Best DMA Brokers

We liked that FOREX.com sources its spreads directly from some of the most reputable liquidity providers. In our experience, this platform offers an edge in the possibility of enjoying lower costs and better trade execution. Many people often question, “Is DMA only for big-time traders?” While preferred by institutional investors, it’s open to everyone.

After evaluating FOREX.com and its Direct Market Access (DMA) service, we found several noteworthy points. They derive their spreads directly from top-tier liquidity providers. Though available for all, the DMA trading account caters primarily to institutional investors. The requirement to trade in increments of 100k as the minimum trade size underscores this. The minimum deposit is $100, but considering the nature of DMA trading, FOREX.com suggests a deposit of $25,000 for a more comprehensive experience.

The DMA account offers access to 88 currency pairs for those focusing exclusively on forex. The commission structure is based on a rolling system — essentially, the more you trade, the less you might pay in commissions. For context, if your trading volume surpasses $2B, you could experience a commission reduction of up to 67%.

When signing up, it’s crucial to request a DMA account. Existing FOREX.com users have the option to switch to DMA. For those in the US, the equivalent is the STP Pro account. One limitation we observed is that this DMA service is strictly available on FOREX.com’s proprietary platforms. Those using the mobile app will find themselves limited to top-of-book pricing. Moreover, those accustomed to MetaTrader 4 and 5 will find DMA trading unavailable on these platforms.

The DMA account does offer additional features:

• Dedicated one-on-one support from professional market strategists to help you develop trading plans
• Reimbursed bank transfer fees
• Ability to earn 1% APY interest on daily available margin balance up to $50k and 0.5% APY on $50k to $100k

Note: Traders with a DMA account will not be eligible for Active traders accounts.

Advanced Trading Platform

This is a FOREX.com proprietary trading platform that comes with a range of powerful trading features. Here are our observations:

• Fully customisable dashboard
• Flexible trading preferences such as 15 Time Frames
• Over 50 drawing tools
• 70+ technical indicators
• 100+ integrated customisable trading strategies
• Trading Webinars, videos, market commentary, and Reuters news services
• Multiple order types, including guaranteed stop-loss
• Free access to Trading Central

FOREX.com ReviewVisit FOREX.com

We liked that IG Markets caters to the specific needs of its clients. While they predominantly use a Market Maker model, making most of their products spread-only, they also acknowledge the need for precise market price and liquidity assessment. This dual approach ensures that traders get the best of both worlds.

Being among the global leaders in stockbroking, IG Markets predominantly employs a Market Maker model, which generally translates to most of their products being spread-only. Nonetheless, they’ve acknowledged that a segment of their clientele desires a deeper insight into market pricing and liquidity. Addressing this, IG Markets has introduced L2 DMA-enabled trading platforms, namely:

• L2 Dealer: DMA trading with Foreign Exchange, Shares and CFD Shares
• IG Markets Trading Platform: Shares
• IG Markets iOS App: Shares, Forex

The main thing to be aware of is that you must set your chosen platform to DMA. This means activating either of the following accounts:

• Forex Direct for Forex DMA
• Shares DMA for DMA trading with shares

L2 Dealer – Trading Platform

The L2 Dealer platform is tailored for DMA trading, spanning Forex, CFD Shares, and Shares outright. ‘L2’ or ‘Level 2’ is essentially synonymous with DMA trading.

To clarify, while Level 1 trading sources prices directly from an exchange, Level 2 allows traders to engage with the exchange’s order book.

While l2 Dealer offers all the benefits of DMA trading, there are a few factors to keep in mind. These are:

• Limited Trading Scope: Trading is restricted to Shares, Shares CFD, and Forex.
• Forex Recommendations: IG suggests this platform primarily for seasoned traders.
• Execution Speed: Engaging with order books means the execution speed might be slower than other platforms.
• Pricing Perspective: Pricing isn’t guaranteed to outshine other execution methods.
• Order Flexibility: Once placed, orders are immutable.
• Design Focus: The platform leans more towards share trading than forex.

IG Trading Platform And iOS App

In addition to l2 Dealer, DMA trading is also available on IG’s primary trading platform, IG Trading Platform. The thing to know about this platform is that you will not be using DMA by default. Traders using this platform will have market-maker execution, which means spreads don’t have commissions. You will need to activate DMA mode in order to take advantage of this feature.

