You need to choose your trading platform but you are a little lost with the huge choice offered by the online brokers? Don’t panic! To be sure you make the best choice and use a platform which correspond to all your requirements, This site has completed an objective comparison of the best platforms for you highlighting for each of them the solutions available, the major technical characteristics as well as the general advantages and disadvantages.

You will also find the tools available and learn about the particularities that differentiate each platform from the others. Below trading platforms are recognised by the Cysec, MIFID and FSA.

Modern and low priced, Plus500 Ltd was created in 2008 in London. Currencies, shares, indices and commodities can all be traded. This platform groups together numerous advantages and has ties to many international banking entities which enables it to offer large transaction volumes, low prices and an optimal rapidity of execution. 

The human quality remains however the major strength of this broker that seeks success through its transparency and honesty.

Your capital may be at risk

Plus500 more details

• Means of Payment: CC, bank transfer, debit card and Moneybookers
• Year of creation: 2008
• Minimum deposit: 100€
• Regulated by: Plus500UK Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 509909). Plus500CY LTD is authorised and regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (Licence No. 250/14).

Advantages

• Spreads determined in advance.
• Continuous live quotations in real time.
• Advanced technical analysis tools.
• A free demonstration account.
• A leverage effect of up to 1:200.

Disadvantages

• A low graphics interface
• Withdrawals that take time

General Characteristics

The minimum deposit is €100 with a minimum transaction of 2,500 units. Leverage effects are offered of up to 1:200. 

The demonstration account is free and unlimited. 

19 different currency pairs can be traded as well as CFDs on commodities including precious metals.

Tools and support available

The major trading tools can be found on Plus 500 such as charts and financial analyses that have been added to the demonstration account entirely free of charge and there is a complete guide for learning how to trade, ideal for experienced traders. 

The eToro platform is one of the most affordable and is easily accessible to all. It is doted with a simple yet clean design enabling the investor to find their way around easily. Navigation is intuitive and helped by an accompaniment noting the various stages of trading. This platform is conceived for both beginner and expert traders but does represent an excellent place to start trading as it has such an efficient help system and community  assistance.

eToro more details

• Means of Payment: Credit card, PayPal, bank transfer, Neteller and Western Union
• Year of creation: 2006
• Minimum deposit: $50
• Regulated by: Banque de France, Cysec, MIFID

Advantages

• Simplified usage
• Demonstration account
• Complete assistance (telephone, email and chat)
• Strong leverage effect
• Transparent spreads and commissions 

Disadvantages

• Commissions from 2 pips

General Characteristics

The minimum deposit required is $50 with a transaction of at least $10,000 including the leverage effect. The leverage effects available are numerous and vary from 1:5 to 1:400. 

Spread only apply as from 2 pips and vary according to the currency pair. 

All major currencies are traded.

Apprenticeship and Training

Concerning trading help we could say that eToro makes a big effort as this broker offers a whole panel of courses and training for the Forex and its trading platform through the bias of different supports. According to the level of your deposit or balance of your account you can benefit from interactive lessons, explanatory videos or written advisory articles. A complete guide to the platform is accessible to all as well as the glossary that explains the details of all the major terms and language particular to the Forex. Everything possible is done to ensure that everyone finds their place.

Tools and support available

We find numerous efficient tools such as the educational software, an online chat, direct training by telephone and a variety of economic information, charts and technical analyses that give you a complete research summary in real time of the market and its trends. 

To enable you to profit even more from trading on the Forex, eToro has implemented a system of weekly competitions. Each week, the trader registered on the platform that makes the most profits is rewarded by the broker. But the following are not negligible either. 

The best wins $1,000, the second wins $750 and the others follow up to places 31 to 50 who each pocket $100. 

A way to combine fun with trading so developing your taste for competition, but, most especially, an excellent means of profiting even more from your investments on the Forex.

Created in 2006 by financial professionals and entirely devised by individual traders and experts, AvaTrade distinguishes itself from its main competitors by its client orientated approach. This trading leader counts more than 100,000 clients at present and records monthly volumes of trading exceeding $20 billion. 

You will find trading tools both advanced and easy to use with software that enables you to benefit from the power of the most important world banks. AvaTrade respects the highest standards of security and integrity.

AvaTrade more details

• Means of Payment: Credit card (Visa or MasterCard), PayPal and Western Union
• Year of creation: 2006
• Minimum deposit: $100
• Regulated by: MIFID, Banque de France

Advantages

• No commissions or fees
• Demonstration account
• Technical assistance 24/24
• Fixed spreads
• Daily institutional analysis
• Broker approved by the Banque de France

Disadvantages

• A platform accessible only using a pc (download required with supplementary software for Mac) 

General Characteristics

The minimum required deposit is $100 and it is possible to trade in mini lots of $5000. Leverage effects are offered of up to 1:200. 

Spreads are only used after 2 pips and vary quite a lot according to the currency pair. 

