FOREX.com

Yes, founded in 2001, FOREX.com is operated by StoneX Group Inc., a publicly listed financial services company, and is regulated by multiple major financial authorities worldwide, including:

• The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) of the United Kingdom – Gain Capital UK Ltd (FRN 113942)
• The Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) – StoneX Financial Pty Ltd (AFSL No. 345646)
• The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) – StoneX Financial Pte Ltd
• The Financial Services Authority (FSA) of Japan – Gain Capital Japan Ltd

Client Protection Measures: FOREX.com implements several measures to enhance client security:

• Segregation of Funds: Client funds are held in segregated bank accounts in accordance with applicable regulatory client-money rules.
• Negative Balance Protection: Provided where required by local regulations, ensuring retail clients cannot lose more than their deposited funds.
• Public Company Oversight: As part of StoneX Group Inc., FOREX.com benefits from the additional transparency and financial reporting requirements associated with a publicly listed parent company.

NOTE: These protections depends on region and jurisdiction and may not apply to all traders.

Overview: Under its international entity, FOREX.com provides access to a broad range of CFD markets across Forex, indices, commodities, metals, shares, and cryptocurrencies. Margin requirements are published on the broker’s official margin schedule, and maximum leverage can be derived from those requirements (leverage is approximately the inverse of margin).

• Forex (up to 200:1 on majors): Many major currency pairs, such as EUR/USD, are listed with a minimum margin requirement of 0.5%, implying maximum leverage of approximately 200:1. Minor and exotic pairs typically carry higher margin requirements, resulting in lower effective leverage.
• Indices (up to 200:1, in some cases 400:1): Several major indices are listed with margin requirements of 0.5%, implying leverage of around 200:1. Some indices are listed as low as 0.25% margin, which implies leverage of up to approximately 400:1.
• Commodities (up to 100:1): Most commodity CFDs are listed with margin requirements of around 1%, which implies leverage of approximately 100:1. More volatile instruments, such as certain natural gas contracts, may require higher margin.
• Metals (up to 200:1): Gold is commonly listed at a 0.5% margin requirement, implying leverage of approximately 200:1. Other metals are typically listed at around 1% margin, implying leverage of approximately 100:1.
• Stock CFDs: Margin requirements for share CFDs vary by instrument and exchange. These requirements are generally higher than those for Forex or indices, resulting in lower effective leverage compared to major currency pairs.
• Cryptocurrencies (up to 2:1) Cryptocurrency CFDs are listed with margin requirements of 50%, implying maximum leverage of approximately 2:1. This reflects the higher volatility and risk profile of digital assets.

Note: Margin requirements may increase for larger position sizes under a step-margin structure. Margin requirements may also differ depending on the platform used, including MetaTrader platforms. Products, services, and leverage conditions depend on the regulated entity holding the account and may vary according to the trader’s country of residence and client classification.

FOREX.com’s account-opening process is seamless and hassle-free compared to other market makers.

Overview: FOREX.com offers several live account types designed to accommodate different trading styles, pricing preferences, and platform choices. Traders can choose between the Standard Account, the Raw Spread Account, and dedicated MetaTrader Accounts, all of which require a minimum deposit of 100 USD. While pricing structures vary between commission-free and commission-based models, platform availability is a key differentiator across the account types.

Standard Account

• Pricing Model: Commission-free trading with variable spreads.
• Minimum Deposit: 100 USD.
• Typical Spreads: Variable spreads from as low as 0.70 pips on EUR/USD.
• Ideal For: Retail traders seeking a straightforward, commission-free pricing structure with access to multiple trading platforms.
• Platform Availability:
  • FOREX.com proprietary trading platform
  • MetaTrader 4 (MT4)
  • MetaTrader 5 (MT5)
• Key Benefits: A simple cost structure with no commission charges, competitive variable spreads, and full access to both proprietary and MetaTrader platforms.

