Best Indices Brokers

Indices trading is a popular choice for active investors who would like to trade some of the biggest companies grouped together rather than individual stocks. Usually, each stock is given a weighted average in the index in relation to their market capitalisation which determines their level of influence over the index price. The stock index price is calculated using the live prices of the enlisted stocks, and any fluctuations affect the index price according to the weighting.

An index price usually reflects the average performance of individual stocks that make up that index. When the price of an index goes up, it means that most of its constituent stocks have increased in value compared to a minority that has dragged it lower. The variety of indices means that there is ample opportunity to look for trades in different categories. Indices trading can be suitable for scalping, day trading and swing trading.

Because there is no underlying physical asset to exchange when trading indices, most indices trading is done with financial derivatives like CFDs. When you trade indices CFDs, you can speculate on the price the price of an index falling or rising without needing to take ownership of the underlying asset. This makes indices trading accessible to anyone with an internet connection. You just need an account with an indices broker.

However, it can seem like a daunting task to find a suitable broker with so many brokers offering indices trading. That is why we have compiled this indices trading broker guide, to help you discover some of the best brokers for trading indices online. Having the best indices brokers according to our findings listed in one place, can help you save time when looking for the best indices broker for your own individual needs.

Top 10 Indices Brokers

Broker
Rating
Regulated
Min. Deposit
Founded
Max. Leverage
1.
AvaTrade Review

ADGM FRSA, ASIC, BVIFSC, CBI, FFAJ, FSCA, IIROC, JFSA

$100

2006

1:400

Between 74-89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
2.
IG Review

ASIC, BaFin, CFTC, DFSA, FCA, FINMA, FMA, FSA, FSCA, JFSA, MAFF, MAS, METI, NFA

$250

1974

1:200

70% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider.
3.
Pepperstone Review

ASIC, BaFin, CMA, CySEC, DFSA, FCA, SCB

$200

2010

1:400

Between 74-89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
4.
IC Markets Review

ASIC, CySEC, FSA, SCB

$200

2007

1:500

Between 74-89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
5.
XM Group Review

ASIC, CySEC, DFSA, IFSC

$5

2009

1:888

Between 74-89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
6.
XTB Review

CySEC, DFSA, FCA, FSCA, IFSC

$1

2004

1:500

Between 74-89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
7.
Axi Review

ASIC, FCA, SVGFSA

$1

2007

1:500

70% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
8.
FXTRADING.com Review

ASIC, VFSC

$1

2014

1:500

Between 74-89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
9.
Trade Republic Review

BaFin

$1

2015

N/A

Investing carries risk and you may receive back less than your original investment.
10.
FXOpen Review

ASIC, FCA

$1

2005

1:500

Between 74-89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.

AvaTrade

AvaTrade offers one of the largest ranges of stock indices of any online broker, covering markets around the globe. You could consider using AvaTrade for online index trading with competitive spreads, leveraged trading and reliably fast execution. There are numerous eBooks and guides on indices trading strategies as well as market analysis videos and regularly updated blog posts. They also offer scheduled weekly webinars conducted by top industry professionals and investors as well as real-time stock market indices in-chart technical analysis updates by the fantastic Trading Central. AvaTrade have everything you need to trade indices CFDs with precision.

Pros
  • Trade the leading U.S., European & Asian stock indices
  • Go long or short – trade when indices value is rising or falling
  • Flexible leverage is available on index trading
  • Choose from a selection of powerful yet user-friendly trading platforms for desktop, web and mobile
  • Automated solutions available like cutting-edge AvaSocial and ZuluTrade
  • Powerful market analysis tools such as the excellent Autochartist
  • Enjoy the security of trading with a globally regulated broker
  • Speak to someone directly with multilingual customer support agents
  • Free demo trading account option
Cons
  • High inactivity fees
  • CFD trading only
  • Instruments vary between platforms
  • Cannot accept traders in the USA

IG

IG are one of the best brokers overall, and this is no exception when it comes to trading indices. You can take your position on an impressive selection of over 80 indices with more index trading hours than their nearest competitors. This means you can find more opportunities and open or close positions when other traders cannot. You can even hedge your weekday positions with a weekend one on the same market. You can act on breaking news, macroeconomic events and earnings reports as they happen.

