Best UK Spread Betting Platforms

FXCM Is A Great Broker For UK Share Spread Betting

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 73% of retail investors lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing money.

FXCM is one of the largest brokers to offer spread betting. Choosing FXCM comes with a number of strengths. These include

• Tight Spreads with no commissions ²
• Large range shares and other products for spread betting
• Choice of two trading platforms for spread betting

Spread betting Accounts with FXCM

FXCM gives you a choice of two trading accounts for spread betting. The first is the retail spread betting account, the second is the active trader account.

FXCM Retail Spread betting account

The FXCM retail spread betting account works the same as their CFD trading account. This means you get the same spreads you would if you were trading CFD financial instruments such as Forex, Shares, Indices, and other products FXCM offer.

FXCM does not charge commissions which means the markup is included as part of the spread.  Spreads for the FXCM account are as follows:

FXCM Spread Betting: Standard Account, No Commission Spreads	EUR/USDAUD/USDAUD/JPYEUR/GBPEUR/JPYGBP/USDUSD/JPYUSD/CADUSD/SGD	EUR/USDAUD/USDAUD/JPYEUR/GBPEUR/JPYGBP/USDUSD/JPYUSD/CADUSD/SGD	EUR/USDAUD/USDAUD/JPYEUR/GBPEUR/JPYGBP/USDUSD/JPYUSD/CADUSD/SGD	EUR/USDAUD/USDAUD/JPYEUR/GBPEUR/JPYGBP/USDUSD/JPYUSD/CADUSD/SGD	EUR/USDAUD/USDAUD/JPYEUR/GBPEUR/JPYGBP/USDUSD/JPYUSD/CADUSD/SGD
	1.30	1.70	2.40	2.10	1.70

Data taken from broker website. Accurate as at 01/10/2021

Active trader account for spread betting

If you are after the tightest spreads for spread betting, then you should consider the Active Trader account. Active Traders is only for the serious trader who is prepared to bet in high volumes.

To qualify for an active trader account you will need to bet or trade a monthly notional volume of at least 150 million and maintain equity above $25,000. While spreads are tighter there are commission costs you will have to pay (which is unusual for a spread betting account).

For every $1 million you bet, you will pay $25 in commission when you open and close your bet.

Other benefits of the Active trader account include:

• Dedicated support – This includes a personal relationship manager and priority access to the customer support team
• Market depth – If you are using FXCM’s Trading station then you can view the live quotes from liquidity providers
• Free eFXplus subscription – As long as you maintain your Active Trader account you get free top-end institutional derived FX data

The following table lists the average spreads FXCM offer for Active Traders:

FXCM Active Trader: Standard Account, No Commission Spreads	EUR/USDAUD/USDAUD/JPYEUR/GBPEUR/JPYGBP/USDUSD/JPYUSD/CADUSD/SGD	EUR/USDAUD/USDAUD/JPYEUR/GBPEUR/JPYGBP/USDUSD/JPYUSD/CADUSD/SGD	EUR/USDAUD/USDAUD/JPYEUR/GBPEUR/JPYGBP/USDUSD/JPYUSD/CADUSD/SGD	EUR/USDAUD/USDAUD/JPYEUR/GBPEUR/JPYGBP/USDUSD/JPYUSD/CADUSD/SGD	EUR/USDAUD/USDAUD/JPYEUR/GBPEUR/JPYGBP/USDUSD/JPYUSD/CADUSD/SGD
	0.20	0.30	0.60	0.50	0.50

Data taken from broker website. Accurate as at 01/10/2021

FXCM Spread Betting Products – Shares, Forex, Trading Baskets

Choosing FXCM means you get a large and diverse range of financial instruments you can use for trading. Products include:

•  39 Forex Pairs
• 6+ cryptocurrency CFD’s (not available for retail clients residing in the UK)
• Access to single shares from US, UK, HK, and EU stock markets
• 15 Indices
• 12 commodities
• 1 Treasury (Bund)
• 3 Forex Baskets – US Dollar Index, Yen Index, Emerging Markets Index
• 14 Stock Indices –  FAANG, Biotech, Cannabis, eSports, U.S Banks, Airlines, Casinos

One of the major features is the range of shares FXCM. Spread betters are not restricted to shares from the US NASDAQ or NYSE like many other brokers only offer but shares across multiple markets. This means you not only can bet on popular shares based in the US like Facebook, Zoom, Microsoft, Alphabet (Google), and Tesla but also shares in other markets such as AstraZeneca and BP.

