Brokers for Beginners

Eduardo Montero
Broker Features

XTB Broker
Featured

Go to XTB

Excellent 24-hour customer service. More than 3000 instruments to trade. Regulated broker.

(*) Warning: Your capital is at risk. 79% of retail CFD accounts lose money.

Good broker for beginners: Intuitive platform, abundant video training material and multi-language support.

Demo Account: Yes
Minimum Deposit: 0 €/$
Trading Platforms: xStation5, iOS App, Android App.
Execution: Market Maker / STP
Regulation: FCA, CNMV and IFSC
Web Page: https:/www.xtb.com

XM Broker
Featured

Go to XM Group

Bonus of $30 without deposit and bonuses of up to $5,000 per deposit. Trade Forex with ultra-low spreads.

(*) Clients registered with XM Group's EU-regulated entity do not have access to the bonds.

XM offers several services for beginners: personal account manager, daily market analysis, live help in several languages,...

Demo Account: Yes, unlimited
Minimum Deposit: 5 $
Trading Platforms: MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5.
Execution: Market Maker
Regulation: CySEC, FSC and ASIC
Web Page: https://www.xm.com

Pepperstone
Featured

Go to Pepperstone

Very low spreads on over 1,200 instruments. 24/7 support, fast execution and no requotes.

(*) Warning: Between 74-89 % of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs.

Good choice for traders of all levels: Low commissions, over 700 instruments and 24-hour support.

Demo Account: Yes
Minimum Deposit: 200 €/$
Trading Platforms: MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, TradingView.
Execution: STP / NDD
Regulation: FCA, ASIC, CySEC, BaFin, DFSA, CMA and SCB
Web Page: https://www.pepperstone.com

ICMarkets

Go to IC Markets

True ECN account with ultra-low spreads and ultra-fast execution designed for scalping and automated trading systems.

Broker with a long history and a professional-oriented service that can also be used by beginners.

Demo Account: Yes
Minimum Deposit: 200 $
Trading Platforms: MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader.
Execution: ECN
Regulation: ASIC, CySEC and FSA
Web Page: https://www.icmarkets.com

IQ Option

Go to IQ Option

$1 minimum investment. Powerful and intuitive trading platform. Fast withdrawals.

(*) Warning: Your capital might be at risk.

IQ Option offers a user-friendly platform available on any device and fast support in multiple languages.

Demo Account: Yes, unlimited
Minimum Deposit: 50 €/$
Trading Platforms: Proprietary Platform, iOS App, Android App.
Execution: Market Maker
Regulation: CySEC
Web Page: https://www.iqoption.com

EXNESS

Go to Exness

Low spreads as low as 0.0 pips. No swaps on most instruments. Instant withdrawals.

Accounts to suit all traders, including beginners. 24/7 support in 15 languages.

Demo Account: Yes
Minimum Deposit: 10 $
Trading Platforms: MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5.
Execution: Market Maker / ECN
Regulation: FCA, CySEC, FSCA, FSC, CBCS, FSA and SDL
Web Page: https://www.exness.com

AvaTrade

Go to AvaTrade

One of the most regulated brokers worldwide (in 9 different jurisdictions).

Avatrade has a trading section for beginners, offering analysis tools, market news, training tutorials,...

Demo Account: Yes
Minimum Deposit: 100 €/$
Trading Platforms: WebTrader, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, iOS App, Android App.
Execution: Market Maker
Regulation: Central Bank of Ireland, ASIC, BVI, FSCA and FSA
Web Page: www.avatrade.com

Eightcap

Go to Eightcap

Eightcap offers fairly low spreads, several trading platforms (MT4, MT5 and TradingView) and the confidence of being an internationally regulated broker.

Demo Account: Yes
Minimum Deposit: 100 $
Trading Platforms: MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, TradingView.
Execution: STP / ECN
Regulation: ASIC and SCB
Web Page: https://www.eightcap.com

Axi Broker

Go to Axi

Axi assigns each client a manager to help with questions and also offers training material and tutorials for beginners.

Demo Account: Yes
Minimum Deposit: 0 €/$
Trading Platforms: MetaTrader 4.
Execution: STP / ECN
Regulation: FCA, ASIC, FSA and DFSA
Web Page: https://www.axi.com

RoboForex

Go to RoboForex

$30 welcome bonus with a minimum deposit of $10 and bonuses up to $50,000 per deposit.

RoboForex offers 24/7 online support for beginners and accounts to suit any level of experience.

Demo Account: Yes, unlimited
Minimum Deposit: 0 €/$
Trading Platforms: WebTrader, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, iOS App, Android App.
Execution: STP / ECN
Regulation: FSC
Web Page: https://www.roboforex.com

FP Markets

Go to FP Markets

FP Markets offers tight spreads, over 10,000 products to trade and 24/7 support for beginners and experienced traders.

Demo Account: Yes
Minimum Deposit: 100 €/$
Trading Platforms: MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, IRESS.
Execution: ECN
Regulation: ASIC, CySEC and FSP
Web Page: https://www.fpmarkets.com

eToro

Go to eToro

Buy stocks without commission. Automatically copy the best investors with the eToro CopyTrader tool.

