If you’re looking for strong liquidity and low transaction costs, forex is one of the most accessible asset classes for large and small investors alike. The foreign exchange market is a truly international market where traders take advantage of global currency movements.
If you're looking to trade forex but are unsure of what platforms to use, keep reading. In this article, we review the top international forex brokers in the market that can meet your forex trading needs.
Compare International Forex Brokers
| Best For | Earning Cashback on Trades | Leveraged Trading | Dedicated CFD Traders |
| Rating | 5 | 4.5 | 5 |
| Read Review | Forex.com Review | Plus500 Forex Review | Vantage Markets Review |
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Best International Forex Brokers
It's important for forex traders to find a broker that is reliable, trustworthy and offers a wide range of currency pairs. Here are some of the top international FX brokers.
Best for All Around Offerings: FOREX.com
- Best For:Earning Cashback on TradesVIEW PROS & CONS:securely through Forex.com's website
Why We Picked it: FOREX.com stands out as an excellent broker for dedicated U.S.-based forex traders. They even offer up to 5% cash back on the initial deposit for U.S. residents. The platform is easy to navigate, caters to beginner and advanced traders, and offers excellent all-around offerings. The trading platforms offered include MetaTrader 4 and 5, NinjaTrader, TradingView, Trading Central, web trader, mobile trading app and desktop. They are also among the only brokers offering MT5 to U.S. traders.
Key Features:
- Minimum Deposit: $100
- Active Promotions: Up to 5% cashback of initial deposit for new U.S. traders; Active trader cash rebates
- Forex Pairs: 80+
Overview: FOREX.com is a top-tier forex and CFD broker founded in 2001 and a StoneX subsidiary (NASDAQ: SNEX). Several financial regulatory authorities, including the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the National Futures Association (NFA) in the United States, regulate the company.
Best for Leveraged Trading: Plus500
Why We Picked It: Plus500 is a highly accessible and feature-rich trading platform that offers exposure to 60 currency pairs alongside thousands of CFDs across shares, commodities, indices and more. The platform supports a low entry point with just a $100 minimum deposit and charges no commissions—only spreads—making it an attractive option for seasoned traders who understand cost structures and market dynamics. Plus500’s clean, web-based interface is backed by strong risk management tools like stop orders and price alerts, helping users maintain control over complex trading strategies.
Key Features:
- Minimum Deposit: $100
- Active Promotions: Varies by region; cashback promotions may apply
- Forex Pairs: 60
Overview: Established in 2008 and listed on the London Stock Exchange, Plus500 operates under the oversight of top-tier regulators in multiple regions, including the FCA (UK), CySEC (EU), and ASIC (Australia). Its broad global presence gives traders access to major and emerging markets with flexible trading hours, while region-specific offers and compliance standards help it stay competitive and secure in a highly regulated environment.
Best for CFD Traders: Vantage Markets
- Best For:Dedicated CFD TradersVIEW PROS & CONS:securely through Vantage Markets's website
Why We Picked It: Vantage Markets is a versatile online broker offering access to over 1,000 CFD trading products. The platform supports popular tools like MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, TradingView, and the Vantage App, providing traders with diverse, user-friendly web and mobile trading options. Vantage also offers educational resources through its Vantage Academy, where traders can access webinars, eBooks, and courses to deepen their market knowledge.
Key Features:
- Minimum Deposit: Starting at $50
- Active Promotions: New clients can receive a 50% bonus on their first deposit, up to $500, and a 10% bonus on subsequent deposits. Existing clients can earn up to $100 for each friend they refer who opens a live account.
- Forex Pairs: 40+
Overview: Vantage Markets has built a reputation for reliability and service over the past 15 years, attracting a global clientele seeking flexible trading solutions. The platform's wide range of financial instruments and educational support make it a solid option for novice and seasoned traders.