In addition to shares, FXCM also offers trading baskets. Available baskets include forex baskets and stock baskets. Trading baskets are a compilation of common assets grouped to form a kind of index.

There are 3 Forex Baskets available. These are The Dow Jones Dollar Index Basket (US Dollar), The JPY Basket which is called the YES index, and the EM Basket or Emerging Markets Index.

The difference between each index is the number of currencies that make up the index.

The other trading baskets consist of stocks ground by a particular theme. Examples include FAANG which compiles stocks of the 5 biggest I.T. companies on the US Stock exchange and US Automotive (US.AUTO) which consists of 5 of the largest automobile companies on the US stock exchange.

Trading Platforms

FXCM gives you a choice of 2 trading platforms for Spread betting. These are Trading Station Web and MetaTrader 4.

Trading Station

Trading Station Web is FXCM’s in-house developed trading platform built following feedback from FXCM clients. The platform was recently updated using HTML5 making it suitable for Windows and Mac browsers and is also available for Android and iOS mobiles.

Features of Trading Station include:

• FXCM Cloud so that you can store chart settings and profiles and access them anywhere
• Detachable Chart so you can view charts in your second browser
• 50 technical indicators and 20 drawing tools
• 8 orders types including OTO (One-Triggers-the-Other),  OTOCO (One-Triggers-One-Cancels-the-Other) and If-Then
• Wide range of charts with the following timeframe – m1, m5, m15, m30, H1, H2, H3, H4, H6, H8, D1, W1, M1
• Extensive customisability such as the ability to build and save your own layout

View FXCM Review >>Visit FXCM >>

*Your capital is at risk ‘67% of retail CFD accounts lose money’

¹As per FXCM’s Spread Report (Q1 2021)

²FXCM can be compensated in several ways, which include but are not limited to adding a mark-up to the spreads it receives from its liquidity providers, adding a mark-up rollover, etc. Commission-based pricing is applicable to Active Trader account types

³Cryptocurrency Products are currently not available to retail clients residing in the UK

⁴Leverage: Leverage is a double-edged sword and can dramatically amplify your profits. It can also just as dramatically amplify your losses. Trading foreign exchange/CFDs with any level of leverage may not be suitable for all investors.

Markets.com Has the Best Range of Spread Betting Platforms

Markets.com is one of the best brokers that is regulated by the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) which allows you to spread bet. They have a wide range of platforms to offer including their top-tier proprietary platform Marketsx and the most popular MetaTrader 4 & 5 available.

Markets.com Spreads

Markets.com offers you some of the most competitive spreads compared to a lot of the brokers on the market. While they do not display their average spreads on their website like the majority of other brokers, we had our skilled analysts look at some of their live spreads. As can be seen below, their live spreads are some of the lowest in the industry with EUR/USD being 0.60 pips and EUR/JPY being 0.70. This can be compared to FXCM’s spreads of 1.30 & 2.10 for the same pairs.

Markets.com Platforms

Markets.com has the widest range of platforms that offer spread betting for their UK and Ireland residents. Their own platform Marketsx is one of the most advanced platforms that offers over 200 different assets ranging from forex currency pairs to blended stock baskets.

Marketsx

Marketsx is your all-in-one trading platform offering a multitude of features. Trading has been made easy with Markets.com’s range of tools including technical, sentimental, and fundamental analysis to help you make the most informed decision. Marketsx includes advanced charting features as well including indicators, multiple time periods, and oscillators to give a better view of the financial markets.