Pros
  • Seize exclusive opportunities on more 24-hour indices than most other providers
  • Benefit from unique deep liquidity which increases the chance of your larger trades being accepted
  • Get fixed spreads from 1 point on the FTSE 100 and Australia 200, and 0.4 on the US 500
  • Trade on award-winning web platforms and mobile trading apps
  • Speculate or hedge 24/7, even on weekends, with unique round-the-clock markets
  • Go short or long, to capitalise on markets falling as well as rising
  • Accept USA traders
  • Free demo trading accounts
Cons
  • Could offer some more deposit and withdrawal methods
  • Minimum deposit of $250 is not the lowest
  • Limited instruments on MetaTrader 4
  • No MetaTrader 5 platforms
  • Inactivity fee after 2 years

Pepperstone

Pepperstone are one of the most established online brokers having been around since 2010 and are well regulated in multiple jurisdictions. With them, you can trade on the movement of major stock market indices around the world with no commission, low spreads and fast execution. You can also stay up to date with market news, analysis and insights on indices from the brokers inhouse team of expert analysts. It’s quick and easy to get started. You can apply in minutes with a simple application process and start trading indices right away.

Pros
  • Razor sharp pricing, from multiple Tier 1 banks and Liquidity Providers
  • Competitive fixed spreads as low as 1 point on UK100, 0.9 on GER30
  • No commission fees on indices trading
  • Top tier liquidity to get all of your indices trades filled in full
  • No partial execution or requotes on market orders
  • High fill rate, fast execution and no dealing desk intervention
  • Trade all opportunities with 24 hour pricing on major Indices like UK100, GER30 and US30 from Sunday night to Friday night
  • Quick and easy account opening takes just a few minutes
  • Free demo trading accounts are available
Cons
  • Primarily CFD trading instruments offered
  • Do not have a proprietary trading platform
  • Cannot accept traders in the USA
  • Minimum deposit of $200 is not the lowest
  • Limited non-FX instruments compared to some brokers

IC Markets

IC Markets has a large range of indices from around the world to choose from, including the Australian S&P 200 Index, UK FTSE 100 Index, US E-mini S&P 500 and US DJIA Index. The world’s most popular indices are available on all IC Markets trading platforms, including the user-friendly MetaTrader platforms and the powerful cTrader. You can gain exposure to the basket of instruments making up the index in just one trade. The broker offers competitive spreads across all of their cash indices, including the E-mini S&P 500 Index from 0.4 points, the FTSE 100 Index from 1 point, Xetra DAX Index from 1 point and S&P 200 Index from 1 point. In addition to equity indices, IC Markets also offers Futures Indices: ICE Dollar Index and VIX Index.

Pros
  • Great selection of around 25 indices to trade online
  • Leveraged indices trading available
  • Save on costs with spreads as low as 0.4 pips
  • Deep liquidity pools for top class pricing
  • No commission fees on indices trading
  • Good choice of platforms in MetaTrader 4, 5 and cTrader
  • Free demo trading accounts
  • Excellent 24/7 customer support
Cons
  • Do not have a proprietary trading platform
  • Available trading products can vary depending on your location
  • Minimum $200 deposit is not the lowest
  • Cannot accept traders in the USA

XM Group

At XM, you can trade over 20 stock indices (equity indices) with them on the popular and user-friendly MT4 and MT5 platforms with no commissions and no hidden fees. XM offer cash and futures index CFDs. The cash index CFDs are undated transactions that aim to replicate the cash price of the underlying index, and so they are adjusted for interest and dividends. Index futures CFDs expire on specific future dates and are cash-settled on the expiry date. You can buy and sell a good selection of indices with lots of handy trading tools to assist with your market analysis and managing your positions. They have intuitive yet powerful platforms for desktop and mobile devices.

Pros
  • Cost-effective and direct access to the global equity markets
  • Instant access to global economies
  • Speculation on market uptrends/ downtrends
  • Going short/long according to market moves
  • Suits both short and long-term trading strategies
  • Zero Commissions with no extra fees
  • Low Margin Requirements
  • Free demo trading accounts
Cons
  • Cannot accept traders in the USA
  • Inactivity fees apply
  • Only provide the MetaTrader platforms
  • Standard accounts are more expensive
  • Primarily CFD trading instruments offered

XTB

XTB offer superior execution on a reliable, award-winning platform, being one of the largest stock exchange-listed Forex and CFD brokers in the world – dedicated to helping you at every stage of your trading journey.