Best for High Leverage: IFC Markets
- Best For:Best for Low Fees and Tight SpreadsVIEW PROS & CONS:securely through IFC Markets's website
Why We Picked It: We picked IFC Markets specifically for Canadian traders due to its low-cost structure, broad asset selection, and flexible trading platforms. With spreads from just 0.4 pips, leverage up to 1:400, and no hidden commissions, it appeals to both new and experienced traders. Its proprietary NetTradeX platform allows for the creation of custom synthetic instruments, a unique feature not commonly offered. Although it’s not regulated by Canadian authorities, its international licenses and long-standing global presence provide a reasonable level of trust and operational stability.
Key Features:
- Minimum Deposit: Micro Accounts: $1 / Standard Accounts: $1,000 / Standard ECN Accounts: $1,000
- Active Promotions: N/A
- Forex Pairs: 49
Overview: Founded in 2006, IFC Markets is a global forex and CFD broker that serves clients in over 190 countries, including Canada. It offers trading on MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, and its own NetTradeX platform, which supports custom instrument creation through its Portfolio Quoting Method. Canadian users can benefit from leverage up to 1:400, tight spreads, and multiple account types—some with minimum deposits as low as $1.
Best for Low Commissions: Pepperstone
- Best For:$0 Commissions and Low FeesVIEW PROS & CONS:securely through Pepperstone's website
Why We Picked It: Pepperstone offers competitive spreads, deep liquidity and access to over 1,200 tradable instruments. Traders can choose from multiple platforms, including MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, TradingView and Pepperstone’s proprietary platform. With account options like swap-free Islamic accounts, 24/7 multilingual support and strong educational resources, Pepperstone appeals to a broad range of traders looking for flexibility and performance.
Key Features:
- Minimum Deposit: $0
- Active Promotions: Active Trader Program rewards high-volume traders with commission discounts based on their monthly trading activity. The more standard lots you trade, the greater the discount, making it a cost-effective option for frequent traders.
- Forex Pairs: 90
Overview: Founded in 2010 in Melbourne, Australia, Pepperstone has grown into a well-regarded forex and CFD broker serving clients in over 170 countries. The firm is regulated in seven major jurisdictions, including ASIC, FCA and BaFin, reinforcing its commitment to security and compliance.
Best for Low Fees: Axi
Why We Picked It: Axi supports traders with various educational resources, a multilingual support team and the industry-standard MT4 platform and Trading Central. Axi is recognized for its transparency, reliability and commitment to customer service. Axi is a trusted broker for traders in over 100 countries. They also offer Axi Select, a unique capital allocation program specifically designed to help traders succeed as a professional trader.
Key Features:
- Minimum Deposit: $0
- Active Promotions: $10 USD cashback and 100% credit. This promotion is available from January 1 to March 31, 2025.
- Forex Pairs: 40+
Overview: Axi is a global online trading platform offering over 220 financial products. Known for its competitive pricing, high liquidity and powerful trading platforms. Axi provides flexible leverage, raw spreads starting from 0.0 pips and fast execution speeds.
Best for Active CFD Traders: City Index
- Best For:Spread Betting, CFD and Forex TradersVIEW PROS & CONS:securely through City Index International's website
Why We Picked It: City Index has facilitated over 1 million traders' access to the forex, shares and indices markets with a multi-award-winning platform and a 40-year history of success. They offer personalized performance analytics and expert market analysis, giving you access to exclusive tools designed to maximize trading potential.
Key Features:
- Minimum Deposit: £100.00
- Active Promotions: Welcome bonus of up to $2,000 when you open an account and start trading. $40 cash bonus when you meet the minimum deposit and trading criteria within 30 days of opening an account.
- Forex Pairs: 81
Overview: City Index stands at the forefront of online trading services, specializing in CFDs, forex and spread betting (for UK residents). Boasting over 35 years of industry expertise, City Index offers a diverse range of tradable assets tailored to individual and institutional traders.
Best for Advanced Traders: Saxo
Why We Picked It: Saxo offers the sleek and responsive SaxoTraderGO app to enjoy the convenience of executing trades with the same efficiency and speed as on your desktop. SaxoTraderPro members have access a suite of high-performance tools designed for managing and executing orders seamlessly. You can benefit from comprehensive market analysis features, including the depth trader, time and sales data, algorithmic orders, advanced charting package and user-friendly trade tickets engineered for speed and productivity, ensuring swift order placement with just a click.
Key Features:
- Minimum Deposit: $0
- Active Promotions: Earn reward points for placing qualifying trades.
- Forex Pairs: 140
Overview: Saxo empowers traders with a high-performance platform offering access to over 70,000 financial products and comprehensive resources to guide informed decision-making. Through Saxo, you can adeptly navigate market fluctuations with curated investment themes, expert market commentary, mobile alerts, advanced charting tools, and immersive webinars.
Do International Forex Brokers Accept U.S. Clients?
If you’re U.S.-based and trade forex through an international broker licensed in the United States, your account will be subject to CFTC and NFA rules and restrictions. Regardless of the amount of leverage or other features the international broker offers, you must adhere to the 50:1 U.S. leverage limit, the FIFO rule, the no-hedging rule, and any other relevant U.S. forex account restrictions.
But just because you live in the United States doesn’t mean you can’t trade forex.
Although many international brokers don’t accept U.S. traders because of the additional regulations, several brokers still service the U.S. client base. Many top-tier forex brokers, such as FOREX.com or tastyfx, are based in the United States and fully comply with the NFA and CFTC regulations.
Keep in mind that when a forex broker lacks oversight from a reputable financial regulatory agency, you run a considerable risk when you open an account with it. You could lose your entire deposit without even making a trade.
Forex Regulations and Leverage
The National Futures Association (NFA) is a self-regulatory organization that regulates U.S. derivatives, including the foreign exchange market. It imposed limits on the maximum leverage allowed on forex positions for U.S.-based forex traders, though the exact limits vary depending on the currency pair. As a result, many international forex brokers stopped accepting clients from the U.S. Also, because of the restrictions, international forex brokers increased in popularity relative to American brokers because they typically give traders better terms than U.S.-based forex brokers.
For example, forex brokers in the United States only allow a maximum leverage ratio of 50:1, while some international brokers offer client leverage up to 500:1 on major currencies. This high amount of leverage, while highly profitable when you’re on the right side of the market, could be disastrous if you hold a losing position, especially if you have limited capital.
Another example is the FIFO regulation. FIFO stands for “first in, first out,” this rule requires you to liquidate positions in the same currency pair in the order they were established instead of choosing which opposing transaction to liquidate.
New U.S. legislation also banned hedging a forex position by taking an opposing position in the same currency pair as one already established. Doing this means you effectively hedge the original position and can trade out of both sides individually, which is no longer allowed for U.S.-based forex traders.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which country has the most forex traders?
It is difficult to determine which country has the most forex traders because there is no central data on the number of traders in each country. Some countries with the largest forex markets include the United States and the United Kingdom.
Which app is best for international trading?
Different forex apps may better suit traders because of needs, preferences and strategies. Two of our favorite apps for international trading include FOREX.com and City Index mobile and MetaTrader mobile apps.
Who is the biggest forex broker in the world?
This metric can be ranked differently based on various criteria, such as trading volume, number of clients and regulatory status. Some of the largest forex brokers in terms of trading volume and market share include FOREX.com IG Group, IC Market, Oanda and CMC Markets.
Trade Like a Pro, Backed by One
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Whether you're scalping EUR/USD at 0.0 spreads (with fixed $7 commissions per $100K traded) or deploying advanced strategies on MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView or NinjaTrader—you're in full control.
Looking to scale up? Join the Active Trader Program for monthly cash rebates and personalized support that grows with your account.
Ready to trade on your terms? Get started with FOREX.com today.
About Anna Yen
Anna Yen, CFA is an investment writer with over two decades of professional finance and writing experience in roles within JPMorgan and UBS derivatives, asset management, crypto, and Family Money Map. She specializes in writing about investment topics ranging from traditional asset classes and derivatives to alternatives like cryptocurrency and real estate. Her work has been published on sites like Quicken and the crypto exchange Bybit.
