Best Day Trading Platforms and Brokers in Europe 2024

Written By

Jemma Grist

Written By

Jemma Grist

Jemma is a writer, editor and fact-checker focused on retail trading and investing. Jemma brings a unique perspective to the forex, stock, and cryptocurrency markets and works across several investment websites as a researcher and broker analyst.

» Jemma Grist Profile Page

Fact Checked By

James Barra

Fact Checked By

James Barra

James is an investment writer with a background in financial services. He has worked as a management consultant, where he delivered large-scale operational transformational programmes at some of Europe's biggest banks. James authors, edits and fact-checks content for a series of investing websites.

» James Barra Profile Page

Updated

Apr 16, 2024

The best day trading brokers in Europe have superior charting platforms, fast execution, excellent pricing, and are normally authorized by at least one of the 25+ regulators adhering to the directives established by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA).

Many also offer EUR accounts for convenient deposits and provide access to local stock markets, such as the Euronext, and currency pairs like the EUR/USD.

Discover the best brokers for day trading in Europe. All our recommended platforms have been tested by our European experts.

Top 5 Platforms For Day Trading In Europe

After thoroughly testing hundreds of brokers, these 5 emerge as the best platforms for day traders:

1. AvaTrade - AvaTrade offers the full package for short-term traders. There is powerful charting software, reliable execution, transparent fees, and fast account opening with a low minimum deposit.
2. OANDA US - OANDA remains an excellent broker for US day traders seeking a user-friendly platform with premium analysis tools and a straightforward joining process. OANDA is also heavily regulated with a very high trust score.
3. Deriv.com - Deriv.com will suit day traders looking to make fast-paced trades using CFDs and multipliers with high leverage up to 1:1000. The broker is also the industry leader in synthetic indices, which simulate real market movements and are available around the clock.
4. Pepperstone - Pepperstone stands out as a top choice for day trading, offering razor-sharp spreads, ultra-fast execution, and advanced charting platforms for experienced traders. New traders are also welcomed with no minimum deposit, extensive educational resources, and exceptional 24/7 support.
5. XM - XM is one of the best forex and CFD brokers we have tested. The flexible account types will suit a variety of short-term trading styles while the $5 minimum deposit and smooth sign-up process make it easy to start trading.

Best Day Trading Platforms and Brokers in Europe 2024 Comparison

Best Day Trading Platforms and Brokers in Europe 2024 Comparison

Broker	Regulated in Europe	EUR Account	Minimum Deposit	Markets	Platforms	Leverage	Visit
	✔	✔	-	CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Bonds, Crypto, Spread Betting	WebTrader, AvaTradeGO, AvaOptions, MT4, MT5, AlgoTrader, TradingCentral, DupliTrade	1:30 (Retail) 1:400 (Pro)	Visit
	-	✔	$0	Forex, Crypto	OANDA Trade, MT4, TradingView, AutoChartist	1:50	Visit
	-	✔	$5	CFDs, Multipliers, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities	Deriv Trader, MT5	1:1000	Visit
	✔	✔	$0	CFDs, Forex, Currency Indices, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Crypto, Spread Betting	MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView, AutoChartist, DupliTrade	1:30 (Retail), 1:500 (Pro)	Visit
	✔	✔	$5	Forex, Stock CFDs, Turbo Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Precious Metals, Energies, Shares, Crypto, Futures	MT4, MT5	-	Visit
	✔	✔	$200	CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Bonds, Futures, Crypto	MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView, TradingCentral, DupliTrade	1:30 (ASIC & CySEC), 1:500 (FSA), 1:1000 (Global)	Visit
	-	✔	$100	CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities	MT4, MT5, TradingView	-	Visit
	✔	✔	$50	CFDs, Forex, Indices, Commodities	MT4, MT5	1:30	Visit
	-	✔	$0	CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Cryptos, Options, Commodities, Bonds	MT4, TradingView, TradingCentral	1:30 (Retail), 1:50 (Accredited Investor), 1:200 (Sophisticated Investor), 1:300 (Wholesale Investor), 1:400 (Professional Trader). Varies with jurisdiction.	Visit
	✔	✔	$10	CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Crypto	Exness Trade App, MT4, MT5, TradingCentral	1:2000	Visit
	-	✔	$100	CFDs, Forex, Indices, Commodities, Stocks, Crypto	MT4, MT5	-	Visit
	✔	✔	$100	CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Cryptos, Futures, Options, Commodities	MT4, MT5, TradingView, eSignal, AutoChartist, TradingCentral	1:200 (Retail), 1:500 (Pro)	Visit
	✔	-	$50	CFDs, Forex, Stocks, ETFs, Cryptos, Futures, Commodities, Bonds	eToro Web, CopyTrader, TradingCentral	-	Visit
	-	✔	$10	CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Futures	R StocksTrader, MT4, MT5, TradingView	1:2000	Visit
	-	✔	-	CFDs, Forex, Stocks, ETFs, Cryptos, Futures, Commodities	MT4, MT5	-	Visit

