Online Trading Platforms Comparison

Online Trading Platforms Comparison | Broker Reviews

Match a broker with the way a trader trades or wants to trade. Find information about types of trading and platforms to narrow it down and compare broker vs broker to find the right one.

Find Brokers By Types Of Trading And Platforms

Forex Demo AccountForex is a complex market and traders use a wide range of approaches to trade it, from automated to non-automated from technical to fundamental. Some platforms are designed to be used by human traders, others by humans and robots (e.g. MT4). FOREX.com offers trading (including 90+ Forex pairs) on a range of platforms, from its Advanced Trading Platform to a user friendly Web Trader to MT4 and provides a demo account where the trader can try out and practice trading on all its platformsFOREX.com:

User Friendly Trading PlatformA clear, intuitive trading platform can help the beginner trader get to grips with it, but all traders may appreciate this kind of human centered design. Plus500 has a particularly clear, arguably intuitive platform with charting tools and 2000+ markets to trade, which lets the trader switch between live and demo accounts to practice trading and explore the platformPlus500:

Forex Cent Account BrokerA low minimum trade size available on MetaTrader (aka a 'Cent' account) means that the trader can potentially scale their trading from small position sizes to larger as their experience improves. XM offers trading on MetaTrader with Forex trade sizes from very small to larger, along with 1000+ market to trade on MT5XM:

Weekend Trading24/7 trading if offered at a broker is typically for markets which are open 24/7, for example Cryptocurrencies. Forex however can typically be traded continuously Sunday to Friday. AvaTrade is a MetaTrader broker with 24/7 Cryptocurrency trading along with a range of other markets (including Forex) and is regulated in 6 jurisdictionsAvaTrade:

Stocks To Trade And OwnIn general brokers on this site offer CFD trading where the trader does not own the market traded, some brokers however also provide real markets to buy to own, for example Stocks, letting the trader apply both day trading and longer term strategies. Trading 212 offers Stocks CFDs and on its Invest account real Stocks to own, with a minimum deposit of $1Trading 212:

MT5 24/7 TradingAnother way for a broker to allow 24/7 trading is to let the trader trade on simulated markets. Binary.com offers 24/7 Cryptocurrency CFD trading on MT5 and allows trading on simulated markets 24/7 on its SmartTrader platform, which lets the trader switch between a live and demo account. Binary.com has no minimum deposit to use MT5Binary.com:

Web Trader to MetaTraderSome brokers offer user friendly web traders, others MetaTrader, but it is possible to find a broker which provides both. Markets.com is a broker providing a user friendly web trader with a relatively large range of trading tools and 2200+ markets to trade, along with MT4 and its successor MT5Markets.com:

Low Minimum Deposit & Order SizeAnother way for a broker to offer small trade sizes if it does not provide MetaTrader and a Cent account, is to have a low minimum order size. IQ Option provides a user friendly trading platform with a minimum deposit of $10 and a minimum order size of $1 and lets the trader switch between demo and live accountsIQ Option:

Large Number Of Trading MarketsSome brokers offer a relatively large number of markets to trade, potentially allowing the trader a wider range of choice when taking a position. City Index has 4,500+ CFD markets available to trade on its user friendly Web Trader and on AT Pro, which lets the trader use and program charting signals and offers a relatively wide range of technical indicators. City Index additionally provides MT4, with a reduced number of markets, as it typical with this platformCity Index:

Fixed Spread Forex BrokerTraders may want to trade on fixed spreads rather then variable spreads, as this can mean the trader knows what the bid/ask spread is before making the trade. easyMarkets is a fixed spread broker. It offers fixed spreads on its user friendly platform and on MT4 (and allows all EAs). In fact, easyMarkets' lowest fixed Forex spreads can be found on MT4, from 0.9 pips (at brokers lowest Forex spreads are typically for the highly liquid EUR/USD)easyMarkets:

