Best FTSE UK Index Brokers 2026
Discover the best brokers with access to the UK FTSE 100 Index following our rigorous hands-on testing.
-
1Established in 1999, FOREX.com is part of StoneX, a global financial services company that serves over a million customers. It's regulated in the US, UK, EU, Australia, and other countries. The broker offers a wide range of markets beyond forex and provides competitive pricing on advanced platforms.
-
2InstaTrade, located in the British Virgin Islands, is an online broker that focuses on structured fixed income products and active trading via CFDs. Its no-spread accounts, outstanding research primarily from InstaTrade TV, and access to the well-known MT4 and InstaTrade Gear make it a good choice for traders of all levels.
-
3Established in 2008, Exness is a respected broker known for offering over 40 account currencies, a wide choice of CFD instruments, and an intuitive web platform with features like currency converters and trading calculators.
-
4IC Markets is a renowned forex and CFD broker recognized for its high-quality pricing, extensive range of trading tools, and superior trading technology. Established in 2007 in Australia, it operates under the oversight of ASIC, CySEC, and FSA. It has drawn in over 180,000 traders from across 200 countries.
-
5XM is a global forex and CFD broker with over 15 million clients in more than 190 countries. Since 2009, it has offered low trading fees on over 1000 instruments. The broker is well-regulated by authorities such as ASIC, CySEC, DFSA, and SCA in the UAE, and provides a full MetaTrader experience.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
✓ | ✓ | $100 | 0.01 Lots | 1:50 | ✗ | NFA, CFTC | Forex, Stock CFDs, Futures, Futures OptionsForex, CFDs, Stock CFDs, Indices, Commodities, Futures, Options, Crypto | WebTrader, Mobile, MT4, MT5, TradingView | USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, JPY, CHF, PLN | Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader | ✓ | ✗ | |
 |
✓ | ✓ | $1 | 0.01 | 1:1000 | ✓ | BVI FSC | FISP, CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Cryptos, Futures | InstaTrade Gear, MT4 | USD, EUR, RUB | Experts Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader | ✗ | ✗ | |
 |
✓ | ✓ | Varies based on the payment system | 0.01 Lots | 1:Unlimited | ✓ | FCA, FSCA, CMA, FSA, CBCS, BVIFSC, FSC, JSC | CFDs on Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Crypto | Exness Trade App, Exness Terminal, MT4, MT5, TradingCentral | USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, NZD, INR, JPY, ZAR, MYR, IDR, CHF, HKD, SGD, AED, SAR, HUF, BRL, NGN, THB, VND, UAH, KWD, QAR, KRW, MXN, KES, CNY | Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader | ✗ | ✗ | |
 |
✓ | ✓ | $200 | 0.01 Lots | 1:30 (ASIC & CySEC), 1:500 (FSA), 1:1000 (Global) | ✓ | ASIC, CySEC, CMA, FSA | CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Bonds, Futures, Crypto | MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView, TradingCentral, DupliTrade, Quantower | USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, NZD, JPY, CHF, HKD, SGD | Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader, cBots on cTrader, Myfxbook AutoTrade | ✗ | ✗ | |
 |
✓ | ✓ | $5 | 0.01 Lots | 1:10001:30 | ✓ | CySEC, DFSA, SCA, FSCA, FSA, FSC Belize, FSC Mauritius | CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Commodities, Indices, Thematic Indices, Precious Metals, Energies | MT4, MT5, TradingCentral | USD, EUR, GBP, JPY | Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader | ✓ | ✗ | |
| 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 FTSE UK Index Brokers 2026 are.
| Broker | Trust Rating |
Guaranteed Stop Loss |
Negative Balance Protection |
Segregated Accounts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
✗ | ✓ | ✗ | |
|
✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
|
✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
|
✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
|
✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Broker | Trust Rating |
Guaranteed Stop Loss |
Negative Balance Protection |
Segregated Accounts |
Mobile Trading Comparison
Compare the mobile trading features of the Best FTSE UK Index Brokers 2026.
