Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Saxo vs Alpari, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
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When it comes to choosing an online broker, Saxo and Alpari offer distinct differences in their trust rankings and regulatory credentials. Saxo, founded in 1992, operates as a bank and is not publicly traded. It holds an impressive seven Tier-1 licenses and one Tier-2 license, reflecting a strong regulatory standing. This is underscored by a stellar Trust Score rating of 99 out of 99 from ForexBrokers.com, indicating it's highly trusted in the industry.
Alpari, established in 1998, also remains privately held but does not function as a bank. Unlike Saxo, Alpari holds no Tier-1 or Tier-2 licenses, which affects its perceived reliability. With a Trust Score rating of 68, Alpari falls into the high-risk category according to ForexBrokers.com, suggesting potential investors exercise caution when considering this broker.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1992 | 1998 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | Yes | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 0 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
When comparing the commissions and fees of Saxo and Alpari, Saxo stands out with an impressive rating of 5 stars and is ranked #9 in the Commissions and Fees category by ForexBrokers.com. Saxo's pricing model is particularly appealing to active and high-volume traders due to its competitive spreads and the absence of commission charges for forex trading, except for those trading under 50,000 units per month. With spreads on the EUR/USD starting as low as 0.9 pips for their Classic account, prices become even more competitive for their Platinum and VIP accounts. Saxo also incentivizes traders by waiving custody fees for share trading when securities lending is included.
In contrast, Alpari, rated 4 stars and holding the #41 spot, does not offer average spread data, making it challenging to directly compare its pricing structure to that of Saxo. While both brokers aim to cater to different types of traders, Saxo clearly provides more defined benefits and lower costs for those who can maintain higher account balances or trading volumes. This makes Saxo a stronger contender for traders seeking better account tier benefits and pricing.
In summary, Saxo offers a superior pricing structure with lower spreads and potential cost savings for those engaged in significant trading volumes, which is reflected in its higher rating and ranking. The flexibility across its Classic, Platinum, and VIP accounts, combined with loyalty-driven account upgrades, positions Saxo as a more attractive choice for traders focused on minimizing the fees associated with their trades. Meanwhile, Alpari could remain a consideration for those prioritizing other aspects besides fees in their trading journey.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $20 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.1 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.9 | N/A |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When comparing the range of investment options offered by Saxo and Alpari, Saxo appears to offer a vastly more extensive selection. Saxo boasts an impressive 70,000 tradeable symbols, whereas Alpari provides access to just 105. In forex trading, Saxo shines with 190 tradeable forex pairs against Alpari's 46. Both platforms offer forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, along with the capability of engaging in copy trading and trading cryptocurrency derivatives, although neither supports buying actual cryptocurrency.
Saxo also distinguishes itself by allowing clients to buy exchange-traded securities on U.S. and international exchanges, letting investors purchase stocks like Apple and Vodafone directly. In contrast, Alpari provides access only to international exchange-traded securities. These differences contribute to Saxo's superior ratings, earning 5 stars for its investment range and a 3rd place ranking out of 63 brokers, while Alpari receives 3 stars and ranks last. Overall, Saxo offers a more comprehensive suite of investment opportunities for traders and investors.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 70000 | 105 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 190 | 46 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | 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.
When comparing the trading platforms and tools offered by Saxo and Alpari, both brokers provide a comprehensive suite of features, including simulated trading with free virtual demo accounts, proprietary platforms developed in-house, and compatibility with Windows-based desktop and web-based platforms. Both Saxo and Alpari also support copy trading, allowing traders to follow and replicate the actions of experienced traders. However, a key distinction lies in their support for MetaTrader platforms—Alpari offers both MT4 and MT5, while Saxo does not, which might be a deciding factor for traders preferring these widely-used platforms.
