Best S&P 500 Brokers 2026
Discover the best brokers with access to the S&P 500 following our rigorous hands-on testing.
-
1eToro is a platform for social investing that provides options for both short and long-term trading on stocks, ETFs, options, and crypto. The platform is recognized for its easy-to-use, community-oriented interface and reasonable fees. With oversight from FINRA and SIPC, and used by millions globally, eToro is a reputed name in the industry. Trading on eToro is facilitated by eToro USA Securities, Inc.
-
2Established 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.
-
3InstaTrade, 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.
-
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 | $10 | ✗ | ✓ | SEC, FINRA | Stocks, Options, ETFs, Crypto | eToro Trading Platform & CopyTrader | USD | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | |
 |
✓ | ✓ | $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 | ✗ | ✗ | |
 |
✓ | ✓ | $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 S&P 500 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 S&P 500 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 S&P 500 Brokers 2026 are for beginners.
| Broker | Demo Account |
Minimum Deposit |
Minimum Trade |
Education Rating |
Support Rating |
Fractional Shares |
Demo Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
✓ | $100 | $10 | ✓ | ✗ | ||
|
✓ | $100 | 0.01 Lots | ✗ | ✗ | ||
|
✓ | $1 | 0.01 | ✗ | ✗ | ||
|
✓ | $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 S&P 500 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, 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 S&P 500 Brokers 2026.
| Broker | Demo Account |
Interest on Cash |
Islamic Account |
Joint Account |
Managed Account |
PAMM |
MAM |
LAMM |
Pro Account |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
✓ | USD: 4.9% | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
|
✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
|
✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
|
✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
|
✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| 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 S&P 500 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 S&P 500 Brokers 2026.
| Broker | Cost Rating |
Fixed Spreads |
Inactivity Fee |
CFD Stocks Spread |
EUR/USD Spread |
Crypto Spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
✓ | $10 | $0 | ✗ | BTC 0.75% | |
|
✗ | $15 | 0.14 | 1.2 | BTC 1.4%, ETH 2% | |
|
✗ | ✗ | 8 (Apple Inc) | 0.0 | 0 | |
|
✗ | $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 S&P 500 Brokers [year] are in terms of number of clients.
| Broker | Popularity |
|---|---|
| XM |
|
| InstaTrade |
|
| eToro USA |
|
| FOREX.com |
|
| IC Markets |
|
Why Trade With eToro USA?
eToro is a top choice for traders due to its top-notch social investing and copy trading services. The broker caters well to new traders with its low deposit requirement, commission-free trading, and user-friendly platform.
Pros
- The broker's Academy provides extensive educational resources for traders, ranging from beginners to advanced levels.
- eToro USA Securities is a reliable broker that's regulated by the SEC, part of FINRA, and a member of SIPC.
- The online broker provides a user-friendly social investment network for easy crypto trading replication.
Cons
- The exclusive terminal does not accommodate trading bots and lacks extra equity market analysis tools.
- Average fees can reduce the profits of traders.
- There are fewer trading options available, including only stocks, ETFs, and cryptos, compared to competitors.
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
- Numerous educational materials such as tutorials, webinars, and a comprehensive YouTube channel are available to assist you in learning about the financial markets.
- FOREX.com provides top-tier forex pricing beginning at 0.0 pips. They also offer competitive cashback rebates up to 15% for dedicated traders.
- FOREX.com has over 20 years of experience with strong regulatory oversight, and has received multiple awards, including second place in our 'Best Forex Broker' awards. As such, FOREX.com is globally reputed as a reliable trading brokerage.
Cons
- 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.
- 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.
- Demo accounts have a limited time duration of 90 days, which may not be sufficient for thoroughly testing trading strategies.
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 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.
- VPS hosting is suitable for algorithmic trading strategies. It uses a dedicated server to offer quick execution speeds, potentially as fast as 9 milliseconds.
- InstaTrade promises returns using its structured passive trading solution (FISP), with applications processed within 24 hours.
Cons
- 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.
- The advertising of FISP, specifically about its "profit guarantee" and "risk-free trading," creates unease.
- InstaTrade's learning resources are helpful for new traders but are not as organized or comprehensive as those provided by top companies such as eToro.
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
- You can trade more than 2,250 CFDs in various markets, such as forex, commodities, indices, stocks, bonds, and cryptocurrencies. This range enables varied trading strategies.
- IC Markets, a well-regulated and respected broker, emphasizes client security and transparency for a trustworthy global trading experience.
- IC Markets provides fast and reliable 24/5 support for account and funding issues.
Cons
- Interest is not earned on unused funds, a feature commonly available at other platforms such as Interactive Brokers.
- 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.
- IC Markets have a selection of metals and cryptos for trading through CFDs, but their range is not as wide as brokers such as eToro. This may limit options for traders who are interested in these asset types.
