Market maker brokers are companies that buy and sell financial assets with the use of their own inventories. They allow markets to operate smoothly by supplying deep liquidity and provide important benefits for short-term traders.
This guide will explain how they work, plus the advantages and disadvantages you can experience by day trading with a market maker broker. We’ve also evaluated a long row of companies to bring you our pick of the best market maker brokers.
Best Market Maker Brokers 2026
These are the top market-making brokers based on our exhaustive reviews:
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- Demo account
- Platforms: xStation
- Min. deposit: $0
75% of accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. -
- Demo account
- Regulator: FCA, ASIC, CMVM , FSCA, SCB, FSA
- Platforms: TN Trader, MT4, TradingView
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- Demo account
- Platforms: WebTrader, App
- Min. deposit: $100
81% of retail CFD accounts lose money. -
- Demo account
- Min. deposit: $0
- Min. trade: 0.01 Lots
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- Demo account
- Regulator: CySEC, FSCA, FSA, ADGM/FRSA
- Min. deposit: $10-$250 (location and tier dependent)
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- Demo account
- Regulator: FCA, ASIC, MAS, CIRO, BaFin, FMA, DFSA
- Platforms: Web, MT4, MT5, TradingView
69% of retail CFD accounts lose money.
Learn how we test brokers and why you can trust our ratings.
Here is a short summary of why we think each broker belongs in this top list:
- XTB 4.8/5 Founded in 2002 in Poland, XTB now serves more than 1 million clients. The forex and CFD broker combines a heavily regulated trading environment with an extensive selection of assets and a commitment to trader satisfaction, featuring an intuitive in-house platform with superb tools to support aspiring day traders.
- Trade Nation 4.4/5 Trade Nation is a top FX and CFD broker regulated in multiple jurisdictions including the UK and Australia. The firm offers low-cost fixed and variable spreads on 1000+ assets with robust trading platforms and training materials. The Signal Centre can also be used for trade ideas.
- Plus500 4.1/5 Established in 2008 and headquartered in Israel, Plus500 is a prominent brokerage that boasts over 25 million registered traders in over 50 countries. Specializing in CFD trading, the company offers an intuitive, proprietary platform and mobile app. It maintains competitive spreads and does not charge commissions or deposit or withdrawal fees. Plus500 also continues to shine as one of the most trusted brokers with licenses from reputable regulators, including the FCA, ASIC and CySEC.
- IG 4.8/5 Founded in 1974, IG is part of IG Group Holdings Plc, a publicly traded (LSE: IGG) brokerage. The brand offers a top-tier selection of 17,000+ markets, with a range of user-friendly platforms and investing apps. For 50 years, IG has maintained its position as an industry leader, excelling in all key areas for traders.
- NAGA 4.1/5 NAGA is a German-headquartered social investing platform offering copy trading on thousands of financial markets including CFDs and real stocks. Founded in 2015, the company is publicly listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and regulated in the EU, Middle East and globally. The firm offers an all-in-one web platform and mobile app, but traders can also synchronize their NAGA accounts with popular third-party software, including MT4 and MT5.
- CMC Markets 4.7/5 Established in 1989, CMC Markets is a respected broker listed on the London Stock Exchange and authorized by several tier-one regulators, including the FCA, ASIC and CIRO. More than 1 million traders from around the world have signed up with the multi-award winning brokerage.
Best Market Maker Brokers Comparison
| Broker | Market Maker | Minimum Deposit | Investment Offering | Trading Platforms | Financial Regulators |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XTB | ✔Yes | $0 | CFDs on shares, Indices, ETFs, Raw Materials, Forex currencies, cryptocurrencies, Real shares, Real ETFs | xStation | FCA, CySEC, KNF, DFSA, FSC, SCA, CMF, Bappebti |
| Trade Nation | ✔Yes | $0 | CFDs, Forex, Indices, Shares, Commodities, Futures, Bonds, Spread Betting (UK and Ireland only), Cryptos (Bahamas entity only) | TN Trader, MT4, TradingView | FCA, ASIC, CMVM , FSCA, SCB, FSA |
| Plus500 | ✔Yes | $100 | CFDs on Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Options, Crypto | WebTrader, App | FCA, CySEC, EFSA, ASIC, FMA, FSCA, MAS, ISA, FSA, DFSA, SCA, JFSA, SCB, CIRO, BAPPEBTI, OJK, BI |
| IG | ✔Yes | $0 | CFDs (not in US), Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Futures, Options, Crypto, Spread Betting (UK only) | Web, L2 Dealer, MT4, TradingView, AutoChartist, TradingCentral, ProRealTime | CFTC, NFA, FCA, BaFin, ASIC, FINMA, MAS, JFSA, FMA, DFSA, BMA, CONSOB |
| NAGA | ✔Yes | $10-$250 (location and tier dependent) | CFDs on Forex, Indices, Shares, Commodities, Crypto, Real Stocks and Futures | NAGA Platform, NAGA App, MT4, MT5, TradingView, TradingCentral | CySEC, FSCA, FSA, ADGM/FRSA |
| CMC Markets | ✔Yes | $0 | CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Treasuries, Custom Indices, Spread Betting, Certificates and Warrants (Germany and Austria) | Web, MT4, MT5, TradingView | FCA, ASIC, MAS, CIRO, BaFin, FMA, DFSA |
Community Sentiment
See how users rate these brokers based on the average customer ratings submitted on DayTrading.com, plus ratings from Trustpilot, the Apple App Store and Google Play.
