Independent reviews of UK brokers since 1996

Fortrade vs Pepperstone

Fortrade or Pepperstone – which is better for UK traders 2026? Compare Fortrade and Pepperstone in this detailed breakdown of their platforms, features and fees.

Fortrade vs Pepperstone Comparison Table 2026
Fortrade Pepperstone
3.3
4.8
Fortrade is ranked #20 among CFD brokers. Pepperstone is ranked #1 among CFD brokers.
Visit Fortrade Visit Pepperstone
Fortrade is a well-regulated broker with oversight from authorities such as the FCA, CySEC, and ASIC. The firm offers trading on diverse instruments like stocks, bonds, commodities, forex, indices, cryptocurrencies, and ETFs. It provides competitive fees and supports both MetaTrader 4 and its own trading platform. Founded in Australia in 2010, Pepperstone is a leading forex and CFD broker serving over 830,000 clients globally. It provides access to 1,400+ instruments through MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView, with low, transparent pricing. Regulated by the FCA, ASIC and CySEC, Pepperstone offers a secure trading environment for all experience levels.

CFDs and FX are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 73-89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs.

Pros
  • In Fortrade's regulatory framework, no compensation scheme parallels the CIPF's CAD 1 million coverage for eligible Canadian clients. This stands as the top investor protection cap by any FCA/ASIC/CySEC-tier broker in Canada, yet it often goes unnoticed.
  • Few retail CFD brokers provide both bond CFDs on 5Y, 10Y, and 30Y US Treasuries and soft commodity exposure within a single account. This concurrent offering is rare for traders seeking macro hedging tools or soft commodity access without a specialised platform.
  • In recent years, many brokers have given up their EU licences, depriving European traders of regulated access. Fortrade, however, retains its CySEC licence under MiFID II. This ensures German, French, and other EU traders have a compliant option with separated client funds and a clear complaints procedure.
  • Pepperstone offers pre-IPO perpetual futures, adding Anthropic in October 2026, enabling 24/7 speculation on expected share prices through cash-settled CFDs.
  • Support for top-tier charting platforms such as MT4, MT5, TradingView, and cTrader. These tools accommodate different short-term trading methods, including algorithmic trading.
  • Provides a specialised CopyTrading app for traders preferring a more passive strategy, available in select countries.
  • Recognised customer support is accessible through phone, email, or live chat, with response times under five minutes. Service agents are friendly and well-versed in products and trading tools.
  • By integrating spread betting via TradingView, Pepperstone offers a streamlined, tax-efficient trading platform with sophisticated analysis tools for financial spread bettors in eligible countries.
  • 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.
  • Pepperstone presents itself as an economical choice for traders, offering spreads as low as 0.0 in its Razor account. The Active Trader programme provides rebates up to 30% on indices and commodities, plus $3 per lot on forex.
Cons
  • Fortrade's platforms, Fortrader and MT4, provide fundamental tools but lag behind the fast-evolving retail CFD market. Fortrader is user-friendly but lacks depth and has stability problems under stress. MT4 offers solid functionality but is outdated. The absence of MT5, TradingView, cTrader, copy trading, and PAMM individually may be manageable, but collectively they limit traders whose needs expand past the beginner level.
  • Fortrade operates as a market maker, offering no Raw or ECN options. All clients, irrespective of deposit or experience, encounter identical internal pricing during NFP, FOMC, and BOE announcements. As liquidity decreases and slippage increases, the EUR/USD spread of 2 to 2.5 pips results in significantly higher entry costs during news releases than suggested by the headline model.
  • Mauritius-based international clients can access 1:200 leverage on major FX pairs—six times the FCA limit for retail traders. There is no compensation scheme, fewer conduct rules, and no Financial Ombudsman equivalent. This mix of high leverage and limited safeguards is Fortrade's main structural risk.
  • Although the market range has expanded, crypto CFD options remain somewhat restricted, especially when compared to specialised brokers like Eightcap. Additionally, there is no facility to invest in actual cryptocurrencies.
  • Execution might not appear as dependable in rapid markets as headline speeds imply. Our tests showed swift execution at targeted prices. However, community feedback highlights concerns over slippage, stop-loss fills, and order triggers sensitive to spreads amid volatility.
  • Pepperstone has withdrawn support for key tools enhancing the trading experience for active retail traders, including Autochartist, Capitalise.ai, and a free VPS, now limited to pro traders in certain countries.
  • Overnight holding fees exceed those of some Market Maker brokers (typically Benchmark + 2.5%). Pepperstone suits traders and forex scalpers well but is less ideal for swing traders who keep positions open overnight.
Awards
  • Best Overall Broker - DayTrading.com 2025
  • Best Forex Broker Runner Up - DayTrading.com 2025
  • Best Trading App Runner Up - DayTrading.com 2025
  • Best MT4/MT5 Broker Runner Up - DayTrading.com 2025
  • Best TradingView Broker Runner Up - DayTrading.com 2025
  • Best Forex Broker - DayTrading.com 2024
  • Best Overall Broker - DayTrading.com 2023
