Welcome to the Forex trading UK for beginners guide. In the last decade, forex trading in the United Kingdom has seen a significant increase in the number of investors. More and more people are taking an interest in this financial venture. The market has definitely grown and become much more accessible than in years past. Technological advancements have also made trading much easier, hence the potential for profit is now a lot more within reach.
If you are new to the world of forex trading UK, one of the first things to mind is getting yourself a good forex broker. This is crucial if your aim is to maximize your earnings, minimize your losses and become a truly successful forex trader in the long run.
There are many factors to take into consideration when choosing the top forex brokers UK. Traders also have different needs and preferences. For this reason, it is not possible to have a single decisive ranking for all forex brokers in UK. However, we have gone all over the country and found these forex brokers to be among the best. Each one of the brokers in this list is legitimate and while not all of them have headquarters in the UK, all of them are fully qualified to serve UK traders.
VFSC, CySEC
100% bonus
$100
500:1
ASIC, VFSC
N/A
$100
500:1
ASIC, CBI, BVI, FSCA, IIROC, FFAJ, JFSA, ADGM FRSA
up to 40% bonus
$100
400:1
CySec, ASIC, BVI
up to 50% bonus
$100
400:1
VFSC, FSC, IBFC
N/A
$5
1000:1
ASIC, VFSC
$10 000 demo
$50
500:1
FCA, ASIC, CIMA, SIBL
up to 50% bonus
$100
500:1
All these brokers have a high satisfaction rating from their respective traders. Each one also has its unique strengths and standout features. Thus, it is very important that you examine their offering closely in order to find the perfect broker for you.
Here are the best forex brokers broker UK for 2024 if you don’t have time to read our full reviews.
IG was established in 1974 and is now considered to be one of the most reliable brokers not only for trading forex but for CFDs as well. An impressive six tier-1 regulators have authorized this broker, namely ASIC, JFSA, MAS, FINMA, FCA and CFTC. Such approval makes IG a highly safe and very trustworthy broker.
Best Features
IG has 104 forex pairs and close to 20000 CFDs available for trading. This gives traders a very wide range of options. They also provide a considerable amount of charting tools and indicators that you can use to manage your trades. IG is also highly recommended for mobile trading. In fact, their mobile app has received numerous citations for its abundant features and overall excellent performance.
Commissions and Fees
The minimum deposit varies depending on the trader’s location. For the UK, the minimum is 250 GBP. IG gives discounts to volume traders through its rebate program for active traders. As your monthly trade volume increases, the rebates that you qualify for also go up. For such a top-rate forex broker, you would expect steep fees and commissions. On the contrary, IG actually has very competitive rates.
Saxo Bank is a forex broker that started operating almost three decades ago. It is a property of Geely Holding Group, a China-based company. It runs a number of banks and has licenses from six top-tier regulators, namely ASIC, SFC, JFSA, MAS, FINMA and FCA. It also has nine other licenses from lower tier jurisdictions from other countries. To date, they have served more than 620,000 traders and have helped these traders in more than 34 million trades.
Best Features
Among the biggest strengths of Saxo Bank are their trading platforms, charting tools and range of trading instruments. They have a huge selection of charting and analysis tools for all traders, from newbies to pros. Their research offering is also broad and diverse and all come from very reputable resources. Saxo has also received frequent praise for its seamless synchronization of its mobile, web and desktop platforms.
Commissions and Fees
Possibly the only drawback to trading with Saxo Bank is their relatively high minimum initial deposit. For UK traders, the amount is 500 GBP which is not really that high. But for most traders from other parts of the world, the minimum for a classic account is 10000 USD. For a platinum account, the minimum is even higher at 200,000 USD. For VIP accounts, the minimum deposit is a staggering 1M USD. They do not charge commission and earn from the spread.
CMC Markets is a publicly traded forex broker that was founded in 1989. It has licenses from four tier-1 regulatory bodies, namely ASIC, IIROC, MAS and FCA. It also has licenses from two tier-2 jurisdictions. This broker has served a total of more than 57000 traders from their many offices from all over the world.
Best Features
This forex broker is most popular in the forex world for their affordable trading costs. Their fees and other costs are much lower in comparison to most of the other forex brokers in UK. They have their own trading platform called Next Generation where traders can buy and sell almost 10000 assets. CMC Markets provides an A1 trader experience, abundant tools and resources for market research. They also have a first-rate mobile app.
