Alerts
Live trading alerts can bolster investing success, whether using automation or through expert insight and guidance. Mobile notifications, market scanners, and free forex news apps are valuable tools in many investors’ arsenals. We look at the ins and outs of live trading alerts and review the best providers in the UK. Read on to find out whether using technical and currency alerts could enhance your trading experience.
UK Brokers with Alerts
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Pepperstone impresses in practical signal tests with Autochartist pattern alerts and seamless Trading Central integration for precise signals. Via MT4/MT5/cTrader, Myfxbook AutoTrade, and SignalStart, it offers flexible signal tracking. Ideal for traders prioritising dependability and rapid market analysis.
Instruments Regulator Platforms CFDs, Forex, Currency Indices, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Crypto (only Pro clients), Spread Betting FCA, ASIC, CySEC, DFSA, CMA, BaFin, SCB MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView, AutoChartist, DupliTrade, Quantower Min. Deposit Min. Trade Leverage $0 0.01 Lots 1:30 (Retail), 1:500 (Pro) -
During our evaluation of IC Markets' signals, the standout feature was their speed—ideas reached MT4/MT5 almost instantly, matching market volatility. Scalpers gained the most from the low-latency execution of these alerts. The signals were also accurate, enhancing short-term trading strategies effectively.
Instruments Regulator Platforms CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Bonds, Futures, Crypto ASIC, CySEC, FSA, CMA MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView, TradingCentral, DupliTrade, Quantower Min. Deposit Min. Trade Leverage $200 0.01 Lots 1:30 (ASIC & CySEC), 1:500 (FSA), 1:1000 (Global) -
Trade Nation's Signal Centre stands out, offering free daily trade ideas across FX, indices, and commodities, blending technical and fundamental analysis. TN Trader’s in-dashboard signals are prompt and integrate seamlessly with TradingView charts. Ideal for those seeking guidance over full automation.
Instruments Regulator Platforms Forex, CFDs, Indices, Shares, Commodities, Futures, Bonds, Spread Betting, Cryptos (Bahamas Entity Only) FCA, ASIC, FSCA, SCB, FSA MT4 Min. Deposit Min. Trade Leverage $0 0.1 Lots 1:500 (entity dependent) -
During our evaluation, BlackBull's CopyTrader excelled as a reliable signal tool. It allows mirroring of top fund managers, reviewing their performance, and setting risk parameters. Additionally, the broker offers Acuity-driven AI news, sentiment feeds, and signals within cTrader.
Instruments Regulator Platforms CFDs, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Futures, Crypto FMA, FSA BlackBull Invest, BlackBull CopyTrader, MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView, AutoChartist Min. Deposit Min. Trade Leverage $0 0.01 Lots 1:500 -
Founded in 1974, IG is a part of IG Group Holdings Plc, a publicly listed brokerage (LSE: IGG). The company provides spread betting, CFD, and forex trading, offering access to over 17,000 markets. Its platforms and investing apps are notably user-friendly. Over the past 50 years, IG has consistently been an industry leader, excelling in all essential areas for traders.
Instruments Regulator Platforms CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Futures, Options, Crypto, Spread Betting FCA, ASIC, NFA, CFTC, DFSA, BaFin, MAS, FSCA, FINMA, CONSOB, AFM, JFSA Web, L2 Dealer, MT4, TradingView, AutoChartist, TradingCentral, ProRealTime Min. Deposit Min. Trade Leverage $0 0.01 Lots 1:30 (Retail), 1:222 (Pro) -
Our assessments at eToro showed that its CopyTrader™ function excels, enabling users to replicate top investors' trades instantly. This feature advances trading signals significantly. eToro also provides intuitive technical indicators, like Bollinger Bands and Keltner Channels, to help active traders spot potential entry points.
Instruments Regulator Platforms CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, ETFs, Smart Portfolios, Commodities, Futures, Crypto, NFTs FCA, ASIC, CySEC, FSA, FSRA, MFSA, CNMV, AMF eToro Web, CopyTrader, TradingCentral Min. Deposit Min. Trade Leverage $50 $10 1:30 -
Established in 2009, Vantage provides trading on more than 1,000 short-term CFD products to over 900,000 clients. Forex CFDs are available from 0.0 pips on the RAW account via TradingView, MT4, or MT5. Regulated by ASIC, Vantage ensures that client funds are kept in separate accounts. Traders looking to copy strategies will benefit from a wide array of social trading tools.