Social Trading PlatformAll traders may want to use social trading information and if they wish copy the trades of other traders, however beginners may find it particularly helpful to see the views of more experienced traders. eToro offers social and copy trading on its user friendly online trading platform, with 1000+ markets to trade, which allows the trader to switch between demo and live accounts. The trader can use social trading information along with their own charting and fundamental analysis or copy the trades of other traderseToro:

MetaTrader 4 DemoSome brokers focus on MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and offer accounts and markets to trade around this platform, which has an extensive online presence and supports both automated and non-automated trading. IronFX has 200+ markets to trade on MT4 and allows a range of account types based around this platform, which the trader may test out on a demo accountIronFX:

MetaTrader 5 MetaTrader 5 (MT5) is the successor to MT4 and has a number of enhancements, including the capacity to provide a relatively large number of markets to trade for MetaTrader. ThinkMarkets offers MT4 and its successor MT5, with 1000+ markets on MT5. For traders who want to plan and execute their own trades it additionally provides user friendly Trade InterceptorThinkMarkets:

Trading The NewsNews trading is a strategy used by traders who want to trade around news releases, typically economic or other data which may affect a market, to be released at a pre-specified time and applying approaches based on conjectures about how the market might react from very short to longer time frames. Pepperstone allows news trading, offers MT4, MT5 and cTrader and has no dealing desk intervention ECN trading with high speed order processingPepperstone:

True ECN TradingECN brokers tend to allow a wide range of trading styles and offer infrastructure to support shorter frequency trading strategies as well as longer term. IC Markets describes itself as a True ECN broker offering high speed order execution, MT4, MT5 and cTrader and supporting styles such as scalping and high frequency trading as well as automated trading strategies (robots) and social and copy tradingIC Markets:

Advanced Trading Platforms Some brokers provide platforms and infrastructure to suit a wide range of strategies some which can be advanced, but all traders may find these powerful platforms to be worth learning to use. Dukascopy offers trading on MT4 and JForex. JForex has a relatively wide range of technical indicators and Dukascopy offers 500+ markets to trade on this platform, including Stocks CFDsDukascopy:

Robot TradingRobots are computer programs which execute trading strategies on behalf of the human trader and some brokers provide platforms and high speed order execution to suit robot driven trading. Vantage FX offers trading on MT4 and MT5 and further supports robots trading with ECN trading infrastructureVantage FX:

DMA Forex BrokerDirect Market Access (DMA) trading provides increased visibility, by letting the trader view multiple levels of liquidity and trade on the bids and offers of major banks and liquidity providers. FOREX.com has made its DMA account (previously for institutional traders) available to retail traders, with prices sourced directly from FOREX.com's liquidity providers. Traders can trade 60+ Forex Pairs and Precious Metals with spreads as low as 0.1, plus a commission chargeFOREX.com:

Copy Trading PlatformBrokers which offer social and copy trading may do this by allowing a third party platform to connect with them. ZuluTrade is one such platform but the trader may also sign up with ZuluTrade and add a broker. Copy trading has two perspectives, the trader copying other traders and the traders being copied. ZuluTrade provides two types of accounts, an Investor account for those who want to follow trades and a Trader account for those who want their trades to be copiedZuluTrade:

MetaTrader AccountsThere are different ways a MetaTrader broker can offers accounts based around MT4 or MT5. FXTM has Standard and ECN accounts. The Standard accounts include a Cent account, with very small trade sizes and a low minimum deposit. The ECN accounts provides accounts with and without a commission charge. In general accounts without a commission charge will have higher Forex spreads. However FXTM has a Pro account with no mark-up or commission charge, but requiring a high minimum account balanceFXTM:

MetaTrader 4 Account FeaturesMetaTrader 4 (MT4) may be offered by different types of brokers, some which may have account structures based on a Standard to VIP account offering, which may suit traders who want extra service from a broker. FXPRIMUS is an MT4 broker offering accounts based around this platform, starting from a minimum deposit of $100 up to a minimum deposit of $25,000 for its VIP accountFXPRIMUS:

