BrokerNotes.co is committed to the highest ethical standards and reviews services independently. Learn How We Make Money

Best Zero Spread Forex Brokers of 2024

Steven Hatzakis

Written by Steven Hatzakis
Edited by John Bringans
Fact-checked by Joey Shadeck

October 04, 2024

Zero-spread forex trading does not mean zero-cost forex trading. The same goes for low spreads - just because a broker claims low average spreads (or even a zero spread), it doesn't mean that you can count on your trading costs being lower. Remember: Some zero-spread offerings are really just marketing gimmicks designed to lure in inexperienced traders.

Below, we explain the benefits (and drawbacks) of zero-and-low-spread accounts, why your effective spread is ultimately what matters in the end, and to help you pick the best zero-spread (or low-spread) forex broker.

Lowest Spread Brokers

When it comes to trading forex and contracts for difference (CFDs), the brokers with the lowest spreads in 2024 are as follows:

IG
star 9.9/10 Overall
Minimum Deposit£250.00
Tier-1 Licenses8
Tradeable Symbols (Total)19537

Year after year, IG has shown itself to be the best broker in the forex industry and a fantastic choice for forex traders. Highly trusted and regulated across the globe, IG delivers a wide variety of rich features, market research, and powerful trading tools. IG also offers seamless integration of trading signals into its web platform. Read full review

Apple iOS AppYes
Android AppNo
Proprietary PlatformYes
Desktop Platform (Windows)Yes
Web PlatformYes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4)Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5)No
Interactive Brokers
star 9.9/10 Overall
Minimum Deposit$0
Tier-1 Licenses9
Tradeable Symbols (Total)8500

Interactive Brokers is a highly trusted broker regulated across the globe that delivers access to over 100 markets, including forex and CFDs. Its Trader Workstation (TWS) platform offers a variety of advanced trading tools for experienced traders, and IBKR's web-based platform is great for beginner forex traders. Read full review

Apple iOS AppYes
Android AppNo
Proprietary PlatformYes
Desktop Platform (Windows)Yes
Web PlatformYes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4)No
MetaTrader 5 (MT5)No
Saxo
star 9.7/10 Overall
Minimum Deposit$0
Tier-1 Licenses7
Tradeable Symbols (Total)70000

Saxo is a highly trusted broker that operates multiple banks and is regulated across the globe. Saxo delivers an incredible cross-platform experience alongside powerful research and a vast selection of more than 60,000 symbols across multiple asset classes. It’s worth noting that minimum deposits at Saxo are steep. Read full review

Apple iOS AppYes
Android AppNo
Proprietary PlatformYes
Desktop Platform (Windows)Yes
Web PlatformYes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4)No
MetaTrader 5 (MT5)No
CMC Markets
star 9.6/10 Overall
Minimum Deposit$0
Tier-1 Licenses5
Tradeable Symbols (Total)11925

CMC Markets is a highly trusted multi-asset broker regulated in multiple Tier-1 jurisdictions. CMC's powerful Next Generation trading platform for web and mobile delivers a huge selection of markets and a fantastic user experience. CMC Markets also ranks highly for its high-quality research and educational content. Read full review

Apple iOS AppYes
Android AppNo
Proprietary PlatformYes
Desktop Platform (Windows)Yes
Web PlatformYes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4)Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5)No
FOREX.com
star 9.4/10 Overall
Minimum Deposit$100
Tier-1 Licenses7
Tradeable Symbols (Total)5500

FOREX.com is a highly trusted brand with a long history of offering forex in the U.S. and across the globe. FOREX.com offers its own flagship trading platforms for web and desktop, as well as the full MetaTrader suite. Though its pricing is higher than average, FOREX.com is a balanced choice for traders of all experience levels. Read full review

Apple iOS AppYes
Android AppNo
Proprietary PlatformYes
Desktop Platform (Windows)Yes
Web PlatformYes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4)Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5)Yes
Charles Schwab
star 9.3/10 Overall
Minimum Deposit$0
Tier-1 Licenses5
Tradeable Symbols (Total)40000

Charles Schwab is a leader in platform technology and trusted by millions of investors globally with trillions in assets under its brands. Available exclusively to U.S. residents, Charles Schwab's forex offering consists of just over 70 currency pairs, along with powerful research and trading tools. Read full review

