Best Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Regulated Brokers 2026

Your capital is at risk. Trade only with funds you can afford to lose.

Tested with a live trading account Accept traders from United States

Our Top Pick in USA 1 Interactive Brokers 4.6/5 Visit

2 Kraken 3.9/5 Visit

Compare Interactive Brokers and Kraken Details

Showing 2 of 2 matching brokers

Filters Order By ... Overall Rating Latest Trust & Regulation Banking & Accounts Assets & Markets Fees & Costs Platforms & Tools Research Education Customer Support iOS App Android App Most Clients Trustpilot Score

1. 1

   Interactive Brokers

   4.6/5 our rating
   Available in United States Not available in United States
   Rating breakdown

   Regulation & Trust 4.7

   Assets & Markets 4.7

   Fees & Costs 4.3

   Platforms & Tools 3.9

   Customer Support 3.0

   Education 4.3

   Research 4.7

   Accounts & Banking 3.9
   Visit Interactive Brokers Read Review

   Interactive Brokers (IBKR) is a leading brokerage offering access to over 170 markets in 40 countries and a range of investment services. With 40+ years in the industry, this Nasdaq-listed company follows strict regulations by the SEC, FCA, CIRO, SFC, Europe and beyond, making it a trusted global trading broker.

   Demo Account

   ✓

   Minimum Deposit

   $0

   Minimum Trade

   $1

   Leverage

   1:50 (major forex pairs), 1:2-1:4 (equities)

   Copy Trading

   ✗

   Regulator

   SEC, FINRA, CFTC, NFA, CIRO, FCA, CBI, ASIC, SFC, SEBI, JFSA, MAS

   Instruments

   Stocks, Options, Futures, Forex, Funds, Bonds, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Cryptocurrencies, CFDs Stocks, Options, Futures, Forex, Funds, Bonds, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Cryptocurrencies

   Platforms

   Trader Workstation (TWS), IBKR Desktop, GlobalTrader, Mobile, Client Portal, AlgoTrader, OmniTrader, TradingView, eSignal, TradingCentral, ProRealTime, Quantower

   Account Currencies

   USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, INR, JPY, SEK, NOK, DKK, CHF, AED, HUF

   Automated Trading

   TWS API

   AI

   ✓

   Guaranteed Stop Loss

   ✗

2. 2

   Kraken

   3.9/5 our rating
   Available in United States Not available in United States
   Rating breakdown

   Regulation & Trust 3.0

   Assets & Markets 3.8

   Fees & Costs 3.9

   Platforms & Tools 3.5

   Customer Support 3.8

   Education 3.0

   Research 1.5

   Accounts & Banking 3.8
   Visit Kraken Read Review

   Kraken is a top cryptocurrency exchange with its own trading platform and over 450 crypto tokens. It offers transparent leverage with clear fees, plus an intuitive app that some of our team personally use for real-money trading and have found transfers smooth without issues.

   Demo Account

   ✓

   Minimum Deposit

   $10

   Minimum Trade

   Variable

   Leverage

   ✗

   Copy Trading

   ✗

   Regulator

   FINTRAC, AUSTRAC, CySEC, CBI, FCA

   Instruments

   Cryptos, Pre-IPO Perpetual Futures, Tokenized Stocks

   Platforms

   Kraken App, Kraken Pro, Kraken Futures, AlgoTrader, Quantower

   Account Currencies

   USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, JPY, CHF

   Automated Trading

   Kraken Futures is integrated in other platforms which have bots: Bookmap, Caspian, FMZ Quant, Gunbot, HaasOnline, Hyndor, Margin

