Best Spread Betting Platforms for 2026
Steven Hatzakis has been reviewing forex brokers for nearly ten years and has 25+ years of experience as a forex trader. His broker reviews are unbiased and independent, and his expertise is sought after for global FX conferences and speaking events around the world. Learn how we test.
Spread betting is one of the most tax-efficient ways to trade in the U.K. and Ireland, allowing investors to speculate on price movements across forex, stocks, indices, and commodities without paying capital gains tax. In addition to its tax efficiency, its appeal also lies in its flexibility, offering leverage, competitive spreads, and the ability to go long or short with ease.
Choosing the right spread betting platform can make a significant difference in your trading experience, from the instruments available and trading costs to platform usability and risk management tools. With over 25 years of experience in financial markets, I’ve analyzed the top spread betting brokers based on pricing, range of investments, platform features, and educational resources. This guide will help you choose among the best spread betting platforms for 2026 to match your trading style and goals.
| Company | Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | Minimum Deposit | Overall Rating |
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|
0.91 | £1 |
|
|
|
1.3 | $0 |
|
|
|
1.4 | £100.00 |
|
|
|
0.64 | $20 |
|
|
|
1.68 | $0 |
|
|
|
0.93 | $100 |
|
|
|
0.9 | Starts from $50 |
|
Best Spread Betting Platforms
My review process at ForexBrokers.com includes hands-on testing, robust fact-checking, and thousands of hand-collected data points; here are my picks for the best spread betting brokers for 2026 from around the world:
- Minimum Deposit: £1
- Trust Score: 99
- Tradeable Symbols (Total): 19537
IG offers the ultimate comprehensive trading package, featuring excellent trading and research tools, industry-leading education, and an extensive range of tradeable markets. Read full review
- #1 Overall Broker in our ForexBrokers.com 2026 Awards.
- Highest Trust Score in 2026; most trusted forex broker.
- tastyfx brings IG access to U.S. forex traders.
- IG’s web platform requires some manual setup.
- MT5 is not available on IG.
- Only ~80 symbols available via MetaTrader.
- IG’s DailyFX news and research site has been discontinued.
- Minimum Deposit: $0
- Trust Score: 99
- Tradeable Symbols (Total): 12029
CMC Markets is well-trusted across the globe, and delivers a terrific trading experience thanks to its excellent pricing and selection of over 12,000 tradeable instruments. Read full review
- 12,000+ instruments and over 282 forex pairs available.
- Next Gen platform is packed with tools and charts.
- Industry-best pricing with low spreads and active trader perks.
- Launched 24/7 crypto trading, following its acquisition of StrikeX.
- MetaTrader 4 has fewer symbols and limited product depth.
- Spreads have worsened slightly year-over-year on certain pairs.
- No automated trading on CMC’s proprietary platform.
- Education lacks progress tracking or interactive features.
- The quantity of research content produced has slowed.
- Minimum Deposit: £100.00
- Trust Score: 99
- Tradeable Symbols (Total): 13500
Backed by StoneX Group, City Index is a trusted brand known for its versatile trading platforms, excellent mobile app, diverse market research, and extensive range of tradeable markets. Read full review
- Over 13,500 symbols and 80+ forex pairs available.
- Web Trader platform full of smart tools.
- Mobile app offers TradingView charts, news, and analysis.
- No MetaTrader 5 support for most regions.
- Average pricing trails behind low-cost forex brokers.
- Educational content lacks quantity of research.
- Minimum Deposit: $20
- Trust Score: 89
- Tradeable Symbols (Total): 5585
Capital.com stands out for its quality research, strong educational content, and innovative web platform. Capital.com holds fewer regulatory licenses and offers a narrower range of markets than some of the best brokers, but still significantly outperforms the industry average. Read full review
- Drag-to-modify charts & ability to close all positions quickly.
- Excellent education and research.
- Competitive spreads.
- MetaTrader 5 is not available.
- Price alerts only available within mobile.
- Doesn't offer trading signals and copy trading.
- Minimum Deposit: $0
- Trust Score: 92
- Tradeable Symbols (Total): 4172
A trusted global brand, OANDA stands out for its reputation and quality market research. Its regulatory track record is strong, and its support for third-party features bolsters its overall offering. Read full review
- MarketPulse and Trade Tap Blog offer daily research and analysis.
- OANDA Trade app is user-friendly with solid functionality.
- TradingView and MT4 support with VPS hosting.
- Algo Labs supports API trading (not in Australia).
- Fewer YouTube video updates than peers.
- New Smart videos education series are mostly platform tutorials.
- Spreads are high compared to the best overall brokers.
- OANDA Trade platform trails best-in-class leaders.
- Minimum Deposit: $100
- Trust Score: 96
- Tradeable Symbols (Total): 1260
AvaTrade is a trusted global brand best known for offering an extensive selection of trading platforms for forex and CFD traders, along with strong educational resources and copy trading support. Read full review
- Wide platform selection.
- Strong educational courses.
- Copy trading support.
- Charts lack drawing tools in mobile.
- Retail spreads higher than average.
- Slow desktop platform and outdated design.
- Minimum Deposit: Starts from $50
- Trust Score: 95
- Tradeable Symbols (Total): 440
For traders who appreciate advanced trading tools and quality market research, FXCM is a winner, especially for algorithmic trading. Its range of tradeable markets is fairly narrow, however, and the pricing at FXCM is just average. Read full review
- Wide support for algo trading.
- TradingView, MT4, and FXCM's Trading Station available.
- Trading Station charts come with 100+ indicators and tools.
- Under 500 tradable symbols.
- No MetaTrader 5 (MT5) support across any platforms.
- Research and education trail top-tier brokers like IG and Saxo.
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.
ForexBrokers.com Overall Rankings
Now that you've seen our picks for the best brokers on this guide, check out ForexBrokers.com's overall broker rankings. We've evaluated over 60 forex brokers, using a testing methodology that's based on 100+ data-driven variables and thousands of data points. Also take a look at our full-length, in-depth forex broker reviews.
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