Instruments Regulator Platforms CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Bonds, Spread betting FCA, ASIC, FSCA, VFSC ProTrader, MT4, MT5, TradingView, DupliTrade Min. Deposit Min. Trade Leverage $50 0.01 Lots 1:30
Pepperstone
IC Markets
Trade Nation
BlackBull Markets
IG
eToro
Vantage FXSafety Comparison
Compare how safe the Alerts are and what features they offer to protect traders.
| Broker | Trust Rating | FCA Regulated | Negative Balance Protection | Guaranteed Stop Loss | Segregated Accounts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pepperstone | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | |
| IC Markets | ✘ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | |
| Trade Nation | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | |
| BlackBull Markets | ✘ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | |
| IG | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| eToro | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | |
| Vantage FX | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ |
Payments Comparison
Compare which popular payment methods the Alerts support and whether they have trading accounts denominated in British Pounds (GBP).
| Broker | GBP Account | Debit Card | Credit Card | Neteller | Skrill | Apple Pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pepperstone | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| IC Markets | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
| Trade Nation | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✘ |
| BlackBull Markets | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
| IG | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | ✘ |
| eToro | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
| Vantage FX | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
Mobile Trading Comparison
How good are the Alerts at mobile trading using apps or other mobile interfaces.
| Broker | Mobile Apps | iOS Rating | Android Rating | Smart Watch App |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pepperstone | iOS & Android | ✘ | ||
| IC Markets | iOS & Android | ✘ | ||
| Trade Nation | iOS & Android | ✘ | ||
| BlackBull Markets | iOS & Android | ✘ | ||
| IG | iOS & Android | ✔ | ||
| eToro | iOS & Android | ✘ | ||
| Vantage FX | iOS & Android | ✘ |
Beginners Comparison
Are the Alerts good for beginner traders, that might want an affordable setup to get started, along with good support and educational resources?
| Broker | Demo Account | Minimum Deposit | Minimum Trade | Support Rating | Education Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pepperstone | ✔ | $0 | 0.01 Lots | ||
| IC Markets | ✔ | $200 | 0.01 Lots | ||
| Trade Nation | ✔ | $0 | 0.1 Lots | ||
| BlackBull Markets | ✔ | $0 | 0.01 Lots | ||
| IG | ✔ | $0 | 0.01 Lots | ||
| eToro | ✔ | $50 | $10 | ||
| Vantage FX | ✔ | $50 | 0.01 Lots |
Advanced Trading Comparison
Do the Alerts offer features that allow for more advanced trading strategies?
| Broker | Automated Trading | Pro Account | Leverage | VPS | AI | Low Latency | Extended Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pepperstone | Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader | ✔ | 1:30 (Retail), 1:500 (Pro) | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✘ |
| IC Markets | Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader, cBots on cTrader, Myfxbook AutoTrade | ✘ | 1:30 (ASIC & CySEC), 1:500 (FSA), 1:1000 (Global) | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✘ |
| Trade Nation | Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader | ✘ | 1:500 (entity dependent) | ✘ | ✘ | ✘ | ✘ |
| BlackBull Markets | Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader, cTrader Automate | ✘ | 1:500 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
| IG | Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader, build your own on ProRealTime | ✔ | 1:30 (Retail), 1:222 (Pro) | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| eToro | Automate your trades via CopyTrader - follow profitable traders. Open and close trades automatically when they do. | ✘ | 1:30 | ✘ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ |
| Vantage FX | Myfxbook AutoTrade, Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader | ✘ | 1:30 | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | ✘ |
Detailed Rating Comparison
Use this heatmap to compare our detailed ratings for all of the Alerts.
| Broker | Trust | Platforms | Mobile | Assets | Fees | Accounts | Support | Research | Education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pepperstone | |||||||||
| IC Markets | |||||||||
| Trade Nation | |||||||||
| BlackBull Markets | |||||||||
| IG | |||||||||
| eToro | |||||||||
| Vantage FX |
Our Take On Pepperstone
"Pepperstone is a premier trading platform, providing tight spreads, swift execution, and sophisticated charting tools for seasoned traders. Beginners benefit from no minimum deposit, comprehensive learning materials, and outstanding 24/7 support."
Tobias Robinson
Reviewer
Pros
- In recent years, Pepperstone has significantly enhanced the deposit and withdrawal process. By 2025, clients can use Apple Pay and Google Pay, while 2024 saw the introduction of PIX and SPEI for customers in Brazil and Mexico.
