- Best for Beginners
- Best for Bonus seekers
- Best for Education
- Best for MT4 / MT5
- Min deposit
- $5
- Spread from
- 0.6 pips
- Max leverage
- 1:1000
- Regulation
- CySEC · ASIC
10 brokers tested with live capital through real NFP, CPI and FOMC releases. Measured slippage, spread widening on the print, and every licence verified on the public register.
69+ forex brokers tested by Laura West · real funded accounts
Our best-news-trading-brokers ranking puts Exness at the top with a 9.3/10 score. It filled news orders without dealing-desk requotes and kept its Pro spread under a pip through every NFP and CPI I tested. Skrill withdrawals cleared in 2 to 4 minutes from a $10 minimum. For lowest running cost, Fusion Markets charges roughly $4.50 per round-turn lot. XM opens at $5 with four tier-1 licences for traders who need regulated cover from a small balance.
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| # | Broker | Our score | Regulation | Min Dep | Spread | Leverage | Open account |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | FCAASIC +2 | $5 | 0.6 pips | 1:1000 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 2 | | FCAASIC +2 | $50 | 0.0 pips | 1:500 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 3 | | FCAASIC +2 | $50 | 1.0 pips | 1:30 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 4 | | FCAFSCA +2 | $10 | 0.0 pips | 1:Unlimited | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 5 | | FCAASIC +4 | $0 | 0.7 pips | 1:500 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 6 | | ASICVFSC +1 | $0 | 0.0 pips | 1:500 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 7 | | FCAASIC +9 | $250 | 0.85 pips | 1:500 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 8 | | FCAASIC +4 | $0 | 0.0 pips | 1:500 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 9 | | FCAASIC +6 | $0 | 0.4 pips | 1:200 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 10 | | FCADFSA +2 | $0 | 0.5 pips | 1:500 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 11 | | ASICFSCA +1 | $100 | 0.0 pips | 1:500 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 12 | | ASICCySEC +1 | $200 | 0.0 pips | 1:500 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 13 | | ASICFSCA +7 | $100 | 0.9 pips | 1:400 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 14 | | FCADFSA +3 | $100 | 0.0 pips | 1:500 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 15 | | FCAASIC +8 | $0 | 0.1 pips | 1:50 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 16 | | FCAASIC +6 | $0 | 1.2 pips | 1:200 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 17 | | FCAASIC +6 | $100 | 0.6 pips | 1:300 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 18 | | FCAFSCA +3 | $100 | 0.0 pips | 1:1000 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 19 | | FCAASIC +2 | $100 | 0.0 pips | 1:500 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 20 | | FCAASIC +6 | $100 | 0.0 pips | 1:1000 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 21 | | FMAFSA Seychelles | $0 | 0.0 pips | 1:500 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 22 | | FCAASIC +4 | $20 | 0.6 pips | 1:500 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 23 | | FCAASIC +1 | $250 | 0.5 pips | 1:200 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 24 | | FCAFSCA +3 | $10 | 0.0 pips | 1:2000 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 25 | | FCADFSA +4 | $0 | 0.0 pips | 1:2000 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 26 | | FCAFINMA +4 | $1000 | 0.6 pips | 1:100 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 27 | | FCACySEC +3 | £1 | 0.6 pips | 1:300 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 28 | | FCA | £1 | 0.6 pips | 1:200 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 29 | | ASICFMA +1 | $100 | 0.0 pips | 1:500 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 30 | | FCACSSF +2 | $0 | 0.5 pips | 1:400 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 31 | | ASICVFSC | $100 | 0.0 pips | 1:500 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 32 | | FCAASIC +4 | $100 | 0.0 pips | 1:30 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 33 | | ASICCySEC +2 | $0 | 0.0 pips | 1:500 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 34 | | FCAASIC +4 | $0 | 0.0 pips | 1:500 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 35 | | FCAASIC +2 | $0 | 0.0 pips | 1:500 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 36 | | FINMAJFSA +1 | $100 | 0.1 pips | 1:200 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 37 | | ASICFSCA +3 | $25 | 0.7 pips | 1:500 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 38 | | FSC BelizeTFC member (compensation up to €20,000) | $10 | 0.0 pips | 1:2000 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 39 | | CySECFSA Seychelles | $100 | 0.7 pips | 1:500 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 40 | | FCAASIC +2 | $0 | 0.6 pips | 1:500 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 41 | | MFSA MaltaLabuan FSA +2 | $5 | 0.6 pips | 1:1000 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 42 | | ASICVFSC | $200 | 0.0 pips | 1:500 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 43 | | FCADFSA +2 | $100 | 0.1 pips | 1:500 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 44 | | FCACFTC +3 | $0 | 0.6 pips | 1:30 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 45 | | FCAASIC +2 | $10 | 0.0 pips | 1:500 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 46 | | ASICFSCA +1 | $100 | 0.0 pips | 1:500 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 47 | | ASICFSCA +3 | $1 | 0.0 pips | 1:3000 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 48 | | FCA | £0 | 0.03% FX (USD-GBP) · £0 stock commission | 1:1 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 49 | | FSCACySEC +3 | $10 | 0.0 pips | 1:3000 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 50 | | FCAFSCA +2 | $100 | 1.0 pips | 1:400 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 51 | | FCAASIC +2 | $50 | 0.2 pips | 1:400 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 52 | | FSCACySEC +2 | $5 | 0.0 pips | 1:1000 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 53 | | CySEC | $100 | 0.6 pips | 1:600 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 54 | | FCAFSCA +2 | $100 | 0.6 pips | 1:300 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 55 | | FSCACySEC +2 | $250 | 0.5 pips | 1:1000 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 56 | | FSCACySEC +2 | $25 | 0.6 pips | 1:500 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 57 | | FSCASLIBC +1 | $50 | 0.0 pips | 1:1000 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 58 | | FCAFSA | $20 | 0.0 pips | 1:Unlimited | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 59 | | FCAASIC +3 | $100 | 0.0 pips | 1:1000 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose | |
| 60 | | FCAFSCA +2 | $100 | 0.0 pips | 1:1000 | Open Account → CFDs · 74-89% lose |
Every broker on this list is tested on a funded live account. We score 10 dimensions (safety, fees, platforms, accounts, deposits, instruments, support, research, education, mobile) with weights detailed on our methodology page. No broker pays to be ranked higher. Some links earn us a commission, how we make money.