(*) Warning: 77% of retail CFD accounts lose money.

You can trade manually or, if you are a beginner, you can start by following and copying the trades of other experienced traders.

Demo Account: Yes, unlimited
Minimum Deposit: 200 $
Trading Platforms: WebTrader, iOS App, Android App.
Execution: Market Maker
Regulation: FCA, CySEC and ASIC
Web Page: https://www.etoro.com

OANDA

Go to OANDA

Broker with over 25 years of experience catering to both novice and experienced traders.

Demo Account: Yes, unlimited
Minimum Deposit: 0 $
Trading Platforms: MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5.
Execution: Non Dealing Desk
Regulation: FCA, ASIC, NFA, IIROC, BVI FSC
Web Page: https://www.oanda.com

 

What are the best brokers for beginners?

A beginner trader is characterised by the fact that he or she has just started to acquire the necessary knowledge to carry out a short-term investment operation, but lacks the necessary experience, both in terms of dealing with the financial markets and in terms of the issues involved in contracting an online broker.

There are a number of details to consider when choosing an online broker to invest in the stock market. Most brokers offer different investment platforms, financial instruments, trading conditions and account types. All of these aspects may be suitable for a certain profile of trader, however, they may not be suitable for others.

What are the best brokers for beginners

If you are a beginner trader and want to learn how to invest in the stock market, we recommend that you consider the following factors when choosing a broker:

Simple investment platform:

The trading platform is the fundamental tool for all your trading. It is the software that will allow you to execute all your trades, make decisions and develop your investment strategy. It is therefore essential that, at least at the beginning, you use a platform that is as simple and intuitive as possible. As you become more knowledgeable, you will be able to opt for more complete platforms with greater functionalities.

Many brokers offer their own platforms, with the basic tools you will need, which are a good way to start developing your trading. Others choose to offer MetaTrader 4 or Metatrader 5 as their trading platform. Metatrader is a very comprehensive, powerful tool; it is one of the most widely used platforms in the world. Some people adapt well to Metatrader right from the start and get more out of it as they get more experience, others find it easier to learn with simpler platforms. All this will depend on your profile; the best thing to do is to try the broker’s platform first and then decide which one you are better able to use.

Free demo account:

Most brokers offer the possibility to open a demo account, with the same functionalities as a real account, but with fictitious money. A demo account is a good tool (and opportunity) to learn how to invest and familiarise yourself with the trading platform. In this way, you can test the platform, the markets and the conditions offered by the broker without putting your money at risk.

It is recommended that the demo account has no time limitation or, alternatively, is available for at least a reasonable period of time. However, we recommend that you use the demo account only to familiarise yourself with the trading platform: most people tend to start with the demo account, starting to trade without too much control over money and risk, without pressure or fear of losing. This is not the best way to learn. Ideally, once you get a feel for the platform and trading in general, you should move to a live account with little money and make small trades very cautiously. In this way, you will learn to be disciplined, to analyse trades carefully and to develop your own trading method.

In any case, hiring online brokers with free demo account is an element to consider if you are a beginner trader.

Small initial deposit:

It is advisable that the broker you choose allows you to start with a small initial deposit. Nowadays most brokers give you the possibility to open an account with a deposit of €100 (or even less). This way, you can start with small amounts and learn how to invest without putting all your capital at risk.

It makes sense to think of trading as a business you are learning about. It is not advisable to invest large amounts of money initially, until you know yourself as a trader, know the markets and define a good trading strategy. For this, it is necessary that the online broker allows you to open a trading account with a small amount of money.

Versatility of investment instruments:

As a beginner, it is normal that you do not know well which financial assets are the most suitable for your style. You have to decide in which instruments to invest. That is why it is best to have a versatile online broker, able to offer you a reasonable number of investment instruments: currency pairs on the Forex market, shares, commodities, indices, etc.

This way you can try out different investment instruments and see what suits you best. Not all traders perform equally well in the same market. It is a subjective matter: it depends largely on the trader’s character, the strategy to be followed and the type of trading he/she carries out (scalping, swing trading, hedging, etc.).

Training:

Nowadays, most online brokers offer free and quite complete training to their clients: from online seminars, ebooks, videos, investment strategies, news, etc. It is a good way to acquire the basic knowledge you need.

If you are a beginner trader, these additional services can be very useful. Check the conditions offered by your online broker to see if there is an educational element.

Regulated broker:

It is essential that the broker you chooseis regulated by an important body, such as the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK, the Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores (CNMV) in Spain, the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFIN), etc.

Regulated brokers are subject to supervision by supervisory bodies and to compliance with a series of investor protection and transparency directives, so it is important that the boker in which you are going to deposit your money and which is going to execute your operations is reliable and offers maximum guarantees. It is advisable that it is a regulated broker as opposed to others that are not supervised and may not be transparent or misleading, especially if you are starting to operate in the financial markets.

Having tested and analysed numerous online brokers, the ones you can see in the comparison table above are what we consider to be the best brokers for beginners.

References and sources:

This post is also available in Spanish: brokers para principiantes, Italian, Italy: broker per principianti, German: broker fuer anfaenger