  • Best Trading App - DayTrading.com 2022
  • Best Forex Broker - DayTrading.com 2021
FCA Regulated
Yes Yes
Instruments
Forex, CFDs, indices, shares, commodities, cryptocurrencies, DMAs, ETFs, bonds CFDs, Forex, Currency Indices, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Crypto CFDs (only Pro clients), Spread Betting
Demo Account
Yes Yes
Minimum Deposit
$100 $0
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade
0.01 Lots 0.01 Lots
Regulator
FCA, ASIC, FSC, CIRO, DFSA, CySEC FCA, ASIC, CySEC, BaFin, DFSA, SCA, SCB, CMA-Kenya
Mobile Apps
iOS & Android iOS & Android
Trading App
The Fortrader mobile app allows trading of over 60 currency pairs. Users can view daily market insights and handle deposits and withdrawals through the app. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play. Pepperstone shines with top-tier integration with MT4, MT5, cTrader, and TradingView, ideal for traders using these major platforms. They offer stable mobile trading, boosted by Pepperstone's rapid execution speeds and extensive asset variety. It recently achieved second place in DayTrading.com's 2025 'Best Trading App' award.
iOS App Rating
3.5 4.4
Android App Rating
4.2 4.1
Margin Trading
Yes Yes
MetaTrader 4
Yes Yes
MetaTrader 5
No Yes
cTrader
No Yes
AlgoTrader
No No
OmniTrader
No No
TradingView
No Yes
Autochartist
No No
eSignal
No No
Trading Central
Yes No
STP Account
No Yes
ECN Account
Yes Yes
DMA Account
No Yes
MAM Account
Yes Yes
PAMM Account
Yes Yes
LAMM Account
No No
Demat Account
No No
AI / Machine Learning
No No
Robo Advisor
No No
Negative Balance Protection
Yes Yes
Market Maker
No No
P2P Trading
No No
Spot Trading
No Yes
Auto Trading
Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader, cBots on cTrader
Copy Trading
No Yes
Copy Trading Platform
Pepperstone offers the replication of skilled traders' strategies via MetaTrader Signals, DupliTrade, and its new proprietary copy trading app, in collaboration with Pelican Trading. This service, available in select regions, grants access to numerous experienced traders and customized risk settings. However, it does not support cTrader Copy, which might discourage traders who prefer Spotware's platform.
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
Inactivity Fee
$10 $0
Islamic Account
Yes Yes
Account Currencies
  • AUD
  • CAD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • USD
  • AUD
  • CAD
  • CHF
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • HKD
  • JPY
  • NZD
  • SGD
  • USD
Commodities
  • Copper
  • Corn
  • Cotton
  • Gasoline
  • Gold
  • Natural Gas
  • Oil
  • Palladium
  • Platinum
  • Silver
  • Sugar
  • Wheat
  • Aluminium
  • Cocoa
  • Coffee
  • Copper
  • Corn
  • Cotton
  • Gasoline
  • Gold
  • Livestock
  • Natural Gas
  • Nickel
  • Oil
  • Orange Juice
  • Palladium
  • Platinum
  • Precious Metals
  • Silver
  • Soybeans
  • Sugar
  • Wheat
  • Zinc
CFD
Fortrade offers a diverse selection of leveraged CFDs across various asset classes such as forex, stocks, bonds, indices, commodities, and cryptocurrencies. Traders benefit from leverage up to 1:30, zero commission, fast execution, and low latency, whether using MetaTrader 4 or Fortrade’s bespoke platform. In our recent assessment, Pepperstone remains a top-tier CFD broker, renowned for its speed and reliability. With execution times averaging 30ms and a remarkable 99.90% fill rate, traders benefit from a smooth experience free from requotes and dealing desk disruptions. Additionally, it offers extensive opportunities with access to more than 1,300 assets.
Leverage
1:30 (varies by entity) 1:30 (Retail - UK, EU, Australia), 1:500 (Pro), 1:200 (Offshore), 1:400 (Kenya)
FTSE Spread
2 1.0
GBPUSD Spread<
2 0.4
Oil Spread
0.04 0.02
Stocks Spread
Variable 0.02
Forex
Fortrade provides over 60 currency pairs, featuring a solid range of major, minor, and exotic options. Traders can use MT4 or Fortrade's proprietary, low-latency platform. The USD/GBP spread typically averages a competitive 2 pips. Pepperstone provides forex spreads on the EUR/USD averaging just 0.12 pips with their Razor account. This is highly competitive. Their extensive portfolio includes over 100 currency pairs, which exceeds what most rivals offer. Furthermore, Pepperstone stands out by offering three unique currency indices: USDX, EURX, and JPYX, which are rare on other platforms. They have been recognised with our 'Best Forex Broker' award twice.
Assets
60+ 100+
GBPUSD Spread
2 0.4
EURUSD Spread
2 0.1
EURGBP Spread
3 0.4
Currency Indices
  • EUR
  • JPY
  • USD
Cryptocurrency
Fortrade provides CFD trading on major cryptocurrencies paired with USD. Availability of crypto CFDs is subject to local regulations, and they are not available in regions such as the UK due to restrictions. Pepperstone remains a leading name among trusted crypto CFD brokers. While its range of digital tokens is modest, it offers trading on major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and altcoins such as Ripple with leverage up to 1:10. Its crypto indices offer a comprehensive market perspective, often absent from other trading platforms. Additionally, Pepperstone has introduced a specific crypto exchange in Australia, named Pepperstone Crypto.
Spread
Variable 30 (BTC)
Coins
  • BTC
  • DSH
  • ETH
  • LTC
  • ADA
  • BCH
  • BNB
  • BTC
  • DASH
  • DOGE
  • DOT
  • EOS
  • ETH
  • LINK
  • LTC
  • UNI
  • XLM
  • XRP
  • XTZ
Crypto Lending
No No
Crypto Mining
No No
Crypto Staking
No No
Auto Market Maker
No No
Fortrade Pepperstone
Visit Fortrade Visit Pepperstone
CFDs and FX are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 73-89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs.