Best CFD Brokers 2025
We’ve thoroughly assessed the top CFD brokers to identify the absolute best, considering platform quality, market access, fees, leverage options, and trust.
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1
CFD Trading
Over 8,000 CFDs on various stocks, indices, forex, and commodities are offered. The TWS platform is ideal for experienced traders, providing a wide range of over 100 order types and algorithms, as well as premier market data from top sources like Reuters and Dow Jones.
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Trust Platform Assets Fees Accounts Research Education Mobile Support 3.8 CFD Trading
RedMars provides short-term trading opportunities across several asset types, such as 7 commodities, 14 indices, and over 120 stocks. Traders can use leverage up to 1:30 (retail) or 1:500 (pro) to boost results. Still, it lacks a tool to help understand margin requirements and investment depth is limited.
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Trust Platform Assets Fees Accounts Research Education Mobile Support 3.7 CFD Trading
CFDs can be traded on forex, indices, commodities, and cryptocurrencies. However, the selection of over 100 instruments is smaller compared to other options like Quotex which offers over 400. Leverage can be obtained up to 1:500. However, a minimum deposit of $250 is required which is significantly higher compared to other trading platforms.
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Trust Platform Assets Fees Accounts Research Education Mobile Support 3.6 CFD Trading
Dukascopy provides leveraged CFD trading up to 1:200. Asset classes include currencies, equities, commodities, ETFs, and cryptos. Spreads start from 0.1 pips, and traders get 24/7 support, which tested well. The key feature is the security of trading CFDs via a multi-regulated broker and Swiss bank.
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Trust Platform Assets Fees Accounts Research Education Mobile Support 3.9 CFD Trading
Capitalcore offers a limited variety of CFDs, including 6 precious metals, 6 indices, and a modest selection of stocks. It does not offer commodities like oil or gas and the spreads can differ significantly. Depending on the account, traders can leverage from 1:100 to 1:2000.
Top CFD Brokers Comparison
Safety Comparison
Compare how safe the Best CFD Brokers 2025 are.
Mobile Trading Comparison
Compare the mobile trading features of the Best CFD Brokers 2025.
Comparison for Beginners
Compare how suitable the Best CFD Brokers 2025 are for beginners.
Comparison for Advanced Traders
Compare how suitable the Best CFD Brokers 2025 are for advanced or professional traders.
Accounts Comparison
Compare the trading accounts offered by Best CFD Brokers 2025.
Detailed Rating Comparison
Compare how we rated the Best CFD Brokers 2025 in key areas.
Fee and Cost Comparison
Compare the cost of trading with the Best CFD Brokers 2025.
How Popular Are These CFD Brokers?
Many traders prefer the most popular CFD trading platforms, as a large customer base ensures that the broker is tried and tested. Below is the popularity of each CFD broker in terms of the approximate number of clients.
Broker | Popularity |
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Interactive Brokers |
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Dukascopy |
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Why Trade With Interactive Brokers?
Interactive Brokers is ideal for seasoned traders due to its robust charting platforms, updated data, and adaptability, especially with the IBKR Desktop application. Its exceptional pricing and advanced order features appeal to traders, and its variety of stocks remains unmatched in the market.
Pros
- IBKR is a highly regarded brokerage, regulated by prime authorities. This ensures the safety and reliability of your trading account.
- Interactive Brokers was named Best US Broker for 2025 by DayTrading.com for its dedication to US traders, ultra-low margin rates, and affordable global market access.
- The new IBKR Desktop platform combines the advantages of TWS and adds unique tools like Option Lattice and Screeners with MultiSort to make trading accessible and impressive for traders of all levels.
Cons
- Only one active session per account is allowed, which means you can't run the desktop version and mobile app at the same time. This can sometimes lead to a frustrating trading experience.
- IBKR offers many research tools. However, the tools are not uniformly distributed across trading platforms and the web-based 'Account Management' page, causing confusion for the users.
- Customer service may take time to respond, and there may be delays in fixing problems based on tests. It could be difficult to reach the customer service promptly.
Why Trade With RedMars?
RedMars is suitable for expert traders in the EU who are comfortable with the MetaTrader 5 platform, as the broker is approved by the CySEC. However, due to its minimal education and research tools, it is not recommended for beginners.
Pros
- The broker is among a few firms that provide a special account for VIPs featuring premium support and exclusive event invitations.
- EU clients can trade confidently with RedMars, as it is approved by the CySEC. In case of bankruptcy, up to €20K compensation is available through the ICF.
- The broker accepts several payment options such as wire transfers, credit cards, e-wallets, and notably, cryptocurrencies for trading related transactions.