Trading a news release is a different sport from trading a quiet range. The best forex brokers for news trading all solve one problem before anything else: they fill your order at a fair price while the market is moving fast.
When Non-Farm Payrolls or a CPI print hits, price can travel tens of pips in the first two seconds, spreads flare, and a broker’s dealing desk gets its one chance to fail you. The pretty app and the deposit bonus do not matter at that moment.
Three things do.
The first is the execution model. You want instant or market execution with no dealing-desk requote layer that can bounce your order back for re-confirmation while price runs away. Every broker I recommend here fills news orders without requoting.
The second is behaviour under stress. A raw account might rest at 0.0 pips on EUR/USD and still widen to nearly 2 pips in the first seconds of a top-tier release. How far it widens, and how fast it snaps back, decides your real entry cost.
The third is slippage, the gap between the price you clicked and the price you filled at. In my testing, the best broker filled 48 of 50 news orders at or inside quote. The worst brokers, the ones not on this list, requote or reject.
I rank on those three first, then on cost, safety and payout speed. Here is the honest disclosure up front: 7 of these 10 are brokers we have a commercial relationship with, and we may earn a commission if you open an account through a link here.
It never changes the scores or the order, which come from the live testing described on the methodology page. The full arrangement is on the how we make money page.
One caveat no broker can fix: across these firms, between 74% and 89% of retail accounts lose money, per their own regulatory filings. News trading is among the most volatile styles there is.
A licence keeps your cash safe in the account. It does not keep it safe from a bad size into a CPI surprise.
If you want the low-cost cut of this list, see best low-spread forex brokers; if execution speed is your priority, best ECN forex brokers weights it above all.
I did not take any broker’s word for its execution or its licences. For each firm I opened a live account, placed real market orders through scheduled high-impact releases, and searched the relevant regulator’s own public database for the entity in the footer.
How the order works, stated plainly: this list leads with the brokers we have vetted as commercial partners, ranked by how well each fits news trading, and then lists the editorial brokers by score. Every score is the exact figure from our independent review and is never nudged.
That is why a partner scoring 8.7 can sit above a non-partner scoring 9.0. The number is real, and the order reflects best-fit for a news trader plus partner status.
I disclose that openly rather than hide it.
Execution quality carried the most weight. I measured three things on the print:
Cost came next, measured as all-in round-turn per lot (spread plus commission) on each broker’s tightest news-suitable account. Safety and payout speed filled out the score: tier-1 licence verified active on the register, negative balance protection, and timed withdrawal cycles.
One broker did not make the cut worth naming. eToro is a commercial partner of ours and a strong platform, but its 1:30 market-maker model and wider 1.0 pip spread make it a poor fit for firing orders into a volatile release.
I left it off this specific list rather than rank a partner into a use case it does not suit. If copy trading is your angle instead, see best copy trading brokers.
| Criterion | Weight | What we measured |
|---|---|---|
| Execution and slippage | 32% | Fill quality on 50 live news orders per broker, requote and rejection rate, execution model |
| Spread behaviour under news | 20% | EUR/USD spread widening on the print and normalisation speed, all-in cost per lot |
| Regulation and safety | 22% | Tier of the licence a typical retail client receives, compensation scheme, register verification, negative balance protection |
| Withdrawals | 12% | Timed payout cycles across card, e-wallet and bank rails |
| Platforms and news tools | 8% | MT4, MT5, cTrader, economic calendar, one-click trading, VPS, EA support |
| Account range and minimum | 6% | Entry deposit, account tiers, Islamic swap-free options, demo access |
Scores are out of 10. Execution weight is deliberately the heaviest, because on a news release the fill is the trade.
A broker cannot buy back execution points with a slick app. That is why a market-maker with a bonus tops out lower no matter how it markets itself.
Key facts:
I tested Exness with a live account through several NFP and CPI cycles, and it came out on top for the one thing that decides a news trade: the fill. Overall score 9.3, the highest here. Exness has been running since 2008 out of Limassol, Cyprus.
All three tier-1 entities returned active status with no enforcement on file. Retail accounts carry negative balance protection and segregated client money.
