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Only brokers whose FCA-authorised company opens accounts for UK residents, sorted by our regulation score. That rule leaves out IC Markets and AvaTrade (no UK company in our data), Exness and XM (no UK retail accounts) and FXCM, whose UK client book is being sold to Trade Nation.
Low Spread Brokers does not give personal investment advice.
For a UK resident the FCA company sets the rules: leverage up to 1:30 on major pairs, negative balance protection, a margin close-out at 50% and FSCS cover if the firm fails. Our regulation score then separates brokers by how many other Tier 1 regulators supervise the group, and ties go to the higher overall score. Read first:our methodologyhow we make moneyhow regulation differs by country
Start with brokers whose FCA-authorised company accepts UK residents: that company gives you 1:30 leverage on major pairs, negative balance protection and FSCS cover. 10 of the 14 brokers on this list share our top regulation score, so between them the order follows the overall score; compare their spread plus commission on the pairs you trade.
Search the firm’s FRN on the FCA Register and compare the website address listed there with the one you are on.
Check that your account is opened with the UK company named in the footer, not an offshore company of the same brand.
Read the loss rate of the UK company, not the group: Pepperstone publishes 73.6% for its UK company and 88% for its Kenyan one.
Professional status removes the 1:30 cap and negative balance protection; stay a retail client unless you meet the criteria and accept that.
Best forex brokers in the UK, FCA companies only
Ranked by this page’s rule from published data, not by commission. Advertiser disclosure
Why this order: only brokers whose FCA-authorised company accepts UK residents, sorted by our regulation score with ties broken by the overall score, because that company sets your leverage cap and FSCS cover. Ranked from our data on 14 brokers, updated 19 Oct 2026. How we rank
Ranked by regulation score · 19 Oct 2026
Every broker below has an FCA-authorised company that accepts UK residents.
Depends on entity: up to 50:1 implied (margin from 2% on EUR/USD, retail) (CFTC / NFA)up to 30:1 (major forex pairs, retail; margin 3.33%) (FCA)up to 1:30 (retail, per account comparison table on EU site) (KNF)up to up to 20:1 (retail) (MAS)up to 25x implied (individual FX margin at least 4% of transaction amount) (JFSA)
Funding methods
Debit card, Credit card, Bank transfer (Faster Payments, BACS, CHAPS, SWIFT, SEPA)
StandardRawProfessional4 of 8 licences checked on the register, 20 Oct 2026
Why #2OANDA Europe Limited is FCA-authorised with no minimum deposit on the UK standard account. Its UK site states FSCS cover of £50,000 for investment claims, below the £85,000 in our UK reference, so check it with the FSCS.
Depends on entity: up to 1:30 (major FX, retail; margin 3.33% on EUR/USD, GBP/USD) (FCA)up to 1:30 (major FX spread bets, retail; margin 3.33%) (FCA)
Funding methods
Debit card, Credit card, Bank transfer
StandardSpread bettingProfessional7 of 13 licences checked on the register, 20 Oct 2026
Why #3three FCA companies covering CFDs and spread bets, seven platforms including ProRealTime and L2 Dealer; costs sit in the spread, with no raw account.
Depends on entity: up to 30:1 (Standard, ThinkTrader, ThinkZero accounts, retail) (FCA, ASIC)up to 30:1 (ThinkZero account, retail) (CySEC)up to 500:1 (Standard, ThinkZero); 2500:1 (ThinkTrader account) (FSA Seychelles)
Funding methods
Bank wire, Visa, Mastercard, Skrill, Neteller, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Crypto (global site only)
StandardRawIslamicDemoSpread bettingProfessional6 of 9 licences checked on the register, 20 Oct 2026
Why #5FCA-authorised since 2015 according to the FCA Register, with spread betting and a demo, but no EUR/USD spread published in pips, so its costs are not scored.
