Trading energy markets like natural gas can be a great way for swing traders to capitalise on long-term trends and day traders to capitalise on a high level of intraday volatility. However, finding the right natural gas broker that offers the best trading fees, platforms, research and support can be challenging.
Fortunately, I have been trading the natural gas market for many years, and it’s one of my favourite instruments. The FX Empire team have also been reviewing nearly 100 brokers every year since 2011, so we know who’s good and who’s not. Combining this experience and knowledge, I have listed the 8 best forex brokers for natural gas trading below and organised them by different trader profiles.
*82% of retail CFD accounts lose money.
**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.
For international traders, I found that XTB is the best overall broker for natural gas trading. Founded in 2002 and listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE:XTB), there are over 2,300 CFDs, including 27 commodities with a wide range of energy markets like natural gas. With access to its feature-rich XTB xStation 5 web and mobile platform with built-in market research, it’s a top broker to consider.Â
Natural Gas Trading Features:
On the broker’s xStation 5 platform, I found 27 commodities available to trade on, including energy markets like natural gas, gasoline, WTI oil, Brent oil, and low-sulphur gas oil. One unique feature I have not seen with other brokers is that XTB offers two natural gas CFDs: one is priced in US dollars and listed on the American CME exchange, and one is in euros, listed on the European ICE exchange and is also known as Dutch TTF Natural Gas.
Finding these markets and other instruments to trade is very easy using the xStation 5 platform. I was impressed with how user-friendly the platform is and the additional features it included, like price alerts, one-click trading, trading from the chart and depth of market. I found built-in market research, news, education and an economic calendar, which are useful for fundamental traders. There are also thousands of stocks and ETFs that you can invest in or trade via CFDs, including many natural gas producers.Â
If you like to trade on the go using a mobile trading app, then Plus500 could be the broker for you. Founded in 2008 and listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: PLUS), I found that the broker’s proprietary mobile app is one of the easiest ways to trade on over 2,800 CFDs and options CFDs with helpful tools like the +Insights tool and sentiment data.Â
Natural Gas Trading Features:
I did a live test of the Plus500 mobile for an iOS device and found it offers the same tools as the WebTrader platform, such as price alerts, an economic calendar, 13 chart types, 11 time frames, 22 drawing tools and over 100 technical analysis indicators, which is more than MetaTrader – one of the world’s most popular platforms.
I found that the standout feature is the built-in trailing stop loss, which moves the stop loss level a certain number of pips defined by the trader after a certain move in the market. What really impressed me is that the trailing stop loss in the mobile app is server-side, which means you don’t need the app open for it to work, unlike other platforms like MetaTrader, which require the platform to be open for a trailing stop loss to work.Â
The ability to trade normal natural gas CFDs and natural gas CFD options is also useful. By purchasing put or call options, the risk is limited to the premium paid up front, which means no stop loss is required and is useful when trading choppier markets. With additional tools like trader sentiment, Plus500 is a top broker to consider.
For traders seeking the best quality execution for fast-timeframe styles like scalping, day trading or automated trading, I found that FxPro is a top broker to consider with execution speeds beating the industry average. It specialises in providing No Dealing Desk (NDD) execution on over 2,100 instruments from 6 high-quality trading platforms, providing a solid environment for precise order execution.Â
Natural Gas Trading Features:
During my live test, I found average execution speeds of around 11 milliseconds, which beats the industry average of 50 milliseconds. I also found the broker publishes the quality of its trade execution, with recent statistics showing over 90% of market orders were executed at the requested price or better. As FxPro’s data centres are in LD4 London, its proprietary aggregator, Quotix, matches client orders with a high level of efficiency and execution, which I find is useful for fast time frame trading styles.Â
The trading infrastructure also works well with the cTrader platform, which is specifically designed for short-term traders such as scalpers and day traders. I found that the Depth of Market indicator in the platform offers a good understanding of market volatility and which price levels have the most volume, as FxPro has deep liquidity from Tier 1 banks. With access to raw spread trading accounts, VPS hosting and reliable customer support, FxPro could be the broker for you.
If you’re a beginner trader starting out trading energy commodities like natural gas, then my best broker for you is AvaTrade. I found there are over 1,450 CFDs that can be traded commission-free from beginner-friendly platforms like AvaWebTrader, AvaTrade App, and AvaSocial, along with a comprehensive range of educational materials.