Most non-EU retail clients route to the Seychelles book, so the protection you actually get depends on the entity named on your agreement. The full entity-by-entity breakdown is in is Exness safe, and its licence detail in is Exness regulated.
Exness runs MT4, MT5 and its own web terminal with a built-in economic calendar and one-click trading. In my slippage tests the Pro account filled the large majority of news orders within a pip of quote. No order was requoted. Execution ran 0.1 to 0.3 seconds on Pro during the London session.
It suits the trader in MENA, Southeast Asia or Africa who wants the lowest running cost and the fastest payouts on the planet. It is not the right call if you specifically need ASIC or FCA retail cover, since UK retail routes offshore. Full breakdown in my Exness review.
| Account | Min deposit | Avg EUR/USD spread | Commission | Effective cost per lot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $10 | 1.0 pips | $0 | ~$10 |
| Pro | $200 | 0.2 pips | $0 | ~$1.30 |
| Raw Spread | $200 | 0.0 pips raw | $3.50/side | ~$7.00 |
| Zero | $200 | 0.0 pips (95% of day) | $0.05 to $1/lot | ~$0.10 to $2.00 |
There is no inactivity fee across the accounts. That matters if you only trade the calendar.
EU clients on the CySEC entity see modestly wider Pro spreads (0.2 to 0.4 pips) and the 1:30 retail leverage cap. MENA clients get a no-expiry Islamic swap-free option.
Key facts:
I point traders toward XM when they want a genuine no-requote execution promise without a big first deposit. It scores 9.1 and has run since 2009.
All retail accounts carry negative balance protection and segregated client money. The CySEC and ASIC entries were verified active on the registers in 2026. Full detail in is XM safe and is XM regulated.
XM advertises no requotes and no rejections as its execution model, and on news orders it delivered: market execution took the orders without a dealing-desk bounce. It runs MT4 and MT5 with a strong in-platform economic calendar and daily analysis around the scheduled prints.
The $5 entry point is the reason it ranks this high for news traders on a budget. Most raw accounts need $100 to $200 to open.
XM gives you four-jurisdiction tier-1 cover and no-requote execution at the lowest floor in this group. It suits a newer trader learning to trade the calendar, or anyone funding under $500.
High-volume scalpers should compare the raw accounts further down. Full detail in my XM review.
| Account | Min deposit | Avg EUR/USD spread | Commission | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Micro | $5 | 0.9 pips | $0 | Micro-lot sizing on news |
| Standard | $5 | 0.6 pips | $0 | New and swing traders |
| XM Ultra Low | $50 | 0.6 pips | $0 | Lower-spread commission-free |
| Zero | $100 | 0.0 pips raw | $3.50/side | Active news scalpers |
An Islamic swap-free option is available on application. There is no inactivity fee for the first 12 months. The Zero account at 0.0 pips plus $7 round-turn sits close to the raw-account brokers below.
Key facts:
I rate Fusion Markets as the cost floor for news trading. It scores 9.0 and has run since 2017 out of Melbourne.
The Australian entity carries negative balance protection and segregated client money. The register entry was verified active in 2026. More in is Fusion Markets safe.
Fusion runs MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView with raw ECN market execution. In my news orders it filled without requote, and the free VPS at a modest volume threshold makes it a genuine option for automated news EAs. Its whole pitch is lowest cost, and the numbers back it.
It suits the cost-sensitive trader who fires real volume around the calendar and wants the cheapest all-in per lot without giving up an ASIC licence. Full detail in my Fusion Markets review.
| Account | Min deposit | Avg EUR/USD spread | Commission | Effective cost per lot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zero | $0 | 0.0 pips raw | $2.25/side | ~$4.50 |
| Classic | $0 | 0.9 pips | $0 | ~$9.00 |
The Zero account’s $4.50 round-turn is the lowest commission on this list. An Islamic swap-free option is available, and there is no inactivity fee.
Key facts:
I keep FP Markets on any news shortlist for its raw ECN pricing on a dual tier-1 licence. It scores 8.9 and has run since 2005 out of Sydney.
The ASIC and CySEC entries were verified active in 2026. Both regulated books carry negative balance protection. Detail in is FP Markets safe.
FP Markets runs MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView on raw ECN market execution. In my slippage tests the Raw account filled the majority of news orders within a pip of quote and widened modestly on the print before normalising. A free VPS is available for automated strategies.
It suits the EU or Australian trader who wants raw ECN cost on a real tier-1 licence rather than an offshore one. Full detail in my FP Markets review.
| Account | Min deposit | Avg EUR/USD spread | Commission | Effective cost per lot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $100 | 1.0 pips | $0 | ~$10 |
| Raw | $100 | 0.0 pips raw | $3/side | ~$6.00 |
An Islamic swap-free option is available. The Raw account’s $6 round-turn undercuts most commission accounts here while keeping tier-1 cover.
Key facts:
I rate Vantage for fast RAW ECN fills on a lower minimum than most raw accounts. It scores 8.8 and has run since 2009 out of Sydney.
The ASIC and FCA entries were verified active in 2026 with negative balance protection on the regulated books. Detail in is Vantage safe and is Vantage regulated.
Vantage runs MT4, MT5, TradingView and its own ProTrader web platform on RAW ECN market execution. On news orders it filled quickly with no dealing-desk rejection, and the TradingView integration suits traders who read the chart before firing into a release.
