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Brokers With US Dollar Index

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Written By
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Written By
Jemma Grist
Broker Analyst and Editor
Jemma is a writer, editor and fact-checker focused on retail trading and investing. Jemma brings a unique perspective to the forex, stock, and cryptocurrency markets and works across several investment websites as a researcher and broker analyst.
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Edited By
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James Barra
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James is Head of Content and a brokerage expert with a background in financial services. A former management consultant, he's worked on major operational transformation programmes at top European banks. A trusted industry name, James's work at DayTrading.com has been cited in publications like Business Insider.
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Fact Checked By
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Michael MacKenzie
Broker Analyst and Editor
Michael is a writer, editor and broker reviewer with over a decade in journalism and publishing. His niche lies in editing and fact-checking content in the financial services sector, with a focus on online brokers and trading platforms. Michael previously reported on politics and economics in the Middle East and edits books for established publishers.
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Brokers with the US Dollar Index (USDX) allow traders to speculate on the strength of the USD against a basket of foreign currencies. Managed by the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the USDX can be traded via various instruments depending on the trading platform, notably futures, options, and CFDs.

Discover the best brokers with the US Dollar Index, all personally tested by our experts.

Best Brokers For US Dollar Index

Following our first-hand evaluations, these are the top 6 trading platforms that offer the USDX:

Your capital is at risk. Trade only with funds you can afford to lose.
Tested with a live trading account
Available in United States

Here is a short summary of why we think each broker belongs in this top list:

  1. Focus Markets - Established in 2019, Focus Markets is an Australian-based MetaTrader broker offering access to over 1,000 tradable instruments, including forex, commodities, indices, stocks, and a particularly large selection of crypto derivatives.
  2. Optimus Futures - Established in 2004, Optimus Futures specializes in low-cost, customizable futures trading. It provides access to a growing suite of around 70 futures markets spanning micro E-minis, energies, metals, grains, and cryptos. With commission tiers starting at $0.25 per side for micros and the option to choose your own clearing firm (e.g. Ironbeam, StoneX, Phillip Capital), the brokerage offers flexibility. Optimus Futures has also introduced excellent features like multi-bracket orders and journaling, giving active traders more control.
  3. XM - XM is a globally recognized forex and CFD broker with 15+ million clients in 190+ countries. Since 2009, this trusted broker has been delivering low trading fees across its growing roster of 1000+ instruments. It’s also highly regulated, including by ASIC, CySEC and DFSA and SCA in the UAE, and offers a comprehensive MetaTrader experience.
  4. AvaTrade - Established in 2006, AvaTrade is a leading forex and CFD broker trusted by over 400,000 traders. Operating under regulation in 9 jurisdictions, AvaTrade processes an impressive 2+ million trades each month. Through like MT4, MT5, and its proprietary WebTrader, the broker provides a growing selection of 1,250+ instruments. Whether it’s CFDs, AvaOptions, or the more recent AvaFutures, short-term traders at all levels will find opportunities. With terrific education and 24/5 multilingual customer support, AvaTrade delivers the complete trading experience.
  5. Exness - Established in 2008, Exness has maintained its position as a highly respected broker, standing out with its industry-leading range of 40+ account currencies, growing selection of CFD instruments, and intuitive web platform complete with useful extras like currency convertors and trading calculators.
  6. Pepperstone - Established in Australia in 2010, Pepperstone is a top-rated forex and CFD broker with over 830,000 clients worldwide. It offers access to 1,400+ instruments on leading platforms MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView, maintaining low, transparent fees. Pepperstone is also regulated by trusted authorities like the FCA, ASIC, and CySEC, ensuring a secure environment for day traders at all levels.

