We tested 80 brokers to find the demo accounts giving you the best simulated trading experience. We looked at which platforms are available to test and if you have access to Standard and Raw demo accounts. We also took into account how long the demo account stays active, virtual funds, and leverage options.
*Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment, and you should not expect to be protected if something goes wrong.
**AvaTrade doesn’t allow CFD trading in Spain; only Futures are available.
Our team of experts has identified each broker’s strengths and weaknesses using FXEmpire’s comprehensive methodology.
Now let’s go through the selected brokers.
Vantage was founded in 2009 and is based in Sydney, Australia. The broker has a global presence, and I verified that it is licensed and authorized by top-tier regulators including FCA and ASIC. You can trade over 1,000 CFD instruments via the Vantage Web Trading platform, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, and TradingView.
Key Features
You can access all instruments via the demo account, including CFDs on currency pairs, commodities, indices, shares, ETFs, bonds, and crypto. Vantage offers a better than average range of 62 crypto pairs, including crosses like BTC/XAU and ETH/XAU. During my review I noted that shares and ETFs are another area of strength.
Vantage offers demos for Standard, Raw, and Perpetual accounts. The Standard account offers commission free trading with direct market access. The Raw account provides access to institutional liquidity with spreads from 0.0 pips. And the Perpetual account is dedicated to crypto CFDs for traders who are focused on digital assets.
Capital.com was founded in 2016 and is based in Limassol, Cyprus. I was impressed by the range of over 5,000 CFDs and 2,700 knock out options. For automated trading you can choose between the classic MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 platforms. API access is also available, enabling you to connect your own software to place automated trades.
Key Features
I noted that the broker is strong in forex with 147 pairs and even more so in crypto with 543 pairs. During my tests I experienced highly competitive spreads of 0.6 pips in EUR/USD. There is only one account type, where costs are reflected in the spread. The minimum deposit is just $20.
Capital.com also supports clients with a broad range of educational materials. You can find articles, guides, courses, and videos. And the broker has also developed a unique app for learning on the go, called Investmate.
Elev8 was founded in 2022 and is based in Comoros. It offers 260 CFDs including currency pairs, commodities, indices, stocks, and cryptocurrencies. All instruments are available via the demo account and you can use leverage of up to 1:1000.
Key Features
The Elev8Trader platform features TradingView charts, AI trading signals, and market research within a single interface. Alternatively, you can use MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 platforms which offer automated trading with Expert Advisors (EAs), custom indicators and strategy testing. Account set up is fast and easy, it only took me 5 minutes.
I noted that Elev8 does not charge swap fees across all assets, making it attractive to swing traders who hold their positions for days at a time. Spreads in Bitcoin were competitive, coming in at $30 in my tests, versus the industry average of $51. The barrier to entry is low, with a minimum deposit of $25.
FxPro traces its roots all the way back to 1999 and is based in the City of London. I was especially impressed by the extensive platform lineup. You can choose between FxPro WebTrader, MT4, MT5, cTrader, and TradingView. I found FxPro WebTrader intuitive and beginner-friendly. MetaTrader and cTrader offer the advanced tools and algo trading support to cater to experienced traders.
Key Features
The FxPro Standard account offers simple spread based pricing. In my tests the broker came in with a better than average spread of 1.8 pips in the Dow 30, compared to our industry benchmark of 3.3 pips. And for more competitive trading costs, you can choose the Raw+ account, which has spreads from 0.0 pips plus commissions.
Tradable instruments are another strong point. I counted 2,100+ assets, including forex, metals, energies, soft commodities, indices, shares, ETFs, and crypto. FxPro offers CFDs on both spot and futures markets. The range of 40 commodities is much higher than the industry average of 5-10. I also noted that FxPro beats most competitors in the areas of crypto and forex.
Tickmill was founded in 2014 and is based in Cyprus. I verified that the broker is licensed and authorized by top-tier regulators like FCA and CySEC. Tickmill gives you access to over 630 CFDs along with exchange traded futures and options. And among platforms you can choose between the Tickmill Trader, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, and TradingView.