| Broker | Mobile Apps |
iOS Rating |
Android Rating |
Smart Watch App |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
iOS & Android | ✗ | ||
|
iOS & Android | ✗ | ||
|
iOS & Android | ✗ | ||
|
iOS & Android | ✗ | ||
|
iOS, Android & Windows | ✗ | ||
| Broker | Mobile Apps |
iOS Rating |
Android Rating |
Smart Watch App |
Comparison for Beginners
Compare how suitable the Best FTSE UK Index Brokers 2026 are for beginners.
| Broker | Demo Account |
Minimum Deposit |
Minimum Trade |
Education Rating |
Support Rating |
Fractional Shares |
Demo Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
✓ | $100 | 0.01 Lots | ✗ | ✗ | ||
|
✓ | $1 | 0.01 | ✗ | ✗ | ||
|
✓ | Varies based on the payment system | 0.01 Lots | ✗ | ✗ | ||
|
✓ | $200 | 0.01 Lots | ✗ | ✗ | ||
|
✓ | $5 | 0.01 Lots | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Broker | Demo Account |
Minimum Deposit |
Minimum Trade |
Education Rating |
Support Rating |
Fractional Shares |
Demo Competitions |
Comparison for Advanced Traders
Compare how suitable the Best FTSE UK Index Brokers 2026 are for advanced or professional traders.
| Broker | Automated Trading |
VPS |
API |
AI |
Pro Account |
Leverage |
Low Latency |
Extended Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | 1:50 | ✓ | ✗ |
|
Experts Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | 1:1000 | ✗ | ✗ |
|
Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | 1:Unlimited | ✓ | ✗ |
|
Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader, cBots on cTrader, Myfxbook AutoTrade | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | 1:30 (ASIC & CySEC), 1:500 (FSA), 1:1000 (Global) | ✓ | ✗ |
|
Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | 1:10001:30 | ✓ | ✗ |
| Broker | Automated Trading |
VPS |
API |
AI |
Pro Account |
Leverage |
Low Latency |
Extended Hours |
Accounts Comparison
Compare the trading accounts offered by Best FTSE UK Index Brokers 2026.
| Broker | Demo Account |
Interest on Cash |
Islamic Account |
Joint Account |
Managed Account |
PAMM |
MAM |
LAMM |
Pro Account |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
|
✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
|
✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
|
✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
|
✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| 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 FTSE UK Index Brokers 2026 in key areas.
| Broker | Trust |
Platforms |
Assets |
Mobile |
Fees |
Accounts |
Research |
Education |
Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
|||||||||
| Broker | Trust |
Platforms |
Assets |
Mobile |
Fees |
Accounts |
Research |
Education |
Support |
Fee and Cost Comparison
Compare the cost of trading with the Best FTSE UK Index Brokers 2026.
| Broker | Cost Rating |
Fixed Spreads |
Inactivity Fee |
CFD Stocks Spread |
EUR/USD Spread |
Crypto Spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
✗ | $15 | 0.14 | 1.2 | BTC 1.4%, ETH 2% | |
|
✗ | ✗ | 8 (Apple Inc) | 0.0 | 0 | |
|
✗ | $0 | 0.5 (Apple Inc.) | 0.0 | Floating | |
|
✗ | $0 | 0.02 | 0.02 | BTC 42.036 | |
|
✗ | $5 | 0.002 | 0.8 | Variable | |
| Broker | Cost Rating |
Fixed Spreads |
Inactivity Fee |
CFD Stocks Spread |
EUR/USD Spread |
Crypto Spread |
Broker Popularity
See how popular the Best FTSE UK Index Brokers [year] are in terms of number of clients.
| Broker | Popularity |
|---|---|
| XM |
|
| InstaTrade |
|
| Exness |
|
| FOREX.com |
|
| IC Markets |
|
Why Trade With FOREX.com?
FOREX.com is a top-tier brokerage suitable for forex traders of all skill levels. It offers more than 80 currency pairs, has small spreads starting from 0.0 pips, and features low fees. The platform provides powerful charting tools that include over 100 technical indicators and multiple research aids.
Pros
- FOREX.com provides top-tier forex pricing beginning at 0.0 pips. They also offer competitive cashback rebates up to 15% for dedicated traders.
- The Web Trader remains one of the top platforms for budding traders, boasting a sleek design and more than 80 technical indicators for market analysis.
