Best Spread Betting Platforms for 2025

Q: What brokers offer demo accounts to practice spread betting?

Most spread-betting brokers offer demo accounts , allowing traders to test their platforms and refine strategies without risking real money. Top-tier brokers like IG , CMC Markets , and City Index provide feature-rich demo environments that closely mirror live trading conditions, making them excellent choices for practicing spread-betting strategies.

Written by Steven Hatzakis
Edited by Jeff Anberg
Fact-checked by Joey Shadeck

December 02, 2025

Steven Hatzakis

Steven Hatzakis is the Global Director of Online Broker Research for ForexBrokers.com. He is a forex industry expert and an active fintech and crypto researcher.

See full bio

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 2025 to match your trading style and goals.

Which forex brokers can I open an account with?

Select your country of residency below to see which regulated forex brokers will accept you as a new customer for trading forex.

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Company	Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account	Minimum Deposit	Overall Rating
IG	0.91 info	£1
CMC Markets	1.3 info	$0
City Index	1.4 info	£100.00
Capital.com	0.64 info	$20 info
OANDA	1.68 info	$0
AvaTrade	0.93 info	$100
FXCM	0.9 info	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 2025 from around the world:

Overall Score

5.0/5

Best spread betting platform

Minimum Deposit: £1
Trust Score: 99
Tradeable Symbols (Total): 19537

Why we like it

Review

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

Pros

Outstanding platforms and tools
Over 19,000 tradeable instruments
Competitive pricing

Cons

No predefined layouts on the flagship web platform
Limited product range on MT4

Overall Score

5.0/5

Best for low-cost spread betting

Minimum Deposit: $0
Trust Score: 99
Tradeable Symbols (Total): 12029

Why we like it

Review

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

Pros

Low trading costs
Excellent web and mobile platforms
Robust research materials

Cons

Educational offering could be improved

Overall Score

5.0/5

Excellent range of investments

Minimum Deposit: £100.00
Trust Score: 99
Tradeable Symbols (Total): 13500

Why we like it

Review

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

Pros

Excellent platforms and mobile app
Extensive range of markets
High-quality market research

Cons

Pricing is average for the industry
Limited product range on MT4

Overall Score

4.5/5

Great pricing with low spreads

Minimum Deposit: $20 info
Trust Score: 87
Tradeable Symbols (Total): 5585

Why we like it

Review

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

Pros

High-quality educational articles and courses
Newsroom-grade research articles
Offers over 400 crypto CFDs

Cons

MetaTrader 5 not available
Respectable range of tradeable symbols, but fewer than industry leaders

Overall Score

4.5/5

Highly trusted spread betting platform

Minimum Deposit: $0
Trust Score: 93
Tradeable Symbols (Total): 4172 info

Why we like it

Review

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

Pros

High-quality market research
Excellent options for algorithmic trading

Cons

Fees trail discount leaders
Limited tradeable products

Overall Score

4.5/5

Great educational content

Minimum Deposit: $100
Trust Score: 94
Tradeable Symbols (Total): 1260

Why we like it

Review

AvaTrade is a trusted global brand best known for offering an extensive selection of trading platforms for forex and CFD traders, as well as exceptional educational content that helped it nab Best in Class honors for Beginners in the ForexBrokers.com 2025 Annual Awards. Read full review

Pros

AvaOptions app is an excellent forex options mobile trading platform
Offers 44 forex options and over 1,200 CFDs

Cons

Pricing for retail accounts is average, but trails industry leaders
Desktop platform is slow to load, has outdated design

Overall Score

4.5/5

Great for algorithmic spread betting

Minimum Deposit: Starts from $50
Trust Score: 95
Tradeable Symbols (Total): 440

Why we like it

Review

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

Pros

Excellent platforms and tools
High-quality market research

Cons

Pricing is slightly higher than industry average
Narrow range of tradeable markets

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.

Top picks for spread betting platforms

Best spread betting platform - IG

Company	Overall Rating	Spread Betting	Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account	United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised)
IG		Yes	0.91 info	Yes

Why I chose IG: IG offers the most comprehensive spread betting experience with 19,500+ markets, advanced trading tools, and tax-efficient trading for U.K. and Ireland residents, backed by its industry-leading reputation and FCA regulation.

Reputation: Founded in 1974, IG is publicly traded on the FTSE 250 (LON: IGG) and regulated in eight Tier-1 jurisdictions, including the FCA in the UK. Its long-standing reputation and robust regulatory framework provide traders with unparalleled trust and security.

