1
9.6Score
ℹ️
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Best Regulated Brokers
Independently reviewed and ranked by our editorial team.
Introduction
Regulatory oversight is one of the most important safety factors when choosing a broker — it determines whether your funds are held in segregated accounts, whether there’s an investor compensation scheme behind the broker, and what recourse you have if something goes wrong. This page ranks brokers regulated by tier-1 authorities including the FCA and ASIC.
A broker can offer attractive trading conditions and still carry meaningfully more counterparty risk if it operates only under a lightly-supervised offshore license — regulation is the factor most worth not compromising on.
How We Ranked Them
Brokers must hold at least one FCA or ASIC license to appear on this page — two of the more rigorous retail trading regulators globally — ranked by our Safety sub-score rather than overall Editorial Score, since this list is specifically about regulatory trust rather than all-round quality.
1ATFX9.62
IG9.23
CMC Markets9.04
Pepperstone9.45
IC Markets9.56
AvaTrade8.87
Exness9.18
XM8.99
FP Markets9.010
Eightcap8.7
ATFX9.62IG9.23CMC Markets9.04Pepperstone9.45IC Markets9.56AvaTrade8.87Exness9.18XM8.99FP Markets9.010Eightcap8.71ATFX
Pros
- Scores high for safety, execution quality, and support.
- Regulated by the FCA (UK), ASIC (Australia), SFC (Hong Kong), CySEC (Cyprus), CMA (UAE), SFC (Colombia), FSCA (South Africa), SERC (Cambodia), FSC (Mauritius), FSA (Seychelles)
- In-depth educational content, with webinars and courses.
- Fast, reliable trade execution with minimal slippage reported in independent testing
- Quick trade execution, showing minimal slippage in tests.
- 24/5 customer service that's quick to respond, available in many languages
- Free market analysis and daily commentary from a professional in-house analyst research team.
Cons
- Charges an inactivity fee if you don't trade for three months
- Has fewer assets than larger competitors.
- Doesn't accept clients from the United States.
- Fixed-spread accounts have higher trading fees than raw accounts.
2IG
2
9.2Score
Pros
- Over 50 years of operating history
- Publicly listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: IGG), part of the FTSE 250
- Access to over 17,000 financial markets across asset classes
- Comprehensive educational resources via the IG Academy
- Its platform stays stable even during volatile market events
- Strong track record of regulatory compliance across multiple major jurisdictions
Cons
- Higher minimum deposit requirement than many competing brokers
- Maximum leverage is lower under European regulatory guidelines
- Wide asset selection can feel overwhelming for absolute beginners….
3CMC Markets
3
9.0Score
Pros
- It's publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: CMCX).
- The Next Generation platform comes packed with features, like advanced charting tools
- They cover a wide range of products, with over 12,000 tradable instruments
- There's no requirement for minimum deposit to open an account.
- You can add optional guaranteed stop-loss orders for better risk control.
Cons
- Spreads are wider than many competitor ECN specialists offer
- Beginners might find the platform's many features complex
- An inactivity fee applies if you don't trade for 12 months.
- Their crypto offerings are limited compared to specialist crypto brokers
4Pepperstone
4
9.4Score
Pros
- Raw spreads start at 0.0 pips on the Razor account
- Four platforms: MT4, MT5, cTrader, and TradingView
- No minimum deposit requirement, lowering the barrier to entry
- Fast execution speed in independent tests
- Regulated in four jurisdictions
- Copy-trading and social-trading options available
Cons
- The Razor account charges commission per lot, in addition to raw spreads
- No proprietary desktop trading platform
- Its educational content is lighter than some competitors', particularly for beginners
- Standard account spreads are wider than those on the commission-based Razor tier
5IC Markets
5
9.5Score
Pros
- True ECN pricing from many liquidity providers
- Spreads can be as low as 0.0 pips on the Raw Spread account during peak hours
- Order execution is very fast, often under 40 milliseconds
- High maximum leverage is available for eligible accounts
- Deep liquidity helps with larger trades, limiting slippage
- You can choose from MT4, MT5, cTrader, and TradingView
Cons
- Requires a higher minimum deposit than some competing platforms.
- Raw accounts charge a commission fee in addition to market spreads
- Limited proprietary research or in-house market analysis tools
6AvaTrade
6
8.8Score
Pros
- Regulated across multiple major jurisdictions, spreading regulatory risk
- AvaTradeGO mobile app is intuitive and well suited to beginner traders
- Fixed-spread account options provide cost predictability during volatile news events
- Built-in risk management tools including AvaProtect, a downside-protection feature
- Strong copy-trading and social-trading integrations through AvaSocial and DupliTrade
- Broad multi-asset offering spanning forex, CFDs, stocks, and crypto in one account
Cons
- Spreads are wider than ECN-focused competitors
- Inactivity fees apply after 3 months of no trading activity
- Fewer advanced tools aimed specifically at professional or institutional traders
- AvaProtect and some risk tools carry their own separate cost structure
7Exness
7
9.1Score
Pros
- Withdrawals are processed instantly for most payment methods.
- A low minimum deposit, only $10
- Regulated in several jurisdictions, including the FCA and CySEC.
- Flexible account currencies and local funding methods are available.
- Transparent, publicly displayed real-time trading statistics on its website
- Wide range of account currencies and flexible funding options
Cons
- Very high maximum leverage poses extreme financial risk for beginners
- Account features vary by regional entity
- It lacks advanced in-house market analysis and research software.
8XM
8
8.9Score
Pros
- A low $5 minimum deposit makes trading accessible to many.
- They offer free daily webinars and educational materials in multiple languages.
- Market execution account tiers have a no-requotes policy.
- Standard negative balance protection keeps accounts from going below zero.
- It's been operating globally since 2009, giving it a long track record
Cons
- Spreads are wider than ECN competitors on the Standard account.
- Only MT4 and MT5 platforms are available. o cTrader or proprietary desktop platform — MT4/MT5 only
- Very high maximum leverage might encourage excess risk.
- Withdrawal processing can take longer than a day for some methods.
9FP Markets
9
9.0Score
Pros
- Long operating history since 2005 under regulated entities
- Competitive raw spreads from 0.0 pips on the Raw account
- Wide range of CFDs including individual shares
- Strong regulatory footprint spanning ASIC, CySEC, and FSCA
- Consistent execution quality reported across independent broker reviews
Cons
- The website and trading platform interface feel less modern than some newer competitors.
- Customer support response times can vary by region and time zone.
- It relies on MT4 and MT5 instead of a proprietary next-generation platform.
- The website and trading platform interface feel less modern than some newer competitors.
10Eightcap
10
8.7Score
Pros
- Full native TradingView integration for charting and direct trade execution
- Competitive raw spreads from 0.0 pips on the Raw account
- Growing range of tradeable crypto CFDs alongside traditional forex and indices
- Clean, modern web platform experience across desktop and mobile
- Regulated across ASIC, FCA, and CySEC for broad jurisdictional coverage
- Fast account opening process with a streamlined verification flow
Cons
- Shorter operating track record and brand recognition than some larger rivals
- Research and in-house analysis tools are still comparatively early in development
- Phone support availability is more limited outside core business hours
- Fewer account currency options than some multi-regional competitors
