Best Brokers for Forex Trading 2019

The global foreign exchange (forex) market is the largest and most actively traded financial market in the world, by far. When looking for the ‘best’ forex broker, both beginners and experienced traders generally look for several key features and benefits. Among the most important of these are: fees (including spreads and commissions); trading platform(s) (including software, web-based, mobile, charting and third-party platforms); customer support; trading education along with currency research; and trustworthiness. The top brokers highlighted below represent the best of the pack:

• IG
• OANDA
• Forex.com
• Pepperstone

There are now only three primary forex-only brokers currently operating in the U.S. All three are represented on this list. Our winner, IG, is one of the largest brokers in the world but only just re-entered the U.S. market officially in February 2019.

IG has been in the forex and CFD business for over 40 years. The company offers access globally to a comprehensive product line that includes forex, stock indices, individual equities, stock sectors, commodities, cryptocurrencies, bonds, and interest rates on a variety of professional-grade web-based and mobile trading platforms.

IG is the largest CFD dealer (based on trading revenue) with the largest number of active financial spread betting accounts in the UK. As noted, the company just began serving U.S. clients once again, in February 2019 (IG had operations in the U.S. previously before leaving). Its size allows it to offer some of the lowest spreads and commissions in the industry. IG Group is a FTSE 250 Company with more than 185,000 clients worldwide.

OANDA is one of the earliest pioneers of the retail forex industry. Having roots in academia, the company built its reputation, product offerings, technology, and customer base to the point now that it’s one of only two forex-only brokers in the U.S., and also serves customers throughout the U.K., Singapore, Canada, and Australia. Since the company’s inception back in the 1990’s, OANDA has been on the forefront of retail forex, offering the latest trading technology and services to a global customer base.

Key points about OANDA include the fact that it has a $0 minimum for live accounts, which is not very common for any type of broker, including forex-specific brokers. Also, the company is well known for its quality of trade execution and transparency when it comes to pricing and fees. Finally, OANDA has long focused on its trading technology, which includes its proprietary web-based and desktop platforms, as well as mobile and MetaTrader 4 options.

Forex.com, the primary brand of publicly-traded GAIN Capital (NYSE: GCAP), is also one of the first forex-specific brokers on the scene. Within the past several years, the company has acquired several businesses, some in the U.K. This includes the well-established CFD, forex, and spread-betting company, City Index. Because of this and other acquisitions, GAIN Capital has been able to acquire customers from across the globe, and is an industry leader in most markets. This includes the U.S., where it currently edges out its primary competitor, OANDA, in terms of customers assets.

Forex.com has been busy at work in the past few years upgrading and revamping its trading platforms and related systems. As a result, the company’s technology, both for Forex.com and City Index, are one of its primary strengths. Additionally, GAIN Capital employs a global team of market analysts that provide clients with useful and constantly updated market insights. Besides the usual forex and CFD markets (outside of the U.S.), Forex.com also offers bitcoin for trading.

Pepperstone is an Australian broker based out of Melbourne. It offers competitive, full-featured trade execution through multiple platforms, including MetaTrader 4, browser-based entry, and mobile devices. Customers can choose among 80 tradable instruments in 72+ asset classes (including forex, index CFDs, commodities, metals, and cryptocurrencies) across the globe through a diverse range of account types that include commission-free execution and active trader benefits. An AUD $200 minimum deposit supports small trading accounts; extensive research and educational resources build users' skill levels and profit-opportunity recognition.