Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of FP Markets vs Alpari, 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.
FP Markets and Alpari are both well-established online brokers, founded in 2005 and 1998 respectively. Neither of these companies is publicly traded nor operates as a bank. When it comes to regulation, FP Markets leads with two Tier-1 licenses and one Tier-2 license, which are indicators of high trust and reliability as per ForexBrokers.com. Alpari, on the other hand, does not hold any Tier-1 or Tier-2 licenses, which may be a point of concern for those prioritizing regulatory oversight.
FP Markets has a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 89, categorizing it as a trusted broker. In contrast, Alpari has a Trust Score of 68, placing it in the high-risk category. While both brokers are seasoned players in the financial market, FP Markets offers a more trusted experience backed by solid regulatory credentials.
| Feature |
FP Markets
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2005 | 1998 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
FP Markets stands out for low commissions and tight spreads on MetaTrader and cTrader. Its Raw ECN account averaged 0.1 pips as of October 2023, with a $6 round-turn commission per standard lot (about 0.8 pips all-in on EUR/USD), while the spread-only Standard account averaged 1.1 pips. For share CFDs, the Iress suite offers Direct Market Access with full depth of book; however, ViewPoint can add platform and data fees unless you qualify for Premier or generate at least AUD 150 in monthly commissions. Iress tiers include Standard (AUD 1,000), Platinum (AUD 25,000), and Premier (AUD 50,000), and the lower-cost Iress Investor waives monthly fees but lacks streaming data and has basic charting. FP Markets earned Best in Class for Commissions and Fees in 2024, is rated 5/5 stars, and ranks #6 out of 63 brokers for this category.
Alpari’s pricing picture is less clear because average spread data is not available. Even so, it holds a 4/5 star rating for commissions and fees and ranks #42 out of 63 brokers.
Bottom line on commissions and fees: FP Markets provides transparent, competitive costs—especially on its Raw ECN account—while Alpari’s lack of published average spreads makes side-by-side cost comparisons harder. With a higher star rating and a much stronger category ranking from ForexBrokers.com, FP Markets is likely to appeal more to traders who prioritize clear, low-cost pricing.
| Feature |
FP Markets
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 AUD | $20 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.2 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.7 | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
FP Markets and Alpari both let you trade forex either as CFDs or as spot, and each supports copy trading and cryptocurrency derivatives (not the actual coins). Neither broker offers delivered crypto or U.S.-listed share dealing outside CFDs; however, only Alpari provides access to exchange-traded international shares (non-CFD), while FP Markets does not.
In terms of breadth, FP Markets lists about 10,000 symbols and 71 currency pairs, far more than Alpari’s 105 symbols and 46 pairs. Independent ratings reflect this gap: FP Markets earns 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks 19th for Range of Investments, while Alpari scores 3 stars and ranks 64th. Pick FP Markets if you want more markets to choose from; consider Alpari if access to actual international shares matters to you.
| Feature |
FP Markets
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 10000 | 105 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 71 | 46 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes |
| 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.
FP Markets vs Alpari: both brokers cover the essentials for trading platforms and tools. Each offers a free demo account for paper trading, its own proprietary platform alongside MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), a Windows desktop platform, a web-based platform, and copy trading. You can trade directly from charts with either broker. Neither supports DupliTrade or ZuluTrade.
When it comes to charting, FP Markets lists 17 drawing tools compared with 15 at Alpari; both provide seven watchlist columns, while indicator counts were not specified and can vary by platform. According to ForexBrokers.com, both earned 4 out of 5 stars for Trading Platforms and Tools, yet FP Markets ranked 23rd out of 63 brokers versus Alpari at 56th—suggesting FP Markets holds a slight edge in this category.
| Feature |
FP Markets
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| 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) | 17 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
FP Markets and Alpari both offer iPhone and Android apps with real-time watchlists and price alerts, plus the ability to draw trendlines and switch among multiple time frames. Neither app syncs watchlist symbols with the web platform, but there’s a key difference for chart work: FP Markets auto-saves your drawings, while Alpari does not.
