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Tight spreads across the most traded currency pairs are a key requirement for forex traders with a 2020 average spread analysis of ECN accounts, variable spread and fixed spread accounts make to find the lowest spread forex broker.
Compare low spread forex broker across the three main account types.
By Justin Grossbard / Updated: Tuesday, March 24th, 2020
The best forex broker by each trading account spread category are the following:
| RAW Accounts | GBP/USD Spread | EUR/USD Spread | AUD/USD Spread | GBP Commission | USD Commision | AUD Commission |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IC Markets | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.2 | £2.50 | $3.5 | $3.5 |
| Pepperstone | 0.51 | 0.13 | 0.18 | £2.20 | $3.76 | $3.5 |
| Fusion Markets | 0.59 | 0.12 | 0.22 | £1.78 | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| FP Markets | 0.49 | 0.1 | 0.3 | £2.25 | $3.00 | $3.50 |
| GO Markets | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.2 | £2.00 | $2.50 | $3.00 |
| XTB | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.5 | £3.00 | $4.00 | N/A |
| ATC Broker | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.4 | £3.00 | $5.00 | N/A |
| AxiTrader | 0.85 | 0.44 | 0.42 | £2.25 | $3.50 | $3.50 |
| IG | 0.6 | 0.17 | 0.3 | N/A | $6.00 | N/A |
| London Capital Group | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.4 | N/A | $5.00 | N/A |
| Admiral Markets | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.5 | £2.40 | $3.00 | $4.00 |
| FXTM | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.7 | £4.00 | $4.00 | $4.00 |
| Dukascopy | 1.12 | 0.44 | 0.99 | £3.50 | $5.00 | N/A |
An ECN broker account has a spread plus a commission. This way, a forex broker can pass on the ‘pure’ spread rate of the market and charge a transparent commission rate in addition based on volume. The lowest spread forex broker accounts all use pricing method. While all spreads should be ‘market rates’ the main difference impacting the actual spread rates are access to liquidity from banks to dark pools.
The average spreads displayed below were published on ECN broker’s websites as of March 2020. It’s critical to note these are not ‘minimum spreads’ but average spreads which are the true measurement of the low spreads offered by the broker. This is how a scalper benchmarks brokers with the spreads shown in pips.
ECN Broker Spreads | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 0.10 | 0.20 | 0.40 | 0.40 | 0.30 |
 | 0.13 | 0.18 | 0.48 | 0.51 | 1.39 |
 | 0.12 | 0.22 | 0.62 | 0.59 | 0.94 |
 | 0.10 | 0.30 | 0.61 | 0.49 | 1.15 |
 | 0.20 | 0.20 | 0.40 | 0.50 | 1.50 |
 | 0.30 | 0.40 | 0.50 | 0.60 | N/A |
 | 0.44 | 0.42 | 0.40 | 0.85 | 1.30 |
 | 0.16 | 0.29 | 0.54 | 0.60 | N/A |
 | 0.20 | 0.40 | 0.50 | 0.60 | 10.00 |
 | 0.40 | 0.50 | 0.60 | 0.60 | 1.30 |
 | 0.40 | 0.70 | 0.60 | 0.70 | 1.80 |
 | 0.44 | 0.99 | 0.92 | 1.12 | 1.64 |
IC Markets had the lowest spread followed by Pepperstone and FP Markets. With straight-through processing (STP) ensuring a fast trading experience. While the all ECN low spread brokers don’t mark-up spreads, superior liquidity provider access is how IC Markets achieves lower spreads. Below shows their commissions which are based on the base currency selected by the trader. Based on current exchange rates the Australian Dollar (AUD account) is the lowest which at current exchange rates is approx $2.16 USD per lot (per side).
Other key facts about IC Markets are:
View IC Markets Review>>Visit IC Markets >>
The commission charge for ECN brokers is set on the base currency chosen. These are based per side (100k traded) and if calculating per round-turn lot the amounts below should be doubled. This was based on rates found on forex broker websites offering Raw (ecn accounts) and published in March 2020.
| Commissions | USD | GBP | AUD | EUR | CHF | SGD | HKD | CAD | JPY | NZD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fusion Markets | $2.25 | £1.78 | $2.25 | €2.03 | 2.23 | $3.10 | $17.65 | $3.00 | 247.5 | $3.45 |
| GO Markets | $2.50 | £2.00 | $3.00 | €2.00 | 2.50 | $3.50 | $20.00 | $3.00 | N/A | $3.50 |
| FP Markets | $3.00 | £2.25 | $3.50 | €2.75 | N/A | $3.50 | $20.00 | $3.50 | 250 | N/A |
| Admiral Markets | $3.00 | £2.40 | $4.00 | €2.60 | 3.00 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| IC Markets | $3.50 | £2.50 | $3.50 | €2.75 | 3.30 | $4.50 | $27.13 | $3.50 | 350 | $4.50 |
| AxiTrader | $3.50 | £2.25 | $3.50 | €3.25 | 3.63 | $5.00 | $22.25 | $4.50 | 425 | $5.50 |
| Pepperstone | $3.76 | £2.20 | $3.50 | €2.61 | 3.30 | $4.55 | $28.17 | $3.50 | 303 | $4.75 |
| FXTM | $4.00 | £4.00 | $4.00 | €4.00 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| XTB | $4.00 | £3.00 | N/A | €3.50 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| London Capital Group | $5.00 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Dukascopy | $5.00 | £3.50 | N/A | N/A | 4.00 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| ATC Broker | $5.00 | £3.00 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| IG | $6.00 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
As the graph shows, Fusion Markets is the best broker when it comes to low commissions. They are advertised as the lowest ASIC (Australia) regulated forex broker focusing primarily on the MetaTrader 4 (MT4) forex trading platform. In addition to the low commissions, there are also no fees on deposits or commissions.