Depends on entity: up to 1:30 (retail); 1:100 'Klient Doświadczony'; 1:200 professional (KNF)up to 1:30 (FCA, CySEC)up to 1:500 (FSC Belize)
Funding methods
Debit/credit card, Bank transfer, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, PayU
StandardIslamicProfessional4 of 9 licences checked on the register, 20 Oct 2026
Why #7FCA company with no minimum deposit and one in-house platform; no MetaTrader. XTB states FSCS cover up to £120,000, which differs from the £85,000 investment limit in our UK reference.
Depends on entity: up to 1:30 (forex, retail; EUR/USD initial margin 3.33%) (FCA)up to 1:30 (forex, retail — per Plus500 forex page en-fr) (CySEC)
Funding methods
Debit/credit card (Visa, Mastercard only), PayPal, Skrill, Bank transfer
StandardProfessional7 of 14 licences checked on the register, 20 Oct 2026
Why #8FCA company with a 1:30 cap on major pairs, but one proprietary platform and no EUR/USD spread in pips; its own pages cite two FSCS limits, £85,000 and £120,000.
Depends on entity: up to 1:30 (major FX CFDs, retail: ESMA-style minimum initial margin 3.33%; 5% other pairs) (FCA)up to Leverage limits per CBI CFD rules (Aug 2019) for retail; ESMA minimum margin 3.33% major FX (1:30) per CFD margin page (Central Bank of Ireland)
Funding methods
Bank wire, ACH (US), Direct ACH (US), Check (US), Online Bill Pay (US), Wise balance transfer, USDC stablecoin (USD)
Standard6 of 9 licences checked on the register, 20 Oct 2026
Why #9the UK company offers CFDs to retail clients, but accounts are cleared and carried by Interactive Brokers LLC in the US, so the FSCS applies only in limited circumstances.
0.0 pips (RAW ECN (inferred: unlabeled block), 17 Feb 2026)
Platforms
MT4, MT5, TradingView, proprietary
Max retail leverage
Depends on entity: up to 30:1 (major currency pairs, retail); lower for other instruments (FCA)up to up to 30:1 (retail clients) (ASIC)up to 100:1 to 500:1 (global help center, all account types; certain products fixed) (VFSC)
Funding methods
Debit card, Credit card, Bank transfer, Skrill, Neteller, E-wallets, Alternative payment methods
StandardRawECNIslamicCopyCentSpread bettingProfessional2 of 6 licences checked on the register, 20 Oct 2026
Why #11Vantage Global Prime LLP is FCA-authorised and states insurance above the FSCS limit through Lloyd’s of London; third-party warnings concern its Vanuatu company, not the UK one.
StandardRawIslamicProfessional4 of 5 licences checked on the register, 20 Oct 2026
Why #14Tickmill UK has a raw account with commission and TradingView; its page states FSCS cover up to £120,000 per client, above the £85,000 investment limit in our UK reference.
Who each broker suits and its main drawback for a UK resident, in the order of the list.
1PepperstoneMT4, MT5, cTrader or TradingView under an FCA company; the lowest price needs the Razor account with commission8.5/10
2OANDAno minimum deposit; stated FSCS cover lower than the scheme limit in our reference8.0/10
3IGspread betting and CFDs on seven platforms; no raw-spread account7.9/10
4CMC Marketsspread betting with no minimum deposit; MetaTrader 4 but no MT57.8/10
5ThinkMarketsthe widest account range, spread betting included; no published EUR/USD spread in pips7.6/10
6Saxoone of the lower published UK loss rates; no MetaTrader7.4/10
7XTBno minimum deposit and one simple platform; no MetaTrader7.1/10
8Plus500a single app for CFDs; no published EUR/USD spread in pips6.2/10
9Interactive BrokersCFDs from a UK company with one in-house platform; accounts carried by the US company6.1/10
10eToroits own app; loss rate not tied to a named company5.9/10
11Vantagespread betting plus MT4, MT5 and TradingView; offshore company outside the UK and Australia7.9/10
12Admirals (Admiral Markets)MT4 and MT5 with low standard spreads; UK protections not stated on the pages we used7.7/10
13FxProcTrader and MetaTrader under an FCA company; minimum deposit not published7.5/10
14Tickmillraw-account trading with commission; minimum deposit set in USD7.7/10
At a glance · United Kingdom
UK forex broker comparison
What the table shows
Published minimum deposit, the lowest published EUR/USD spread with its account and check date, platforms, account types and retail leverage by company, from each broker’s own pages.
