Want to bet on the price movement of securities like stocks in Apple without owning the shares? You can do this on a spread betting platform, where your profit or loss depends on how accurate you are and your stake size.
We’ve been testing the biggest names in the industry to find the best spread betting platforms in 2026.
Top 2 Spread Betting Brokers
Many spread betting firms impressed us during testing, but these 2 platforms emerged a cut above the rest:
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- Demo account
- Regulator: FCA, ASIC, FMA, DFSA, FSC
- Platforms: Axi Copy Trading, MT4, AutoChartist
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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.
Why Are These Providers The Best For Spread Betting?
Here’s a quick rundown on why these platforms stand out as the best for spread betting:
- Axi is the best spread betting platform in Canada in 2026 3.7/5 Axi offers a compelling spread betting experience for residents in the UK and Ireland. Where it excels is its 24/5 support to help with any issues and smooth three-step process to spread betting trading on currencies, socks, indices and commodities.
- CMC Markets 4.7/5 CMC Markets is still one of the few brokers that lets you make speculative bets on financial markets without incurring capital gains tax on your profits. You don’t pay any commission fees for opening or closing positions, either. Its web platform has also won awards for its top-notch user experience. The environment has been boosted with the addition of Spectre, CMC's zero-leverage spread betting solution on long trades.
How Safe Are These Spread Betting Platforms?
How secure are the top spread betting brokers and how do they protect your funds?
| Broker | Trust Rating | Guaranteed Stop Loss | Negative Balance Protection | Segregated Accounts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Axi | ✘No | ✔Yes | ✔Yes | |
| CMC Markets | ✔Yes | ✔Yes | ✔Yes |
Compare Mobile Spread Betting
Find out how good these providers are for placing spread bets on mobile devices:
| Broker | Mobile Apps | iOS Rating | Android Rating | Smart Watch App |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Axi | iOS & Android | ✘No | ||
| CMC Markets | iOS & Android | ✘No |
Are The Top Spread Betting Brokers Good For Beginners?
Beginners should use a broker that allow spread betting with a demo account plus other features new traders need:
| Broker | Demo Account | Minimum Deposit | Minimum Trade | Education Rating | Support Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Axi | ✔Yes | $0 | 0.01 Lots | ||
| CMC Markets | ✔Yes | $0 | 0.01 Lots |
Are The Top Spread Betting Brokers Good For Advanced Traders?
Experienced traders should look for powerful tools to maximize the spread betting experience:
| Broker | Automated Trading | VPS | AI | Pro Account | Leverage | Low Latency | Extended Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Axi | Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader, Myfxbook | ✔Yes | ✔Yes | ✔Yes | 1:500 | ✔Yes | ✘No |
| CMC Markets | Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader | ✔Yes | ✘No | ✔Yes | 1:30 (Retail), 1:500 (Pro) | ✔Yes | ✔Yes |
Compare The Ratings Of Top Spread Betting Brokers
Discover how the top spread betting score in every critical area based on our in-depth testing:
| Broker | Trust | Platforms | Assets | Mobile | Fees | Accounts | Research | Education | Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Axi | |||||||||
| CMC Markets |
Compare Spread Betting Fees
Spread betting costs add up over time - here’s how the top providers compare on pricing:
| Broker | Cost Rating | Fixed Spreads | Inactivity Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Axi | ✘No | $10 | |
| CMC Markets | ✘No | $15 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Axi | 8046 | ||||
| CMC Markets | 3509 |
How Popular Are These Spread Betting Platforms?
Many traders gravitate toward the most popular spread betting brokers - the ones with the largest client base:
Why Spread Bet With Axi?
Axi is a stand-out option if you want to day trade forex on the MetaTrader 4 platform thanks to the broker’s growing selection of 70+ currency pairs, the MT4 NextGen upgrade, and tight spreads from just 0.2 pips if you opt for the Pro account.
Christian Harris, Reviewer
Axi quick facts
- Demo Account
- ✔Yes
- Instruments
- CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Crypto
- Regulator
- FCA, ASIC, FMA, DFSA, FSC
- Platforms
- Axi Copy Trading, MT4, AutoChartist
- Minimum Deposit
- $0
- Minimum Trade
- 0.01 Lots
- Account Currencies
- USD, EUR, GBP, CHF, PLN
Pros
- Axi offers a terrific MT4 experience, enhanced with the NextGen plug-in for advanced order management and analytics, and complete with low execution latency of approximately 30ms.
