FX Trading Today Standard 

FX Trading Today explained

FX Trading Today Standard is the methodology we use to evaluate every broker.

Every broker is assessed using the same testing process, scoring criteria, and category weights. Every review follows the same methodology.

Each broker receives a final rating on a 0.0 to 10.0 scale. The rating is calculated from six evaluation categories and their underlying data points.

The scoring formula is fixed. The category weights are published. The supporting evidence is included in every review.

Scores are based on testing results. They are never adjusted for commercial relationships or editorial preference.

Rating Bands 

Every broker receives a Final Rating on a 0.0 to 10.0 scale.

The rating determines the verdict published in the review and whether the broker is eligible for our Best Broker rankings.

Why We Use a 10-Point Rating Scale

FX Trading Today uses a 10-point rating scale because it is widely recognised and easy to understand.

The scale provides enough detail to compare brokers without making small differences appear more significant than they are.

Every score is based on predefined, measurable criteria. The same criteria are applied to every broker we review.

A score of 10.0 represents full compliance with our highest standard for that criterion. Lower scores indicate that one or more requirements were not met.

The final broker rating is calculated using weighted category scores. This ensures that the overall rating reflects the factors that matter most to retail traders.

Minimum Regulation Requirement

Regulation is a mandatory requirement under the FX Trading Today Standard.

A broker that scores below 4.0 out of 10 in Regulation & Client Protection cannot receive a Final Rating above 5.0 out of 10, regardless of its performance in other categories.

A broker operating without recognised regulatory oversight cannot receive a Recommended or Highly Recommended verdict.

The 6 evaluation categories

Every broker is evaluated across the same six categories. Each category measures a different part of the trading experience using predefined scoring criteria.

The Final Rating is calculated from the weighted average of these six categories.

Category	Weight	Data Points	Testing Method
Regulation & Client Protection	25%	10	Document verification
Local Accessibility	10%	8	Live account onboarding
Local Deposits & Withdrawals	20%	10	Live deposits and withdrawals
Trading Costs & Execution	20%	10	Live trading over multiple sessions
Trading Platforms & Features	15%	10	Hands-on platform testing
Local Services & Language Support	10%	8	Customer support and regional availability tests
Total	100%	56	—

The category weights are reviewed every 3 months. Changes are published with a new version of the FX Trading Today Standard.

1. Regulation & Client Protection

25% of Regulation & Client Protection

Every broker is evaluated based on the legal entity that accepts retail clients in each supported country.

Many brokers operate under multiple licences. The entity shown on the homepage is not always the entity that holds your account. We identify the legal entity in the Client Agreement and account registration process before assigning a rating.

We evaluate regulatory coverage using four protection levels.

Protection Level	Rating	Description
Comprehensive Protection	10.0	The broker accepts retail clients under a regulator with established capital requirements, client fund protection, active enforcement, and an investor compensation scheme where applicable.
Enhanced Protection	8.0	The broker accepts retail clients under a recognised financial regulator with established supervision and client protection requirements. Investor compensation may be limited or unavailable.
Basic Protection	6.0	The broker accepts retail clients under an offshore regulator with legal oversight but lower reporting, capital, or client protection requirements.
Limited Protection	4.0	The broker operates under a jurisdiction with limited regulatory oversight or without a recognised retail forex regulator.

The rating is based on the legal entity that holds the client’s account. We do not rate brokers using licences that are unavailable to retail clients in the selected country.

The category is evaluated separately for every country verified by FX Trading Today. The overall category rating is calculated from the verified countries only. Countries that have not been verified do not contribute to the final rating.

1.1. Regulatory Coverage

Factor Weight: 30%

The quality of the financial regulators overseeing the legal entities tested by FX Trading Today.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	The account is held under a regulator classified as Tier 1 by FX Trading Today.
8.0	The account is held under a regulator classified as Tier 2 by FX Trading Today.
6.0	The account is held under a regulator classified as Tier 3 by FX Trading Today.
4.0	The account is held under a regulator classified as Tier 4 by FX Trading Today.
0.0	No recognised financial regulator applies to the account.