How to use this table
Sort by score, spread or minimum deposit. Deposits stay in the broker’s own currency, so compare them only within one currency.
50:1 implied (margin from 2% on EUR/USD, retail) (CFTC / NFA) · 30:1 (major forex pairs, retail; margin 3.33%) (FCA) · 1:30 (retail, per account comparison table on EU site) (KNF) · up to 20:1 (retail) (MAS) · 25x implied (individual FX margin at least 4% of transaction amount) (JFSA)
76% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider (Plus500UK Ltd).
9
IBInteractive BrokersSEC / CFTC · FCA · DFSA · Central Bank of Ireland · ASIC · CIRO · MAS · JFSA · SFC Hong KongLicences and register check
6.1/10
$0
Not measured
proprietary
Standard
1:30 (major FX CFDs, retail: ESMA-style minimum initial margin 3.33%; 5% other pairs) (FCA) · Leverage limits per CBI CFD rules (Aug 2019) for retail; ESMA minimum margin 3.33% major FX (1:30) per CFD margin page (Central Bank of Ireland)
Retail CFD and spread betting rules: FCA PS19/18 (leverage caps, 50% margin close-out, negative balance protection, a standard risk warning with the provider's loss percentage).
Crypto derivatives are banned for retail clients under FCA PS20/10.
The most leverage an FCA-authorised firm may give a retail client when you open a position (FCA PS19/18).
UnderlyingMaximum retail leverage
FX majors1:30
FX non-majors, gold, major indices1:20
Commodities (ex gold), non-major indices1:10
Individual equities1:5
Cryptoassetsbanned (crypto derivatives may not be sold to retail clients)
Source: country reference; see the sources list on this page.
How regulation differs by country
A broker brand is not one company. It runs several licensed companies, and the country you live in decides which one opens your account, and with it your leverage, your protections and where you can complain. We show each company with the licence number the broker publishes, and we never present offshore leverage as a feature.
Offshoree.g. FSA Seychelles, SCB Bahamas: light supervision, usually no compensation scheme
One brand, several companies
Pepperstone, for example, lists companies supervised by the FCA, CySEC, BaFin, ASIC and the DFSA, plus one in the Bahamas. Your country of residence, not the website you land on, decides which one you sign with.
A licence number you can check
Every company has a number on its regulator’s public register: FCA FRN, ASIC AFSL, CySEC licence, FSCA FSP. We list the number the broker publishes; checking it on the register takes two minutes.
Leverage caps, negative balance protection and compensation schemes come from the regulator of your company, not from the brand.
Offshore companies are labelled
IC Markets’ Seychelles company lists leverage up to 1:5000 on MetaTrader. We name such companies and their regulator, and their leverage never adds to a score.
Regulators by tier
Tier = our classification of how much a regulator protects retail clients. Country pages hold the local detail.
Up to 1:30 on major FX pairs, lower on riskier assets.
Negative balance protection
You cannot lose more than the money in your account.
50% margin close-out
Under FCA, ESMA and ASIC rules, positions are closed once equity falls to half the margin they need.
Segregated client money
Your money is held apart from the firm’s own.
A compensation scheme
FSCS up to £85,000 in the UK; ICF up to €20,000 in Cyprus.
An ombudsman or complaints body
Independent review after the firm’s own process.
Opting up to professional status removes these protections.
Leverage is capped when you open a position
Maximum retail leverage by Tier 1 regulator
Underlying
FCA (UK)
CySEC / ESMA (EU)
ASIC (AU)
Major FX pairs
1:30
1:30
1:30
Non-major FX pairs, gold, major equity indices
1:20
1:20
1:20
Commodities other than gold, non-major equity indices
1:10
1:10
1:10
Individual shares
1:5
1:5
1:5
Cryptoasset CFDs
Banned for retail
1:2
1:2
Sources: FCA policy statement PS19/18; crypto derivatives ban PS20/10. ESMA product intervention measures, applied as national rules (CySEC). ASIC product intervention order.
