An Deutsch broker with an excellent reputation, Axi is an MT4-only broker with three low-cost trading accounts and some of the best trading tools in the industry. We were also pleased to find that Axi is regulated by ASIC, an Deutsch regulator that provides a high level of investor protection.  Although Axi limits its platform choice to MT4, it offers traders free use of various powerful platform-integrated technical analysis tools, including Autochartist, MyFxBook, and PsyQuation to help experienced traders and serious beginners make better trading choices. We were also impressed that beginners have access to high-quality, structured learning material and frequent market analysis. Axi’s range of financial instruments is slightly limited compared to other brokers, but it offers over 70 Forex pairs and has recently added share CFDs. Finance professionals and wealthy clients will also be pleased to note that they can access leverage of up to 400:1 for major Forex pairs on the Elite Account.

With a range of accounts on the MT4 and MT5 platforms, Alpari caters well to professional traders who are prepared to pay high minimum deposits for low ongoing trading costs. However, Alpari offers a limited number of tradable assets, which may leave some traders dissatisfied. Alpari offers four live accounts on the MT4 and MT5 trading platforms. The Pro Account has spreads starting at 0.4 pips on the EUR/USD and no commission, making it one of the lowest-cost accounts in the industry. However, this is in exchange for a minimum deposit of 25,000 USD, putting it out of the reach of most traders. Alpari also offers an ECN account with a minimum deposit of 500 USD, and spreads of 0.4 pips with a commission of 3 USD (round turn), which may also appeal to experienced traders.  Alpari's CFD offering is limited compared to other brokers, with 22 indices, 4 metals, 3 commodities, 10 share CFDs, and 4 cryptocurrencies, but it has over 60 Forex pairs for trading. One drawback for beginner traders considering opening an account at Alpari is the lack of educational and market analysis materials, forcing traders to self-educate elsewhere.

FXCM may appeal to high-volume traders who appreciate a wide platform choice and an extensive suite of advanced trading tools. However, its fixed leverage, high trading costs, high currency conversion fees, and high interest rates on accounts that go into a negative balance may deter some traders.  A well-regulated broker, FXCM offers an average number of financial instruments compared to other brokers, including Forex, commodities, indices, share CFDs, and cryptocurrencies. FXCM's single account has a minimum deposit of 50 USD and average spreads of 1.3 pips (EUR/USD), which is wider than other brokers. Clients with a notional trading volume of more than 10 million USD per month are eligible for rebates, dedicated customer support, free VPS services, and free access to multiple APIs.  FXCM 's range of trading platforms includes MT4, NinjaTrader, various advanced speciality platforms, and FXCM's award-winning proprietary platform, Trading Station. It also offers numerous trading tools, including various API tools, TradingView, Zulutrade, and a host of FXCM apps. 

With three live account types and its unique CrowdTrading platform, Trade360 appeals to traders looking for flexible trading conditions and those who rely on sentiment indicators to make trading decisions. Trade360 prides itself on its unique proprietary platform, CrowdTrading, which monitors all trader activity and computes the data instantaneously to provide inspiration for trading strategies. In theory, this is particularly useful when trying to pinpoint the peak or trough of demand for a certain asset - thus informing traders when to buy or sell the same asset. With three live accounts, Trade360 offers trading on multiple instruments, including Forex, commodities, metals, oil, indices, ETFs, and stocks.  Trading conditions at Trade360 are average compared to other market maker brokers, with spreads that start at 1.8 pips on the EUR/USD in exchange for a minimum deposit of 250 USD on its entry-level account.  Trading conditions improve with higher minimum deposits, and clients are afforded tighter spreads, more flexibility, and increasing account benefits. Traders can also adjust their leverage to suit their risk appetite.   Overall, Trade360 stands out for its unique approach to crowd trading and flexible trading conditions.

For experienced traders who value a broad range of tradable assets and an extensive suite of trading tools, Amana Capital is a tempting option, though trading costs are higher than other brokers on its entry-level account. Amana Capital’s entry-level commission-free account has relatively wide spreads, but it also offers two high deposit (>25,000 USD) account options- Amana Active and Amana Elite - with tight spreads (0.1 pips on the EUR/USD) and a small commission per lot traded.  Experienced traders may also be attracted by the number of tradable assets on offer, including over 332 share CFDs and 66 Forex pairs alongside indices, commodities, metals, energies, and cryptocurrencies.      Amana Capital supports both the MT4 and MT5 trading platforms, and traders have access to some of the best trading tools in the industry, including Autochartist, Trade Captain, Zulutrade, and a VPS hosting service.  All tools are offered free of charge to those with a live account, but the VPS service is exclusively for Amana Active clients.  Beginners will find Amana Capital’s education section comprehensive and detailed, but it offers virtually no market analysis. Other disadvantages are a largely unresponsive customer support service, and substantial fees for deposits and withdrawals.