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Head to head
Fidelity Investments 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.
The research-and-education benchmark for US investors, with the cheapest funds in the industry attached.
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 Fidelity Investments takes it, 4.6 against 4.4 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 73 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 7. On platform and app Fidelity Investments is ahead, 4.6 against 4.4 out of 5. Which one is right depends on which of these axes matters for your trading profile.
Fidelity InvestmentsFidelity InvestmentsFidelity InvestmentsFidelity InvestmentsFidelity InvestmentsUp to four brokers at once — every row a decision point.
Data as of: 30 Aug 2026
| Criterion | ||
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 4.6 — Better | 4.4 |
| Group index | 73 of 100 | 82 of 100 |
| Best for | US long-term investorsIndex fund and ETF buyersResearch-driven stock pickersRetirement accountsCash management | Active FX tradersScalping and day tradingMetaTrader and cTrader usersIndex CFD tradingUK spread betting |
| Regulation | SECFINRAFDIC | FCAASICBaFinCySECDFSASCBCMA |
| Top-tier licences | 3 | 3 |
| Investor protection | US$500,000 — Better | £85,000 |
| Listed group | No | No |
| Banking licence | No | No |
| Segregated client accounts | Yes | Yes |
| Negative balance protection | No | Yes |
| Audited financials | Yes | Yes |
| Disclosed regulatory actions | 2 | None |
| Founded | 1946 | 2010 |
| Headquarters | Boston, US | Melbourne, AU |
| Fees | 4.7 — Better | 4.6 |
| Safety & regulation | 4.7 — Better | 4.4 |
| Trading platform | 4.5 | 4.6 — Better |
| Product range | 3.9 — Better | 3.6 |
| Mobile app | 4.6 — Better | 4.2 |
| Research | 4.9 — Better | 4.2 |
| Customer support | 4.8 — Better | 4.5 |
| Deposit & withdrawal | 4.3 | 4.5 — Better |
| Account opening | 4.2 | 4.6 — Better |
| Education | 4.8 — Better | 3.4 |
| Reference order EUR 5,000 | €0.00 | 0.1 % (CFD) |
| Minimum deposit | None — Better | US$10 |
| Stocks (per order) | Free | 0.1 % (CFD) |
| US stocks | Free | US$0.02/share (CFD) |
| ETFs | Free | US$0.02/share (CFD) |
| Options | US$0.65 | Not offered |
| Futures | Not offered | Not offered |
| Crypto | in the spread | in the spread |
| Bonds (order) | US$1 | n/a |
| Funds (order) | US$49.95 | n/a |
| EUR/USD spread | n/a | 0.8 pips |
| Index CFD spread | n/a | n/a |
| FX conversion | 1 % | n/a |
| Inactivity fee | None | None |
| Custody fee | None | None |
| Withdrawal fee | free — Better | £15 |
| Deposit fee | free | free |
| Overnight financing | n/a | 2.5 % |
| Other fees |
|
|
| Asset classes (of 14) | 7 | 9 — Better |
| Exchanges | 25 | n/a |
| Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Options | Yes | No |
| Futures | No | No |
| Forex | No | Yes |
| CFDs | No | Yes |
| Crypto | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds | Yes | No |
| Funds | Yes | No |
| Commodities | No | Yes |
| Indices | Yes | Yes |
| Warrants | No | No |
| Spread betting | No | Yes |
| Social trading | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Fidelity.com web platformFidelity Trader+ (formerly Active Trader Pro)Fidelity MobileFidelity Crypto | MetaTrader 4MetaTrader 5cTraderTradingViewPepperstone PlatformPepperstone appFIX API |
| Demo account | No | Yes |
| Fractional shares | Yes | No |
| Maximum leverage | 1:2 | 1:30 · Pro 1:500 |
| Account opening | Around 10 minutes online for US residents; funded and tradable the same day via a linked bank | Fully digital, typically approved in 4-8 hours |
| Account types | The Fidelity Account (brokerage)Fidelity Cash Management AccountTraditional / Roth / Rollover IRAFidelity Youth and custodial accounts | RazorStandardSpread betting (UK only)Swap-freeActive Trader |
| Payment methods | Bank transferCheque | Bank transferSEPACredit cardDebit cardPayPalSkrillNetellerApple PayGoogle Pay |
| Account currencies | USD | GBPUSDEURCHF |
| Deposit time | Instant trading availability on a linked bank transfer; 1–3 business days to fully clear | Instant for cards and e-wallets, 1-3 business days by bank transfer |
| Withdrawal time | 1–3 business days by electronic funds transfer; same day by wire | 1-3 business days, international wires up to 5 |
| Free withdrawals | n/a | n/a |
| Languages | EnglishSpanishChinese | EnglishGermanSpanishFrenchPortugueseChineseArabicThaiVietnamese |
| Channels | PhoneEmailLive chatBranch | PhoneEmailLive chat |
| Availability | 24/7 | 24/5, with roughly 18 hours a day of weekend cover |
Editorial assessment based on the recorded data.
Fidelity Investments
The research-and-education benchmark for US investors, with the cheapest funds in the industry attached.
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
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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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