SmartFX Review
Alyaziah Hayat | May 26, 2022
Table of Contents
SmartFX is a regulated trading broker that offers you the popular MetaTrader 5 platform for trading a variety of markets online with competitive trading conditions. The broker has a leverage of up to 1:400 available, with one trading account and multiple funding options without fees. You can compare their trading conditions with other top brokers at the broker ratings.
Broker Pros / Cons
- Regulated brokerage firm
- Powerful MetaTrader 5 platform
- Daily market analysis
- 24/5 customer support
- Variety of trading instruments
- No accounting fees
- No cryptocurrency trading
- Limited educational materials
- No USA clients
Summary
SmartFX is an online forex, stocks, indices, futures, commodity and CFD broker that provides online trading services and products to clients around the globe. The broker is licensed and regulated, offering powerful yet user-friendly MetaTrader 5 platforms for multiple devices. I like how you also get access to daily market analysis, instant account funding and 24/5 support.
Regulation
SmartFX is owned and operated by Smart Securities and Commodities Limited. The broker is regulated by the Vanuatu Financial Services Commissions (VFSC) and authorized to deal with securities by providing all kinds of financial services to their clients.
The broker has a representative office in Dubai with its head office in Vanuatu.
SmartFX welcome traders from all over the globe although some SmartFX broker features and products mentioned within this SmartFX review may not be available to traders from specific countries due to legal restrictions. If your country is not accepted by VFSC, I recommend checking out our broker comparison tool for alternatives.
Platforms
The broker supplies you with the well-known and sophisticated MetaTrader 5 (MT5) trading platform for web, desktop and mobile devices running on iOS and Android. I like the mobile trading apps as they can be useful for those of you who need to access your accounts to trade whilst on the go whereas the web-based platforms can run in most modern web browsers without needing to download or install any additional software. Though I would’ve liked to see them offer their services on the MT4 platform as well since it is more popular and much easier to use.
MT5 is the choice of many CFD and forex traders around the world. This is primarily due to its intuitive interface that makes it easy to use whilst it also has an abundance of built-in tools and functionalities. I like how there is also a vast array of trading tools to conduct in-depth market analysis across many trading instruments. This makes it a popular platform for both beginners and experienced traders alike.
Some of the key MT5 features include:
- 21 timeframes with unlimited number of charts and one-minute history of quotes.
- 6 types of pending orders
- Hedging and netting allowed
- Real time price quote with depth of market (DOM) pricing
- 80+ technical indicators and drawing tools for market analysis
- Fundamental analysis based on financial news and economic calendar
- Expert advisors (EA’s) for automated trading
- Multi-currency supported strategy tester to back test EA’s
- MQL editor to create customised indicators, scripts and EA’s
- Large online community to share tools and ideas with
- A system of alerts to keep track of important market events
- Built-in Forex VPS
- Free for desktop, web and mobile
Tools
The provided MT5 platform should be packed with enough trading tools to support even the most demanding of traders. I like how it can also be expanded with thousands of additional tools available through the MQL marketplace and various online sources.
I believe it would be beneficial if they could provide a few standalone trading tools such as an economic calendar and trading calculators. For standalone tools, I recommend checking out BlackBull Markets.
Education
SmartFX has a daily market analysis section where they cover potential opportunities across various markets. This includes an analysis of recent price movements and possible future price targets. I appreciate how they are presented in a clear and visually appealing manner. Though I do recommend that you conduct your own technical, fundamental and price action analysis before trading.
I would also like to see the broker add an education academy in the near future with materials to help beginners improve their knowledge such as trading guides, webinars, tutorial videos, etc. For a better selection of educational resources, you should check out Admirals.
Markets
SmartFX has a selection of around 73+ trading instruments across multiple asset classes including forex, stocks, indices, futures, commodities and contract for differences (CFDs). In finance, a contract for difference is a contract between two parties, typically described as “buyer” and “seller”, stipulating that the buyer will pay to the seller the difference between the current value of an asset and its value at contract time. This enables you to speculate on the underlying price of an asset without actually needing to own it outright. I find this asset offering to be quite low as compared to other top brokers like Freedom Finance.
Accounts
SmartFX aim to keep things as simple as possible by offering only one optimized trading account to their clientele. This is aptly named the “smart” account and has a leverage of up to 1:400 available, over 73 trading instruments, competitive spreads and lot sizes from 0.01. The minimum deposit required to open a trading account is $500.
If you would like a better selection of account types, I recommend checking out HYCM. If you would like to have access to higher leverage, check out FXGiants. If you would like a trading account with a lower deposit requirement, you should check out TD365.
Demo accounts are also available which can be a good way to practice trading online with virtual funds and to familiarise yourself with the broker’s platform and services.