   AI

   ✗

   Guaranteed Stop Loss

   ✗

Compare Brokers

Broker		USD Account	Demo Account	Minimum Deposit	Minimum Trade	Leverage	Copy Trading	Regulator	Instruments	Platforms	Account Currencies	Automated Trading	AI	Guaranteed Stop Loss
		✓	✓	$0	$1	1:50 (major forex pairs), 1:2-1:4 (equities)	✗	SEC, FINRA, CFTC, NFA, CIRO, FCA, CBI, ASIC, SFC, SEBI, JFSA, MAS	Stocks, Options, Futures, Forex, Funds, Bonds, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Cryptocurrencies, CFDs Stocks, Options, Futures, Forex, Funds, Bonds, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Cryptocurrencies	Trader Workstation (TWS), IBKR Desktop, GlobalTrader, Mobile, Client Portal, AlgoTrader, OmniTrader, TradingView, eSignal, TradingCentral, ProRealTime, Quantower	USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, INR, JPY, SEK, NOK, DKK, CHF, AED, HUF	TWS API	✓	✗
		✓	✓	$10	Variable	✗	✗	FINTRAC, AUSTRAC, CySEC, CBI, FCA	Cryptos, Pre-IPO Perpetual Futures, Tokenized Stocks	Kraken App, Kraken Pro, Kraken Futures, AlgoTrader, Quantower	USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, JPY, CHF	Kraken Futures is integrated in other platforms which have bots: Bookmap, Caspian, FMZ Quant, Gunbot, HaasOnline, Hyndor, Margin	✗	✗
Broker		USD Account	Demo Account	Minimum Deposit	Minimum Trade	Leverage	Copy Trading	Regulator	Instruments	Platforms	Account Currencies	Automated Trading	AI	Guaranteed Stop Loss

Safety Comparison

Compare how safe the Best Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Regulated Brokers 2026 are.

Broker	Trust Rating	Guaranteed Stop Loss	Negative Balance Protection	Segregated Accounts
	4.7	✗	✗	✓
	3.0	✗	✗	✓
Broker	Trust Rating	Guaranteed Stop Loss	Negative Balance Protection	Segregated Accounts

Mobile Trading Comparison

Compare the mobile trading features of the Best Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Regulated Brokers 2026.

Broker	Mobile Apps	iOS Rating	Android Rating	Smart Watch App
	iOS & Android	4.3	4.5	✓
	iOS & Android	4.7	4.2	✗
Broker	Mobile Apps	iOS Rating	Android Rating	Smart Watch App

Comparison for Beginners

Compare how suitable the Best Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Regulated Brokers 2026 are for beginners.

Broker	Demo Account	Minimum Deposit	Minimum Trade	Education Rating	Support Rating	Fractional Shares	Demo Competitions
	✓	$0	$1	4.3	3.0	✓	✗
	✓	$10	Variable	3.0	3.8	✓	✗
Broker	Demo Account	Minimum Deposit	Minimum Trade	Education Rating	Support Rating	Fractional Shares	Demo Competitions

Comparison for Advanced Traders

Compare how suitable the Best Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Regulated Brokers 2026 are for advanced or professional traders.

Broker	Automated Trading	VPS	API	AI	Pro Account	Leverage	Low Latency	Extended Hours
	TWS API	✗	✓	✓	✗	1:50 (major forex pairs), 1:2-1:4 (equities)	✓	✓
	Kraken Futures is integrated in other platforms which have bots: Bookmap, Caspian, FMZ Quant, Gunbot, HaasOnline, Hyndor, Margin	✗	✓	✗	✗	✗	✓	✓
Broker	Automated Trading	VPS	API	AI	Pro Account	Leverage	Low Latency	Extended Hours

Accounts Comparison

Compare the trading accounts offered by Best Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Regulated Brokers 2026.

Broker	Demo Account	Interest on Cash	Islamic Account	Joint Account	Managed Account	PAMM	MAM	LAMM	Pro Account
	✓	USD: 3.38%, GBP: 3.24%	✗	✓	✓	✗	✓	✗	✗
	✓	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗
Broker	Demo Account	Interest on Cash	Islamic Account	Joint Account	Managed Account	PAMM	MAM	LAMM	Pro Account

Detailed Rating Comparison

Compare how we rated the Best Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Regulated Brokers 2026 in key areas.

Broker	Trust	Platforms	Assets	Mobile	Fees	Accounts	Research	Education	Support
	4.7	3.9	4.7	4.4	4.3	3.9	4.7	4.3	3.0
	3.0	3.5	3.8	4.5	3.9	3.8	1.5	3.0	3.8
Broker	Trust	Platforms	Assets	Mobile	Fees	Accounts	Research	Education	Support

Fee and Cost Comparison

Compare the cost of trading with the Best Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Regulated Brokers 2026.