Commissions and Fees
The average spreads on most forex pairs are very competitive and much lower than those of other forex brokers in the UK. There are also liquidity rebates to be had for active traders if they meet a minimum monthly trade volume. Also, there is no minimum initial deposit so you can actually start trading with whatever amount you wish.
Interactive Brokers has been a publicly listed company since 2007 but they were founded 4 decades prior. As one of the oldest US-based brokerage firms, they have grown a lot and now operate in 31 countries. Interactive Brokers are a very reliable and low-risk forex broker with licenses from six tier-1 forex authorities around the world. These are the IIROC, SFC, JFSA, FCA, MAS and the CFTC.
Best Features
The trading platform of Interactive Brokers, called the Interactive Brokers Trader Workstation, is built for high trading performance and is equipped with a large range of highly advanced tools that will be the delight of any advanced or professional forex trader. These tools will enable experienced traders to dramatically improve their trading experience and also increase the odds of a good return. Interactive Brokers have more than 7400 CFDs to trade, as well as 105 forex pairs to choose from.
Commissions and Fees
Interactive Brokers earn by charging a commission for each trade. On the average, the commission charged by Interactive Brokers per side is about 8 to 20 USD, which is actually quite competitive. Active traders also get generous discounts depending on the volume of their monthly trade. To illustrate, if you trade more than a billion worth of currency in a month, you might only be charged 1.5 USD per side. Interactive Brokers does not require a minimum amount for the initial deposit.
City Index is a forex broker UK that has its origins in the United Kingdom back in 1983. In 2015, GAIN Capital Holdings acquired the company. GAIN also owns FOREX.com, another well-known forex broker with thousands of international traders. As of today, City Index has served close to 300000 traders from around the world.
Best Features
City Index is a favorite among many traders because of its excellent offerings in terms of trading platforms, market research, educational tools and a wide range of markets. They have superior platforms for both desktop and web that come with powerful tools for trading and research. As with other forex brokers in UK, City Index gives spread-betting options for their traders. You can choose from 4500 CFDs and 65 forex pairs to trade. They also have a highly competitive social trading platform.
Commissions and Fees
The commissions and fees of City Index are just about average. In order to avail their best pricing, you would want to use their proprietary platforms. Active traders in the UK can avail up to 4 GBP per million if your trade volume per month exceeds 25 million GBP. Bigger volumes will entitle you to even bigger rebates. The minimum initial deposit required by City Index is 50 GBP.
XTB is a Polish forex broker company that was founded in 2002. Today, it is one of the more trustworthy forex brokers in UK and other parts of the world. It is a publicly listed broker and currently has about 200 000 clients from different countries. It has one tier-1 license and that is from the UK’s own FCA.
Best Features
XTB offers great trading features all around but what stands out is their proprietary trading platform, xStation. This platform suite includes a wide range of tools for trading and research. It is also very easy to use for both new and experienced traders. XTB offers excellent cryptocurrency trading options as well. It is also worth mentioning that XTB’s customer service is one of the best in the industry.
Commissions and Fees
There is no minimum initial deposit with XTB so you can fund your account with any amount that you wish. When signing up with XTB, you can choose from their Standard account, which earns from spreads, and the Pro account, which earns from the commission. In both options, the pricing is at par with most of the other forex brokers in UK.
Owned by GAIN Capital under StoneX Group, FOREX.com was established in 1999 and currently operates in several countries all over the world. It is a highly trusted forex broker with licenses in several tier-1 jurisdictions, including the IIROC, JFSA, FCA and the CFTC.
Best Features
This broker offers a really good selection of assets for trading. To date, they have 91 forex pairs, as well as more than 4500 CFDs for traders to choose from. Cryptocurrency trading is available through CFDs. FOREX.com offers traders a wide range of choices when it comes to trading platforms. Their platform for desktop trading, Advanced Trading, comes with robust charting tools and 139 technical indicators. This makes the platform ideal for professional traders. They also have an excellent mobile app with loads of features, rivaling some of the best apps of other forex traders in UK.
Commissions and Fees
FOREX.com requires an initial deposit of at least 100 USD. There are three types of accounts available for traders. However, the only ones available to UK traders are the Standard account and the DMA account. Active traders can avail of considerable discounts after meeting a certain monthly volume of trades.