Apple iOS AppYes
Android AppNo
Proprietary PlatformYes
Desktop Platform (Windows)Yes
Web PlatformYes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4)No
MetaTrader 5 (MT5)No
City Index
star 9.3/10 Overall
Minimum Deposit£100.00
Tier-1 Licenses7
Tradeable Symbols (Total)13500

City Index, part of StoneX Group, is an award-winning, highly trusted broker with a long history of offering forex and CFDs across its global offices. City Index delivers a well-designed mobile trading app and a powerful web platform, as well as a large range of tradeable markets (though pricing is just average). Read full review

Apple iOS AppYes
Android AppNo
Proprietary PlatformYes
Desktop Platform (Windows)Yes
Web PlatformYes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4)Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5)No
XTB
star 9.1/10 Overall
Minimum Deposit$0 info
Tier-1 Licenses2
Tradeable Symbols (Total)6200

XTB is a highly trusted brand with a proprietary platform (xStation 5) that delivers a rich selection of trading tools. XTB also offers CFDs for a wide range of asset classes, including multiple cryptocurrencies. Beginners will appreciate XTB's excellent educational content and the hundreds of lessons that are available via its Trading Academy. Read full review

Apple iOS AppYes
Android AppNo
Proprietary PlatformYes
Desktop Platform (Windows)Yes
Web PlatformYes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4)No
MetaTrader 5 (MT5)No
eToro
star 8.9/10 Overall
Minimum Deposit$50-$10,000
Tier-1 Licenses3
Tradeable Symbols (Total)5461

Best known for its copy trading platform suite, eToro is a highly trusted broker offering a large selection of cryptocurrency products, CFDs, shares, forex pairs, and a wide range of powerful trading tools. It’s worth noting that eToro is not a discount broker (though it offers zero-dollar commissions for U.S. stocks). Read full review

Apple iOS AppYes
Android AppNo
Proprietary PlatformYes
Desktop Platform (Windows)No
Web PlatformYes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4)No
MetaTrader 5 (MT5)No
Sponsored

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 51% and 89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

What are zero-spread accounts?

Zero-spread accounts are trading accounts that have no difference between the bid and ask price - or spreads that average close to zero pips. Such accounts allow traders to know in advance what their entry and exit levels will be when they open positions.

What does this mean for traders? Zero spread accounts are helpful for calculating non-trading losses (such as slippage) and are ideal for some forex strategies, such as high-frequency scalping and day trading. Zero spread accounts also offer new traders the opportunity to try out forex trading without being exposed to high transaction costs.

Pros & Cons of Zero Spread Accounts

Pros:

  • Changing direction can be expensive. If you have an open long position, for example, and decide you want to change the direction of your trade to go short, it can be less pricey to do so with a zero spread account - compared to paying a spread to close and reverse your trade.
  • Sometimes, every little bit counts. Some strategies - like scalping or high-frequency trading - are mostly (or solely) based on latency (or, pricing delays that cause arbitrage), and require the lowest costs possible in order to be profitable.

Cons:

  • Zero-spread doesn't mean zero-cost. Don't forget; forex brokers have to cover their costs and make money, and they'll still find ways to do so - with fixed commissions, larger deposit requirements, tighter margin calls, and other tactics designed to make up for their zero-or-low spread offers.
  • Spreads that "start" at zero don't always stay there. The potential always exists for the spread to widen - even in a zero spread account, and even if the account is commission-free.

What is the spread in forex?

Typically measured in a unit called a "pip," the spread communicates the difference in price between the rate at which you buy (known as the "ask price") a currency pair and the rate at which you can sell (known as the "bid price").

When trading in financial markets there will always be a bid/ask spread, even if it is very small (or even zero). It's always important to be aware of the spread when you are trading, and it's also important to remember that the spread is a type of trading cost that you may incur even if you are using a commission-free trading account.

How do zero-spread accounts work?

In theory, zero-spread accounts can offer traders the chance to compute their executions precisely, without having to navigate the issue of tightening or widening spreads. The reality, however, is that your realized effective spread is what really matters - not just the advertised spreads.

For example, say you have an open long position, and you've decided you want to change the direction of your trade to go short. If you have a zero-spread account, it'll probably be less expensive to do so, because you won't be paying a spread to close and then reverse your trade. Traders will often change direction during significant news events.

