Best Spread Betting Brokers in the UK: December 2024
Our top 5 brokers: Pepperstone, ActivTrades, Vantage Markets, TradeNation and SpreadEx all offer a great range of standard and premium services and really excel in the things that matter like customer service, education, reliability and security. Spread betting requires a broker that offers low fees, quick execution and these are just some of our criteria. For more information on any of the brokers check out our reviews of best spread betting brokers.
Who is the Best Spread Betting Broker in December 2024?
1. Pepperstone
Pepperstone is by far our favourite broker right now, simply given the range of instruments you can spread bet like Forex, indices, commodities etc. and the platform offerings (majors all included like MT4/5, cTrader, TradingView).
The customer support is also exceptional and doesn’t treat you like a number or that any question is a dumb question – and trust me – I’ve asked a few questions like that in my time! It really is our favorite broker for a reason and if you are just starting out or are a seasoned spread bettor already, it’s worth giving them a shot and see if you don’t stick with them for the long-haul!
- Extremely low spreads, starting from 0.0 pips on Razor Account
- Multiple platform options, including MT4, MT5, and cTrader
- Fast execution speeds with No Dealing Desk (NDD) model
- Regulated by FCA, ASIC, and CySEC for strong oversight
- Comprehensive educational resources, webinars, and articles
- Commission charged on Razor Account trades
- No proprietary platform available
- Inactivity fee applies after six months of no trading
Trading Platforms
- MetaTrader 4 (MT4): Classic but reliable, easy of use, and comprehensive analytical tools, allowing for customizable charts, indicators, and automated trading through Expert Advisors (EAs).
- MetaTrader 5 (MT5): Offers expanded features such as more technical indicators, graphical objects, an integrated economic calendar, and improved strategy testing for EAs.
- cTrader: My personal favourite, great for automated trading through cBots, respected for its intuitive interface, Level II pricing, and direct market access, making it ideal for scalping and high-speed trading if you are into that kind og thing like I am.
- TradingView: Trade directly from your charts, combining TradingView’s suite of tools including your own pine script strategy with Pepperstone’s great execution pricing.
Account Details
- Minimum Deposit: No minimum deposit, accommodating both beginners and seasoned traders.
- Maximum Leverage: Up to 1:30 in line with UK regulations, offering significant potential to amplify trading positions.
- Trading Instruments: CFDs, indices, commodities, and Forex – everything you would expect from a broker.
Education
- Webinars
- Tutorial videos
- Market analysis
- Trading guides
Overall: Pepperstone’s blend of technology, market access, and customer service makes it a top choice for traders globally (including myself). Pepperstone caters to traders of all levels and it’s one i’d recommend personally.
£500 Recommended Deposit
Best Reputation
Pepperstone is a Melbourne-based broker that offers an excellent selection of trading instruments in the financial trading markets, including commodities, shares, ETFs and more.
75.5% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading on margin with this provider
2. ActivTrades
ActivTrades is simply great, it stands out as a broker that combines advanced trading technology with a wide selection of financial instruments, appealing to a broad spectrum of traders. It’s one of the oldest on the scene having been founded in 2001 so it’s had time to rack up quite a few awards and a community over that time, and for good reason! I found that their customer service was honestly super quick and responsive – a bit like their platform to be honest – ActivTrader is simple, easy-to-use and a great experience for beginners and more advanced spread bettors.
Overall they are a dedicated team looking to take the crown from pepperstone and are doing a great job at providing all the necessary tools to make that happen.
- Advanced trading platforms including MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, plus ActivTrader
- Strong regulatory framework, regulated by the FCA in the UK and other jurisdictions
- Wide range of markets including Forex, commodities, indices, shares, and ETFs
- Competitive spreads and no commission on most trades
- Comprehensive educational resources and trading tools for traders of all levels
- Some account types and features might be restricted to certain jurisdictions
- May not offer as wide a range of cryptocurrencies as specialized crypto exchanges
- Customer support could have limited availability in certain languages
- Trading costs and fees may not be the lowest for high-volume traders compared to some other brokers
Trading Platforms
- MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5: Provide a robust environment for trading with advanced charting tools, automated trading via Expert Advisors (EAs), and customizability – although a lack of cTrader feels a bit weird.
- ActivTrader: An exceptional proprietary platform with a super intuitive interface and powerful trading tools, advanced risk management features, and direct market access.
- TradingView Integration: Great to see it working with TradingView too – I haven’t tested it on TradingView yet but I’ll definitely get round to it soon!
Account Features
- Professional and Individual Accounts: Cater to different trading needs, with tailored features such as higher leverage options for professional accounts.
- Islamic Account: Provides swap-free trading conditions in compliance with Sharia law.
Education
- Weekly Webinars both focused on Price action & Indicators
- Daily Market Analysis with roughly 1-3 articles published EVERY day which is pretty impressive.
- Weekly Outlook – which you would image is more of an editorial take on the markets but is in fact straight to the point, succinct and of really good quality.
- Youtube – they post regularly to YouTube making pretty good content there as well.
Overall: fantastic option for spread bettors. ActivTrades exemplifies a broker that provides versatile trading solutions backed by a strong commitment to regulatory standards and client support. Its array of platforms and instruments makes it a suitable choice for traders looking for a comprehensive and secure trading environment.
£250 recommended deposit
Best for Forex
Founded in 2001, ActivTrades is a gloablly regulated and widely-recognised broker offering excellence in their proprietary platform.
83% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
3. Vantage Markets
Vantage Markets is a rapidly growing broker known for offering sophisticated trading platforms, really good education content through their Vantage Academy, low-cost execution, and huge range of instruments offered. Established in 2009, it it offers all of the mod-cons we’ve come to expect from a broker including Forex, CFDs, indices, commodities, and cryptocurrencies (again for professionals). Vantage Markets has built a reputation for fast execution, especially useful for traders using Expert Advisors (EAs) or engaging in automated trading.
- Low spreads and competitive commissions on Razor accounts
- Full integration with MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, and TradingView
- Access to a free VPS service for qualifying traders
- Regulated by the FCA and ASIC, ensuring robust safety
- Comprehensive educational content and fast execution speeds
- No proprietary API or platform for custom AI/automated trading
- Limited selection of non-CFD assets like traditional stocks
- VPS only free for high-volume traders
Trading Platforms
- MetaTrader 4 (MT4): One of the most popular platforms for Forex trading, MT4 offers advanced charting tools, multiple timeframes, and automated trading through EAs.
- MetaTrader 5 (MT5): This platform offers improved features, including a built-in economic calendar and more technical indicators, making it ideal for both manual and automated traders.
- ProTrader (TradingView Integration): With TradingView’s powerful charting combined with Vantage’s execution, ProTrader offers a dynamic trading experience suitable for both retail and institutional traders.
Account Details
- Minimum Deposit: £200 or equivalent, making it accessible to traders with varied capital sizes.
- Leverage: Up to 1:30 for retail clients, in compliance with FCA regulations. Professional traders can access up to 1:500.
- Trading Instruments: Offers over 300 assets, including Forex, commodities, indices, and cryptocurrencies, making it a good choice for diversification.
Education
- Trading Tools – SmartTrader Tools is an additional package available on MT4/MT5, enhancing risk management and order execution capabilities.
- Daily Market Analysis – Vantage offers daily insights into major financial events, providing traders with up-to-date information that can influence market movements.
- Webinars and Trading Guides – Free webinars hosted by industry experts are regularly available to cover various trading topics, from beginner strategies to advanced technical analysis.
Overall: I think the thing that really comes through with Vantage is their great educational content and Raw account for CFD’s. Their ProTrader platform is based off of TradingView as well so it’s definitely worth a mention. I think it’s frankly an all-round beast when it comes to education, platforms and execution speed so I would probably switch to them if I was looking for an alternative to Pepperstone that offered similar services with a decent reputation and great customer support.
£500 Recommended Deposit
Best All-Rounder
Vantage Markets in a seasoned provider of both CFD & Spread Betting tools with a range of over 1000+ instruments to trade
70.5% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs and Spread Bets with this provider.
4. TradeNation
The one with the fixed spreads. Yes, that’s what they are known for, and for good reason. If you don’t know, fixed spreads mean a few things here. It means that you know what you are getting when it comes to trading, every spread bet you place, you can expect the same costs and you will be entered at a price that they set as the market maker, normally like 0.4 – 0.6-ish, EVERY time. This is game-changing to be honest, as normally if you want great spreads you’ll need to wait for the market open in the US when real liquidity hits the market, and even then, you often get a surprise being down on your position quite a bit. But now, with fixed spreads, you know what you are getting. It’s really an excellent idea and one that’s perfect for beginners.
- Simple and transparent pricing structure with fixed spreads, offering cost predictability
- No commission on trades, with tight spreads across major markets
- TradingView integration & great proprietary platform
- Excellent customer support, with a reputation for being helpful and responsive
- No minimum deposit requirement, making it accessible for all traders
- Limited range of available instruments compared to other brokers
- No access to MetaTrader platforms (MT4 or MT5), which may not appeal to advanced traders looking for these tools
- Trading features may feel basic for seasoned traders or those needing more advanced tools
- The platform is mainly focused on spread betting and CFDs, which might limit diversity for other investment strategies
Trading Platforms
- No MT4, MT5, cTrader: This may be annoying to some but they more than make up for it…
- TradingView: Yes, you can trade on TradingView which makes this kind of unique to be honest, they offer both a proprietary platform and TradingView integration.