Financial regulators are independently classified by FX Trading Today into four tiers based on the strength of their regulatory framework, supervisory powers, enforcement record, and retail investor protection standards. 

Tier	Regulators	Classification Rationale
Tier 1	FCA, ASIC, MAS, CFTC/NFA, FINMA, CIRO, JFSA	Comprehensive regulatory framework, strong supervisory and enforcement powers, and high standards for retail investor protection.
Tier 2	CySEC, DFSA, FSCA, SFC, SC Malaysia, FMA, CMA Kenya	Recognised financial regulators with established licensing, supervision, and investor protection requirements, but generally narrower scope or lower regulatory standards than Tier 1.
Tier 3	FSA Seychelles, FSC Mauritius, SCB Bahamas, CIMA, Labuan FSA, FSC BVI, CBCS	Recognised offshore regulators providing legal oversight, but with lower regulatory, reporting, and investor protection requirements than Tier 1 and Tier 2.
Tier 4	VFSC, IFSC Belize, MISA (Comoros), Anjouan Offshore Finance Authority	Jurisdictions with limited retail financial supervision, lower licensing requirements, or weaker regulatory oversight.

FX Trading Today regulator tier

Note: The Regulatory Coverage score is calculated as the average rating of all legal entities tested by FX Trading Today for the reviewed country.

1.2. Regulatory Network

Factor Weight: 10%

The number of retail financial licences held by the broker group.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	Four or more recognised regulatory licences.
8.0	Three recognised regulatory licences.
6.0	Two recognised regulatory licences.
4.0	One recognised regulatory licence.
0.0	No recognised regulatory licence.

1.3. Client Fund Protection

Factor Weight: 15%

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	Segregated funds are confirmed by legal disclosures, banking arrangements are publicly identified, and audited financial statements or regulatory reports provide independent verification.
8.0	Segregated funds are confirmed through regulatory or broker disclosures, but no independent public verification of client money arrangements is available.
5.0	Segregated funds are stated only in legal documentation without additional supporting evidence.
2.0	The broker refers to client fund protection but provides insufficient evidence to verify segregation.
0.0	No evidence that client funds are segregated from company funds.

1.4. Negative Balance Protection 

Factor Weight: 8%

Protection against losses exceeding account equity.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	Available to all retail clients under the tested legal entity.
6.0	Available only under selected regulatory entities.
0.0	Not provided.

1.5. Investor Compensation

Factor Weight: 10%

Availability of an investor compensation scheme for clients in the countries tested by FX Trading Today.

For each tested country, FX Trading Today identifies the highest-protection legal entity available to retail clients in that country. The country receives the rating of that legal entity.

If a broker is tested in multiple countries, the final Investor Compensation score is the arithmetic mean of the country ratings.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	Statutory compensation scheme applies to the tested legal entity.
8.0	No statutory scheme, but client assets are protected through a legally required trust or custody structure with strong insolvency protections.
5.0	Private insurance or compensation programme is provided by the broker.
0.0	No statutory compensation scheme or verified private compensation programme applies.

1.6. Operating History

Factor Weight: 7%

Years operating under the current legal entity or brand. 

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	More than 15 years.
8.0	10–15 years.
6.0	5–10 years.
3.0	2–5 years.
0.0	Less than 2 years.

1.7. Regulatory Actions

Factor Weight: 8%

 Public enforcement actions during the previous five years across legal entities tested by FX Trading Today.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	No material enforcement actions* against the tested legal entity in the past five years.
8.0	One resolved minor administrative action in the past five years.
5.0	Multiple fines, material breaches, or repeated enforcement actions in the past five years.
2.0	Licence suspension, restriction, or active regulatory investigation.
0.0	Licence revoked, banned, or an active investor warning against the tested legal entity, or a clone or imposter warning linked to the broker.