- Over the years, Pepperstone has consistently garnered recognition from DayTrading.com’s annual awards. Recently, it was honoured as the 'Best Overall Broker' in 2025 and was the 'Best Forex Broker' runner-up the same year.
- The award-winning customer support can be accessed through phone, email, or live chat. During tests, response times have consistently been under 5 minutes.
Cons
- Pepperstone doesn't offer cTrader Copy, a favoured feature for copying trades found in the cTrader platform, which is available on other platforms such as IC Markets. However, Pepperstone has launched its own user-friendly copy trading app.
- Although its market range has improved, its crypto offerings remain limited compared to brokers specialising in this sector, lacking real coin investment options.
- Pepperstone's demo accounts expire after 30 days, which may not provide sufficient time to explore various platforms and evaluate trading strategies.
Our Take On IC Markets
"IC Markets provides excellent pricing, swift execution, and easy deposits. With cutting-edge charting tools like TradingView and the Raw Trader Plus account, it continues to be a preferred option for intermediate and advanced traders."
Pros
- As a well-regulated and reputable broker, IC Markets focuses on client safety and transparency to provide a dependable global trading experience.
- IC Markets provides some of the industry's narrowest spreads, offering 0.0-pip spreads on major currency pairs. This makes it an extremely cost-effective choice for traders.
- In 2025, IC Markets earned DayTrading.com's accolade for 'Best MT4/MT5 Broker' due to its top-tier MetaTrader integration. This achievement highlights the broker's continuous refinement over the years to enhance the platform experience.
Cons
- Certain withdrawal methods incur fees, including a $20 charge for wire transfers. These costs can reduce profits, particularly with frequent withdrawals.
- The tutorials, webinars, and educational resources require enhancement, lagging behind competitors such as CMC Markets, which diminishes their appeal to novice traders.
- Interest is not paid on idle cash, a feature gaining popularity with alternatives such as Interactive Brokers.
Our Take On Trade Nation
"Trade Nation is ideal for novice traders seeking diverse markets on an easy-to-use platform. It offers no minimum deposit, complimentary funding options, and robust educational resources."
Pros
- Global traders can use accounts in various currencies.
- Access a comprehensive selection of investments through leveraged CFDs, enabling both long and short strategies.
- Trade Nation, a highly regarded and well-regulated broker, was formerly known as Core Spreads.
Cons
- Reduced legal safeguards with an offshore entity.
Our Take On BlackBull Markets
"Following the upgrade to Equinix servers in New York, London, and Tokyo, BlackBull has reduced latency, making it a clear choice for stock CFD trading using ECN pricing."
Pros
- BlackBull provides everything a trader needs: execution speeds under 100ms, leverage as high as 1:500, and competitive spreads starting at 0.0 pips.
- BlackBulls's research excels, particularly in the daily 'Trading Opportunities' articles. These publications simplify complex market dynamics into clear insights, enabling traders to effectively capitalise on emerging trends.
- After collaborating with ZuluTrade and Myfxbook, upgrading its CopyTrader, and activating cTrader Copy, BlackBull provides an exceptionally thorough trading experience.
Cons
- Despite an expanding range of over 26,000 assets, including new additions to Asia Pacific indices, their offerings are primarily equities. The selection of currency pairs and indices remains average.
- BlackBull does not offer its own trading platform, instead utilising MetaTrader, cTrader, and TradingView. Although these platforms are highly regarded, some brokers, such as eToro, provide proprietary platforms with distinct features that cater well to novice traders.
- Despite enhancements such as webinars and tutorials in the Education Hub, our review indicates that the courses still require greater emphasis on elucidating broader economic factors affecting prices.
Our Take On IG
"IG offers a complete package with an intuitive online platform, top-tier beginner education, advanced charting tools through its TradingView integration, real-time data, and swift execution for seasoned traders."
Pros
- The ProRealTime advanced charting platform remains free, provided traders meet modest monthly activity requirements.
- The web-based platform supports traders at every level, offering advanced charting tools and real-time market data vital for trading. Additionally, IG now includes TradingView integration.
- IG provides a wide range of professional and engaging educational materials, such as webinars, articles, and analyses, tailored for traders.
Cons
- Based on tests, stock and CFD spreads remain less competitive than the lowest-cost brokers, such as CMC Markets.
