Best United Kingdom Forex Brokers

BrokerNotes.co

Written by BrokerNotes.co
Fact-checked by Steven Hatzakis, Joey Shadeck
Edited by John Bringans

October 07, 2024

The first step for every forex trader should be choosing a reliable, well-regulated forex broker. The team at BrokerNotes has conducted extensive research and data collection on international forex brokers and the local regulatory environment to create this guide for United Kingdom-based forex traders. Read more to learn which forex broker is best for your needs.

travel_explore A little bit of United Kingdom trivia

Check out some general United Kingdom facts as well as some info about some of the country's most important financial bodies in the paragraph below, generated by ChatGPT (to learn more about how we ethically incorporate AI into our content, read our generative AI policy).

The population of the United Kingdom is 66,176,015 (as of 2020). The national currency of the United Kingdom is the Pound Sterling (GBP). The name of the central bank of the United Kingdom is the Bank of England. The primary responsibility of the Bank of England is to maintain monetary stability in the United Kingdom. Besides the central bank, the other financial markets regulator in the United Kingdom is the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The primary responsibility of the FCA is to safeguard the financial markets and protect consumers by ensuring financial services firms comply with laws and regulations.

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 51% and 89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Best Forex Brokers United Kingdom for 2024

IG
star 9.9/10 Overall
Minimum Deposit£250.00
Tier-1 Licenses8
Tradeable Symbols (Total)19537

Year after year, IG has shown itself to be the best broker in the forex industry and a fantastic choice for forex traders. Highly trusted and regulated across the globe, IG delivers a wide variety of rich features, market research, and powerful trading tools. IG also offers seamless integration of trading signals into its web platform. Read full review

Apple iOS AppYes
Android AppNo
Proprietary PlatformYes
Desktop Platform (Windows)Yes
Web PlatformYes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4)Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5)No
Saxo
star 9.7/10 Overall
Minimum Deposit$0
Tier-1 Licenses7
Tradeable Symbols (Total)70000

Saxo is a highly trusted broker that operates multiple banks and is regulated across the globe. Saxo delivers an incredible cross-platform experience alongside powerful research and a vast selection of more than 60,000 symbols across multiple asset classes. It’s worth noting that minimum deposits at Saxo are steep. Read full review

Apple iOS AppYes
Android AppNo
Proprietary PlatformYes
Desktop Platform (Windows)Yes
Web PlatformYes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4)No
MetaTrader 5 (MT5)No
FOREX.com
star 9.4/10 Overall
Minimum Deposit$100
Tier-1 Licenses7
Tradeable Symbols (Total)5500

FOREX.com is a highly trusted brand with a long history of offering forex in the U.S. and across the globe. FOREX.com offers its own flagship trading platforms for web and desktop, as well as the full MetaTrader suite. Though its pricing is higher than average, FOREX.com is a balanced choice for traders of all experience levels. Read full review

Apple iOS AppYes
Android AppNo
Proprietary PlatformYes
Desktop Platform (Windows)Yes
Web PlatformYes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4)Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5)Yes
City Index
star 9.3/10 Overall
Minimum Deposit£100.00
Tier-1 Licenses7
Tradeable Symbols (Total)13500

City Index, part of StoneX Group, is an award-winning, highly trusted broker with a long history of offering forex and CFDs across its global offices. City Index delivers a well-designed mobile trading app and a powerful web platform, as well as a large range of tradeable markets (though pricing is just average). Read full review

Apple iOS AppYes
Android AppNo
Proprietary PlatformYes
Desktop Platform (Windows)Yes
Web PlatformYes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4)Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5)No
XTB
star 9.1/10 Overall
Minimum Deposit$0 info
Tier-1 Licenses2
Tradeable Symbols (Total)6200

XTB is a highly trusted brand with a proprietary platform (xStation 5) that delivers a rich selection of trading tools. XTB also offers CFDs for a wide range of asset classes, including multiple cryptocurrencies. Beginners will appreciate XTB's excellent educational content and the hundreds of lessons that are available via its Trading Academy. Read full review

