• FCA-verified · Independent ratings · Updated weekly
Side by side
Every FCA-regulated broker we cover, lined up on the metrics that actually decide which account you should fund next. There are 500 head-to-head pairings published, and each one opens a full comparison page with desk-tested spreads, pros and cons, pillar-by-pillar scoring and an editorial winner.
The research desk funds and trades every broker on this leaderboard with real capital across a sixty-day evaluation window. Nothing here is influenced by commercial arrangements, and every fact is cross-referenced against the FCA register before publication.
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.
Desk data · headline spread, top five
Sampled every fifteen minutes across three sessions. These are starting prints only — commission and overnight financing are added on each pair page, and the ordering frequently changes once they are.
On this page
This page is the compare tool for FCA-regulated UK brokers. The hero carries the editor's first pick because most readers arrive already halfway to a shortlist and want a quick sanity check against a name they know. Below it sit the featured head-to-head cards covering the match-ups UK traders search for most often.
Under those cards is the full comparison table, ranking the leading FCA firms against nine metrics with a review link in every row. After the table comes the pairings grid: 48 match-ups on this page, with the remaining 452 one click away on the full index, so whether your shortlist is XTB against Plus500 or Interactive Brokers against Saxo you can jump straight into the dedicated page.
Every dedicated pair page is a full editorial document: a side-by-side data table, a worked monthly cost example on a realistic trade size, per-broker pros and cons, the four checks our desk runs and a verdict that names a winner rather than sitting on the fence.
How our comparison scoring works
The same weighted framework decides every score on the site, so a rating on one page means the same thing as a rating on another. Nothing is adjusted after the fact to suit a commercial relationship.
FCA authorisation checked against the public register, segregation of client money, FSCS eligibility, ownership and the most recent audited accounts.
Spreads sampled every fifteen minutes through the London session, commission and overnight financing added on top, slippage measured across a thousand live market orders.
Platform depth, order types, charting, mobile experience, API access and how well third-party tools such as TradingView actually behave in practice.
Onboarding speed, the time a real withdrawal took from our funded account, quality of research and how quickly a human answers a hard question.
Featured head-to-head
Every card below opens a dedicated pair page with a side-by-side data table, a worked monthly cost example, per-broker pros and cons and an editorial verdict.
Best-in-class charting. Minimum deposit £0, leverage capped at 1:30, trading on Next Generation.
Deepest UK market coverage. Minimum deposit £0, leverage capped at 1:30, trading on Web.
Editorial take, CMC Markets takes the verdict on our weighted framework, but the gap is narrow enough that the deciding factor is how you trade: best-in-class charting versus deepest uk market coverage.
Smart trader analytics. Minimum deposit £20, leverage capped at 1:30, trading on Proprietary.
Best-in-class charting. Minimum deposit £0, leverage capped at 1:30, trading on Next Generation.
Editorial take, Capital.com UK takes the verdict on our weighted framework, but the gap is narrow enough that the deciding factor is how you trade: smart trader analytics versus best-in-class charting.
Smart trader analytics. Minimum deposit £20, leverage capped at 1:30, trading on Proprietary.
Lowest all-in FX cost. Minimum deposit £0, leverage capped at 1:30, trading on MT4.
Editorial take, Capital.com UK takes the verdict on our weighted framework, but the gap is narrow enough that the deciding factor is how you trade: smart trader analytics versus lowest all-in fx cost.
Global multi-asset access. Minimum deposit £0, leverage capped at 1:30, trading on TWS.
Lowest all-in FX cost. Minimum deposit £0, leverage capped at 1:30, trading on MT4.
Editorial take, Pepperstone takes the verdict on our weighted framework, but the gap is narrow enough that the deciding factor is how you trade: global multi-asset access versus lowest all-in fx cost.
Global multi-asset access. Minimum deposit £0, leverage capped at 1:30, trading on TWS.
Institutional-grade platform. Minimum deposit £0, leverage capped at 1:30, trading on SaxoTraderGO.
Editorial take, Interactive Brokers takes the verdict on our weighted framework, but the gap is narrow enough that the deciding factor is how you trade: global multi-asset access versus institutional-grade platform.
Institutional-grade platform. Minimum deposit £0, leverage capped at 1:30, trading on SaxoTraderGO.
Cleanest proprietary platform. Minimum deposit £0, leverage capped at 1:30, trading on xStation 5.
Editorial take, Saxo takes the verdict on our weighted framework, but the gap is narrow enough that the deciding factor is how you trade: institutional-grade platform versus cleanest proprietary platform.
