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Best cTrader Brokers of 2024

BrokerNotes.co

Written by BrokerNotes.co

March 14, 2024

The cTrader Trading Platform

cTrader is an Electronic Communication Network trading platform designed by Spotware Systems, a company based in Europe. The cTrader is an ECN platform brand that is designed as a turnkey platform and which can be adapted for use by several brokers.

The cTrader platform provides straight-through processing (STP) for orders placed by forex traders, allowing them to deal directly with banks and liquidity providers without the intervention of a dealing desk. The cTrader platform is not as popular as the MetaTrader 4 trading software and traders have a much smaller pool of brokers to choose from.

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 74% 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 cTrader Forex Brokers

  • Pepperstone - 8.4/10 Overall
  • FP Markets - 8.3/10 Overall
  • FxPro - 8.1/10 Overall
  • IC Markets - 8.1/10 Overall
  • BlackBull Markets - 8.0/10 Overall
  • FXPrimus
    - 7.0/10 Overall
  • TopFX - 6.7/10 Overall
Pepperstone
8.4/10 Overall
Minimum Deposit$200
Tier-1 Licenses3
Tradeable Symbols (Total)2342

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.

Apple iOS AppYes
Android AppNo
Proprietary PlatformNo
Desktop Platform (Windows)Yes
Web PlatformYes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4)Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5)Yes
FP Markets
8.3/10 Overall
Minimum Deposit$100 AUD
Tier-1 Licenses2
Tradeable Symbols (Total)10000

FP Markets delivers excellent pricing and access to the full MetaTrader suite, as well as cTrader and its own copy trading platform. That being said, FP Markets' pricing is not as low on its IRESS platform, which is optimized for share dealing. FP Markets fares well across most key categories, though its research and education have room to improve.

Apple iOS AppYes
Android AppNo
Proprietary PlatformYes
Desktop Platform (Windows)Yes
Web PlatformYes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4)Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5)Yes
FxPro
8.1/10 Overall
Minimum Deposit$100
Tier-1 Licenses2
Tradeable Symbols (Total)2249

FxPro is a trusted brand that delivers access to a wide range of trading platforms, including cTrader, the full MetaTrader platform suite, and its proprietary FxPro Edge and BnkPro apps. Algorithmic traders will appreciate FxPro's execution methods and pricing options, but spreads and overall costs at FxPro are higher than average.

Apple iOS AppYes
Android AppNo
Proprietary PlatformYes
Desktop Platform (Windows)Yes
Web PlatformYes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4)Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5)Yes
IC Markets
8.1/10 Overall
Minimum Deposit$200
Tier-1 Licenses2
Tradeable Symbols (Total)3583

IC Markets is a trusted broker with multiple Tier-1 regulatory licenses. Traders at IC Markets gain access to MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 as well as the Advanced Trading Tools package for desktop and support for third-party plugins from Autochartist and Trading Central. That said, the broker's research and education have room to improve.

Apple iOS AppYes
Android AppNo
Proprietary PlatformNo
Desktop Platform (Windows)Yes
Web PlatformYes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4)Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5)Yes
BlackBull Markets
8.0/10 Overall
Minimum Deposit$0
Tier-1 Licenses1
Tradeable Symbols (Total)26000

BlackBull Markets offers the full MetaTrader suite, a proprietary copy trading platform, as well as integration with the popular TradingView platform. Traders at BlackBull Markets gain access to share trading, CFDs, and a growing range of markets from its brands regulated in New Zealand and the Seychelles.

Apple iOS AppYes
Android AppNo
Proprietary PlatformNo
Desktop Platform (Windows)Yes
Web PlatformYes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4)Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5)Yes
FXPrimus
7.0/10 Overall
Minimum Deposit$100
Tier-1 Licenses1
Tradeable Symbols (Total)140

FXPrimus offers cTrader as well as the full MetaTrader suite, but delivers fewer than 140 symbols that can be traded from within its platform. Despite carrying indemnity insurance from its Vanuatu-regulated entity, FXPrimus' lack of additional top-tier licenses brings down its overall Trust Score rating.

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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(Between 72-89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs)

TopFX
6.7/10 Overall
Minimum DepositDepends on payment method
Tier-1 Licenses1
Tradeable Symbols (Total)655

TopFX offers the MetaTrader and cTrader platforms, along with a growing selection of tradeable markets. That said, TopFX's lack of substantial regulatory licenses outside of Cyprus brings its Trust Score down. TopFX also lags behind the industry average when it comes to market research and education.