Imagine you find yourself trading on the wrong side of a USD/JPY move during a huge fundamental data release, like the Rate Decision of the Bank of Japan. During such a volatile market event (and other momentous situations), having a zero-spread account can allow you to change your trade bias without sinking your money into the spread.

That being said, any savings you make in the spread might end up being minuscule and can be quickly offset by the losses you'd sustain if the market moves abruptly against you. Your broker's execution quality (and any applicable fast-market trading policies) must be taken into consideration - not just the spread, or your broker's per-trade commissions.

Are low spreads good in forex?

Many brokers advertise low spreads, but their actual (effective) average spreads may be far worse in reality.

While spreads are an important factor in determining your trading costs, it's also important to consider the overall execution type, quality of execution, as well as per-trade commissions. If a broker has questionable execution methods (or charges steep commissions), the execution will end up being poor and will likely end up costing you more - even if the spread happens to be low.

Take it from us; the best brokers for zero-spread trading (or low-spread trading) also deliver a great selection of account types, offer high-quality execution methods, and feature low commissions - in addition to zero-or-low average spreads.

Is there a forex broker with 0 spread?

Even if a broker is a market-maker that establishes their own pricing, a true zero-pip spread is exceptionally rare - even at the interbank market level, where large banks and inter-dealer brokers (IDBs) trade.

Often, when a broker offers a zero-pip spread it is tied into some kind of promotional offer or marketing campaign. These promotions may not reveal the true cost of trading with that broker.

It's important to think beyond the spread when choosing which broker is right for your needs. Always consider your broker's execution quality, as well as the kind of trading strategy you plan on adopting. Most importantly, check to see if the broker publishes any recent average spreads for the currency pair you want to trade. That way you can judge for yourself whether their spreads are truly low.

What forex brokers have the lowest spreads?

When it comes to commissions and fees, the best forex brokers in 2024 with the lowest overall effective spreads are as follows:

  • Tickmill - Best overall for low costs
  • CMC Markets - Best web trading platform, excellent education
  • Interactive Brokers - Best for professionals, excellent pricing
  • Capital.com - Great for beginners, easy to use
  • IC Markets - Best overall for MetaTrader
  • FP Markets - Full MetaTrader suite, competitive pricing
  • IG - Excellent education, most trusted

Which forex broker has the tightest spread?

After conducting our own rigorous research, we determined that Tickmill features the overall tightest spreads in 2024. To calculate the effective spread, we factor the average spread (where available) and any per-trade commissions across broker account types.

Tickmill's Pro account features low average spreads and per-trade commissions, resulting in tight effective spreads. Those effective spreads drop even further in Tickmill's VIP account, where commissions are slashed in half.

Tickmill's listed average spread data for the month of September 2021 (for the EUR/USD) came to 0.07 pips on its Pro account (which only requires a $100 deposit to get started). The resulting effective spread at Tickmill comes to 0.47 pips, after including a per-side commission of $2.00, or, roughly the equivalent of 0.4 pips per round-trip (the opening and closing of one trade is referred to as one complete "round-turn" or "round-trip").

Meanwhile, Tickmill's VIP account brings the effective spread down to 0.27, with the only caveat being that you must maintain a minimum balance of $50,000 to access this superb VIP pricing.

What forex account types have lower spreads?

Forex account types vary from one broker to another, but - on average - you'll find that commission-based accounts (or, accounts that offer agency execution) tend to feature the lowest spreads.

Commission-based accounts are often referred to as Electronic Communication Network (ECN) or no-dealing-desk accounts. In these cases, your broker acts as an agent and sends your offer to other market-makers for execution. With agency execution, the market-maker establishes the spread and your broker only charges a commission (though your broker may also be receiving a rebate or markup on the spread from the liquidity provider).

BrokerNotes.co 2024 Overall Rankings

To recap, here are our top forex brokers for 2024, sorted by Overall ranking.

