Nexo or Swissquote – which is better for UK traders 2025? Compare Nexo and Swissquote in this detailed breakdown of their platforms, features and fees.
Nexo is a centralized crypto exchange founded in 2018 in Bulgaria and today operates across some 200 jurisdictions from its base in Switzerland. It provides services including spot trading, futures trading, peer-to-peer loans, cold wallet storage and fiat-on ramps to buy crypto tokens. The crypto firm is registered with some respected financial authorities, such as the ASIC, and offers some fairly unique additional services including a credit card.
Established in 1996, Swissquote is a Switzerland-based bank and broker that offers online trading on an industry beating three million products, from forex and CFDs to futures, options and bonds. Highly trusted, it has built a strong reputation through innovative trading solutions, from becoming the first bank to offer crypto trading in 2017 to more recently launching fractional shares and its Invest Easy service.
Pros
Reputable crypto exchange that has been in business since 2018 and has taken some steps toward regulation
Nexo Pro is a user-friendly proprietary platform that suits trading strategies with great charting features
Value-add tools integrated into the trading platform including social media analysis and newsfeeds by asset
Traders can access perpetual futures to open long or short positions on crypto assets, increasing strategic opportunities
Nexo’s crypto staking and credit features support crypto lending and borrowing, and the yields lenders receive are among the best going
Traders benefit from bonuses and incentives including free trading funds paid to lenders and cashback in the form of the exchange’s native Nexo token
Swissquote is highly trusted owing to its position as a bank, its listing on the Swiss stock exchange, and authorization from trusted bodies like FINMA in Switzerland, FCA in the UK, and CSSF in Luxembourg.
Swissquote is built for fast-paced trading strategies like trading, scalping and high-frequency trading with 9ms average execution speeds, a 98% fill ratio, and FIX API.
Swissquote supports powerful platforms for trading, such as MetaTrader 4/5 and its own CFXD (previously known as Advanced Trader) which impressed during testing with customizable layouts and access to advanced charting tools and technical indicators.
Swissquote provides advanced research services like Autochartist for technical analysis and integration of real-time news from Dow Jones. Its proprietary Market Talk videos and Morning News reports deliver expert analysis daily, appealing to active traders.
Cons
Although Nexo has registered with some reputable watchdogs, it is riskier to trade with than established crypto brokers like AvaTrade and Vantage
High deposit and withdrawal fees for cards and e-wallets will price many traders out of the most convenient payment methods
Very few educational resources are available, reducing its appeal to beginners who can find more helpful resources at category leaders like eToro
High maker/taker fees mean traders will pay more to trade derivatives than they would at rival exchanges like Binance
The range of tokens is extensive compared to most crypto brokers but still much smaller than similar crypto exchanges like Kraken
Swissquote primarily caters to pro and high-net-worth clients, with high minimum deposit requirements (eg $1,000 for Standard accounts), making it less suited for smaller traders who can find higher leverage at the growing number of brokers with no minimum deposit.
Analysis shows Swissquote’s fees are on the high side, with forex spreads starting at 1.3 pips on Standard accounts, compared to 0.0 pips at brokers like Pepperstone or IC Markets. Transaction fees for non-Swiss stocks and ETFs can also add up for frequent traders.
Unlike brokers such as eToro with social trading features, Swissquote lacks tools for community engagement or copying successful traders, limiting its appeal for those who value peer-to-peer learning.
Awards
Best Cryptocurrency Wallet – FinTech Breakthrough Awards, 2023
Best Use of Crypto and/or Blockchain in Financial Services – PAY360 Awards, 2022
Top Innovative Companies 2025 – Statista
ETF Online Broker of the Year 2024 – Swiss ETF Awards
World’s Most Trustworthy Companies 2024 – Statista
The Swissquote app, refined over the years, combines banking and trading, giving you instant access to an industry-leading selection of more than three million instruments, including stocks, ETFs, and cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. It goes beyond most trading apps we’ve tested – providing a comprehensive financial app, complete with dynamic charts and unique features.
iOS App Rating
3.8
4.5
Android App Rating
4
3.4
Margin Trading
Yes
Yes
MetaTrader 4
No
Yes
MetaTrader 5
No
Yes
cTrader
No
No
AlgoTrader
No
No
OmniTrader
No
No
TradingView
No
No
Autochartist
No
Yes
eSignal
No
No
Trading Central
No
Yes
STP Account
No
Yes
ECN Account
No
No
DMA Account
No
Yes
MAM Account
No
Yes
PAMM Account
No
No
LAMM Account
No
No
Demat Account
No
No
AI / Machine Learning
No
Yes
Robo Advisor
No
Yes
Negative Balance Protection
No
Yes
Market Maker
No
Yes
P2P Trading
No
No
Spot Trading
Yes
Yes
Auto Trading
Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader and FIX API solutions
Copy Trading
No
No
Social Trading
No
No
Trade Signals
Integrated in CFXD
VPS Hosting
No
No
Tournaments
No
No
Demo Competitions
No
No
Ethical Investing
No
Yes
Custodial Account
No
No
Guaranteed Stop Loss
No
No
Inactivity Fee
$0
Islamic Account
No
Yes
Account Currencies
USD
EUR
GBP
USD
EUR
GBP
CAD
AUD
NZD
JPY
ZAR
TRY
SEK
NOK
CHF
HKD
SGD
PLN
AED
SAR
HUF
THB
QAR
MXN
Commodities
Oil
Gasoline
Silver
Gold
Palladium
Platinum
Natural Gas
Copper
Cocoa
Sugar
Soybeans
Coffee
Precious Metals
CFD
Swissquote has emerged as a dependable CFD broker, providing short-term trading opportunities on an extensive selection of global markets with fast execution, its intuitive CFXD platform alongside MetaTrader, plus insights from trusted third parties like Autochartist and Trading Central.
Leverage
1:30
FTSE Spread
0.9
GBPUSD Spread<
1.7
Oil Spread
0.03
Stocks Spread
N/A
Forex
Swissquote offers compelling conditions for active forex traders, with an extensive range of 80+ currency pairs, plus ultra-fast execution speeds averaging 9ms and access to the industry’s favorite MT4 software.
Assets
80+
GBPUSD Spread
1.7
EURUSD Spread
1.3
EURGBP Spread
1.5
Cryptocurrency
Nexo offers trading on an impressive suite of around 70 tokens, including Bitcoin. Digital assets can be bought, sold and swapped directly on the exchange or traded in over 500 pairs. Digital assets can also be used as collateral for fiat loans or used to generate passive income with the ‘smart staking’ tool or from interest earned via peer-to-peer loans.
Swissquote has evolved into a leading crypto provider, expanding its offerings to include over 30 digital tokens, as well as its own SQX exchange, crypto staking, plus custodian services for professional traders. And all of this from one of the most trusted, well-regulated brands in the crypto space.
