Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of FOREX.com vs Pepperstone, 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.
When comparing online brokers FOREX.com and Pepperstone, regulatory credentials play a significant role in building trust for trading enthusiasts. Founded in 1999, FOREX.com stands out with a strong foundation, boasting a perfect Trust Score of 99 as rated by ForexBrokers.com, which classifies it as highly trusted. Their public transparency is underscored by being publicly traded and having seven Tier-1 licenses, indicating a high level of oversight by top financial regulators. Although not a bank, FOREX.com has established itself as a reliable entity in the online trading landscape.
Pepperstone, founded in 2010, also presents a commendable profile with a Trust Score of 95. While it does not trade on public stock exchanges, Pepperstone holds three Tier-1 and two Tier-2 licenses, reflecting a strong regulatory framework and trusted status according to ForexBrokers.com. Unlike FOREX.com, it operates independently without bank affiliation, yet maintains a solid reputation in the trading community. These factors highlight both brokers as reputable choices, with FOREX.com having a slight edge in regulatory recognition.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
Pepperstone
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2010 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 3 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
Comparing commissions and fees, Pepperstone’s Razor account posts an average EUR/USD spread of 0.10 pips plus a commission equivalent of about 0.70 pips, for an all-in cost near 0.80 pips (July 2024). Its Standard account is commission-free with a higher 1.1-pip average spread. Pepperstone also offers volume-based rebates through its Active Trader program, which can further reduce costs for frequent traders. For commissions and fees, Pepperstone is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranked #6 out of 63 brokers.
FOREX.com offers a Standard (market-maker) account and a commission-based RAW account. In the U.S., the Standard account averaged about 1.4 pips on EUR/USD (July 2023), while outside the U.S. the EUR/USD spread averaged 0.74 pips that same month. The RAW account quoted typical EUR/USD spreads of 0.13 pips (February 2024) plus a $7 per standard lot commission ($3.5 per side), which adds roughly 0.7 pips, putting the estimated all-in cost near 0.83 pips before any rebates. There are six volume tiers with rebates from $2 to $9 per million, and unless you trade more than $50 million per month, total costs for U.S. residents often end up similar to the Standard account. For commissions and fees, FOREX.com is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranked #15 out of 63 brokers.
Bottom line: Pepperstone’s Razor account is typically cheaper than its Standard account and can be very competitive when you qualify for rebates. FOREX.com’s RAW pricing narrows the gap with an all-in cost that’s close to Razor for many traders, while its Standard account remains pricier in the U.S. Your actual costs will depend on location, platform, and monthly volume.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
Pepperstone
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.00 | 1.1 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.13 | 0.8 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Comparing FOREX.com vs Pepperstone for range of investments: both brokers support forex trading as CFDs or spot. FOREX.com offers 5,500 tradeable symbols and 80 currency pairs, while Pepperstone lists 1,726 symbols and 65 pairs. For Range of Investments, FOREX.com is rated 5 stars and ranks #6 out of 63 brokers, whereas Pepperstone is rated 4 stars and ranks #23.
FOREX.com also lets you buy exchange-traded securities (not CFDs) on both U.S. and international exchanges—think real shares like Apple or Vodafone. Pepperstone does not offer real share dealing. Both brokers provide cryptocurrency CFDs but not actual crypto. Pepperstone supports copy trading; FOREX.com does not. Choose FOREX.com if you want wider market access, or Pepperstone if copy trading is important and you mainly trade forex and CFDs.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
Pepperstone
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 1726 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 80 | 65 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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.
FOREX.com and Pepperstone both offer wide platform choice for traders. Each provides a free demo (paper) account, an in-house proprietary platform, and support for MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5). You can trade via a web browser or a Windows desktop app with either broker, and both allow trading directly from charts with access to a variety of indicators and drawing tools.