Company Overall Rating Minimum Deposit Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard Trust Score Tradeable Symbols (Total) Read Review
IG logoIG
9.9 £250.00 0.98 info 99 19537 IG Review
Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
9.9 $0 0.59 info 99 8500 Interactive Brokers Review
Saxo logoSaxo
9.7 $0 1.1 info 99 70000 Saxo Review
CMC Markets logoCMC Markets
9.6 $0 0.61 info 99 11925 CMC Markets Review
FOREX.com logoFOREX.com
9.4 $100 1.4 info 99 5500 FOREX.com Review
Charles Schwab logoCharles Schwab
9.3 $0 1.35 info 99 40000 Charles Schwab Review
City Index logoCity Index
9.3 £100.00 1.4 info 99 13500 City Index Review
XTB logoXTB
9.1 $0 info 1.00 info 96 6200 XTB Group Review
eToro logoeToro
8.9 $50-$10,000 1 info 93 5461 eToro Review
Capital.com logoCapital.com
8.7 $20 info 0.67 info 87 3007 Capital.com Review
Swissquote logoSwissquote
8.7 $1000 N/A info 99 472 Swissquote Review
AvaTrade logoAvaTrade
8.7 $100 0.93 info 94 1260 AvaTrade Review
OANDA logoOANDA
8.6 $0 1.61 info 93 3928 info OANDA Review
Plus500 logoPlus500
8.6 €100 1.5 info 99 5500 info Plus500 Review
FXCM logoFXCM
8.6 Starts from $50 0.78 info 95 440 FXCM Review
Pepperstone logoPepperstone
8.5 $0 1.00 info 95 1726 Pepperstone Review
XM Group logoXM Group
8.5 $5 1.6 info 88 1394 XM Group Review
Admirals logoAdmirals
8.5 $100 0.8 info 93 8702 Admiral Markets Review
FP Markets logoFP Markets
8.3 $100 AUD 1.1 info 87 10000 FP Markets Review
Tickmill logoTickmill
8.2 $100 0.51 info 86 725 Tickmill Review
IC Markets logoIC Markets
8.2 $200 0.62 info 84 3583 IC Markets Review
FxPro logoFxPro
8.1 $100 1.51 info 90 2249 FxPro Review
Markets.com logoMarkets.com
8.1 $100 1.9 info 93 2179 Markets.com Review
FinecoBank logoFinecoBank
8.0 $0 N/A info 94 9770 Fineco Bank Review
BlackBull Markets logoBlackBull Markets
8.0 $0 0.76 info 78 26000 BlackBull Markets Review
Vantage logoVantage
8.0 $50 1.30 info 90 1000 Vantage Review
ThinkMarkets logoThinkMarkets
7.9 $50 info 1.1 info 92 4000 ThinkMarkets Review
HYCM (Henyep Capital Markets) logoHYCM (Henyep Capital Markets)
7.8 $20 1.2 info 86 1199 HYCM Review
HFM logoHFM
7.8 $0 1.2 info 86 500 HFM Review
DooPrime logoDooPrime
7.8 $100 N/A info 83 10000 DooPrime Review
Questrade logoQuestrade
7.8 $250 N/A 86 641
ActivTrades logoActivTrades
7.7 0 0.98 info 81 1267
Trading 212 logoTrading 212
7.7 €10 1.9 info 79 8025 Trading 212 Review
BDSwiss logoBDSwiss
7.7 $10-$5000 info 1.6 info 76 1081 BDSwiss Review
Trade Nation logoTrade Nation
7.7 $0 0.6 85 1000 Trade Nation Review
TMGM logoTMGM
7.6 $100 N/A info 83 12000 TMGM Review
Eightcap logoEightcap
7.6 $100 1.0 info 85 736 Eightcap Review
Moneta Markets logoMoneta Markets
7.5 $50 1.38 info 72 1016 Moneta Markets Review
Spreadex logoSpreadex
7.5 $0 0.81 info 71 10000 Spreadex Review
MultiBank logoMultiBank
7.5 $50 N/A 84 1042 MultiBank Review
Exness logoExness
7.4 $10 info N/A 81 227 Exness Review
ACY Securities logoACY Securities
7.4 $50 1.2 info 75 2200 ACY Securities Review
easyMarkets logoeasyMarkets
7.3 $50 0.8 info 80 230 easyMarkets Review
RoboForex logoRoboForex
7.3 $100 1.3 info 73 8400 Roboforex (RoboMarkets) Review
VT Markets logoVT Markets
7.3 $100 1.2 info 70 1000 VT Markets Review
Octa logoOcta
7.2 $25 0.9 info 70 277 OctaFX Review
IronFX logoIronFX
7.2 $50 1.2 83 340 IronFX Review
IFC Markets logoIFC Markets
7.2 $1 1.44 info 73 630 IFC Markets Review
Trade360 logoTrade360
7.2 $250 N/A info 76 1062 Trade360 Review
Axi logoAxi
7.1 $0 N/A info 82 175 Axitrader Review
TeleTrade logoTeleTrade
7.1 $100 N/A 71 500 Teletrade Review
iFOREX logoiFOREX
7.0 $100 N/A 75 750 iFOREX Review
FXOpen logoFXOpen
7 $100 N/A info 76 87 FXOpen Review
FXPrimus logoFXPrimus
7.0 $100 N/A info 71 140 FXPrimus Review
Xtrade logoXtrade
6.9 $250 N/A info 74 482 Xtrade Review
Forex4you logoForex4you
6.8 $0 N/A info 61 150 Forex4you Review
GBE brokers logoGBE brokers
6.8 $500 N/A info 71 500 GBE Brokers Review
Alpari logoAlpari
6.8 $20 N/A info 68 105 Alpari Review
TopFX logoTopFX
6.7 Depends on payment method 1.03 info 67 655 TopFX Review
Libertex (Forex Club) logoLibertex (Forex Club)
6.7 $10 N/A info 73 300 Libertex Review
LegacyFX logoLegacyFX
6.7 $500 N/A 67 425 LegacyFX Review
FXGT.com logoFXGT.com
6.6 $5 N/A 69 117 FXGT Review
ATFX logoATFX
6.5 $500 N/A info 85 150 ATFX Review

