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Demo accounts are multi-purpose tools. They are the best way for beginner traders to learn how to trade the Forex market without risking any of their own money. But demo accounts are also important for traders who want to test new strategies in a risk-free environment. It’s important that demo accounts never expire because new strategies will always need to be tested, and beginners should never be forced into live trading before they feel ready. Whatever your reason for opening a demo account, all the brokers on this list also have excellent education and low costs on their entry-level accounts.
According to our testing and our research, these are the best Forex demo accounts in Nigeria for 2023.
Founded in Ireland in 2006, AvaTrade is a well-regulated broker with a free demo account available on the broker’s webtrader platform, MT4, MT5 and its mobile app, AvaTradeGO. South African traders can trade 1250+ instruments, including Forex, cryptocurrency, stocks, commodities, and indices. Voted the best Forex Trading App 2020, the AvaTradeGO mobile app has a sophisticated dashboard, complete with a set of intuitive management tools, clear zoomable charts, and many more helpful features.
Accepts Nigerian Clients. Average spread EUR/USD 0.90 pips on trading account with lowest minimum deposit. Max leverage 400:1. Islamic account available. MT4 & MT5 platforms supported. AvaTrade Group regulated by ASIC, FSCA, B.V.I FSC & FSA.Pepperstone, headquartered in Melbourne, is internationally recognised for its high-speed trading execution, and an offering for beginners that most ECN brokers don’t have. Free demo accounts at Pepperstone allow clients to trade 80+ Forex pairs on their choice of MT4, MT5 and cTrader platforms, and 24/7 customer support. The demo account expires after 30 days unless you have a live account, in which case you can request a non-expiry demo account.
The demo and the live account are the same in performance and conditions, except the demo account comprises 500,000 USD in virtual funds. The minimum deposit on the live account is 100 AUD, with spreads on EUR/USD as low as 0.09 pip and a commission of 0.0 USD per lot giving a total trading cost 6.90 USD per lot.
A demo account should be used as a learning tool in conjunction with studying how to trade. Pepperstone’s education section called Learn to Trade Forex helps traders get started with some of the technical concepts, while a section called Trading Guides supports traders with issues that they will confront every day; how to keep a trading journal, develop a trading plan and manage risk.
Accepts Nigerian Clients. Average spread EUR/USD 0.60 pips with 0.0 USD commission round turn on the trading account with lowest minimum deposit. Max leverage 400:1. Islamic account available. MT4, MT5 & cTrader platforms supported. Pepperstone Group is regulated by the FCA, ASIC, and the DFSA.Regulated by the FSCA in South Africa since 2016, FXTM is a hybrid market maker/ECN broker offering trading on Forex, commodities, metals, stocks, and indices. The free demo account at FXTM allows clients to trade 60 Forex pairs on their choice of the MT4 or MT5 trading platforms. The FXTM demo account never expires and is available as an option on all account types, including FXTM’s market execution Advantage and Advantage Plus Accounts.
Accepts Nigerian Clients. Average spread EUR/USD 1.50 pips on trading account with lowest minimum deposit. Max leverage 2000:1. Islamic account available. MT4 & MT5 platforms supported. Leverage offered can vary depending on country of residence, and your trading knowledge and experience. FXTM is regulated by CySEC, FCA, FSCA, and the FSC.Exness is a popular broker with over 200,000 clients worldwide, offering trading on 100+ Forex pairs, a small range of cryptocurrencies, 70+ stock CFDs, indices and commodities. Exness has nine trading account types on the MT4 and MT5 trading platforms – many more than most brokers. All but one of these accounts are available as demo accounts, giving beginner traders a great range of trading platforms, pricing, and executions methods to experiment with. Demo accounts automatically come with 10,000 USD in demo funds to trade with and this can be increased from inside your trading dashboard. There is no difference in the market conditions between demo accounts and real accounts, and with 100 demo accounts allowed on each of the trading platforms, there is almost no limit to the number of strategies that can be tested.
The only account not available as a demo account is the Standard Cent Account, which is already one of the lowest-risk live accounts available, it has a minimum deposit of only 1 USD and much lower trading fees than most cent accounts, with spreads as low as 0.3 pips.
Accepts Nigerian Clients. Average spread EUR/USD 0.70 pips on trading account with lowest minimum deposit. Max leverage Unlimited:1. Islamic account available. MT4 & MT5 platforms supported. Exness is regulated by CySEC, FCA, and the FSC.HFM is an FSCA-regulated STP broker with low-cost accounts for Nigerian traders and trading products including Forex, commodities, indices, shares, bonds, and ETFs. The HFM demo account never expires and comes with 100,000 USD preloaded on both MT4 and MT5. But the MT4 Demo Account experience is the standout here; with access to expert advisors for auto-trading and over 50 built-in indicators, this is the better MT4 demo experience for new traders.