#1 - AvaTrade

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Review

Why We Chose AvaTrade

AvaTrade is a leading forex and CFD broker, established in 2006 and regulated across 9 jurisdictions. Over 400,000 users have signed up with the broker which processes over 2 million trades each month. The firm offers multiple trading platforms, including MT4, MT5, and a proprietary WebTrader. 1250+ financial instruments are available for day trading, alongside a comprehensive education center and multilingual customer support.

• Instruments: CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Bonds, Crypto, Spread Betting
• Regulator: ASIC, CySEC, FSCA, ISA, CBol, FSA, FSRA, BVI, ADGM
• Platforms: WebTrader, AvaTradeGO, AvaOptions, MT4, MT5, AlgoTrader, TradingCentral, DupliTrade
• Minimum Trade: 0.01 Lots
• Leverage: 1:30 (Retail) 1:400 (Pro)

Pros

• There's a great range of fee-free deposit methods, including bank wire, credit cards and popular e-wallets like Skrill
• The broker offers reliable 24/5 multilingual customer support with fast response times during testing
• AvaTrade is a heavily regulated and trustworthy broker with licenses from the ASIC, CySEC and more

Cons

• A high $2000 minimum investment is required to use DupliTrade, which will be out of reach for many beginners
• There is no ECN account with raw spreads
• There’s an above-average $50 inactivity fee after three months, though this won't impact active day traders

Visit AvaTrade

#2 - OANDA US

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Review

Why We Chose OANDA US

OANDA is a popular brand offering exceptional execution, low deposit requirements and advanced charting and trading platform features. The top-rated brand has over 25 years of experience and is regulated by trusted agencies, including the NFA/CFTC. Around the clock support is available for short-term traders, alongside flexible contract sizes and automated trade executions.

• Instruments: Forex, Crypto
• Regulator: NFA, CFTC
• Platforms: OANDA Trade, MT4, TradingView, AutoChartist
• Minimum Deposit: $0
• Minimum Trade: 0.01 Lots
• Leverage: 1:50

Pros

• The broker offers a transparent pricing structure with no hidden charges
• Beginners can get started easily with $0 minimum initial deposit
• There's a strong selection of 68 currency pairs for dedicated short-term forex traders

Cons

• It's a shame that customer support is not available on weekends
• The range of day trading markets is limited to forex and cryptos only
• There's only a small range of payment methods available, with no e-wallets supported

Visit OANDA US

#3 - Deriv.com

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Review

Why We Chose Deriv.com

Deriv.com is a low cost, multi-asset broker with over 2.5 million global clients. With just a $5 minimum deposit, the firm offers CFDs, multipliers and more recently accumulators, alongside proprietary synthetic products which can't be found elsewhere. Deriv provides both its own in-house charting software and the hugely popular MetaTrader 5.