Apple iOS AppYes
Android AppNo
Proprietary PlatformNo
Desktop Platform (Windows)Yes
Web PlatformYes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4)Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5)No

cTrader platform versions

There are several versions of the cTrader platform. These are as follows:

  • cTrader desktop
  • cTrader web
  • cTrader mobile (android and iOs)

The desktop client of cTrader is a downloadable file that can be set up to work on a PC or laptop. It requires a username and password for the trader to log in to either the demo account or the live account. The file is downloaded as an executable (.exe) file and then has to be unpacked and set up by following the prompts on the screen.

The web trader is a web-based, non-downloadable version of cTrader. This is accessible from the broker’s website as an URL, which also requires a username and password for login. It carries the same functionality as the downloadable version of the software but is deployable anywhere. The URL comes in the format: https://ct.brokername.com). The snapshots used in this article are from FxPro, hence the cTrader on this broker is accessible on https://ct.fxpro.com.

The mobile versions of cTrader are built for the Android devices as well as the iOs devices (iPhone and iPad). This allows traders to trade forex with cTrader on the go. The cTrader mobile apps can be downloaded from the respective stores (Google Play for Android and App Store for iOs).

cTrader user guide: Getting started

This is the first button located on the top left page of the cTrader interface. This button enables traders to perform a number of functions related to a demo or a live account.

  1. Sign in: This is used to prompt the trader to log in to a live or demo account, create a new demo account or change the cTrader connection settings
  2. Open Demo Account: Traders can open a demo account from the cTrader platform using this function
  3. Open Live Account: It is not possible to open a Live account from the cTrader platform. The tab redirects to the broker’s web page where live account opening can be done
  4. Exit cTrader (Alt+F4): Closes the terminal. All active robots will be stopped, but any open trades will not be affected

This is a snapshot of the web-based version of the cTrader platform showing the chart section, the currency pairs on the left and a range of other function buttons arranged all over the interface. We will now describe how some of the most basic trade functions work on the cTrader platform.

cTrader user guide: Placing orders

Traders can place two types of orders on cTrader: the market orders and the pending orders. Trade orders are initiated by either pressing the F9 button or by clicking the cTrader tab on the top left corner of the interface, then click “New Order” in the drop-down menu that shows up.

Market Order

Pending Order

When the order windows are opened, the trader has the option of filling the relevant boxes with the appropriate information such as order price, limit price, stop price, etc. When orders are placed, a new window showing the active orders and the pending orders opens. Here is a snapshot of the pending orders window:

cTrader user guide: Instrument information

Traders get to see the following information for each order:

  • Order ID: The order ID is the identification number assigned to the trade order.
  • Time: Shows the date and time the order was placed.
  • Symbol: This is the symbol for the asset which the trader intends to trade.
  • Volume: This is the trade volume that the trader has assigned for the trade. On cTrader, trade volumes and not the lot size is the way that sizes of trades are measured.
  • Type: Shows the type of order that the trader has set. These could either be Limit or Stop orders on the Buy or Sell side.
  • Entry: Shows the trade’s entry price.
  • Expiry: Exclusive to pending orders, this is the time at which the trade order can expire. A trader may decide that the order will not be valid after a certain time. This is where the trader can set the parameters for an invalid order to expire.
  • T/P: Stands for “Take Profit” point.
  • S/L: Used to connote the “Stop Loss” point.
  • Distance Shows the pip distance between the market price and the entry price for the Limit or Stop order.
  • Price: This is the current price of the asset in the market.

cTrader user guide: Tools and charting

Next to the cTrader tab on the top navigation bar is the “Tools” bar. This is where traders get to discover the various trading tools available to them. Examples of these tools are:

  • Chart Mode: Traders can select one out of three chart modes. The single chart mode displays a single chart on the interface. The multi-chart mode presents several charts on the interface and each can be selected by clicking the relevant tab. The free-chart mode enables the trader to view the chart in a different window as a separate entity from the platform.
  • Lines: This function activates the Line tool, used in drawing trend lines.
  • Equidistant Price channel: This is for tracing channels on the chart.
  • Fibonacci: This is to activate the various Fibonacci tools (retracement, arc, expansion, etc).
  • Pitchfork: This function is used to identify the fork pattern where it exists.
  • Set Price Alert: Assuming a trader wants to use a Limit or Stop order at a particular price, this function sets an audio alert for the trader, which is useful if the trader is not immediately on the computer.