Note: Only material enforcement actions are considered, including:

• Regulatory fines
• Licence restrictions or suspensions
• Client money or asset protection breaches
• AML or sanctions violations
• Misleading marketing or disclosure breaches
• Market conduct violations

1.8. Corporate Transparency

Factor Weight: 5%

Availability of corporate information.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	Ownership, senior management, legal entities, licences, and audited financial information are publicly available.
7.0	Ownership, legal entities, and regulatory licences are publicly disclosed, but financial information is limited or unavailable.
4.0	Only basic corporate information is available, such as the company name, registration number, address, or licence number.
0.0	Ownership, legal entities, or regulatory status cannot be verified from reliable public sources.

Note: Corporate Transparency is assessed using public sources, including broker disclosures, regulator registers, company registries, annual reports, audited financial statements, and exchange filings where available. 

1.9. Country-Specific Regulatory Warnings

Factor Weight: 4%

Active regulatory warnings issued by the financial regulator in the reviewed country.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	No active regulatory warnings or investor alerts.
5.0	Historical regulatory warning that has been officially resolved or removed.
0.0	Active regulatory warning, investor alert, or inclusion on an official warning list.

Note: Only official warnings issued by the financial regulator in the reviewed country are considered, including:

• Investor Alert Lists
• Warning Lists
• Public Warnings
• Unlicensed Firms Lists

Regulatory fines, enforcement actions, and licence suspensions are assessed under Regulatory Actions and are not considered in this category.

1.10. Risk Disclosure & Investor Warnings

Factor Weight: 3%

Visibility of trading risk information before account registration.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	Standardised risk disclosures are prominently displayed before account registration and on key product or account pages.
7.0	Risk disclosures are publicly available and displayed before registration or on key product pages, but not consistently across the website.
3.0	Risk disclosures are available only in legal documentation or account agreements.
0.0	No meaningful risk disclosure is provided before account registration or in publicly accessible trading information.

2. Local Accessibility

Weight: 10%

We evaluate how easily a retail trader can open, verify, and manage a trading account from each verified country.

Requirements and account availability vary by country. A broker may accept clients from one country while restricting or rejecting registrations from another.

The Local Accessibility Rating is calculated from verified countries only. Countries that have not been tested do not contribute to the final category rating.

2.1. Country Availability

Factor Weight: 20%

Whether retail clients from the verified country can open a live trading account.

We also verify whether any restrictions apply to account registration or trading services.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	Retail clients from the verified country can open a live trading account. All core trading services are available.
8.0	Retail clients can open a live trading account. Some products or account types are not available.
6.0	Retail clients can open a live trading account. Registration is subject to country-specific restrictions.
4.0	Retail clients cannot normally complete account registration. Access is limited to specific cases.
2.0	New retail clients from the verified country cannot open a live trading account. Existing clients may continue to receive services.
0.0	Retail clients from the verified country cannot open a live trading account. No trading services are provided.

2.2. Account Registration

Factor Weight: 15%

The ease of opening a live trading account. We record the registration steps, required information, and completion process.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	The live account is opened successfully. The registration form is completed within 5 minutes.
8.0	The live account is opened successfully. The registration form is completed within 10 minutes.
6.0	The live account is opened successfully. The registration form is completed within 15 minutes.
4.0	The live account is opened successfully after a lengthy registration process with multiple forms or repeated information requests.
2.0	The registration process cannot be completed because of registration errors or unresolved requirements.
0.0	A live trading account cannot be opened.

2.3. Identity Verification (KYC)

Factor Weight: 20%

The documents and verification steps required before trading or withdrawing funds.

We record approval time and additional verification requests.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	Identity verification is completed with standard identity documents. Approval is completed within 15 minutes after all required documents are submitted.
8.0	Identity verification is completed with standard identity documents. Approval is completed within 1 hour after all required documents are submitted.
6.0	Identity verification is completed after additional document requests or verification steps. Approval is completed within 1 business day after all required documents are submitted.
4.0	Identity verification requires repeated document submissions or manual review. Approval takes more than 1 business day after all required documents are submitted.
0.0	Identity verification cannot be completed. Trading or withdrawals are not available.