Cons
- RedMars' spreads are industry-standard, but they don't provide a substantial advantage over the least expensive trading brokers we have experience with, particularly IC Markets.
- The trading platform is simple, lacking advanced features like Islamic account, PAMM account, or copy trading.
- RedMars provides a constrained trading platform, offering just 300 instruments. This is quite limited compared to top competitors such as BlackBull Markets, which boasts 26,000 assets.
Why Trade With IQCent?
IQCent is ideal for traders who want a simple platform for binary options and CFD trading that has low fees and offers copy trading. It features a variety of accounts and requires less than a minute to get started with a $250 deposit.
Pros
- The broker provides payouts up to 98% on binary options. This is higher than other options such as Pocket Option, which offers only up to 92%.
- Based on evaluations, the fees for trading CFDs are competitively priced. This includes 0.7 pips for major forex pairs like EUR/USD.
- New traders with a limited budget can start trading with as little as $0.01.
Cons
- The broker is not regulated by a reputable authority, which is typical for binary options companies.
- The market analysis is simple, offering few technical overviews and limited opinions from analysts.
- Automated trading is not available for algorithmic traders.
Why Trade With Dukascopy?
If you're an experienced trader, Dukascopy offers the tools you need: JForex for algorithmic strategies, competitive spreads from 0.1 pips, leverage up to 1:200, and the assurance of a Swiss-regulated bank and broker.
Pros
- Dukascopy provides tight spreads starting at 0.1 pips, leverage up to 1:200 (based on jurisdiction), and volume-based commissions that benefit high-frequency traders.
- Dukascopy is regulated by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) as a broker and a bank, providing high-level financial security and compliance with strict standards.
- The proprietary JForex platform is advanced, offering tools for algorithmic trading, detailed charting, and access to deep liquidity for traders.
Cons
- Certain account types, like MT4/MT5 accounts, need a higher minimum deposit of $1,000. This might not be suitable for traders with limited budgets.
- Dukascopy offers educational resources and 24/7 support, but its complex platforms and tools require extensive testing and can overwhelm new traders.
- Dukascopy's withdrawal fees are higher than most competitors we've tested, especially for bank wire transfers, which may discourage traders who need frequent fund access.
Why Trade With Capitalcore?
Capitalcore offers up to 1:2000 leverage options and does not charge commission or swap fees. However, it lacks strong IFSA regulatory oversight and does not provide educational resources, making it less competitive than leading brokers.
Pros
- The support team is available around the clock and provided immediate, useful responses during our test.
- Capitalcore now offers binary options trading for over 30 currency pairs, metals, and cryptocurrencies, featuring one-click trading and payouts up to 95%.
- Capitalcore, unlike many brokers, provides a quick and limitless demo account for trading.
Cons
- Capitalcore is not overseen by key financial bodies and lacks a proven track record, which questions the security of client investments.
- Capitalcore's limited education and research offerings are inferior to top tier firms such as IG, making it less ideal for new traders.
- During testing, the web platform showed inconsistent performance, with occasional technical issues preventing the trading platform from loading properly.
Filters
Methodology
We performed a thorough analysis of our evolving database of online brokers that offer CFD trading.
This included recording and assessing 7 CFD-specific data points, along with 200+ other metrics, and incorporating feedback from our hands-on testers to evaluate the overall trading experience.
The CFD brokers listed here are ranked according to the highest overall ratings from our evaluations.
What To Look For in a Broker For CFD Trading
When choosing a broker, there are many factors to consider. However, based on our extensive experience testing CFD providers, we’ve simplified the decision-making process by highlighting the six key factors:
1. Regulations
Given the high-risk nature of CFD trading, the first thing to check is that the brokerage in question is licensed to deal by a respected financial authority, preferably in your home jurisdiction.
Handing over any personal information or cash before confirming this could leave you wide open to fraud.
Not all regulatory authorities provide the same level of protection for investors, however. So it’s important to consult a regulator from a country with well-developed financial markets like Europe, North America or Asia.
Choosing a well-regulated broker is particularly important given that financial bodies have introduced various restrictions on CFD providers over the years, such as:
- European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) imposing leverage limits for retail traders in the EU (1:30).
- UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) banning the sale of crypto derivatives to retail clients (crypto CFDs).
- Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) restricting the marketing of high-leverage CFD products (promotions to induce trading).
IG remains our most trusted CFD broker. It’s been providing CFD trading for 25+ years, it’s listed on the London Stock Exchange for financial transparency (IG Group Holdings Plc), it’s authorized by 10+ top-tier regulators (including FCA, ASIC, NFA, CFTC, and DFSA), and some of our team have personally chosen it for real-money trading.