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 excels in trader education by providing well-organized resources like webinars, tutorials, and live trading sessions via XM Live.
- XM has updated its platform with integrated TradingView charts and an XM AI assistant for faster execution, smarter analysis, and a more intuitive trading experience.
- XM offers reliable customer support tested over the years, providing 24/5 assistance in 25 languages, responses in under 2 minutes, and an expanding Telegram channel.
Cons
- XM only uses the MetaTrader platforms for desktop trading, offering no in-house downloadable or web-based solutions with unique features for beginners.
- XM is generally trusted and well-regulated but is registered with weak regulators such as FSC Belize. It no longer accepts UK clients, limiting its market reach.
- 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
Simplified Guide to S&P 500 Brokers
The S&P 500 is a major stock index in the United States, followed by many traders. This guide helps you understand how to pick the right brokers for trading the S&P 500, what makes a company eligible to be on this index, and how to get started with trading. We’ll also explore tools that can assist in trading and how to compare different brokers that provide access to the S&P 500.
Choosing the Right S&P 500 Brokers
When you’re looking to start trading, choosing the best stock broker is like choosing the right vehicle for your journey. Here’s what to look out for:
Trading Platform
The trading platform is what you’ll use to make trades. It’s important to find one that you find easy to use, with straightforward charts and tools that help you understand market trends. Some platforms, like MetaTrader 4 and 5, are industry leaders. But you might prefer other tools like TradingView if you’re more familiar with them.
Fees
Trading can come with many fees like commissions and transaction costs. These can eat into your profits, especially if you trade a lot. Make sure you understand the fee structure of any broker before you start. Some might offer low fees upfront but have other hidden charges.
Customer Support
If you run into trouble or have questions, good customer support is crucial. Some of the best brokers offer support around the clock via different methods like chat, phone, or email.
Extra Tools and Features
Some brokers offer additional tools like historical data or calculators that help plan your investments. They might also have educational videos or live news streams to keep you informed.
Security
Your money’s safety is important! Make sure your broker is regulated by well-known financial authorities. They should also have measures in place to keep your information secure, like encryption and multi-step authentication.
Understanding the S&P 500
The S&P 500 is a major index that tracks the performance of 500 large US companies. It’s seen as a measure of how the US economy is doing because it includes many big companies from various industries.
Criteria for S&P 500 Inclusion
For a company to be part of the S&P 500, it needs to meet certain requirements:
- Must have been traded on the New York Stock Exchange for over a year
- Have a market value of at least $14.6 billion (as of 2022)
- Most of its shares should be available for the public to buy and sell
- At least 250,000 of its shares should have been traded in the last six months
- Must show positive earnings in the latest financial year
Trading Times
The regular hours for trading the S&P 500 coincide with the New York Stock Exchange: from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM EST. Some brokers allow trading before or after these hours.
E-Mini S&P 500
For those who want a more accessible option, the E-mini S&P 500 offers smaller futures contracts. These contracts are useful for managing risk or taking advantage of stable pricing.
Getting Started with Trading
To start trading:
Fund Your Account
Pick a broker you like and deposit money into your account. Look for brokers with various payment methods, fast transactions, and low minimum deposits.
Do Your Research
Before diving in, it’s good to know what you’re trading. Utilize online resources and community discussions to gather insights.
Choose Your Asset
Decide if you want to trade the whole S&P 500 or specific stocks within it. Remember, these stocks have varying degrees of trading volume and price swings.
Choose Your Strategy
Decide on a trading strategy that suits your risk level and market activity. There’s a lot of free advice online, but be cautious of scams.
Conclusion: Why Choose S&P 500 Brokers?
The S&P 500 has been a staple of the US trading scene for over 60 years. It gives traders a snapshot of the US economy’s health. Keep in mind, big companies within the index can influence its movements heavily.
With a wide selection of resources, you’re well-equipped to begin your trading journey with the S&P 500. Check out brokerlistings.com to explore the best broker options for S&P 500 trading today.
FAQs
Do S&P 500 Brokers Let You Trade Using MetaTrader 4?
Yes, you can trade the S&P 500 on MetaTrader 4 through supporting brokers.
What Is the S&P 500’s Symbol at Brokers?
When trading, look for the market ticker symbol INX.
When Did Trading in S&P 500 Futures Start?
Such trading began with the Chicago Mercantile Exchange offering contracts in 1982, followed by the E-mini option in 1997.
Do Most Brokers Offer Trading in the S&P 500?
Yes, it’s widely available among top brokers like eToro and Webull.
Which Is Better: The Nasdaq or S&P 500?
The S&P 500 includes a wider variety of US stocks, while over half of Nasdaq stocks are in technology. Which is better depends on what you’re looking to trade. Most brokers with S&P 500 access also have Nasdaq options.
When Does S&P 500 Trading Start?
The trading starts at 9:30 AM EST when the New York Stock Exchange opens.