Saxo stands out for its impressive offering of 60 columns for watch lists compared to Alpari's 7, providing a more customizable and extensive overview. Additionally, Saxo provides 20 drawing tools for charting versus Alpari's 15, offering slightly more flexibility in chart analysis. Both brokers allow trading directly from stock charts, but Saxo takes the lead overall with a 5-star rating for Trading Platforms and Tools from ForexBrokers.com, ranking #1 out of 63 brokers. Alpari garnered a respectable 4-star rating but ranked much lower at #55, underscoring the difference in overall platform sophistication and tool accessibility between the two brokers.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
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) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 64 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 20 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 60 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
When comparing the mobile trading apps of Saxo and Alpari, both platforms are available on iPhone and Android. They provide important features such as stock and forex price alerts, as well as the ability to create watchlists with real-time quotes. However, Saxo offers enhanced functionality with watchlist symbol syncing, ensuring your watchlists are up-to-date across your devices—something Alpari lacks.
Saxo's mobile app stands out with 64 technical studies for charting compared to Alpari’s 30. Both platforms support drawing trendlines and viewing multiple time frames, but Saxo goes a step further by automatically saving these chart drawings. Saxo’s user-friendly features contribute to its top-notch rating of five out of five stars for mobile trading apps, ranking it second among 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com. In contrast, Alpari earns a respectable four-star rating, placing it at 56th in the same category.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 64 | 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.
When comparing market research offerings, Saxo stands out particularly due to its comprehensive daily market commentary, a valuable resource that is missing from Alpari's services. Both brokers provide forex news from well-renowned sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, ensuring traders stay informed with high-quality content. Additionally, each platform offers fundamental analysis tools from Autochartist, although neither features tools from Trading Central. Saxo users can gain further insights with a sentiment-based trading tool, which is not available with Alpari.
An economic calendar is available with both Saxo and Alpari, helping traders keep track of vital global economic events. Despite some similarities, Saxo's research offering has achieved a commendable 5-star rating, making it the top choice out of 63 brokers assessed by ForexBrokers.com. On the other hand, Alpari earns a 3-star rating, placing it at 57th in the same assessment. This distinction highlights Saxo's commitment to providing a leading market research experience for its clients.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No |
| 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, Saxo provides a competitive edge over Alpari. Both brokers offer a solid selection of educational content, each boasting a minimum of 10 articles, videos, or similar resources focused on forex or CFDs. However, Saxo excels by hosting monthly online educational webinars and maintaining a searchable archive of these sessions, a feature Alpari lacks. Furthermore, for those just starting out, Saxo and Alpari each offer a series of beginner-friendly videos, but Saxo extends its offerings with additional advanced content for more experienced traders.
An investment glossary with over 50 terms is available from both brokers, aiding traders in understanding complex terminology. In terms of ratings, Saxo receives a strong five stars for education, placing them at 13th out of 63 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com. Alpari, on the other hand, ranks lower, with a three-star rating and a 48th place ranking. Overall, Saxo stands out as a more comprehensive resource for educational content, catering not just beginners, but also offering depth for advanced traders.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
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 Saxo is better than Alpari. Saxo finished with an overall rank of #3, while Alpari finished with an overall rank of #57.
Saxo is an exclusive multi-asset broker with brilliant research and a superb trading platform experience – as well as a stunning selection of over 40,000 securities.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 68 |
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Both Saxo and Alpari do not provide the option to purchase actual delivered cryptocurrency, but they do offer opportunities to trade cryptocurrency derivatives.
Both Saxo and Alpari offer Visa, Mastercard, and bank wires for transactions, but neither supports ACH, SEPA, or PayPal, with Alpari uniquely providing Skrill as an additional option.
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 | Saxo | Alpari | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 68 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Saxo Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Saxo | Alpari | |
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| Regulation | Saxo | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 68 | |
| Year Founded | 1992 | 1998 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 0 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Saxo | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | 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) | Saxo | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | No |
| Investments | Saxo | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 70000 | 105 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 190 | 46 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | 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 | Saxo | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.1 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.9 | N/A | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Saxo | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $20 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | Saxo | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Saxo | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 60 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 64 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 20 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Saxo | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 64 | 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 | Saxo | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Saxo | 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 | Saxo | 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 | Saxo Review |
| Overall | Saxo | Alpari | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 68 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Saxo Review |
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