This forex broker UK is a fairly new company that was established only in 2007. It has quickly gained popularity though, especially with the younger and more modern traders. Its fresh approach to trading has certainly appealed to traders in the UK. eToro is a very reliable broker with its tier-1 accreditation from the ASIC and the FCA. In addition, eToro has licenses from tier-2 and tier-3 international regulators as well.
Best Features
This forex broker has received praise for its many features. But it is most popular for its social trading or copy trading feature. They are actually one of the first brokers that offered this modern system for forex trading. eToro is also the top choice of many beginning traders because both their web and mobile trading platforms are very easy to use. There are more than 2360 financial assets that you can trade at eToro, including 2314 CFDs and 47 forex pairs.
Commissions and Fees
The average spread of the EUR/USD pair on eToro is 1 pip. This is a little bit higher than the average spread of other brokers. In general, the fees of this broker are either average or slightly higher than average compared to the typical forex broker UK. They also have a minimum initial deposit requirement of 200 US and offer discounts for active traders and VIP account holders.
Swissquote is a publicly traded forex broker that has licenses from four tier-1 regulators, namely SFC, MAS, FINMA and FCA. It was founded in 1996 and currently serves almost 400000 traders through their centers in Europe and Asia. They are actually a bank based in Switzerland and thus are one of the most trusted forex brokers today.
Best Features
The multi-asset offerings of Swissquote are their best feature as compared to other brokers. Unlike many other brokers, they allow the trading of cryptocurrencies outside CFDs. In fact, they have recently added 7 new selections, including Ethereum Classic and Chainlink. Swissquote also offers 49 CFDs and 78 forex pairs. They also have a good social trading feature. Additionally, traders also have access to world-class service in the area of wealth management.
Commissions and Fees
The commissions and spreads from Swissquote are quite high compared to other forex brokers in the world. UK traders, however, do pay lower fees than other Swissquote traders. The minimum initial deposit is also higher than the industry average at 1000 USD. However, traders do get to enjoy VIP discounts and rebates for active traders.
FXCM is operated by Leucadia Company that is owned by Jefferies Financial. The company was founded in 1999 and its full name is Forex Capital Markets. It was one of the first companies that opened up the world of online forex transactions for retail traders. They are based in the United Kingdom but have offices in multiple countries. In 2017, though, FXCM got out of the US market and thus no longer serves US based traders. This broker has licenses from three tier-1 regulatory bodies, namely ASIC, FCA and IIROC.
Best Features
FXCM is highly commendable for their versatile and advanced tools for trading that are suitable for all kinds of traders. The market research tools are excellent as well. This broker is perfect for traders that prefer automated trading because the algorithmic trading features and sophisticated charting tools of this broker are simply world-class. Despite the rich selection of tools, their platform remains very easy to use, which makes it a favorite among beginners, as well.
Commissions and Fees
The fees and commissions that FXCM charges for forex trading are a little bit on the higher side. They do offer decent pricing discounts for active traders that are quite similar to what other forex brokers offer. Depending on your location, the minimum initial deposit varies from 50 to 300 GBP.
A relatively new broker that started operating in 2008, Plus500 is publicly listed on the London Stock Exchange. It has several financial centers in Europe, Asia and Australia. To date, they have served more than 200,000 traders and facilitated the buying and selling of more than 35 million positions. Plus500 is a trusted broker that is accredited by three tier-1 regulators, namely, FCA, ASIC, and MAS.
Commissions and Fees
Plus500 requires a minimum initial deposit of 100 EUR. The pricing of this broker is just about average as compared to other forex brokers in UK. They also do not give discounts for active traders.
Pepperstone is an Australia-based forex broker that was founded in Melbourne in 2010. Today, it serves traders from Australia, the United Arab Emirates, the Bahamas and the United Kingdom. It is regulated under Dubai’s DFSA and CySEC of Cyprus, which are both tier-1 jurisdictions. This makes Pepperstone a highly safe broker for both forex and CFD trading.
Best Features
The main market of Pepperstone consists of copy traders and algorithmic traders. They have an excellent copy trading platform with cTrader and their MetaTrader suite comes with multiple add-ons for a richer and more automated trading experience. The research tools are also very good and probably rank in the top 5 of all forex traders in UK.