Comprehensive product range for spread betting: IG offers a huge selection of over 19,500 tradeable instruments, including forex, indices, commodities, shares, and cryptocurrencies. This makes IG a top choice for traders seeking extensive market coverage for spread betting, whether you're a beginner or a seasoned professional.

Exceptional trading platforms: IG’s flagship web platform and mobile app are feature-rich, offering advanced charting, integrated trading signals, and research tools, including trading from the chart. With its user-friendly design and cutting-edge functionality, IG caters to both casual traders and active investors. IG’s web platform and mobile app are among my favorites, packed with a plethora of features in a modern and streamlined user interface.

Tax-efficient spread betting: For residents of the U.K. and Ireland, IG’s spread betting platform offers a tax-efficient way to trade with competitive spreads and advanced risk management tools. This, combined with IG’s decades-long track record, makes it an excellent choice for spread bettors.

Learn more about its features and platforms in my full review of IG.

Excellent pricing and customisable platforms - CMC Markets

Company	Overall Rating	Spread Betting	Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account	United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised)
CMC Markets		Yes	1.3 info	Yes

Why I chose CMC Markets: CMC Markets stands out for its low-cost spread betting, deep liquidity, and highly customizable Next Generation platform, making it ideal for traders who demand precision and flexibility.

Reputation: With over three decades of experience, CMC Markets is publicly traded (LON: CMCX) and authorized by five Tier-1 regulators, including the FCA. Its robust regulatory framework ensures the safety and security of client funds.

Wide range of markets to spread bet: CMC Markets provides access to nearly 12,000 tradeable instruments, many of which are available for spread betting, including forex, indices, commodities, shares, and cryptocurrencies. With one of the largest product offerings globally, CMC Markets caters well to those who desire flexibility in the instruments available for spread betting.

Powerful proprietary platform: The Next Generation web platform stands out with 80 technical indicators, 40 drawing tools, and advanced charting features. Its rich customization options and market-leading tools make it ideal for serious traders seeking precision and efficiency. I’m a big fan of the charts in Next Generation, and the level of customizations available.

Competitive pricing: CMC Markets offers consistently low spreads, averaging just 0.61 pips for EUR/USD based on collected spread data. Its FX Active program provides commission-based pricing, reducing costs for high-volume traders, while its Alpha rebates deliver additional perks for active investors (the offer varies by region).

Explore more about its pricing and range of investments in my in-depth review of CMC Markets.

CMC Markets Next Generation mobile trade ticket order.

CMC Markets Next Generation web platform layout light theme

CMC Markets research weekly outlook detail.

Excellent range of investments for spread betting - City Index

Company	Overall Rating	Spread Betting	Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account	United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised)
City Index		Yes	1.4 info	Yes

Why I chose City Index: With 13,500+ instruments, tax-efficient spread betting, and innovative tools like PlayMaker, City Index is a top choice for traders looking for market variety and strong risk management features.

Reputation: City Index is part of the publicly traded StoneX Group (NASDAQ: SNEX), a Fortune 100 company, which holds regulatory licenses in seven Tier-1 jurisdictions, making it one of the most trusted brokers we review.

Diverse investment choices for spread betting: With access to 13,500 tradeable instruments, including forex, indices, commodities, and cryptocurrencies, City Index caters to both retail and professional traders. Spread-betting options provide tax efficiencies for U.K. traders, while forex options and forwards broaden trading opportunities.

Comprehensive platform offering: City Index’s proprietary Web Trader platform is feature-rich, offering advanced tools and integrated research. Its flagship PlayMaker tool, which received our #1 Risk Management Tool award the year it launched, provides traders with valuable insights for managing their positions effectively. Personally, I found PlayMaker to be highly innovative and forward-thinking when it comes to performance analytics and helping clients better manage their risk/reward ratios.

Strong educational content: City Index’s Trading Academy and reality-show-style video series deliver an engaging approach to trader education. Beginner and intermediate traders can benefit from progress tracking, quizzes, and a variety of learning formats.

Discover more about its tools and available instruments in my complete review of City Index.

City Index MetaTrader 4 mobile trading app

City Index web platform research Trading Central

FAQs

Is spread betting legal?

In places where proper regulation is in place, such as in the U.K. where it is tightly regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), spread betting is legal. However, the legality of spread betting may vary based on your country of residence, the location of your broker, and any other applicable regulations. The United States, for example, does not allow the trading of either spread betting instruments or CFDs for its residents.