Full comparison table
Scan the metric that matters most to your style, then open the full review straight from the row. Costs shown are the tightest published starting point; our pair pages add commission and financing on top.
| # | Broker | Rating | Min. deposit | Spread from | Platforms | FCA | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | IGEditor's PickDeepest UK market coverage | ★★★★★4.9 | £0 | From 0.6 pips | Web, MT4, ProRealTime | ✓ | Trade NowReview |
| 2 | CMC MarketsBest-in-class chartingBest-in-class charting | ★★★★★4.9 | £0 | From 0.7 pips | Next Generation, MT4 | ✓ | Trade NowReview |
| 3 | Capital.com UKSmart trader analyticsSmart trader analytics | ★★★★★4.9 | £20 | From 0.5 pips | Proprietary, MT4, TradingView | ✓ | Trade NowReview |
| 4 | PepperstoneLowest all-in FX costLowest all-in FX cost | ★★★★★4.9 | £0 | From 0.0 pips | MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView | ✓ | Trade NowReview |
| 5 | Interactive BrokersGlobal multi-asset accessGlobal multi-asset access | ★★★★★4.8 | £0 | From 0.2 pips | TWS, IBKR Desktop, API | ✓ | Trade NowReview |
| 6 | SaxoInstitutional-grade platformInstitutional-grade platform | ★★★★★4.8 | £0 | From 0.6 pips | SaxoTraderGO, PRO | ✓ | Trade NowReview |
| 7 | XTBCleanest proprietary platformCleanest proprietary platform | ★★★★★4.8 | £0 | From 0.5 pips | xStation 5 | ✓ | Trade NowReview |
| 8 |  SpreadexStrong UK service deskStrong UK service desk | ★★★★★4.7 | £0 | From 0.6 pips | Web, mobile | ✓ | Trade NowReview |
| 9 |  City IndexBalanced all-rounderBalanced all-rounder | ★★★★★4.7 | £100 | From 0.5 pips | Web Trader, MT4, TradingView | ✓ | Trade NowReview |
| 10 |  FOREX.com UKDeep FX researchDeep FX research | ★★★★★4.7 | £100 | From 0.4 pips | MT4, MT5, TradingView | ✓ | Trade NowReview |
| 11 |  Tickmill UKRaw spreads, low commissionRaw spreads, low commission | ★★★★★4.7 | £100 | From 0.0 pips | MT4, MT5 | ✓ | Trade NowReview |
| 12 |  ActivTradesFast, reliable executionFast, reliable execution | ★★★★★4.6 | £0 | From 0.5 pips | ActivTrader, MT4, MT5 | ✓ | Trade NowReview |
We publish a dedicated pair page for every combination of brokers on the leaderboard, so you can open the exact comparison you need. The 48 most-read pairings are below; click any card to open the full editorial pair page.
CMC Markets vs IG#2 · #1Capital.com UK vs Pepperstone#3 · #4Interactive Brokers vs Saxo#5 · #6Spreadex vs XTB#8 · #7City Index vs FOREX.com UK#9 · #10ActivTrades vs Tickmill UK#12 · #11
Admirals UK vs IG#13 · #1CMC Markets vs FxPro UK#2 · #14
Capital.com UK vs Swissquote UK#3 · #15
Pepperstone vs Trading 212#4 · #16
eToro UK vs Interactive Brokers#17 · #5
Plus500 UK vs Saxo#18 · #6
Vantage UK vs XTB#19 · #7
OANDA UK vs Spreadex#20 · #8City Index vs LMAX Global#9 · #21
FOREX.com UK vs ThinkMarkets UK#10 · #22
Axi UK vs Tickmill UK#23 · #11ActivTrades vs HYCM UK#12 · #24
Equiti UK vs IG#25 · #1CMC Markets vs Trade Nation#2 · #26
Capital.com UK vs Fortrade#3 · #27
Darwinex vs Pepperstone#28 · #4Interactive Brokers vs Markets.com UK#5 · #29
Eightcap UK vs Saxo#30 · #6
Valutrades vs XTB#31 · #7Spreadex vs Tradu#8 · #32
City Index vs InterTrader#9 · #33
FOREX.com UK vs Hargreaves Lansdown#10 · #34
AJ Bell vs Tickmill UK#35 · #11IG vs interactive investor#1 · #36
CMC Markets vs Freetrade#2 · #37
Capital.com UK vs Lightyear#3 · #38
Fineco UK vs Pepperstone#39 · #4
Charles Stanley Direct vs Interactive Brokers#40 · #5
Bestinvest vs Saxo#41 · #6
Barclays Smart Investor vs XTB#42 · #7
Halifax Share Dealing vs Spreadex#43 · #8City Index vs iWeb Share Dealing#9 · #44
FOREX.com UK vs Vanguard Investor UK#10 · #45
Nutmeg vs Tickmill UK#46 · #11ActivTrades vs Admirals UK#12 · #13IG vs Moneyfarm#1 · #47
CMC Markets vs Wealthify#2 · #48
Capital.com UK vs Revolut Trading UK#3 · #49
Pepperstone vs Shares.co.uk#4 · #50
ActivTrades vs FxPro UK#12 · #14Interactive Brokers vs Swissquote UK#5 · #15Saxo vs Trading 212#6 · #16452 further match-ups are indexed on the full pairings page.