Broker	Cost Rating	Fixed Spreads	Inactivity Fee	EUR/USD Spread	Crypto Spread
	4.3	✗	$0	0.1	0.12%-0.18%
	3.9	✗	$0	✗	0-0.26% average
Broker	Cost Rating	Fixed Spreads	Inactivity Fee	EUR/USD Spread	Crypto Spread

Customer Ratings

Compare how customers of these brokers feel about them, with real user ratings from Trustpilot, the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Broker	Customers	Trustpilot Score	Trustpilot Reviews	Android App Rating	iOS App Rating
	4,300,000	3.0	5,544	4.5	4.3
	15,000,000	3.2	9,451	4.2	4.7
Broker	Customers	Trustpilot Score	Trustpilot Reviews	Android App Rating	iOS App Rating

Broker Popularity

See how popular the Best Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Regulated Brokers 2026 are in terms of number of clients.

Broker	Popularity
Kraken	15,000,000
Interactive Brokers	4,300,000

Why Trade With Interactive Brokers?

4.6/5

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

• 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 provides a cost-effective platform for traders by offering low fees, narrow spreads, and clear pricing.
• Interactive Brokers was awarded 'Best US Broker' for 2025 by DayTrading.com for its dedication to US traders, ultra-low margin rates, and affordable global market access.

Cons

• TWS is complex, and beginners might find it difficult to use and understand all its features.
• In 2025, IBKR was fined $11.8 million by the US OFAC for offering services in restricted areas. It also faced a $125,000 fine from FINRA in 2025 for failing to disclose municipal bond information.
• IBKR offers many research tools, but access varies across trading platforms and the web-based 'Account Management' page, creating a confusing user experience.

Visit Interactive Brokers Read Review

Why Trade With Kraken?

3.9/5

Kraken is suitable for traders seeking a variety of cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, and a strong history of security.

Pros

• Kraken lets accredited US investors lock cash and stablecoins for 3 to 18 months at fixed APYs up to 7%.
• 3D secure required
• Kraken, through Payward, received VARA approval in the UAE, allowing local clients to fund and trade in dirhams.

Cons

• Insider data breach and extortion incident involving customer data in April 2026
• Does not support many newer altcoins
• Pro account's verification process is slow.

Visit Kraken Read Review

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How We Chose The Top FCA-Regulated Brokers

We took a two-step approach:

1. We verified the regulatory credentials of every broker in our evolving database. That means we personally check any broker that claims FCA authorization is in fact listed on the FCA’s Financial Services Register. We also regularly re-check FCA license details when we re-test brokers, as licenses can be revoked, permitted activities can change.
2. We ranked FCA brokers by their overall ratings, combining not just their regulatory credentials but also the wider trading package, from costs to tools, support, and market access. This blends hands-0n testing with the hundreds of data points we collect per firm.

What Is The FCA?

In the UK, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) exists in order to – in its own words – “enable a fair and thriving financial services market for the good of consumers and the economy.”

The watchdog was established under the Financial Services Act 2012 in the wake of the Great Financial Crisis. It licenses and supervises the conduct of around 42,000 brokers, banks, insurers, asset managers and other companies.

Its objectives include:

• Setting “high and clear standards for consumer protection across financial services, and [holding] firms to account if they don’t meet them.”
• Deciding “which firms and individuals can enter the financial markets, making sure they meet our standards before we authorize them.”
• Ensuring that “firms’ business models, activities, controls and other behavior maintain market trust and don’t create or allow market abuse, systemic risk or financial crime.”
• Penalizing rulebreakers by “imposing fines, stopping firms from trading or securing compensation for consumers.”
• Promoting “innovation and competitive financial services markets in the interests of consumers.”

Pro tip: The FCA has been classified as a Category A financial services watchdog under BrokerListings.com’s Regulator Rating System. This means the organization demands high industry standards, closely supervises licensed brokers and isn’t afraid to impose drastic enforcement measures to protect consumers and deter wrongdoing..

What Powers Does The FCA Have?

According to the FCA, “it is first and foremost a firm’s responsibility to deliver good outcomes to consumers.” This means that brokers’ customers should expect:

• “The support they need, when they need it.”
• “Communications they understand.”
• “Products and services that meet their needs and offer fair value.”

The regulator oversees companies’ operations to ensure they are meeting these obligations, and if they are not will carry out enforcement action to compensate consumers and deter future misconduct.

