Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Saxo vs Plus500, 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.
Saxo and Plus500 both earn a 99/99 Trust Score from ForexBrokers.com, placing them in the highly trusted bracket. Saxo, founded in 1992, is a bank but not publicly traded. Plus500, founded in 2008, is publicly traded and not a bank.
Both brokers hold seven Tier-1 licenses (highly trusted per ForexBrokers.com). Saxo also holds one Tier-2 license, while Plus500 holds four Tier-2 licenses (Tier-2 is trusted). For context, ForexBrokers.com’s Trust Score is out of 99: 90–99 highly trusted, 80–89 trusted, 70–79 average risk, 60–69 high risk, and under 59 not trusted.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1992 | 2008 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | Yes |
| Bank | Yes | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 7 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 4 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
Saxo stands out for commissions and fees, earning 5 stars and ranking #8 out of 36 brokers for this category. Overall, it offers excellent pricing, especially for active traders, high-volume traders, and larger account holders. Its forex trading is commission-free in most cases, with costs built into the spread, though traders who trade under 50,000 units per month may pay a $3 per-side ticket fee. Recent EUR/USD average spreads were 1.1 pips for Classic, 1.0 pips for Platinum, and 0.9 pips for VIP, with Platinum and VIP pricing sitting closer to the industry average.
Plus500 earns 4.0 stars and is ranked #24 out of 36 brokers for commissions and fees. Its pricing is a bit above the industry average, and it does not offer retail pricing discounts. For EUR/USD, the average spread was 1.5 pips in April 2024, which is higher than average. Plus500 does offer cash rebates for clients who qualify as Professional clients, but for most retail traders, it is not as competitive on cost as Saxo.
In simple terms, Saxo is the stronger choice for lower trading costs, especially if you trade often or maintain a larger balance. Plus500 is easy to use, but its fees and spreads are generally less attractive for cost-conscious forex traders.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | €50 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.0 | 1.3 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | 1.3 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Saxo offers a wider range of investments than Plus500, making it a stronger choice for traders who want more markets in one place. Saxo lists about 71,000 tradeable symbols and 190 forex pairs, compared with Plus500’s 5,500 symbols and 65 forex pairs. Both brokers let you trade forex as a CFD or spot contract, and both also give access to exchange-traded securities on U.S. and international exchanges, such as Apple and Vodafone shares.
When it comes to other investment options, neither broker offers copy trading or the ability to buy actual cryptocurrency, but both do offer cryptocurrency CFDs. Overall, Saxo is rated 5 stars for range of investments and ranks #3 out of 36 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Plus500 is rated 4.5 stars and ranks #16. This makes Saxo the better pick for investors looking for broader market access and more trading choices.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 71000 | 5500 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 190 | 65 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | No |
| 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). Non-CFD share trading at Plus500 is only available through the Plus500 Invest account. |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
Saxo and Plus500 both offer a free demo account, along with a proprietary trading platform and a web-based platform you can use in your browser. Neither broker supports copy trading, MetaTrader 4, or MetaTrader 5. In this comparison, Saxo stands out with a Windows desktop platform and the ability to trade directly from a chart, while Plus500 does not offer a desktop download or chart-based trading.
For trading platforms and tools, Saxo is rated 5 out of 5 stars and ranks #3 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Plus500 earns 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #14. Both brokers cover the basics well, but Saxo offers a few more tools for active traders who want extra platform flexibility.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | No |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | No |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 61 | 115 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Saxo and Plus500 both make it easy to trade on the go, with iPhone and Android apps, price alerts, watchlist syncing, and the ability to draw trendlines on charts. For everyday mobile use, both platforms cover the basics well and let users keep track of stocks or forex markets from their phones. Saxo also stands out by automatically saving chart drawings in its app, which can be helpful if you switch between devices or return to a chart later.
When it comes to charting tools and overall mobile app quality, Plus500 offers more technical studies, with 115 compared with Saxo’s 64. Even so, Saxo earns the higher mobile trading app rating at 5 stars and is ranked #3 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while Plus500 is rated 4.5 stars and ranked #14. In short, Plus500 may appeal to traders who want more chart indicators, but Saxo has the edge for mobile app experience and convenience.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 64 | 115 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Saxo and Plus500 both give traders useful market research, including daily market commentary, sentiment tools, and an economic calendar that tracks upcoming global events. Each also helps users gauge market mood by showing the balance of long and short positions across instruments. In addition, both platforms provide access to trading ideas and updates that can help with day-to-day decision-making.
Where Saxo stands out is its wider research range, especially forex news from top sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, plus Autochartist tools for technical and fundamental analysis. Plus500 does not offer those features, but it does include Trading Central tools, which Saxo does not. Overall, Saxo is rated 5 stars for Research and ranks #1 out of 36 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while Plus500 earns 4.5 stars and ranks #16.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central | No | Yes |
| 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 looking to learn before they trade, both Saxo and Plus500 provide a wide range of educational materials, including at least 10 pieces focused on forex or CFDs, monthly live webinars, and 10 or more beginner videos as well as 10 or more advanced videos. This means each broker gives new traders access to core learning content on the basics and beyond, with resources aimed at both first-time users and more experienced traders.
That said, Saxo comes out ahead overall in education. It is rated 5 stars for Education and ranks #12 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Plus500 earns 4.5 stars and ranks #26. In simple terms, both brokers offer helpful learning tools, but Saxo appears to provide the stronger educational experience for beginners.
| Feature |
Saxo
|
Plus500
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 Saxo is better than Plus500. Saxo finished with an overall rank of #3, while Plus500 finished with an overall rank of #14.
Saxo is a 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
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Plus500
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 99 |
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In a Saxo vs Plus500 comparison for crypto trading, neither online broker lets you buy actual delivered cryptocurrencies, but both offer cryptocurrency CFD trading.
Saxo and Plus500 both accept bank wire transfers and do not support ACH/SEPA funding, but Plus500 additionally offers PayPal and Skrill while Saxo does not.
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 | Plus500 | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 99 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Saxo Review | Plus500 Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Saxo | Plus500 | |
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| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Regulation | Saxo | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 99 | |
| Year Founded | 1992 | 2008 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | Yes | |
| Bank | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 7 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 4 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Saxo | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Saxo | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | Saxo | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 71000 | 5500 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 190 | 65 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | No | |
| 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). Non-CFD share trading at Plus500 is only available through the Plus500 Invest account. |
| Cost | Saxo | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.0 | 1.3 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.8 | 1.3 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Saxo | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | €50 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | Saxo | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | No | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | No | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | No | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | No | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Saxo | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 61 | 115 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | No | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Saxo | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 64 | 115 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Saxo | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Saxo | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Saxo | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | Saxo Review | Plus500 Review |
| Overall | Saxo | Plus500 | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 99 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Saxo Review | Plus500 Review |
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