Brokers With US Dollar Index Comparison

Brokers With US Dollar Index Comparison
Broker Currency Indices Minimum Deposit Platforms Regulator
Focus Markets USD $100 MT5 ASIC, SVGFSA
Optimus Futures USD $500 Optimus Flow, Optimus Web, MT5, TradingView NFA, CFTC
XM USD $5 MT4, MT5, TradingCentral CySEC, DFSA, SCA, FSCA, FSA, FSC Belize, FSC Mauritius, CMA
AvaTrade USD $100 WebTrader, AvaTradeGO, AvaOptions, AvaFutures, MT4, MT5, AlgoTrader, TradingView, TradingCentral, DupliTrade ASIC, CySEC, FSCA, ISA, CBI, JFSA, FSRA, BVI, ADGM, CIRO, AFM
Exness USD Varies based on the payment system Exness Trade App, Exness Terminal, MT4, MT5, TradingCentral FCA, FSCA, CMA, FSA, CBCS, BVIFSC, FSC, JSC
Pepperstone USD, EUR, JPY $0 Pepperstone Trading Platform, MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView, AutoChartist FCA, ASIC, CySEC, BaFin, DFSA, SCA, CMA, SCB

Focus Markets

"Focus Markets is perfect for experienced traders familiar with MetaTrader 5, offering flexible crypto transactions (USDT and BTC) and access to over 90 cryptocurrencies for seamless speculation, deposits, and withdrawals."

Christian Harris Christian Harris, Reviewer

Focus Markets Quick Facts

Demo AccountYes
InstrumentsCFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Crypto
RegulatorASIC, SVGFSA
PlatformsMT5
Minimum Deposit$100
Minimum Trade0.01 Lots
Leverage1:500
Account CurrenciesUSD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, NZD, JPY, SGD

Currency Indices

Focus Markets only allows for trading on the USD currency index.

Pros

  • Focus Markets excelled in the deposit and withdrawal category during testing, offering more base currencies than most competitors, including USD, CAD and EUR - and a range of traditional and popular crypto payment options, including BTC and USDT.
  • Focus Markets is regulated by ASIC – one of the most respected regulatory bodies in the financial industry with robust safeguards like negative balance protection, ensuring you can’t lose more than your balance in volatile markets.
  • While its meagre four commodities won’t meet the needs of some serious traders interested in softs and metals, Focus Markets offers a huge suite of 90+ cryptos, providing short-term opportunities on high-reward, high-risk assets.

Cons

  • A significant drawback of Focus Markets is the lack of platform variety. It only support MT5, excluding popular platforms like MT4, cTrader, and TradingView, plus it hasn't developed its own software that could better meet the needs of beginners.
  • Focus Markets’ 24/5 support lacks direct phone help and unresponsive live chat, while email replies took a full business day during our latest tests. This slow support is a major drawback for active traders who need quick resolutions.
  • Regulatory protection is a location lottery at Focus Markets – Australian traders benefit from strong ASIC oversight, but those using the SVGFSA-registered entity face limited recourse options in disputes.

Optimus Futures

"Optimus Futures is best for active futures day traders who want low per-contract costs and the flexibility to build a custom trading setup across platforms like Optimus Flow, TradingView, and Sierra Chart. Its fast order-routing, low day trading margins, depth-of-market and footprint analysis tools, plus the ability to select your own clearing firm, make it especially suited to high-volume traders focused on U.S. and global futures markets."

Christian Harris Christian Harris, Reviewer

Optimus Futures Quick Facts

Demo AccountYes
InstrumentsFutures on Indices, Metals, Energies, Softs, Bonds, Cryptos, Options on Futures, Event Contracts
RegulatorNFA, CFTC
PlatformsOptimus Flow, Optimus Web, MT5, TradingView
Minimum Deposit$500
Minimum Trade$50
Account CurrenciesUSD

Currency Indices

Optimus Futures only allows for trading on the USD currency index.

Pros

  • Optimus Futures has added event contracts from CME Group, allowing traders to express a daily market view with a simple yes-or-no position on major futures markets. Only offered by a handful of brokers, these fixed-risk products provide a straightforward way to speculate on a short-term basis.
  • Optimus Futures has expanded its suite of software, with a variety of futures trading platforms, including its own Optimus Flow, CQG, MetaTrader 5, and TradingView, making it easy to find the right fit for charting, order management, and execution.
  • The brokerage provides the flexibility to choose your clearing firm, including Iron Beam, Phillip Capital, and StoneX, allowing for direct control over where your funds are held and the associated transaction costs - helpful for customizing the futures trading setup.

Cons

  • There's no true 'all-in-one' account management dashboard - key functions like risk settings, software downloads, and subscriptions are split across different sections or platforms, so it required extra digging to set everything up during testing.
  • Live chat support is handled entirely by a bot, so despite several attempts in our tests, it wasn't possible to get access to a human agent, which can be frustrating when urgent or complex questions arise.
  • There are limited payment options and no toll-free numbers for international support, while withdrawals cost $20 to $60, potentially making frequent withdrawals costly for active traders.