- Numerous educational materials such as tutorials, webinars, and a comprehensive YouTube channel are available to assist you in learning about the financial markets.
Cons
- FOREX.com's MT4 platform provides around 600 instruments for trading, which is considerably less than the 5,500+ options accessible on its other platforms.
- FOREX.com has expanded their trading offerings, but these remain limited to forex and CFDs. Unfortunately, they don't provide options to invest in actual stocks, ETFs, or cryptocurrencies.
- The funding options are not as extensive as those of top competitors such as IC Markets and lack several widely-used e-wallets, particularly UnionPay and POLi.
Why Trade With InstaTrade?
InstaTrade provides active trading on an extensive platform. It has a unique offering known as Fixed Income Structured Product (FISP), which allows for passive investment. Investors can potentially earn up to a 50% return within 6 months, provided certain conditions are fulfilled.
Pros
- InstaTrade promises returns using its structured passive trading solution (FISP), with applications processed within 24 hours.
- InstaTrade provides approximately 300 assets for investment. It particularly shines in the area of currency pairs, making it an excellent platform for experienced traders interested in volatile exotics.
- InstaTrade provides a high-quality range of charting tools for traders. Its web trader includes over 250 indicators, 11 types of charts and a design that's easy to use.
Cons
- InstaTrade's website and client interfaces are quite complex which can be confusing for new traders. On the other hand, XTB offers a more straightforward and user-friendly trading experience.
- The advertising of FISP, specifically about its "profit guarantee" and "risk-free trading," creates unease.
- Profits in the FISP are guaranteed only if investors do not make over 50% profit and recruit other users, earning $4 for each dollar in compensation.
Why Trade With Exness?
Exness is an excellent choice for active forex traders aiming to reduce costs after lowering spreads, enhancing execution speeds, and offering trading on over 100 currency pairs with more than 40 account currencies.
Pros
- Exness Terminal provides an easy experience for beginners with interactive charts, and creating watchlists is simple.
- Fast and reliable 24/7 multilingual customer support through phone, email, and live chat, validated by practical tests.
- Competitive spreads for USOIL and BTCUSD in 2024 start from 0 pips, with low commissions from $2 per side.
Cons
- Besides a mediocre blog, educational resources are lacking, especially compared to category leaders like IG, which offer a more comprehensive trading journey for new traders.
- Exness has increased its variety of CFDs and introduced a copy trading feature, but it still lacks real assets like ETFs, cryptocurrencies, or bonds.
- MetaTrader 4 and 5 are supported, but TradingView and cTrader are not available yet, despite increasing demand from traders and their integration with other platforms like Pepperstone.
Why Trade With IC Markets?
IC Markets provides excellent prices, quick execution, and smooth deposits. The utilization of sophisticated charting platforms such as TradingView and the Raw Trader Plus account makes it a preferred choice for intermediate to advanced traders.
Pros
- IC Markets provides some of the smallest spreads in the industry, offering 0.0-pip spreads on major currency pairs. This makes trading particularly cost-efficient for traders.
- IC Markets provides fast and reliable 24/5 support for account and funding issues.
- IC Markets, a well-regulated and respected broker, emphasizes client security and transparency for a trustworthy global trading experience.
Cons
- Despite having four top-tier third-party platforms, there is no in-house software or trading app specifically designed for new traders.
- The range and quality of educational materials, such as tutorials and webinars, require improvement. This lag falls behind competitors like CMC Markets and reduces its suitability for novice traders.
- Some withdrawal methods require fees such as a $20 wire charge. This can reduce profits, particularly for traders who withdraw frequently.
Why Trade With XM?
With a $5 minimum deposit, advanced charting on MT4 and MT5, a growing range of markets, and a Zero account with spreads from 0.0, XM offers what traders need. They have even won our 'Best MT4/MT5 Broker' award recently.
Pros
- XM offers over 1,000 instruments, giving traders various short-term opportunities, including turbo stocks, fractional shares, and thematic indices.
- XM excels in trader education by providing well-organized resources like webinars, tutorials, and live trading sessions via XM Live.
- In late 2025, XM received a category 5 license from the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) of the United Arab Emirates, enhancing its regulatory standing and positioning it as a strong choice for traders in the Middle East.