| Broker | Our Users' Rating | Trustpilot Score | Trustpilot Reviews | iOS App Rating | Android App Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XTB | 3036 | ||||
| Trade Nation | 2175 | ||||
| Plus500 | 20176 | ||||
| IG | 10208 | ||||
| NAGA | - | 4109 | |||
| CMC Markets | 3531 |
XTB
XTB stands out as a top choice for new day traders with the terrific xStation platform, low trading costs, no minimum deposit, and excellent educational tools, many of which are seamlessly integrated into the platform.
Christian Harris, Reviewer
XTB quick facts
- Demo Account
- ✔Yes
- Instruments
- CFDs on shares, Indices, ETFs, Raw Materials, Forex currencies, cryptocurrencies, Real shares, Real ETFs
- Regulator
- FCA, CySEC, KNF, DFSA, FSC, SCA, CMF, Bappebti
- Platforms
- xStation
- Minimum Deposit
- $0
- Minimum Trade
- 0.01 Lots
- Account Currencies
- USD, EUR, GBP
Pros
- First-class 24/5 customer support is available, including a friendly live chat with response times of under two minutes during testing.
- XTB offers fast withdrawals with payment within 3 business days, depending on the method and amount.
- With an excellent range of educational materials, including training videos and articles integrated into the platform, XTB supports traders at all levels.
Cons
- The research tools at XTB are good but could be great if they went beyond in-house features with access to leading third-party tools such as Autochartist, Trading Central and TipRanks.
- Trading fees are competitive with average spreads of around 1 pip on the EUR/USD but still trail the cheapest brokers like IC Markets, plus there's an inactivity fee after 12 months.
- XTB does not offer a raw spread account, which is becoming increasingly common among competitors like Pepperstone, and may disappoint day traders looking for the tightest spreads.
Trade Nation
Trade Nation suits discretionary traders who want to speculate on major indices like the US 500 or liquid FX pairs, and want the predictable all-in costs of fixed spreads. In tests, we found the fixed-spread TN Trader environment particularly useful for trading around scheduled economic releases owing to its reliable charting environment and because published spreads stayed capped.
Christian Harris, Reviewer
Trade Nation quick facts
- Demo Account
- ✔Yes
- Instruments
- CFDs, Forex, Indices, Shares, Commodities, Futures, Bonds, Spread Betting (UK and Ireland only), Cryptos (Bahamas entity only)
- Regulator
- FCA, ASIC, CMVM , FSCA, SCB, FSA
- Platforms
- TN Trader, MT4, TradingView
- Minimum Deposit
- $0
- Minimum Trade
- 0.1 Lots
- Account Currencies
- USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, ZAR, SEK, NOK, DKK
Pros
- The broker expanded into Europe with regulated online trading services after securing authorization from Portugal's CVMV, boosting its safety protections for European residents.
- The demo comes with a $5,000 practice account and you can request a one-on-one platform walkthrough by callback - this level of personal help is rare.
- Trade Nation accounts can now be linked with TradingView, providing advanced multi-charts and the ability to execute trades directly.
Cons
- Offshore SCB and FSA entities allow retail clients up to 1:200 and 1:500 leverage compared to 1:30 in regions like the UK, Europe and Australia, so an FSA client can have 16 times the exposure of a UK retail client on the same trade, but with less oversight and no compensation scheme.
- There is no raw or ECN pricing tier, which are often prefered by day traders. No matter how much you deposit or trade, you use the same fixed (or variable on MT4) pricing as beginners, making it unsuitable for scalpers especially.