All currencies are covered as well as major metals (CFD).

Apprenticeship and Training

The opportunities to train yourself in the rudiments of Forex are numerous at AvaTrade. The broker offers all traders numerous explanations on the online trading of foreign currencies plus there are webinars enabling you to learn specific functions of the Metatrader platform that is used. You can also learn to trade in VFDs thanks to the educational section to which it is entirely devoted and which was created especially for beginner traders with no particular knowledge of trading. 

Virtual and guided visits of the platform are also proposed in order for you to better understand the uses of the tools available.

Tools and support available

AvaTrade offers traders a demonstration account that enables you to practice in realistic conditions. There is also a guided tour and numerous video tutorials enabling you to gain a good understanding of the software as much for experienced traders as beginners. Support and assistance is available by telephone or email 24/24.

The ‘Mirror Trader’ function offered by AvaTrade enables investors to use the knowledge of experienced traders to develop efficient strategies thanks to real time signals. You can therefore compare the strategies used by the best traders on the platform and use them to your advantage. Thanks to Mirror Trader you only have to copy other’s strategies, using their parameters as stop and limit orders, while keeping the possibility of modifying certain parameters according to your feelings.

XM is a fairly recent broker on the market, launched in 2010 in Cyprus it offers numerous advantages including the surety of being regulated by the Banque de France, CySec and the MiFID. You can trade a variety of assets through XM including currencies, commodities and even stock indices.

XM more details

• Means of Payment: Bank transfer, credit cards, Moneybookers (Skrill) and Netellers.
• Year of creation: 2010
• Minimum deposit: 5$
• Regulated by: Cysec, MIFID

Advantages

• Minimum deposit of $5
• Tight spreads
• Free demonstration account
• Numerous approvals and authorisations
• Assistance in several languages 24/24 and 7/7.

Disadvantages

• Few training modules

General Characteristics

Truly accessible to all with a minimum deposit of only $5, XM offers numerous advantages including a leverage effect of up to 1:888 plus hedging. You have the opportunity to speculate on no less than 53 currency pairs.

Apprenticeship and Training

XM did not want to leave beginner traders without any real accompaniment during their first steps on the Forex and therefore offers those who need it various online webinars to learn the basics of speculating on the foreign exchange market. They are accessible through a simple registration. Also, a free demonstration account is available for beginner traders so they can learn trading in real market conditions.

Tools and support available

Customer and technical support is directly accessible on the XM website in several languages with a live chat, telephone and email support. This broker also offers various online tools for your assistance including technical analyses and quality daily signals.

One of the particularities of the XM broker concerns the competitions organised among the platform traders. In the form of a poker tournament, these competitions are regularly organised enabling participants who have bought a ticket to make even more money. Once a trader has bought a ticket they can access an interface that displays the performance of other players in real time.  The best traders win lots in the form of financial incentives that they can withdraw or add to their existing trading capital.

Based in Cyprus, Markets.com is operated by Safecap Investments Ltd., which is regulated and authorized by CySEC under license number 092/08 and by the FSB under the number 43906. Geared more towards the experienced traders, this platform combines all the tools necessary for good trading. Beginners also appreciate the ease of use of the different functions as well as the different training modules at their disposal. The site is entirely administered by a English team who also manage the technical support. 

Markets more details

• Means of Payment: transfer, cheque, credit cards, Moneybookers, Neteller
• Year of creation: 2009
• Minimum deposit: 100$
• Regulated by: Markets.com is operated by Safecap Investments Limited, a regulated investment services firm authorized by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) under license no. 092/08 and by the Financial Services Board (FSB) in South Africa as a Financial Services Provider under license no. 43906.

Advantages

• Fixed spreads among the lowest on the market
• No fees or commissions
• Free demonstration account
• Assistance 24/5

Disadvantages

• A site more appropriate for experienced traders

General Characteristics

Markets.com accepts deposits in Euros or Dollars from $100 with a maximum leverage effect of 1:200. The minimum size trading lot is 1,000 units. You can trade all major currencies, commodities, metals and indices. 

The spreads on the major currencies are stable and vary from 2 to 4 depending on the currency pair. The site does not demand any management fees.

Tools and support available

Markets.com provides many tools for traders to take advantage of:

• Intuitive web and mobile platforms
• Advanced charts and studies for analysis
• Stop Loss, Take Profit, and other strategic risk management tools
• Exceptional 24/5 customer support in over 20 languages

To trade while minimising risks it is important to pinpoint the sell and buy signals on the Forex. With Markets you no longer need to pass long hours analysing charts and other data as this broker supplies you with pertinent signals every day, for free, in order to help you better manage your positions on the Forex. 

Please note, the free trading signals supplied by Markets are only available to traders with an account showing a balance of above $2,000. 

These signals are in fact easily identifiable as they are here represented by arrows pointing up or down.

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