cTrader user guide: Tradable Assets

On the left side of the platform interface, the trader is able to view the entire list of tradable assets (currencies, spot metals, etc) using the “Symbol” tab, as well as pick specific assets and save them under a Watchlist.

cTrader user guide: Preferences

  • QuickTrade Mode: This controls the trading mode and allows the trader to perform trades using a Single-Click, a Double-Click or to disable this entirely
  • Sounds On/Off: This tab enables or disables the use of sound alerts
  • Language: cTrader can be used in several languages. This tab enables appropriate language selection
  • Layout Mode: This is used to make adjustments to the chart layout
  • Full screen: To change between the full screen and a minimized screen display, this tab can be used. The F12 button is an alternative shortcut

cTrader user guide: Button Shortcuts

Around the chart window are located several tabs. These are all shortcut tabs that can be used to execute functions on the chart as well as technical analysis.

One of the most important of these buttons is the keyboard shortcut display button. Engaging this button, which is located on top of the chart window, displays several keyboard shortcuts for various functions on the cTrader.

cTrader user guide: Deposits/Withdrawals

Traders can also initiate deposits and withdrawals from their cTrader accounts, directly from the cTrader platform. This is done by pressing/clicking the green Deposit/Withdrawal button located at the bottom left corner of the platform interface.

BrokerNotes.co 2023 Overall Rankings

To recap, here are our top forex brokers for 2023, sorted by Overall ranking.