Apple iOS AppYes
Android AppNo
Proprietary PlatformYes
Desktop Platform (Windows)Yes
Web PlatformYes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4)No
MetaTrader 5 (MT5)No
eToro
star 8.9/10 Overall
Minimum Deposit$50-$10,000
Tier-1 Licenses3
Tradeable Symbols (Total)5461

Best known for its copy trading platform suite, eToro is a highly trusted broker offering a large selection of cryptocurrency products, CFDs, shares, forex pairs, and a wide range of powerful trading tools. It’s worth noting that eToro is not a discount broker (though it offers zero-dollar commissions for U.S. stocks). Read full review

Apple iOS AppYes
Android AppNo
Proprietary PlatformYes
Desktop Platform (Windows)No
Web PlatformYes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4)No
MetaTrader 5 (MT5)No
Swissquote
star 8.7/10 Overall
Minimum Deposit$1000
Tier-1 Licenses5
Tradeable Symbols (Total)472

Swissquote delivers a balanced offering of easy-to-use proprietary trading platforms and popular third-party platforms like MetaTrader and TradingView. Swissquote also offers a staggering 3 million financial products. It’s worth noting that Swissquote's pricing is more expensive than what you'd find with low-cost forex brokers. Read full review

Apple iOS AppYes
Android AppNo
Proprietary PlatformYes
Desktop Platform (Windows)Yes
Web PlatformYes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4)Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5)Yes
Plus500
star 8.6/10 Overall
Minimum Deposit€100
Tier-1 Licenses6
Tradeable Symbols (Total)5500 info

Plus500 is a highly-trusted broker that delivers share trading via the Plus500 Invest platform and a good selection of CFDs via the broker’s separate Plus500 CFD platform. Though Plus500 doesn’t offer MetaTrader, we found its proprietary trading platform to be intuitive and easy to use. Plus500 is still a great choice for less demanding traders. Read full review

Apple iOS AppYes
Android AppNo
Proprietary PlatformYes
Desktop Platform (Windows)No
Web PlatformYes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4)No
MetaTrader 5 (MT5)No
Pepperstone
star 8.5/10 Overall
Minimum Deposit$0
Tier-1 Licenses3
Tradeable Symbols (Total)1726

Pepperstone is a highly trusted broker that offers a growing number of tradeable markets and support for third-party platforms such as TradingView, cTrader, a variety of copy trading platforms, and the MetaTrader suite. Traders at Pepperstone also gain access to high-quality research content in both written and video format. Read full review

Apple iOS AppYes
Android AppNo
Proprietary PlatformYes
Desktop Platform (Windows)Yes
Web PlatformYes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4)Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5)Yes
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What are the best United Kingdom forex brokers?

We’ve tested over 60 international forex brokers and created unbiased, data-driven broker ratings to show you the best forex brokers in the industry. To help you navigate the world of forex regulations and choose a broker that you can trust, our expert research team has built a proprietary database containing over 100 global regulatory licenses and jurisdictions; that research determines each broker's individual Trust Score. Check out our top picks for the best United Kingdom forex brokers:

Winner: IG

Year after year, IG has shown itself to be the best broker in the forex industry. Highly trusted and regulated in a staggering eight Tier-1 jurisdictions, IG holds a Trust Score rating of 99. Though IG does offer MetaTrader 4, IG’s proprietary web-based trading platform steals the show with its wide variety of rich features, market research, and powerful trading tools. IG also offers seamless integration of trading signals into its web platform. IG has won countless Annual Awards from our sister site, ForexBrokers.com, and is a fantastic choice for forex traders of all experience levels.

IG Trading Platform Screenshots

IG Features

  • Overall rating - 9.9/10
  • Trust Score - 99
  • Tradeable symbols - 19537
  • Minimum deposit - £250.00

Runner Up: Saxo

Saxo is a highly trusted broker that operates multiple banks and holds regulatory licenses in a wide range of reputable international jurisdictions, earning it one of the highest Trust Score ratings in our database. Simply put, Saxo ranks at – or near – the top of practically every category. Traders and investors at Saxo gain access to an incredible platform experience (including on mobile) alongside powerful research and a vast selection of more than 60,000 symbols across multiple asset classes. Saxo also supports a variety of third-party platforms, including the immensely popular TradingView platform. That said, minimum deposits at Saxo are steep; minimum deposits start at €2,000 for the broker's entry-level account offering and go as high as €1,000,000 for a VIP account.