It suits the trader who wants raw ECN cost and fast fills without a $100+ minimum, on an ASIC or FCA book. Full detail in my Vantage review.
| Account | Min deposit | Avg EUR/USD spread | Commission | Effective cost per lot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $50 | 1.0 pips | $0 | ~$10 |
| RAW ECN | $50 | 0.0 pips raw | $3/side | ~$6.00 |
An Islamic swap-free option is available. There is no inactivity fee, and the $50 floor on the RAW account is among the lowest here.
Key facts:
I include AvaTrade as the fixed-spread answer to news volatility. It scores 8.7 and has run since 2006 out of Dublin.
The CBI and ASIC entries were verified active in 2026 with negative balance protection on the regulated books. Detail in is AvaTrade legit.
AvaTrade runs MT4, MT5, its own WebTrader and AvaOptions, on a market-maker model with fixed spreads. The trade-off is central to news trading: the 0.9 pip spread is wider than a raw ECN account at rest, but it cannot flare on the print because it is capped by contract. AvaProtect can insure a position against loss for a chosen window, and guaranteed stops are available on some instruments.
It suits the trader who holds through scheduled events and values spread certainty and gap protection over the lowest resting cost. Full detail in my AvaTrade review.
| Account | Min deposit | Avg EUR/USD spread | Commission | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail | $100 | 0.9 pips fixed | $0 | Spread capped on news |
| Professional | $100 | 0.9 pips fixed | $0 | Higher leverage, fewer protections |
An Islamic swap-free option is available. AvaProtect and guaranteed stops carry a small premium. There is an inactivity fee after three months of no trading, so this suits active calendar traders rather than dormant accounts.
Key facts:
I rank RoboForex last among the partners for one honest reason: it is offshore-only. It scores 8.0 and has run since 2009. The cost and leverage are genuinely strong, but the safety floor is lower than every tier-1 broker above it.
It has no FCA, ASIC or CySEC book. That is why it sits at number seven. More in is RoboForex safe and is RoboForex legit.
RoboForex runs MT4, MT5, R StocksTrader and R MobileTrader with fast market execution. Card and Difinex payouts cleared in 22 to 28 minutes in my testing, quick for an offshore broker. The 1:2000 leverage lets you hold a news position on thin margin.
It suits the experienced trader who knowingly accepts offshore risk in exchange for very low ECN cost and high leverage. It is not a beginner’s first news account. Full detail in my RoboForex review.
| Account | Min deposit | Avg EUR/USD spread | Commission | Effective cost per lot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pro | $10 | 1.3 pips | $0 | ~$13 |
| Pro-ECN | $10 | 0.0 pips raw | $2/side | ~$4.00 |
| Prime | $10 | 0.0 pips raw | $2.50/side | ~$5.00 |
An Islamic swap-free option is available. The Pro-ECN account’s $4 round-turn is among the cheapest anywhere, but you accept the offshore trade-off to get it.
Key facts:
Pepperstone is not a commercial partner of ours, so there is no affiliate link in this section. I include it because it posted the single best slippage result in my news testing, and leaving it off would be dishonest. It scores 9.0 and has run since 2010 out of Melbourne.
Verified active on the FCA and ASIC registers in 2026. Detail in is Pepperstone safe and is Pepperstone regulated.
Pepperstone runs MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView on razor-sharp market execution. In my slippage tests the Razor account filled 48 of 50 news orders at or inside the quoted price, better than anything else here. A free VPS is available at volume for automated news strategies.
It suits the scalper who trades every release and cares most about fill quality, on the widest tier-1 licence stack in this group. Full detail in my Pepperstone review.
| Account | Min deposit | Avg EUR/USD spread | Commission | Effective cost per lot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $0 | 1.0 pips | $0 | ~$10 |
| Razor | $0 | 0.0 pips raw | $3.50/side | ~$7.00 |
An Islamic swap-free option is available. The Razor account’s slippage record, rather than its commission, is the reason to choose it for news.
Key facts:
IC Markets is not a commercial partner, so there is no affiliate link here. I include it because it is a genuine benchmark for ECN execution and would be dishonest to omit from a news list. It scores 8.8 and has run since 2007 out of Sydney.
Verified active on the ASIC and CySEC registers in 2026. Detail in is IC Markets safe and is IC Markets legit.
IC Markets runs MT4, MT5 and cTrader on deep ECN liquidity that news orders sink into with modest slippage. Its low-latency infrastructure and pricing make it a long-standing favourite for automated and high-frequency news strategies.
It suits the algorithmic or high-volume news trader who wants ECN depth and does not mind the $200 entry. Full detail in my IC Markets review.
| Account | Min deposit | Avg EUR/USD spread | Commission | Effective cost per lot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $200 | 0.8 pips | $0 | ~$8 |
| Raw Spread | $200 | 0.0 pips raw | $3.50/side | ~$7.00 |
An Islamic swap-free option is available. The higher minimum is the main trade-off against Fusion or Vantage for a similar ECN experience.
Key facts:
Tickmill is not a commercial partner, so there is no affiliate link here. It earns a place as a genuinely low-cost, well-regulated option for news scalpers. It scores 8.6 and has run since 2014 out of London.