2. Leverage
A core component of CFD trading involves the use of borrowed funds, known as trading with leverage.
If you’re planning to go down this route, consider carefully the amount of leverage on offer and any margin requirements. These can vary greatly according to the broker as well as the type of underlying security speculated upon.
For instance, forex can usually be traded with higher leverage, while volatile instruments like stocks and crypto generally have lower leverage.
Vantage, which offers high leverage of up to 1:500 on certain markets, stands out as an attractive provider for traders wishing to borrow funds. It also offers a trading calculator which I find great for calculating potential returns/losses when trading on margin.
Expert take: While leverage can lead to gigantic returns, remember that borrowing money can also result in large losses if the market moves against you.
3. Assets
Investors can participate in a wide spectrum of financial markets with CFDs, including forex, stocks, crypto and commodities. However, the selection of markets on offer can differ amongst brokerages.
For example, some high-risk assets like crypto CFDs may not be available from any broker, depending on where you happen to be located. This is due to varying regulatory standards across different regions.
Year after year CMC Markets impresses during testing for its vast range of 12,000 CFDs, making it great for clients looking to trade across multiple asset classes, from currencies and equities to bonds, interest rates and ETFs.
4. Fees
Trading costs can vary significantly between CFD brokers. This may come in the form of varying bid and ask spreads, for instance, as well as commissions, deposit/withdrawal fees, and inactivity charges.
Competition is fierce among CFD brokerages, so it pays to shop around to find the best deal for you.
Some companies may charge more than others, but they may also offer a better service (like a more intuitive platform or better execution speeds) which active traders may be happy to pay for.
IC Markets is one of the lowest-cost CFD providers we’ve evaluated, featuring raw spreads from 0.0 pips with a $3.50 commission, zero inactivity fees or deposit charges, alongside excellent execution speeds averaging 35 milliseconds.
5. Platforms
Many brokers offer their own bespoke trading platforms and increasingly apps, while some allow traders to do business using third-party software like MetaTrader 5 (MT5).
Think about things like the tools each platform offers, as well as other factors like ease-of-use and charting features if you’re interested in technical analysis.
FOREX.com is a standout pick if you’re seeking a superior platform for trading CFDs. I love its Web Trader for its comprehensive user experience. You get 10 chart types and 80+ technical indicators, along with an integrated economic calendar and account management tools, streamlining the entire trading process.
Tip: Many brokers offer a demo account that will let you ‘test drive’ their trading platform and their broader service before depositing any money and trading real-world markets.
6. Risk Management
CFD trading is fast-paced and, for those who are also using leverage, also high risk. For this reason, choosing a broker that offers risk management devices can be critical in reducing losses or booking profits.
Most brokerages we’ve evaluated allow you to place ‘stop loss’ or ‘take profit’ orders. These devices automatically close your position when an asset price either falls or rises to a pre-selected level, whichever happens first.
Many brokers also offer negative balance protection as a standard feature. This ensures that you can’t lose more money than you’ve deposited in your trading account.
XTB goes one step further, also providing a guaranteed stop loss order (GSLO), which means your position is closed at a specified price, even during market volatility, eliminating the risk of slippage, unlike a standard stop loss.
FAQ
What Is a CFD?
Contracts for Difference (CFDs) enable traders to speculate on the price movements of financial markets without actually owning the underlying asset.
Instead, a CFD is an agreement between a trader and a broker to exchange the difference in the value of an asset from when the trade is opened to when it is closed.
CFDs are versatile and allow for both long positions (profiting if the market rises) and short positions (profiting if the market falls).
They are highly popular due to their leverage feature, which allows traders to control a larger position with a smaller amount of capital, though this also increases risk.
Example Trade:
Let’s say I believe the price of gold will rise and decide to open a long CFD position when gold is priced at $1,950 per ounce. I invest $1,000 with a broker offering 1:10 leverage, giving me exposure to $10,000 worth of gold.
If the price of gold increases to $1,970, I make a profit of $200 (20 x $10). However, if gold falls to $1,930, I incur a $200 loss, showing the potential risk of leveraged trading.
What Is a CFD Broker?
A CFD broker is a financial intermediary that allows traders to bet on price movements across multiple markets.
A CFD broker doesn’t just facilitate the trade itself. Their other functions usually include:
- Supplying trading tools like charting software and educational resources to help inform investors’ decisions.
- Providing leverage (or borrowed funds) that allows traders to control larger positions.
- Offering a user-friendly trading platform through which business is transacted.