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Head to head
Pepperstone or FP Markets? 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.
Raw spreads and five platforms for traders who care about execution cost, not about owning the asset.
Twenty years of ASIC-regulated plumbing behind the widest platform choice in the CFD market.
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 4.0 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 68 out of 100 on the group index. Your account's protection depends on its legal entity. FP Markets covers more ground with 10 of 14 asset classes against 9. On platform and app Pepperstone is ahead, 4.4 against 3.8 out of 5. 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 | 4.4 — Better | 4.0 |
| Group index | 82 of 100 | 68 of 100 |
| Best for | Active FX tradersScalping and day tradingMetaTrader and cTrader usersIndex CFD tradingUK spread betting | DMA equity and futures CFD tradersTraders who want platform choiceActive forex tradersTradingView and cTrader usersCopy and social traders |
| Regulation | FCAASICBaFinCySECDFSASCBCMA | ASICCySECFSCACMAFSASaint Lucia registration |
| Top-tier licences | 3 — Better | 1 |
| Investor protection | £85,000 — Better | €20,000 |
| Listed group | No | No |
| Banking licence | No | No |
| Segregated client accounts | Yes | Yes |
| Negative balance protection | Yes | Yes |
| Audited financials | Yes | No |
| Disclosed regulatory actions | None | 1 |
| Founded | 2010 | 2005 |
| Headquarters | Melbourne, AU | Sydney, AU |
| Fees | 4.6 — Better | 4.4 |
| Safety & regulation | 4.4 — Better | 3.8 |
| Trading platform | 4.6 — Better | 3.9 |
| Product range | 3.6 | 3.7 — Better |
| Mobile app | 4.2 — Better | 3.7 |
| Research | 4.2 — Better | 3.6 |
| Customer support | 4.5 — Better | 4.2 |
| Deposit & withdrawal | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Account opening | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| Education | 3.4 | 3.7 — Better |
| Reference order EUR 5,000 | 0.1 % (CFD) | US$0.02/share (CFD) |
| Minimum deposit | US$10 — Better | A$100 |
| Stocks (per order) | 0.1 % (CFD) | US$0.02/share (CFD) |
| US stocks | US$0.02/share (CFD) | US$0.02/share (CFD) |
| ETFs | US$0.02/share (CFD) | in the spread (CFD) |
| Options | Not offered | Not offered |
| Futures | Not offered | US$15 |
| Crypto | in the spread | in the spread |
| Bonds (order) | n/a | in the spread |
| Funds (order) | n/a | n/a |
| EUR/USD spread | 0.8 pips | 0.1 pips — Better |
| Index CFD spread | n/a | 0.4 points |
| FX conversion | n/a | n/a |
| Inactivity fee | None | n/a |
| Custody fee | None | None |
| Withdrawal fee | £15 | n/a |
| Deposit fee | free | Free on MetaTrader accounts for domestic bank transfer, cards, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, BPay and POLi. International bank transfer costs AUD 12.50 on either platform. On the Iress platform card deposits cost 1.6% in AUD or 3.18% in any other currency, Neteller and Skrill 4.0%, and PayPal 2.0%. |
| Overnight financing | 2.5 % | n/a |
| Other fees |
|
|
| Asset classes (of 14) | 9 | 10 — Better |
| Exchanges | n/a | 7 |
| Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Options | No | No |
| Futures | No | Yes |
| Forex | Yes | Yes |
| CFDs | Yes | Yes |
| Crypto | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds | No | Yes |
| Funds | No | No |
| Commodities | Yes | Yes |
| Indices | Yes | Yes |
| Warrants | No | No |
| Spread betting | Yes | No |
| Social trading | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | MetaTrader 4MetaTrader 5cTraderTradingViewPepperstone PlatformPepperstone appFIX API | MetaTrader 4MetaTrader 5cTraderTradingViewIress Trader / ViewPointIress InvestorWebTraderMobile trading appMAM / PAMM |
| Demo account | Yes | Yes |
| Fractional shares | No | No |
| Maximum leverage | 1:30 · Pro 1:500 | 1:500 |
| Account opening | Fully digital, typically approved in 4-8 hours | Fully online in roughly 10–15 minutes; most applications approved the same day |
| Account types | RazorStandardSpread betting (UK only)Swap-freeActive Trader | Standard (MT4/MT5)Raw (MT4/MT5)Iress (retail)Iress (wholesale / professional)Islamic (swap-free) |
| Payment methods | Bank transferSEPACredit cardDebit cardPayPalSkrillNetellerApple PayGoogle Pay | Bank transferSEPACredit cardDebit cardPayPalSkrillNeteller |
| Account currencies | GBPUSDEURCHF | AUDUSDEURGBPSGDCADCHFHKDJPYZAR+2 |
| Deposit time | Instant for cards and e-wallets, 1-3 business days by bank transfer | Cards and e-wallets instant; domestic bank transfer same or next business day; international wire 1–3 business days |
| Withdrawal time | 1-3 business days, international wires up to 5 | Typically 1 business day to process; bank and card withdrawals arrive in 1–3 business days |
| Free withdrawals | n/a | n/a |
| Languages | EnglishGermanSpanishFrenchPortugueseChineseArabicThaiVietnamese | EnglishGermanFrenchItalianSpanishPortuguesePolishCzechGreekDutch+6 |
| Channels | PhoneEmailLive chat | PhoneEmailLive chat |
| Availability | 24/5, with roughly 18 hours a day of weekend cover | 24/7 multilingual support, with dedicated account managers on the Iress and higher-tier accounts |
Editorial assessment based on the recorded data.
Pepperstone
Raw spreads and five platforms for traders who care about execution cost, not about owning the asset.
Pros
Cons
Best for
FP Markets
Twenty years of ASIC-regulated plumbing behind the widest platform choice in the CFD market.
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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