The major difference between L2 dealer and IG Trading Platform is the following:

• L2 dealer is designed for share trading with DMA (but is also suitable for Forex)
• IG Trading Platforms is designed for CFD trading but can handle DMA
• Each platform offers different stop orders and risk management tools
• Auto Trading Platform is possible with IG trading platforms but not L2 Trading Platforms

IG Spreads

IG extends DMA pricing for forex and shares CFD markets, allowing traders to navigate the forex landscape transparently, sourcing prices from an extensive array of liquidity providers. A commendable trait of IG Markets is their transparent display of average DMA forex spreads on their site, though it’s worth noting that the displayed spreads date back to February 2023 and may now be outdated.

DMA Share CFD Commission Costs

When trading share CFDs, the commission costs are slightly different. Instead of having a variable commission, they just charge a standard commission of $3.50USD per side.

Forex Commission Costs

Depending on the size of the trade placed in the forex market, there are commission charges accordingly, as shown below. Forex trades involve varying commissions contingent on the trading volume of the preceding month. For instance, if your trade volume was $300 million USD in the past month, a commission of $30 will apply for every $1 million USD you trade subsequently.

We liked that HF Markets provides DMA pricing for equities from global exchanges. This is bolstered by their integration with the highly regarded MT 5 trading platform. In our experience, the combination ensures smooth and effective share trading. HF Markets is a clear front-runner for those seeking MetaTrader 5 for DMA share trading.

HF Markets (formerly HotForex) extends DMA pricing to its clients, allowing them to trade stocks from various global exchanges. As we discovered, you can effortlessly trade stocks via the highly acclaimed MetaTrader 5 trading platform.

Some 950 different stocks are available across major exchanges in the following countries:

• Netherlands
• France
• United Kingdom
• USA – NYSE
• Germany
• Ireland
• USA – NASDAQ
• Spain

Trading DMA shares through HF Markets, the leverage is capped at 1:14.

HF Markets Costs For Stocks

When we ventured into buying stocks using a Shares DMA account, the incurred cost stood at 0.01 USD/0.02 EUR per deal. Quite distinct from their Shares CFD, which comes with a 0.1% fee. And if you’re curious, we also explored ETF trading via DMA.

We noticed there’s no set minimum deposit. However, be prepared to meet the margin requirement, which was a 20% margin (equivalent to 1:5 leverage).

HF Markets Platforms

For DMA stock trading, we primarily used the MetaTrader 5 trading platform. In contrast to MetaTrader 4, which we found lacks the Depth of Market capability, MetaTrader 5 is tailored for centralised and decentralised exchanges – aligning it well with DMA trading.

MetaTrader 5 offers the following features that make it stand out as a trading platform:

• 21 Timeframes for a more accurate breakdown of charts
• 80+ technical indicators for a more in-depth analysis of shares
• Built-in economic calendar to keep you up-to-date with upcoming news and economic events
• Multiple charts viewing so you can view multiple charts
• 6 pending order types for extra control on your orders

Why DMA Trading Execution Is Overrated

For many, DMA trading execution appears as an attractive proposition. However, from our hands-on experience, retail traders might not always find the most value. DMA has certain theoretical perks, but its real-world advantages seem tailored for institutional players. Unless you are an institutional trader, you are likely better off using more common order execution models such as Electronic Communication Networks (ECN), Straight Through Processing (STP), and even Market Maker models (in some cases).

Reasons retail traders should consider other execution models over DMA include:

1. Few brokers offer DMA to retail clients: DMA isn’t universally offered to retail clients. Our hunt for brokers offering this was quite limited.
2. Limited choice of products: DMA is more common to share trading than other securities. Even if the broker offers DMA for other securities, the range of instruments is more limited.
3. Need specialised trading platform: Most popular trading platforms are not designed for DMA trading. MetaTrader 4, for example, does not have Depth of Market (DoM). You may also have to pay to use specialised DMA trading platforms.
4. High minimum deposit: If diving into DMA, be prepared for a substantial initial deposit. This stems from the fact that brokers target institutional investors, those who usually deal in large volumes.
5. Slower execution speed:
6. We observed a bit of a lag in execution speed. This could be because most brokers divert their prime resources to ECN/STP/DD infrastructure, which is more mainstream.
7. DMA is heavily regulated: DMA trading is best for professional traders, so it is heavily regulated, meaning OTC (over-the-counter) trading can be more versatile.

While the above 5 reasons highlight why making an effort to find a DMA broker, the most compelling reasons are they don’t really save you, and they cost you time.

1. DMA does not always save on costs: DMA allows you to view the order books and find the best bid and ask prices. However, execution methods like STP and ECN are already designed to take the best quotes available. At best, you might save a little on the spreads with DMA, but the difference is negligible. To make a significant saving, you would need to trade enormous volumes in order to save on spread trading costs.
2. DMA is time-consuming: Access to order books gives you an opportunity to view the best quotes, but it also costs you time. The liquidity in the markets is constantly changing, so you are better to just open a position when you see a quote you like the broker offers than analyse individual quotes in the order book.