One thing to note is that U.K. and Ireland-regulated brokers will only let you trade these products if you are a resident of those respective countries, otherwise, CFDs may be the only similar equity available to you if you reside outside those jurisdictions where spread betting is legal.

Note: U.K. residents can still choose to trade CFDs rather than spread betting, depending on their objectives. The main difference, besides tax treatment, is the way prices are quoted: in pounds per point for spread betting compared to pips and points for CFDs.

How is spread betting different from trading CFDs?

While both spread betting and CFDs involve speculation on price movements, spread betting is tax-free in the U.K. and Ireland, while CFD profits may be subject to capital gains tax.

Additionally, spread betting uses "points" to measure profit and loss — usually denoted as pounds per point — while CFDs rely on actual price movements of the underlying asset.

For example, consider the following two trades which are for identical trade size values, but one is a spread bet and the other is a CFD trade in the same underlying asset:

CFD Trade Example (100,000 EUR/USD): A 50-pip price move equals $500 at $10 per pip.
Spread Betting Example ($10 per point on EUR/USD): A 50-point price move equals $500 at $10 per point.

Aside from this quotation difference and the tax treatment difference in places such as the U.K. and Ireland, there is essentially nothing else to differentiate between spread betting and CFDs.

What brokers offer demo accounts to practice spread betting?

Most spread-betting brokers offer demo accounts, allowing traders to test their platforms and refine strategies without risking real money. Top-tier brokers like IG, CMC Markets, and City Index provide feature-rich demo environments that closely mirror live trading conditions, making them excellent choices for practicing spread-betting strategies.

Our testing

Why you should trust us

Steven Hatzakis is a well-known finance writer, with 25+ years of experience in the foreign exchange and financial markets. He is the Global Director of Online Broker Research for Reink Media Group, leading research efforts for ForexBrokers.com since 2016. Steven is an expert writer and researcher who has published over 1,000 articles covering the foreign exchange markets and cryptocurrency industries. He has served as a registered commodity futures representative for domestic and internationally-regulated brokerages. Steven holds a Series III license in the US as a Commodity Trading Advisor (CTA).

All content on ForexBrokers.com is handwritten by a writer, fact-checked by a member of our research team, and edited and published by an editor. Our ratings, rankings, and opinions are entirely our own, and the result of our extensive research and decades of collective experience covering the forex industry.

Ultimately, our rigorous data validation process yields an error rate of less than .1% each year, providing site visitors with quality data they can trust. Click here to learn more about how we test.

How we tested

At ForexBrokers.com, our online broker reviews are based on our collected quantitative data as well as the observations and qualified opinions of our expert researchers. Each year we publish tens of thousands of words of research on the top forex brokers and monitor dozens of international regulator agencies (read more about how we calculate Trust Score here).

Mobile testing is conducted on modern devices that run the most up-to-date operating systems available:

For Apple, we use MacBook Pro laptops running macOS 15.3, and the iPhone XS running iOS 18.3.
For Android, we use the Samsung Galaxy S20 and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra devices running Android OS 15.

All websites and web-based platforms are tested using the latest version of the Google Chrome browser.

Our researchers thoroughly test a wide range of key features, such as the availability and quality of watch lists, mobile charting, real-time and streaming quotes, and educational resources – among other important variables. We also evaluate the overall design of the mobile experience, and look for a fluid user experience moving between mobile and desktop platforms.

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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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About the Editorial Team

Steven Hatzakis is the Global Director of Online Broker Research for ForexBrokers.com. Steven previously served as an Editor for Finance Magnates, where he authored over 1,000 published articles about the online finance industry. A forex industry expert and an active fintech and crypto researcher, Steven advises blockchain companies at the board level and holds a Series III license in the U.S. as a Commodity Trading Advisor (CTA).

Jeff Anberg is a Senior Editor at ForexBrokers.com. Along with years of experience in media distribution at a global newsroom, Jeff has a versatile knowledge base encompassing the technology and financial markets. He is a long-time active investor and engages in research on emerging markets like cryptocurrency. Jeff holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature with a minor in Philosophy from San Francisco State University.

Joey Shadeck is a Content Strategist and Research Analyst for ForexBrokers.com. He holds dual degrees in Finance and Marketing from Oakland University, and has been an active trader and investor for close to ten years. An industry veteran, Joey obtains and verifies data, conducts research, and analyzes and validates our content.