

Do not invest more money than you can afford to lose.
London is the biggest Forex trading hub in the world. In 2022, the UK accounted for over a third of the global trading volume of FX assets. Britain’s location, as well as the tight regulation over its markets make it a sought-after destination for traders all over the globe.
On the other hand, clients in the United States are severely restricted in who they can trade with. The US regulatory framework actually prohibits foreign brokers from accepting clients from the country. This is a part of the unusual rules the States have around FX trade, and it has its ups and downs. The pros of the restrictive rules include that it is easier to deal with scammers and offshore entities, which are obviously not licensed. On the other hand, the US has become a rather insular market, where a lot of common strategies like hedging are not allowed.
All of that said, if you are a US client looking to trade with a FX broker from the UK, you will not be able to do so. However, there are a lot of excellent alternatives! The States is actually the second biggest trading hub, and is closing the gap behind London. This means there is no shortage of excellent brokers, who will readily provide you with a competitive service. Let’s take a look at the best eight of them, outlining their trading conditions as well as what makes them stand out:
1. OANDA
License | NFA and CFTC, IIROC, SFC HK, ASIC, JFSA |
Minimum deposit | $0 |
Trading platforms | MT4, TradingView |
Maximum leverage | 1:50 |
Spread | 1.4 pips |
OANDA is one of the most popular FX brokers in the world. The company first started operating in North America in 1996. Trading with it means you will have access to a true FX trading institution. And there are certain perks to picking this broker – for instance, in 2023, the firm starts off the new year with an attractive bonus for new clients. This is a special offer for US clients – despite the heavy regulation there, the provision of bonuses is allowed. The size of the promotion is from $500 to $5000, depending on the size of your deposit. For more information on it regarding its conditions and rules, do not hesitate to check out OANDA’s website.
2. eToro
License | NFA and CFTC, FCA, CySEC, |
Minimum deposit | $50 |
Trading platforms | WebTrader |
Maximum leverage | 1:50 |
Spread | From 1 pip |
eToro is among the newest Forex brokers on the US markets. This is reflected in the novel services the firm provides access to. There are over 60 crypto pairs to trade with this fully licensed firm. The majority of digital asset brokers are quite shady and operating offshore. This means the odds of them turning out to be illiquid, or worse – scams, are quite high. That is not the case here, as eToro provides you with the protections you would rely on with any US broker. And, as you can see, the trading conditions of the firm are quite competitive as well, if you are interested in more traditional assets.
3. Forex.com
License | NFA and CFTC, FCA |
Minimum deposit | $50 |
Trading platforms | MT4, MT5, WebTrader |
Maximum leverage | 1:50 |
Spread | 1.2 pips |
Forex.com is probably the best place a new trader can go to if they wish to get started on the FX markets. Firstly, there is the low trading cost of this firm – you need to deposit as little as $50 to get started. But what makes this firm so newbie-friendly is the fact it has a sophisticated Education section, which can give you insight into how the markets operate and how to make the most of them. This section is divided in three categories, based on your skill level. There is also a quiz which you can take, that allows you to easily assess which of the three you belong to. And even if you are not a new trader, it is worth checking said quiz out, because it can give you insight into advanced trading strategies as well!
4.Trading.com
License | NFA and CFTC, FCA |
Minimum deposit | $50 |
Trading platforms | MT4, MT5 |
Maximum leverage | 1:50 |
Spread | From 0.6 pips |
The FX market is open 24/7 – and yet, you cannot be dealing on it all the time. Overnight movements can be unpredictable and cause losses. Trading.com offers a solution to this issue – the company provides its clients with updates on the shifts of the most popular currency pairs on a daily basis. This consists of brief, but in-depth articles, which are quite informative yet easily digestible. The trader can find them within the Daily Update section of the broker’s website. Furthermore there is a Research panel, from where clients can access all sorts of other data. For instance, trading signals are available, sourced from top-tier providers like Autochartist. There are sentiment assessment tools, as well as technical summaries – tools which let you view the trends within an asset, going back up to a month in time. Not to mention the Economic Calendar section of the website, which helps you asses events which might impact the economy, as well as the level to which they will impact it.
5. Interactive Brokers
License | NFA and CFTC |
Minimum deposit | $10 000 |
Trading platforms | TWS, IKBR Global Trader, Client Portal, IKBR Mobile |
Maximum leverage | 1:50 |
Spread | From 0.1 pips |
Interactive Brokers is a firm dedicated to larger, institutional clients. The company’s minimum deposit reflects that – it sits at $10 000, which is much higher than what its other peers in our list offer. There is just one exception to its entry cost requirements. Clients who are younger than 26 can open an account for way less – $3000. This is still quite a bit higher that the average on the US markets, but there are benefits to picking Interactive brokers. In return, you will have access to a top-notch broker with excellent spreads and extremely low commissions. In fact, the commissions with the company go down the higher your trading volume is – another proof its services are more aligned with larger clients. Its trading platforms are also unique – there are a lot more of them than what the average firm supports and something as widespread as industry-standard MT5 is not available. All of the software you see listed covers a different aspect of trading best – we recommend heading over to the website of the firm to gain insight into what they can be used for.
6. TD Ameritrade
License | NFA and CFTC |
Minimum deposit | $2000 |
Trading platforms | Thinkorswim |
Maximum leverage | 1:50 |
Spread | From 0pips |
TD Ameritrade is another broker with is proprietary platform. This software is called Thinkorswim, and is available for every device there is – IOS, Android, browsers and PC. There are convenient tools within it, which allow the traders to perform all sorts of analysis, as well as automate their trading to a high extent. However, one of the most impressive features of the platform, in our opinion, is the Stock Hacker. This tool allows you to quickly and conveniently gather a lot of necessary information on various Stocks assets. You can filter out stocks based on custom criteria, which allows you to easily discover new strategies, which could be profitable. If you are accustomed to MT5, but would like to branch into another piece of trading software, this can be the perfect platform to do so with.
7.IG
License | NFA and CFTC, FCA, MAS, JFSA, BaFIN and more |
Minimum deposit | No minimum requirement |
Trading platforms | MT4, IG platform, Pro RealTime |
Maximum leverage | 1:50 |
Spread | From 1 pips |
There are a lot of benefits to trading with IG. The one we would like to highlight is the lack of entry cost requirement to trading with the broker. That way, you can invest anything you want. This policy is quite useful for shrewd clients as well as anyone who would like to gain insight into how the markets work before committing themself to trading. Usually, FX brokers which have low entry costs have some restrictions on your accounts, in terms of what you can trade, how many trades you can open at the same time and so on. With IG, that is not the case. The 45 years of experience this broker has under its belt have taught it that giving its clients more freedom is an excellent way to stand out from its competition, which is why we now recommend this firm to you.
8. Saxo Bank
License | NFA and CFTC, FCA, DFSA, JFSA, Denmark FSA and more |
Minimum deposit | $5 |
Trading platforms | Saxo Trader GO, Saxo Trader PRO |
Maximum leverage | 1:50 |
Spread | From 0.6 pips |
Saxo Bank is probably the most heavily regulated Forex broker nowadays. The firm holds licenses within a staggering amount of jurisdictions, which determines its commitment to the safety of its client’s funds. There is a very low entry cost requirement to the firm, and its spreads are quite low. At the same time, what makes it stand out is the proprietary software it has available – Saxo Trader. This platform is available in two versions, one for newer clients and one for experienced traders, dubbed Saxo Trader GO and PRO, respectively. There are tons of features to both of them, and we recommend going to the website of the firm if you wish to learn more about them!