Broker and Platform Reviews This site reviews brokers and in some cases platforms covered on this site. The reviews are aimed at providing a more detailed perspective about an individual broker or a platform and the kind of trading it supports

Forex Trading Platforms

Bitcoin Trader

ECN Demo Account

Find Brokers With Online Trading Platforms Comparison and By Account Features

Online Broker	Trading Account Minimum Deposit	Online Trading Platforms	Crypto CFDs	ECN Trading	A Key Feature	Notable Platform, Account Or Broker Feature
City Index	None	MT4, Web Trader, Advantage Web, AT Pro	✔	❌	Wide Range And Number Of Markets	4,500+ Global Shares CFDs To Trade
Pepperstone	$200	MT4, MT5, cTrader	✔	✔	FCA & ASIC Regulated ECN Broker	Expert Advisors (EAs) & News Trading
Plus500	$100	Web Trader & Apps	✔	❌	User Friendly Trading Platform	24/7 Cryptocurrency CFD Trading
FOREX.com	$50	MT4, Web Trader, Advanced Platform	✔	❌	Advanced Platform: Integrated Strategies	MT4 EAs & User Friendly Web Trader
AvaTrade	$100	MT4, MT5, AvaOptions	✔	❌	Wide Range of MT4 Markets To Trade	FX Options Trading
Trading 212	$29	Web Trader & Apps	✔	❌	Stocks To Own: No Commission Charge	Switch Between Demo & Live Account
eToro	$200	Web Trader & Apps	✔	❌	Stocks And Cryptos To Own & CFDs	Trading With Social & Copy Trading Tools
Binary.com	None	Web Trader, MT5	✔	❌	MT5 CFD Trading	24/7 Trading
UFX	$100	MT5, ParagonEx	❌	❌	Crowd Trading On ParagonEx	Crowd Trading Stocks CFDs On ParagonEx
IronFX	$100	MT4	✔	✔	FCA Regulated MT4 Broker With 200+ CFDs	MT4 Stocks CFD Trading
XM	$5	MT4, MT5	✔	✔	MT4 & MT5 Forex Broker	MT5 Stocks CFD Trading
Trade360	$500	MT5, ParagonEx	❌	❌	ParagonEx Crowd Trading & MT5	Crowd Trading News Feed
FXPRIMUS	$100	MT4	❌	✔	STP Forex Broker	MT4 Trader Tools For All Clients
ThinkMarkets	None	MT4, MT5, Trade Interceptor	✔	✔	User Friendly Trade Interceptor & MetaTrader	0 Pip Spread Forex Broker
RoboMarkets	$100	MT4, MT5, R Trader	✔	✔	R Trader: Run Robots On The Cloud	11,000+ Markets On R Trader
Dukascopy	$100	MT4, JForex	✔	✔	Regulated ECN Broker With 500+ Markets	SWFX Marketplace ECN Via JForex & MT4
Markets.com	$100	MT4, MT5, Web Trader & Apps	✔	❌	CFD Broker With A Range Of Platforms	Fixed Spreads on MT4, MT5 & Web Trader
HYCM	$100	MT4, MT5	✔	❌	MT4 & MT5 Broker	EAs With $4 Round Trip Commission
FXTM	$10	MT4, MT5	❌	✔	Wide Range Of Accounts: Cent To ECN	MT4 Cent Plus MT4 & MT5 ECN Accounts
easyMarkets	$100	MT4, Web Trader & Apps	✔	❌	Fixed Spread Forex Broker	Wide Range Of Forex Products
IQ Option	$10	Trading Platform & Apps	✔	❌	300+ Markets On Custom Trading Platform	Low Minimum Deposit Broker
FXCC	$100	MT4	❌	✔	Regulated MT4 ECN Broker	ECN Account With No Commission Charge
ETX Capital	$100	MT4, ETX TraderPro	✔	❌	Web Trader & Automated Trading On MT4	5000+ Markets To Trade On ETX TraderPro
AAAFx	$300	MT4, ZTP Web Trader	✔	✔	ECN Broker With MT4 & Web Trader	Trading with EAs and ZuluScripts
FXGiants	$100	MT4	✔	✔	FCA Regulated MT4 Broker	Micro, Premium & STP/ECN Accounts
ITRADER	$250	MT4	✔	❌	MT4 Broker & A Range Of Account Types	MT4 Trading With 20+ Crypto CFDs
NSFX	$300	MT4, JForex	✔	✔	JForex & MT4 ECN Broker	Fixed Spread MT4 & ECN MT4 Accounts
24Option	$250	MT4, Web Trader & Apps	✔	❌	Regulated Broker With Web Trader & MT4	Accessible Web Trader
Vantage FX	$200	MT4, MT5	✔	✔	Regulated MT4 & MT5 ECN Broker	ECN Spreads From 0 Plus Commission
RoboForex	$10	MT4, MT5, cTrader, R Trader	✔	✔	Accounts From Cent To ECN	Wide Range Of Trading Platforms
IC Markets	$200	MT4, MT5, cTrader	✔	✔	Regulated ECN Broker	230+ Markets Including Crypto CFDs
USGFX	$100	MT4, MT5	✔	✔	ASIC Regulated STP/ECN Broker	MT4 & MT5 Trading
BlackBull	$200	MT4	✔	✔	MT4 ECN Broker	Crypto CFDs To Trade
Titan FX	$200	MT4, MT5	❌	✔	Regulated ECN MT4 & MT5 Broker	ECN Trading Infrastructure