Saxo Trading Platform Screenshots

Saxo Features

  • Overall rating - 9.7/10
  • Trust Score - 99
  • Tradeable symbols - 70000
  • Minimum deposit - $0

Podium Finisher: FOREX.com

FOREX.com, part of the StoneX Group, is a highly trusted brand with a long history of offering forex in the U.S. and across the globe. We love FOREX.com's flagship trading platforms for web and desktop (TradingView's powerful charting is fully integrated within the broker's web platform), and MetaTrader loyalists will appreciate that FOREX.com offers both MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. An impressive number of CFDs are available within the broker's proprietary platform (though fewer are available on MetaTrader). FOREX.com's pricing is great for active traders, but our research found that FOREX.com is slightly expensive compared to the industry average. Overall, FOREX.com is a well-balanced choice for traders of all experience levels.

FOREX.com Trading Platform Screenshots

FOREX.com Features

  • Overall rating - 9.4/10
  • Trust Score - 99
  • Tradeable symbols - 5500
  • Minimum deposit - $100

Compare trading costs for the best United Kingdom forex brokers

Based on our own data (our independent database contains over 4,000 data points), this table compares trading costs for the top United Kingdom forex brokers.

Company Accepts GB Residents Minimum Deposit Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard Average Spread EUR/USD - Mini All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active Active Trader or VIP Discounts
IG logoIG
check £250.00 0.98 info 0.98 info 0.82 info Yes
Saxo logoSaxo
check $0 1.1 info 1.0 info 0.9 info Yes
FOREX.com logoFOREX.com
check $100 1.4 info 1.4 info 0.9 info Yes
City Index logoCity Index
check £100.00 1.4 info 1.4 info 0.74 info Yes
XTB logoXTB
check $0 info 1.00 info 1.00 info 1.00 info No

Comparing trading platforms between United Kingdom forex brokers

Trading platforms grant access to the foreign exchange market and allow you to analyze market conditions, manage positions, and execute trades. Check out a side-by-side comparison of the trading platforms available at the best United Kingdom forex brokers, based on our independent product testing.

Company Accepts GB Residents Desktop Platform (Windows) Web Platform Proprietary Platform MetaTrader 4 (MT4) MetaTrader 5 (MT5) ZuluTrade cTrader
IG logoIG
check Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
Saxo logoSaxo
check Yes Yes Yes No No No No
FOREX.com logoFOREX.com
check Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
City Index logoCity Index
check Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
XTB logoXTB
check Yes Yes Yes No No No No

Comparing investment options between United Kingdom forex brokers

We closely monitor the availability of investment products such as forex trading (CFD and spot), stocks (CFD and non-CFD), spread betting, ETFs, and social copy trading – among many others. These investment types are tracked as variables within our extensive independent database. Check out the offering of investments at the top United Kingdom forex brokers.

Company Accepts GB Residents Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) Spread Betting Social Trading / Copy Trading U.S. Stocks (CFD)
IG logoIG
check Yes Yes No Yes
Saxo logoSaxo
check Yes No Yes Yes
FOREX.com logoFOREX.com
check Yes No No Yes
City Index logoCity Index
check Yes Yes Yes Yes
XTB logoXTB
check Yes No No Yes

What is the best forex broker in United Kingdom?

IG is our pick for the best forex broker in United Kingdom. Founded in 1974, IG holds licenses across a number of notable global regulatory jurisdictions, and has earned an overall Trust Score rating of 99. IG's impressive offering of 19537 tradeable symbols opens up a wide variety of trading opportunities for its clients. If you are interested in opening an account, the minimum deposit to get started as a trader at IG is £250.00. We've tested and reviewed dozens of forex brokers and created unbiased, data-driven broker ratings to highlight the best forex brokers in the industry. Our overall rating for IG is 9.9/10. Read our data-driven broker reviews to learn more.