Click here to view all 500 comparisonsHow to read a broker comparison table
Section 1
Most tables publish one number for spread and stop there. A desk looks through it to the effective all-in cost: half the spread, plus commission, plus overnight financing on anything held past 22:00, plus conversion charges on trades not denominated in sterling. Two FCA-regulated firms quoting the same headline number can still be thirty per cent apart once financing and conversion are added back.
Section 2
A tight spread that slips two pips on a stop costs more than a wider spread that fills where it prints. Across our sixty-day windows the largest FCA firms fill inside the tolerance you would expect from a tier-one venue. Slippage starts to bite at the smaller and offshore-adjacent names, which is exactly why they are not on this page.
Section 3
Everything listed here is authorised in the UK, holds client money in segregated accounts and offers FSCS protection up to £85,000 on eligible claims. Offshore entities do not appear regardless of the rebate on offer. If a firm is not on the register, it does not belong on a UK ranking table.
Section 4
The question is never which broker is cheapest in the abstract, it is which broker is cheapest for the way you actually trade. A weekly swing trader pays financing a scalper never sees; a scalper pays commission a swing trader never notices. Use the featured cards and the pairings grid to filter on the pillar that matches your style before you fund anything.
Risk warning
Between 69% and 82% of retail investor accounts lose money trading CFDs and spread bets. Leveraged products carry a high risk of losing money rapidly and are not suitable for every investor. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.
This comparison tool is built to make broker due diligence faster, not to replace it. Verify current pricing, margin and product terms directly with the firm before you fund an account.
Desk briefing · Global and comparison
Worldwide rankings, comparisons and market-wide broker lists. The two firms below sit at opposite ends of how this cluster is usually searched — one priced for frequency, one built for people who hold positions and care more about financing than about the print on the ticket.
Markets.com UK
Cost-led pick
Markets.com UK suits the reader arriving from these pages with a high trade count: the headline cost is the part of the bill they pay most often, and Marketsx, MT4, MT5 restates it on the ticket before the order goes in.
Read the MKT reviewShares.co.uk
Position-holder pick
Shares.co.uk makes more sense if positions run past 22:00, when overnight financing quietly becomes the larger line on the statement and a slightly wider print stops mattering.
Read the SHR reviewEvery page listed here is built the same way: a ranked shortlist drawn from funded-account testing, an all-in cost breakdown that adds spread, commission and overnight financing together rather than quoting one of the three, and a plain note on which regulated entity would actually hold your money.
Read them by intent rather than by headline number. A page titled around the lowest spread answers a different question from one titled around a platform or a deposit minimum, and the ranking order changes accordingly on each.
Headline figures only. Commission and overnight financing are added on the individual pages, which is where the ordering often changes.
Continue reading in this cluster
Ten hand-picked pages from the 148 we publish under global and comparison. Each one is a full guide rather than a stub, and each re-ranks the same broker set against the question in its title.
148 pages in this cluster · re-checked as our testing rotates
Comparison questions
The questions the desk fields most often from readers who have narrowed a shortlist to two names and want to know which one to fund.
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
No. A headline spread is one of three costs. Add commission per lot and overnight financing on anything held past 22:00 and the ranking often reverses, particularly for anyone holding positions for more than a day. Every pair page works the all-in figure on a realistic trade size rather than quoting the print.
The baseline protections are the same: segregated client money, FSCS eligibility up to £85,000 and negative balance protection on retail accounts. What differs is which legal entity your agreement names, the ownership behind it and the strength of the most recent audited accounts. Each pair page states the entity for both firms.
Pricing is re-sampled as our testing rotates and every page carries a review date. Brokers change spreads, commissions and margin terms without notice, so confirm the current numbers with the firm before you fund anything.
Every combination on the leaderboard is published. If a pairing is not among the featured cards, open the full index and find it there, or read the two individual reviews side by side.
No. Scoring runs on the same four weighted pillars for every firm, the verdicts are written from funded-account data, and no ranking is adjusted after the fact to suit a commercial relationship.
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.