Pros
  • Award-winning xStation trading platform
  • XTB is one of the largest stock exchange-listed FX brokers in the world
  • Trade over 2,100 global markets: Forex, Indices, Commodities and Shares
  • Tight spreads and rapid trade execution speeds
  • Commission free trading
  • Multiple deposit and withdrawal methods
  • Dedicated personal account manager
  • Excellent trading academy for beginners
  • Live market commentary
  • Powerful trading tools
  • Minimum $1 deposit
  • Fast and highly qualified support available 24/5
  • Islamic accounts
  • Free demo accounts
Cons
  • Cannot accept traders in the USA
  • Inactivity fees
  • Funding fees
  • No MetaTrader platforms
  • No support for crypto funding

Axi

Axi is an award winning, regulated online broker created by traders for traders. They offer tight spreads, low commissions, rapid trade execution speeds and a range of different markets. Advanced platforms and trading tools ensure an excellent trading experience.

Pros
  • User-friendly and advanced trading platforms
  • Powerful trading tools for professional market analysis
  • Tight spreads, low commission fees and fast execution speeds
  • Commission free accounts
  • Various deposit and withdrawal methods
  • No account funding fees
  • Free access to the excellent Autochartist software
  • MetaTrader 4 NextGen loaded with trading tools
  • PsyQuation Premium
  • Free VPS hosting
  • Copy traders from signal providers
  • Axi trading academy to help educate beginners
  • Axi trading community to share ideas with like-minded individuals
  • 24/5 support and multi-lingual customer service
Cons
  • Cannot accept traders in the USA
  • No MetaTrader 5 platforms
  • Do not have 24/7 support

FXTRADING.com

FXTRADING.com is a regulated trading brokerage firm that provides traders around the globe with access to trade thousands of financial instruments with competitive trading conditions such as tight spreads, low fees, flexible payment options and easy to use platforms for multiple devices.

Pros
  • Powerful yet user-friendly trading platforms
  • Thousands of trading instruments to choose from
  • Tight spreads, low fees and rapid trade execution speeds
  • Various convenient account funding methods
  • No deposit and withdrawal fees
  • Copy trading service
  • MAM/PAMM accounts are available
  • FIX API trading available
  • Autochartist for professional market analysis
  • Large selection of educational resources to help beginners
  • No minimum deposit required to start trading
  • Excellent 24/5 customer support
Cons
  • Cannot accept traders in the USA
  • Demo accounts expire after 30 days
  • No Islamic accounts for Muslim traders

Trade Republic

Trade Republic Bank GmbH is a German online broker founded in Munich and based in Berlin. As a credit institution, the company offers its customers the opportunity to trade listed securities and cryptocurrencies via a modern and intuitive mobile trading app.

Pros
  • Modern intuitive trading platform for web and mobile
  • Large selection of 9,000+ trading assets to choose from
  • Save and invest with very competitive conditions
  • Zero commission fees
  • Market research and insights
  • Quick & easy signup process
  • No minimum deposit required
  • Excellent customer support
Cons
  • Not that many payment options
  • Limited accepted country list
  • Could add some standalone trading tools
  • No demo trading accounts

FXOpen

FXOpen were one of the first online brokers and remain one of the most established today. They are a regulated ECN broker offering some of the best possible trading conditions with low spreads, fast trade execution speeds and competitive commissions.

Pros
  • Easy to use trading platforms
  • Large range of trading instruments
  • Tight spreads and low commissions
  • Rapid trade execution speeds
  • Good range of trading tools
  • Free VPS for eligible clients
  • Managed account and copy trading
  • Various deposit and withdrawal options
  • Free demo trading accounts
  • Minimum $1 deposit
  • 24/5 customer support
Cons
  • Cannot accept traders in the USA
  • Limited stock instruments compared to some competitors
  • Larger deposit required for best trading conditions
  • Could improve educational materials for beginners

Conclusion

Here you will find our best indices brokers, based on thousands of hours of extensive research, testing and analysis across hundreds of brokers. Upon conclusion of each of our broker reviews, we have assigned each broker with a rating.

Some of the most important factors that contribute towards a good broker for trading indices online have been considered including things such as the available indices, other financial instruments, platforms, apps, tools, spreads, execution, liquidity, fees, education, funding options, regulation, customer service and more.

Each of our best brokers for trading indices have undergone and passed our stringent broker reviews with flying colours, based on what we consider to be amongst the most important considerations when choosing a indices broker for trading online. These brokers are well-established within the online trading industry, providing top indices trading conditions to traders and investors of all experience levels.


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