2.4. Minimum Deposit Requirement

Factor Weight: 10%

The minimum deposit required to activate a live trading account using the lowest available funding option.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	$1–$10.
8.0	$10–$50.
6.0	$50–$200.
4.0	More than $200.

2.5. Local Account Currency

Factor Weight: 10%

Availability of account base currencies suitable for clients in the verified country.

We verify whether local currencies are supported or whether currency conversion is required.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	The local currency is available as an account base currency.
8.0	Multiple account base currencies are available, but the local currency is not supported.
6.0	Only one account base currency is available.
0.0	A live trading account cannot be opened in the verified country.

2.6. Account Approval Time

Factor Weight: 10%

The time required between completing registration and receiving approval to trade.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	Approved within 30 minutes.
8.0	Approved within 24 hours.
6.0	Approval takes more than 1 business day.
0.0	Account approval is not completed.

2.7. Account Security

Factor Weight: 15%

Security features available to protect client accounts.

Examples include two-factor authentication, biometric login, device verification, and login notifications.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	Two-factor authentication, biometric login, device verification, and login notifications are available.
8.0	Two-factor authentication and device verification are available.
6.0	Two-factor authentication is available.
4.0	Basic password protection only.
0.0	No account security features are available.

Category Calculation

The Local Accessibility Rating is the weighted average of the 7 criteria.

Every verified country receives its own Local Accessibility Rating using the same scoring methodology.

The overall category rating is calculated from the average rating of all countries independently verified by FX Trading Today.

Countries that have not been tested do not contribute to the category rating.

3. Local Deposits & Withdrawals 

Weight: 20%

Deposits and withdrawals are evaluated separately for every country verified by FX Trading Today.

Payment methods, processing times, and account verification requirements vary between countries. A broker may provide different payment options and different withdrawal experiences depending on where the client registers.

We evaluate the payment experience using funded live accounts whenever possible.

The Local Payments & Withdrawals Rating is calculated from verified countries only. Countries that have not been tested do not contribute to the final category rating.

3.1. Local Deposit Coverage

Factor Weight: 15%

Availability and coverage of local deposit methods for retail clients in the verified country. Local deposit methods may include local bank transfers, national QR payment networks, e-wallets, debit cards, credit cards, and other locally supported payment systems.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	A local deposit method supports the national instant payment network or an equivalent nationwide payment system.
8.0	Local deposit methods support multiple major banks, but not the national payment network.
6.0	Local deposit methods support one or more major banks only.
4.0	Local deposit methods support only one local payment provider.
0.0	No local deposit methods are available.

Update 18/7: This criterion was previously based on the number of available local payment methods. From this version onwards, the assessment is based on payment system coverage in the verified country. Multiple payment methods using the same underlying payment network are treated as a single payment method.

3.2. Local Withdrawal Availability

Factor Weight: 10%

Availability and coverage of local withdrawal methods for retail clients in the verified country. Local withdrawal methods may include local bank transfers, national QR payment networks, e-wallets, debit cards, credit cards, and other locally supported payment systems.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	At least one local withdrawal method supports all major retail banks or the national instant payment network in the verified country.
8.0	Local withdrawal methods support multiple major banks, but not the national payment network.
6.0	Local withdrawal methods support one or more major banks only.
4.0	Local withdrawal methods support only one local payment provider.
0.0	No local withdrawal methods are available.

Update 18/7: This criterion was previously based on the number of available local payment methods. From this version onwards, the assessment is based on payment system coverage in the verified country. Multiple payment methods using the same underlying payment network are treated as a single payment method.

3.3. Deposit Processing Time

Factor Weight: 10%

The time between submitting a deposit request and receiving available account balance.

We test at least three different local payment methods available in the verified country. The final rating is based on the average time for funds to be credited to the trading account.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	Deposit is completed within 1 minute.
8.0	Deposit is completed within 5 minutes.
6.0	Deposit is completed within 30 minutes.
4.0	Deposit is completed within 24 hours.
2.0	Deposit is completed after 24 hours.
0.0	Deposit is not completed.