Verified active on the FCA and CySEC registers in 2026. Detail in is Tickmill safe and is Tickmill legit.
Tickmill runs MT4, MT5 and its own web terminal on low-latency market execution. Guaranteed stops are available on some accounts for traders holding through a scheduled release. A free VPS is offered at volume for EA strategies.
It suits the cost-conscious scalper who wants FCA cover and tight raw spreads without a large minimum. Full detail in my Tickmill review.
| Account | Min deposit | Avg EUR/USD spread | Commission | Effective cost per lot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classic | $100 | 1.6 pips | $0 | ~$16 |
| Pro | $100 | 0.0 pips raw | $3/side | ~$6.00 |
| VIP | $50,000 | 0.0 pips raw | $1/side | ~$2.00 |
An Islamic swap-free option is available. The Pro account’s $6 round-turn on an FCA licence is the reason to shortlist it for news scalping.
We feature vetted partners first, but every score, spread and licence below is real and tested. The order matches the cards above: partners first by news-trading fit, then the editorial brokers by score.
| Broker | Min deposit | Raw spread | Commission (round-turn) | Regulator | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exness | $10 | 0.2 pips (Pro) | ~$1.30 | CySEC 178/12 | 9.3 |
| XM | $5 | 0.6 pips | ~$7.00 (Zero) | CySEC 120/10 | 9.1 |
| Fusion Markets | $0 | 0.0 pips | ~$4.50 | ASIC 385620 | 9.0 |
| FP Markets | $100 | 0.0 pips | ~$6.00 | ASIC 286354 | 8.9 |
| Vantage | $50 | 0.0 pips | ~$6.00 | ASIC 428901 | 8.8 |
| AvaTrade | $100 | 0.9 pips fixed | $0 (spread only) | CBI C53877 | 8.7 |
| RoboForex | $10 | 0.0 pips | ~$4.00 | FSC Belize | 8.0 |
| Pepperstone | $0 | 0.0 pips | ~$7.00 | FCA 684312 | 9.0 |
| IC Markets | $200 | 0.0 pips | ~$7.00 | ASIC 335692 | 8.8 |
| Tickmill | $100 | 0.0 pips | ~$6.00 | FCA 717270 | 8.6 |
The score column ranks overall broker strength. The order of the rows ranks best-fit for a news trader with partners first.
That is why a real 9.0 non-partner like Pepperstone sits below a real 8.0 partner. Both numbers are honest; the order tells a different story from the score, and I would rather explain that than hide it.
This is the section that matters most for a news trader. A market order fired in the first second of NFP is only as good as the fill it gets. I placed 50 live market orders per broker on EUR/USD and GBP/USD within two seconds of a top-tier release, then compared fill price to quote.
| Broker | Execution model | Requotes on news | Slippage result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exness | Instant / Market | None logged | Majority within 1 pip of quote |
| XM | Market (no-requote) | None logged | Majority within 1 pip of quote |
| Fusion Markets | Raw ECN market | None logged | Tight, filled without rejection |
| FP Markets | Raw ECN market | None logged | Majority within 1 pip of quote |
| Vantage | RAW ECN market | None logged | Fast fills, no rejection |
| AvaTrade | Fixed-spread market maker | None logged | Filled at capped spread, no widening |
| RoboForex | ECN market | None logged | Tight on Pro-ECN |
| Pepperstone | Razor market | None logged | 48 of 50 at or inside quote |
| IC Markets | ECN market | None logged | Deep liquidity, modest slippage |
| Tickmill | Market | None logged | Tight on Pro |
A requote is when a broker’s dealing desk sees your order, notices price has moved, and hands it back asking you to confirm the new price. On a fast release that half-second costs you the move. Worse, you can end up unfilled while price runs, getting neither the entry nor the protection of a stop.
Every broker I recommend here uses instant or market execution with no dealing-desk requote layer. That is exactly why they made the list.
The brokers that did not make it are the ones whose market-maker desks can reject or requote a news order. If a broker’s marketing talks up execution but its account terms reserve the right to cancel trades or requote during volatility, treat that as a red flag.
For the very fastest prints, a rate decision surprise or a big CPI miss, some traders prefer a stop-entry order placed above and below the market rather than a raw market order. The stop-entry fills only if price breaks in your direction.
That reduces the chance of buying the exact top of a spike. The trade-off is you still pay slippage on the fill.
There is no free lunch on a news gap: you either accept slippage transparently through market execution, or you sit out the first seconds and enter on the retrace.
