Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Swissquote 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.
Swissquote, founded in 1996, stands as a highly trusted choice for online trading, boasting a perfect Trust Score of 99 from ForexBrokers.com. As a publicly traded company and a bank, Swissquote showcases its credibility with five Tier-1 licenses, the highest level of trust according to ForexBrokers.com, and two Tier-2 licenses. This bolstered regulatory background offers users a sense of security as they engage in various financial transactions.
In comparison, Pepperstone, established in 2010, is noted for its strong trust credentials with a Trust Score of 95. Although not publicly traded or a bank, Pepperstone maintains a reputable presence with three Tier-1 and two Tier-2 licenses. These licenses, combined with its relatively high trust score, make Pepperstone a reliable platform for traders seeking a secure trading environment.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
Pepperstone
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1996 | 2010 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | Yes | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 3 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 2 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
For commissions and fees, Pepperstone generally comes out cheaper than Swissquote. Pepperstone earns 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #6 out of 63 brokers for Commissions and Fees, while Swissquote earns 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #35. The gap shows up in typical EUR/USD pricing and in the discounts available to high‑volume traders.
Swissquote’s costs vary by entity and account. In the U.K., the Elite account targets active traders who can deposit at least $10,000, pairing tighter spreads with a $5 round-turn commission; the Professional account is similar, with a different stop‑out level. The Standard account lists EUR/USD from 1.3 pips, and the Prime account advertises minimum spreads from 0.6 pips (minimums, not averages). In Luxembourg, minimum spreads range from 0.8 pips (Prime, $50,000 minimum) to 1.5 pips (Standard, $1,000 minimum). In Switzerland, forex pricing starts at 1.7 pips on Standard ($1,000 minimum), 1.4 pips on Premium ($10,000), and 1.1 pips on Prime ($50,000), with custom pricing negotiable for high volume. Overall, Swissquote tends to price above the lowest‑cost forex brokers, though its U.K. arm is the most competitive among its entities.
Pepperstone’s Razor account uses a commission‑plus‑spread model across TradingView, MT4/MT5, and cTrader. As of July 2024, the average EUR/USD spread was 0.10 pips; adding the commission equivalent of 0.70 pips brings the all‑in cost to about 0.80 pips. The Standard account is commission‑free but higher at about 1.1 pips on EUR/USD. Active Trader rebates can further cut costs: in the U.K. and EU, Professional clients can earn spread rebates starting near 15% per lot at £20M+ monthly forex volume, rising to 25% above £200M; in Australia, Professional clients can receive 10% to 30% per‑lot reductions based on monthly lots traded. In practice, Razor plus rebates typically undercuts Swissquote for like‑for‑like forex trading.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
Pepperstone
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $1000 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | N/A | 1.1 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 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.
When comparing the range of investments at Swissquote and Pepperstone, both let you trade forex. Pepperstone offers a broader catalog with about 1,726 tradeable symbols versus Swissquote’s 472. That said, Swissquote lists more currency pairs (80 vs. 65) and also lets clients buy exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges (for example, Apple on NASDAQ or Vodafone in London), which Pepperstone does not. Reflecting this breadth, ForexBrokers.com rates Swissquote 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks it #2 of 63 brokers; Pepperstone earns 4 stars and ranks #23.
Both brokers support copy trading. For crypto, Swissquote offers both actual delivered cryptocurrency and crypto CFDs, while Pepperstone offers crypto CFDs only. In short, pick Pepperstone if you want a very wide selection of CFD markets; choose Swissquote if you want multi-asset investing with real shares, more forex pairs, and the option to own cryptocurrency.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
Pepperstone
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 472 | 1726 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 80 | 65 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | 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.
Swissquote vs Pepperstone: both brokers cover the essentials for trading platforms and tools. Each offers a free demo (paper) account, a proprietary platform built in-house, and full support for MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5). You can trade via a Windows desktop download or a web browser, use copy trading, and place orders directly from charts. Both provide popular technical indicators and watch lists to help you analyze markets and act quickly.