3.4. Withdrawal Processing Time

Factor Weight: 20%

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	Withdrawal is completed within 1 hour.
8.0	Withdrawal is completed within 24 hours.
6.0	Withdrawal is completed within 2 business days.
4.0	Withdrawal is completed within 5 business days.
2.0	Withdrawal is completed after 5 business days.
0.0	Withdrawal is not completed.

3.5. Deposit Fees

Factor Weight: 8%

The fees charged when funding a live trading account using local payment methods in the verified country.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	No deposit fee is charged.
5.0	A deposit fee is charged and clearly disclosed.
0.0	Deposit fee information is not disclosed.

3.6. Withdrawal Fees

Factor Weight: 10%

The fees charged when withdrawing funds using local payment methods in the verified country.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	No withdrawal fee is charged.
5.0	A withdrawal fee is charged and clearly disclosed.
0.0	Withdrawal fee information is not disclosed.

3.7. Payment Verification

Factor Weight: 10%

Additional verification required before deposits or withdrawals can be completed.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	Identity verification and payment verification are required. Two-factor authentication (2FA) is available for withdrawal requests.
8.0	Identity verification and payment verification are required before withdrawals.
6.0	Payment verification is required before withdrawals. Additional security checks are limited.
4.0	Only basic account verification is required before withdrawals.
0.0	Withdrawals can be completed without payment verification.

3.8. Payment Reliability

Factor Weight: 10%

Whether deposits and withdrawals are completed successfully without unexpected delays, cancellations, or repeated verification requests.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	All tested payment transactions are successful.
8.0	One tested payment transaction fails.
6.0	Two tested payment transactions fail.
4.0	Three tested payment transactions fail.
2.0	More than three tested payment transactions fail.
0.0	All tested payment transactions fail.

3.9. Local Currency Support

Factor Weight: 4%

Support for deposits and withdrawals in the local currency of the verified country. We also verify whether currency conversion is required during deposits or withdrawals.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	All tested local deposit methods and local withdrawal methods support the local currency.
8.0	At least 75% of tested local deposit methods and local withdrawal methods support the local currency.
6.0	Either the tested local deposit methods or the tested local withdrawal methods support the local currency, but not both.
4.0	Fewer than 75% of tested local deposit methods and local withdrawal methods support the local currency.
0.0	None of the tested local deposit methods or local withdrawal methods support the local currency.

3.10. Weekend Payment Availability

Factor Weight: 3%

Availability of deposits and withdrawals during weekends and outside local business hours.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	Deposits and withdrawals are available 24/7, including weekends and outside local business hours.
8.0	Deposits and withdrawals are available during weekends. Some payment methods may be unavailable.
6.0	Only deposits or only withdrawals are available during weekends.
4.0	Weekend payment availability is limited to selected payment methods or specific hours.
0.0	Deposits and withdrawals are not available during weekends.

Category Calculation

Every verified country receives its own Local Payments & Withdrawals Rating using the same ten criteria.

The overall Local Payments & Withdrawals Rating is calculated from the average rating of all countries independently verified by FX Trading Today.

Countries that have not been tested do not affect the category rating.

Every review lists the countries included in the calculation.

Example:

• Vietnam — 9.4
• Thailand — 8.8
• Malaysia — 8.2

Overall Local Payments & Withdrawals Rating:

(9.4 + 8.8 + 8.2) ÷ 3 = 8.8

4. Trading Costs

Weight: 20%

Trading costs are measured using funded live accounts.

We evaluate the costs that retail clients experience when placing real trades. Marketing claims and demo account pricing are not included in this category. Where multiple account types are available, testing is performed on the account most suitable for retail traders.

Average spreads measured on funded live accounts during multiple trading sessions. We measure benchmark instruments, including major forex pairs, gold, indices, and cryptocurrencies where available.

4.1. Forex Live Spread

The average live spread for EUR/USD measured on funded live accounts during multiple trading sessions.