The lowest minimum deposit is $0 for opening a trading account with Fusion Markets. Deposits can be made fee-free via Skrill, Neteller, Visa or MasterCard.
Standard forex accounts are designed for beginner forex traders with no commissions charged to traders. This means the main brokerage is the spread making this element more important than ever. Below compares the standard spreads shown on each forex brokers website on March 2020.
Standard Account Spreads | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 0.70 | 0.76 | 1.39 | 1.33 | 1.61 |
 | 0.70 | 1.90 | 4.30 | 1.30 | 2.10 |
 | 0.80 | 0.90 | 2.80 | 1.70 | 1.90 |
 | 0.90 | 0.70 | 1.20 | 1.20 | 1.50 |
 | 1.00 | 1.20 | 2.40 | 1.80 | 2.10 |
 | 1.10 | 1.20 | 1.40 | 1.40 | 1.30 |
 | 1.10 | 1.20 | 1.40 | 1.40 | 1.50 |
| 1.10 | 1.40 | 1.68 | 1.59 | 1.54 |
 | 1.13 | 1.14 | 1.33 | 1.41 | 1.22 |
| 1.20 | 1.20 | 1.40 | 1.40 | 1.20 |
 | 1.20 | 1.20 | 1.40 | 1.40 | 1.40 |
 | 1.20 | 2.30 | 1.90 | 1.50 | 1.80 |
 | 1.20 | 0.90 | 1.30 | 2.40 | 1.90 |
 | 1.20 | 1.40 | 1.50 | 1.40 | 1.60 |
 | 1.58 | 1.96 | 3.36 | 1.74 | 2.09 |
 | 1.40 | 1.20 | 3.10 | 2.20 | 3.00 |
 | 1.70 | 1.90 | 3.30 | 2.00 | 2.30 |
As the data above shows, IG has the lowest forex broker spreads in the standard account category. This could be attributed to IG large liquidity pool access as it is the largest retail foreign exchange broker globally. While spreads are the main way IG makes money they do have other charges including forex conversions, overnight fees and inactivity fees. If trading share CFDs there are also commissions to note. Below shows an example of how IG charges a spread that is different from the market value.
Beginner forex brokers often prefer a standard forex account as it’s easier to calculate profit/losses of trades and the fees are built into the prices. Key factors about the IG standard account include:
Fixed spread brokers are designed for low-risk forex traders looking for transparent fees and advanced features such as guaranteed stop-loss orders. These market maker brokers help traders avoid slippage which is a key factor making CFD trading high risk but increases the fees (spreads) charged by the broker. Below compares the top fixed spread accounts.
Fixed Spreads | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 0.90 | 1.10 | 1.50 | 1.80 | 1.60 |
 | 1.20 | 1.50 | 2.00 | 2.20 | 1.70 |
| 1.60 | 1.70 | 1.70 | 1.80 | 1.80 |
 | 1.60 | 1.90 | 1.70 | 2.40 | 1.70 |
| 1.80 | 2.50 | 3.20 | 3.70 | 2.50 |
 | 3.00 | 3.00 | 3.00 | 3.00 | 3.00 |
 | 4.00 | 4.00 | 3.00 | 5.00 | 5.00 |
 | 3.00 | 4.00 | 4.00 | 6.00 | 4.00 |
As the above shows, Avatrade has the lowest fixed spreads of any broker. They don’t charge for withdrawals or deposits but have an inactivity fee after a quarter of no activity. This inactivity is $50 per quarter.
IC Markets has the lowest spreads overall thanks to their MetaTrader Raw Spreads account. IG has the lowest standard account spreads while AvaTrade has the lowest fixed spread account.
Fusion Markets is an ASIC regulated forex broker offering the lowest commissions worldwide. View our commission comparison to see how the broker compares to other ECN brokers.
Market maker forex brokers widen the spreads (the difference between the buy/sell price) to make a profit. Buy selling a currency at a more expensive price and buying at a cheap price they can make money from the widened margin.
The lowest spreads and overall fees are based on ECN accounts (Raw accounts). IC Markets in March 2020 had the lowest spreads including:
The commissions charged by IC Markets as analysed above are also competitive including:
There are no inactivity fees, funding fees or withdrawal fees. You can view the IC Markets spreads page for more fee information. The broker offers MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5 and cTrader. If you choose cTrader please view their website as some commission rates differ for this unique forex platform. The company is regulated with the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) and Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CYSEC). The leverage offered through the ASIC subsidiary is up to 500:1 which combined with low fees is why experienced and automated traders choose IC Markets across the globe.
View IC Markets Review>>Visit IC Markets >>
This comparison was made based on the published forex broker average spreads at the time this article was created and revised. Many high profile brokers from FXTM, HotForex and forex.com were not included primarily due to the lack of standard spread information. Forex market conditions can impact capital markets impacting the ask price and sell price spreads. This can lead the actual spreads been quite different from the average spread which will be displayed by the forex broker.
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