MetaTrader Platforms

If you want a platform that is used by most traders around the world, then the MetaTrader platforms are the best option. Some of their main features are listed below:

MT4

• Customizable charting with a range of indicators
• Trade lots as low as 0.01 lots for forex pairs
• Expert advisor trading options
• Algorithmic trading available for advanced traders

MT5

• Hedge trades to manage exposure risks
• Designed for all asset types not just forex like MT4
• Multiple timeframes charting to find the best entry point
• 64-bit trade speed processing

Markets.com Knowledge Center

Markets.com offers one of the best knowledge centers for anyone to enjoy even if you are not a client with them. Whether you are just starting your trading journey or have been doing it for many years, there is always something new to learn about when trading in the financial markets.

Features

Some of the great features of Markets.com knowledge center are:

• The latest news affecting the markets with commentary on how it will affect trading
• Personalized financial live stream service with XRay
• Analysis from expert advisors looking into the big issues impacting the market
• A detailed FAQ area to find answers to all of your questions
• Free webinars from some of the best trading minds

How to Start Trading Spread Bets with Markets.com

For Traders that are unfamiliar trading with Markets.com on their Marketsx or the MetaTrader 4 & 5 platforms, there is a demo account that can be used for 3 months with unlimited virtual money available. If you have not traded the financial markets before then it is recommended to start with a demo account before risking your own personal money. For all UK and Ireland residents, the minimum deposit amount to start trading on a live account is £100.

View Markets.com Review >>Visit Markets.com >>

City Index Offers MetaTrader 4 With Tight Spreads

City Index is one of the best UK forex brokers with spread betting on a range of asset classes with 4,000 different financial products to bet on. These global markets can be accessed through the broker’s web trader platform or via the trading apps they offer designed for mobiles and tablet devices.

Pricing and Fees

When spread betting with City Index, customers can bet on a range of financial instruments that are competitively priced. As with all spread betting in the UK, profits are tax-free and exempt from stamp duty and Capital Gains Tax (CGT).

As shown above, the UK broker offers tight spreads, starting as low as 0.5 pips for major currency pairs. For instance, spreads for the Euro/United States Dollar (EUR/USD) fx pair can be as low as 0.5 pips, with average spreads of 0.8 pips. City Index’s full forex product range consists of 65 different currency pairs, along with a solid selection of indices, shares, commodities, metals, bonds and interest rates.

Although no commission fees are incurred when spread betting with City Index, traders do face overnight financing fees, inactivity fees for dormant accounts, and premiums for Guaranteed Stop Loss Orders (GSLOs).

• UK overnight financing fee/swap rates: LIBOR +/-2.5%
• Inactivity fee: £12 per month after 1 year of inactivity

Guaranteed Stop Loss Orders (GSLOs)

To manage the high risk of spread betting, stop-loss orders and limit orders are available to lock in profits and minimise losses.

As well as free order types, spread betters can pay a premium to place GSLOs. GSLOs ensure positions are closed at the exact price selected by the trader, whereas stop loss and limit orders do not provide guarantees that the pre-selected prices will be matched.

Web Trader

City Index’s proprietary online trading platform is powered by HTML 5 technology and accessible from any browser. Although the web trader platform may lack MT4’s Expert Advisor and automated trading features, a comprehensive suite of inbuilt technical analysis tools are provided.

City Index’s Web Trader platform features include:

• One-click trading
• Custom indicators and advanced charting
• Sophisticated risk management tools
• Real-time Reuters news and market analysis
• Economic calendar

Mobile Trading Apps

City Index offers two forex trading apps specifically designed for iOS and Android devices. Many of City Index’s web trader features are available on the mobile apps, including different order types such as GSLOs, one-click trading, Reuters news and custom indicators.

The fully functional and customisable apps provide most of the online platforms charting tools with 60 inbuilt technical indicators and multiple timeframes included. A major benefit to City Index’s trading apps is that traders can easily and instantly contact customer support via the apps live chat function.

IG Is The Best Spread Betting Platform For Beginners In UK

When spread betting with IG Markets, customers gain access to a range of CFDs along with a choice of trading platforms. It should be noted that trading CFDs is not purchasing the underlying asset rather than focusing on the price movements of that asset.

The broker’s proprietary trading platform for beginners is offered as a desktop or web trader. The beginner trading platform also offers trading apps designed for tablets and mobiles. For those wanting to use a third party spread betting platform, ProRealTime and MetaTrader 4 are other options.