Accepts Nigerian Clients. Average spread EUR/USD 1.00 pips on trading account with lowest minimum deposit. Max leverage 1000:1. Islamic account available. MT4 & MT5 platforms supported. HF Markets Group regulated by the FSCA, FCA, FSC, CySEC and the DFSA.IC Markets is rare amongst brokers, as it provides a welcoming environment for beginner traders looking for an MT4 demo account with ECN conditions. In addition, the IC Markets demo account does not expire unless you are inactive for 30 days and can also be topped up by customer support.
IC Markets offers two Raw Spread Accounts and a Standard Account, all with variable spreads, on the MT4 platform. The Raw Spread Accounts charge a small commission of 3.50 USD, but spreads are often down to 0 pips, averaging 0.1 pips on the EUR/USD pair. The Standard Account charges no commission but spreads start at 1 pip. IC Markets also offers an archive of structured course material, detailed independent market analysis, and expert-led webinars. IC Markets also provides excellent 24/7 technical support for both the MT4 platform and more general queries.
Accepts 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.Awarded the Global Forex Broker of the Year 2020 in the Global Forex Awards, XM is a market maker offering trading on Forex, stock CFDs, commodities, equities, precious metals and energies. It also has a low-cost stockbroking service. The demo account at XM is funded with a 100,000 USD virtual balance, does not expire after a set time, and is available on both the MT4 and MT5 platforms. XM’s MT5 Demo Account is aimed at traders who want to trade more than just Forex:
Accepts Nigerian Clients. Average spread EUR/USD 0.70 pips on trading account with lowest minimum deposit. Max leverage 888:1. Islamic account available. MT4 & MT5 platforms supported. XM Group regulated by CySEC, ASIC, and the IFSC.FBS is a well-regulated broker offering trading on multiple assets, including Forex, metals, energies, indices, crypto, and stocks. FBS’ free demo account allows traders to test out trading strategies on MT4, MT5, and the FBS Trader platforms with virtual money under real trading conditions. Demo accounts expire after 90 days of inactivity, and then they are automatically deleted. Clients can open a new account if this happens.
Demo accounts are available on all 6 of FBS’ account types, including the Cent and Micro, aimed at beginners. But FBS offers account types to suit traders of all experience levels and allows leverage of up to 3000:1 on three of its accounts. Trading costs can be higher than other brokers on some of its account options, with spreads as wide as 3 pips (EUR/USD) on its Micro Account and a 20 USD per lot commission on its Zero Spread Account. Trading costs are significantly lower on the Cent and Standard accounts, with spreads down to 0.8 pips on the EUR/USD.
Accepts Nigerian Clients. Average spread EUR/USD 0.80 pips on trading account with lowest minimum deposit. Max leverage 3000:1. Islamic account available. MT4 & MT5 platforms supported. FBS is regulated by ASIC, CySEC, the FSCA, and the IFSC.FxPro is a reputable and strongly regulated broker – one of the biggest brands in the business. With a wide range of trading platforms supported, cTrader access is what sets the platform choice apart from many. The cTrader demo account, available on desktop and Android/iOS mobile apps, is loaded with $100,000 in virtual funds and expires after 180 days.
FxPro has a single live account type with 70 Forex pairs to trade. In addition, all trading platforms at FxPro offer indices, energies, metals, shares to traders. Open the live account with a minimum deposit of 100 USD, once submitting your paperwork for verification.
A comparatively light education section includes thin trading courses for beginner and advanced traders as well as a section for webinars that have not yet materialised but shows the potential of things to come. An economic calendar, calculators and trading news cap off the support offered. While education material exists, the true draw for FxPro is the cTrader support at a reputable brokerage.
Accepts 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.
4.29 / 5| 🏦 Min. Deposit | USD 0 |
| 🛡️ Regulated By | CySEC, FCA, DFSA, IFSC |
| 💵 Trading Cost | USD 7 |
| ⚖️ Max. Leverage | 500:1 |
| 💹 Copy Trading | Yes |
| 🖥️ Platforms | xStation5 |
| 💱 Instruments | Commodities, Cryptocurrencies, Stock CFDs, ETFs, Forex, Indices |
XTB offers trading on over 2100 financial assets including Forex, indices, commodities, stock CFDs, ETF CFDs, and cryptocurrencies. The XTB demo account automatically expires after 30 days, but a new one can be re-opened at any time and there is no limit on the number of demo accounts that can be opened. The XTB demo account gives traders an opportunity to familiarise themselves with XTB’s platform, xStation 5. xStation 5 is an intuitive and award-winning platform that shows sentiment data and offers powerful charting tools, one-click trading, and real-time performance statistics so traders can identify areas for improvement.