Independent ratings show a slight edge for Swissquote in this category. According to ForexBrokers.com, Swissquote earns 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks 12th out of 63 brokers, while Pepperstone scores 4 out of 5 stars and ranks 21st. If platform ratings matter to you, Swissquote comes out ahead; if you mainly want MetaTrader access, web and desktop options, and copy trading, either broker can work well.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
Pepperstone
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 86 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Swissquote vs Pepperstone: both brokers deliver full-featured mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports price alerts, 30 technical studies for charting, trendline drawing, and auto‑saving of chart annotations. That means you can analyze markets and keep your work intact across sessions on your phone or tablet.
The key difference is watchlist syncing. Pepperstone syncs watchlists between the mobile app and your online account, while Swissquote does not. In independent testing by ForexBrokers.com, Swissquote earned 4.5 stars for Mobile Trading Apps and ranked 12th out of 63 brokers; Pepperstone received 4 stars and ranked 19th. If seamless watchlists matter most, Pepperstone has the edge. If higher overall mobile app ratings and ranking sway you, Swissquote comes out ahead.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
Pepperstone
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Swissquote and Pepperstone both cover the essentials for traders who want timely insights. Each broker delivers daily market commentary, top-tier forex news from sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, and Autochartist-powered tools to help spot trade ideas. They also include an economic calendar for upcoming events. Neither broker includes Trading Central, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading tools.
The key difference is sentiment data: Pepperstone adds a tool that shows the long/short positioning across markets, which can help you gauge crowd behavior. That edge is reflected in its higher research rating (4.5 stars) and category ranking (#12 of 63) versus Swissquote’s 4 stars and #15. If you value sentiment alongside news and technical scans, Pepperstone has the slight advantage; otherwise, both brokers offer a solid mix of research features.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
Pepperstone
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| Client sentiment data | No | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Both Swissquote and Pepperstone deliver forex and CFD education that meets the 10+ piece threshold, and each runs at least one client webinar per month. Beginners will find plenty to learn from both brokers: each offers at least 10 beginner-focused videos as well as 10+ advanced videos, making it easy to progress from the basics to more complex topics. If you’re just starting out, you’ll have guided video lessons and live sessions to build confidence with either provider.
For overall quality, Pepperstone has a slight edge: it earns 4.5 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks #15 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, compared with Swissquote’s 4 stars and #19 ranking. That makes Pepperstone the marginal favorite for first-time traders seeking a deeper learning experience, while Swissquote remains a solid choice with ample videos and regular webinars for beginners and experienced traders alike.
| Feature |
Swissquote
|
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 Swissquote is better than Pepperstone. Swissquote finished with an overall rank of #11, while Pepperstone finished with an overall rank of #17.
Traders choose Swissquote for its quality research and vast multi-asset offering – as long as they are willing to pay a premium to have their brokerage account held with a Swiss bank.
| Feature |
Swissquote
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Pepperstone
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 95 |
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Swissquote vs Pepperstone: Swissquote allows you to buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrencies and trade crypto CFDs, while Pepperstone offers only cryptocurrency CFD trading and does not provide access to buying real crypto.
Comparing online brokers, Swissquote and Pepperstone both support ACH/SEPA, PayPal, and bank wire transfers, only Swissquote supports Skrill, and card options (Visa/Mastercard) are not specified for either.
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 | Swissquote | Pepperstone | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 95 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Swissquote Review | Pepperstone Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Swissquote | Pepperstone | |
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| Regulation | Swissquote | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 95 | |
| Year Founded | 1996 | 2010 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 3 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 2 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Swissquote | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Swissquote | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Swissquote | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 472 | 1726 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 80 | 65 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | 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 | Swissquote | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | N/A | 1.1 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | N/A | 0.8 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Swissquote | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $1000 | $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 | Swissquote | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | Yes |
| Trading Tools | Swissquote | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 86 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Swissquote | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Swissquote | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | No | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Swissquote | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Swissquote | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | Swissquote Review | Pepperstone Review |
| Overall | Swissquote | Pepperstone | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 95 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Swissquote Review | Pepperstone Review |
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