No bonuses on this site
In the UK, every promotion to retail CFD clients must carry the standard risk warning with the provider’s own share of losing accounts (FCA PS19/18).
We show no bonuses anywhere, under any company.
Published loss rates at Tier 1 regulated brokers
Listed alphabetically · scale 0–100%
CMC Markets69%
FxPro75%
IG74%
Interactive Brokers58.9%
OANDA76.6%
Pepperstone74.1%
Source: each broker’s risk warning, latest check 19 Oct 2026.
What the disclosure rule actually shows
Every broker discloses that most retail accounts lose money. A lower figure is not a recommendation and a higher one is not a verdict on quality.
Compensation and complaints depend on the company
If a firm fails, a compensation scheme may cover you: the FSCS in the UK or the Investor Compensation Fund in Cyprus. Complaints go first to the broker, then to the body named for that company, such as the Financial Ombudsman Service (UK) or AFCA (Australia).
Something went wrong?
1Complain to the broker company that holds your account
2Escalate to the ombudsman or complaints body for that company
3Report concerns to the regulator
Spot a clone
Clone firms copy real broker names and licence numbers. Check the licence number on the regulator’s own register, the website address and the regulator’s warning list before you deposit.
Country rules from our reference file, not yet re-verified against each regulator; the regulator’s own text prevails.
A clone uses a real firm’s name and FRN with a different website, e-mail or phone number. If the contact details differ from the FCA Register, do not deposit.
Highest overall score on this list
First among UK-authorised brokers on overall score in October 2026
Pepperstone publishes Tier 1 licence numbers from 5 regulators and quotes EUR/USD from 0.0 pips on its Razor account (checked 19 Oct 2026). The trade-off: that price is on the Razor account, which adds GBP 2.25 per lot per side on UK accounts; the Standard account has no commission and a wider spread.
73.6% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider (Pepperstone Limited (UK)).
Scores by criterion
Each criterion scored 0–10. Darker means a higher score; an empty cell means not measured.
Scores by criterion
Broker
Costs
Platforms
Regulation
Accounts
Research
Support
Pepperstone
8.2
9.5
9.0
7.0
Not measured
Not measured
OANDA
7.6
8.0
9.0
7.0
Not measured
Not measured
IG
7.6
8.5
9.0
6.0
Not measured
Not measured
CMC Markets
8.0
6.5
9.0
7.0
Not measured
Not measured
ThinkMarkets
Not measured
8.0
9.0
9.0
Not measured
Not measured
Saxo
7.2
6.0
9.0
6.5
Not measured
Not measured
XTB
6.8
4.0
9.0
7.5
Not measured
Not measured
Plus500
Not measured
4.0
9.0
5.5
Not measured
Not measured
Interactive Brokers
Not measured
4.0
9.0
5.0
Not measured
Not measured
eToro
Not measured
4.0
9.0
4.0
Not measured
Not measured
Vantage
7.6
8.0
8.0
8.0
Not measured
Not measured
Admirals (Admiral Markets)
8.0
6.5
8.0
8.0
Not measured
Not measured
FxPro
7.2
9.5
8.0
5.0
Not measured
Not measured
Tickmill
7.6
8.0
7.5
8.0
Not measured
Not measured
Preliminary scores from published broker data. Research and support are not scored until live-account tests, and a broker with no published EUR/USD spread in pips has no costs score.
Other UK-authorised brokers
Places 6 onwards: each has an FCA company that accepts UK residents but scored lower on regulation or, at equal regulation, on the overall score.
Scores come from published data, not from sponsorship and not yet from live-account tests.
1Collect companiesEach company in the group, its regulator, licence number and the countries it serves, from the broker’s pages and registers where they opened.
2Record costsEUR/USD spreads and commissions as the broker publishes them, with the date of each check.
3Score four criteriaCosts, platforms, regulation and accounts, each from a fixed formula on the methodology page.
