Best Market Maker Brokers

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

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These are the top market-making brokers based on our exhaustive reviews:

Tested with a live trading account Accepts traders from Somalia Your capital is at risk. Trade only with funds you can afford to lose.

1. Our top pick in Somalia
   1

   XM

   4.8/ 5

   Visit XM Read review
   • Demo account
   • Platforms: MT4, MT5, TradingCentral
   • Min. deposit: $5
2. 2

   AvaTrade

   4.9/ 5

   Visit AvaTrade Read review
   • Demo account
   • Min. deposit: $100
   • Min. trade: 0.01 Lots
3. 3

   Markets.com

   4.4/ 5

   Visit Markets.com Read review
   • Demo account
   • Regulator: ASIC, CySEC, FSCA, BVI FSC
   • Platforms: Web Platform, MT4, MT5, TradingCentral
4. 4

   Vantage

   4.7/ 5

   Visit Vantage Read review
   • Demo account
   • Regulator: FCA, ASIC, FSCA, VFSC, CIMA
   • Min. deposit: $50
5. 5

   XTB

   4.8/ 5

   Visit XTB Read review
   • Demo account
   • Platforms: xStation
   • Min. deposit: $0
   69-80% of accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
6. 6

   FP Markets

   4.2/ 5

   Visit FP Markets Read review
   • Demo account
   • Regulator: ASIC, CySEC, FSA, FSCA, FSC, SCB, CMA-Kenya
   • Min. deposit: $0

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:

1. XM 4.8/5 XM is a globally recognized forex and CFD broker with 20+ million clients in 190+ countries. Since 2009, this trusted broker has been delivering low trading fees across its growing roster of 1000+ instruments. It also offers a comprehensive MetaTrader experience that we've observed firsthand placing test trades.
2. AvaTrade 4.9/5 Established in 2006, AvaTrade is a leading forex and CFD broker trusted by over 400,000 traders. Operating under regulation in 9 jurisdictions, AvaTrade processes an impressive 2+ million trades each month. Through like MT4, MT5, and its proprietary WebTrader, the broker provides a growing selection of 1,250+ instruments. Whether it’s CFDs, AvaOptions, or the more recent AvaFutures, short-term traders at all levels will find opportunities. With terrific education and 24/5 multilingual customer support, AvaTrade delivers the complete trading experience.
3. Markets.com 4.4/5 Established in 2008, Markets.com is a long-standing, multi-regulated broker with oversight from the CySEC and FSCA. It offers unique features to track hedge fund moves and insider trades, while providing stock signals to alert traders to market opportunities. Its choice of accounts (Classic to Professional) caters to all levels of active trader. 72.3% of retail accounts lose money.
4. Vantage 4.7/5 Founded in 2009, Vantage offers trading on 1000+ short-term CFD products to millions of clients. You can trade Forex CFDs from 0.0 pips on the RAW account through TradingView, MT4 or MT5. Vantage is ASIC-regulated and client funds are segregated. Copy traders will also appreciate the range of social trading tools.
5. 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.
6. FP Markets 4.2/5 Established in 2005 in Australia, FP Markets is an ASIC- and CySEC-regulated broker boasting an extensive suite of tradable assets. Its Standard and Raw accounts cater to day traders at every level, while it packs a punch in the tooling department, from the MetaTrader suite and intuitive TradingView to actionable trading ideas from Trading Central and AutoChartist.

Best Market Maker Brokers Comparison

Best Market Maker Brokers Comparison

Broker	Market Maker	Minimum Deposit	Investment Offering	Trading Platforms	Financial Regulators
XM	✔Yes	$5	CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Commodities, Indices, Thematic Indices, Precious Metals, Energies	MT4, MT5, TradingCentral	CySEC, DFSA, FSCA, SCA, FSA, FSC-Belize, FSC-Mauritius, CMA-Kenya, CMA-UAE
AvaTrade	✔Yes	$100	CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Bonds, Crypto, Spread Betting, Futures	WebTrader, AvaTradeGO, AvaOptions, AvaFutures, MT4, MT5, AlgoTrader, TradingView, TradingCentral, DupliTrade	ASIC, CySEC, FSCA, ISA, CBI, JFSA, BVI, FSRA/ADGM, AFM, CMA-Kenya, CIRO (via Friedberg Direct)
Markets.com	✔Yes	$200	CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Commodities, Indices, Crypto, ETFs, Bonds	Web Platform, MT4, MT5, TradingCentral	ASIC, CySEC, FSCA, BVI FSC
Vantage	✔Yes	$50	CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Bonds	ProTrader, MT4, MT5, TradingView, TradingCentral, DupliTrade	FCA, ASIC, FSCA, VFSC, CIMA
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
FP Markets	✔Yes	$0	CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Bonds, ETFs, Crypto	Iress, MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView, AutoChartist, TradingCentral	ASIC, CySEC, FSA, FSCA, FSC, SCB, CMA-Kenya

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.