- IG has ended its swap-free account, diminishing its attractiveness to Islamic traders.
- Beginners may find IG's fees complicated, as they vary depending on the trades or services. This could cause confusion and unexpected costs.
Our Take On eToro
"eToro's social trading platform excels with its outstanding user experience and lively community chat, aiding beginners in spotting opportunities. It offers competitive fees on numerous CFDs and real stocks, alongside exceptional rewards for seasoned strategists."
Pros
- There is an extensive online training academy offering a range of accessible resources, from concise articles to detailed courses.
- The web platform and mobile app receive higher user reviews and app rankings compared to leading competitors like AvaTrade.
- eToro now offers accounts in EUR and GBP, with recent additions of BTC and ETH payment options. This reduces conversion costs and delivers a tailored trading experience.
Cons
- The absence of extra charting platforms such as MT4 may deter experienced traders who rely on external software.
- The only significant contact option, besides the in-platform live chat, is limited.
- The minimum withdrawal is set at $30, accompanied by a $5 fee. This may impact traders with limited funds, particularly those just starting out.
Our Take On Vantage FX
"Vantage is an ideal choice for CFD traders looking for a well-regulated broker with access to the dependable MetaTrader platforms. With a swift sign-up process and a minimum deposit of $50, starting trading is simple and fast."
Pros
- With a minimal deposit requirement of just $50 and no funding fees, this broker stands out as an excellent option for novice traders.
- Opening a live account is both straightforward and swift, requiring under 5 minutes to complete.
- ECN accounts offer competitive terms, featuring spreads starting at 0.0 pips and a commission of $1.50 per trade side.
Cons
- To access optimal trading conditions, a substantial deposit of $10,000 is required. This includes a commission of $1.50 per transaction per side.
- Regrettably, cryptocurrencies are accessible solely to clients in Australia.
- It's unfortunate that some clients must register with the offshore firm, which provides reduced regulatory safeguards.
What Are Alerts?
Alerts are tools or software that help you make trading decisions. Much like you might have push notifications for your favourite news platform, SMS and email trading alerts keep you abreast of the latest market developments. Alerts can cover a range of different topics:
- Industry news
- Technical indicators
- Price targets & halts
- Market developments
- Sudden stock surges and drops
Types Of Trading Alerts
News Alerts
News alerts are amongst the most common and simple alerts. They allow traders to quickly review and react to market events and generate profits where every second counts.
Technical Alerts
These signals provide traders with notifications based on technical settings, such as volume, momentum and RSI. They are more specific than general news alerts and can be tweaked to your charting and moving averages needs, for example. You can also set algorithmic alerts that automatically take positions based on defined technical parameters.
Price Alerts
These alerts notify traders to changes in price, allowing for split-second decisions. They can help prevent traders from missing out on potential profits. Because price alerts are designed for immediate buy and sell, they can be costly and risky.
Economic Alerts
For markets where economic events have a significant impact, such as forex and stocks, the best trading alerts can warn you of emerging incidents. Instead of reacting to live market data, these alerts follow a specific schedule, allowing you to set reminders in the same way you would a standard calendar.
Trading Markets
Various UK trading apps and technologies cover all major areas of trading with alerts and independent indicators:
- Forex – FX remains one of the most popular financial markets globally, and as such, forex alerts are highly popular. You can find forex trading alerts for free on some platforms. In contrast, more advanced apps are available on a paid-for basis if you need flexibility or a more tailored solution.
- Stocks – Stock trading alerts are another popular option for investors, both through automated signals and manual alerts defined by expert traders. Stay up to date with the price of Amazon CFD shares or the NASDAQ and NYSE, for example.
- Cryptocurrency – Crypto trading alerts are another option for those looking to invest in Bitcoin (BTC) or Ethereum (ETH). Price, news and technical parameters are all common both within trading platforms and as stand-alone services.
- Futures – Utilising automation and defined parameters, advanced trading alerts can notify traders to opportunities in the futures and Emini markets.
- Commodities – From oil trading alerts to gas and gold price signals, commodity notifications can be an effective addition to a trading strategy.
Standard financial markets have a range of different alert services to choose from. In some cases, specific platforms and paid-for providers may encompass multiple markets, ideal for those that little to dabble in forex, stocks and cryptos, for example.
Receiving Alerts
If you’re considering trying out a swing alerts download or you want to know how best to receive day trading options alerts, there’s plenty of choices out there.