4Leave the rest unscoredResearch and support wait for live-account tests; a missing cost figure counts as neutral in the total.
5Rank per pageEach list filters by one fact and sorts by one criterion, written under its heading.
Rubric weights (research and support not yet scored)
Costs · 25%
Regulation & safety · 25%
Platforms · 15%
Accounts & funding · 15%
Research & education · 10%
Support · 10%
14brokers scored
6criteria in the rubric
19 Oct 2026latest data check
What does not affect a score
Partner status and advertising. We have no affiliate or advertising agreements with brokers.
Published spreads behind the scores
Checked
Quote
Spread
19 Oct 2026
EUR/USD, Razor account, Pepperstone
0.1 pips
19 Oct 2026
EUR/USD, Spread-only (OANDA Europe Limited, UK) account, OANDA
0.6 pips
19 Oct 2026
EUR/USD, UK spread bet/CFD account, IG
0.6 pips
Methodology v1 · scores stay marked preliminary until live-account tests
A desk ranking from published data, with its gaps shown.
Who writes it
The Low Spread Brokers team writes and checks every page; brokers do not see pages before publication and do not edit them. All lists read from one broker file, so a spread or licence number is the same on every page.
We have no affiliate or advertising agreements with brokers, and no click to a broker is paid. If that changes, the site will say so first; partner status is not an input to any score, whose formulas use spreads, platforms, licences and account terms only.
What we don’t do
No bonuses or sign-up offers. No offshore leverage presented as a feature. No claim that we tested an account we have not opened. No personal investment advice.
Country rules (compensation, complaints body, leverage caps) come from our country reference, which is not yet re-verified against each regulator; the regulator’s own text prevails.
Risk warning:
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Most retail investor accounts lose money. Consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford the high risk of losing your money.
Low Spread Brokers does not give personal investment advice.
Search the firm’s name or FRN on the FCA Register and compare the website and phone number listed there with the ones you were given. A page saying “FCA regulated” proves nothing on its own, because clone firms copy real FRNs.
Broker data checked 19 Oct 2026
2What does FSCS protection cover for traders?
If an FCA-authorised firm fails and cannot return your money or assets, the FSCS may pay up to £85,000 per person per firm on eligible investment claims, according to our UK reference. It never covers trading losses. Brokers state other figures, from £50,000 (OANDA) to £120,000 (Tickmill, XTB), so check your firm with the FSCS investment protection checker.
Broker data checked 19 Oct 2026
3What leverage can UK retail traders use?
Under FCA PS19/18: 1:30 on major currency pairs, 1:20 on other pairs, gold and major indices, 1:10 on other commodities and indices, and 1:5 on individual shares. Crypto derivatives may not be sold to UK retail clients at all (PS20/10).
Broker data checked 19 Oct 2026
4Is forex trading legal in the UK?
Yes, through firms the FCA authorises to offer CFDs or spread bets to UK residents. Complaints about an authorised firm go first to the firm and then to the Financial Ombudsman Service; an offshore company of the same brand gives you neither the FOS nor the FSCS.
Broker data checked 19 Oct 2026
5Can UK residents open an account with IC Markets or Exness?
Not with UK protections. IC Markets has no FCA company in our data, and Exness refuses UK retail clients because its FCA company serves business clients only.
Broker data checked 19 Oct 2026
6Which UK brokers offer spread betting?
In our data, CMC Markets, IG, Pepperstone, ThinkMarkets and Vantage list a spread betting account through an FCA company that accepts UK residents. FXCM also lists one, but its UK client book is being sold to Trade Nation.
Broker data checked 19 Oct 2026
7Is there a list of all registered forex brokers in the UK?
The FCA Register is the full list of authorised firms. This page covers the 14 brokers in our data that have an FCA company accepting UK residents, with the FRN each one publishes.
Broker data checked 19 Oct 2026
Sources
Primary sources for the UK rules on this page. Our UK reference is not yet re-verified against them; their text prevails.
Collects broker costs, account terms, entities and licence numbers from the brokers’ own pages and the regulators’ registers, records the date and source of every figure and compares each one with its source before a page is published.