• Instruments: CFDs, Multipliers, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities
• Regulator: MFSA, LFSA, VFSC, BFSC
• Platforms: Deriv Trader, MT5
• Minimum Deposit: $5
• Minimum Trade: 0.01 Lots
• Leverage: 1:1000

Pros

• Deriv continues to offer fast and reliable 24/7 support and the WhatsApp service is particularly convenient
• Traders can use multipliers between 1 and 30, with take profit, stop loss and deal cancellation parameters
• The low $5 minimum initial deposit suits those on a lower budget

Cons

• The range of 100+ assets trails some competitors such as Quotex which offers 400+
• There are limited copy trading tools and analysis features compared to alternatives like IQ Cent
• There's no loyalty program or rebate scheme for high volume traders

Visit Deriv.com

#4 - Pepperstone

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Review

Why We Chose Pepperstone

Established in Australia in 2010, Pepperstone is a top-rated forex and CFD broker with over 400,000 clients worldwide. It offers access to 1,300+ instruments on leading platforms MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView, maintaining low, transparent fees. Pepperstone is also regulated by trusted authorities like the FCA, ASIC, and CySEC, ensuring a secure environment for day traders at all levels.

• Instruments: CFDs, Forex, Currency Indices, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Crypto, Spread Betting
• Regulator: FCA, ASIC, CySEC, DFSA, CMA, BaFin, SCB
• Platforms: MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView, AutoChartist, DupliTrade
• Minimum Deposit: $0
• Minimum Trade: 0.01 Lots
• Leverage: 1:30 (Retail), 1:500 (Pro)

Pros

• Pepperstone emerges as a low-cost broker, especially for serious day traders with spreads from 0.0 in the Razor account and rebates of 25%+ through the Active Trader program.
• There’s support for a range of industry-leading charting platforms including MT4, MT5, TradingView, and cTrader, catering to various short-term trading styles, including algo trading.
• Now offering spread betting through TradingView, Pepperstone provides a seamless, tax-efficient trading experience with advanced analysis tools.

Cons

• Despite enhancements to its range of markets, crypto offerings are relatively limited compared to other brokers such as eToro, with no option to invest in real coins.
• Pepperstone does not support cTrader Copy, a popular copy trading feature built into the excellent cTrader platform and available at alternatives like IC Markets.
• There’s no simplified proprietary trading platform, nor are there any social trading features, which could be a disadvantage if you are new to day trading.

Visit Pepperstone

#5 - XM

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Review

Why We Chose XM

XM is a globally recognized forex and CFD broker with 10+ million clients in 190+ countries. Since 2009, this trusted broker has been known for its low fees on 1000+ instruments. XM is regulated by multiple financial bodies, including the ASIC and CySEC.

• Instruments: Forex, Stock CFDs, Turbo Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Precious Metals, Energies, Shares, Crypto, Futures
• Regulator: ASIC, CySEC, DFSA, FSC, FSCA
• Platforms: MT4, MT5
• Minimum Deposit: $5
• Minimum Trade: 0.01 Lots

Pros

• XM continues to deliver diverse and multilingual educational materials and offers a useful live education schedule for its webinars and insights
• XM is a hugely respected broker authorized by tier-one regulators
• Accessible trading accounts with a $5 minimum deposit and fast account opening

Cons

• There is weak regulatory oversight through the global entity
• There's $5 inactivity fee after only 3 months, though this won't affect active traders
• PayPal deposits are not supported

Visit XM

Choosing A Day Trading Broker In Europe

Based on our extensive experience in the day trading industry, there are several factors to consider:

Trust

Choose a trusted day trading broker to keep your funds safe.

Online trading scams are rife in Europe, with fraudsters adopting increasingly aggressive and brazen methods to target victims. In recent years, scammers have even impersonated representatives of the Cyprus Securities & Exchange Commission (CySEC), promising compensation to traders in return for fees.

This is why we verify the regulatory status of brokers, checking whether they are licensed by any of the 25+ reputable regulators that comply with the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID), and its update MiFID II, set by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), designed to safeguard retail traders.

Investment Offering

Choose a day trading broker with a wide range of trading opportunities.

For many European traders, it will be important to have access to local financial markets, providing opportunities to speculate on regional events and assets.