In-Software Notifications
The most common way traders start with alerts is to use what’s already available to them. Many trading platforms, including TradingView and MT4, allow you to set straightforward notifications for free.
Push Notifications
If you prefer to use your mobile for trading, push notifications are a huge benefit. Alerts can be triggered by a sound on your iPhone or Android device, allowing immediate access to information wherever you happen to be. If you aren’t in front of trading software all the time, push notifications are a great option.
SMS
SMS messaging is an alternative to push notifications and an excellent way to get immediate price warnings, for example. While SMS is falling out of favour with newer alerts systems, it’s still a mainstay for many traders.
Messaging Services
Messaging systems like WhatsApp and Telegram are increasingly being used as an alternative to SMS, providing a free and easy way to get alerts directly to your phone or desktop app.
Email notifications can prove an effective way to track updates, especially if you don’t plan to react immediately. Email offers a great way to send and receive a comprehensive daily round-up of alerts while supplementing desktop trading.
Social Media
Twitter alerts are becoming increasingly popular and don’t clog up inboxes or messages while still enabling fast responses and quick notifications.
Benefits Of Using Trading Alerts
Whether you’re a newbie looking to keep pace with the market or an experienced hand looking to refine strategies, there are several advantages of using alerts:
- Easy to use and simple to set up
- Saves time researching the markets
- Gives you access to the information you need
- Allows beginners to learn from experienced traders
- Free options are included in some trading platforms
- Keeps you connected to the market when you’re offline
Risks Of Trading Alerts
There are also downsides to relying on these notification systems:
- Can lead to an over reliance on others for market research
- The best alert systems are paid-for, which will cut into the profits
- Trading alerts aren’t always right – it’s important to use risk management tools to mitigate potential losses
Best UK Providers For Trading Alerts
As you might expect, there are plenty of options out there. Our top picks include the below.
Free Trading Alerts
- IG – IG offers price, technical and economic alerts across various markets, including forex, stocks, crypto and commodities. With various awards as a top finance app, IG’s alerts are part of their wider trading platform and included for free.
- FXCM – FXCM delivers free basic alerts across shares, forex, CFD and Bitcoin directly to your mobile via SMS. Just choose the buy and sell signals you want to follow, and you’re good to go.
Other popular providers include Trading212, TD Ameritrade and Warrior Trading.
Paid Trading Alerts
- TradingView – A comprehensive range of price alerts are offered by a trading community. Users can learn and develop their skills through economic calendars, screeners, charts and divergence alerts on specific areas. It’s also quick and easy to manage and remove custom ETF notifications, for example. The basic package is free while advanced services come at a cost.
- 1000pipbuilder.com – A popular tool, this forex alert and signals service is easy to understand and provides email and SMS notifications to clients when they sign up for a monthly subscription.
- eToro – As a leading forex and CFD broker, eToro offers high-quality alerts and signals to its user base across its range of asset classes. Users also get the benefit of working with a heavily regulated and trusted provider.
Should You Start Using Trading Alerts?
Used correctly, trading alerts can be an excellent way to improve skills. However, that doesn’t mean they are a guaranteed shortcut to profits. Due diligence and risk management are still needed to get the most out of notification services. Alerts are best thought of as a valuable tool to supplement the investing experience.
FAQ
What Are Trading Alerts?
Trading alerts notify you to a particular event, such as a price change, in a financial market. Alerts are available in multiple markets, from forex and stocks to cryptos and commodities. Alerts range from free to paid software and are available at multiple online brokers and specialised providers.
What Different Trading Alerts Are Available?
A range of alerts and signals are available. Traders can set up technical alerts, news notifications, market sentiment warnings and more. Which alerts work for you will depend on your strategy and preference.
How Can I Receive Trading Alerts?
Trading alerts can be received via SMS push notifications, email, social media and in-platform signals. Most providers offer multiple communication channels, so it’s important to find a system that works for you.
Are Trading Alerts Worth It?
Trading alerts are not a shortcut to profits. They can help inform decisions and complement strategies, but careful risk management is still needed. Alerts shouldn’t give traders an excuse not to analyse the markets and stay up to date with the assets they’re interested in trading.
Are Trading Alerts Free?
Some trading alerts are free while others are paid for. Many brokers, such as IG and BDSwiss offer free alerts as part of their service and can be accessed and set up from a trader’s platform. Other alerts, often from expert traders, must be paid for. It’s important to read reviews of services before you start trading.