For each broker review, ten major criteria are considered:
1. General info about the broker
This includes license and regulation, number of clients, experience on the market, awards from renowned financial organizations. These are surface-level signs that help distinguish between a good and a bad broker.
2. Account types and initial deposit
Brokers should be able to satisfy your different trading needs with varying types of accounts. If traders provide options for complete beginners, like Demo with no deposit needed or Cent with a small initial deposit, this is a good sign they will suit you. Pros usually look for ECN accounts or accounts with zero spread.
Plus, when you’re just getting to know a broker, it’s a good idea to start with a more reasonable deposit amount or choose the maximum available bonus for your first deposit.
3. Trading platforms
We review which trading platforms the broker provides. Some brokers may provide options for mobile trading or even the broker’s own trading platform, mobile or desktop, and many traders consider those to be extremely convenient.
4. Trading instruments
The number of trading instruments a broker has is significant for a trader, especially for a day-trader: news changes fast, traders go short or long, thus affecting prices of various instruments. You need to have access to as many instruments as possible to make instant moves.
Many traders are looking for stocks and crypto, so these are a huge plus for a broker.
5. Leverage
Depending on the regulator and company policy, brokers may or may not provide leveraged trading. High leverage is especially attractive for experienced traders who already know how to use price movements in their favor. But the broker that provides only high leverage may not be the best option for beginners. We’re here to tell you which brokers offer the best leverage ratio for you.
6. Fees and commission
This includes commission on opening and closing positions, and deposits and withdrawals. Unfortunately, with many payment systems, it’s the system that requires you to pay the fee, not the broker. Still, we’ll try to help you find the most beneficial option.
7. Bonuses and promotions
A bonus can be a great way to try out broker’s services with little to no money. For example, many brokers offer deposit bonuses where they double or even triple your first deposit or provide a small sum of money so that you can try trading on the real market for free.
8. Education and market analytics
Without proper information, you’re blind to what’s happening on the market. If the broker provides analytical services and educational courses, their clients are more likely to profit. If you plan to enter the world of trading, you need to always be in the loop, which means finding brokers with the best materials for trading education.
9. Social trading
Some brokers offer social trading or copy-trading services for people who see the benefits trading markets may bring but don’t want to go into too much detail and learn to trade. The idea is clients either invest into experienced traders or copy their market moves.
Either way, this is a great feature that allows for passive income for both people investing and trading. Investors choose the most profitable traders and profit from their deals, while traders receive a commission from the investors’ profits.
10. Client reviews
Reputation is everything in the world of trading. Moreover, the trading community is a close-knit one, and the members always try to support each other. They advise on trading and always report bad or good experiences they’ve had with specific brokers. People are your best way to weed out dishonest brokers.
But be careful when reading reviews: a person is more likely to write a bad one than a good one – that’s just how our psyche works. We help distinguish between one negative client experience and systematic issues brokers may have.