DIF Broker vs Saxo Bank

DIF Broker or Saxo – which is better for UK traders 2024? Compare DIF Broker and Saxo in this detailed breakdown of their platforms, features and fees.

DIF Broker vs Saxo Comparison Table 2024
DIF Broker Saxo
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DIF Broker is ranked #97 among CFD brokers. Saxo is ranked #84 among CFD brokers.
Review
Review
DIF Broker was founded in 1999, with a vision to offer personalized brokerage services via innovative technology. The broker offers services to thousands of clients in over 20 countries, and is regulated by the Portuguese CMVM. Traders can access thousands of CFD instruments to trade on a powerful proprietary platform. Saxo Markets is a multi-award-winning trading brokerage, investment firm and regulated bank. With a huge 72,000+ trading instruments, plus investment products and managed portfolios, clients have no shortage of opportunities. The trusted brand also offers transparent pricing and top-tier regulatory protection from 10+ agencies including FINMA, FCA & ASIC.
66% of retail accounts lose money.
Pros
  • DIF Brokers offers a powerful and intutive proprietary trading terminal which I enjoyed using, with 40+ technical indicators and advanced graphical objects
  • I'm thoroughly impressed with the vast product catalog of 30,000+ CFD instruments including stocks, forex, futures and indices
  • I feel fairly confident in the broker's established reputation, long history in the financial industry, and CMVM regulatory oversight
  • I find fees at DIF broker very transparent and fair, coming in at 0.07% for Euronext Lisbon stock CFDs
  • Powerful proprietary trading platforms with comprehensive charting packages and advanced analysis tools
  • High-level research hub with curated market research, plus unique insights with 'Outrageous Predictions'
  • Excellent educational resources including podcasts, webinars and expert-led video insights
  • Access to comprehensive third-party analysis tools including TradingView and Updata
  • The ISA account is highly accessible and flexible with no entry or exit fees
  • Heavily regulated and trustworthy brand based in Switzerland
  • Low fees with premium account tiers
Cons
  • I'm disappointed that the minimum deposit requirement of €2000 will price out most beginners, and the lack of any educational content is a further setback
  • The demo account is restricted to a time limit of 15 days, which is disappointing and far lower than most of the brokers I have reviewed
  • I think it's a bit of an oversight that the live chat customer support is only available to customers after they have registered
  • Those looking to diversify into the digital asset industry will be disappointed that crypto trading is not available
  • High funding requirements for the trading accounts
  • Access to Level 2 pricing requires a subscription
  • Clients from some jurisdictions not accepted including the US and Belgium
Awards
  • Best Online Broker Western Europe 2013 - 2017 - Global Banking & Finance Review
  • Best Multi-Asset Provider 2017 - Global Banking & Finance Review
FCA Regulated
No

List of FCA Regulated Brokers

Yes
Instruments
Forex, CFDs, ETFs, indices, shares, energies, futures, options, bonds Forex, CFDs, indices, shares, commodities, cryptocurrencies, futures, options, warrants, bonds, ETFs
Demo Account
Yes Yes
Minimum Deposit
€2000 £500
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade
0.01 Lots Vary by asset
Regulator
CMVM, CNMV DFSA, MAS, FCA, SFC
Mobile Apps
Yes SaxoTraderGo (iOS, Android, Windows)
iOS App Rating
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Android App Rating
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Margin Trading
No No
MetaTrader 4
No No
MetaTrader 5
No No
cTrader
No No
AlgoTrader
No No
OmniTrader
No No
TradingView
No Yes
Autochartist
No No
eSignal
No No
Trading Central
No No
STP Account
No No
ECN Account
No Yes
DMA Account
No No
MAM Account
No No
PAMM Account
No No
LAMM Account
No No
Demat Account
No No
AI / Machine Learning
No No
Robo Advisor
No No
Negative Balance Protection
No No
Market Maker
No No
P2P Trading
No No
Spot Trading
No Yes
Copy Trading
No No
Social Trading
No No
Trade Signals
Yes Yes
VPS Hosting
No No
Tournaments
No No
Demo Competitions
No No
Ethical Investing
No No
Custodial Account
No No
Guaranteed Stop Loss
No No
Islamic Account
No Yes
Account Currencies
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • JPY
  • SEK
  • DKK
  • CHF
Commodities
  • Gold
  • Silver
  • Gold
  • Silver
  • Natural Gas
  • Oil
  • Copper
  • Corn
CFD
DIF Broker offers an impressive total of 30,000+ CFD instruments, which is far more than many brokers I review. That said, I think it's a shame that there's no additional tools or resources on offer for CFD traders. Trade 8,900+ CFDs spanning forex, stocks, indices, commodities, options and bonds with powerful tools and signals.
Leverage
1:30 1:30
FTSE Spread
1 1.2 pts (Variable)
GBPUSD Spread<
3 0.7 (var)
Oil Spread
0.05 0.03
Stocks Spread
Variable 0.10% (subject to min commission)
Forex
I was particularly impressed to see a huge range of 180 major, minor and exotic currency pairs at DIF Broker. I was able to access sensible leverage up to 1:30 and no commission fees. Average spreads are OK but not the most competitive, coming in at around 1 pip for EUR/USD and 1.1 pip on GBP/USD. Tier 1 liquidity on an impressive range of 189 currency pairs and spot metals, plus 130 forwards, from 0.4 pips.
Assets
180+ 40+
GBPUSD Spread
3 0.7 (varies by region)
EURUSD Spread
3 0.2 (varies by region)
EURGBP Spread
3 0.6 (varies by region)
DIF Broker Saxo
Review
Review
66% of retail accounts lose money.
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