Pro tip: Consumers can report any concerns about fraud or poor customer service directly to the FCA. These can be communicated via an online form or telephone.

It has a wide range of tools to tackle perpetrators, including:

• Publishing public statements highlighting cases of wrongdoing.
• Prohibiting a person or businesses from undertaking certain activities, either temporarily or permanently.
• Withdrawing a service provider’s FCA authorization.
• Banning individuals from operating in financial services.
• Imposing financial penalties.
• Seeking court injunctions on a range of issues, from stopping unauthorized investment activity to freezing assets where they suspect a company could disappear with clients’ funds.

In total, the FCA issued fines of more than £124.2 million in 2025 for a range of offences. This included a £1.1 million penalty slapped on Sigma Broking for failing to submit full and accurate transaction reports between 2018 and 2023.

What Rules Must An FCA Broker Follow?

Financial services brokers must adhere to a wide and comprehensive set of rules to obtain and then maintain their FCA-approved status.

These are laid out in the FCA Handbook and include:

• Taking “all sufficient steps to obtain, when executing orders, the best possible results for its clients taking into account the execution factors.” These include taking into account price, costs, speed, size, likelihood of order execution and settlement.
• Giving customers “information on all costs and related charges in good time before they provide the relevant service.” Charges should also be clearly stated, easy to understand, and aggregated and expressed as a cash amount and as a percentage.
• Ascertaining the client’s “knowledge and experience in the investment field relevant to the specific type of designated investment or service; financial situation; and investment objectives” when making investment recommendations or giving advice.
• Publishing “fair, clear and not misleading financial promotions” that make clear if a customer’s money is at risk.
• Managing conflicts of interest “fairly, both between itself and its customers and between a customer and another client.”
• Taking “reasonable care to organize and control its affairs responsibly and effectively, with adequate risk management systems.”
• Ensuring “the segregation of client money from a firm’s own money.”

Pro tip: FCA rules also state that brokerages must be signed up to the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). This ensures customers can claim up to £85,000 in compensation if the company goes bust.

UK traders and investors also enjoy other safeguards, like negative balance protection for contracts for difference (CFDs). Under FCA rules, brokers cannot allow their clients to lose more money than what they’ve deposited in their trading accounts.

How Can I Check That The Brokerage Is FCA Approved?

Thanks to its ‘FCA Firm Checker,’ establishing that the broker is above board can be done quickly and easily.

Let’s say I wish to check the regulatory status of Pepperstone, which has been offering financial services since 2010. First I’ll log bring up the homepage of the FCA Firm Checker…

Source: FCA

… and after clicking on the ‘Check a firm’ button, type in the broker’s name and hit ‘Search for firm.’

Source: FCA

My search brings up two results. One is for Pepperstone Limited, which helpfully links the broker’s website (www.pepperstone.com) to help me identify the correct firm. The other entry is for an unauthorized firm using a similar name.

Source: FCA

After clicking on the ‘Check firm’ button under Pepperstone Limited, and confirming the sort of product or service I’m interested in, I’m greeted with a swathe of information on the broker, including its address and the activities the company’s permitted to carry out.

Source: FCA

Pro tip: As well as providing a searchable database for licensed firms, the FCA maintains a warning list of unauthorized entities to help consumers avoid scammers. The regulator also publishes information on enforcement actions on its ‘Publications’ page.

Bottom Line

Checking that the broker you choose to trade or invest is FCA-regulated is critical. The number of scammers out there and companies offering poor levels of service has exploded in recent years. It’s more important than ever to ensure your capital and your personal data is protected.

The FCA is one of the most comprehensive regulators on the planet, so using a UK-licensed broker provides excellent safeguards. Remember though that even regulated companies sometimes fall short of the FCA’s high standards, so be vigilant and carefully research the brokerage you’re considering before handing over any money.

Pro tip for UK traders:

• You may also want a broker with a GBP account for smooth funding.
• See our pick of the top UK trading brokers, catered to traders in the United Kingdom.

Article Sources

Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) – FCA

Financial Services Act 2012 – UK government

Protecting consumers – FCA

Enhancing market integrity – FCA

Supervision – FCA

Enforcement Information Guide – FCA

2025 fines – FCA

Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) – FSCS

FCA Warning List of unauthorized firms – FSA

FCA Firm Checker – FCA