For indicators, FP Markets uses the default MetaTrader toolset, while Alpari lists 30 technical studies in its app. Both earn 4 out of 5 stars for mobile trading apps, yet ForexBrokers.com ranks FP Markets much higher (#18 of 63) than Alpari (#57 of 63). If you want drawings to persist between sessions, FP Markets has the edge; if you prefer a set count of built-in studies, Alpari states 30, but overall rankings favor FP Markets for mobile.
| Feature |
FP Markets
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | MetaTrader (Default) | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | No |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
FP Markets offers more built-in market research than Alpari. FP Markets provides daily market commentary, Trading Central analysis, a sentiment tool showing long/short positioning, and top-tier forex news from sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones. Alpari also delivers top-tier forex news and includes Autochartist like FP Markets, and both brokers offer an economic calendar. However, Alpari does not provide daily market commentary, Trading Central, or a sentiment tool.
When it comes to independent ratings, FP Markets earns 4 out of 5 stars for Research and ranks #25 of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Alpari scores 3 stars and ranks #58. Neither broker includes TipRanks or Acuity Trading on its feature list (FP Markets confirms no; Alpari does not clearly indicate support). If you want daily insights, Trading Central, and sentiment data all in one place, FP Markets is the stronger pick; if you mainly need news, an economic calendar, and Autochartist, both FP Markets and Alpari can fit the bill.
| Feature |
FP Markets
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | No | |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to educational resources for beginners, FP Markets and Alpari both offer a variety of materials, but there are notable differences. FP Markets stands out because they provide online educational webinars every month, along with a searchable archive of these sessions for clients. These webinars offer a valuable opportunity for beginners to engage with real-time learning and revisit past sessions for further understanding. FP Markets also offers a comprehensive set of educational videos for both beginners and advanced traders, ensuring a wide range of topics are covered to enhance your trading knowledge. In addition, their investor dictionary simplifies complex investing terms, making learning more accessible.
Alpari, while providing sufficient educational content with over 10 beginner-focused videos and an extensive investor dictionary, falls short in some areas. It does not offer monthly webinars or a searchable archive of previous sessions, limiting access to potentially crucial live educational experiences and resources. Advanced traders might find their resources wanting since more advanced educational videos aren't available. According to ForexBrokers.com, FP Markets achieves a 4-star rating for its education and ranks 23rd among 63 brokers, while Alpari receives a 3-star rating and is ranked 48th. This suggests FP Markets may offer a more enriching educational platform for those stepping into the trading world.
| Feature |
FP Markets
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that FP Markets is better than Alpari. FP Markets finished with an overall rank of #19, while Alpari finished with an overall rank of #58.
FP Markets shines as a low-cost broker for trading forex and CFDs – as long as you use the MetaTrader platform. The Iress platform suite offers well over 9,000 tradeable symbols, but it’s mostly a share trading platform – and is generally a much pricier option.
| Feature |
FP Markets
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 89 | 68 |
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Both FP Markets and Alpari offer opportunities to trade cryptocurrency derivatives, but neither platform provides the option to purchase actual, delivered cryptocurrencies.
FP Markets and Alpari both provide options for deposits and withdrawals through Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires, but FP Markets uniquely offers PayPal while neither platform supports ACH or SEPA transfers.
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 | FP Markets | Alpari | |
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| Trust Score | 89 | 68 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FP Markets Review |
| Broker Screenshots | FP Markets | Alpari | |
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| Regulation | FP Markets | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 89 | 68 | |
| Year Founded | 2005 | 1998 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 2 | 0 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | FP Markets | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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) | |||
| 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). | Yes | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | FP Markets | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | FP Markets | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 10000 | 105 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 71 | 46 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes | |
| 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 | FP Markets | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.2 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.7 | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | No | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | FP Markets | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 AUD | $20 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | FP Markets | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | Yes | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | FP Markets | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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) | 17 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | FP Markets | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | MetaTrader (Default) | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | FP Markets | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | ||
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | FP Markets | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | FP Markets | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | FP Markets Review |
| Overall | FP Markets | Alpari | |
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| Trust Score | 89 | 68 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FP Markets Review |
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