Best Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) Regulated Brokers 2025
We’ve personally tested and ranked the top brokers regulated by the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM), ensuring high standards of trust and reliability.
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1Interactive Brokers (IBKR) is a top brokerage firm offering access to 150 markets in 33 countries and a range of investment services. With 40 years in the field, this company listed on Nasdaq strictly follows the rules set by authorities such as the SEC, FCA, CIRO, and SFC. It's recognized as one of the most reliable brokers for global trading.
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Trust Platform Assets Fees Accounts Research Education Mobile Support 3.8 Introduced in 2020, RedMars, situated in Cyprus, provides competitive spreads across over 300 trading instruments with a leverage of up to 1:500. They offer three account tiers, namely, Standard, Pro, and VIP, catering to different budgets and levels of trading experience. RedMars also features a speedy, entirely digital account creation process. -
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Trust Platform Assets Fees Accounts Research Education Mobile Support 4.9 Founded in 2006, AvaTrade is a top forex and CFD broker trusted by over 400,000 traders. Regulated in 9 regions, it handles more than 2 million trades monthly. AvaTrade offers platforms like MT4, MT5, and WebTrader, with over 1,250 instruments. Traders of all levels can explore CFDs, AvaOptions, and AvaFutures for short-term trading. AvaTrade provides excellent education and 24/5 multilingual customer support for a complete trading experience. -
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Trust Platform Assets Fees Accounts Research Education Mobile Support 3.7 LiteForex Europe, a CFD broker certified by CySEC, was founded in 2008. It provides forex, commodities, and indices trading through the MT4 and MT5 platforms. Its ECN accounts feature extremely tight spreads, with leverage up to 1:30 per EU regulations. LiteForex also provides an extensive education center for new traders, as well as social trading features. -
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Trust Platform Assets Fees Accounts Research Education Mobile Support 3.6 Admirals is a regulated broker that allows trading in a variety of leveraged instruments such as forex, stocks, indices, ETFs, commodities, and cryptocurrencies. It offers the MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, and TradingCentral platforms. Offering both spread betting and CFDs, and with thousands of instruments to choose from, Admirals offers greater flexibility compared to other brokers.
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Safety Comparison
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Mobile Trading Comparison
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Comparison for Beginners
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Comparison for Advanced Traders
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Accounts Comparison
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Detailed Rating Comparison
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Fee and Cost Comparison
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Broker Popularity
See how popular the Best Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) Regulated Brokers 2025 are in terms of number of clients.
Broker | Popularity |
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Interactive Brokers |
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LiteForex Europe |
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AvaTrade |
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Admiral Markets |
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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
- 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 TWS platform is designed for intermediate to advanced traders. It includes over 100 order types and a dependable real-time market data feed that rarely experiences downtime.
- IBKR offers exceptional access to global stocks, with thousands of equities available from over 100 market centers in 24 countries, including the recent addition of the Saudi Stock Exchange.
Cons
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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
- Starting on RedMars is very straightforward. You can be operational in just a few minutes according to tests.
- 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.
- RedMars provides a superior trading platform, MT5, equipped with 21 timeframes, multiple analytical tools, customizable templates, and algorithmic trading.
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.
- RedMars is not suitable for new traders. It lacks educational resources, has no user-friendly platform, requires a high minimum deposit, and demonstrated insufficient customer support during testing.
- 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 AvaTrade?
AvaTrade provides traders with essential tools: an intuitive WebTrader, strong AvaProtect risk management, a quick 5-minute sign-up, and reliable support for fast-paced markets.
Pros
- AvaTrade's support team did well in tests, responding within 3 minutes and providing local support in major regions like the UK, Europe, and the Middle East.
- Years later, AvaTrade is still among the few brokers with a custom risk management tool, AvaProtect, which insures losses up to $1M for a fee and is simple to use on the platform.
- AvaTrade enhances its products with AvaFutures, offering an alternative to trade over 35 markets with low trading margins.
Cons
- While the deposit process is smooth, AvaTrade doesn't support crypto payments, unlike TopFX, which caters to crypto-focused traders.
- AvaTrade’s WebTrader has improved, but it needs more customization as widgets like market watch and watchlists can't be hidden, moved, or resized.
- Signing up is easy, but AvaTrade doesn't offer an ECN account like Pepperstone or IC Markets, which provides raw spreads and fast execution that many traders want.
Why Trade With LiteForex Europe?
LiteForex is a suitable choice for active traders due to its variable spreads starting from 0.0 pips, daily analysis and comprehensive training guides. Traders can also replicate the strategies of skilled traders through its forex copy system.
Pros
- LiteForex's low $50 minimum deposit is suitable for beginner traders.
- LiteForex provides each trader with a personal manager and offers 24/5 customer support in multiple languages.
- Claws&Horns provides an extensive analytics portal. It includes video reviews, expert insights, and short-term trading signals for traders.
Cons
- The options for trading markets are more limited, as share CFDs are not available.
- Trading in cryptocurrency is not available.
- The funding options are fewer than other brands.
Why Trade With Admiral Markets?
Admirals is a suitable choice for beginner to intermediate traders seeking a reliable, regulated broker. It offers a broad variety of markets, tight spreads, and no commission.
Pros
- Use a demo account to evaluate the broker prior to actual trading.
- Admiral Markets, with its narrow spreads and minimal to no commissions, is a suitable choice for active traders.
- Low minimum deposit from $100
Cons
- The demo account is valid for 30 days.
- Monthly inactivity fee
- US traders not accepted
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Understanding AFM-Regulated Brokers in the Netherlands
The Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets, known as the AFM, regulates brokerages with strict rules. These rules protect investors in the Netherlands and keep the financial markets honest. Choosing an AFM-regulated broker can be a trustworthy option for traders.
The AFM operates based on the Dutch Financial Supervision Act and relevant EU laws. It is highly respected and ensures that brokers online offer strong protection and fairness for traders.
Check out our selection of the best trading platforms regulated by the AFM. Each one is thoroughly reviewed to confirm it is listed on the AFM’s Financial Services Register and authorized to operate either directly or through the EU’s passporting framework.
How We Choose the Top Brokers
To find the best brokers regulated by the AFM, we:
- Reviewed our records for brokers claiming AFM authorization.
- Verified these claims using the AFM’s online tools.
- Combined expert testing and data to rank the best AFM-authorized platforms.
How to Verify a Broker’s AFM Regulation
Checking a broker’s AFM regulation is easy:
- Visit the AFM’s website and go to the Register page.
- Enter the broker’s name in the search bar.
- Look through the search results and click on a name to see details like trading names and registration dates.
For example, I confirmed that Admiral Markets is regulated by the AFM. It takes just a few minutes, so I suggest all Dutch traders do this before investing any money.
Requirements for AFM-Regulated Brokers
Brokers wanting to offer services in the Netherlands must get a licence from the AFM, which involves a detailed process. Alternatively, they can serve traders using the EU’s passporting rules.
To get an AFM licence, brokers must meet these requirements:
- Fit & Proper Requirements: Key staff must have the right skills and integrity.
- Client Protection & Suitability: Brokers need to thoroughly know their customers to ensure suitable investments.
- Transparency & Disclosure: Brokers must provide clear and honest information about risks, costs, and products.
- Best Execution: Ensure traders get the best possible deal when executing orders.
- Conflicts of Interest: Brokers must manage and disclose any conflicts to protect clients.
- Segregation of Client Funds: Keep client funds separate from the broker’s own money.
- Compliance & Risk Management: Have strong internal controls, including for anti-money laundering.
- Capital Adequacy: Maintain enough capital to meet liabilities.
- Reporting & Record-Keeping: Submit regular reports and keep accurate records for several years.
- Market Conduct Rules: Avoid unethical practices like market manipulation.
- Advertising & Marketing: Be honest and clear in marketing materials.
- Complaint Handling: Have an effective process for resolving client complaints.
- Product Governance: Ensure products are suitable for the target market.
- Compliance with EU Regulations: Follow EU rules like MiFID II and GDPR.
Brokers failing to meet these rules can face penalties from the AFM, such as fines. If your Netherlands-based broker goes bankrupt, the Investor Compensation Scheme might cover up to €20,000 of your lost funds.
Final Thoughts
We highly recommend Dutch traders use brokers regulated by the AFM. This ensures you work with a broker that is reliable and operates in a fair, transparent manner. You can easily verify a broker’s status on the AFM website or check our list of top trading platforms regulated in the Netherlands.
Remember, all trading involves risk, and you could lose the money you invest, even with a regulated broker.