Factor Weight: 20% 

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	0.50 pip or less.
8.0	0.50 – 0.80 pips.
6.0	0.80 – 1.2 pips.
4.0	1.2 – 2.0 pips.
2.0	More than 2.0 pips.
0.0	Live spread data is not available.

4.2. ✔️Gold Live Spread

Factor Weight: 20%  

The average live spread for XAU/USD measured on funded live accounts during multiple trading sessions. The rating is based on the average spread measured using the minimum trade size of 0.01 lot. 

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	20 cents or less.
8.0	20–30 cents.
6.0	30–50 cents.
4.0	50–80 cents.
2.0	More than 80 cents.
0.0	Live spread data is not available.

4.3. Index Live Spread

Factor Weight: 20% 

The average live spread for the broker’s primary stock index CFD measured on funded live accounts during multiple trading sessions. The rating is based on the average spread measured using the minimum trade size of 0.01 lot. 

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	20 points or less.
8.0	20–30 points.
6.0	30–50 points.
4.0	50–80 points.
2.0	More than 80 points.
0.0	Live spread data is not available.

4.4. Crypto Spread

Factor Weight: 10% 

The average live spread for BTC/USD measured on funded live accounts during multiple trading sessions. The spread is shown in U.S. dollars (USD) and represents the price difference between the bid and ask prices for one Bitcoin (1 BTC).

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	$20 or less.
8.0	$20 – 30.
6.0	$30 – 50.
4.0	$50 – 80.
2.0	More than $80.
0.0	Live spread data is not available.

4.2. Trading Commission

Factor Weight: 10%

Commissions charged per standard lot on the tested account type.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	$6 or less.
8.0	$6 – $8.
6.0	$8 – $16.
3.0	More than $16.

4.3. Overnight Swap Fees

Factor Weight: 10%

Swap charges applied to overnight positions on selected benchmark instruments.

4.4. Inactivity Fees

Factor Weight: 5%

Fees charged after prolonged account inactivity.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	No inactivity fee is charged.
5.0	A fixed inactivity fee is charged.
0.0	Inactivity fee information is not disclosed or is unclear.

4.5. Currency conversion fee

Factor Weight: 10%

The total round-trip currency conversion cost when funds are converted between the local currency and the account base currency.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	0.50% or less.
8.0	0.50%–1.00%.
6.0	1.00%–3.00%.
3.0	More than 3.00% or not disclosed.

4.6. Trading Cost Transparency

Factor Weight: 5%

Whether spreads, commissions, swaps, and trading fees are clearly disclosed before account opening.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	Spreads, commissions, swaps, and trading fees are clearly disclosed before account opening.
5.0	Some trading costs are disclosed before account opening.
0.0	Trading costs are not disclosed before account opening.

5. Trading Platforms & Features

Weight: 15%

Trading platforms are evaluated using funded live accounts whenever possible.

We test the platforms, trading tools, and account features available to retail clients. Platform availability alone does not increase the rating. Features must be functional during testing.

5.1. Desktop Trading Platforms

Factor Weight: 15%

The availability and functionality of desktop trading platforms, including MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView integration, and proprietary desktop platforms.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	MT4, MT5, and at least two additional desktop trading platforms or desktop integrations are available.
8.0	MT4, MT5, and one additional desktop trading platform or TradingView integration are available.
6.0	MT4 and MT5 are available.
4.0	Only one desktop trading platform is available.
0.0	No desktop trading platform is available.

5.2. Mobile Trading Experience

Factor Weight: 20%

The functionality and usability of the broker’s mobile trading application, including account management, charting, order placement, watchlists, alerts, biometric login, and application stability.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	The mobile application includes account management, charting, order placement, watchlists, alerts, biometric login, and operates without significant stability issues.
8.0	The mobile application supports all core trading functions. One of the following features is unavailable: watchlists, alerts, or biometric login.
6.0	The mobile application supports account management, charting, and order placement. Two or more of the following features are unavailable: watchlists, alerts, or biometric login.
4.0	The mobile application supports order placement only. One or more core features, including account management or charting, are unavailable. Stability issues affect normal trading.
0.0	No mobile trading application is available.