That’s why we look for access to stock markets like Euronext, the largest stock exchange in the region which connects seven major economies, including France, Italy and the Netherlands.

We also look for currency pairs involving the Euro, such as the EUR/USD, EUR/GBP and EUR/AUD, plus popular commodities, including those listed on the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), Europe’s most recognized commodity marketplace.

In addition, we consider whether brokers offer contracts for difference (CFDs), a popular financial product with short-term traders that allows you to go long or short without taking ownership of the underlying asset, such as shares in LVMH.

Trading Fees

Choose a broker with low trading fees.

This is especially important for day traders because frequent trading amplifies the impact of fees on overall profitability.

That’s why we record and evaluate the fees you can expect to incur making short-term trades, including spreads on popular markets in Europe like the EUR/USD and EUR/GBP, as well as any inactivity fees that can penalize casual traders.

This allows us to assign an overall ‘Fees & Costs’ score that helps us pinpoint the cheapest brokers for day traders.

Order Execution

Choose a day trading broker with fast and reliable order execution.

If you’re day trading in volatile markets, such as commodities, being able to enter and exit the market at the desired price can be the difference between profit and loss.

We consider execution speeds of <100 milliseconds fast, helping to prevent slippage – the difference between the expected price and the execution price.

However, we also consider execution quality, encompassing factors like price and probability of execution, which together can help ensure you secure optimal trades.

Leverage Trading

Choose a day trading broker with transparent leverage and margin conditions.

Leverage trading allows you to open larger positions than you would otherwise be able to with your capital. Essentially, for a small outlay, known as margin, you can multiply your buying power and profits (or losses).

The ESMA introduced industry-wide limits on leverage offered to retail traders in 2018. The maximum available through EU-regulated entities is 1:30 for major currency pairs, though lower limits are imposed on more volatile assets, such as commodities (1:10) and cryptocurrencies (1:2).

While 1:30 is a safer limit than the very high leverage available at offshore brokers, the risk of heavy losses is still present.

I recommend that beginners, in particular, approach leverage trading with caution and take a proactive approach to risk management.

Jemma Grist

Author

We check whether leverage trading is available as part of our exhaustive review process. We also make sure brokers are transparent about margin requirements, including when they will close out your positions if you fail to meet a margin call (a demand by your broker to deposit additional funds to cover potential losses).

Charting Platforms

Choose a day trading broker with a user-friendly and powerful charting platform.

Short-term traders typically rely on technical analysis to identify and capitalize on market opportunities, more so than longer-term investors who often use fundamental analysis. As a result, it’s important to find an excellent charting platform.

That’s why we personally test platforms where possible to assess their suitability for day traders, weighing the design and ease of use with the suite of technical indicators, drawing tools, chart types and other features.

Our analysis of hundreds of brokers shows the most widely available third-party platforms are MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader and TradingView. These all offer excellent charting packages for intermediate and advanced traders.

However, our tests also show that the proprietary software offered by some brokers can provide a more user-friendly toolkit for newer traders, often featuring a more intuitive workspace.

Methodology

We used our extensive database of day trading brokers, selecting those accepting European traders and ranked them by their overall rating from our reviews, which focus on several factors, including:

FAQ

How Much Money Do I Need To Start Day Trading In Europe?

The vast majority of platforms offer an accessible account minimum of <€250. However, some stand out with no minimum deposit, notably Pepperstone, OANDA and City Index, making them attractive for day traders on a budget.

Who Regulates Day Trading Platforms In Europe?

Over 25 European regulators should adhere to the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID), established by the European Securities Markets Authority (ESMA), to offer products suitably for day trading, including forex and CFDs.

The Cyprus Securities & Exchange (CySEC) oversees the largest number of brokers accepting day traders in Europe.

Which Is The Best Broker For Day Trading In Europe?

Use our list of the best day trading platforms and brokers in Europe to find the right provider for your needs. Most of our top-rated platforms are regulated in Europe, support accounts in EUR, and offer access to regional financial markets.