Accepts Nigerian Clients. Average spread EUR/USD 0.70 pips on the trading account with lowest minimum deposit. Max leverage 500:1. Islamic account available. xStation5 platform supported. XTB Group is regulated by CySEC, FCA, the DFSA, and the IFSCA demo account is a virtual Forex trading account designed for beginners. A demo account is the same as a real account, except for the money in the account. A real Forex account is funded by the trader, but a demo account has virtual money provided by the broker.
Real accounts are funded with real money by the trader, demo accounts are funded with virtual money by the broker
This virtual money can only be used in the demo account and cannot be converted into real money. Because they work the same way as real accounts, traders with demo accounts will face real market conditions.
Demo accounts simulate real market conditions
Demo accounts are always free. This works for both traders and brokers: Trader get hands-on experience before making a deposit and brokers want new traders to have a good time trading without any risk. This makes it more likely for a new trader to open a live account.
Demo accounts are always free
Demo accounts also offer traders the opportunity to practice what they have learned. Demo accounts are used by experienced traders to test new strategies, new trading robots and new trading platforms. Traders should always keep their demo account open.
Traders should always keep a demo account open
Demo accounts are all about learning. When comparing demo accounts new traders should also look at how a broker helps beginners. Other things to consider are:
Traders should choose a Forex demo account that never expires. Some brokers will only offer demo accounts for a short period of time, sometimes as short as one week.
Choose a Forex demo account that never expires
Demo accounts that never expire allow you to practice at your own pace. You are not under pressure to complete your education within a set time. With a demo account that never expires, you can also continue your trading education once you have a live account.
Demo accounts remain open for different lengths of time depending on the broker but generally vary in length from 7 days to unlimited.
FXTM, Plus500 and XM all offer demo accounts that never expire.
When choosing a demo account, it is also important to think about what trading platform you will be learning to use.
Choose a demo account on the trading platform you want to use
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) is supported by nearly every Forex broker and is a good, user-friendly platform for beginners to start with. Because it is so widely supported there are many online tutorials and guides for beginners.
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) is similar to MT4 but has extended features and a more modern interface. cTrader is another popular platform, though is less widely available.
The most popular trading platforms are MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5 and cTrader
FXPro, Pepperstone and OctaFX all offer demo accounts for all three platforms (MT4, MT5 and cTrader).
It is important to reiterate that demo accounts are simulations of live accounts. For the true trading experience, you should open a demo account with the same minimum trade size as you would use in your live account.
If you plan to be doing a lot of mobile trading, it makes sense to open a demo Forex account on a mobile app as well. Make sure that the trading app works well on your mobile phone.
Choose a demo account that works well on your mobile phone
Mobile trading apps have evolved a lot over the years since the first ones became available a decade ago. To a large extent, the functionalities of Forex demo accounts available on desktop platform terminals are now captured by mobile apps.
Use a Forex demo account so that you will not lose any money while you are learning. Forex is a high-risk venture and 70-90% of traders will lose money. It is really that simple.
You cannot lose real money with a demo account
Of course, you will not make any profits either. But beginner traders rarely profit by jumping straight into a real account.
Yes, there is a (very) small chance you will be lucky and make a profit. But this is no better than gambling. And like gambling, the house always wins in the end: You may make a profit once or a few times, but eventually, you will lose.
Being profitable depends on how well you know the Forex market and your ability to use your trading platform correctly. It also depends on the performance of your Forex trading strategy.
Use a demo account to learn how to trade, gain platform experience and perfect your strategy
When you are learning to trade Forex with a demo account, these are the concepts you should cover as part of your practice sessions.
Leverage is money borrowed from your Forex broker which allows you to open much larger trades than you would with just your own money. The margin is the deposit required from you to open a trade. This is real money taken from your trading account.
Leverage is money borrowed from your broker to increase the size of your trade
Calculating how much you will borrow and how much you will need to deposit when opening a trade is an important part of managing your risk. This means understanding how leverage and margin can affect the size of your orders.
You should go through the list of currency pairs and know which ones are the major pairs, minor pairs, and exotic pairs. Understand how they are priced and why exotic pairs have a larger range of movement than major currencies.
Exotic pairs have a larger range and wider spreads than major pairs
It is also important to know the spreads for each currency pair you plan to trade and to discover whether they are fixed or variable.
Forex is about buying and selling currencies, but there are various ways to do this. The different ways to buy and sell currencies are called order types.
The two common order types are buy and sell. These are instant orders to buy or sell a currency pair at market price. Then there are limit orders, stop orders and pending orders. Each one of these has variations that can give traders an edge, depending on the market situation. They can also be combined to better manage risk.
