Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of ACY Securities vs GBE brokers, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
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.
ACY Securities was founded in 2011, while GBE brokers launched in 2013. Both are privately-owned companies and are not listed on any stock exchange. Neither operates as a bank, but each holds one Tier-1 license, which is regarded as highly trusted by ForexBrokers.com. However, they do not possess any Tier-2 licenses. These factors contribute to their overall trust ratings, which help traders assess the level of risk associated with each broker.
According to ForexBrokers.com, ACY Securities has a Trust Score of 75, indicating an average risk level, while GBE brokers slightly trail with a score of 71. This suggests that both brokers are comparable in terms of reliability, with ACY Securities holding a small edge. Prospective investors should consider these trust scores and regulatory standings, alongside other individual preferences, when making their choice between these two online trading platforms.
| Feature |
ACY Securities
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2011 | 2013 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
When comparing online brokers ACY Securities and GBE Brokers, it's essential to look at their commissions and fees structures to determine which might better suit your trading needs. ACY Securities is designed for a broad range of traders, providing both low-deposit and commission-based account options. While the Standard account at ACY has slightly above-average pricing, their ProZero account features spreads that are slightly better than average. Australian residents using ACY Securities benefit from even lower all-in costs. In contrast, GBE Brokers does not provide average spread data, making a direct comparison on spreads difficult.
ACY Securities offers three distinct account types, each with different minimum deposits, spreads, and commissions. The Standard account is commission-free with average spreads of 1.2 pips for the EUR/USD as of 2021. It requires just a $50 deposit. The ProZero account, offering tighter spreads at 0.25 pips, requires a $200 deposit. The Bespoke account sees commissions from $5 per round turn; however, the ProZero account drops to $3 per round turn in Australia, showcasing competitive pricing. GBE Brokers’ lack of publicly available average spread data may be a consideration when evaluating trading costs.
In terms of ratings, ACY Securities holds a 4.5-star rating for commissions and fees, earning the #21 spot out of 63 brokers reviewed by ForexBrokers.com. On the other hand, GBE Brokers has a solid 4-star rating, ranking #37 in the same category. These rankings highlight ACY Securities as a top contender in offering competitive pricing, especially for Australian traders, whereas GBE Brokers remains a steady, mid-ranked option in the market.
| Feature |
ACY Securities
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50 | $500 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.2 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.85 | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
ACY Securities and GBE Brokers both offer forex trading as contracts for difference (CFDs) or spot contracts, catering to those interested in the forex market. When it comes to variety, ACY Securities shines with an impressive 2,200 tradeable symbols compared to GBE Brokers' 500. However, GBE Brokers leads slightly in the number of forex pairs offered, providing 71 pairs against ACY Securities' 66. Enthusiasts of direct stock market trading might note that neither platform supports buying exchange-traded securities like U.S. or international stocks directly, with both brokers focusing on CFD trading. Additionally, copy trading is a feature that both ACY Securities and GBE Brokers provide, allowing traders to mirror the trades of others.
For cryptocurrency enthusiasts, neither broker allows the purchase of actual cryptocurrencies; instead, they both offer cryptocurrency derivatives, enabling trading on digital assets without owning them directly. ACY Securities holds a marginal edge in terms of investment range perception, with a 4-star rating and a #30 rank by ForexBrokers.com compared to GBE Brokers’ 3.5-star rating and a #44 rank. Overall, each broker presents distinct features to meet the needs of traders, whether focusing on wide-ranging tradeable symbols or forex currency pairs.
| Feature |
ACY Securities
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 2200 | 500 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 71 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | Yes | Yes |
| Disclaimers | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
When comparing trading platforms and tools, both ACY Securities and GBE Brokers offer similar features that cater to the needs of diverse traders. Both brokers provide access to popular platforms like MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, alongside a web-based trading platform and a Windows-based desktop download option. Traders seeking to practice without financial risk can take advantage of free virtual demo accounts available with both brokers. For those interested in social trading, both ACY Securities and GBE Brokers support copy trading, but neither offers ZuluTrade or DupliTrade. Both also allow trading directly from stock charts and offer an equal number of 15 drawing tools for charting.
However, subtle differences set them apart; notably, ACY Securities offers a proprietary trading platform, which could be attractive to traders looking for exclusive features not found in more generic options. Despite these offerings, both brokers share a similar ranking of 4 stars for their trading platforms and tools. When it comes to technical indicators and charting columns, both provide 7 columns for watchlists, ensuring detailed tracking of investments. In terms of industry rankings by ForexBrokers.com, ACY Securities is ranked higher at #41 compared to GBE Brokers at #57, possibly indicating a slight edge in platform usability and tool functionality.
| Feature |
ACY Securities
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both ACY Securities and GBE Brokers provide comprehensive mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android users. Investors will find both apps come equipped with essential features like stock and forex price alerts and the ability to draw trendlines on charts. Each app offers 30 technical studies for charting and supports viewing different time frames, ensuring flexibility for traders. While both platforms allow users to create watchlists with real-time quotes and auto-save chart drawings, neither app currently offers watchlist symbol syncing with online accounts.
