Skip to content

Editorial only. Trading CFDs is high-risk — most retail accounts lose money. We are not a broker and not a financial adviser. Capital at risk. Verify regulation and terms directly with each broker before opening an account.

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Each broker’s own published share of retail accounts that lose money is shown beside it. We are not a broker and do not hold client money.

Licence numbers first · marketing second

Choose a broker the way a family office would.

Who regulates it, under which licence, and how many retail accounts lose money there — before anything else. Then one pick for where you live.

The concierge

You: United Kingdom · long-term, few trades · low costs.

Three answers — country, style, what matters most — give one broker and one alternative. Only brokers we hold, with links we have checked, are considered; the broker confirms your eligibility at sign-up.

Our pickPepperstoneFCA FRN 684312 · CySEC 388/2073.6% (FCA) · 74.1% (CySEC) · 76.1% (BaFin) · 80% (SCB) · 75–95% (CMA) of retail CFD accounts lose moneyWeighted towards fees · regulation weighted for long-term holding, based on our reviews.Open Pepperstone ↗ (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)
AlternativeEightcapASIC AFSL 391441 · FCA FRN 92129677.97% (Eightcap EU Ltd — its own EU disclosure, read 10 October 2026) of retail CFD accounts lose moneyWeighted towards fees · regulation weighted for long-term holding, based on our reviews.Open Eightcap ↗ (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

Brokers we hold, licence first

Licence numbers as held in our data — check them on each regulator’s own register.
BrokerLicences (as held in our data)Retail CFD accounts losing moneyLink
PepperstoneFCA FRN 684312 · CySEC 388/20 · ASIC AFSL 414530 · BaFin 151148 · DFSA F004356 · SCB SIA-F21773.6% (FCA) · 74.1% (CySEC) · 76.1% (BaFin) · 80% (SCB) · 75–95% (CMA)Visit Pepperstone ↗ (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)
EightcapASIC AFSL 391441 · FCA FRN 921296 · CySEC 246/14 · SCB SIA-F220 · FSA SD10077.97% (Eightcap EU Ltd — its own EU disclosure, read 10 October 2026)Visit Eightcap ↗ (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)
XTBFCA FRN 522157 · KNF · CySEC · IFSC74% (XTB Limited, FCA)Visit XTB ↗ (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

Licence numbers and loss percentages are taken from each broker’s own disclosures as recorded in our broker data; loss figures are per entity where the broker publishes them that way and are refreshed by the brokers periodically. Brokers whose links are country-gated are not listed here. We may earn a commission when you open an account through these links.

Sponsored · Trading communities

Join the community

Independent trader communities on Whop. Looking around is free; membership is charged by each owner.

Capital at risk. Not financial advice. Tax on profits may apply.

Independent paid communities on Whop, not NorwegianSpark products and not endorsements. Looking is free; membership is charged by each owner. NorwegianSpark earns a commission if you subscribe, at no extra cost to you. No performance, profit or accuracy claim made by any of these communities is reproduced here.

★ Featured Broker · Sponsored

AvaTrade — trade forex & CFDs on every major platform

A long-established, multi-regulated broker. Trade 1,250+ instruments on MT5, MT4 and WebTrader, follow top traders with AvaSocial, and test everything on a free demo before you risk a cent.

  • 1,250+ instrumentsForex, indices, stocks, commodities & crypto CFDs
  • Multi-jurisdiction regulationCentral Bank of Ireland (EU), ASIC, FSCA, FSA, ADGM & more
  • MT5 · MT4 · WebTraderPlus AvaOptions & AvaSocial copy trading
  • Free unlimited demoPractise before committing capital
Open MT5 Account →
RiskSponsored

Most retail CFD accounts lose money. Capital at risk. Not financial advice.

Try Free Demo

Read our full AvaTrade review →

AvaTrade platform overview · official AvaTrade video

Sponsored. CFDs are complex instruments and carry a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage — 65% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with AvaTrade (AvaTrade's own warning, AVA Trade EU Ltd, read 10 October 2026). Availability and the regulating AvaTrade entity vary by country; confirm which entity onboards you before depositing. Not financial advice.

Wise

Sponsored · Wise

EUR account

Stop losing money to FX fees

Hold 40+ currencies at the real exchange rate. Up to 8x cheaper than traditional banks.

Open Wise free →

NorwegianSpark earns a commission when you sign up — at no extra cost to you. Wise and similar payment institutions are regulated money-transfer services, not investments.

Ad · affiliate partners
Eightcap logo

Sponsored · Eightcap

CFD broker

Trade 800+ CFD markets with TradingView

Forex, indices, commodities and crypto CFDs — TradingView integration, daily trade ideas and code-free automation. CFDs are complex, leveraged products.

Trade with Eightcap →

NorwegianSpark earns a commission when you sign up — at no extra cost to you. CFDs are complex, leveraged instruments. A high proportion of retail investor accounts lose money trading CFDs. Capital at risk. Not financial advice.

Pepperstone logo

Sponsored · Pepperstone

CFD broker

Trade forex and CFDs with Pepperstone

Razor and Standard accounts on MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView, with fast execution across forex, indices, commodities and share CFDs. CFDs are complex, leveraged products.

Trade with Pepperstone →

NorwegianSpark earns a commission when you sign up — at no extra cost to you. CFDs are complex, leveraged instruments. Between 73.6% and 80% of retail investor accounts lose money trading CFDs with this provider, depending on which Pepperstone entity you trade with (FCA 73.6%, CySEC 74.1%, BaFin 76.1%, SCB 80%). Capital at risk. Not financial advice.

