The 10 Criteria
| Criterion | Weight | How we score it |
|---|---|---|
| Safety & Regulation | 20% | Tier-1 regulator (FCA / ASIC / CySEC / DFSA) scores 9–10. Tier-2 onshore (FSCA / CFTC) scores 7–8. Offshore-only scores 4–6. Investor compensation scheme and segregated client funds checked against public registers. |
| Trading Fees | 20% | Live spread and commission data recorded across 14 trading days per broker, four sessions per day. Compared against industry median for EUR/USD, BTC/USD or top instrument by collection. |
| Trading Platforms | 12% | MT4 / MT5 / cTrader / proprietary platforms tested on iOS, Android and desktop. EA execution, multi-chart stability, order-modification latency, and platform-side rejection rates measured. |
| Account Types | 10% | Variety of accounts (Standard / Pro / Raw / Cent / Islamic), real entry conditions for each, and accessibility of minimum deposit. |
| Deposits & Withdrawals | 10% | Full deposit-and-withdrawal cycles run on every reviewed broker. Time-to-receive recorded across multiple methods. Local payment rails verified per region. |
| Trading Instruments | 8% | Instrument count plus liquidity testing on majors and selected exotics. Crypto CFD pricing benchmarked against dedicated exchange spot rates. |
| Customer Support | 8% | Live chat response time tested across 5+ queries per broker. Language coverage verified for Arabic, Vietnamese, Bahasa, Spanish, French and German. |
| Research & Tools | 6% | Daily analysis quality, economic calendar usability, signal feed accuracy, charting depth. |
| Education | 4% | Beginner course depth, webinar frequency, language coverage, practical applicability. |
| Mobile App | 2% | App Store and Google Play ratings verified, plus hands-on UX test for instrument switching, order entry, and account management flows. |
Testing Process
- Our trader opens a funded account with real capital on the platform being reviewed.
- The trader places between 100 and 400 live orders across multiple trading sessions, varying order types (market, limit, stop) and instruments.
- Spread and slippage data are recorded at 5-minute intervals during high-liquidity windows.
- Full deposit-and-withdrawal cycles are executed across all available methods.
- Customer support is contacted 5+ times across different channels and languages.
- Regulator licences are verified against public registers in the country of issue.
- Scores are assigned per criterion, weighted, and the overall score is calculated to one decimal place.
Our Traders
Laura West — Forex Trader & Reviewer. Forex trader since 2015. Background in institutional execution. Tests broker spreads, order routing, and regulatory compliance across EU and APAC.
Mike Volkov — Crypto Trader & Reviewer. Active crypto trader since 2017. Opened and tested live accounts on 50+ exchanges across 12 countries.
Tom Nakamura — Prop Trader & Reviewer. Active prop trader since 2021. Manages $400,000+ in funded capital across multiple programs simultaneously.
What We Do Not Do
- We do not accept payment to influence scores or placement.
- We do not republish third-party reviews under our byline.
- We do not score brokers we have not tested with real capital.
- We do not write reviews on tight deadlines that would compromise the live-account testing.
Updates and Corrections
Each review carries a visible Updated date. We update when material changes occur — regulation status, account-type structure, spread pricing, withdrawal-test results, support response degradation. If you spot an outdated detail, contact us through the email on the contact page and we will verify and update within 5 business days.
Full transparency on how we generate revenue: how we make money.