While DMA presents opportunities like viewing order books, it might not always guarantee cost savings or efficient trading for retail traders. Comparatively, STP, ECN, or even Dealing Desk might be more viable choices. As a retail trader, we found more advantages in opting for a broker offering executions other than DMA.

We liked how FP Markets consistently delivers some of the best spreads we’ve seen, thanks to their STP trading. With their Raw account operating on a no-dealing desk model, they offer true ECN pricing. These spreads, provided directly by liquidity providers, are kept “raw”, ensuring that traders get the most competitive rates. We’ve noted spreads dipping to as low as 0.0 pips, especially for the EUR/USD pair.

FP Markets is a prominent MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 forex broker, offering STP trading with truly competitive spreads. Their Raw account, which we tried out, operates in a no-dealing desk style, providing ECN pricing. What this means for you: the spread quotes come directly from liquidity providers, effectively keeping the spreads ‘raw’. This setup allows FP Markets to maintain ultra-tight spreads, which we observed dropping to as low as 0.0 pips, especially on pairs like EUR/USD.

Apart from STP, we noted FP Markets also offers DMA trading for stocks on their IRESS trading platform. Interestingly, while forex is available on this platform, it uses ECN pricing instead of DMA. For those keen on DMA share trading, our review also touches upon IRESS.

FP Market Raw Account

FP Markets offers two primary trading accounts – the Standard account and the Raw account. We chose not to delve into the Standard account for this review mainly because we believe other brokers, like Pepperstone, provide better spreads for no-commission accounts. Our focus, therefore, was on the Raw account, which boasts the best spreads FP Markets has to offer and stands tall among its competitors.

In our experience, the Raw account’s ECN-pricing mechanism keeps spread costs impressively low. Below, we’ve provided a comparison of average spreads between FP Markets and other brokers based on our monthly checks:

ECN Broker Spreads	USD/JPY USD/CAD EUR/USD EUR/GBP AUD/USD AUD/JPY GBP/USD USD/JPY USD/SGD	USD/JPY USD/CAD EUR/USD EUR/GBP AUD/USD AUD/JPY GBP/USD USD/JPY USD/SGD	USD/JPY USD/CAD EUR/USD EUR/GBP AUD/USD AUD/JPY GBP/USD USD/JPY USD/SGD	USD/JPY USD/CAD EUR/USD EUR/GBP AUD/USD AUD/JPY GBP/USD USD/JPY USD/SGD	USD/JPY USD/CAD EUR/USD EUR/GBP AUD/USD AUD/JPY GBP/USD USD/JPY USD/SGD
	0.20	0.30	0.10	0.30	0.20
	0.40	0.60	0.10	0.40	0.20
	0.20	0.30	0.20	0.40	0.20
	0.50	0.60	0.30	0.50	0.50
	0.30	N/A	0.30	0.50	0.40
	0.20	0.83	0.44	0.40	0.42
	0.24	N/A	0.17	0.54	0.30
	0.30	0.70	0.20	0.50	0.40
	0.30	1.10	0.10	0.60	0.50
	n/a	0.30	n/a	0.60	0.50
	0.77	1.41	0.44	1.13	1.23

Avg. spreads are taken from each broker's website and updated monthly. Last update on 04/01/2024

Commissions costs are AUD$3.50 / USD$3.00 for each lot (100,000) to open your position and AUD$7.00 / USD $6.00  round-turn.

FP Markets CFD Trading Products

Our team had the opportunity to trade numerous products at FP Markets. These include over 60 currency pairs and more than 19 major indices such as AUS200, US30, and the USD dollar index. You can also Trade Cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum and Litecoin.

,If share trading is on your radar, the MetaTrader 5 platform offers a vast range of over 700 shares across major international exchanges including Paris, London, New York, NASDAQ, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, and Amsterdam. However, if you’re using the MetaTrader 4 platform, the share options are limited to stocks like Adidas, Volkswagen, Shell, Vodafone, Amazon, Apple, Google, and Facebook.

If you really want to get the best share trading conditions and range of products, then you should consider using the IRESS trading platform.

IRESS Trading Platform

If you want access to the full range of shares FP Markets offers, which is over 10,000, then you need to be using the IRESS trading platform. This platform is exclusive for use by Australian traders as it is only offered by First Prudential Markets Pty Ltd (ABN 16 112 600 281, AFS Licence No. 286354), which is the Australian arm of the company.