CFD Product Range

When spread betting with IG Markets, customers can gain access to global markets and various asset classes. Available asset classes to spread bet include:

• Currency Pairs: Over 70 forex pairs
• Indices: Global  including the US 500, FTSE 100, Germany 30
• Shares: 12,000+ Stocks
• Exchange-Traded Funds: 6,000+ ETFs
• Commodities: Metals, Oil, Gas and Softs

Proprietary Web Platform and Trading Apps

IG Markets proprietary software for beginners is a user-friendly, customisable platform suitable for all levels of trading experience. The web trader platform can be accessed from any browser, while mobile trading apps are compatible with Android and iOS devices.

An advantage to using IG Markets online trading platform is that users can utilise different order types such as Guaranteed Stop Loss Orders (GSLOs) to manage the high risk of spread betting. Platform features available on both the web trader platform and trading apps include:

• User-friendly, intuitive design
• Alerts and notifications
• Economic calendar
• Real-time Reuters news

MetaTrader 4

Many traders prefer MetaTrader 4 due to the platform’s Expert Advisor (EAs) functionality. EAs allow users to automate trading, reducing the time spent conducting analysis and placing orders. As well as MT4’s inbuilt technical indicators, IG Markets offers an add-on package that provides an additional 12 MT4 add-ons.

Overall, IG is the best spread betting broker for beginners based on the provider’s trading platform, customer service and range of markets. IG Group is the largest retail foreign exchange broker, and so the training facilities are also ideally tailored for novice traders.

IG Review >>Visit IG >>

CMC Markets Offers Great Spread Bet Financial Markets

CMC Markets is an FCA (Financial Conduct Authority, United Kingdom) regulated broker offering spread betting via its proprietary trading platform.

The Next Generation platform offers an intuitive, user-friendly trading environment that is available in a standard or advanced format.

A range of trading tools is provided via the platform to assist traders with developing spread betting strategies and managing the high risk of forex trading, such as:

• One-click trading
• Advanced charting
• Chart forums
• Price alerts
• Client sentiment data
• Pattern recognition market scanner
• Real-time news
• Financial market calender
• Guaranteed Stop Loss Orders
• Available as a web trader or mobile app compatible with Android and iOS devices

Spread Betting Instruments And Fees

As a CMC Markets customer, traders can spread bet on over 9,500 financial instruments from forex, indices, commodity, share and treasury asset classes.

Although no commission is charged on top of competitive spreads, traders incur fees for overnight financing, premium order types, and inactive trading accounts. Spread betting costs include:

• Holding Costs (aka overnight financing fees/swap rates): If a position is held open longer than a day, a spread betting account holder will pay or receive holding costs.
• Guaranteed Stop-Loss Orders (GSLOs): For a premium, traders can place GSLOs that guarantees an order is closed at the price specified by the customer, regardless of gapping.
• Inactivity Fees: CMC Markets customers face a €10 monthly inactivity fee if they have no open positions and haven’t traded for 12 month period.

Educational Resources

As well as an award-winning platform and impressive market access, CMC Markets provides an excellent range of educational resources to assist both novice and experienced spread betters.

In addition to webinars, trading platform tutorials and spread betting guides, customers can contact CMC Markets via phone, email or live chat 24/5 with any questions they may have about the broker and spread betting.

View CMC Markets Review >>Visit CMC Markets>>

ETX Capital Is Good For Spread Bet Executions

ETX Capital is an FCA regulated broker offering spread betting services on their proprietary trading platform, TraderPro and MetaTrader 4 (MT4).

ETX Capital’s MT4 trading platform includes all the tools needed to effective spread betting trading strategies, including wide market access, technical analysis tools and automated trading features.

Financial Instruments Available On MetaTrader 4

ETX Capital customers spread betting via MetaTrader 4 enjoy access to 7 different asset classes. When spread betting on currency pairs, competitive spreads can be as low as 0.8 pips on major currency pairs such as the Euro/United States Dollar (EUR/USD). ETX Capital’s full spread betting product range accessible on MT4 includes:

• 60+ major, minor and exotic currency pairs
• Commodities: Gold and Silver
• Shares: 13 different global stock markets
• Over 12 indices
• 5 bonds and interest rates

Spread Betting Trading Tools On MetaTrader 4

ETX Capital offers MT4 as a desktop trading platform for Windows and Mac computers. The trading platform can easily be downloaded from the broker’s website and includes detailed installation and set setup instructions.

