• FCA-verified · Independent ratings · Updated weekly
Who we are
Marketpedia exists to answer one question honestly: where should a trader actually open an account? We only cover firms authorised by a recognised regulator, and we test every one of them on live money.
FCA regulated, FSCS £85K, since 1974
Rated 4.9 out of 5 after live-account testing by the desk.
Min spread
0.6 pips
Min deposit
£0
Regulator
FCA
Best for
Deepest UK market coverage
CFDs are complex instruments. Your capital is at risk.
On this page
This page explains who produces the research on Marketpedia, how a broker score is actually calculated, and what we do to keep commercial relationships away from editorial judgement. It is deliberately specific: weights are published as numbers, the testing method is described step by step, and the things we refuse to do are stated plainly rather than implied.
The scoring section sets out the four fixed pillars applied to every firm without exception — cost at thirty per cent, execution at twenty-five, safety of client money at twenty-five and platform experience at twenty. Those weights do not move between reviews, which is what makes two scores on this site comparable in the first place. Underneath each pillar sits a measured input rather than an impression: sampled spreads, timed fills, verified licences, completed withdrawals.
Further down you will find the people behind the work described by role and responsibility, our editorial policy on corrections and re-testing, and a risk disclaimer that we would rather you read than skip. Research is completed before any commercial conversation happens, affiliate arrangements never change a ranking, and no broker sees a page before it is published.
If you think a number on this site is wrong, tell us. Corrections are published with the date and the reason attached, because a research desk that quietly edits its own history is not a research desk.
The scoring method
All-in cost of a round trip: spread sampled every fifteen minutes, plus commission and overnight financing on a funded live account.
Fill latency, slippage in both directions, requotes and rejections, measured through scheduled economic releases.
FCA register checks, segregated client money, FSCS eligibility, negative balance protection and complaint handling records.
Order types, charting depth, mobile stability, alerts, research quality and how quickly support answers a real question.
Our experts
Named profiles are being finalised. Every review is produced by one of the following roles and signed off by a second reviewer before publication.
Head of Broker Research
Profile coming soon
Senior Markets Editor
Profile coming soon
FX Strategy Desk
Profile coming soon
Academy Lead
Profile coming soon
Data & Industry Reports
Profile coming soon
Compliance Reviewer
Profile coming soon
Research is completed before any commercial discussion. Affiliate relationships never change a score, a ranking or the wording of a review. Corrections are published with the date and the reason, and every review records when it was last re-tested.
Leveraged trading carries a high risk of rapid loss. Marketpedia publishes education and research only — nothing on this site is personal financial advice or a recommendation to trade a specific product.
Contact the deskTransparency
Ten questions the research desk is asked most often about UK brokers, regulation, cost and how our scores are built. Every answer is shown in full — nothing hidden behind a click.
Ask the deskStill deciding which broker?
Our #1-ranked FCA broker for 2026 is IG, tested live from our desk with £0 minimum deposit and spreads from 0.6 pips.
IG, Best UK Broker 2026
FCA · FSCS £85K · Since 1974
Yes. Every firm in our database holds a live authorisation from the Financial Conduct Authority. We check the FCA register before a broker is listed and again at every quarterly re-score.
We earn from affiliate partnerships, but placement and scoring are decided by the research desk before any commercial conversation happens. A broker cannot buy a higher rating or a better position.
Four fixed weights: all-in trading cost, execution quality, safety of client funds and platform experience. The same weights are applied to every firm, so the scores stay comparable.
FCA rules cap retail leverage at 1:30 on major currency pairs, with lower caps on indices, commodities, shares and crypto. Professional clients can apply for higher limits and give up some protections.
Client money must be held in segregated accounts, and eligible claims are covered by the FSCS up to £85,000 per person per firm. Cover applies to the firm failing, never to losing trades.
CFD profits are generally subject to capital gains tax, while spread betting is currently free of CGT and stamp duty for UK residents. Tax treatment depends on your circumstances and can change.
You can, but you give up the protections that matter most. An offshore firm is not covered by the FSCS, is not bound by FCA leverage caps and cannot be escalated to the Financial Ombudsman Service. We list international firms for readers outside the UK and label the regulator on every card.
Economically they behave almost identically — both are leveraged bets on price with financing charged overnight. The difference is tax and contract structure: spread bets are staked per point and free of CGT and stamp duty for UK residents, while CFDs are contracts denominated in the instrument's currency and fall inside the CGT regime.
Every score is rebuilt quarterly using freshly sampled data, and out of cycle whenever a firm changes its pricing model, platform or regulatory status. The date of the last re-score is shown on each broker review page.
No. Commercial relationships are negotiated after the research desk has finalised scores, and the desk does not see commercial terms. If a broker refuses a partnership, its rating and position stay exactly where the data puts it.
Popular UK searches
Before opening an account, most readers check these broker questions. Each link below goes to the page on this site that answers it.