XM

"With a low $5 minimum deposit, advanced charting platforms in MT4 and MT5, expanding range of markets, and a Zero account offering spreads from 0.0, XM provides all the essentials for active traders, even earning our ‘Best MT4/MT5 Broker’ award in recent years."

Christian Harris Christian Harris, Reviewer

XM Quick Facts

Demo AccountYes
InstrumentsCFDs, Forex, Stocks, Commodities, Indices, Thematic Indices, Precious Metals, Energies
RegulatorCySEC, DFSA, SCA, FSCA, FSA, FSC Belize, FSC Mauritius, CMA
PlatformsMT4, MT5, TradingCentral
Minimum Deposit$5
Minimum Trade0.01 Lots
Leverage1:1000
Account CurrenciesUSD, EUR, GBP, JPY

Currency Indices

XM only allows for trading on the USD currency index.

Pros

  • XM’s growing roster of 1,400+ instruments provides diverse short-term trading opportunities, with unique turbo stocks, fractional shares, and more recently thematic indices.
  • XM stands out for its commitment to trader education, with a wealth of well-presented resources, including webinars, tutorials, and even real-time trading sessions through XM Live.
  • XM’s customer support has delivered over years of testing, with 24/7 assistance in 30 languages, response times of under 2 minutes and a growing Telegram channel.

Cons

  • XM relies solely on the MetaTrader platforms for desktop trading, so there’s no in-house downloadable or web-accessible solution for a more beginner-friendly user experience with unique features.
  • XM is falling behind the curve by not offering cTrader and TradingView which are increasingly being favored over MetaTrader for their smoother user experience and superior charting packages.
  • Although trusted and generally well-regulated, the XM global entity is registered with weak regulators like FSC Belize and UK clients are no longer accepted, reducing its market reach.

AvaTrade

"AvaTrade offers active traders everything they need: an intuitive WebTrader, powerful AvaProtect risk management, a smooth 5-minute sign-up process, and dependable support you can rely on in fast-moving markets."

Jemma Grist Jemma Grist, Reviewer

AvaTrade Quick Facts

Demo AccountYes
InstrumentsCFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Bonds, Crypto, Spread Betting, Futures
RegulatorASIC, CySEC, FSCA, ISA, CBI, JFSA, FSRA, BVI, ADGM, CIRO, AFM
PlatformsWebTrader, AvaTradeGO, AvaOptions, AvaFutures, MT4, MT5, AlgoTrader, TradingView, TradingCentral, DupliTrade
Minimum Deposit$100
Minimum Trade0.01 Lots
Leverage1:30 (Retail) 1:400 (Pro)
Account CurrenciesUSD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD

Currency Indices

AvaTrade only allows for trading on the USD currency index.

Pros

  • Support at AvaTrade performed excellently during testing, with response times of 3 minutes and localized support in major trading jurisdictions, including the UK, Europe and the Middle East.
  • Years on, AvaTrade remains one of the few brokers offering a bespoke risk management tool, AvaProtect, that insures losses up to $1M for a fee and is easy to activate on the platform.
  • AvaTrade launched AvaFutures to offer low-margin access to global markets, then expanded in 2025 as one of the first brokers to add CME’s Micro Grain Futures, and then later in the year went further by integrating with TradingView.

Cons

  • The AvaSocial app is good but not great – the look and feel, plus the navigation between finding strategy providers and account management needs upgrading to rival category leaders like eToro.
  • While signing up is a breeze, AvaTrade lacks an ECN account like Pepperstone or IC Markets, which provides the raw spreads and ultra-fast execution many day traders are looking for.
  • AvaTrade’s WebTrader has improved, but work is still needed in terms of customizability – frustratingly widgets like market watch and watchlists can’t be hidden, moved, or resized.

Exness

"After slashing its spreads, improving its execution speeds and support trading on over 100 currency pairs with more than 40 account currencies to choose from, Exness is a fantastic option for active forex traders looking to minimize trading costs."