- The 2–20% rebate scheme is closed to FCA, CMVM, and ASIC clients, meaning active day traders in these regions who would benefit from transaction rebates cannot claim them.
Plus500
Plus500 offers a super-clean experience for traders with a CFD trading platform that sports a modern design and dynamic charting. That said, the broker’s research tools are limited, fees trail the cheapest brokers, and there’s room for enhancement in its educational resources.
Christian Harris, Reviewer
Plus500 quick facts
- Demo Account
- ✔Yes
- Instruments
- CFDs on Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Options, Crypto
- Regulator
- FCA, CySEC, EFSA, ASIC, FMA, FSCA, MAS, ISA, FSA, DFSA, SCA, JFSA, SCB, CIRO, BAPPEBTI, OJK, BI
- Platforms
- WebTrader, App
- Minimum Deposit
- $100
- Minimum Trade
- Variable
- Account Currencies
- USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, ZAR, CZK
Pros
- In 2025 Plus500 added new share CFDs in emerging sectors like quantum computing and AI, offering opportunities in stocks like IonQ, Rigetti, Duolingo, and Carvana
- AI Bites has been added, giving active traders real-time, AI-generated market summaries, technical analysis, and social sentiment next to charts, aiding in short-term trading decisions
- Plus500 has bolstered its suite of short-term trading products, including introducing VIX options with enhanced volatility and extended 24/5 hours trading on select stock and ETF CFDs, including SpaceX
Cons
- Compared to some competitors, especially IG, Plus500’s research and analysis tools are limited
- Educational resources are limited compared to best-in-class brokers like eToro, impacting the learning curve for beginners
- Algo trading and scalping are not supported, which may deter some day traders
IG
IG continues to provide a comprehensive package with an intuitive web platform, best-in-class education for beginners, advanced charting tools bolstered by its recent TradingView integration, real-time data, and robust trade execution for experienced day traders.
Christian Harris, Reviewer
IG quick facts
- Demo Account
- ✔Yes
- Instruments
- CFDs (not in US), Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Futures, Options, Crypto, Spread Betting (UK only)
- Regulator
- CFTC, NFA, FCA, BaFin, ASIC, FINMA, MAS, JFSA, FMA, DFSA, BMA, CONSOB
- Platforms
- Web, L2 Dealer, MT4, TradingView, AutoChartist, TradingCentral, ProRealTime
- Minimum Deposit
- $0
- Minimum Trade
- 0.01 Lots
- Account Currencies
- USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, JPY, ZAR, SEK, DKK, CHF, HKD, SGD
Pros
- IG is amongst the best in terms of its range of instruments, which includes stocks, forex, indices, commodities, and cryptocurrencies, plus added US-listed futures and options as well as an AI Index, providing diversification opportunities.
- The proprietary web-based platform continues to caters to traders of all levels, with advanced charting tools and real-time market data useful for day trading, while IG has also added TradingView integration.
- IG offers an extensive collection of professional and engaging educational resources, including webinars, articles, and analysis.
Cons
- Beginners might find IG’s fee structure complex, with various fees for different types of trades or services, potentially leading to confusion or unexpected charges.
- IG has discontinued its swap-free account, reducing its appeal to Islamic traders.
- IG applies an inactivity fee of $12-$18 per month after 2 years, deterring casual investors.
NAGA
NAGA is a snug fit for beginners who like to learn by watching others, delivering a more advanced social trading network than the majority of CFD brokers, featuring a leaderboard with top traders by profit and win rate, and a one-tap autocopy function in the platform and app that’s a standout.
Christian Harris, Reviewer
NAGA quick facts
- Demo Account
- ✔Yes
- Instruments
- CFDs on Forex, Indices, Shares, Commodities, Crypto, Real Stocks and Futures
- Regulator
- CySEC, FSCA, FSA, ADGM/FRSA
- Platforms
- NAGA Platform, NAGA App, MT4, MT5, TradingView, TradingCentral
- Minimum Deposit
- $10-$250 (location and tier dependent)
- Minimum Trade
- 0.01 Lots
- Account Currencies
- USD, EUR, GBP, PLN
Pros
- During testing, we were approved to begin trading very quickly; after we provided our ID and proof of address, approval was granted the next business day, and the onboarding process included a suitability questionnaire — a responsible step that some brokers fail to include.
- NAGA Group AG, the parent company, is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and publishes audited financial statements. This level of transparency is not available with privately held offshore brokers.
