Head to head
Capital.com or Pepperstone? Fees, regulation, platform and product range compared side by side — with a verdict drawn from the data.
Risk warning: CFDs and leveraged products are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly. Investments can fall in value. Past performance is not an indicator of future results.
A polished retail CFD platform in Europe, provided you accept that CFDs are the whole product.
Raw spreads and five platforms for traders who care about execution cost, not about owning the asset.
Advertising disclosure: where a partnership is active, we may earn a commission through broker links. The provider’s terms apply. Commissions do not influence our ratings; paid placements are separately labelled as sponsored.
Four decision axes, each derived from the recorded data.
Overall Pepperstone takes it, 4.4 against 4.3 out of 5. The two pricing models cannot be converted like for like; the fee rows in the table carry the detail. Pepperstone scores 82 against 77 out of 100 on the group index. Your account's protection depends on its legal entity. Pepperstone covers more ground with 9 of 14 asset classes against 8. We rate platform and app at 4.4 out of 5 for both. Which one is right depends on which of these axes matters for your trading profile.
Up to four brokers at once — every row a decision point.
Data as of: 30 Aug 2026
| Criterion | ||
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 4.3 | 4.4 — Better |
| Group index | 77 of 100 | 82 of 100 |
| Best for | Active CFD tradersForex day tradingMobile-first tradersBeginners learning leverageCrypto CFD exposure | Active FX tradersScalping and day tradingMetaTrader and cTrader usersIndex CFD tradingUK spread betting |
| Regulation | FCAASICCySECCySEC | FCAASICBaFinCySECDFSASCBCMA |
| Top-tier licences | 2 | 3 — Better |
| Investor protection | £85,000 | £85,000 |
| Listed group | No | No |
| Banking licence | No | No |
| Segregated client accounts | Yes | Yes |
| Negative balance protection | Yes | Yes |
| Audited financials | Yes | Yes |
| Disclosed regulatory actions | None | None |
| Founded | 2016 | 2010 |
| Headquarters | Limassol, CY | Melbourne, AU |
| Fees | 4.4 | 4.6 — Better |
| Safety & regulation | 4.3 | 4.4 — Better |
| Trading platform | 4.3 | 4.6 — Better |
| Product range | 3.6 | 3.6 |
| Mobile app | 4.6 — Better | 4.2 |
| Research | 4.2 | 4.2 |
| Customer support | 4.2 | 4.5 — Better |
| Deposit & withdrawal | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Account opening | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| Education | 4.6 — Better | 3.4 |
| Reference order EUR 5,000 | €5.00 | 0.1 % (CFD) |
| Minimum deposit | US$20 | US$10 — Better |
| Stocks (per order) | in the spread | 0.1 % (CFD) |
| US stocks | in the spread | US$0.02/share (CFD) |
| ETFs | in the spread | US$0.02/share (CFD) |
| Options | Not offered | Not offered |
| Futures | Not offered | Not offered |
| Crypto | in the spread | in the spread |
| Bonds (order) | n/a | n/a |
| Funds (order) | n/a | n/a |
| EUR/USD spread | 0.7 pips — Better | 0.8 pips |
| Index CFD spread | 1 points | n/a |
| FX conversion | 0.7 % | n/a |
| Inactivity fee | None | None |
| Custody fee | n/a | None |
| Withdrawal fee | free — Better | £15 |
| Deposit fee | free | free |
| Overnight financing | 4.05 % | 2.5 % — Better |
| Other fees |
|
|
| Asset classes (of 14) | 8 | 9 — Better |
| Exchanges | n/a | n/a |
| Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Options | No | No |
| Futures | No | No |
| Forex | Yes | Yes |
| CFDs | Yes | Yes |
| Crypto | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds | No | No |
| Funds | No | No |
| Commodities | Yes | Yes |
| Indices | Yes | Yes |
| Warrants | No | No |
| Spread betting | Yes | Yes |
| Social trading | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Capital.com Web PlatformCapital.com Mobile AppMetaTrader 4MetaTrader 5TradingView | MetaTrader 4MetaTrader 5cTraderTradingViewPepperstone PlatformPepperstone appFIX API |
| Demo account | Yes | Yes |
| Fractional shares | Yes | No |
| Maximum leverage | 1:30 · Pro 1:300 | 1:30 · Pro 1:500 |
| Account opening | Under 10 minutes — fully digital, usually verified the same day | Fully digital, typically approved in 4-8 hours |
| Account types | Standard (Retail)ProfessionalCapital.com Invest | RazorStandardSpread betting (UK only)Swap-freeActive Trader |
| Payment methods | Bank transferSEPACredit cardDebit cardPayPalApple PayGoogle PaySkrillNeteller | Bank transferSEPACredit cardDebit cardPayPalSkrillNetellerApple PayGoogle Pay |
| Account currencies | USDEURGBPPLNAUD | GBPUSDEURCHF |
| Deposit time | Instant for cards and e-wallets, 1–3 business days for bank wire | Instant for cards and e-wallets, 1-3 business days by bank transfer |
| Withdrawal time | 1–3 business days | 1-3 business days, international wires up to 5 |
| Free withdrawals | n/a | n/a |
| Languages | EnglishGermanSpanishItalianFrenchPolishArabicDutchRomanianCzech | EnglishGermanSpanishFrenchPortugueseChineseArabicThaiVietnamese |
| Channels | EmailLive chatPhone | PhoneEmailLive chat |
| Availability | 24/7 | 24/5, with roughly 18 hours a day of weekend cover |
Editorial assessment based on the recorded data.
Capital.com
A polished retail CFD platform in Europe, provided you accept that CFDs are the whole product.
Pros
Cons
Best for
Pepperstone
Raw spreads and five platforms for traders who care about execution cost, not about owning the asset.
Pros
Cons
Best for
Open an account with either
A demo account costs nothing and answers the platform question in ten minutes.
Advertising disclosure: where a partnership is active, we may earn a commission through broker links. The provider’s terms apply. Commissions do not influence our ratings; paid placements are separately labelled as sponsored.
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