Online Trading Platform	A Key Feature	Notable Platform or Account Feature
ZuluTrade	ZTP: Social & Copy Trading Platform	Connect 50+ Brokers To ZuluTrade

Trading platforms can matter, as they are the interface traders use to trade and thus their scope is also the potential scope of the trader. Some platforms have the capacity for automated trading (e.g. MT4, MT5, JForex, R Trader and cTrader), others do not. Traders may not wish to use robots, and prefer to make their own trading decisions. Brokers may expressly cater to this, by offering user friendly, intuitive web trading platforms, which make the trading process as straightforward for the human trader as is possible, but all the platforms in the table can be used for non-automated trading. While some desktop platforms may not have a mobile app, brokers typically offer apps, perhaps based on a web trader or a mobile version of a platform such as MT4.

Robots have different requirements from a human trader, though they may be executing rules a trader uses (also known as algorithms). For automated trading strategies which robots execute on behalf of the trader, factors such as dealing desk intervention and speed of execution may be important (i.e. can the robots execute strategies as efficiently as possible). ECN brokers can provide this kind of account infrastructure but market maker brokers may also support automated trading, as well as providing accounts and platforms for traders who make their own trading decisions.

Another kind of automation is copy trading and some brokers offer this capacity. Depending on the broker, social or crowd trading information might be included on the trading platform. The broker may offer a range of tools to assist with analysis or to provide additional functionality not included on the platform (e.g. robots or copy trading). There are third party platforms (like ZuluTrade) which can be connected to a broker allowing the trader to use the platform's social and copy trading functionality. Some brokers may allow the trader to connect third party platforms which support the use of robots.

The trader trades on the platform though an account. To trade on a platform with a live trading account the trader can open an account with the broker. Accounts can come in different formats, for example a broker may offer ECN accounts (typically with a commission charge) or a broker may provide a Cent account which lets the trader use small trade sizes. To practice trading and to become familiar with an online trading platform, the trader can use a demo account. Some brokers offer live accounts with minimum deposits higher than the standard account. These may provide extra features or be tailored for higher volume traders, depending on the type of broker.

The markets to trade offered can vary from broker to broker. ECN brokers typically provide smaller or in some cases intermediate numbers of markets to trade (i.e. less than 100 up to several hundreds). Some brokers offer a larger number of markets to trade, in the thousands, the bulk of which will be Stocks (as there are many Stocks out there, compared with other markets). In general the brokers in the table are providing markets to trade not own (e.g. Stocks CFDs) only, however at some brokers it is also possible to find markets such as Stocks to own.