Commissions and Fees
Pepperstone offers two kinds of trading accounts, the Standard and the Razor account. Of these two, the Razor account has the more competitive pricing. For UK-based traders, Pepperstone has an active trader rebate program. If your trading volume reaches 15 million USD per month, you can get a rebate of 10 percent per lot. Bigger rebates are available for bigger volume traders.
The establishment of Tickmill took place in 2014 in Seychelles where it got its license from the former FSA, now the FCA, which has a tier-1 jurisdiction. Currently serving more than 50,000 traders in multiple countries, Tickmill delivers services that are mostly just at par with the industry average
Best Features
The main forte of Tickmill is in their commission-based pricing that is very competitive, especially for their PRO and VIP trading accounts. The traders that stand to gain the most from this forex broker are those that trade in high volume and maintain a high balance. The market research features of Tickmill are quite competitive, and are rapidly improving through the years. Tickmill also offers social trading but as of the moment, it is not available from the UK entity.
Commissions and Fees
Tickmill requires at least 100 USD as initial deposit. The VIP and Pro accounts have very attractive rates, both in commission and prevailing spreads. The classic account does not charge commission but the spreads are noticeably higher than in the VIP and Pro accounts.
FxPro was established in 2006 and is authorized by the tier-1 regulator FCA, as well as two tier-2 regulators. Since it was founded, this broker has served over 1.8 million traders from 173 countries. They currently have offices located in the United Kingdom, Cyprus, South Africa and the Bahamas.
Best Features
If you are a fan of MetaTrader, FxPro is definitely an excellent choice. They have the complete MT4 and MT5 suites, along with multiple add-on options and a variety of execution methods. They have a fairly large selection of 70 forex pairs, as well as 187 CFDs for you to choose from. FxPro allows you to do social trading and they also have a good mobile trading platform with a robust set of charting tools.
Commissions and Fees
The pricing of FxPro is not the best in the industry as their commissions and fees are higher than the average. Their best spreads can be found on the cTrader platform, where commission-based pricing is followed. Like many other forex brokers in UK, FxPro offers discounts for active traders, although these discounts are not as large as those of the industry leaders.
Vantage FX started in 2009 as MXT Global, and six years later became Vantage FX Pty Ltd. Its primary license is from the ASIC but it also has an entity under the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority or CIMA. This is the entity that Vantage FX uses to serve their UK clients. Vantage FX also has authorization from the FCA and is, therefore, a very safe forex broker UK.
Best Features
Vantage FX is one of the most reliable MetaTrader forex brokers in UK. They offer the full MT suite, including a variety of add-ons. They also have an excellent social trading platform, which is highly beneficial for new and casual traders.
Commissions and Fees
If you maintain at least 10000 USD in your Standard trading account, you can qualify for the active trader rebates. For the Pro ECN account, the minimum deposit to enjoy rebates is 20000 USD. Vantage FX requires at least 200 USD as an initial deposit. The standard accounts do not charge commission and are based on the spread. The RAW ECN account, on the other hand, charges a commission of 3 USD for each side.
Moneta Markets is also a part of the Vantage Group but it is a standalone brand. It is regulated in the Cayman Islands but as part of the Vantage Group, it also has licenses from two tier-1 forex authorities, ASIC and FCA. In most of the areas of broker services, Moneta’s performance is right about at par with the industry average.
Best Features
Possibly the best feature of Moneta Markets is their Masters Course in trading education. This course is very comprehensive and explains multiple topics in detail. It includes 114 short video clips that are very easy to understand even for new traders. They also have longer and more advanced videos for advanced traders.
Commissions and Fees
Like its sister company Vantage FX, Moneta Markets also requires a minimum initial deposit of 200 USD. The average spread that it charges traders is 1.1 pips for the standard account and 0.68 pips for the active account.
HYCM has been in the forex brokerage business for more than four decades now. Their official name is Henyep Markets and their main office is in Hong Kong. Since they started in 1977, HYCM has served tens of thousands of traders. They use the MetaTrader trading platform and offer both the MT4 and MT5 suits for web and desktop. They also have a social trading feature, as well as a free demo account.
Best Features
HYCM does not offer a lot of extras aside from the basic tools for forex trading. This makes it a good choice for new traders who do not want to be confused by too many advanced features. This broker keeps their features concise and easy to use. They also have numerous video tutorials to help beginners navigate the ropes and have the best trading experience that they can get.