The key difference is copy trading: Pepperstone supports it, while FOREX.com does not. For Trading Platforms and Tools, ForexBrokers.com rates FOREX.com at 5 stars (ranked #5 of 63) and Pepperstone at 4 stars (ranked #21 of 63). Choose Pepperstone if you want integrated copy trading, or pick FOREX.com if you prefer a higher-rated platform lineup and an in-house platform experience.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
Pepperstone
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 90 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both FOREX.com and Pepperstone deliver full-featured mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports price alerts, synced watchlists across mobile and web, and chart tools like drawing trendlines with auto-saved annotations. The key difference is charting depth: FOREX.com packs 90 technical studies in its mobile charts, while Pepperstone offers 30, which may matter if you rely heavily on indicators.
In industry evaluations, FOREX.com’s mobile app earns 5 stars and ranks #2 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps, compared with Pepperstone’s 4-star rating and #19 ranking. If you want richer mobile charting and top-tier ratings, FOREX.com stands out. If you prefer a simpler setup that still covers alerts, syncing, and drawing tools, Pepperstone remains a solid choice.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
Pepperstone
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 90 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
In the FOREX.com vs Pepperstone research matchup, both brokers deliver daily market commentary and forex news from top-tier sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones. Each platform also provides an economic calendar and a sentiment tool that shows the long/short split across instruments. On quality, both earn 4.5 stars for research; however, ForexBrokers.com ranks FOREX.com higher (#7 of 63) than Pepperstone (#12 of 63).
The key difference is in third-party tools. FOREX.com integrates Trading Central for market analysis but does not offer Autochartist, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading. Pepperstone flips that mix by offering Autochartist pattern recognition while skipping Trading Central, TipRanks, and Acuity Trading. If you prefer Trading Central, FOREX.com is the better fit; if you rely on Autochartist scans, Pepperstone stands out.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
Pepperstone
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central | Yes | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
For beginners comparing FOREX.com and Pepperstone, both brokers make learning forex and CFDs straightforward. Each offers a sizable education library that easily exceeds the ten-piece mark, including articles, videos, and archived webinars dedicated to trading. New traders get at least ten beginner-focused videos from both brands, plus ongoing client webinars held at least once a month—helpful for learning step by step and asking questions in real time.
When it comes to quality, both are rated 4.5 out of 5 stars for Education by ForexBrokers.com. The main difference is placement on the leaderboard: FOREX.com ranks #4 out of 63 brokers for Education, while Pepperstone ranks #15. Both also provide at least ten advanced videos, so there’s room to grow beyond the basics. If you want a higher-ranked education experience, FOREX.com gets the edge; Pepperstone remains a strong pick with comparable star ratings and rich beginner resources.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
Pepperstone
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that FOREX.com is better than Pepperstone. FOREX.com finished with an overall rank of #4, while Pepperstone finished with an overall rank of #17.
FOREX.com is a trusted brand that delivers an excellent trading experience for forex and CFDs traders across the globe. It offers a wide range of markets and provides an impressive suite of proprietary platforms – alongside limited access to MetaTrader.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
Pepperstone
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 95 |
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In the FOREX.com vs Pepperstone comparison for cryptocurrency trading, neither online broker lets you buy actual (delivered) crypto, but both offer access via cryptocurrency CFDs.
FOREX.com vs Pepperstone: both brokers support ACH/SEPA transfers, PayPal, and bank wire deposits/withdrawals, while only FOREX.com offers Skrill (Pepperstone does not), and Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified.
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 | FOREX.com | Pepperstone | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 95 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FOREX.com Review | Pepperstone Review |
| Broker Screenshots | FOREX.com | Pepperstone | |
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| Regulation | FOREX.com | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 95 | |
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2010 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 3 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 2 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | FOREX.com | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | Yes | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | FOREX.com | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | FOREX.com | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 1726 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 80 | 65 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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 | FOREX.com | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.00 | 1.1 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.13 | 0.8 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | FOREX.com | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | FOREX.com | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | Yes |
| Trading Tools | FOREX.com | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 90 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | FOREX.com | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 90 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | FOREX.com | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | FOREX.com | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | FOREX.com | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | FOREX.com Review | Pepperstone Review |
| Overall | FOREX.com | Pepperstone | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 95 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FOREX.com Review | Pepperstone Review |
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