Raw Spread Account

• Pricing Model: Commission-based pricing with variable raw spreads.
• Minimum Deposit: 100 USD.
• Commission: 10 USD round turn per lot traded.
• Typical Spreads: Spreads on EUR/USD can be as low as 0.0 pips.
• Ideal For: Active traders and scalpers who prioritise ultra-tight spreads and are comfortable paying a fixed commission per trade.
• Platform Availability:
  • FOREX.com proprietary trading platform
  • MetaTrader 5 (MT5)
• Key Benefits: Access to raw spreads from 0.0 pips combined with transparent commission pricing, designed for spread-sensitive trading strategies.

MetaTrader Accounts

• Pricing Model: Commission-free trading with variable spreads.
• Minimum Deposit: 100 USD.
• Typical Spreads: Spreads start at 1 pip on EUR/USD.
• Ideal For: Traders who prefer trading exclusively on MetaTrader platforms.
• Platform Availability:
  • MetaTrader 4 (MT4)
  • MetaTrader 5 (MT5)
  • Important Consideration: Choosing MT4 may limit the range of tradable assets compared to other platform options.
• Key Benefits: Commission-free trading within the familiar MetaTrader environment.

Demo Accounts

• Availability: The Standard and Raw Spread Accounts are available as demo accounts.
• Expiry: Demo accounts expire after 30 days, after which traders are required to open a live account.
• Purpose: Provides traders with a real-time trading environment that reflects live market conditions, allowing them to test strategies before committing real capital.

Comparing the Account Options

The Standard Account is suited to traders seeking commission-free pricing with access to both proprietary and MetaTrader platforms. The Raw Spread Account is designed for active traders who prefer ultra-tight spreads and accept commission charges in exchange for lower all-in trading costs. The MetaTrader Accounts cater specifically to traders who want to operate exclusively within MT4 or MT5, while accepting slightly wider spreads. Demo versions of the Standard and Raw Spread accounts allow traders to test platform functionality and trading conditions before opening a live account.

Beginner traders should be aware that there is some loss in functionality when compared to desktop trading platforms, including reduced timeframes and fewer charting options.  

FOREX.com Mobile App

The FOREX.com app offers the best features available on the desktop version, including the complete range of order types, trade analysis, and watchlists. Other features include advanced Trading Tools, which track performance analytics and provide market insight. 

MT4 and MT5

The MT4 and MT5 mobile apps allow traders to close and modify existing orders, calculate profit and loss in real-time and allow tick chart trading.  

TradingView

TradingView is available on mobile and desktop for both Android and iOS. One of the most advanced charting platforms, the mobile app allows traders to open and close positions, modify stop-losses and take profits, deposit and withdraw funds, and analyse their trades. 

Overall, FOREX.com’s mobile apps are user-friendly and well-designed and offer most of the features available on the desktop versions.  

FOREX.com offers four desktop trading platforms 

Forex.com offers its own platform, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, and TradingView. All platforms offer fast trading and advanced charting tools, including Expert Advisors, automated trading support, strategy backtesting, customisable charting, and a number of indicators.

The platforms are free to use and can be downloaded to your PC and all have web versions of the platform. They are also available on mobile Android and iOS devices.

FOREX.com Platform

The most powerful version of the Forex.com platform is the downloadable desktop client which offers professional analytics tools, over 100 predefined indicators, 15 time frames, and trading directly on charts. It also allows 6 order types, including Market Order, Entry Order, Stop Order, Limit Order, One Cancels Other, and Guaranteed Stop Loss Orders. The desktop version of the platform is better suited to more experienced traders. The Forex.com platform is also available in your browser, with slightly decreased functionality, sacrificing customisability for simplicity.

MetaTrader 4

The MT4 trading platform is the most widely used Forex trading platform and can also be used to trade other instruments like commodities, cryptocurrency, stock index, and stock CFDs. Though it now shows its age, MT4 is still very popular for its auto trading features that enable algorithmic trading and strategy backtesting with expert advisors (trading robots).

Unlike most standard MetaTrader 4 platforms you will find at other brokers, Forex.com’s MT4 comes with fully integrated Reuters news, Forex.com’s research and analysis, and Trading Central.