Popular Forex Guides

More Forex Guides

Popular Forex Reviews

Methodology

At BrokerNotes.co, our data-driven online broker reviews are based on our extensive testing of brokers, platforms, products, technologies, and third-party trading tools. Our product testing extends to the quality and availability of educational content, market research resources, and the accessibility and capabilities of mobile platforms and trading apps. We also dive into each broker’s trading costs, such as VIP rebates, inactivity fees, custody fees, bid/ask spreads, and other fee-based data points.

Steven Hatzakis, an industry veteran with decades of experience in the forex market, leads the BrokerNotes research team. All BrokerNotes content is researched, fact-checked, and edited by the research team.

All websites and web-based platforms are tested using the latest version of the Google Chrome browser. Our Desktop PCs run Windows 11, and we use MacBook Pro laptops running the latest version of macOS to test trading on the go. We test mobile apps and products using iPhones running iOS 17 and Samsung devices running Android OS 14.

Note: The online brokers on our site provide the ability to trade forex in one or more ways, such as non-deliverable spot forex (i.e., rolling spot contracts), contracts for difference (CFD), or other derivatives such as futures. The availability of specific markets or features will depend on your country of residence and the broker's applicable brand or entity that services your account(s).

Forex Risk Disclaimer

There is a very high degree of risk involved in trading securities. With respect to margin-based foreign exchange trading, off-exchange derivatives, and cryptocurrencies, there is considerable exposure to risk, including but not limited to, leverage, creditworthiness, limited regulatory protection and market volatility that may substantially affect the price, or liquidity of a currency or related instrument. It should not be assumed that the methods, techniques, or indicators presented in these products will be profitable, or that they will not result in losses. Learn more about foreign exchange risk.

About the Editorial Team

Steven Hatzakis

Steven Hatzakis is the Global Director of Online Broker Research for BrokerNotes.co and ForexBrokers.com. Steven previously served as an Editor for Finance Magnates, where he authored over 1,000 published articles about the online finance industry. A forex industry expert and an active fintech and crypto researcher, Steven advises blockchain companies at the board level and holds a Series III license in the U.S. as a Commodity Trading Advisor (CTA).

John Bringans

John Bringans is the Managing Editor of BrokerNotes.co and ForexBrokers.com. An experienced media professional, John has close to a decade of editorial experience with a background that includes key leadership roles at global newsroom outlets. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature from San Francisco State University, and conducts research on forex and the financial services industry while assisting in the production of content.

Joey Shadeck

Joey Shadeck is the Content Strategist and Research Analyst for BrokerNotes.co and ForexBrokers.com. He holds dual degrees in Finance and Marketing from Oakland University, and has been an active trader and investor for close to ten years. An industry veteran, Joey obtains and verifies data, conducts research, and analyzes and validates our content.

close