Check out a gallery of screenshots from IG's trading platforms, taken by our research team during our product testing.

Best United Kingdom Forex Brokers

Here are our picks for the best forex brokers that accept United Kingdom-based clients in 2024. The below table is sorted by the brokers' Overall Ratings.

Company Accepts GB Residents Overall Rating Minimum Deposit Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard Read Review
IG logoIG
check 9.9 £250.00 0.98 info IG Review
Saxo logoSaxo
check 9.7 $0 1.1 info Saxo Review
FOREX.com logoFOREX.com
check 9.4 $100 1.4 info FOREX.com Review
City Index logoCity Index
check 9.3 £100.00 1.4 info City Index Review
XTB logoXTB
check 9.1 $0 info 1.00 info XTB Group Review
eToro logoeToro
check 8.9 $50-$10,000 1 info eToro Review
Swissquote logoSwissquote
check 8.7 $1000 N/A info Swissquote Review
Plus500 logoPlus500
check 8.6 €100 1.5 info Plus500 Review
Pepperstone logoPepperstone
check 8.5 $0 1.00 info Pepperstone Review

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Methodology

At BrokerNotes.co, our data-driven online broker reviews are based on our extensive testing of brokers, platforms, products, technologies, and third-party trading tools. Our product testing extends to the quality and availability of educational content, market research resources, and the accessibility and capabilities of mobile platforms and trading apps. We also dive into each broker’s trading costs, such as VIP rebates, inactivity fees, custody fees, bid/ask spreads, and other fee-based data points.

Steven Hatzakis, an industry veteran with decades of experience in the forex market, leads the BrokerNotes research team. All BrokerNotes content is researched, fact-checked, and edited by the research team.

All websites and web-based platforms are tested using the latest version of the Google Chrome browser. Our Desktop PCs run Windows 11, and we use MacBook Pro laptops running the latest version of macOS to test trading on the go. We test mobile apps and products using iPhones running iOS 17 and Samsung devices running Android OS 14.

Note: The online brokers on our site provide the ability to trade forex in one or more ways, such as non-deliverable spot forex (i.e., rolling spot contracts), contracts for difference (CFD), or other derivatives such as futures. The availability of specific markets or features will depend on your country of residence and the broker's applicable brand or entity that services your account(s).

Forex Risk Disclaimer

There is a very high degree of risk involved in trading securities. With respect to margin-based foreign exchange trading, off-exchange derivatives, and cryptocurrencies, there is considerable exposure to risk, including but not limited to, leverage, creditworthiness, limited regulatory protection and market volatility that may substantially affect the price, or liquidity of a currency or related instrument. It should not be assumed that the methods, techniques, or indicators presented in these products will be profitable, or that they will not result in losses. Learn more about foreign exchange risk.

About the Editorial Team

BrokerNotes.co

BrokerNotes.co provides unbiased forex broker reviews and ratings to help traders and investors find the best broker for their needs. All content is researched, fact-checked, and edited by our research team and all ratings and rankings are based on the team’s in-depth product testing.

Steven Hatzakis

Steven Hatzakis is the Global Director of Online Broker Research for BrokerNotes.co and ForexBrokers.com. Steven previously served as an Editor for Finance Magnates, where he authored over 1,000 published articles about the online finance industry. A forex industry expert and an active fintech and crypto researcher, Steven advises blockchain companies at the board level and holds a Series III license in the U.S. as a Commodity Trading Advisor (CTA).

Joey Shadeck

Joey Shadeck is the Content Strategist and Research Analyst for BrokerNotes.co and ForexBrokers.com. He holds dual degrees in Finance and Marketing from Oakland University, and has been an active trader and investor for close to ten years. An industry veteran, Joey obtains and verifies data, conducts research, and analyzes and validates our content.

John Bringans

John Bringans is the Managing Editor of BrokerNotes.co and ForexBrokers.com. An experienced media professional, John has close to a decade of editorial experience with a background that includes key leadership roles at global newsroom outlets. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature from San Francisco State University, and conducts research on forex and the financial services industry while assisting in the production of content.

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