An advantage to spread betting through MetaTrader 4 and ETX Capital is the ability to create or download Expert Advisors (EAs or trading robots) to automate trading. EAs save traders time by automatically analysing markets and entering and exiting bets, eliminating the need for lengthy and complex technical analysis.

Additional MT4 features and trading tools include:

• A large MetaTrader community and marketplace
• Advanced charting tools
• Multiple order types
• One-click trading
• VPS services

Mobile Trading App

Although the broker’s MT4 mobile app is fully functional, it is not available on Android devices and restricted to iOS mobiles and tablets. To analyse financial markets and determine spread betting opportunities, iPhone and iPad users can utilise the trading apps 30 technical indicators and 24 analytical objects.

Spreadex Is The Top Broker For Sports and Finance Spread Bets

Spreadex is a UK broker that specialises in sports and financial spread betting. As well as spread betting on global markets such as forex and indices, Spreadex customers gain access to the unique feature of spread betting on sporting events.

Rather than the traditional method of fixed-odds betting, Spreadex customers can bet higher or lower than the brokers spread, with more correct a bet is, the more stakes a trader wins.

To place bets on sporting events, traders can use an online trading platform or trading apps designed for mobiles and tablets (Android and iOS).

Sporting events available to spread bet on include:

• Horse racing
• Cricket
• Golf
• Rugby
• Tennis
• Football

ThinkMarkets Is The Top Spread Betting Platform With Mobile App

ThinkMarkets is an FCA regulated broker that offers spread betting via MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5 as well as their own proprietary software.

ThinkTrader, the broker’s proprietary web platform and mobile app provide traders with an intuitive spread betting environment for all levels of experience, with a range of charting and risk management tools.

ThinkTrader Mobile Trading App

When spread betting on the go using the ThinkTrader mobile app, customers can place bets on instruments derived from forex, share, index, metal, and commodity assets.

Purpose-built Android or iOS apps are available to download with the software considered one of the best proprietary mobile trading apps with 4.8 stars on Apple’s App Store.

While many mobile apps are restricted in regards to charting tools, ThinkTrader offers an extensive range of technical analysis tools including 10 chart types, 12 timeframes, 40 objects and 100 technical indicators. Additional built-in mobile app features include:

• Multi deal closure
• Cloud-based alerts
• Multi split-screen display
• Intelligent Market Trend Scanner
• Multi-touch functionality
• Real-time news

View ThinkMarkets Review >>Visit ThinkMarkets >>

FxPro Has A Good Platform To Spread Bet With Risk Management

FxPro is an FCA regulated broker that offers a purpose-built proprietary spread betting platform – FxPro Edge.

FxPro Edge users are provided with a professional trading environment with commission-free spread betting available on forex, share, index, energy and metal products. As with all spread betting in the United Kingdom, profits are tax-free and exempt from stamp duty and capital gains tax.

Risk Management Tools

As spread betting involves complex instruments and comes with a high risk of losing money, choosing a broker with strong risk management tools can be useful. FxPro Edge users can place market orders as well as pending orders such as limit, stop-loss and take profit orders.

Although trading tools such as Expert Advisors and customer indicators are not supported by FxPro Edge, the broker is looking to incorporate such features into the trading platform in the near future.

Spread Betting Broker Regulation

FxPro is overseen by financial authorities around the globe, such as CySEC (Cyprus) and the FSCA (South Africa) but only permit spread betting to clients in the United Kingdom. FxPro is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) with the broker licensed to provide trading CFDs and spread betting services to UK residents only.

To protect investors participating in spread betting and trading CFDs, the FCA requires UK brokers to provide negative balance protection and automated closeout margins to ensure traders’ losses are limited. Additionally, segregated client funds ensure trading account balances are protected in the case of a broker being insolvent.

View FxPro Review >>Visit FxPro >>