- The copy-trading feature is the main reason to open a NAGA account, and it’s more advanced than what most CFD brokers offer. You can check a leaderboard of top traders by profit and win rate, then automatically copy their trades in the same app - only eToro offers something similar.
Cons
- The 1:30 leverage limit only applies to clients in the EU (under CySEC) and the GCC (through Abu Dhabi’s ADGM). Clients from LATAM, Asia, and Africa use the Seychelles or FSCA entities, where leverage can go up to 1:1000 and there’s no compensation scheme. This mix of high leverage and little protection is a risk, along with concerns about its suspended Trustpilot score in 2026.
- The $50 monthly inactivity fee is on the high end of the scale. It kicks in after two months of no activity, not every quarter like some brokers. If your balance falls below $50 while your account is inactive, NAGA takes whatever is left and closes your account.
- There are neither Raw nor ECN accounts available; the only means of securing competitive spreads is to advance through the VIP ladder by making a deposit of five figures, so traders who are sensitive to costs or who trade frequently must commit a large sum.
CMC Markets
With advanced charting tools and an extensive range of tradable CFDs, including an almost unrivalled selection of currencies and custom indices, CMC Markets provides a fantastic online platform for traders of all levels.
Christian Harris, Reviewer
CMC Markets quick facts
- Demo Account
- ✔Yes
- Instruments
- CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Treasuries, Custom Indices, Spread Betting, Certificates and Warrants (Germany and Austria)
- Regulator
- FCA, ASIC, MAS, CIRO, BaFin, FMA, DFSA
- Platforms
- Web, MT4, MT5, TradingView
- Minimum Deposit
- $0
- Minimum Trade
- 0.01 Lots
- Account Currencies
- USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, NZD, SEK, NOK, SGD, PLN
Pros
- The brokerage continues to stand out with its wide range of value-add resources, including pattern recognition scanners, webinars, tutorials, news feeds, and research from respected sources like Morningstar.
- We've bumped up its 'Assets & Markets' rating after almost monthly product additions in 2025 and 2026, from extended hours trading on 5,000+ US stocks and ETFs to new share CFDs and certificates and warrants, plus fractional shares in some regions.
- CMC offers excellent pricing, including tight spreads and low trading fees for all but stock CFDs. The Alpha and Price+ schemes also offer perks for active traders with up to 40% discounts on spreads.
Cons
- Despite improvements, the web platform still requires enhancements to make it as intuitive to trade on as software from rivals like IG.
- The CMC Markets app offers the complete trading package but the design and user experience trails category leaders like eToro.
- An inactivity fee of $15 per month is applied after 12 months of inactivity, which may deter casual investors.
How Did We Choose The Best Market Maker Brokers?
The first and most important thing we checked is that the company is trusted.
The best indicator of a trustworthy broker is authorization from a creditable body, such as the Securities and Exchange Commission in the US or the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK.
This will help safeguard your capital, ensure you are receiving a high level of customer care, and reduce the risk of falling victim to conflicts of interest.
Following that:
- We evaluated the market maker broker’s costs in the form of bid/ask spreads, commissions and additional fees.
- We looked for companies that are transparent about their operations and pricing structure.
- We looked for brokers with a wide selection of assets and securities, ensuring you’ll have a range of opportunities and the ability to build a diverse portfolio.
- We tested the broker’s trading platform to make sure it’s enjoyable to use and that you can enter and exit positions quickly and easily.
- We selected brokers with helpful features for short-term traders, including technical analysis tools, trading guides and mobile apps that facilitate trading ‘on the go’
- We prioritized market maker brokers with excellent customer support based on our hands-on tests that consider the speed and quality of assistance.
- We investigated the amount of borrowed funds, known as leverage, that you can use to trade, as this can play an important role in day trading strategies.
Understanding Market Makers
Market makers play an essential part in trading that takes place on regulated financial exchanges. They act as the middleman between buyers and sellers of financial securities, and continuously quote prices during market hours, thus ensuring that a trade can always be executed.
The deep liquidity that these institutions provide is critical for financial markets. It allows assets to be purchased and offloaded without causing substantial price turbulence.
Furthermore, their presence ensures that short-term traders, such as day traders, can open and close positions more easily.
Market makers also act as the middlemen in over-the-counter trading, where buyers and sellers do business outside of a financial exchange.
Importantly, market makers are not the same as brokerages. While brokers bring buyers and sellers together and pass orders onto third-party liquidity providers, market makers create the marketplace for investors by buying and selling assets directly to and from them.