Christian Harris Christian Harris, Reviewer

Exness Quick Facts

Demo AccountYes
InstrumentsCFDs on Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Crypto
RegulatorFCA, FSCA, CMA, FSA, CBCS, BVIFSC, FSC, JSC
PlatformsExness Trade App, Exness Terminal, MT4, MT5, TradingCentral
Minimum DepositVaries based on the payment system
Minimum Trade0.01 Lots
Leverage1:Unlimited
Account CurrenciesUSD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, NZD, INR, JPY, ZAR, MYR, IDR, CHF, HKD, SGD, AED, SAR, HUF, BRL, NGN, THB, VND, UAH, KWD, QAR, KRW, MXN, KES, CNY

Currency Indices

Exness only allows for trading on the USD currency index.

Pros

  • Improved execution speeds, now averaging under 25ms, offer optimal conditions for short-term traders.
  • Fast and dependable 24/7 multilingual customer support via telephone, email and live chat based on hands-on tests.
  • Exness Terminal offers a streamlined experience for beginners with dynamic charts while setting up watchlists is a breeze.

Cons

  • Exness has expanded its range of CFDs and added a copy trading feature, but there are still no real assets such as ETFs, cryptocurrencies or bonds
  • Apart from a mediocre blog, educational resources are woeful, especially compared to category leaders like IG which provide a more complete trading journey for newer traders.
  • MetaTrader 4 and 5 are supported, but TradingView and cTrader still aren’t despite rising demand from active traders and integration at alternatives like Pepperstone.

Pepperstone

"Pepperstone stands out as a top choice for day trading, offering razor-sharp spreads, ultra-fast execution, and advanced charting platforms for experienced traders. New traders are also welcomed with no minimum deposit, extensive educational resources, and exceptional 24/5 support (18h a day on weekends)."

Christian Harris Christian Harris, Reviewer

Pepperstone Quick Facts

Demo AccountYes
InstrumentsCFDs, Forex, Currency Indices, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Crypto, Spread Betting
RegulatorFCA, ASIC, CySEC, BaFin, DFSA, SCA, CMA, SCB
PlatformsPepperstone Trading Platform, MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView, AutoChartist
Minimum Deposit$0
Minimum Trade0.01 Lots
Leverage1:30 (Retail), 1:500 (Pro)
Account CurrenciesUSD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, NZD, JPY, CHF, HKD, SGD

Currency Indices

Pepperstone offers trading on these 3 currency indices: USD, EUR, JPY

Pros

  • Offers a dedicated CopyTrading app for traders who want a less active approach to trading.
  • There’s support for a range of industry-leading charting platforms including MT4, MT5, TradingView, and cTrader, catering to various short-term trading styles, including algo trading.
  • Pepperstone emerges as a low-cost broker, especially for serious day traders with spreads from 0.0 in the Razor account and rebates up to 30% (index and commodities) and $3/lot (forex) through the Active Trader program.

Cons

  • Offers limited internal market research. They partner with third-party providers like Autochartist to fill this gap. This is a minor issue as there are plenty of other sources that can provide in-depth market analysis.
  • Despite improvements to its range of markets, crypto offerings are still fairly limited compared to other brokers who focus on this area, such as Eightcap, and there's no option to invest in real coins.
  • Execution may not feel as reliable in fast markets as headline speeds suggest. In our own testing, execution was fast at desired prices, but some community complaints focus on slippage, stop-loss fills and spread-sensitive order triggers during volatile conditions.

Methodology

To identify the best trading platforms with USDX, we examined our database of 141 online brokers and pinpointed all those that facilitate trading on the US Dollar Index.

We then ranked them by their overall rating, blending over 100 data entries with our direct observations during testing. This revealed the trading platforms that go the extra mile for traders interested in the US Dollar index.

  • We only recommended brokers that have earned our trust.
  • We prioritized brokers with competitive trading fees.
  • We checked each broker has correlating markets to the USDX.
  • We ensured each broker offers excellent charting platforms.
  • We examined each broker’s leverage and margin requirements.

DayTrading.com broker testing methodology overview

How To Choose A Broker With The US Dollar Index

There are several factors we, and you, should consider when choosing a broker for US Dollar Index trading:

Choose A Trustworthy Broker

An established, regulated broker will help protect you from trading scams.

This is important given that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has warned against the increase in foreign currency fraud in recent years, publishing tips on identifying potential signs of a scam. For example, fraudsters may use persuasion techniques to convince traders of ‘guaranteed’ gains and create a false sense of urgency to invest.

