Best Spread Betting Platforms 2025
Want to bet on the price movement of securities like stocks in Apple without owning the shares? You can do this on a spread betting platform, where your profit or loss depends on how accurate you are and your stake size.
We’ve been testing the biggest names in the industry to find the best spread betting platforms in 2025.
Top 6 Spread Betting Brokers
Many spread betting firms impressed us during testing, but these 6 platforms emerged a cut above the rest:
Why Are These Providers The Best For Spread Betting?
Here’s a quick rundown on why these platforms stand out as the best for spread betting:
- AvaTrade is the best spread betting platform in 2025 - AvaTrade is a first-rate spread betting platform with opportunities on 1000+ stocks, indices, commodities and currencies, sporting leverage up to 1:400. The MetaTrader platforms cater to seasoned traders with advanced charting tools and alerts, while the extensive Academy is home to terrific education with 18 courses, 150 lessons, 50 quizzes and a video tutorial explaining how to spread bet at AvaTrade.
- Pepperstone - Pepperstone offers a competitive range of 1200+ spread betting instruments covering forex, indices, commodities, shares and ETFs. Spreads are some of the most competitive that we’ve seen during tests, starting from 0.6 pips for EUR/USD. Spread betting is also available on the MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView terminals, offering more platform flexibility than most alternatives.
- Spreadex - Spreadex stands out as one of the few brokers that specializes in spread betting, offering 10,000+ instruments (rivalling top contenders like IG with 17,000+). There’s also valuable spread betting education covering strategies, tips and analysis. With user-friendly TradingView charts and advanced order types, both beginners and experienced spread betters are well catered to.
- Trade Nation - Trade Nation offers hundreds of instruments via spread bets, though this notably trails top alternatives like CMC Markets (12,000+) and Spreadex (10,000+). We found the TN Trader platform to be a standout option for beginners during tests, thanks to its straightforward fixed-spread model. That said, offering just one platform for spread betting makes the broker more restrictive than most competitors.
- Vantage - Vantage continues to offer commission-free spread betting on forex, indices and precious metals. With 15 indices, including less commonly offered instruments like the VIX and Bovespa, Vantage is particularly suited to experienced equities traders. It’s also one of the few brokers that offers an unlimited demo account, allowing you to practice your strategies continuously.
- FxPro - Spread betters can access six asset classes through the FxPro's proprietary spread betting platform, Edge. Whilst it’s a shame that Edge is the only available terminal for spread betting, traders can access 50 technical indicators (more than MT4), plus an economic calendar and price alerts, providing a decent all-in-one spread betting environment. Customer support also performed well during tests, connecting us to an agent instantly and responding to our spread betting queries sufficiently.
How Safe Are These Spread Betting Platforms?
How secure are the top spread betting brokers and how do they protect your funds?
| Broker | Trust Rating | Guaranteed Stop Loss | Negative Balance Protection | Segregated Accounts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AvaTrade | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Pepperstone | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Spreadex | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Trade Nation | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Vantage | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| FxPro | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ |
Compare Mobile Spread Betting
Find out how good these providers are for placing spread bets on mobile devices:
| Broker | Mobile Apps | iOS Rating | Android Rating | Smart Watch App |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AvaTrade | iOS & Android | ✘ | ||
| Pepperstone | iOS & Android | ✘ | ||
| Spreadex | iOS & Android | ✘ | ||
| Trade Nation | iOS & Android | ✘ | ||
| Vantage | iOS & Android | ✘ | ||
| FxPro | iOS & Android | ✘ |
Are The Top Spread Betting Brokers Good For Beginners?
Beginners should use a broker that allow spread betting with a demo plus other features new traders need:
| Broker | Demo Account | Minimum Deposit | Minimum Trade | Education Rating | Support Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AvaTrade | ✔ | $100 | 0.01 Lots | ||
| Pepperstone | ✔ | $0 | 0.01 Lots | ||
| Spreadex | ✘ | £0 | £0.01 | ||
| Trade Nation | ✔ | $0 | 0.1 Lots | ||
| Vantage | ✔ | $50 | 0.01 Lots | ||
| FxPro | ✔ | $100 | 0.01 Lots |
Are The Top Spread Betting Brokers Good For Advanced Traders?
Experienced traders should look for powerful tools to maximize the spread betting experience:
| Broker | Automated Trading | VPS | AI | Pro Account | Leverage | Low Latency | Extended Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AvaTrade | Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader | ✘ | ✘ | ✔ | 1:30 (Retail) 1:400 (Pro) | ✔ | ✘ |
| Pepperstone | Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | 1:30 (Retail), 1:500 (Pro) | ✔ | ✘ |
| Spreadex | ✘ | ✘ | ✘ | ✔ | 1:30 | ✔ | ✔ |
| Trade Nation | Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader | ✘ | ✘ | ✘ | 1:500 (entity dependent) | ✘ | ✘ |
| Vantage | Myfxbook AutoTrade, Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | 1:500 | ✘ | ✘ |
| FxPro | Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader, cBots on cTrader | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | 1:30 (Retail), 1:500 (Pro), 1:1000 (Via Prime Ash Capital Limited) | ✔ | ✘ |
Compare The Ratings Of Top Spread Betting Brokers
Discover how the top spread betting score in every critical area based on our in-depth testing:
| Broker | Trust | Platforms | Assets | Mobile | Fees | Accounts | Research | Education | Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AvaTrade | |||||||||
| Pepperstone | |||||||||
| Spreadex | |||||||||
| Trade Nation | |||||||||
| Vantage | |||||||||
| FxPro |
Compare Spread Betting Fees
Spread betting costs add up over time - here’s how the top providers compare on pricing:
| Broker | Cost Rating | Fixed Spreads | Inactivity Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| AvaTrade | ✔ | $50 | |
| Pepperstone | ✔ | $0 | |
| Spreadex | ✘ | £0 | |
| Trade Nation | ✔ | $0 | |
| Vantage | ✘ | $0 | |
| FxPro | ✔ | $15 |
How Popular Are These Spread Betting Platforms?
Many traders gravitate toward the most popular spread betting brokers - the ones with the largest client base:
| Broker | Popularity |
|---|---|
| Vantage | |
| FxPro | |
| Pepperstone | |
| AvaTrade | |
| Spreadex |
Why Spread Bet With 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."
AvaTrade Quick Facts
| Bonus Offer | 20% Welcome Bonus up to $10,000 |
|---|---|
| Demo Account | Yes |
| Instruments | CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Bonds, Crypto, Spread Betting, Futures |
| Regulator | ASIC, CySEC, FSCA, ISA, CBI, FSA, FSRA, BVI, ADGM, CIRO, AFM |
| Platforms | WebTrader, AvaTradeGO, AvaOptions, AvaFutures, MT4, MT5, AlgoTrader, TradingCentral, DupliTrade |
| Minimum Deposit | $100 |
| Minimum Trade | 0.01 Lots |
| Leverage | 1:30 (Retail) 1:400 (Pro) |
| Account Currencies | USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD |
Pros
- AvaTrade continues to enhance its suite of products, recently through AvaFutures, providing an alternative vehicle to speculate on over 35 markets with low day trading margins.
- 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.
- 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.
Cons
- 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.
- 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.
- Although the deposit process itself is smooth, AvaTrade still doesn’t facilitate crypto payments, a feature increasingly offered by brokers like TopFX, which caters to crypto-focused traders.
Why Spread Bet With 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 24/7 support."
Christian Harris, Reviewer
Pepperstone Quick Facts
| Demo Account | Yes |
|---|---|
| Instruments | CFDs, Forex, Currency Indices, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Crypto, Spread Betting |
| Regulator | FCA, ASIC, CySEC, DFSA, CMA, BaFin, SCB |
| Platforms | MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView, AutoChartist, DupliTrade, Quantower |
| Minimum Deposit | $0 |
| Minimum Trade | 0.01 Lots |
| Leverage | 1:30 (Retail), 1:500 (Pro) |
| Account Currencies | USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, NZD, JPY, CHF, HKD, SGD |
Pros
- Now offering spread betting through TradingView, Pepperstone provides a seamless, tax-efficient trading experience with advanced analysis tools.
- Pepperstone boasts impressive execution speeds, averaging around 30ms, facilitating fast order processing and execution that’s ideal for day 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
- Pepperstone’s demo accounts are active for only 30 days, which may not be not long enough to familiarize yourself with the different platforms and test trading strategies.
- Pepperstone does not support cTrader Copy, a popular copy trading feature built into the excellent cTrader platform and available at alternatives like IC Markets, though it has introduced an intuitive copy trading app.
- Despite enhancements to its range of markets, crypto offerings are relatively limited compared to other brokers such as eToro, with no option to invest in real coins.
Why Spread Bet With Spreadex?
"Spreadex will appeal to UK day traders who are interested in both spread betting on financial markets and placing traditional bets on sports events. Fees are low on short trades and profits are tax-free on spread bets. There's also a powerful proprietary charting platform, plus £0 minimum deposit required to get started. "
Tobias Robinson, Reviewer
Spreadex Quick Facts
| Bonus Offer | £300 cashback |
|---|---|
| Demo Account | No |
| Instruments | Forex, CFDs, Indices, Commodities, Stocks, Crypto, Bonds, Interest Rates, ETFs, Options, Spread Betting |
| Regulator | FCA |
| Platforms | Spreadex Platform, TradingView |
| Minimum Deposit | £0 |
| Minimum Trade | £0.01 |
| Leverage | 1:30 |
| Account Currencies | USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, CHF |
Pros
- There's a good selection of signals, analysis tools and risk management tools, including guaranteed stops
- There are some attractive new account promotions, including double the odds and matched betting offers
- Traders have the opportunity to bet on sports events from their brokerage account
Cons
- The limited customer service can make it time-consuming to troubleshoot problems
- The proprietary terminal lacks comprehensive charting features of platforms like MT4 and MT5
- The lack of a demo account will frustrate prospective clients who want to test Spreadex's services
Why Spread Bet With Trade Nation?
"Trade Nation is a good choice for newer traders looking for a wide range of financial markets on a user-friendly platform. There is no minimum deposit, free funding options and strong education."
William Berg, Reviewer
Trade Nation Quick Facts
| Bonus Offer | 200 Sign-Up Reward Points |
|---|---|
| Demo Account | Yes |
| Instruments | Forex, CFDs, Indices, Shares, Commodities, Futures, Bonds, Spread Betting, Cryptos (Bahamas Entity Only) |
| Regulator | FCA, ASIC, FSCA, SCB, FSA |
| Platforms | MT4 |
| Minimum Deposit | $0 |
| Minimum Trade | 0.1 Lots |
| Leverage | 1:500 (entity dependent) |
| Account Currencies | USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, ZAR, SEK, NOK, DKK |
Pros
- The trading firm offers tight spreads and a transparent pricing schedule
- Trade Nation is a multi-regulated and respected broker that previously operated as Core Spreads
- There is a low minimum deposit for beginners
Cons
- Fewer legal protections with offshore entity
Why Spread Bet With Vantage?
"Vantage remains an excellent option for CFD traders seeking a tightly-regulated broker with access to the reliable MetaTrader platforms. The fast sign-up process and $50 minimum deposit make it very straightforward to start day trading quickly."
Vantage Quick Facts
| Bonus Offer | 50% Welcome Deposit Bonus, earn redeemable rewards in the Vantage Rewards scheme |
|---|---|
| Demo Account | Yes |
| Instruments | CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Bonds |
| Regulator | FCA, ASIC, FSCA, VFSC |
| Platforms | ProTrader, MT4, MT5, TradingView, DupliTrade |
| Minimum Deposit | $50 |
| Minimum Trade | 0.01 Lots |
| Leverage | 1:500 |
| Account Currencies | USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, NZD, JPY, HKD, SGD, PLN |
Pros
- Vantage caters to hands-off investors with beginner-friendly social trading via ZuluTrade & Myfxbook
- It’s quick and easy to open a live account – taking less than 5 minutes
- The broker has recently made efforts to expand its suite of CFDs providing further trading opportunities
Cons
- The average execution speeds of 100ms to 250ms are slower than alternatives based on tests
- It's a shame that some clients will need to register with the offshore entity, which offers less regulatory protection
- A steep $10,000 deposit is needed for the best trading conditions, which include the $1.50 commission per side
Why Spread Bet With FxPro?
"FxPro is a stellar option for day traders, sporting exceptionally fast execution speeds under 12ms, competitive fees that were lowered in 2022, and terrific charting platforms in MT4, MT5, cTrader and FxPro Edge."
FxPro Quick Facts
| Demo Account | Yes |
|---|---|
| Instruments | CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Futures, Spread Betting |
| Regulator | FCA, CySEC, FSCA, SCB, FSA |
| Platforms | FxPro Edge, MT4, MT5, cTrader, AutoChartist, TradingCentral, DupliTrade, Quantower |
| Minimum Deposit | $100 |
| Minimum Trade | 0.01 Lots |
| Leverage | 1:30 (Retail), 1:500 (Pro), 1:1000 (Via Prime Ash Capital Limited) |
| Account Currencies | USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, JPY, ZAR, CHF, PLN |
Pros
- FxPro's Wallet is a standout feature that allows traders to manage funds securely. By segregating unused funds from active trading accounts, the Wallet provides additional protection and convenience.
- FxPro offers four reliable charting platforms, notably the intuitive FxPro Edge, with over 50 indicators, 7 chart types and 15 chart timeframes.
- FxPro operates under a 'No Dealing Desk' (NDD) model, ensuring fast and transparent order execution, often under 12 milliseconds, ideal for short-term trading strategies.
Cons
- Despite a growing Knowledge Hub and a $10M funded demo account, FxPro is geared towards advanced traders, with beginners potentially finding the account and fee structure complex.
- While FxPro provides 24/5 customer support through multiple channels that performed well during testing, it lacks 24/7 availability, which can disadvantage traders needing assistance outside traditional market hours.
- There are no passive investment tools like copy trading or interest paid on cash. While active traders may not miss these, competitors like eToro catering to active and passive investors have more comprehensive offerings.
How Did We Chose The Best Spread Betting Platforms?
We took our database of 220 brokers and trading platforms and pinpointed the 25+ that offer spread betting trading.
We then ranked the shortlisted providers by their overall rating, which blends 200+ data entries with the direct observations of our testers following hours of hands-on evaluations.
- We checked that every broker offers a spread betting account with an accessible deposit of <$250.
- We only recommended brokers we’d trust with our own money after verifying their regulatory credentials.
- We prioritized brokers with excellent spread betting fees after evaluating their spreads and other charges.
- We confirmed brokers offer a range of financial markets, providing diverse trading opportunities.
- We selected brokers with reliable support based on our spread betting inquiries during testing.
- We investigated each broker’s order execution because fast speeds are key for successful spread betting.
- We examined each broker’s margin requirements to ensure they are transparent for traders using leverage.
How To Pick A Spread Betting Broker
Trust
Only use an established spread betting provider with many years in the industry and authorization from a ‘green tier’ regulator. This is the best way to protect yourself from trading scams.
This is key given that the UK’s Financial Ombudsman Service has highlighted the dubious practices adopted by some spread betting companies. In one case study, “Geraldine made significant losses on a spread-betting platform” that she thought was making money by referring clients to a workshop that taught useless strategies so they could profit from their users’ losing trades.
Spread betting is legal and regulated in several prominent countries, including Australia, Singapore, South Africa and Ireland. However, the largest market is in the UK, where the top providers are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) – a ‘green tier’ body.
- Pepperstone has earned and maintained an excellent 4.6/5 Trust score owing to its authorization from four ‘green tier’ regulators and stellar reputation since 2010. It has also scooped our ‘Best Overall Broker’ and ‘Best Trading App’ awards in recent years.
Markets
Pick a broker that offers spread betting on the financial markets you’re interested in.
From our investigations, most platforms offer spread bets on stocks, indices, forex and commodities. However, some providers stand out by providing a much richer suite of trading opportunities, such as bonds, interest rates, and cryptos, that may appeal to seasoned traders.
- IG blows the competition out of the water with over 17,000 markets you can spread bet on, from currencies, indices, and commodities to upcoming IPOs. It’s also one of the few brokers we’ve used that supports spread betting on the weekend via IG’s out-of-hours markets.
Fees
Choose a platform with low trading fees to help you towards a successful spread betting journey.
Unlike contracts for difference (CFDs), commissions are not typically charged on spread bets so the primary cost to consider is the spread – the difference between the bid and ask price. Spread betting companies normally incorporate a fee for their services into the spread.
Some companies specialize in certain markets with low prices. However, they will then offer other markets at less attractive prices, just to ensure they have a presence. Specific spread betting forex brokers, for example, may offer you a better deal than a jack of all trades, master of none firm.
Also, while less relevant for day traders, if you hold a spread bet open overnight you may incur a charge (futures can be more cost-effective for longer-term trades).
- Vantage stands out with excellent fees on spread betting markets during tests, including 0.1 on EUR/USD, 0.3 on oil and 3.1 on S&P 500, delivering a low-cost trading environment across a variety of asset classes. With no deposit, withdrawal or inactivity fees, it also keeps additional costs to an absolute minimum.
Tools
Choose a broker that offers reliable and powerful charting platforms. The best software will offer a wide range of tools for technical analysis, including various chart types, drawing tools and timeframes.
Some providers offer proprietary platforms with unique tools, notably IG’s Online Platform, CMC Markets’ Next Generation platform, and FXCM’s Trading Station.
Alternatively, or additionally, brokers may offer third-party solutions which do not natively offer spread betting, but can support this style of trading. The most widely available platforms we see are TradingView, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5 and cTrader.
I don’t think TradingView can be beaten when it comes to ease of use and features – it offers the complete trading experience in my view. It’s also being increasingly integrated by spread betting brokers, notably Pepperstone.
- FXCM caters to all types of spread betters at every experience level with their wide range of platforms, including Trading Station, MT4 and TradingView. There’s also an unlimited number of demo accounts, which are a great place to start for all spread betters, so you can find the platform that ticks your boxes.
Execution Quality
Choose a broker with fast and reliable order execution – these are crucial for fast-paced trading styles like spread betting.
High-quality execution will help ensure your trades are executed at the requested time and price. In general, we view anything below 100 milliseconds (ms) as ‘fast’, but some trading platforms go much further.
- FxPro is one of the fastest spread betting platforms that we’ve evaluated, with extremely impressive speeds of less than 11 ms. Prices are sourced from 12+ liquidity providers, making the firm an excellent choice for active spread betters looking for fast execution, tight spreads and reduced price slippage.
Margin Requirements
A key component of spread betting is leverage – which allows you to trade much larger positions by putting down a small outlay, known as ‘margin’.
It’s essential to choose a provider with transparent margin requirements so you understand how much capital you need to put down and maintain in your account, plus how much leverage (borrowed funds) you can access. For example, equities often require a 10% margin. So, if you’re a high-volume trader you’ll need significant capital.
Notable spread betting jurisdictions like the UK cap leverage to a maximum of 1:30.
This means that if I want to bet on EUR/USD with a margin of $250, my potential profits could be magnified to the value of $7,500 (30 x $250), less any fees.Of course, my losses will also be magnified so risk management is essential, with tools like stop-loss and take-profit orders popular with spread bettors.
- Trade Nation offers transparent leverage and margin depending on the entity you sign up with, with 1:30 available at the FCA and ASIC-regulated entities. Higher leverage of 1:500 is also available globally, though we don’t recommend high leverage for beginners.
Support
Access to convenient, prompt and dependable support is key when you’re using short-term trading products like spread betting. It’s also an important safety cushion for beginners who typically need more support getting started.
Most platforms provide assistance through live chat, telephone and email as standard, though the trend towards automated chatbots I’ve found extremely frustrating in recent years, sometimes hampering your ability to get urgent trading issues resolved quickly.
- ThinkMarkets is one of the few brands that offer 24/7 assistance that’s performed excellently over the years, with response times of <5 minutes during testing and staff that are knowledgeable about spread betting products. Its trading simulator, Trading Gym, is also a superb tool for testing spread betting strategies.
Article Sources
- FCA Restricts CFDs and Spread Bets - FCA
- Case Study - Geraldine Lost Money On A Spread-Betting Platform - Financial Ombudsman Service
The writing and editorial team at DayTrading.com use credible sources to support their work. These include government agencies, white papers, research institutes, and engagement with industry professionals. Content is written free from bias and is fact-checked where appropriate. Learn more about why you can trust DayTrading.com