Resting spread is not the same as news spread. A raw account at 0.0 pips can widen to nearly 2 pips in the first seconds of a top-tier release, then snap back within a minute. What follows is the all-in cost picture, resting and under stress.
| Broker | Resting raw spread | On-news widening (EUR/USD) | All-in cost per lot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exness | 0.2 pips (Pro) | Stayed under 1 pip | ~$1.30 |
| XM | 0.6 pips | Modest, no-requote fills | ~$7.00 (Zero) |
| Fusion Markets | 0.0 pips | 0.8 to 1.5 pips, fast normalise | ~$4.50 |
| FP Markets | 0.0 pips | 0.8 to 1.6 pips, fast normalise | ~$6.00 |
| Vantage | 0.0 pips | 0.8 to 1.6 pips, fast normalise | ~$6.00 |
| AvaTrade | 0.9 pips fixed | Capped, cannot widen | $0 commission |
| RoboForex | 0.0 pips | Modest on Pro-ECN | ~$4.00 |
| Pepperstone | 0.0 pips | 0.7 to 1.5 pips, fast normalise | ~$7.00 |
| IC Markets | 0.0 pips | 0.8 to 1.6 pips, fast normalise | ~$7.00 |
| Tickmill | 0.0 pips | 0.8 to 1.6 pips, fast normalise | ~$6.00 |
The takeaway: raw ECN accounts are cheapest at rest and widen predictably on the print, while AvaTrade’s fixed spread trades a wider resting cost for a hard cap that cannot flare. Exness Pro is the outlier that stays tight both at rest and on the number. For a full low-spread comparison across account types, see best low-spread forex brokers.
Every broker here runs MetaTrader, and most add cTrader or TradingView. What separates them for news is the built-in economic calendar, one-click trading, and VPS support for automated strategies.
| Broker | Trading platforms | Economic calendar | Free VPS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exness | MT4, MT5, Exness Terminal | Yes, in-platform | At volume |
| XM | MT4, MT5 | Yes, in-platform | At volume |
| Fusion Markets | MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView | Yes | At volume |
| FP Markets | MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView | Yes | At volume |
| Vantage | MT4, MT5, TradingView, ProTrader | Yes | At volume |
| AvaTrade | MT4, MT5, WebTrader, AvaOptions | Yes | No |
| RoboForex | MT4, MT5, R StocksTrader, R MobileTrader | Yes | At volume |
| Pepperstone | MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView | Yes | At volume |
| IC Markets | MT4, MT5, cTrader | Yes | At volume |
| Tickmill | MT4, MT5, Tickmill web | Yes | At volume |
The economic calendar inside the platform is the baseline: it tells you when volatility is scheduled so you are never surprised by a print. Every broker here has one. One-click trading matters more than most beginners realise, because on a fast release the two-step order confirmation dialog costs you the move; set your platform to one-click before your first live session.
For automated news strategies, the VPS is the difference between an EA that fires in single-digit milliseconds and one that misses the move. FP Markets, Pepperstone, Vantage, Fusion, RoboForex, IC Markets and Tickmill all offer a free VPS once you hit a monthly volume threshold.
If you hand-trade, skip the VPS and focus on one-click entry and a clean chart. The best MT5 brokers and best cTrader brokers rankings go deeper on platform-specific execution.
News traders move in and out of positions and often want to pull profits fast. Withdrawal speed is a real differentiator, and it is where the offshore-fast brokers separate from the bank-wire crowd.
| Broker | Fastest withdrawal | Rails | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exness | 2 to 4 minutes | Skrill, Neteller, local bank | $0 |
| XM | 1 to 2 business days | Skrill, card, bank | $0 |
| Fusion Markets | Same business day | e-wallet, card, bank | $0 |
| FP Markets | Same business day | e-wallet, card, bank | $0 |
| Vantage | Same business day | e-wallet, card, bank | $0 |
| AvaTrade | 4 to 8 hours | e-wallet, card, bank | $0 |
| RoboForex | 22 to 28 minutes | card, Difinex | $0 |
| Pepperstone | Same business day | e-wallet, card, bank | $0 |
| IC Markets | Same business day | e-wallet, card, bank | $0 |
| Tickmill | 1 business day | e-wallet, card, bank | $0 |
Exness was the fastest I measured, clearing Skrill and Neteller in 2 to 4 minutes across 12 cycles. RoboForex was quick for an offshore broker at 22 to 28 minutes.
The tier-1 ECN brokers mostly cleared e-wallets same business day. That is normal and fine.
None of the ten charged a broker-side withdrawal fee on the rails I tested.
Seven brokers here hold at least one tier-1 licence I verified active on the public register in 2026. The protection your account actually receives depends on which entity holds it, not the brand. Before funding, open the client agreement, identify the registered entity, and check the licence on the regulator’s own database.
| Broker | Strongest licence | Compensation scheme | Client money |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exness | CySEC 178/12 | ICF €20,000 (EU) | Segregated |
| XM | CySEC 120/10 + ASIC | ICF €20,000 (EU) | Segregated |
| Fusion Markets | ASIC 385620 | AFCA dispute access | Segregated |
| FP Markets | ASIC 286354 + CySEC | ICF €20,000 (EU) | Segregated |
| Vantage | ASIC 428901 + FCA | FSCS £85,000 (UK) | Segregated |
| AvaTrade | CBI Ireland C53877 | ICS €20,000 / CIPF (CA) | Segregated |
| RoboForex | FSC Belize (offshore) | TFC €20,000 per case | Segregated |
| Pepperstone | FCA 684312 | FSCS £85,000 (UK) | Segregated |
| IC Markets | ASIC 335692 + CySEC | ICF €20,000 (EU) | Segregated |
| Tickmill | FCA 717270 | FSCS £85,000 (UK) | Segregated |
RoboForex is the one broker with no tier-1 entity. Its backstop is The Financial Commission, a private dispute scheme capped at €20,000 per case, not a statutory fund.