SmartFX’s Demo Account doesn’t have an expiry. I like demo accounts as you can practice your skills for the period you need to get familiar with a terminal and trading until you are ready to trade on Live Account.
Support
SmartFX offers customer support via email, telephone and live chat. The friendly and polite team is on hand 24/5 to assist with all your trading questions. I would’ve liked to see them offer 24/7 support like other top brokers such as Plus500.
Funding
SmartFX has a variety of convenient methods for depositing and withdrawing funds from your trading account. This includes bank wire, credit/debit card and online payment systems such as Neteller, Skrill and STICPAY. Please note that some methods may only be available to specific countries and not all are available for both deposit and withdrawal. The minimum withdrawal is 100 USD for Electronic Payment Methods, Credit/Debit cards and Bank Wires as well.
SmartFX does not offer funding through cryptocurrency. If you would like to fund your account through crypto, I recommend checking out KOT4X.
SmartFX doesn’t charge any commissions or fees on your deposits and withdrawals although some third-party fees may be charged when using certain payment methods. I like that the withdrawal requests are processed within the same day or next if outside working hours. The withdrawal time can vary depending on the payment provider and method. Bank transfers may take a few business days to clear whilst some methods can be instant.
Some payment systems may have transaction limits, restrictions, and requirements that are indicated on their respective websites. You may need to verify your account to remove limits on particular methods in some countries. SmartFX strictly does not accept third-party payments. All funds deposited into your trading account must be under the same name as your SmartFX trading account.
Signup
SmartFX has a quick and easy process to open an online trading account with them. You will need to provide some personal information and verification documents which is a normal part of a broker’s KYC and AML procedures. The account opening process goes as follows:
- Fill in the broker’s registration form.
- Attach your documents for them to review instantly.
- Deposit and start trading once you feel ready to do so.
From the moment they receive documents from you, it will take a maximum of 24 business hours for their approval. Usually, your documents will be reviewed on the same day you uploaded them to the Client Portal.
Compare
Broker Features | AvaTrade | IG | IC Markets | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Founded | 2006 | 1974 | 2007 | |
Regulated | ASIC, BVI, CBI, FFAJ, JFSA, FSCA, IIROC, ADGM FRSA | FCA, CFTC, NFA, BaFin, FINMA, ASIC, FMA, MAS, FSA, FSCA, DFSA, JFSA, METI, MAFF | ASIC, CySEC, FSA, SCB | |
Country | Australia, Ireland, South Africa, Japan, British Virgin Islands | Australia, UK, USA, Switzerland, UAE, Singapore, Japan | Australia, Seychelles, Bahamas, Cyprus | |
Min. Deposit | Min $250 Deposit | Min $100 Deposit | Min $200 Deposit | |
Commission | From $0 | From $0 | From $0 | |
Spreads | Fixed | Variable | Variable | |
Leverage | 1:400 | 1:200 | 1:500 | |
Instruments | Forex, Commodities, Cryptocurrency, Stocks, Shares, Indices, Metals, Energies, Options, Bonds, CFDs, ETFs | Forex, Commodities, Stocks, Shares, Indices, Cryptocurrencies, Metals, Energies, Options, Bonds, ETFs, CFDs | Forex, Commodities, Cryptocurrency, Stocks, Shares, Indices, Metals, Energies, Bonds, CFDs | |
Platforms | MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, AvaTradeGO, AvaOptions, AvaSocial, DupliTrade, ZuluTrade, Web, Mobile | MetaTrader 4, IG Platform, IG Progressive Web App, ProRealTime (PRT), L2 Dealer, FIX API, Web, Mobile | MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, Web, Mobile | |
Type | Market Maker, STP | STP, ECN, DMA | ECN | |
Funding | Wire Transfer, Credit/Debit Card, Paypal, WebMoney, Neteller, Skrill | Wire Transfer, Credit/Debit Cards, PayPal | Wire Transfer, Credit Card, Debit Card, WebMoney, Neteller, PayPal, Skrill, FasaPay, UnionPay, Qiwi, Bpay, Poli | |
Visit Broker | Visit Broker | Visit Broker | Visit Broker |
Conclusion
Overall, SmartFX has a competitive online brokerage service offering trading via the MetaTrader 5 platform along with high liquidity, low spreads, mobile trading, technical analysis and more. There is a diverse range of trading products including forex currency pairs, commodities, futures, indices and stocks. I like how the broker supports instant account opening and account funding without any fees. You also get 24/5 support with your own relationship manager. You can compare their trading conditions with other best trading platforms.
About the Author
Alyaziah Hayat
I had previously been forex trading for about 2 years and I now mainly focus on writing forex-related content. I also deal with cryptocurrencies and other financial assets in this industry. I've dealt with several brokers, assets, EA robots, and everything that this industry has to offer.
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