Cons
- XM only uses the MetaTrader platforms for desktop trading, offering no in-house downloadable or web-based solutions with unique features for beginners.
- The XM app is user-friendly and offers unique copy trading products, but its technical analysis tools need enhancement for advanced traders.
- XM is lagging because it doesn’t offer cTrader and TradingView, which are now preferred over MetaTrader for their better user interface and charting tools.
Filters
### Understanding the FTSE
Launched in 1984, the FTSE (Financial Times Stock Exchange) is a collection of over 600 companies that encompass about 98% of the UK market value. Here’s a simplified guide to help you start trading with the FTSE 100 and 250, including strategy tips and how to select the right FTSE brokers and platforms.
### How To Compare FTSE Brokers
When you’re ready to trade in the FTSE 100 or 250, selecting the right online broker is crucial. Here’s a simplified checklist to help you make an informed decision:
– Price: Look for brokers with low commission costs and clear fee structures. High fees can reduce your profits, especially if you trade frequently. For example, eToro offers competitive trading with a 1.75 point spread without extra account management fees.
– Platform: Ensure the platform is easy to use and provides necessary tools like charts for analysis. Fast trade execution is vital. Check if you prefer a platform’s own software or popular ones like MetaTrader.
– Customer Service: Reliable support can save you time and money if issues arise. Check if support is available during trading hours, either by phone or online. Some brokers promise support 24/7 in multiple languages.
– Regulation: Confirm if the broker is regulated by respected financial bodies like the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK. This ensures they follow strict safeguarding rules.
### What Is The FTSE?
#### A Brief History
Known affectionately as the ‘Footsie’, the FTSE is a key stock exchange in the UK and the largest in Europe. It dates back to 1773 and has evolved into a significant benchmark for prices in Europe. Its name combines the initials of its founders: the Financial Times and the London Stock Exchange.
#### FTSE Indexes
– FTSE 100: This includes the top 100 UK companies by market value, often referred to as ‘blue chips.’ Notable companies include Shell, BP, and Vodafone.
– FTSE 250: The next 250 companies by market value, including well-known names like JD Sports. It’s seen as a better measure of the UK’s economic health.
– Other Indexes:
– FTSE 350: The combined FTSE 100 and 250.
– FTSE SmallCap: Contains smaller companies ranked 351st to 619th.
– FTSE Aim All-Share: Represents approximately 600 companies on the London Stock Exchange.
– FTSE Fledgling: Companies too small for the FTSE All-Share index but listed on the main market.
### The Function of the FTSE
The FTSE 100 provides a quick snapshot of the UK stock market’s health. However, since many companies are international, it may not entirely reflect the UK’s economic situation. Investors use the FTSE to track market trends and make profits from shifts in share prices.
### How The FTSE Operates
#### Weighting
Share prices in the FTSE are adjusted by company size, meaning larger companies impact the index more than smaller ones.
#### FTSE Changes
Companies in the FTSE can move up or down like a sports league. Every quarter, company rankings are reviewed and adjusted based on their value. Big mergers or global market trends often prompt these changes.
### Key FTSE Strategies
To succeed in FTSE trading, you must develop a winning strategy using market data. Here are simple strategies to consider:
#### Basic Setup
1. Stay Informed: Keep up with news that could affect the markets. Events and news stories can significantly impact FTSE movements.
2. Chart Analysis: Use charts to assess price action over different timeframes. Longer timeframes help identify trends, while shorter ones can guide daily trading decisions.
3. Volume and Volatility: Look for stocks with high trading volumes and volatility, as they offer potential for quick profits.
4. Moving Averages: Employ moving averages to spot trend changes and establish when to buy or sell. For instance, using 10 and 25-period moving averages can help simplify decision-making.
### Final Tips
– Education & Resources: Access online courses, videos, and forums to refine your trading skills.
– Automation: Consider using trading automation tools or bots for executing trades based on set criteria.
– Journals: Maintain a trading journal to track your decisions and learn from past trades.
Selecting the best stock broker with a stable trading platform gives you the best chance of successful trading on the FTSE. By following this guide and employing strategic insights, you can take advantage of the opportunities the FTSE offers in the world of trading.