Each note is a snapshot. Spreads, entities, and minimums move. Confirm the live spec and the register yourself.
Most looked-up
HFM★★★★★ 4.6 research score
HFM is the name many search pages still surface first: one brand, several markets, MetaTrader, and copy-style tools on some entities. Treat the logo as a start, not a licence. The contract names a company; that company is what you search on the register that covers you. Typical cost banners say “from 0.0” on raw-style tickets — add commission and swap before you call it cheap. Copy tools do not make the product safer. A small test deposit and a withdrawal still beat a demo equity curve.
Typical costFrom 0.0 pips*Min. deposit$100RegulationMulti-jurisdiction — match the entityPlatformsMT4 / MT5WithdrawalsCards, bank, e-wallets — method depends on entity
Best forOne login across markets
Check the legal entity on the account form — the licence you get is the one on that contract, not the logo on an ad.
Simpler tickets
easyMarkets★★★★★ 4.5 research score
easyMarkets is useful when the ticket itself is the problem: web and app desks that are easier to read than a packed MT watchlist, plus optional guaranteed stops on some products. A guaranteed stop is an extra cost, not a profit lock. The low minimum is a test size, not a safety rating. Check whether the entity on the form is allowed to offer you CFDs, then demo the same ticket you will use live. If you later want raw-style gold fills, you will probably outgrow this desk — that is fine.
Typical costRetail ticketsMin. deposit$25RegulationRetail-focused — confirm your countryPlatformsWeb / appsWithdrawalsTypically card and e-wallet; fees sit in the client area
Best forNewer traders
Check the legal entity on the account form — the licence you get is the one on that contract, not the logo on an ad.
Raw-style pricing
IC Markets★★★★★ 4.7 research score
IC Markets sits on shortlists because of raw-style accounts and a choice of MT4, MT5, and cTrader — not because a review promised you a fill. ASIC and CySEC names exist; they are not interchangeable. Open the entity that actually covers you. All-in cost is spread plus commission plus the gold ticket at news, which is never the EURUSD banner. Execution reputation is anecdotal until you demo and then send a small live clip. Peak Pips does not quote your spread.
Typical costRaw-style pricingMin. deposit$200RegulationASIC / CySEC (entities vary)PlatformsMT4 / MT5 / cTraderWithdrawalsBank and e-wallets on most entities; confirm name-match rules
Best forTight-cost accounts
Check the legal entity on the account form — the licence you get is the one on that contract, not the logo on an ad.
Education-led
FXTM★★★★★ 4.4 research score
FXTM is easier to research as an education-led brand with more than one account path than as a single “best” ticket. Webinars and articles do not change leverage risk. Match the legal name on the application to a public register. Standard vs raw still needs the same round-turn math: spread plus commission plus swap. If the lesson library is why you opened the tab, keep using it — then size from dollar risk, not from a webinar screenshot.
Typical costStandard and raw pathsMin. deposit$50RegulationMultiple entitiesPlatformsMT4 / MT5WithdrawalsBank, cards, e-wallets — KYC before the first payout
Best forStructured learning
Check the legal entity on the account form — the licence you get is the one on that contract, not the logo on an ad.
Lower minimums
FBS★★★★★ 4.3 research score
FBS shows up when people want a small first deposit on MetaTrader. A $5–$100 door is a test, not proof the book is kind. Several entities use the logo; only the one on your contract matters. Bonus pages are marketing — they usually restrict withdrawals. Demo both MT4 and MT5 if offered, then try a tiny live clip and a withdrawal before you scale. If the register search fails, stop even if the minimum is tiny.
Typical costAccessible accountsMin. deposit$5–$100*RegulationCheck the entity you openPlatformsMT4 / MT5WithdrawalsOften e-wallet first; bank rails vary by entity
Best forSmall test deposits
Check the legal entity on the account form — the licence you get is the one on that contract, not the logo on an ad.
cTrader + raw
Pepperstone★★★★★ 4.7 research score
Pepperstone is the usual second name next to IC Markets when someone wants raw-style pricing and cTrader, not only MetaTrader. Licensed entities exist in more than one country — again, the form wins, not the ad. Minimums are advertised low on some entities and higher on others; read the live page. Commission on raw still has to be added to the spread. If you do not need cTrader, this is still a shortlist name, not a requirement.
Typical costRaw-style + commissionMin. deposit$0–$200*RegulationASIC / FCA / CySEC (entities vary)PlatformsMT4 / MT5 / cTraderWithdrawalsBank and cards on licensed entities; check the client portal
Best forPlatform choice on a raw ticket
Check the legal entity on the account form — the licence you get is the one on that contract, not the logo on an ad.
Education + low min
XM★★★★★ 4.4 research score
XM is what many newer traders open because the minimum is small and the lesson library is large. That is a onboarding story, not an all-in cost story. Spreads on standard tickets are usually wider than a raw specialist; you pay in the quote instead of a commission line. Several companies share the brand. If chat points you to a different entity after you ask for the licence, that is the review. Education does not replace a stop you can afford.
Typical costStandard retail ticketsMin. deposit$5–$50*RegulationMulti-entity — search your countryPlatformsMT4 / MT5WithdrawalsCards and e-wallets common; first payout after KYC
Best forFirst funded account, education path
Check the legal entity on the account form — the licence you get is the one on that contract, not the logo on an ad.
Flexible lots
Exness★★★★★ 4.5 research score
Exness is researched for lot flexibility and more than one account type, not for “unlimited” marketing. Skip leverage slogans. Confirm the legal entity and whether it may offer you CFDs. Raw vs standard is the same worksheet as everywhere else: round-turn plus swap. Withdrawal speed is a claim you test with a small amount, not a screenshot from a forum. If gold contract specs differ from your last broker, re-read the symbol sheet before you size.
Typical costRaw and standard pathsMin. depositOften low*RegulationSeveral entities — verify yoursPlatformsMT4 / MT5WithdrawalsOften fast on e-wallets where offered; entity still rules
Best forLot flexibility after the licence check
Check the legal entity on the account form — the licence you get is the one on that contract, not the logo on an ad.
Longer FX history
OANDA★★★★★ 4.6 research score
OANDA is on the list because it has been a retail FX name for a long time and still offers its own web desk as well as MetaTrader on some entities. History is not a fill. Pricing is usually a retail spread story unless you specifically open a raw-style path where offered. Licence coverage is country-by-country — US, UK, Australia, and others are different companies. Use the platform you will actually click; do not assume the web ticket matches MT4 margin.
Typical costRetail + some raw-styleMin. depositOften no hard minimum*RegulationMultiple national licences — check yoursPlatformsOwn web / MT4WithdrawalsBank-led on many entities; times sit in the help pages
Best forEstablished FX desk, own platform
Check the legal entity on the account form — the licence you get is the one on that contract, not the logo on an ad.
EU-style MT5
Admirals★★★★★ 4.5 research score
Admirals (Admiral Markets) is a shortlist name when you want MetaTrader plus a more EU-style research desk, not a bonus carnival. Entities in the UK, EU, and elsewhere are not one licence. Product access (CFDs, extra markets) changes with the entity. Zero-style accounts still add commission. If you already live in a country those entities serve, this is a reasonable compare against OANDA and IC Markets — still after a register search, not instead of one.
Typical costStandard and zero-style pathsMin. depositOften €100*RegulationEU / UK entities among othersPlatformsMT4 / MT5WithdrawalsBank transfer common in EU entities; fees in the portal
Best forEU-style research + MetaTrader
Check the legal entity on the account form — the licence you get is the one on that contract, not the logo on an ad.