- Axi's latest copy trading app is really intuitive based on our tests with useful filtering options to match strategies with individual risk preferences.
- Advanced traders can now sign up for the Axi Select funded trader program through the broker’s offshore entity, providing funding up to $1 million with a 90% profit share, which multiple traders have achieved.
Cons
- Axi is falling behind by only offering MT4 when many rivals now support MT5, cTrader, TradingView and proprietary software for a slicker experience with more advanced tools.
- Despite bolstering its stock CFDs in US, UK and EU markets, it’s still nowhere near as extensive as firms like BlackBull which offer thousands of equities for diverse opportunities.
- Despite performing well whenever we use it, Axi's support is unavailable 24/7, which can be inconvenient for traders in different time zones or those needing assistance outside standard trading hours.
Why Spread Bet With 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.
- CMC Markets has added an AI News feature, using AI to surface and summarise market stories rather than place trades for you, hinting at where broker research tools are heading.
- CMC Funded available from October 2026, providing up to a $100k prop trading-style simulated account to traders looking to prove their skills on CMC's trading infrastructure with wide market access, including prediction markets.
Cons
- An inactivity fee of $15 per month is applied after 12 months of inactivity, which may deter casual investors.
- 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.
How Did We Chose The Best Spread Betting Platforms?
We took our database of 143 brokers and trading platforms and pinpointed the 25+ that offer spread betting trading.
We then ranked the shortlisted providers by their overall rating, which blends 200+ data entries with the direct observations of our testers following hours of hands-on evaluations.
- We checked that every broker offers a spread betting account with an accessible deposit of <$250.
- We only recommended brokers we’d trust with our own money after verifying their regulatory credentials.
- We prioritized brokers with excellent spread betting fees after evaluating their spreads and other charges.
- We confirmed brokers offer a range of financial markets, providing diverse trading opportunities.
- We selected brokers with reliable support based on our spread betting inquiries during testing.
- We investigated each broker’s order execution because fast speeds are key for successful spread betting.
- We examined each broker’s margin requirements to ensure they are transparent for traders using leverage.
How To Pick A Spread Betting Broker
Trust
Only use an established spread betting provider with many years in the industry and authorization from a ‘green tier’ regulator. This is the best way to protect yourself from trading scams.
This is key given that the UK’s Financial Ombudsman Service has highlighted the dubious practices adopted by some spread betting companies. In one case study, “Geraldine made significant losses on a spread-betting platform” that she thought was making money by referring clients to a workshop that taught useless strategies so they could profit from their users’ losing trades.
Spread betting is legal and regulated in several prominent countries, including Australia, Singapore, South Africa and Ireland. However, the largest market is in the UK, where the top providers are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) – a ‘green tier’ body.
- Pepperstone has earned and maintained an excellent 4.6/5 Trust score owing to its authorization from four ‘green tier’ regulators and stellar reputation since 2010. It has also scooped our ‘Best Overall Broker’ and ‘Best Trading App’ awards in recent years.
Markets
Pick a broker that offers spread betting on the financial markets you’re interested in.
From our investigations, most platforms offer spread bets on stocks, indices, forex and commodities. However, some providers stand out by providing a much richer suite of trading opportunities, such as bonds, interest rates, and cryptos, that may appeal to seasoned traders.
- IG blows the competition out of the water with over 17,000 markets you can spread bet on, from currencies, indices, and commodities to upcoming IPOs. It’s also one of the few brokers we’ve used that supports spread betting on the weekend via IG’s out-of-hours markets.
Fees
Choose a platform with low trading fees to help you towards a successful spread betting journey.
Unlike contracts for difference (CFDs), commissions are not typically charged on spread bets so the primary cost to consider is the spread – the difference between the bid and ask price. Spread betting companies normally incorporate a fee for their services into the spread.
Some companies specialize in certain markets with low prices. However, they will then offer other markets at less attractive prices, just to ensure they have a presence. Specific spread betting forex brokers, for example, may offer you a better deal than a jack of all trades, master of none firm.
Also, while less relevant for day traders, if you hold a spread bet open overnight you may incur a charge (futures can be more cost-effective for longer-term trades).