Community Sentiment

Broker	Our Users' Rating	Trustpilot Score	Trustpilot Reviews	iOS App Rating	Android App Rating
XM	4.6 / 5	2.0 / 5	3077	4.7 / 5	3.9 / 5
AvaTrade	4.3 / 5	4.8 / 5	13629	4.3 / 5	4.0 / 5
Markets.com	1.0 / 5	3.6 / 5	1258	3.1 / 5	3.5 / 5
Vantage	4.1 / 5	4.4 / 5	15839	3.6 / 5	3.9 / 5
XTB	4.7 / 5	3.8 / 5	3036	4.7 / 5	4.1 / 5
FP Markets	4.0 / 5	4.8 / 5	10371	4.0 / 5	4.0 / 5

XM

4.8/ 5

Visit XM XM review

With a low $5 minimum deposit, advanced charting platforms in MT4 and MT5, expanding range of markets, and a Zero account offering spreads from 0.0, XM provides all the essentials for active traders.

XM quick facts

Demo Account

✔Yes

Instruments

CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Commodities, Indices, Thematic Indices, Precious Metals, Energies

Regulator

CySEC, DFSA, FSCA, SCA, FSA, FSC-Belize, FSC-Mauritius, CMA-Kenya, CMA-UAE

Platforms

MT4, MT5, TradingCentral

Minimum Deposit

$5

Minimum Trade

0.01 Lots

Account Currencies

USD, EUR, GBP, JPY, ZAR

Pros

• XM’s Zero account is ideal for day trading with spreads from 0.0 pips, 99.35% of orders executed in <1 second, and no requotes or rejections.
• XM’s growing roster of 1,400+ instruments provides diverse short-term trading opportunities, with unique turbo stocks, fractional shares, and more recently thematic indices.
• XM has rolled out platform upgrades with integrated TradingView charts and an XM AI assistant, delivering faster execution, smarter analysis, and a sleeker, more intuitive trading experience.

Cons

• Although trusted and generally well-regulated in some regions, XM also has global entities registered with the weak regulators like FSC (Belize) and FSA (Seychelles), whilst UK clients are no longer accepted, reducing its market reach.
• While the XM app stands out for its usability and exclusive copy trading products, the selection of technical analysis tools needs to be improved to meet the needs of advanced traders.
• XM is falling behind the curve by not offering cTrader, which is favored over MetaTrader by some serious traders for its smoother user experience and superior charting package.

Visit XM XM review

AvaTrade

4.9/ 5

Visit AvaTrade AvaTrade review

AvaTrade offers active traders everything they need: an intuitive WebTrader, powerful AvaProtect risk management, a smooth 5-minute sign-up process, and dependable support you can rely on in fast-moving markets.

AvaTrade quick facts

Demo Account

✔Yes

Instruments

CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Bonds, Crypto, Spread Betting, Futures

Regulator

ASIC, CySEC, FSCA, ISA, CBI, JFSA, BVI, FSRA/ADGM, AFM, CMA-Kenya, CIRO (via Friedberg Direct)

Platforms

WebTrader, AvaTradeGO, AvaOptions, AvaFutures, MT4, MT5, AlgoTrader, TradingView, TradingCentral, DupliTrade

Minimum Deposit

$100

Minimum Trade

0.01 Lots

Account Currencies

USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, ZAR

Pros

• Years on, AvaTrade remains one of the few brokers offering a bespoke risk management tool, AvaProtect, that insures losses up to $1M for a fee and is easy to activate on the platform.
• AvaTrade launched AvaFutures to offer low-margin access to global markets, then expanded in 2025 as one of the first brokers to add CME’s Micro Grain Futures.
• Support at AvaTrade performed excellently during testing, with response times of 3 minutes and localized support in major trading jurisdictions, including the UK, Europe and the Middle East.

Cons

• AvaTrade’s WebTrader has improved, but work is still needed in terms of customizability – frustratingly widgets like market watch and watchlists can’t be hidden, moved, or resized.
• While signing up is a breeze, AvaTrade lacks an ECN account like Pepperstone or IC Markets, which provides the raw spreads and ultra-fast execution many day traders are looking for.
• The AvaSocial app is good but not great – the look and feel, plus the navigation between finding strategy providers and account management needs upgrading to rival category leaders like eToro.

Visit AvaTrade AvaTrade review

Markets.com

4.4/ 5

Visit Markets.com Markets.com review

Markets.com is best suited to retail investors who trade frequently but don’t want to calculate commissions, thanks to its spread-only pricing (EUR/USD around 1.3 pips). It especially appeals to short-term traders who value fast execution, flexible asset choice spanning 2,200+ instruments and proprietary tools like hedge fund confidence indices and insider trade alerts.

