Spread Comparison Calculator
Pick a currency pair, account type and position size. See what each broker actually charges on a round-turn trade, spread plus commission. The cheapest is highlighted.
At 1 lot per trade and 5 trades/week (260/year), switching from XM ($8.00/trade) to FP Markets ($6.00/trade) cuts your spread + commission cost by $2.00 per round-turn.
Spread snapshot: 2026-01-15. Rates change second-by-second during market hours and widen during low-liquidity sessions. Use these as a benchmark, not a live quote.
How spread cost works
On a forex CFD trade, the broker quotes a bid (where you sell) and an ask (where you buy). The gap between them is the spread — and it is the main cost of trading. A 1.0 pip spread on EUR/USD at one standard lot (100,000 EUR) costs about $10 per round-turn before the market has moved a tick. On a Raw or ECN account, the spread is much tighter (often 0.0–0.3 pip) but a per-lot commission applies. Total cost matters, not the structure: a $3 commission per side plus 0.1 pip spread (total $7) usually beats a 1.5 pip commission-free spread ($15) for an active trader.
Where this calculator differs from broker marketing copy: we benchmark spreads during London-NY overlap (deepest liquidity, narrowest spread), not Asian late-night when spreads can be 2–3× wider. The snapshot date is shown above each table so you know how fresh the comparison is.
Which account type to pick
- Standard — wider spread, no commission. Best for <10 lots/month casual trading; simpler bookkeeping.
- Raw / ECN — near-zero spread + $3–$7 per round-turn commission. Best for >10 lots/month active trading; algorithmic strategies; scalping where every basis point matters.
- Cent (not shown) — micro-lots, beginner-grade. See our broker rankings for cent accounts at Exness and XM.
Related tools
- Pip Calculator — what one pip is worth at your lot size
- Trading Fee Calculator — full per-broker fee breakdown
- Position Size Calculator — lot size for your risk %
- Risk/Reward Calculator — does the setup justify the stop?
All affiliate links carry our standard disclosure — see how we make money. Risk warning: CFDs are complex instruments and carry significant risk. 74–89% of retail accounts lose money.