Here are our reasons for recommending the IRESS trading platform:

• DMA execution
• Access to FP Markets’ largest range of stocks and indices
• A penchant for the IRESS software design

During our interactions with FP Markets, they shared that the spread differences for shares trading between IRESS and MetaTrader 5 are minimal, even with IRESS using DMA and MT5 using STP. Their advice? Focus on your trading preferences. If shares or indices are your mainstay, IRESS might be your best bet.

Note: If you are outside Australia and wish to use IRESS, then consider TMGM.

FP Markets IRESS Trading Accounts And Commission

Intending to venture with the IRESS trading platform? FP Markets offers three distinct account types. A point to remember: there’s a high minimum balance requirement. The Standard account, for instance, demands a minimum balance of $1,000.

FP Markets IRESS Platform

With DMA pricing in mind, our team got hands-on with FP Markets’ innovative IRESS platform. They offer multiple versions of IRESS, from their premium IRESS Viewpoint to their mobile application. Here’s what we observed:

IRESS Viewpoint

IRESS Viewpoint is an advanced comprehensive trading platform that gives you access to the global markets with confidence.

•  Interactive user interface
• Real-time price streaming to make informed decisions
• 59 different technical indicators to spot trading opportunities
• Over 50 drawing tools to annotate charts
• Ability to compare multi-asset price action

IRESS Trader

IRESS Trader is the partner to Viewpoint and is the only platform that you can perform DMA execution. This platform will stream market data across a range of markets right to your device.

• Gives transparent DMA pricing
• Trade share CFDs and futures CFDs with accurate DMA pricing
• Ability to trade indices, forex, and commodities on the same platform
• Advanced order types, including limit orders
• Trade on leverage up to 20:1

IRESS Viewpoint Essential

IRESS Viewpoint Essential combines the previous two platforms into an all-in-one CFD trader. We should note that this platform does not allow for DMA pricing or trading.

• Trade CFDs in forex, commodities, stocks, cryptos, and indices
• Protect your portfolio with hedging options
• Real-time live news and price streaming
• Integrated range of trading tools
• Trade on leverage up to 30:1

Regulation

FP Markets is regulated in Australia by the Australian Securities Exchange Commission(ASIC) in Australia and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK.

Pepperstone consistently delivers among the industry’s lowest spreads for their basic and razor account types, thanks to their advanced pricing improvement technologies. Knowing that multiple global regulatory bodies oversee this broker is also reassuring. In our experience, if you’re looking for a top-tier broker with no commissions, Pepperstone is the clear choice. We’ve tested it and can vouch for its credibility.

We’ve found Pepperstone to be one of the premier brokers operating under a no-dealing desk or ECN/STP execution model. Through our experience, they consistently offer some of the tightest spreads in the market, be it for their standard or razor account types, and this is primarily attributed to their price improvement technology. We’re particularly impressed by how Pepperstone operates under many regulatory bodies globally, including ASIC, CySEC, BaFin, DFSA, FCA, CMA and SCB.

Pepperstone Accounts

When trading with Pepperstone, we had two account types to choose from, each boasting very competitive spreads. From forex to commodities and from cryptocurrencies to shares, the range of CFD markets available through Pepperstone is extensive. For your reference, we’ve even compared Pepperstone’s market order execution speeds with other brokers. If you live in the UK, then there is another option of having a spread betting account.

Pepperstone Standard Account

We noted a change in Pepperstone’s standard account spreads early in 2021. Now, they rank among the lowest. A defining feature of this account type is the absence of commissions on trades, as these are already integrated into the spreads. If you’re a novice trader, we believe this account will be apt for you because it consolidates the trading costs into just the spreads. We’ve compared some spreads from other brokers to offer you a clearer picture.

Spreads With The Standard Account

The below tables compare average spreads for brokers that have a no commissions type account. Commonly known as standard or classic accounts, these account types usually feature slightly broader spreads instead of added commissions. You’ll find that Pepperstone’s spreads remain highly competitive, especially when stacked against Market Maker and No Dealing Desk type brokers for most of the currency pairs.