The trader may find it helpful to compare brokers by themes to match the kind of trader they are and the kind of trading they may wish to do.

Choosing A Broker From Beginner Trader To More Advanced

A demo account lets the trade practice trading, test out ideas and become familiar with the trading platforms offered by the broker:

CFD Demo Trading Account:

These brokers have a demo trading account on the live account platform, allowing the trader to switch to a practice account and back:

Demo Account:

A demo account can be a way for Forex traders to get to grips with the MetaTrader 4 platform:

Forex Demo Account MT4:

Trading with small trade sizes can be a way to start trading on a real account:

Cent Accounts:

While beginners may wish to trade with a low minimum deposit, experienced traders may want this feature as well:

Low Minimum Deposit Broker:

Some brokers have no minimum deposit requirement, but what are the implications of this account feature:

Forex Trading No Minimum Deposit:

Traders may want to trade with larger account sizes: these brokers offer retail accounts requiring more substantial deposits:

Big Accounts:

A user friendly trading platform can be helpful for traders, whether beginners or more advanced:

User Friendly Trading Platform:

Some traders may wish to use the MetaTrader 4 (MT4) trading platform, which can provide both automated and non-automated trading:

Top MT4 Brokers:

MT4 has a successor, MetaTrader 5 (MT5) with additional features on the platform, also supporting trading robots and traders who execute their own trades:

MT5 Brokers:

ECN brokers can offer trading conditions which are particularly suited to traders who use automated trading strategies depending on speed and accuracy:

ECN Forex Broker UK:

Algorithmic trading is a more advanced strategy; learn more about what it can do and find a broker supporting trades executed by computer programs:

Algorithmic Trading:

What is an Elective Professional Trader and how does it differ from a retail trader:

Professional vs Retail Traders:

Choosing A Broker By Online Trading Platform

Some factors to consider when choosing a trading platform as a beginner:

Trading Platform For Beginners UK:

Web traders can offer an accessible and sometimes more intuitive trading experience:

Forex Web Trading Platform:

Forex is a complex market and MT4 can provide tools to help navigate it, supporting both automated and non-automated trading:

MT4 Forex Brokers:

MT5 has a number of upgrades compared with MT4 and some UK brokers offer this trading platform:

MT5 Brokers UK:

Find a broker providing cTrader, and a review of this trading platform:

cTrader Brokers:

JForex is a platform associated with ECN trading, allowing automated strategies to be built based on Java:

JForex Brokers:

What is the right Forex broker may come down to factors such as the online trading platforms available:

Australian Forex Brokers:

Featured Brokers

Plus500 has 2000+ markets including 10+ Crypto CFDs on its platform, which is offered as a web trader and apps including desktop download:

Plus500:

UK and Australian regulated ECN Forex broker Pepperstone provides trading on MT4, MT5 and cTrader, supporting both automated and non-automated trading:

Pepperstone:

City Index, which is regulated in a range of countries, can offer MT4 and a large number of markets to trade on its Web Trader, the Advantage Web Trader and AT Pro:

City Index:

Swiss regulated Dukascopy Bank has 500+ markets including Bitcoin and Ethereum CFD trading available on JForex 3 and also provides MT4:

Dukascopy Bank:

RoboMarkets offers the R Trader web trader, on which it has 11,000+ markets available including Cryptocurrency CFDs, and additionally provides MT4 and MT5:

RoboMarkets:

Binary.com provides trading on a range of platforms, including a user friendly web trader and MT5 and offers CFD trading in a range of markets including 24/7 trading:

Binary.com:

HYCM is a regulated broker which can offer MT4 and MT5 trading, with 300+ markets on MT5:

HYCM:

IQ Option has 300+ markets on its trading platform, including Crypto CFDs and offers a low minimum deposit ($10) and order size ($1):

IQ Option:

ITRADER offers trading on MT4, with 20+ Cryptocurrency CFDs and a range of other markets to trade:

ITRADER: