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75-90% of retail traders lose money trading Forex and CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs and leveraged trading work and if you can afford the high risk of losing your money. We may receive compensation when you click on links to products we review. Please read our advertising disclosure. By using this website you agree to our Terms of Service.

AuthorAuthor: Jeffrey CammackPublished: Oct 14, 2019
EditorEditor: Alison HeyerdahlUpdated: Jan 12, 2024

Last Updated On Jan 12, 2024

Jeffrey Cammack

First introduced in 2011, the cTrader platform now rivals other platforms like MT4 and MT5 thanks to its modern design, advanced order protection, depth of market indicator, advanced charting, and built-in copy-trading. In September 2022, Apple banned MT4 and MT5 from the App Store, and cTrader’s popularity has increased further as a result.

More experienced traders will like cTrader’s server-side trailing stop and advanced charting, while beginners will like its clear layout and ease of using the cTrader Copy feature. And all traders will breathe easier knowing that cTrader is maintained by Spotware and cannot be altered by fraudulent brokers. Whatever the reason for your interest in cTrader, these are the best cTrader brokers in the world and have been selected for their low trading costs, range of instruments, and the quality of their educational content.

According to our testing and research, these are the best cTrader brokers for 2024.

cTrader Forex Brokers 2024

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Broker
Broker Score
Official Site
Min. Deposit
Max. Leverage (Forex)
cTrader
Beginner Friendly
Cost of Trading
EUR/USD - Standard Spread
EUR/USD - Raw Spread
Regulated By
Total CFDs
Currency Pairs
Compare
Pepperstone
4.61 /5
Read Review
Visit Broker >
89%74- of retail CFD accounts lose money
USD 0
400:1
Excellent
USD 10
1.00 pips
0.17 pips
FCA Regulated Brokers
ASIC Regulated Forex Brokers
CySEC Regulated Brokers
Dubai Financial Services Authority
Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht
Securities Commission of the Bahamas
Capital Markets Authority
1275
100
FxPro
4.39 /5
Read Review
Visit Broker >
71.58% of retail CFD accounts lose money
USD 100
200:1
Excellent
USD 14
1.40 pips
0.40 pips
FCA Regulated Brokers
CySEC Regulated Brokers
FSCA Regulated Forex Brokers
Dubai Financial Services Authority
Securities Commission of the Bahamas
2241
70
IC Markets
4.56 /5
Read Review
Visit Broker >
70.81% of retail CFD accounts lose money
USD 200
500:1
Excellent
USD 8
0.10 pips
0.02 pips
CySEC Regulated Brokers
ASIC Regulated Forex Brokers
The Seychelles Financial Services Authority
Securities Commission of the Bahamas
1744
64
Skilling
4.37 /5
Read Review
Visit Broker >
73% of retail CFD accounts lose money
USD 100
500:1
Excellent
USD 7
0.70 pips
0.40 pips
CySEC Regulated Brokers
Finansinspektionen
The Seychelles Financial Services Authority
905
73
FP Markets
4.40 /5
Read Review
Visit Broker >
79% of retail CFD accounts lose money
AUD 100
500:1
Excellent
USD 7
0.10 pips
0.10 pips
ASIC Regulated Forex Brokers
CySEC Regulated Brokers
FSCA Regulated Forex Brokers
Capital Markets Authority
Financial Services Authority – St. Vincent & the Grenadines
10162
70
Fusion Markets
4.33 /5
Read Review
Visit Broker >
89% of retail CFD accounts lose money
USD 0
30:1
Excellent
USD 4.50
0 pips
0 pips
ASIC Regulated Forex Brokers
Vanuatu
The Seychelles Financial Services Authority
252
85

How to compare cTrader brokers

Traders looking specifically for a broker that supports cTrader will be looking for a modern platform that goes beyond the MetaTrader product line. cTrader has many advantages over other trading platforms, and although only a few brokers support it, there is still a good selection of reputable brokers to choose from. When comparing cTrader brokers, consider:

Trading costs: Since cTrader only operates with direct market access brokers (ECNs), trading costs will almost always be a combination of the spread cost and the commission per lot. We estimate the trading cost by calculating the cost of trading 1 lot of EURUSD with the smallest account available, including both spread and commission. This figure will give a trader insight into the costs charged.

Trade execution speed: cTrader can open and close positions very quickly, but the broker’s technological infrastructure will also play a big role. If a trader is interested in scalping, where trades are opened and closed very quickly in highly volatile markets, then trade execution speed needs to be as fast as possible. 

Regulation: Regulation ensures the security of your funds. While some cTrader brokers are well-known industry brands – like FxPro, IC Markets and Pepperstone – others are either unregulated or offer very weak regulation that does not provide adequate trader protection. Always check that your broker is regulated sufficiently as a part of the comparison process.


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Pepperstone – Best Overall cTrader Broker

Broker Score
4.614.61 / 5
🏦  Min. DepositUSD 0
🛡️  Regulated By
💵  Trading Cost 
USD 10
⚖️  Max. Leverage400:1
💹  Copy Trading
🖥️  Platforms
💱  Instruments 

An Australian ECN broker, Pepperstone offers cTrader support (alongside MT4 and MT5), ASIC regulation and two simple market-execution accounts. The Standard Account is commission-free and spreads on the EUR/USD starts at 1.00 pips. The Razor Account charges a commission of 7 EUR round turn but the average spread on the EUR/USD is 0.10 pips – about as close as traders can get to true market prices as possible.

All cTrader users at Pepperstone will also get access to Autochartist – a powerful pattern recognition plugin that automatically identifies trading opportunities based on price trends. In addition, cTrader offers a powerful backtesting and automated trading functionality through cTrader Automate using the highly functional cTrader API and the popular C# programming language.

Pros
  • Well regulated
  • Tight spreads
  • Great platform choice
  • Wide range of assets
Cons
  • Limited market analysis
AlertAccepts Nigerian Clients. Average spread EUR/USD 1.00 pipson the trading account with lowest minimum deposit. Max leverage 400:1. Islamic account available. MT4, MT5, TradingView & cTrader platforms supported. Pepperstone is regulated by the FCA, ASIC, CySEC, SCB, CMA, BaFin and the DFSA.

FxPro – Best Regulated cTrader Broker

Broker Score
4.394.39 / 5
🏦  Min. DepositUSD 100
🛡️  Regulated By
💵  Trading Cost 
USD 14
⚖️  Max. Leverage200:1
💹  Copy Trading
🖥️  Platforms
💱  Instruments 

FSCA regulated since 2012, FxPro is a respected CFD broker offering market execution on its cTrader account (as well as NDD execution on MT4, MT5 and its own browser-based trading platform) on a range of assets. The cTrader account offers a 100 USD minimum deposit and tight spreads on 70+ Forex pairs, indices, metals, and energies. Variable spreads on the EUR/USD average about 0.30 pips and a commission of 4.50 USD is charged (9 USD round turn). Most trades are executed in less than 10 milliseconds and only 9% of orders received negative slippage. 

The cTrader account at FxPro offers no requotes and will allow for partial fills for orders that lack liquidity. FxPro offers a range of technical analysis indicators from Trading Central for cTrader as well as a free VPS service, alongside the pre-existing cTrader Automate and API features native to the platform. 

Pros
  • Well regulated
  • Great platform choice
  • Tight spreads
Cons
  • Limited education
AlertAccepts Nigerian Clients. Average spread EUR/USD 1.40 pips on trading account with lowest minimum deposit. Max leverage 200:1. Islamic account available. MT4, MT5, cTrader and FxPro proprietary trading platform supported. FxPro Group is regulated by FCA, CySEC, FSCA, and the SCB.

IC Markets – Best cTrader Broker for Beginners

Broker Score
4.564.56 / 5
🏦  Min. DepositUSD 200
🛡️  Regulated By
💵  Trading Cost 
USD 8
⚖️  Max. Leverage500:1
💹  Copy Trading
🖥️  Platforms
💱  Instruments 

An Australian CFD broker with market execution accounts on MT4, MT5 and cTrader, IC Markets is rare amongst cTrader brokers as it provides a good environment for traders who are just starting out. IC Markets offers in-depth structured course material, detailed independent market analysis, and expert-led webinars. IC Markets also provides excellent 24/7 technical support cTrader.

cTrader users will be interested in IC Markets cTrader Raw Spread Account. This account offers some of the highest spreads of all Forex brokers globally, with the average spread on EUR/USD at 0.1 pips. The IC Markets cTrader server has on average under 1ms latency to major VPS providers either collocated in the LD5 IBX data centre or through dedicated lines to nearby data centres. This low latency is ideal for automated and High-Frequency Trading and scalping. In addition, IC Markets sources prices from 25 different liquidity providers, ensuring low spreads around the clock.

Pros
  • Well regulated
  • Tight spreads
  • Wide range of assets
  • Great platform choice
Cons
  • High minimum deposit
  • Limited market analysis
AlertAccepts Nigerian Clients. Average spread EUR/USD 0.10 pips with 7 USD commission round turn on the trading account with lowest minimum deposit. Max leverage 500:1. Islamic account available. MT4, MT5 & cTrader platforms supported. IC Markets is regulated by CySEC, ASIC, and the FSA.

Skilling – Most Innovative cTrader Broker

Broker Score
4.374.37 / 5
🏦  Min. DepositUSD 100
🛡️  Regulated By
💵  Trading Cost 
USD 7
⚖️  Max. Leverage500:1
💹  Copy Trading
🖥️  Platforms
💱  Instruments 

Founded in 2018, Skilling is a CFD broker offering excellent trading conditions on Forex, crypto, indices, commodities and over 700 equities. With two simple account types, Skilling supports cTrader and its own trading platform which integrates directly with cTrader – an industry first. This seamless integration with the Skilling Trader platform can be achieved from a single account and offers cTrader users an alternative platform on mobile and via browser. 

Compared to other market makers, Skilling offers tight spreads – starting at 0.7 pips on its commission-free Standard Account. The Premium Account offers spreads averaging 0.2 pips on the EUR/USD and a commission of 3.5 USD per lot (7 USD round turn) which is the industry average. In addition, Skilling has some of the fastest execution speeds found at a cTrader broker, 0.05 seconds on average.

Pros
  • Copy trading accounts
  • Tight spreads
  • Great platform choice
Cons
  • No swap-free account option
  • Limited education
AlertAccepts Nigerian Clients. Average spread EUR/USD 0.70 pips on the trading account with lowest minimum deposit. Max leverage 500:1. MT4, Skilling, and cTrader platforms supported. Skilling is regulated by CySEC, the FCA, and the FSA-Seychelles.

FP Markets – Best cTrader Broker

Broker Score
4.404.40 / 5
🏦  Min. DepositAUD 100
🛡️  Regulated By
💵  Trading Cost 
USD 7
⚖️  Max. Leverage500:1
💹  Copy Trading
🖥️  Platforms
💱  Instruments 

A popular broker , FP Markets offers the cTrader platform on two simple accounts. The commission-free Standard Account has a minimum deposit requirement of 100 AUD (or equivalent) and a spread that starts at 1.0 pip (EUR/USD).

Its Raw Account, also with a minimum deposit of 100 AUD (or equivalent), has a spread that starts at 0 pips in exchange for a commission of 6 USD. These are some of the lowest trading costs in the industry.

FP Markets trading tools comprise VPS services, a Trader’s Toolbox for MT4 and MT5, Autochartist and Trading Central, one of the industry’s most powerful analysis tools. It also provides award-winning customer support available 24/7 via live chat, telephone, and email in seven languages.

Pros
  • Trusted since 2005 with top-tier regulation
  • 100 USD minimum deposit amount
  • Supports MT4 MT5 cTrader and TradingView
  • Spreads start at 1.0 pip and narrow to 0 pips with higher trading volumes
  • Welcoming South African traders with specific regulatory compliance
Cons
  • Notably higher withdrawal fees than competitors
  • Stock CFDs are Limited on MT4/MT5 and primarily available through IRESS
  • High leverage up to 500:1
  • posing risks for inexperienced traders
AlertAccepts Nigerian Clients. Average spread EUR/USD 0.10 pips on trading account with lowest minimum deposit. Max leverage 500:1. Islamic account available. MT4, MT5 & IRESS platforms supported. FP Markets is regulated by CySEC, ASIC and BVA FSC.

Fusion Markets – Low-cost Accounts, No Minimum Deposits, and Great Market Analysis

Broker Score
4.334.33 / 5
🏦  Min. DepositUSD 0
🛡️  Regulated By
💵  Trading Cost 
USD 4.50
⚖️  Max. Leverage30:1
💹  Copy Trading
🖥️  Platforms
💱  Instruments 

Founded in 2017, Fusion Markets is now one of a handful of brokers that offers the cTrader trading platform. Headquartered in Australia and ASIC-regulated, it offers two simple, low-cost accounts, neither of which has a minimum deposit requirement.

The commission-free Classic Account has a spread that starts at 0.8 pips (EUR/USD), while its Raw Account has a spread that starts at 0 pips in exchange for a commission of 4.5 USD. These are some of the lowest trading costs in the industry.

Fusion Markets also offers an excellent range of trading tools, including free VPS services and copy trading, and a broad range of market analysis materials.  

Pros
  • Low minimum deposits
  • Tight spreads
  • Excellent market analysis
Cons
  • No in-house platform
  • No education
AlertAccepts Nigerian Clients. Average spread EUR/USD 0 pips with 0 USD commission round turn on the trading account with lowest minimum deposit. Max leverage 30:1. Islamic account available. MT4, MT5, cTrader platforms supported. Fusion Markets is regulated by ASIC, FSA (Seychelles), & VFSC.

cTrader Platforms

cTrader offers three versions of its trading platform and while the same indicators, objects, layouts and themes are present across all three versions, there are minor changes to functionality:

cTrader Download: The desktop version is the most feature-complete version of cTrader, download the application for any Windows PC or laptop. Unfortunately, for Mac users, there is no native application and you will have to rely on cTrader Web or create a system partition to run Windows applications. It’s important to note that cTrader Copy will only run in the Web version,

cTrader Web: The cTrader Web version is almost as feature-complete as the desktop version except for a few changes. Charts are locked, so they cannot move up and down and cTrader Automate is unavailable.

cTrader Mobile: Available on iOS and Android, the cTrader mobile app is perfect for traders on the go and has 26 timeframes and over 50 indicators available. Charts have been redesigned for mobile with features such as pinch-to-zoom, fling to scroll forward or backwards, and double-tap to re-centre.

What is cTrader?

Before we launch into a discussion of cTrader, I want to mention a little-known fact: 35% more cTrader users are profitable compared to the industry average. This amazing statistic comes from Spotware’s internal calculations and highlights why cTrader has become MetaTrader’s main competitor. But what is it about cTrader that makes traders more profitable?

How is cTrader different?

Unlike MetaTrader and most other broker-owned platforms, cTrader only functions as an ECN (Electronic Communication Network) platform. This means that it will only connect traders direct to the global Forex market and won’t allow for any dealing desk intervention, whether automated or not. This is because all the infrastructure behind cTrader is managed by Spotware themselves and the interface you download from your broker, is just that, an interface. The broker can alter commission and spreads, but the price feed and market data cannot be modified.

It’s important to note that because cTrader is an ECN only platform, traders will invariably have to pay a commission on their trades when using it. Because cTrader posts trades to market, brokers do not have an opportunity to charge a fee in the spread and will always charge a commission instead for their service.

Because cTrader’s infrastructure is managed by Spotware, the cTrader ID you receive when you first log in to the application will never change. This is especially useful as you won’t have to remember new passwords or account numbers, even if you change brokers.

cTrader is also offered to brokers on a platform-as-a-service basis and brokers pay Spotware based on volume traded, meaning that the more traders succeed with cTrader, the more Spotware profits. The result is that Spotware has a real incentive to provide traders with the best chance to trade profitably.

These differences are all enshrined in Spotware’s founding motto: Trader’s First. This guiding mindset has led Spotware to not only ensure that cTrader is an intervention-free platform but also forced them to make transparency and community focus an integral part of cTrader’s business model.

cTrader Forum

The cTrader forum is a place for all cTrader users to post suggestions to the developers for new features for the platform, get support from the community and stay on top of any product announcements and other news. Spotware continuously improves the cTrader with enhancements stemming mostly from community feedback, this regular interaction with traders results in several platform updates and upgrades a year.

cTrader ID Site

The cTrader ID Site is a personalised toolbox for anyone holding a cTrader ID and provides traders with several tools to control their accounts and connect to other traders, apps, and resources.

Standout features include:

  • Credential management: traders can view a list of demo and live trading accounts they own with each broker under the same cTrader ID.
  • Push Notifications: Traders can alter email and mobile push notifications regarding changes and events on their trading accounts.
  • Security: Allows traders to view and revoke active sessions and control which devices are authorised to use cTrader.

cTrader vs MT4

Advocates of cTrader will tell you that it is more beginner-friendly than MT4 and offers high-speed execution with a cleaner user interface. Those who have used both platforms will probably agree with this statement, but in the interest of balance, here are some of the main advantages and disadvantages

cTrader Advantages

  • Your platform needn’t be open and connected to your broker to keep a trailing stop loss functioning like with MT4.
  • The ‘Depth of Market’ function is easier to use (colour-coded and different profiles available) than MT4’s.
  • cTrader has several features that make the platform more user-friendly than MT4. For example, on the right side the chart there is a distance scale in pips (e.g. 50 pips). This is useful for beginners because it gives them an idea of what 50 pips looks like without having to use the crosshair tool to take measurements.
  • cTrader’s data sets (for backtesting trading robots) are more complete than MT4’s and support real tick data backtesting. MT4 often doesn’t have real tick data available.
  • cTrader’s crosshair tool measures pips while MT4 measures points. This makes it easier to make measurements, especially for a beginner. If you measure 50 pips with cTrader, you see 50. If you measure with MT4, you see 500.
  • cTrader has a built-in copy trading feature.
  • cTrader has a FIX API and its coding language is more versatile than MQL4. The FIX API allows for total portfolio management with a trading bot. For example, a trader could perform cross-instrument trading with a statistical arbitrage robot. This type of trading is not possible with MT4 because each EA only performs calculations on one chart window at a time.

cTrader Disadvantages

  • The minimum lot sizing on some stock index CFDs (e.g. GER30) are inconsistent with forex pairs and some other stock indices.
  • Frequent updates can cause delays when you open the platform, this can be problem if you need to manage a position urgently from your desktop.
  • The MT4 community is much larger than that of cTrader. On the MT4 platform, you can access thousands of EAs and online forums have much more information

Should I choose cTrader?

cTrader is a welcome alternative for traders who want a cross-broker trading platform, that has a reputation for transparency, rapid product development and high-speed trade execution.

With clear improvements in trade management and visual aesthetics in comparison to MetaTrader 4, traders who trade with cTrader tend to stick with the choice.

Because cTrader does not support market maker brokers, it will never be an industry standard, but for those willing to pay commission on trades it is a great platform choice.

Forex Risk Disclaimer

Trading Forex and CFDs is not suitable for all investors as it carries a high degree of risk to your capital: 75-90% of retail investors lose money trading these products. Forex and CFD transactions involve high risk due to the following factors: Leverage, market volatility, slippage arising from a lack of liquidity, inadequate trading knowledge or experience, and a lack of regulatory protection. Traders should not deposit any money that is not considered disposable income. Regardless of how much research you have done or how confident you are in your trade, there is always a substantial risk of loss. (Learn more about these risks from the UK’s regulator, the FCA, or the Australian regulator, ASIC).

Our Rating & Review Methodology

Our State of the Market Report and Directory of CFD Brokers to Avoid are the result of extensive research on over 180 Forex brokers. These resources help traders find the best Forex brokers – and steer them away from the worst ones. These resources have been compiled using over 200 data points on each broker and over 3000 hours of research. Our team conducts all research independently: Testing brokers, gathering information from broker representatives and sifting through legal documents. Learn more about how we rank brokers.

Editorial Team

 

Chris Cammack
Head of Content

Chris joined the company in 2019 after ten years experience in research, editorial and design for political and financial publications. His background has given him a deep knowledge of international financial markets and the geopolitics that affects them. Chris has a keen eye for editing and a voracious appetite for financial and political current affairs. He ensures that our content across all sites meets the standards of quality and transparency that our readers expect.

 

Alison Heyerdahl
Senior Financial Writer

Alison joined the team as a writer in 2021. She has a medical degree with a focus on physiotherapy and a bachelor’s in psychology. However, her interest in forex trading and her love for writing led her to switch careers, and she now has over eight years experience in research and content development. She has tested and reviewed 100+ brokers and has a great understanding of the Forex trading world.

 

Ida Hermansen
Financial Writer

Ida joined our team as a financial writer in 2023. She has a degree in Digital Marketing and a background in content writing and SEO. In addition to her marketing and writing skills, Ida also has an interest in cryptocurrencies and blockchain networks. Her interest in crypto trading led to a wider fascination with Forex technical analysis and price movement. She continues to develop her skills and knowledge in Forex trading and keeps a close eye on which Forex brokers offer the best trading environments for new traders.

 

Vanessa Marcos
Financial Writer

Vanessa joined the team in 2023. Born and raised in southern Portugal, she has a BA in Journalism and a Master’s in Literary Theory, both from Lisbon University. Since 2011, she has worked in social media, copywriting, content management, ghost-writing, and SEO. Vanessa loves to write, and although she is a generalist in digital marketing, she always draws on her creativity in her work. She is constantly researching new subjects and finds the analytical depth of Forex trading fascinating.

 

Others Also Visit

Scroll for more detailsPreviousNext
Visit
AvaTrade
4.59 /5
Read Review
Visit
Pepperstone
4.61 /5
Read Review
Visit
Exness
4.32 /5
Read Review
Visit
FXTM
4.37 /5
Read Review
Visit
HFM (HotForex)
4.53 /5
Read Review
Visit

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