, our online broker comparison has presented 9 brokers offering the best services to help you become an experienced, even professional, trader. To help you choose the best broker, we’ve drawn up comprehensive comparison tables based on the criteria for selecting a good online broker.
Has this article helped you get off to a good start in trading? Share your experience with us in the comments!