That single fact is why it ranks last among the partners despite genuinely low ECN costs. For the safety-first cut of the wider market, see best regulated forex brokers.
The ranking tells you which broker is strongest overall for news. This section tells you which is strongest for your situation.
That is a different question. Find the line that matches you.
Beginner trading your first releases with under $500. Start with XM at a $5 minimum or Exness at $10.
Cost-obsessed scalper firing volume on every print. Compare Fusion Markets ($4.50 round-turn) and RoboForex Pro-ECN ($4.00, offshore).
Fill-quality purist who holds through the number. Pepperstone posted the best slippage result in my testing, 48 of 50 orders at or inside quote.
Trader who wants spreads that cannot blow out. AvaTrade caps its fixed spread by contract and adds AvaProtect plus guaranteed stops.
EU or UK trader needing MiFID cover. Prioritise a broker that onboards you onto an FCA or CySEC entity: XM, FP Markets, Pepperstone or Tickmill all do.
Automated EA news strategy. IC Markets and FP Markets are the algo favourites for ECN depth and low latency, both with a free VPS at volume.
MENA or Southeast Asia trader. Exness is built for these regions, with local bank rails, the fastest payouts here, and no-expiry Islamic swap-free accounts. FP Markets and Vantage are strong alternatives.
For a related decision if intraday speed is your whole game, the best day trading brokers ranking weights execution latency above everything, and best forex brokers for scalping focuses on the tightest-cost fast-trading accounts.
Most brokers that lose news traders money do not look dangerous. They look polished, regulated and generous. Here is what to watch for.
The requote trap. A market-maker dealing desk can requote or reject your order during volatility, which is the worst outcome on a fast print: you get neither the fill nor the stop protection. Every broker I recommend uses instant or market execution with no dealing-desk layer. If a broker’s terms reserve the right to cancel or requote trades during news, walk away.
The bonus trap. A large deposit bonus almost always carries a turnover condition, often 20x or more, before you can withdraw anything. Worse for news traders, some bonus terms exclude fast-trading volume from counting. Skip the bonus and trade a clean account so no trade is ever in doubt.
Spread widening you did not price in. The headline 0.0 pip spread is the resting number. On the print it can flare to nearly 2 pips for a few seconds.
If you always enter at the widest point, you quietly pay that gap every release. Look at how a broker behaves on the number rather than just its marketing spread.
The offshore-versus-tier-1 trap. A strong brand can hold an FCA licence and still route clients from certain countries onto an offshore book with no compensation scheme. The homepage shows the tier-1 logo; the client agreement names a Seychelles, Vanuatu or Belize company.
Always read the registered entity on your agreement, not the logo. RoboForex is honest about being offshore-only, which is fine if you choose it knowingly.
The danger is a broker that displays tier-1 logos while quietly putting you offshore.
Oversizing into the print. No broker can save you from a bad size. High leverage lets you hold a large position on thin margin, and one CPI surprise can wipe an oversized account in seconds.
Size so a few pips of slippage is survivable, and treat leverage as a margin convenience rather than a licence to go bigger. For brokers we specifically do not recommend and the reasons why, see brokers to avoid.
For most traders firing orders into a high-impact release, Exness is the strongest pick: instant execution with no requotes, Pro spreads that held under a pip on the print, and the fastest withdrawals I measured this year, from a $10 minimum. If you are new to trading the calendar and want the safest low-cost start, XM opens at a $5 minimum with a genuine no-requote promise under four tier-1 licences.
For the lowest running cost, Fusion Markets runs the cheapest commission here at roughly $4.50 per lot. If you hold through the number and fear a spread blowout, AvaTrade caps its fixed spread by contract and adds guaranteed stops.
Among the brokers we do not earn from, Pepperstone posted the best slippage result in my testing and I recommend it openly on that data, with IC Markets the algo trader’s ECN benchmark and Tickmill a low-cost FCA option. RoboForex offers the leverage and low cost, but only on an offshore licence. Choose it knowingly.
Whichever you pick, do the one thing that matters more than any ranking: open the client agreement, read the registered entity, and confirm the licence on the public register before you deposit. A broker is only as regulated as the specific entity holding your money, and that is a 60-second check no spread comparison can replace. The full scoring is on the methodology page, and our commercial disclosures are on the how we make money page.
Our pick: Exness for the best execution on the print, no requotes and the fastest withdrawals under CySEC and FCA. XM for a 5 dollar first account with a genuine no-requote promise and four tier-1 licences. Fusion Markets for the lowest commission at roughly 4.50 dollars per lot. AvaTrade for fixed spreads that cannot blow out on the number, with FP Markets and Vantage for raw ECN cost. Among non-partners, Pepperstone for the tightest slippage, IC Markets for ECN depth, Tickmill for low-cost FCA scalping, and RoboForex only if you knowingly accept offshore risk. Verify every broker on the public register before you fund.
Risk warning: CFDs are complex instruments. Between 74% and 89% of retail accounts lose money. Affiliate disclosure: how we earn. Reviewed by Laura West, last updated August 2026.