	EUR/USD AUD/USD EUR/GBP EUR/JPY USD/CAD AUD/JPY GBP/USD USD/JPY USD/SGD	EUR/USD AUD/USD EUR/GBP EUR/JPY USD/CAD AUD/JPY GBP/USD USD/JPY USD/SGD	EUR/USD AUD/USD EUR/GBP EUR/JPY USD/CAD AUD/JPY GBP/USD USD/JPY USD/SGD	EUR/USD AUD/USD EUR/GBP EUR/JPY USD/CAD AUD/JPY GBP/USD USD/JPY USD/SGD	EUR/USD AUD/USD EUR/GBP EUR/JPY USD/CAD AUD/JPY GBP/USD USD/JPY USD/SGD
	1.10	1.20	1.40	2.00	1.50
	0.70	2.20	1.10	1.60	1.60
	1.90	2.00	2.40	2.30	2.50
	1.40	2.50	2.50	2.60	2.60
	1.20	1.80	1.90	2.30	2.30
	1.32	1.95	1.37	1.87	1.73
	1.30	1.70	2.10	1.70	2.10

Avg. spreads are taken from each broker's website and updated monthly. Last update on 04/01/2024

Pepperstone Razor Account

We’ve identified that Pepperstone’s Razor account provides some of the industry’s best spreads. Impressively, for the widely-traded EUR/USD pair, they go as low as 0.09 pips. While the spreads are undeniably attractive, there is a commission charge per standard lot (100,000 units) traded at $3.50 AUD/USD per side.

Pepperstone Price Improvement Technology

One standout feature we’ve appreciated in our trading journey with Pepperstone is their price improvement technology. In volatile markets, price swings can sometimes disadvantage traders. With this technology, after you’ve placed a trade, Pepperstone endeavours to secure that more favourable rate for you if there’s a beneficial price movement.

Pepperstone Support

Throughout our trading experience with Pepperstone, we’ve enjoyed access to some of the best support mechanisms in the industry offered through varied channels. And here’s a tip: even if you aren’t trading with Pepperstone, their comprehensive education centre, brimming with articles and webinars, can still be a goldmine for your trading journey. Some of the support avenues we’ve personally benefitted from include:

• 24-hour support line
• Live Chat with a real agent
• Email and phone support from multiple locations around the world
• Detailed FAQ section

We liked that IC Markets offers traders the flexibility of trading platforms. Their commitment to low fees is evident, and it’s hard to overlook the exceptional spreads of their Raw account. In our experience, these factors set them apart as an outstanding broker choice. IC Markets is our top recommendation for those prioritising no commissions and competitive spreads.

We’ve had a hands-on experience with IC Markets and can confirm it’s a solid choice for traders keen on utilising any of the three Trading Platforms: MT4, MT5, or cTrader. We found that keeping trading costs low gives an edge, which is precisely where IC Markets shines with its commendable spreads on the Raw account.

IC Markets Account Types

IC Markets offers clients the option of three different accounts to choose from, including a standard account or two raw spread accounts with cTrader and MT4. All three accounts have access to high leverage levels of up to 30:1 (on major forex pairs) under ASIC regulation and fast execution speeds. There is also an option for a swap-free Islamic Account for clients who can’t earn or pay interest.

Standard Account

We felt the standard account was well-tailored for those entering the trading world, streamlining the experience. IC Markets doesn’t charge commissions here because they’ve integrated them into their spreads, which, to our pleasant surprise, remained highly competitive.

Raw Spread Account MT4 & cTrader

On the MT4 platform, IC Markets’ Raw spread account impressed us, boasting among the market’s finest spreads. For the frequently traded EUR/USD forex pair, the average spread sat at 0.1 pips per lot ($100,000) traded. Do note there’s a commission of $3.50 per side. Seasoned day traders and scalpers would appreciate the narrow spreads here.

And for those partial to the cTrader platform, the Raw spread account is also available. It comes with a slightly lesser commission cost at $3.00 per side, keeping the spreads consistent.

IC Markets Costs To Trade

Below, we’ve amalgamated the costs and average spreads (based on what’s advertised on their site) to give you a realistic view of the trading costs you’d incur with IC Markets.

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IC Markets Platforms

We got our hands dirty with all three trading platforms IC Markets offers, recognising their global reputation as premier forex platforms. Firstly, the MetaTrader platforms, MT4 & MT5, deserve their accolades as top-tier forex trading platforms. Then there’s cTrader, providing a refined, institutional-calibre trading experience for both forex and equities. Let’s break down some of the features of both platforms:

MT4 & MT5

• Multi-asset trading platform
• Identify high-probability trades with auto-chartist
• 30 technical indicators on MT4 or 38 with MT5
• 9 timeframes (MT4) and 21 timeframes (MT5) to choose from
• Expert Advisors (EAs)
• MQL4 coding language for algorithmic trading
• Hedging and scalping are allowed

cTrader

• Personalised interface with detachable charting options
• Real-time forex and CFD quotes
• Micro-lot trading size of 0.01 available
• Multiple order types
• Flexible withdrawal and funding options
• Accurate real-time reports