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Trading forex, which involves exchanging one currency for another on the foreign exchange market, involves a level of risk and complexity that you might not find in traditional investing. That's why it's especially important to choose a broker that helps you understand and navigate the potential costs and benefits associated with forex.
When selecting your forex broker, you should consider trading platforms and tools, the number of currency pairs offered, customer service and, of course, trading costs.
But comparing costs is tricky in forex trading. Some brokers charge a commission, while others are compensated with a spread, or a markup between the price they pay for an asset and what they sell it for.
That’s just one reason why the search for the best forex broker is complex. Another is that there are a variety of brokers, many of them unregulated or regulated in countries outside of the U.S. For our list of best currency trading brokers, we considered only those that are regulated by the National Futures Association and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
Among the riskier elements of forex trading is the rapid pace at which transactions are carried out. Forex trades also often use high leverage, which means investors can quickly lose more than their initial investments.
Of course, leverage means you can also profit at the same speed, which — combined with liquidity — is what attracts investors to currency trading.
One suggestion: All of these brokers offer free demo accounts so you can test the market with virtual dollars. Dip a toe in with some play money before using your own cash.
Here are NerdWallet's top brokers for forex trading.
Best brokers for forex trading
Online broker | Details |
|---|---|
4.9 | Commission: 0.08 - 0.2 basis points, depending on trade volume. Currency pairs: 100+ Account minimum: $0 |
4.8 | Commission: Spread markup Currency pairs: 70 Account minimum: $0 |
 4.6 | Commission: Spread markup Currency pairs: 80 Account minimum: $250 |
 | Commission: Choice of spread markup or commission account. Commissions are $5 per 100,000 traded per side. Currency pairs: 80+ Account minimum: $100 |
 | Commission: Choice of spread markup or commission account. Commissions are $5 per 100,000 traded per side. Trade sizes under or over 100,000 are charged on a pro rata basis with a minimum of $0.01 per trade. Currency pairs: 70 Account minimum: $0 |
How do we review brokers?
NerdWallet’s comprehensive review process evaluates and ranks the largest U.S. brokers by assets under management, along with emerging industry players. Our aim is to provide an independent assessment of providers to help arm you with information to make sound, informed judgements on which ones will best meet your needs. We adhere to strict guidelines for editorial integrity.
We collect data directly from providers through detailed questionnaires, and conduct first-hand testing and observation through provider demonstrations. The questionnaire answers, combined with demonstrations, interviews of personnel at the providers and our specialists’ hands-on research, fuel our proprietary assessment process that scores each provider’s performance across more than 20 factors. The final output produces star ratings from poor (one star) to excellent (five stars).
For more details about the categories considered when rating brokers and our process, read our full methodology.
NerdWallet rating 5.0 /5 | NerdWallet rating 5.0 /5 | NerdWallet rating 4.7 /5 |
Fees $0 per trade | Fees $0 per trade | Fees $0 per trade |
Account minimum $0 | Account minimum $0 | Account minimum $0 |
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