5.3. Web Trading Platform

Factor Weight: 10%

The functionality and usability of browser-based trading platforms. We evaluate charting, order placement, watchlists, alerts, TradingView integration where available, and platform stability.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	The web trading platform supports charting, order placement, watchlists, alerts, TradingView integration where available, and operates without significant stability issues.
8.0	The web trading platform supports all core trading functions. One of the following features is unavailable: watchlists, alerts, or TradingView integration.
6.0	The web trading platform supports charting and order placement. Two or more of the following features are unavailable: watchlists, alerts, or TradingView integration.
4.0	The web trading platform supports order placement only. One or more core features, including charting, are unavailable. Stability issues affect normal trading.
0.0	No web trading platform is available.

5.4. Trading Tools

Factor Weight: 10%

The availability and functionality of trading tools. We evaluate economic calendars, market news, trading calculators, sentiment indicators, and integrated market analysis tools.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	Economic calendars, market news, trading calculators, sentiment indicators, and integrated market analysis tools are available.
8.0	One of the following tools is unavailable: economic calendars, market news, trading calculators, sentiment indicators, or integrated market analysis tools.
6.0	Two or more of the following tools are unavailable: economic calendars, market news, trading calculators, sentiment indicators, or integrated market analysis tools.
4.0	Only one or two of the following tools are available: economic calendars, market news, trading calculators, sentiment indicators, or integrated market analysis tools.
0.0	None of the evaluated trading tools are available.

5.5. Available Instruments

Factor Weight: 15%

The availability of tradable instruments for retail clients. We evaluate forex, indices, commodities, shares, ETFs, cryptocurrencies, and bonds where available.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	Forex, indices, commodities, shares, ETFs, cryptocurrencies, and bonds are available.
8.0	Six of the evaluated asset classes are available.
6.0	Four or five of the evaluated asset classes are available.
4.0	Two or three of the evaluated asset classes are available.
0.0	Only one or none of the evaluated asset classes is available.

5.6. Account Types

Factor Weight: 10%

The availability of account types for retail clients. We evaluate standard, low-spread, swap-free, and demo accounts where available.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	Standard, low-spread, swap-free, and demo accounts are available.
8.0	Three evaluated account types are available.
6.0	Two evaluated account types are available.
4.0	One evaluated account type is available.
0.0	No retail trading account is available.

5.7. Copy Trading

Factor Weight: 10%

The availability of copy trading or social trading services for retail clients.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	Copy trading or social trading is available.
0.0	Copy trading and social trading are not available.

5.8. Platform Stability

Factor Weight: 10%

The stability and availability of trading platforms during testing. We record unexpected disconnections, application crashes, login failures, and scheduled or unscheduled platform maintenance.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	No unexpected disconnections, application crashes, or login failures are recorded during testing.
8.0	One stability issue is recorded during testing.
6.0	Two stability issues are recorded during testing.
4.0	Three or more stability issues are recorded during testing.
0.0	Trading is not possible because of repeated platform failures or extended platform unavailability during testing.

6. Local Services & Language Support

Weight: 10%

We evaluate the services and support available to retail clients in each verified country.

Support channels, operating hours, and available languages may vary by country. The same broker may provide different levels of service in different markets.

The Local Services & Language Support Rating is calculated from verified countries only. Countries that have not been tested do not contribute to the final category rating.

6.1. Local Language Support

Factor Weight: 20%

The availability of customer support in the primary language of the verified country. We verify support through live chat, email, and telephone where available.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	Customer support is available in the primary language through at least one real-time support channel.
8.0	Customer support is available in the primary language through email only.
0.0	Customer support is not available in the primary language.

6.2. Customer Support Availability

Factor Weight: 20%

Availability of customer support through live chat, email, telephone, or messaging platforms during published support hours.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	Two or more customer support channels are available during published support hours.
5.0	One customer support channel is available during published support hours.
0.0	No customer support channel is available.