Key Features
I was especially impressed by Tickmill’s educational resources. You can benefit from a diverse range of videos, webinars, articles and ebooks. There is even a podcast called Bright Minds. I found that the materials can cater to both beginners and advanced traders. It’s also worth browsing the Tickmill YouTube channel, where previous webinars are archived.
Tickmill offers a commission-free Standard account and a Raw account with spreads from 0.0 pips plus commissions. I recorded fast execution speeds of 15 milliseconds, helping scalpers find an edge. And you can also benefit from extras like VPS hosting, copy trading, and custom MetaTrader add-ons.
FP Markets launched in 2005 and is based in Sydney, Australia. The broker is licensed and authorized by multiple regulators including Tier-1 ASIC and CySEC. My review showed that the FP Markets Standard account has better than average spreads in every asset class. I recorded a Bitcoin spread of $16 which is far better than our industry benchmark of $35. You can also find lower trading costs via the raw spreads account.
Key Features
Research is a highlight at FP Markets. You’ll find plenty of ideas in the Traders Hub, which includes coverage of central bank meetings and major economic releases by the team of seasoned in-house analysts. Trading Central and Autochartist provide trade ideas, with pattern recognition and breakout alerts.
You have plenty of platforms to work with. Reliable favorites like MT4 and MT5 are on-hand, along with the better designed cTrader. An intuitive interface and strong social features come with the TradingView platform. And the professional-grade Iress platform unlocks access to thousands of CFDs on shares.
ADSS was founded in 2014 and is based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The range of assets is impressive. You can access 1,050+ CFD instruments and 11,500+ real stocks and ETFs. ADSS offers its own WebTrader platform, which includes integrated market research. It also supports the popular MetaTrader 4 platforms.
Key Features
While testing the ADSS WebTrader platform I noted its convenient search feature that made it easy to pull up any instrument. I was also pleased to see that both stop loss orders and trailing stop loss orders are available to give you more flexibility in managing risk. Market insights can be viewed directly in the platform. And if you are a day trader you can take advantage of 1-click trading and trading from the chart.
The broad range of real stocks and ETFs at ADSS enables traders to buy and hold shares, rather than trading them as CFDs. The selection includes major US companies, global stocks, and a solid variety of ETFs covering sectors like technology and energy. And ADSS supports fractional share investing, allowing you to invest in pricey stocks even if you are working with limited funds.
Note: Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment and you should not expect to be protected if something goes wrong.
IG was founded in 1974 and is based in London, England. I verified that the broker is licensed and authorized by 5 top-tier regulators, helping to earn an exceptional trust rating in my review. During my test period, I experienced fast and reliable order execution, with most trades executed within milliseconds.
Key Features
The IG Web Platform strikes a perfect balance between being clean and uncluttered while also offering advanced features. I noted the exceptional range of tools, including Autochartist, client sentiment analysis, a Thomson Reuters news feed, and built-in trade analytics. The platform is highly customizable, and you can create and save multiple workspaces.
The scope of tradable instruments is also outstanding. With over 17,000 tradable assets only a handful of brokers come close. In the area of CFDs on shares it is especially strong, with a range of over 13,000 shares from global exchanges. And you can access CFDs on spot, futures, and options markets.
IronFX was founded in 2010 and is based in Cyprus. It offers access to 300+ popular CFD instruments via the MT4 platform. My review showed that education and research materials are better than average. And in the area of account types, IronFX provides flexibility with 4 choices designed for different trader profiles.
Key Features
IronFX offers 2 Standard accounts (Floating and Fixed) with spreads starting at 1.2 pips. Pro account types offer lower trading costs. The raw spreads account (Raw ECN) features spreads starting from 0.0 pips plus commissions. The commission free ECN VIP account has spreads from just 0.3 pips. And if you are interested in managing funds for others, Personal Multi-Account Manager (PMAM) accounts are available.