Our Content Pillars

Everything you need to trade with confidence — expert guides, broker reviews, and tutorials

Regulatory Guides

Navigate the regulatory landscape with in-depth guides for 8 countries

Explore Guides

Broker Reviews

15 deep-dive audits with regulation, fees, platforms, and verdicts

Read Reviews

Comparisons

Side-by-side comparisons of 50+ broker matchups with category winners

Compare Brokers

Education

In-depth learning guides covering basics, technical analysis, and strategies

Start Learning
Illustrative Spreads
· indicative sample, not live quotes
PairBidAskTypical Spread
EU
EUR/USD
1.085421.08551
0.9
GB
GBP/USD
1.271831.27196
1.3
US
USD/JPY
149.832149.844
1.2
AU
AUD/USD
0.652340.65248
1.4
US
USD/CHF
0.896210.89634
1.3
NZ
NZD/USD
0.603420.60358
1.6
US
USD/CAD
1.364211.36437
1.6
EU
EUR/GBP
0.853120.85325
1.3

Illustrative sample only — these are not live quotes and do not update. Actual spreads move continuously and vary by broker, account type and market conditions; verify current spreads directly with the broker. Not investment advice.

Broker Leaderboard— 5 regulated brokers
Click columns to sort
#
Broker
Regulation
EUR/USD Spread
Min. Deposit
VerdictVisit
1
Saxo Bank logo
Saxo Bank
Copenhagen, Denmark
FSA DenmarkFCAASIC+2
0.4 pips$2,000ExcellentReview
2
Pepperstone logo
Pepperstone
Melbourne, Australia
FCAASICCySEC+4
From 0.0 pips$10ExcellentVisit
3
IG Group logo
IG Group
London, UK
FCAASICBaFin+2
0.8 pips$250ExcellentReview
4
IC
IC Markets
Sydney, Australia
ASICCySECFSA
From 0.0 pips$200ExcellentReview
5
CMC Markets logo
CMC Markets
London, UK
FCAASICMAS+1
0.7 pipsNoneGreatReview

Editorial only. Trading CFDs is high-risk — most retail accounts lose money. We are not a broker and not a financial adviser. Affiliate disclosure: we may receive compensation when you click broker links. This never affects our rankings.

Knowledge Base

Guides & Analysis

Independent research. No paid placements. No financial advice. More in the journal.

All 33 articles
A desk with printed bar and donut charts, a calculator phone, an open notebook, keyboard and laptop
Regulations
8 min

What Does FCA Regulated Mean? FCA Regulation Explained for Traders

What FCA regulated means for your money: segregated client funds, FSCS cover up to £85,000, retail leverage caps, and how to check the FCA register.

T
Thomas Lovas Lokoy · Mar 2026
Glass office towers of the La Defense business district in Paris under an evening sky.
Regulations
12 min

ESMA Rules Explained: Forex Leverage Limits & Negative Balance Protection

What is ESMA and what leverage can EU retail traders get? 30:1 on major pairs to 2:1 on crypto, plus negative balance protection and the 50% close-out.

T
Thomas Lovas Lokoy · Aug 2026
A tall gilded balance scale with two empty pans, on a light grey background.
Education
9 min

Spread vs Commission in Forex: Which Pricing Actually Costs More?

Spread-only vs raw spread plus commission: how forex brokers charge, how to turn both into one cost per lot, and the break-even point for each.

T
Thomas Lovas Lokoy · Mar 2026
Overhead: a person in a green cardigan typing on a tablet keyboard at a wooden table, cereal and juice beside
Education
11 min

How Leverage Works in Forex — Margin, Examples and Why It Wipes Accounts

What leverage means in forex, how margin and stop-outs work, worked examples at 30:1 and 500:1, and how to choose the leverage you use. Capital at risk.

T
Thomas Lovas Lokoy · Mar 2026
A trading platform chart: red and green candlesticks falling below three moving-average lines
Education
8 min

MetaTrader 4 vs MetaTrader 5: Which Should You Use?

MetaTrader 4 or 5: which should you use? Most brokers still offer MT4 alongside MT5 (11 of the 15 on our file). The comparison that actually matters.

T
Thomas Lovas Lokoy · Mar 2026
A darkened screen showing a red and white candlestick chart falling away then spiking to a new high
Safety
13 min

How to Spot a Forex Scam Broker: 12 Red Flags

How to spot a forex scam broker: 12 red flags to check before you deposit, from fake regulation and withdrawal traps to cold contact, and what to do next.

T
Thomas Lovas Lokoy · Mar 2026

Wise — Fund Your Trading Account

Partnerize Partner

Send funds internationally at the real exchange rate. No markup, no surprise fees. Trusted by traders in 160+ countries.

Open Wise Account

Capital at risk. Not financial advice. Tax on profits may apply.

Ready to Start Trading Confidently?

Choose from our curated list of regulated brokers or dive into our comprehensive learning resources

The trading edge — free weekly

Broker updates, market moves, and AI trading signals. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Not financial advice. Trading involves risk. Capital at risk.

NorwegianSpark

Expert broker reviews and regulatory guides for informed trading decisions.

Verified by AiFortexBrokerCapital at Risk

More from NorwegianSpark

Capital at risk. This is not financial advice.
Tax on profits may apply. Editorial only — we are not a broker and not a financial adviser.

Affiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission when you open an account through links on this site. This does not affect our rankings. Full disclosure

© 2026 NorwegianSpark SA. All rights reserved.

AiFortexBroker is owned and operated by NorwegianSpark SA.
NorwegianSpark SA | Org: 834 984 172 | Bank: Wise | thomaslien@norwegianspark.com | +47 99 73 74 67 | © 2026 NorwegianSpark SA
Tveitagarden 4, 5357 Fjell, Norway