Commissions and Fees
The pricing of HYCM is not the most affordable in comparison with other forex brokers in UK. The spread for the EUR/USD is at about 2 pips in the classic account, which is really quite high. Their Raw account has better rates at an average spread of 0.7 pips, plus a 4 USD commission per side.
Forex brokers UK are companies in the United Kingdom that help investors facilitate the buying and selling of currencies. They do this by providing a systematic platform for these transactions. Forex brokers serve all kinds of investors. Some work for retail currency traders. Others serve huge firms that do the trading for banks and corporations. There are also brokers that cater to all kinds of traders.
Forex brokers actually do more than just handle the buying and selling of foreign currency for their clients. They will actually guide you right from the beginning as you open your forex account. Brokers can also give you leverage, which magnifies your trading capacity to as much as 500 times.
Whilst their function is basically the same, forex brokers in UK differ in a lot of aspects. For example, there can be a vast difference in the minimum deposit requirements. Some brokerage firms require a high minimum of $100. Others have no minimum at all. Forex brokers also charge different commissions and fees. Thus, you have to scrutinize these details carefully before signing up with any company.
You will also soon learn that some forex traders have a preference for particular trading styles. It is therefore very important to choose the forex broker UK that can support your own personal trading style. This way, you will have a much bigger chance of making a profit, as well as a slimmer chance of suffering a loss.
A very important item to think about if you are looking for a forex broker is their legitimacy. As much as possible, it is advisable for UK traders to sign up with brokers that have a license under the Financial Conduct Authority(FCA). This used to be the Financial Services Authority. But in 2012 the Financial Services Act of 2012 took effect and brought forth the FCA. The FCA is now the premier regulatory body for forex trading in the UK. We recommend UK traders to follow the FCA twitter page, @TheFCA to stay updated. Also check out the Financial Conduct Authority webpage on Wikipedia.
If the forex broker you are considering does not have an FCA license, it is fine as long as they have a license from at least one foreign regulatory body. Authorization from tier-1 jurisdiction is highly preferable. Top tier means they implement the strictest regulations and list only the safest brokers. Some of the agencies that fall under the tier-1 category are:
Whether you are a new or seasoned forex trader in the UK, you will be pleased to know that there is no shortage of forex brokers in UK that you can choose from. In this article, we have narrowed down the choices to the top 20 brokers. We have ranked them according to our own criteria but do keep in mind that there is no perfect broker for everyone. Take the time to learn the features of each broker and carefully compare those that are in your shortlist. This way, you can find the most suitable match for you that can help you maximize your trading profits and give you the best trading experience possible.
Other important UK Fx trading guides:
Forex brokers are the entities that provide the platform or the means for traders to buy or sell currency. Most forex brokers in UK also offer other services like market research and advanced tools for trade analysis.
While there are certain perks of working with a broker authorized by the FCA, it is not an absolute requirement. What’s important is to choose a broker that has a license under at least one tier-1 jurisdiction even from other countries. This license reflects the credibility and trustworthiness of the broker.
Yes, by going to the page of the regulatory body under which they are licensed. Brokers indicate their license and registration numbers on their website. Simply enter this number into the website and you can easily verify if they are indeed duly registered.
A lot of brokers offer the MT4 and MT5 platforms as these are the most popular. Many UK brokers also have their own proprietary platforms, some of which are really very good.
There are many brokers that charge a commission for each trade, and the rates also vary greatly. There are also those that offer commission-free trades. Instead, they earn their keep from the bid spreads.
Yes. Most forex brokers in UK offer a free demo account for interested traders. You can use this demo account to try out the features of the broker, as well as to test the waters of the online forex trading world.
There is no charge for signing up. You only put out money when it is time to fund your forex trading account. Do take note that some brokers have a minimum initial deposit requirement.
The amount varies greatly. Some brokers do not have a minimum deposit at all, while there are those that require traders to put in at least 10000 USD. Be sure to check the minimum before you sign up.
It would depend on whether your new location is covered by the services of the broker. Some brokers have a limited area of coverage. Also, some countries do not allow certain kinds of trading so you would have to verify this first.
Once you have chosen the broker you want to work with, simply get in touch with their customer support. You will easily find a bonus link on our website.