Education is another highlight at IronFX. The IronFX academy includes structured video courses with quizzes at the end of each module. I liked the trading strategies course, with modules dedicated to news trading and momentum trading. Beyond courses, IronFX offers regular webinars, ebooks, and platform tutorial videos. You can find archived webinars on the IronFX YouTube channel.
tastyfx is a US based forex broker and part of the brokerage industry giant IG Group. The broker offers the tastyfx Web Platform, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, TradingView, and ProRealTime. You can access 86 currency pairs and the minimum deposit is $1. The Zero+ account offers raw spreads from 0.0 pips plus commissions.
Key Features
I verified that the broker is regulated by Tier-1 CFTC and NFA. Its parent company, IG Group, trades on the London Stock Exchange (LSE:IGG) and is a member of the FTSE 250. My tests showed that spreads on major pairs are competitive and swap fees are better than average. And high volume traders can reduce costs more with rebates.
Research materials are another bonus. You can access a steady stream of insightful in-house analysis, a Thomson Reuters news feed, Autochartist signals, and sentiment data. The education section has a collection of articles clearly explaining the forex market. And this is complimented by beginner-friendly videos on the tastyfx YouTube channel.
Plus500 launched in 2008 and has grown to be a global leader in the CFD industry. In the United States, Plus500 offers access to Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) futures contracts and Kalshi exchange listed prediction markets. The minimum deposit is $100 and my review showed that trading costs are competitive.
Key Features
I rate the WebTrader platform as among the best I have tested. The layout is clean, the search tool is quick, and the order ticket is easy to understand. You can set stop-loss and take profit orders at the same time as you enter a trade. Charting is superb, with 100 indicators and flexible layouts. The mobile app closely mirrors the web platform.
I felt that the Futures Trading Academy adds valuable educational support for beginners. Short videos and clear articles explain essentials like margin, leverage, and short selling. It’s thorough and does a good job of helping new traders get comfortable with the futures market. You can also find more advanced topics like trading strategies and risk management.
The team of forex and CFD analysts and editors at FXEmpire comprises trading industry professionals and seasoned financial journalists. Our experts have been published on leading financial websites such as Investopedia and Forbes. In addition, they all have extensive trading experience.
Dan Blystone began his career in the trading industry in 1998 on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Later, Dan gained insight into the forex industry during his time as a Series 3 licensed futures and forex broker. He also traded at a couple of different prop trading firms in Chicago. Dan is well-equipped to recommend the best forex brokers due to his extensive experience and understanding of the brokerage industry.
Jitan Solanki is a professional trader, market analyst, and educator. He day trades major currency and index markets and focuses on swing trading US equities and commodities. A qualified Market Technician, Jitan also works with trader education and brokerage companies on various projects. These include market analysis, live trading events, and broker reviews. As an experienced trader and educator, Jitan brings all his qualities in action when reviewing and recommending brokers.
Having been a retail trader since 2013, Plamen has gained an in-depth understanding of the challenges that novice traders face today. His expertise is swing trading and day trading with a heavy emphasis on psychological and fundamental analysis. Plamen’s favourite trading instruments include FX majors and gold. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Economics and International Relations. Plamen's broad experience has equipped him with the expertise to recommend the best forex brokers.
In more than 15 years of trading in the financial markets, Vladimir dealt with a wide range of brokers and financial instruments. His career as a day-trader at a proprietary trading firm goes back to 2007. Later, Vladimir turned to longer time frames and became an independent trader and analyst managing his own portfolio. Using his experience, he helps traders find the best broker in his reviews.
Dan Blystone began his career in the trading industry in 1998 on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Later, Dan gained insight into the forex industry during his time as a Series 3 licensed futures and forex broker. He also traded at a couple of different prop trading firms in Chicago. Dan is well-equipped to recommend the best forex brokers due to his extensive experience and understanding of the brokerage industry.
At FXEmpire, we strive to provide unbiased, thorough and accurate broker reviews by industry experts to help our users make smarter financial decisions.