- Vantage stands out with excellent fees on spread betting markets during tests, including 0.1 on EUR/USD, 0.3 on oil and 3.1 on S&P 500, delivering a low-cost trading environment across a variety of asset classes. With no deposit, withdrawal or inactivity fees, it also keeps additional costs to an absolute minimum.
Tools
Choose a broker that offers reliable and powerful charting platforms. The best software will offer a wide range of tools for technical analysis, including various chart types, drawing tools and timeframes.
Some providers offer proprietary platforms with unique tools, notably IG’s Online Platform, CMC Markets’ Next Generation platform, and FXCM’s Trading Station.
Alternatively, or additionally, brokers may offer third-party solutions which do not natively offer spread betting, but can support this style of trading. The most widely available platforms we see are TradingView, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5 and cTrader.
I don’t think TradingView can be beaten when it comes to ease of use and features – it offers the complete trading experience in my view. It’s also being increasingly integrated by spread betting brokers, notably Pepperstone.
Jemma GristAuthor- FXCM caters to all types of spread betters at every experience level with their wide range of platforms, including Trading Station, MT4 and TradingView. There’s also an unlimited number of demo accounts, which are a great place to start for all spread betters, so you can find the platform that ticks your boxes.
Execution Quality
Choose a broker with fast and reliable order execution – these are crucial for fast-paced trading styles like spread betting.
High-quality execution will help ensure your trades are executed at the requested time and price. In general, we view anything below 100 milliseconds (ms) as ‘fast’, but some trading platforms go much further.
- FxPro is one of the fastest spread betting platforms that we’ve evaluated, with extremely impressive speeds of less than 11 ms. Prices are sourced from 12+ liquidity providers, making the firm an excellent choice for active spread betters looking for fast execution, tight spreads and reduced price slippage.
Margin Requirements
A key component of spread betting is leverage – which allows you to trade much larger positions by putting down a small outlay, known as ‘margin’.
It’s essential to choose a provider with transparent margin requirements so you understand how much capital you need to put down and maintain in your account, plus how much leverage (borrowed funds) you can access. For example, equities often require a 10% margin. So, if you’re a high-volume trader you’ll need significant capital.
Notable spread betting jurisdictions like the UK cap leverage to a maximum of 1:30.
This means that if I want to bet on EUR/USD with a margin of $250, my potential profits could be magnified to the value of $7,500 (30 x $250), less any fees.
Of course, my losses will also be magnified so risk management is essential, with tools like stop-loss and take-profit orders popular with spread bettors.
Jemma GristAuthor- Trade Nation offers transparent leverage and margin depending on the entity you sign up with, with 1:30 available at the FCA and ASIC-regulated entities. Higher leverage of 1:500 is also available globally, though we don’t recommend high leverage for beginners.
Support
Access to convenient, prompt and dependable support is key when you’re using short-term trading products like spread betting. It’s also an important safety cushion for beginners who typically need more support getting started.
Most platforms provide assistance through live chat, telephone and email as standard, though the trend towards automated chatbots I’ve found extremely frustrating in recent years, sometimes hampering your ability to get urgent trading issues resolved quickly.
- Pepperstone is one of the few brands that offer assistance that’s performed excellently over the years, with 24/5 response hours and staff that are knowledgeable about spread betting products. It also offers some well-written guides for beginners new to spread betting.
Should I Start With A Spread Betting Demo Account?
Spread betting demo accounts are an excellent starting point for newer traders and those unsure about which provider to use. We have indicated in our comparison table above which platforms offer a demo mode for spread betting.
Importantly, a good demo account should closely imitate the live spread betting platform. This is crucial not only to familiarize yourself with a particular software, assets and tools, but also in helping you select the broker which best suits you.
Users are able to test the amount they want to invest in spread betting assets as any losses incurred will only be of the virtual money the platform allocates when the account is opened. Some demo accounts remain open indefinitely, while some close after a set period. Some firms will also replenish your virtual bankroll if you run out of funds.
Article Sources
- FCA Restricts CFDs and Spread Bets - FCA
- Case Study - Geraldine Lost Money On A Spread-Betting Platform - Financial Ombudsman Service
The writing and editorial team at DayTrading.com use credible sources to support their work. These include government agencies, white papers, research institutes, and engagement with industry professionals. Content is written free from bias and is fact-checked where appropriate. Learn more about why you can trust DayTrading.com