Landing pages love three-letter badges: ECN, STP, DMA. Treat them as marketing labels until the account spec and the legal entity match. No acronym removes market risk.
What people usually mean
STP-style often means your order is passed on, sometimes with a markup in the quote. ECN-style / raw often means a tighter print plus a commission line. Both can be honest. Both can be theatre. The math is in what a raw account means.
Do not pick a label. Pick a round-turn number
Write spread plus commission on the pair you actually trade. Gold is not EURUSD. News is not a quiet Tuesday. Our cost table note is the worksheet. If a review screenshot is older than the live table, throw the screenshot away.
Execution quality is not a slogan
Slippage, requotes, and widening at the open show up live. A demo can be generous. Read demo vs live. If you scalp, the compare is still entity first — then cost — then whether you can get money out. See how to compare forex brokers.
Entity still wins
An “ECN” ticket at an unverifiable company is not a professional setup. Confirm the name on the regulator register. Use the compare page only after that.
Peak Pips does not route your orders. We do not quote your fill. Leveraged CFDs can wipe a deposit; risk disclaimer.
Common question
Is ECN always cheaper than STP? No. Low volume plus commission can cost more than a marked-up standard account. Inactivity and conversion fees still count. Compare the account you will fund, not the acronym in the hero image.