Markets.com quick facts

Demo Account

✔Yes

Instruments

CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Commodities, Indices, Crypto, ETFs, Bonds

Regulator

ASIC, CySEC, FSCA, BVI FSC

Platforms

Web Platform, MT4, MT5, TradingCentral

Minimum Deposit

$200

Minimum Trade

0.01 Lots

Account Currencies

USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, ZAR, SEK, NOK, DKK, CHF, PLN, CZK

Pros

• Switching between the proprietary web platform (great for alerts and quick analysis) and MT5 (strong for algorithmic EAs) was smooth in our tests; positions synced across desktop, web, and mobile without gaps or re-quotes.
• Markets.com provides commission-free trading on most assets with spreads starting from around 0.6 pips on major forex pairs, making it cost-effective for casual traders.
• Within the 2,200+ CFDs, Markets.com offers thematic baskets like the Warren Buffett Blend and Cannabis Blend, which behaved like ready-made mini-ETFs during testing, saving the work of balancing weights manually.

Cons

• Inactivity charges kick in after just 3 months, while variable spreads are wider than top ECN brokers during testing, which may deter day traders and high-frequency traders.
• During sign-up, we hit unclear account type explanations and got stuck in an email verification loop that locked us out for an hour - way less streamlined than other brokers we’ve tested.
• While CySEC and FSCA oversight is solid, the SVGFSA and BVIFSC entities offers 1:500 leverage under a light-touch framework, meaning protections like compensation schemes and strict conduct rules lag behind the strictest regulatory standards.

Visit Markets.com Markets.com review

Vantage

4.7/ 5

Visit Vantage Vantage review

Vantage remains an excellent option for CFD traders seeking a tightly-regulated broker with access to the reliable MetaTrader platforms. The fast sign-up process and $50 minimum deposit make it very straightforward to start day trading quickly.

Vantage quick facts

Demo Account

✔Yes

Instruments

CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Bonds

Regulator

FCA, ASIC, FSCA, VFSC, CIMA

Platforms

ProTrader, MT4, MT5, TradingView, TradingCentral, DupliTrade

Minimum Deposit

$50

Minimum Trade

0.01 Lots

Account Currencies

USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, NZD, JPY, HKD, SGD, PLN

Pros

• The app was upgraded in 2026 with wider asset visibility bringing together balances across Contract, Copy, and Funding accounts on one screen
• The broker has made efforts to expand its suite of CFDs providing further trading opportunities
• The ECN accounts are very competitive with spreads from 0.0 pips and a $1.50 commission per side (Pro ECN account)

Cons

• It's a shame that some clients will need to register with the offshore entity, which offers less regulatory protection
• The average execution speeds of 100ms to 250ms are slower than alternatives based on tests
• A steep $10,000 deposit is needed for the best trading conditions, which include the $1.50 commission per side

Visit Vantage Vantage review

XTB

4.8/ 5

Visit XTB XTB review

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.

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

• The xStation platform continues to impress with its user-friendly interface and intuitive features, including customizable news feeds, sentiment heatmaps, and trader calculator, reducing the learning curve for newer traders.
• Opening an XTB account is a hassle-free, entirely online process that takes just a few minutes, making the entry into day trading smooth for new traders.
• First-class 24/5 customer support is available, including a friendly live chat with response times of under two minutes during testing.

Cons

• Not being able to adjust the default leverage level of XTB products is frustrating, as manual adjustment can significantly mitigate trade risk, especially in forex and CFD trading.
• 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.
• The demo account expires after just four weeks, a serious limitation for traders who wish to thoroughly test the xStation platform and practice short-term strategies before committing real funds.

Visit XTB XTB review

FP Markets

4.2/ 5

Visit FP Markets FP Markets review

FP Markets strikes an ideal balance between affordability and quality for active traders. They’ve managed to keep trading costs low while expanding their investment offering, charting tools, and research features, all while providing excellent support you can rely on for urgent trading queries.

FP Markets quick facts

Demo Account

✔Yes

Instruments

CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Bonds, ETFs, Crypto

Regulator

ASIC, CySEC, FSA, FSCA, FSC, SCB, CMA-Kenya

Platforms

Iress, MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView, AutoChartist, TradingCentral

Minimum Deposit

$0

Minimum Trade

0.01 Lots

Account Currencies

USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, NZD, JPY, CHF, HKD, SGD

Pros

• FP Markets has a seamless onboarding experience, standing out with crypto deposits and over 10 base currencies, catering to global traders.
• FP Markets delivers fast and dependable support, available 24/5 with average response times of less than 1 minute during testing.
• AI-powered sentiment analysis, trading signals and real-time NewsIQ research, integrated with MT4 and MT5, has been added via FP Markets Intelligence.

Cons

• While pricing in the Raw account is excellent, spreads in the Standard account trail the cheapest brokers with a 1.1-pip average spread on the EUR/USD compared to the 0.8-pip average at IC Markets.
• FP Markets’ Iress platform is only available to clients in Australia. It also primarily emphasizes stock trading over forex trading, and data fees can accumulate rapidly unless you're an active trader or maintain a high-balance account.
• FP Markets trails the best MetaTrader brokers, despite offering a Trader's Toolbox on MT4, just 130 instruments are available, limiting opportunities for serious traders, especially compared to Pepperstone with its 1,300 assets.

Visit FP Markets FP Markets review

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:

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.

How 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.

Example 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.