Natural Gas Trading Features:
I was impressed by the quality and depth of AvaTrade’s education section, which I found is useful for beginner traders. There are over 400 educational webinars on its YouTube channel, a wide range of trading courses with 27 individual lectures totalling 205 minutes. I recommend starting off with the Commodities Trading Course, which covers how to trade energy CFDs like natural gas.Â
Beginner traders can also utilise the benefits of a demo trading account, which is useful to gain more confidence in the trading platforms available while in a virtual environment. Opening a live account requires a minimum deposit of $100 and there is no commission to pay per trade, making risk management decisions easier. With access to research from Trading Central and the ability to copy trade, AvaTrade is a top broker to consider for beginners.Â
Founded in 2007, I found that IC Markets is the best broker for professional traders wanting to trade natural gas and a wide range of asset classes from feature-rich trading platforms. I discovered over 2,200 CFDs are available to trade from the MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView platforms, using Raw ECN accounts which offer deep liquidity, low fees and zero requotes. Â
Natural Gas Trading Features:
For professional short-term, high-frequency traders, I recommend using the cTrader platform. It’s specifically designed for short-term trading and fast execution, with my favourite feature being the built-in risk management calculator. This style of trading works well with the IC Market Raw ECN account, which our testing shows consistently beats the industry average spreads on all instruments.Â
Automated traders can use the MT4 and MT5 platforms, which work well with the broker’s VPS hosting service. I also like to use TradingView for more casual, longer-term setups as it’s easy to navigate and has a large social trading community to share ideas. With indemnity insurance of up to $1 million per account and extensive market research from Trading Central and Autochartist, IC Markets is a top broker to consider.Â
If you’re seeking the best low spread natural gas broker, then FP Markets could be the broker for you. Founded in 2005, I found low spreads on natural gas and nearly all other major instruments, commission-free trading options, and low overnight swap fees with a top range of 5 trading platforms to trade from.Â
Natural Gas Trading Features:
During my live fee test, I found the average spread for natural gas CFDs is around 0.004 pips, which is better than the industry average for a commission-free trading account. I also found low spreads on stock indices, metals, oil and minor currency pairs, making the broker a great fit for short-term day traders and scalpers. The low overnight swap fees also mean the broker is a good fit for longer-term swing traders.Â
I discovered it is possible to access even lower spreads on the broker’s Raw account, which has a commission of $6 per lot, per round turn, which is better than the $7 industry average. There are also no deposit, withdrawal or inactivity fees, helping to keep costs low. I also found that FP Markets offers access to Direct Market Access (DMA) share trading from the IRESS platform, which means you can trade natural gas stocks with low spreads as quotes come directly from the exchange.
Founded in 1974 and listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: IGG), I found that IG offers the best trading platforms for trading natural gas and over 17,000 other tradable instruments. The options include the IG Web Trader and Mobile App, MT4, ProRealTime, TradingView and L2 Dealer for professionals. The broker’s proprietary platform leads the way with built-in trading signals and sentiment data.Â
Natural Gas Trading Features:
I was seriously impressed with the IG Web Trader and mobile app. They both offer the same features and functionality and are good choices for beginner and advanced traders. I found over 33 indicators, 17 time frames, 19 drawing tools and 5 chart types available, alongside customisable layouts, watchlists, a Reuters news feed and one-click trading.Â
The built-in trading signals are useful for all types of traders and are sourced from Autochartist and PIA First. The signals cover major currency pairs, indices, and commodities, across different time durations. Each signal in the platform gives text analysis on the idea and entry, stop loss and take profit levels that can automatically be attached to an order at the click of a button. With competitive trading fees, a large range of instruments and platforms, IG is a top broker to consider trading with.
Founded in 2008, Plus500 US is my top overall broker for natural gas trading for traders based in the U.S. I found 64 CME futures contracts covering a wide range of asset classes, including energy commodities like natural gas that can be traded from the broker’s proprietary WebTrader platform and mobile app as well as several related prediction markets from the Kalshi exchange.  Â
Natural Gas Trading Features:
During my live test, I was impressed by how easy it was to trade natural gas futures contracts from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange directly from the Plus500 WebTrader and mobile app. I also found it useful that traders can access micro natural gas contracts, which have a low intraday margin of just $100 – a great option for small accounts. There’s also a wide range of other futures contracts in the energy sector like heating oil and crude oil.Â
The most surprising feature was the ability to access the new and growing prediction markets from the Kalshi exchange. I found you can purchase prediction market contracts on where natural gas prices could be by the end of today, tomorrow or next year, offering a unique way to speculate on natural gas prices. Â
I enjoyed trading from the broker’s proprietary WebTrader platform and found it easy to navigate, with a well-designed infrastructure and lots of tools, including over 100 technical analysis indicators, 20 drawing tools, 20 chart types, and 11 timeframes. With only a $10 minimum deposit to open an account, and no deposit, routing, inactivity or data fees, Plus500 US is a top broker to consider.Â
The forex and CFD analysts and editors at FXEmpire bring together seasoned trading professionals and experienced financial journalists. Many of our experts have been featured in leading publications such as Investopedia and Forbes, and all of them combine strong industry credentials with hands-on 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.
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.
At FXEmpire, we strive to provide unbiased, thorough and accurate broker reviews by industry experts to help our users make smarter financial decisions.