Company Overall Rating Minimum Deposit Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard Trust Score Tradeable Symbols (Total) Read Review Visit Site
IG logoIG 9.9 ÂŁ250.00 0.98 info 99 19537 IG Review Visit Site
Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers 9.9 $0 0.63 info 99 8500 Interactive Brokers Review
Saxo logoSaxo 9.7 $0 1.1 info 99 70000 Saxo Review
CMC Markets logoCMC Markets 9.6 $0 0.61 info 99 12074 CMC Markets Review
FOREX.com logoFOREX.com 9.4 $100 1.4 info 99 5500 FOREX.com Review Visit Site
TD Ameritrade logoTD Ameritrade 9.3 $0 1.25 info 99 0 TD Ameritrade Review
City Index logoCity Index 9.3 ÂŁ100.00 1.4 info 99 13500 City Index Review
XTB logoXTB 9.1 $0 1.07 info 96 6010 XTB Group Review
eToro logoeToro 8.8 $10-$10,000 1 info 90 3479 eToro Review
Swissquote logoSwissquote 8.8 $1000 N/A info 99 472 Swissquote Review
Capital.com logoCapital.com 8.7 $20 info 0.67 info 87 3007 Capital.com Review
AvaTrade logoAvaTrade 8.7 $100 0.92 info 94 1260 AvaTrade Review
Plus500 logoPlus500 8.6 €100 0.8 (August 2021) info 99 5500 info Plus500 Review
OANDA logoOANDA 8.5 $0 1.57 info 93 1744 info OANDA Review
FXCM logoFXCM 8.5 Starts from $50 0.74 info 95 440 FXCM Review
Admirals logoAdmirals 8.5 $100 0.8 info 93 8702 Admiral Markets Review
Pepperstone logoPepperstone 8.4 $200 0.77 info 95 2342 Pepperstone Review
XM Group logoXM Group 8.4 $5 1.6 info 88 1429 XM Group Review
FP Markets logoFP Markets 8.3 $100 AUD 1.1 info 87 10000 FP Markets Review
FxPro logoFxPro 8.1 $100 1.51 info 90 2249 FxPro Review
IC Markets logoIC Markets 8.1 $200 0.62 info 84 3583 IC Markets Review
Markets.com logoMarkets.com 8.1 $100 1.9 info 96 2179 Markets.com Review
Tickmill logoTickmill 8.1 $100 0.51 info 83 725 Tickmill Review
Fineco Bank logoFineco Bank 8.0 $0 N/A info 94 9770 Fineco Bank Review
BlackBull Markets logoBlackBull Markets 8.0 $0 0.827 info 77 26000 BlackBull Markets Review
Vantage logoVantage 8.0 $50 1.30 info 90 1000 Vantage Review
HYCM (Henyep Capital Markets) logoHYCM (Henyep Capital Markets) 7.9 $20 0.6 info 88 1199 HYCM Review
HFM logoHFM 7.9 $0 1.2 info 86 3500 HFM Review
ThinkMarkets logoThinkMarkets 7.8 $0 info 1.1 info 92 4000 ThinkMarkets Review
FlowBank logoFlowBank 7.7 $0 N/A info 80 408600 FlowBank Review
DooPrime logoDooPrime 7.8 $100 N/A info 83 10000 DooPrime Review
Trading 212 logoTrading 212 7.7 €10 1.9 info 79 8025 Trading 212 Review
BDSwiss logoBDSwiss 7.7 $10-$5000 info 1.6 info 76 1081 BDSwiss Review
Trade Nation logoTrade Nation 7.6 $0 0.6 85 601 Trade Nation Review
TMGM logoTMGM 7.6 $100 N/A info 83 12000 TMGM Review
Moneta Markets logoMoneta Markets 7.5 $50 1.27 info 72 1016 Moneta Markets Review
Eightcap logoEightcap 7.5 $100 1.0 info 85 736 Eightcap Review
MultiBank logoMultiBank 7.5 $50 N/A 84 1042
ACY Securities logoACY Securities 7.4 $50 1.2 info 75 2200 ACY Securities Review
RoboForex (RoboMarkets) logoRoboForex (RoboMarkets) 7.3 $100 1.4 info 71 12000 Roboforex (RoboMarkets) Review
VT Markets logoVT Markets 7.3 $100 1.2 info 70 1000 VT Markets Review
easyMarkets logoeasyMarkets 7.3 $50 0.9 info 80 199 easyMarkets Review
IronFX logoIronFX 7.2 $50 1.2 83 340 IronFX Review
Spreadex logoSpreadex 7.2 $0 0.81 info 71 10000 Spreadex Review
IFC Markets logoIFC Markets 7.2 $1 1.44 info 67 630 ATFX Review
Trade360 logoTrade360 7.2 $250 N/A info 76 1062 Trade360 Review
Octa logoOcta 7.2 $25 0.9 info 70 230 OctaFX Review
Axi logoAxi 7.1 $0 N/A info 81 175 Axitrader Review
TeleTrade logoTeleTrade 7.1 $100 N/A 71 500 Teletrade Review
GKFX logoGKFX 7.0 $0 N/A info 65 354 GKFX Review
Exness logoExness 7.0 $1 0.9 info 71 112 Exness Review
Vestle logoVestle 7.0 -1 N/A 78 750 Vestle Review
FXOpen logoFXOpen 7 $100 N/A info 80 87 FXOpen Review
FXPrimus logoFXPrimus 7.0 $100 N/A info 71 140 FXPrimus Review Visit Site
Forex4you logoForex4you 6.9 $0 N/A info 61 150 Forex4you Review
GBE brokers logoGBE brokers 6.8 $500 N/A info 71 500 GBE Brokers Review
Alpari logoAlpari 6.8 $20 N/A info 68 105 Alpari Review
TopFX logoTopFX 6.7 Depends on payment method N/A info 67 655 TopFX Review
Libertex (Forex Club) logoLibertex (Forex Club) 6.7 $10 N/A info 73 300 Libertex Review
LegacyFX logoLegacyFX 6.7 $500 N/A 67 425 LegacyFX Review
FXGT.com logoFXGT.com 6.6 $5 N/A 69 117 FXGT Review
ATFX logoATFX 6.5 $500 N/A info 73 150 ATFX Review
Xtrade logoXtrade 6.5 $250 N/A info 80 142 Xtrade Review

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At BrokerNotes.co, our data-driven online broker reviews are based on our own extensive testing of each broker's products and services as well as the qualified observations of our expert editorial team. In conjunction with our sister site, ForexBrokers.com, we’ve published well over 100,000 words of research and collected thousands of data points across hundreds of variables. Our online trading guides are created with the same rigorous, data-driven approach.

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). Our proprietary Trust Score rating system tracks data from over 100 regulatory jurisdictions to help forex traders understand the regulatory status of their forex broker and choose a broker that they can trust.

Our editorial team is led by Steven Hatzakis, an industry veteran with decades of experience and a deep understanding of the forex market. Our team conducts thorough testing on a wide range of brokers, platforms, products, technologies, third-party trading tools, and mobile apps. We also test for the availability of high-quality educational content, actionable market research resources, and the accessibility and capabilities of mobile platforms. All of our ratings and rankings are based on the collection and validation of thousands of data points and our in-depth product testing.

Part of our testing process involves in-depth research into commissions and fees. We dive into each broker’s trading costs, such as VIP rebates, inactivity fees, custody fees, bid/ask spreads (we always strive to determine the average spreads for each broker to better serve our readers), and a variety of other fee-based data points.

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.

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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.

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