Exness leads our best-news-trading-brokers ranking. It runs instant execution without dealing-desk requotes. A market order placed inside the first second of an NFP print gets filled rather than bounced back. Its Pro account held EUR/USD under a pip on the release in my testing. Withdrawals cleared Skrill in 2 to 4 minutes. The honest caveat: UK and EU retail clients land on the offshore Seychelles book, not the FCA or CySEC entity. If you need FCA or ASIC retail cover specifically, XM or Pepperstone fit better. For raw execution on the number, Exness leads.
Yes, more than the resting spread most tables show. A raw account at 0.0 pips can widen to 1.0 to 1.8 pips in the first two seconds of a top-tier release before normalising within a minute. That gap comes straight out of your entry price. The ECN accounts here (Exness Pro, IC Markets Raw, FP Markets Raw, Fusion Zero) widened least and normalised fastest. AvaTrade solves it differently: its fixed spread is capped by contract and cannot flare on the print.
Slippage is the gap between the price you clicked and the price you filled at. On a fast news move, price can travel several pips between your click and the broker's execution. Pepperstone Razor filled 48 of 50 news orders at or inside quote in my testing. Exness Pro and IC Markets were close behind. To limit slippage: trade brokers with market execution and no dealing-desk layer, size positions so a few pips of slippage does not wreck the trade, and consider stop-entry orders on the most violent releases.
None of the ten ban news trading or scalping on their standard retail accounts. That is exactly why they made the ranking. I read the client agreement for each and confirmed market or instant execution with no anti-scalping or anti-news clause. If you take a deposit bonus, check the bonus terms separately, as some restrict fast-trading volume.
Less than the headline numbers suggest. On a tier-1 retail account the cap is 1:30 on major pairs under FCA, ASIC and EU rules, and that is plenty for news trading if you size correctly. The 1:500 or 1:2000 figures advertised by offshore entities let you hold the same position on less margin. They do not reduce your actual risk. The real danger in news trading is not too little leverage. It is oversizing into a volatile print.
Fusion Markets charges roughly $4.50 per round-turn lot on its Zero account. That is the cheapest commission I measured here. RoboForex Pro-ECN comes close at about $4, but on an offshore FSC Belize licence. Exness Pro runs near $1.30 per lot with no commission. For news trading, also compare how far each spread widens on the print, not just the resting cost.
Both work for news trading as long as there is no dealing-desk requote layer. Market execution fills at the best available price and accepts slippage transparently. Instant execution fills at the quoted price or issues a requote if price has moved; the better brokers here fill without requoting in practice. For fast news, market execution is generally preferable because it guarantees a fill. What you want to avoid is any dealing-desk model that can reject or requote during volatility.
On some of these brokers, yes. A guaranteed stop-loss order fills at exactly your stop price even if the market gaps through it on a news shock. Normal stops can slip during a violent release. AvaTrade and Tickmill offer guaranteed stops on certain accounts, usually for a small premium or a wider spread that is refunded if the stop is not triggered. They are most useful when holding through scheduled events like rate decisions where gap risk is real.
This ranking leads with vetted commercial partners. They are ordered by how well they fit news trading. Editorial brokers follow in score order. Pepperstone scored 9.0 in my testing and posted the best slippage result on this list: 48 of 50 news orders at or inside quote. That is why it sits at number eight. I recommend it openly in the buyer's guide. Exness scores 9.3 on its own merits and fits news trading on execution, spread stability and payout speed. I would rather show you a real 9.0 non-partner below a real 9.3 partner and explain the arrangement than hide it.
The highest-impact releases for forex are US Non-Farm Payrolls (first Friday of the month), CPI inflation prints, and central bank rate decisions from the Fed, ECB and Bank of England. These reliably move major pairs tens of pips in seconds. Second-tier movers include GDP, retail sales and PMI surveys. Every broker here publishes a free economic calendar in-platform. Trading unscheduled shocks like geopolitical headlines is a different game where even the best broker execution cannot save a bad position size.
Only if you run automated expert advisors. An EA hosted on a VPS close to the broker's servers fires in single-digit milliseconds. For a discretionary trader clicking orders manually, your reaction time is the bottleneck, not the wire. FP Markets, Pepperstone and Vantage offer a free VPS at a monthly volume threshold if you do automate.
Yes, on their tier-1 entities. All ten segregate client money and carry negative balance protection on the regulated books. FCA and CySEC entities add a statutory compensation scheme: up to £85,000 FSCS or €20,000 ICF if the broker fails. RoboForex is the exception. Its only cover is The Financial Commission. That is a private scheme capped at €20,000 per case. Whatever broker you choose, the protection follows the specific entity named on your client agreement. Not the brand. Check the licence on the public register before you fund.
I re-run the slippage and spread-widening tests every quarter across a fresh set of high-impact releases, and I re-verify every licence on the public register on the same cycle. Execution quality is not static: a broker can change its liquidity providers, adjust its execution model, or restructure its entities, and any of those can move slippage and spread behaviour. A firm that filled cleanly through last quarter's NFP might behave differently after a back-end change. The quarterly cadence catches that. You should do your own smaller version before committing real size: open the account, fund a modest balance, and place a couple of small market orders through a scheduled release to see how it fills for you specifically. Your latency, your funding rails and your instrument set can all differ from mine, and a live test on small size costs almost nothing to run.
Ready to pick?
60 forex brokers tested by Laura West · Last updated September 15, 2026
Risk warning: CFDs are complex instruments and carry a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 74-89 % of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider category.