This is why we always verify the regulatory credentials of each broker that we test and assign each broker a score from 1 to 5 for ‘Regulation & Trust’, helping to keep your funds secure when trading the USDX and other financial markets.
author image
Jemma Grist
Author
  • AvaTrade is highly trusted, with an excellent record spanning 15+ years and licenses from multiple ‘green tier’ authorities. It also offers robust safeguards, including negative balance protection, segregated accounts and a bespoke risk management tool, AvaProtect with up to $1M in insurance against trading losses.

Choose A Broker With Competitive Fees

Brokers with low trading fees on the USDX will help you maximize returns, especially for active traders.

That’s why we evaluate spreads, commissions and other charges when examining brokers, including recording fees on correlating markets, such as the EUR/USD.

We then assess non-trading fees, such as deposit/withdrawal charges, and weigh these against the overall service provided.

💡
Some traders may be willing to pay more for expert analysis and insights into interest rate decisions from the Federal Reserve Board, which can impact the US Dollar Index.
  • Pepperstone continues to lead in this category, with spreads averaging 6.00 pips on the US Dollar Index and 0.10 pips on EUR/USD, plus access to a fantastic economic calendar for tracking financial announcements.

Choose A Broker With Correlating Markets

Traders may also be interested in a broker that provides access to other currencies within the USDX basket, providing alternative trading opportunities.

For example, the EUR/USD, which is available at all of our recommended brokers, is typically inversely related to the US Dollar Index.

Additionally, currency pairs where USD is the base or quote currency can also indicate a correlation with the USDX, such as USD/JPY or GBP/USD.

Other markets may also be of interest to USDX traders, such as commodities like gold (gold is quoted in dollars) as well as bonds (which are impacted by yield rates against the USD).

Infographic showing additional assets that may be of interest to USDX traders
Markets potentially related to the US Dollar Index
  • IG is our top pick if you’re looking to trade the USDX alongside other relevant markets, including US bonds, gold, and USD currency pairs. I also love that you can follow announcements from the Federal Reserve Meeting in almost real-time through IG’s live market coverage.

Choose A Broker With Excellent Platforms

Day traders speculating on the US Dollar Index will require a broker that offers a powerful charting platform to perform technical analysis.

Most brokers we test offer the MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 platforms. That said, I find the seamless navigation and integrated tools in TradingView far more appealing for active traders.

For example, you can use the integrated forex screener to analyze relevant currency pairs alongside your USDX chart, as you can see below.

TradingView platform showing USDX chart and USD forex screener
TradingView

Since the USDX is a popular macro indicator for the strength of the US Dollar, having access to excellent market research services like Trading Central can also be a value-add.

You may want a broker that provides interest rate updates from the Federal Reserve, as well as other relevant Central Banks, notably the European Central Bank as the EUR forms the largest weighting in the US Dollar Index.

  • XM offers a superb selection of charting platforms for USDX traders, including MT4 and MT5. However, where it shines is its fantastic research tools, with trade ideas, technical summaries and news where you can search specifically for the US Dollar Index.

Choose A Broker With Clear Margin Requirements

Day traders, in particular, often trade the US Dollar Index with leverage, allowing them to maximize their potential gains using a small outlay.

This makes it important to choose a broker with clear margin requirements so you know what’s needed and what it costs, to borrow funds.

Crucially, brokers regulated by ‘green tier’ authorities like the FCA and CySEC cap leverage for retail investors at 1:30.

This means that if I were to put down $100 for a USDX CFD, the value of my position would be $3,000 (30 x $100).

This means both my profits and losses will be multiplied by 30. As such, I recommend using risk management tools like stop-loss orders to close positions before large losses can accumulate.

author image
Jemma Grist
Author
  • eToro offers leverage up to 1:10 on the US Dollar Index, with transparent margin requirements clearly displayed in the platform. You can also quickly and easily set stop loss and take profit parameters, while its social trading platform is world-leading and used for real-money trading by our team.

FAQ

Which Is The Best Broker With The US Dollar Index?

See our list of the best brokers with the USDX to find a suitable option based on your trading needs.

For example, Pepperstone offers some of the lowest fees on the USDX, while XM offers hourly technical summaries and sentiment data on the world’s most prominent currency index.

Article Sources

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