Best brokers, compared
11 listings across 10 brokerages (NinjaTrader and Tradovate share one FCM) — futures brokers for ES, NQ and Gold alongside global forex/CFD brokers. Ratings are editorial.
Figures (spreads, commissions, minimum deposits) are indicative and vary by account type, market conditions and the regional entity serving you. Always confirm current terms on the broker’s own website before opening an account. Last reviewed: July 2026.
Advertising disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you open an account through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Providers we list are ones we have — or are seeking — an affiliate relationship with, so this is not a survey of the whole market. Commission never affects our editorial rankings, which are our own assessment — see how we rate. Trading involves significant risk of loss.
Risk warning: CFDs and leveraged products carry a high risk of rapid loss. The majority of retail investor accounts lose money trading them. Futures brokers are priced by commission per contract, not spreads, so “pips” and “commission-based” are not directly comparable — and a 0.0-pip raw spread never includes the commission charged on top. Minimum deposits, leverage caps, product availability and investor protection depend on the entity that serves your country, and several brokers listed do not accept clients from every jurisdiction. Educational information only — not financial advice.
| Broker | Rating | Min deposit | Pricing | Platforms | Visit site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interactive Brokers SEC · FINRA · CFTC/NFA · FCA · CBI · ASIC · MAS · SFC ✓ US clients accepted | 4.8 | $0 | Commission-based Futures from $0.85/contract ($0.25 micros); FX priced by commission | TWS, IBKR Desktop, IBKR Mobile, Client Portal, API | Not yet available |
| NinjaTrader CFTC · NFA
Same brokerage as Tradovate ✓ US clients accepted | 4.4 | $0 | Commission-based From $0.09/side on micros (Lifetime plan); $0.39 on the free plan | NinjaTrader Desktop, NinjaTrader Web, NinjaTrader Mobile, TradingView, Tradovate | Not yet available |
| Tradovate CFTC · NFA
Same brokerage as NinjaTrader ✓ US clients accepted | 4.3 | $0 | Commission-based From $0.09/side on micros (Lifetime plan); same pricing as NinjaTrader | Tradovate Web, Tradovate Desktop, Tradovate Mobile, TradingView, NinjaTrader | Not yet available |
| AMP Futures CFTC · NFA · CME Group (DSRO) ✓ US clients accepted | 4.2 | $100 | Commission-based From $0.15/side, plus platform, data-feed and exchange fees | CQG, Rithmic, Sierra Chart, MultiCharts, Bookmap, Quantower, TradingView | Not yet available |
| TradeStation SEC · FINRA · CFTC · NFA ✓ US clients accepted | 4.3 | $0 | Commission-based Futures from $1.75/contract/side ($0.50 micros), falling with volume | TITAN X, TradeStation Desktop, Web Trading, Mobile, FuturesPlus | Not yet available |
| Pepperstone FCA · ASIC · CySEC · BaFin · DFSA · CMA · SCB ✕ No US clients | 4.6 | $10 | 0.0 pips Razor: raw spread from 0.0 + $3.50 per lot per side — 0.0 is not the total cost | MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView, Pepperstone Platform | Not yet available |
| IC (formerly IC Markets) ASIC · CySEC · FSA (Seychelles) ✕ No US clients | 4.5 | $200 | 0.0 pips Raw Spread from 0.0 + $3.50 per lot per side (MT4/MT5), $3.00 (cTrader) — 0.0 is not the total cost | MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView, WebTrader | Not yet available |
| IG FCA · BaFin · ASIC · MAS · FMA · FSCA · DFSA △ US: restricted | 4.6 | $0 | 0.6 pips Headline 0.6; average EUR/USD spread nearer 0.86. No separate FX commission | IG platform, MT4, ProRealTime, L2 Dealer, TradingView, API | Not yet available |
| Saxo Danish FSA · FCA · MAS · ASIC · FINMA · SFC ✕ No US clients | 4.5 | $0 | 0.8 pips Classic tier FX (Platinum/VIP nearer 0.6); CME futures from about $1 per contract | SaxoTraderGO, SaxoTraderPRO, SaxoInvestor, TradingView, OpenAPI | Not yet available |
| eToro CySEC · FCA · ASIC · FSRA (ADGM) · FSA (Seychelles) · FINRA/SEC (US) △ US: restricted | 4.1 | $50 | 1.0 pips Costs in the spread; crypto carries a 1% buy/sell fee | eToro web platform, eToro mobile app | Not yet available |
| SimpleFX ⚠ No recognised financial regulator
No investor protection
✕ No US clients | 2.3 | $0 | 0.9 pips No commission; floating spreads (EUR/USD around 0.9 in third-party testing — SimpleFX publishes no spread table). Overnight swap fees apply; withdrawal fees apply | WebTrader (proprietary), Desktop app, Mobile app | Not yet available |
| No brokers match your filters. | |||||
Crypto-native venues
These are decentralised, non-custodial venues — not brokers. They are listed separately because ranking them against a regulated broker on deposit minimums, spreads or regulation would compare two different things.
Understand the trade-off: with self-custody your funds stay in your own wallet, so no firm can freeze or lose them. In exchange there is no financial regulator, no compensation scheme and no ombudsman, and you take on smart-contract and wallet risk instead. A mistaken transaction or a lost key cannot be reversed by anyone. Leverage on perpetuals is often far higher than a regulated broker may offer retail clients, and it magnifies losses at the same rate as gains.
Self-custody perpetuals DEX covering crypto, stock and commodity markets.
Editorial rating