MetaTrader 5

The MT5 trading platform is being adopted by more Forex brokers all the time. It has a more modern interface, allows for an unlimited number of charts to be used, shows Depth of Market and has a built-in Economic Calendar. It also has more pending order types than MT4 and features an embedded chat system. In addition, the MQL5 scripting language is more efficient than its precursor and MT5 has more advanced charting tools than MT4.

Trading View

Forex.com recently added TradingView to its arsenal of trading platforms.  TradingView is free of charge for traders who open a live account.  It is an excellent platform for researching, charting, and screening instruments.  Additional features of Forex.com’s TradingView include:

• 50+ intelligent charting tools
• Over 100,000 custom user-built indicators and scripts
• Synchronised layout for multiple charts
• Advanced drawing tools
• Ten chart types.

Trading Tools

FOREX.com offers several useful trading tools, including SMART Signals, Performance Analytics, Market 360, and Trading Central.

SMART Signals

FOREX.com offers SMART Signals, a technical analysis tool that provides live trade ideas by harnessing the power of trading algorithms. It also allows traders to see how SMART Signals have performed in the past so that they can decide how they may perform in the future.

Performance Analytics

This tool, powered by Chasing Returns, analyses trader behaviour according to science. This assists new traders in figuring out the psychology of trading, and is also a great tool for seasoned traders to make some difficult decisions. 

Trading Central

Trading Central is a third-party tool available to clients who register a live account. Its professional analysts use the most advanced technical analysis tools in the industry to curate relevant information. This tool essentially supports traders without the technical know-how to make trading decisions.  Trading Central is one of the most popular trading tools available and provides excellent market analysis, and FOREX.com is proud to offer this service to its clients.

VPS

For traders with a minimum 5000 USD balance, Forex.com supplies free VPS hosting, allowing for a more complete automated trading strategy. It allows traders to run automated algorithmic strategies, including expert advisors 24 hours a day 7 days a week on a virtual machine. VPS services have the advantage of never suffering connectivity issues and have extremely low latency due to their proximity to major international exchanges. 

Trading Tools Comparison

Broker

Economic Calendar

Autochartist

Trading Central

Trading View

Free VPS

VPS services are usually offered free with a minimum trade volume, otherwise a monthly subscription fee will apply. VPS services are usually hosted by third-party companies.

FOREX.com

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

BlackBull Markets

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

FBS

Yes

No

No

No

Yes

A well-regulated broker, FOREX.com ensures that all Anti-Money Laundering rules and regulations are followed, and as such, all withdrawals are returned to the deposit source. 

Accepted Deposit Currencies: At FOREX.com, you can choose from three base currencies: USD, GBP, and EUR.

Funding Methods: FOREX.com accepts deposits and withdrawals via VISA, Mastercard, PayPal, and Bank Transfer.

Overall, FOREX.com has a limited range of funding methods compared to other large international brokers, but no fees are charged, and its processing times are fast.

The education section at FOREX.com has obviously been designed by an experienced team of Forex educators. It is intended to slowly build confidence and help beginners learn how to trade forex with a wealth of educational tools and online resources.

The first thing new traders will find is a Self-assessment Quiz, which will help beginners identify where they are at in their trading journey. From here you can link off to three different sections of educational material: Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced. You can also check out individual themes, such as technical analysis and risk management.

Each section is clear, concise, and carefully tailored to the experience level of the trader. All the educational resources are free to all visitors of FOREX.com’s site.

FOREX.com has one of the best market research and analysis sections we have reviewed. Posts by the in-house research team and detailed and cover all aspects of the financial markets. Full of trading opportunities and insightful analysis, it is no surprise that the FOREX.com X (Twitter) feed has over 230k followers.

Posts can be filtered by author, market, theme, or trending topics, and the site is updated multiple times a day. Also, in the analytical section, you can find a good economic calendar and a very helpful pivot point calculator for on-the-fly technical analysis.

Like most brokers, customer support is available 24/5 (from 10 am Sunday to 5 pm Friday) via phone, email, and live chat. While English is FOREX.com’s main support language, support is also available in Arabic, Ukrainian, Polish, Russian, and Chinese, depending on the availability.

For this review, we found the customer support responsive and well-informed.