Despite many similarities, ACY Securities has a slight edge in industry ranking, placing 40th out of 63 brokers, compared to GBE Brokers, which ranks 57th according to ForexBrokers.com. Both apps earn a solid four-star rating for mobile trading capabilities, making them reliable choices for traders seeking well-rounded mobile trading solutions. Whether you choose ACY Securities or GBE Brokers, you can expect a consistent and user-friendly experience on the go.
| Feature |
ACY Securities
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Both ACY Securities and GBE Brokers offer daily market commentary and provide users with an economic calendar to keep track of important global news events. However, neither broker offers forex news from top-tier sources or features tools like those from Autochartist or Trading Central for technical analysis. Additionally, neither broker provides research from TipRanks or resources from Acuity Trading. This makes their overall offerings in market research somewhat basic, lacking the advanced tools found with some other brokers.
While GBE Brokers distinguishes itself by offering a sentiment-based trading tool to view the ratio of long or short positions across currency pairs, ACY Securities does not offer this feature. In terms of user ratings, ACY Securities scores 3.5 stars for research, compared to GBE Brokers’ 3 stars. Ranked by ForexBrokers.com, ACY Securities stands at #44 out of 63 brokers in the Research category, while GBE Brokers is placed lower at #62, showcasing a slight advantage for ACY in terms of research offerings.
| Feature |
ACY Securities
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | No |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | No | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to educational resources for beginners, ACY Securities stands out compared to GBE brokers. ACY Securities offers a substantial library with more than 10 educational pieces focusing on forex and CFDs, including articles, videos, and webinars. In addition, it hosts monthly webinars specifically designed to educate its clients, encapsulating a range of trading topics. These webinars are also recorded and archived in a searchable database for future reference. ACY Securities further extends its dedication to newcomers by providing over 10 videos tailored to beginners, helping to establish a strong foundation in trading.
On the other hand, GBE brokers fall short in the educational realm, lacking a comparable quantity of materials and resources. The broker doesn't meet the benchmark of providing at least 10 educational pieces on forex or CFDs and doesn't offer regular webinars or a searchable archive of past sessions. While both brokers do not offer advanced educational videos or an investor dictionary, ACY Securities still garners a slightly higher educational rating of 3.5 stars compared to GBE brokers' 3 stars, reflecting a more favorable approach to nurturing beginner traders. In the ForexBrokers.com rankings for education, ACY Securities is placed at 43 out of 63 brokers, whereas GBE brokers are ranked at 63, marking a significant difference in their educational support capabilities.
| Feature |
ACY Securities
|
GBE brokers
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | No | No |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that ACY Securities is better than GBE brokers. ACY Securities finished with an overall rank of #41, while GBE brokers finished with an overall rank of #56.
ACY Securities is a MetaTrader-only broker with a reasonable range of markets and a balanced account offering. The broker’s research and educational content, however, could be greatly improved upon.
| Feature |
ACY Securities
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GBE brokers
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 75 | 71 |
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Both ACY Securities and GBE brokers do not offer the option to buy actual delivered cryptocurrency, but they both provide the ability to trade cryptocurrency derivatives.
Both ACY Securities and GBE Brokers support a variety of deposit and withdrawal options, including ACH or SEPA transfers, Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires, but only GBE Brokers offers PayPal as an additional option for transactions.
Please note:
We review each broker’s overall global offering – a “Yes” checkmark in our Compare Tool does not guarantee the availability of any specific features in your country of residence. To verify the availability of any features within your country of residence, please contact the broker directly.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | ACY Securities | GBE brokers | |
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| Trust Score | 75 | 71 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ACY Securities Review |
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| Regulation | ACY Securities | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 75 | 71 | |
| Year Founded | 2011 | 2013 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 1 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | ACY Securities | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | ACY Securities | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | ACY Securities | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 2200 | 500 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 66 | 71 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | Yes | Yes | |
| Disclaimers | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). |
| Cost | ACY Securities | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.2 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.85 | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | ACY Securities | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $50 | $500 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | ACY Securities | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | ACY Securities | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 30 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 15 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | ACY Securities | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | No | Yes |
| Research | ACY Securities | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | No | No | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | No | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | ACY Securities | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | No | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | ACY Securities | GBE brokers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | ACY Securities Review |
| Overall | ACY Securities | GBE brokers | |
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| Trust Score | 75 | 71 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | ACY Securities Review |
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