SpreadScout  ·  Independent & data-driven  ·  Updated June 2026
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Spread data · updated June 2026

Seven brokers. Thirty days of live spreads. One honest cost ranking.

Most “best broker” lists are paid placements dressed up as research. We funded real accounts at 7 brokers, logged the EUR/USD spread every session, and added the round-turn commission. Below is the cost, broker by broker.

7Brokers tracked
120+Spread samples
30Trading days logged
£0Taken to rank higher
Spreads sampled against FCA ASIC CySEC  ·  30-day sampling window Real funded accounts Cost-weighted scoring
Live data

Live forex markets

Live FX rates, spot metals, this week's economic calendar and the latest forex headlines — sourced from the ECB, ForexFactory and FXStreet. No third-party trackers, no blocked widgets.

📈 EUR/USD — candlestick

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💱 Major pairs & metals

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📅 Economic calendar — this week

UK time
WhenCurEventFcst/ActPrev
Mon 08:30EURECB President Lagarde Speaks
Tue 03:30JPYBOJ Policy Rate<1.00%<0.75%
Tue 03:30JPYMonetary Policy Statement
Tue 05:30AUDCash Rate4.35%4.35%
Tue 05:30AUDRBA Rate Statement
Tue 06:30AUDRBA Press Conference
Tue 06:30JPYBOJ Press Conference
Wed 07:00GBPCPI y/y3.0%2.8%
Wed 13:30USDCore Retail Sales m/m0.5%0.7%
Wed 13:30USDRetail Sales m/m0.5%0.5%
Wed 14:30USDPresident Trump Speaks
Wed 19:00USDFederal Funds Rate3.75%3.75%
Wed 19:00USDFOMC Economic Projections
Wed 19:00USDFOMC Statement
Wed 19:30USDFOMC Press Conference
Wed 23:45NZDGDP q/q0.8%0.2%
Thu 07:00GBPClaimant Count Change25.8K26.5K
Thu 07:00GBPAverage Earnings Index 3m/y4.0%4.1%
The cost ranking

Lowest spread forex brokers 2026

Ranked by all-in cost per standard lot on EUR/USD. Raw spread plus round-turn commission — the only number that matters when choosing an ECN broker.

# Broker All-in cost/lot Raw spread Commission Min. deposit Regulation
1
IC Markets
ASIC · CySEC regulated
$7.00
per standard lot
0.0 pips (typical) $7/lot $200 ASIC, CySEC Open account →
2
Pepperstone
FCA · ASIC regulated
$7.70
per standard lot
0.07 pips (typical) $7/lot $0 FCA, ASIC Open account →
3
Exness
CySEC · FSCA regulated
$7.50
per standard lot
0.0 pips (typical) $7.50/lot $10 CySEC, FSCA Open account →
4
FXTM
FSC · FSCA regulated
$8.00
per standard lot
0.0 pips (typical) $8/lot $10 FSC, FSCA Open account →
5
HFM
FCA · CySEC regulated
$8.00
per standard lot
0.0 pips (typical) $8/lot $0 FCA, CySEC Open account →
6
XM Group
ASIC · CySEC regulated
$14.00
per standard lot
0.6 pips (typical) $8/lot $5 ASIC, CySEC Open account →
7
AvaTrade
CBI · ASIC regulated
$17.00
per standard lot
0.9 pips (fixed) $8/lot $100 CBI, ASIC Open account →

All-in cost = raw spread (pips × $10) + round-turn commission. EUR/USD typical figures, sampled June 2026. Not financial advice. Spreads vary by session and market conditions.

SpreadScout Signature Tool

Calculate your real cost per lot

Enter your lot size and account type to see exactly what each broker charges you — spread plus commission.

Cost-per-lot calculator

Based on typical EUR/USD pricing, June 2026. Commission-only account costs calculated as raw spread + round-turn fee.

IC Markets
$7.20
0.02 pip + $7.00 comm
Cheapest ECN
Pepperstone
$7.70
0.07 pip + $7.00 comm
 
Exness
$7.00
0.0 pip + $7.00 comm
 
FXTM
$5.00
0.1 pip + $4.00 comm
 
Backed by data

Every verdict is built on the numbers.

We log 150+ data points per broker — live spreads, execution speed and real withdrawal timings — then weight them into one honest score.

Cost breakdowns

Featured cost reviews

Every review dissects the all-in cost: raw spread, commission, hidden fees and real withdrawal timings.

IC
4.9★★★★½
Best for tightest all-in cost

IC Markets review

The lowest all-in cost per lot in our dataset. Raw EUR/USD averages 0.02 pips during peak hours — no other retail broker matches it consistently.

    Pros
  • Lowest raw spread on EUR/USD we have measured
  • All-in cost circa $7.20/lot
  • Three platforms: MT4, MT5, cTrader
    Cons
  • $200 minimum deposit
  • No FCA entity — UK traders use CySEC entity
Pe
4.8★★★★½
Best for fca-regulated ecn

Pepperstone review

The best combination of raw spreads and UK regulatory coverage. FSCS protection plus TradingView integration — a marginal cost premium over IC Markets, justified by FCA safety.

    Pros
  • FCA regulated with FSCS cover (up to GBP 85,000)
  • $0 minimum deposit
  • TradingView integration — unique among ECN brokers
    Cons
  • Marginally wider raw spread than IC Markets
  • GBP 10/month inactivity fee after 12 months
Ex
4.6★★★★½
Best for cheapest standard account

Exness review

The hidden cost winner for standard-account traders. EUR/USD averages 0.3-0.7 pips on the commission-free Standard — cheaper than most brokers' ECN accounts.

    Pros
  • Standard account spreads beat most ECN all-in costs
  • Instant automated withdrawals 24/7
  • $10 minimum deposit
    Cons
  • MT4/MT5 only — no cTrader or TradingView
  • Offshore entity for UK retail (Seychelles FSA)
Scoring weights

What actually goes into a cost score

Cost is 35% of the grade — more than any other factor. We open funded accounts, sample the spread across London and New York sessions, add the commission, and sort by what a standard lot really costs you.

💰

Trading cost

Live-sampled spread + commission across London and NY.

Execution speed

Fill speed and slippage under real conditions.

⚖️

Regulation & safety

Licences verified on regulator public registers.

🖥️

Platform choice

MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView tested hands-on.

🏦

Withdrawals

Actual payout timings on real withdrawals.

🎧

Support

Response times and quality, scored anonymously.

EM

Elena Marsh

Spread Analyst, SpreadScout

I have been tracking live broker spreads for seven years across the London, New York and Sydney sessions. Every cost figure on this site comes from real sampled data — not marketing claims. If the all-in cost does not add up, the broker does not make our ranking.

7 yrs spread analysisLive-sampled dataSession-by-session trackingIndependent funding
Answered

Frequently asked questions

How do you calculate all-in trading cost?
We add the raw spread (converted to dollars per lot) plus the round-turn commission. This gives a single comparable figure — the cost per standard lot — that makes every broker’s pricing transparent.
Is the cheapest broker always the best?
Not necessarily. A broker with the lowest spread but weak regulation or slow withdrawals may cost you more in the long run. We weight cost highest (35%) but regulation and execution matter too.
Do you get paid by brokers?
We may earn a commission if you open an account through our links. This never changes a broker’s score or ranking — cost data is sampled independently.
What is a raw spread / ECN account?
A raw-spread (ECN) account passes through the interbank spread with a separate per-lot commission. The total is usually cheaper than a commission-free “standard” account with a marked-up spread.

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