Each order type has its own purpose, and they can be combined
Traders should also know how to set the prices for pending orders and set the expiration time for execution of pending orders.
Reading and modifying charts is an essential part of Forex trading. You will need to understand how to change time frames and how to add indicators and oscillators to the charts.
Charting is an essential part of Forex trading
You will also need to understand how plug-in tools work. Autochartist is a tool that plugs-in directly to MT4, MT5, and cTrader and helps you detect chart patterns and trading opportunities.
Fundamental analysis is the study of how news events affect price action and volatility. Most brokers will have an economic calendar with the upcoming data releases for the major economies but trading unpredictable geopolitical events, such as Brexit or the Covid-19 pandemic, is a very tricky business.
Trading geopolitical events, like the Covid-19 pandemic, is a tricky business
You will need to learn how each currency pair that is listed on the news calendar responds to high-impact news releases. Once you understand a currency pair’s response you can learn to trade the initial spikes when news is released.
Technical analysis is the study of historical price movement to predict future price movement. Technical analysis occurs almost entirely on charts. Each platform comes with a variety of line tools, Fibonacci tools and other tools necessary for chart studies.
Technical analysis is the study of historical price movement to predict future price movement
With a Forex demo account, you can learn how to use these tools to plot support levels, resistance levels, chart patterns, retracement and extension levels, and create trade alerts.
Learning starts with understanding your Forex trading platform and its features. Before you start trading with real money you should be able to answer all the following questions about your platform:
For this reason, you should use the same platform for your demo account and your live account.
Use the same trading platform for your demo account and your live account
You should also use the same amount of virtual money in your demo account that you will fund your live account with. By doing this you can use the same lot sizes and other parameters to mimic the exact conditions that you will face in live trading.
More than 98% of Forex brokers offer demo accounts on the MetaTrader 4 (MT4) platform. However, the MetaTrader 5 (MT5) and cTrader platforms are also available for those who want extended functions such as algo trading (cTrader) or a Depth of Market (DOM) tool (MT5).
More than 98% of Forex brokers offer demo accounts for the MT4 platform
Some brokers also offer their own platforms. While these are often easier to use for beginners, you should only use them for demo trading if you plan to open a real account on the same platform.
Once you have mastered the use of the trading platform, it is time to use your demo Forex account to test your strategies and to learn the best use of indicators and Forex robots.
The emphasis is not to give yourself a false sense of security by just posting profits, but to understand how each indicator works. You also need to find out how well your indicators and robots work in live market conditions. You will also need some theoretical knowledge of the categories of indicators available and how they are used.
Unfortunately, the answer to this is: You cannot.
A drawback of Forex demo accounts is the reduced psychological impact when using them. When traders know that no real money is involved and nothing is at stake, they disconnect from the seriousness of the situation – it is human nature.
Trading with a demo account does not have the same psychological impact as trading with a real account.
However, when real money is involved, traders will find anxiety and self-doubt to be near-constant companions. Forex trading with a demo account cannot prepare you for dealing with these emotions, and you should be aware of this psychological challenge.
Furthermore, slippages and requotes that can occur in real money trading do not exist when using a demo Forex account.
Opening a demo account only takes a few minutes. To get started:
Here is a video tutorial showing how to open a demo account.
The best MT4 demo accounts offer real market conditions, premium charting packages for free, give beginner traders access to educational content, and trading using mobile phone applications.
We have a guide to setting up MT4 should you need the assistance getting started and more detail where we compare MT4 Forex brokers side-by-side.
If you are new to trading and don’t know how Forex trading works, it is wise to start your reading here, and then move off to learning to trade Forex, how to compare Forex brokers and how to open a trading account.
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: Over-leveraging, unpredictable market volatility, slippage arising from a lack of liquidity, inadequate trading knowledge or experience, and a lack of regulatory protection for clients.
Traders should not deposit any money that is not disposable. 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 from the FCA or from ASIC)
Our State of the Market Report and Broker Directory are the result of extensive research on over 180 Forex brokers. The explicit goal of these resources is to help traders find the best Forex brokers – and steer them away from the worst ones – with the benefit of accurate and up-to-date information.
With over 200 data points on each broker and over 3000 hours of research and review writing, we believe we have succeeded in our goal.
In a world where trading conditions and customer support can vary based on where you live, our broker reviews focus on the local trader and give you information about these brokers from your perspective.
All research has been conducted by our in-house team of researchers and writers, gathering information from various company representatives, websites and by sifting through the fine print. Learn more about how we rank brokers.
FCA proposes stricter rules for contract for difference products – Press Release – Published: 06/12/2016 – https://www.fca.org.uk/news/press-releases/fca-proposes-stricter-rules-contract-difference-products
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