However, financial institutions can act as both market makers and brokers. Trading with one of these dual-role entities carries advantages for short-term traders, though you should be aware of potential conflicts of interest that may arise.
Notably, market maker brokers may have an inherent conflict of interest as they often take positions opposite to their clients, potentially profiting from client losses. They also control prices and execution, which can lead to practices like price manipulation and less favorable execution for traders.
Strict regulation means that these companies must establish robust procedures and systems to avert any such conflicts.
These include setting up Chinese walls (barriers between different divisions), establishing strict order routing rules, and conducting regular internal audits.
Royston WildAuthorHow Do Market Makers Work?
These institutions anticipate executing high volumes of buy and sell orders each day. And so they hold large inventories of assets, such as stocks, commodities, currencies and bonds, that they stand ready to trade from.
This function means that markets can keep moving by guaranteeing that a buyer and a seller can always find someone to do business with.
When markets are ‘illiquid,’ an investor may have difficulties locating another to make a trade. In these situations, the spread – in other words, the difference between the buy (or bid) and sell (or ask) prices – can be exceptionally high, resulting in greater costs to the trader.
How Do Market Maker Brokers Make Money?
Market-making brokers primarily generate profits through the bid/ask spread. They seek to buy at a lower bid price and sell at the higher ask price, and bank the difference in the process.
These institutions are still able to make money when liquidity is healthy and bid-ask spreads are kept to a minimum.
Whilst margins are small, the colossal volume of trades that are placed each day enables them to make a tidy profit.
Certain market makers will also charge fees or commissions to execute trades. However, a high level of competition means that these costs – along with the difference between bid and ask prices – do not become prohibitive for traders.
Even if a market maker charges a trading fee, this can often be lower than that imposed by other brokers (like agency brokers).
Royston WildAuthorExample Trade
Let’s say that I wish to trade shares in Colin’s Computers using a market maker broker. I believe prices of the company will rise in price, and decide to buy 100 shares in the business to capitalize on this. The company currently trades at $50 per share.
To begin with, I’ll have a look at the bid and ask prices on my market-making broker’s trading platform. They are listed as:
- Bid price: $49.90
- Ask price: $50.10
This results in a bid/ask spread of $0.20.
When I place my buy order for 100 Colin’s Computers shares, the brokerage will match my instruction with existing sell orders on the market. If there is a seller who’s happy to offload their shares at $50.10, my order will be executed at this price.
In this case, how much profit would the market maker receive?
First off, let’s have a look at the total cost of the trade to me. This stands at $5,010 ($50.10 x 100 shares).
Now let’s assume that the market maker initially bought those shares for their inventory at the lower price of $49.90 each. Their profit would come in at $20 (the bid/ask spread of $0.20 x 100 shares).
Bottom Line
Deep liquidity is the key to straightforward and cost-effective trading. And by using market-making brokers, traders can enjoy an optimal dealing experience and improve their chances of making a profit.
However, using one of these brokerages to trade also presents risks that individuals need to be constantly mindful of. That’s why we recommend choosing one of our top-rated market maker brokers.
FAQ
What Is A Market Maker?
A market maker is a firm or broker that provides bids and offers of a two-sided market along with the market size of each. By trading on both sides of the market, these companies provide a platform for trading, making their money through spreads.
Do Market Maker Brokers Manipulate Prices?
Market maker brokers set their own bid/ask prices, which makes it possible for them to manipulate asset prices. However, competition is so stiff that spreads offered by market makers are generally tight.
Finding a market maker broker that is registered with a respected authority will help prevent you from being scammed or manipulated.
Do Market Maker Brokers Own Stock?
A market maker will buy stock from you and hold it until it finds another buyer. During this time, the broker does own that stock. However, they do not hold shares for their own benefit.
What Are The Advantages Of Trading With A Market Maker Broker?
Market maker brokers with healthy liquidity allow traders to enter and exit positions rapidly, thus enabling you to swiftly capitalize on trading opportunities that arise. This also helps reduce the threat of slippage, where the expected and actual prices of a trade differ due to timing issues.
Also, many such brokers offer fixed spreads, which appeal to beginners especially, providing a clear picture of how much a trade will cost.
What Are The Risks Of Trading With A Market Maker Broker?
While their operations are often closely observed by regulators, the potential for market-making brokers to act in their own interests at the expense of traders is always present.
Also, market makers may not provide the same level of price transparency as other brokers, such as ECN trading plarforms.
Additionally, with ECN brokers, it is possible to trade prices at certain times with little or no spread. This means day traders can often get better prices with these companies than with market makers.