- Proprietary: Their proprietary interface is simple, easy-to-use, again great for beginners. No faults there.
Account Details
- Minimum Deposit: No minimum deposit required, just sign-up and crack on.
- Leverage: Up to 1:30 for retail clients, in compliance with FCA regulations. Higher leverage is available for professional clients.
- Trading Instruments: OK, so it doesn’t quite have the range of the Pepperstone’s or Vantage Markets, but it is still fairly decent for beginners, especially considering they are the ones offering the spreads and acting as the market maker.
Education
- Knowledge Base: Contains some useful articles but they are more articles than trading guides so not quite as comprehensive as the above brokers.
- Glossary: Useful for beginners and like the knowledge base is a bit thin on the ground in terms of explanation but a good feature.
Overall: Probably the top choice for beginners who just want to pickup-and-go with a platform who may have never traded before but find it compelling and have a REALLY good feeling about the S&P this week. Solid choice with good spreads.
£250 Recommended Deposit
Best for Beginners
TradeNation offers a proprietary trading platform with fixed spreads resulting in an easy, reliable trading environment for those just getting started.
5. SpreadEx
SpreadEx what can be considered as the ‘OG TradeNation’, SpreadEx was founded in 1999 and is based in St Albans, UK so it makes this a truly British spread betting broker. – if you care about that sort of thing. They offer both spread betting and sports betting which is a unique proposition and is in fact a unique USP. As a Market Maker/Dealing Desk (MM/DD) broker, SpreadEx it seems to cater more to beginners than professionals but there isn’t much else to complain about as they do fairly well on most other fronts.
- Offers both sports betting and financial spread betting, providing a unique blend of services
- Regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), ensuring high standards of security and fairness
- Provides a wide range of markets including forex, shares, indices & commodities
- User-friendly platform suitable for both beginners and experienced traders
- Offers tight spreads and leverage, enhancing trading opportunities
- Platform features may be less comprehensive compared to dedicated financial trading platforms
- Limited global availability, primarily focused on the UK market
- May not offer the same depth of resources and tools as some larger brokers
Trading Platforms
- SpreadEx Financial Trading App: A cornerstone of SpreadEx’s offerings, this app integrates financial trading and sports betting into one seamless experience. It boasts customizable screens, advanced charting tools, fast and fair execution, and advanced orders – great for beginners and pros alike to be honest.
- No MT4, MT5, cTrader: As with TradeNation, no SpreadEx doesn’t offer these platforms.
Key Features
- Trading and Betting Integration: Unique in providing both financial spread betting and sports betting.
- Customizable Platform: Tailored trading and betting experience with advanced tools.
- Competitive Conditions: Tight spreads and leverage options enhance trading opportunities.
Education
- Video Content: Great videos content overall, some of the most accessible for beginners.
- Articles: Thin on the ground but does their job, straight to the point and clear for any audience.
Overall: Definitely another one in the “Best of British” category. It is focused on spread betting through and through despite having a ‘dual mandate” and it’s another one for the pickup-and-go audience with it’ proprietary platform-only model which isn’t bad at all. I rate SpreadEx highly, despite what people say about it’s focus on both betting & spread betting, it’s a highly reputable company with some serious appeal.
£250 recommended deposit
Best Service
Founded in 1999, one of the old-heads in the industry, SpreadEx has won multiple accolades for it's outstanding customer service and great range of markets.
64% of retail investors lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider.
What Do I Think?
Personally, my favorite brokers are ones that offer a range of different trading platforms, giving variety to traders, without me dictating what they should and shouldn’t be using. Optionality is king when it comes to trading. One day i might start hating ctrader and want to switch to MT5… if this ever happens then I’ll want to take my broker with me so i know what i’m getting with spreads and execution. I that isn’t offered then i’ll have to switch brokers which isn’t good for anyone. So my list has ranked Pepperstone & ActivTrades near the top for precisely that reason: optionality.
Beyond that though, it comes down to your choices, if you are in the market to also learn about trading, then you may want to choose a broker like Pepperstone with some serious educational resources, or if you just want them for execution then maybe Vantage Markets is your thing.
Whilst this list isn’t intended to be personal preference, it is supposed to educate you on the best spread betting brokers in the UK that provide you with the most for your money and whilst that can be a good thing or longevity with a broker, perhaps you might just want to spread bet on the markets because of a news event – in which case you should check out TradeNation or SpreadEx. Either way, there is no bad option because you are the one that gets to decide what you prioritise and whether that broker reaches your expectations. So good luck and happy trading!
James is a former FTSE100 AI Director and trader with 10+ years trading his own capital. He is the Managing Director of SpreadBet.AI and currently trades his own capital through both CFD trading & spread betting as well as working with one of the leading prop firms in the world.