6.3. Response Time

Factor Weight: 18%

The time required to receive the first meaningful response from customer support. Automated acknowledgements and chatbot greetings are excluded.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	5 minutes or less.
8.0	5–30 minutes.
6.0	30 minutes–4 hours.
4.0	4–24 hours.
0.0	More than 24 hours or no response.

6.4. Resolution Quality

Factor Weight: 18%

The accuracy and completeness of customer support responses. We use the same set of test questions for all broker evaluations.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	All responses are accurate and complete.
8.0	At least 80% of responses are accurate and complete.
6.0	At least 60% of responses are accurate and complete.
4.0	At least one response is accurate and complete.
0.0	Customer support does not provide meaningful answers to the test questions.

6.5. Help Centre & Self-Service Resources

Factor Weight: 10%

The availability of self-service support resources. We evaluate searchable help articles, FAQs, and account support resources.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	Searchable help articles, FAQs, and account support resources are available.
8.0	Two of the evaluated self-service resources are available.
6.0	One of the evaluated self-service resources is available.
0.0	No evaluated self-service resources are available.

6.6. Local Educational Resources

Factor Weight: 7%

The availability of educational resources in the primary language of the verified country. We evaluate articles, tutorials, videos, webinars, and trading guides where available.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	Articles, tutorials, videos, webinars, and trading guides are available in the primary language of the verified country.
8.0	Four evaluated educational resources are available in the primary language.
6.0	Two or three evaluated educational resources are available in the primary language.
4.0	One evaluated educational resource is available in the primary language.
0.0	No educational resources are available in the primary language.

6.7. Service Availability

Factor Weight: 7%

The availability of customer support during local business hours, weekends, and public holidays. We verify support availability based on the published support schedule and testing where applicable.

Rating	Scoring Criteria
10.0	Customer support is available during local business hours, weekends, and public holidays.
8.0	Customer support is available during local business hours and weekends.
6.0	Customer support is available during local business hours only.
4.0	Customer support is available during limited local business hours.
0.0	Customer support is not available during local business hours.

How we test every broker

Step 1 — Open and Verify the Account

Open a retail account using genuine identification and contact details from the tested country. Complete the full KYC process. Record the registration time, required documents, verification time, assigned legal entity, regulator, and any additional verification requests.

Step 2 — Test Local Deposits

Test at least two payment methods available to the verified local account. Prioritise local payment methods and use the lowest permitted deposit amount. Record the minimum deposit, fees, currency conversion, processing time, confirmation steps, and any failed or delayed transactions.

Step 3 — Measure Spreads and Commissions

Measure live spreads for the instruments covered by Criteria 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, and 4.4. Take readings during the Asian, London, and New York sessions. Record the bid price, ask price, spread, commission, account type, platform, date, and time.

Step 4 — Execute Real Trades

Execute at least 30 real trades across the tested instruments. Use the broker’s minimum trade size. Record the requested price, execution price, fill time, slippage, commission, rejected orders, partial fills, requotes, disconnections, and platform errors.

Step 5 — Test Customer Support

Send at least 10 enquiries through the broker’s available support channels. Use five basic questions and five advanced questions. Test the local language first and switch to English only when necessary. Record the first human response time, accuracy, completeness, resolution time, and whether escalation was required.

Step 6 — Make a Small Withdrawal

Request a small withdrawal using the same payment method used for the deposit. Use the lowest permitted withdrawal amount where practical. Record the fees, processing time, confirmation steps, additional KYC, amount requested, amount received, and any rejection or delay.

Step 7 — Withdraw the Remaining Balance

Withdraw the full remaining account balance after completing all tests. Record any additional verification, manual review, withdrawal restrictions, fees, processing time, amount received, and any balance left in the account.

Step 8 — Complete the Final Assessment

Review all account, payment, trading, platform, and support results. Verify each finding against the collected evidence. Apply the FX Trading Today scoring criteria and limit the conclusion to the tested country, legal entity, account type, and testing period.