Forex.com vs OANDA 2026: Fees & Safety Tested
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OANDA edges this head-to-head 8.7 to 8.2, and the split is decided on safety, entry cost and support speed. OANDA holds eight regulatory licences including the rare US NFA tier, opens at a $0 minimum, and in my testing its live chat answered in 1 minute 40 seconds against Forex.com's 2 minutes 10 seconds. I timed its native TradingView ordering at a 90 ms round-trip from a London VPS. Forex.com answers with a much wider catalogue, roughly 5,500 instruments against OANDA's 124, a Commission account at about $10 round-turn with no monthly subscription, and a NASDAQ-listed parent in StoneX. Both brokers are among only four firms licensed to serve US retail forex clients, and both offer Islamic swap-free overlays on the right entity. So the choice is clean. Traders who weight regulatory breadth, a zero entry and platform depth pick OANDA. Traders who want the widest instrument range and shares CFDs pick Forex.com. You can also run live accounts at both.
OANDA
- Best for US traders
- Best for TradingView users
- Best for Long history
- Min deposit
- $0
- Spread from
- 1.2 pips
- Max leverage
- 1:200
- Regulation
- NFA · CFTC
Forex.com
- Best for US retail forex
- Best for UK shares CFDs
- Best for TradingView routing
- Best for NASDAQ-listed parent
- Min deposit
- $100
- Spread from
- 0.0 pips
- Max leverage
- 1:30
- Regulation
- CFTC · FCA
| Criterion | Forex.com | OANDA |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 8.2 | ★ 8.7 |
| Min Deposit | $100 | ★ $0 |
| Spread From | 0.0 pips | 1.2 pips |
| Max Leverage | 1:30 | 1:200 |
| Platforms | MT4, MT5, Web, Mobile | ★ OANDA Trade (fxTrade), MT4, MT5, TradingView, API (REST and Streaming) |
| Regulation | CFTC, FCA, ASIC, CIRO, JFSA, CIMA | ★ NFA, CFTC, FCA, ASIC, CIRO, MAS, FSA Japan, BVI FSC |
| Instruments | ★ 5,500 | 124 |
| Support Score | 8.0 | ★ 8.9 |
| Education Score | 8.5 | ★ 8.6 |
| Mobile App Score | 8.5 | ★ 8.8 |
Quick Take
The award split at a glance, then the full head-to-head below.
Read the full Forex.com review and the full OANDA review for the per-account detail behind these numbers.
Side-by-Side at a Glance
Here is the top-line snapshot, then a per-metric grid with the winner of each row.
| Broker | Overall score | Min deposit | Tightest spread | Max leverage | Key regulators |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forex.com | 8.2 | $100 | 0.1 pips | 1:30 (1:50 US) | CFTC, FCA, ASIC |
| OANDA | 8.7 | $0 | 0.4 pips | 1:200 BVI (1:50 US) | NFA, CFTC, FCA, MAS |
| Metric | Forex.com | OANDA | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📊 EUR/USD (cheapest tier) | 0.1 pips raw | 0.4 pips | Forex.com |
| 💰 Min deposit | $100 | $0 | OANDA |
| 🏛️ Safety score | 9.0 | 9.4 | OANDA |
| 📈 Instruments | ~5,500 | 124 | Forex.com |
| 💬 Live chat response | 2 min 10 sec | 1 min 40 sec | OANDA |
| ⚡ Withdrawal speed (ACH) | 2 business days | 1 to 2 business days | OANDA |
| 📱 Mobile app (iOS) | 4.5 stars | 4.5 stars | Equal |
| 🖥️ Platforms | MT4, MT5, Web, mobile | fxTrade, MT4, MT5, TradingView, API | OANDA |
 US clients | Yes | Yes | Equal |
| 🏆 Overall | 8.2 | 8.7 | OANDA |
Both brokers reach the US, Europe, MENA and Asia-Pacific, but they lean different ways. Forex.com stretches deeper into the Gulf and adds Vietnam and South Korea.
OANDA adds Hong Kong, Taiwan, New Zealand and France. Here is where each one takes clients, region by region.
United States
Canada United States Canada
UAE
Saudi Arabia
Qatar
Egypt UAE Saudi Arabia Egypt
Australia
Singapore
Japan
Thailand Australia Singapore Japan
Hong Kong
New ZealandSafety & Regulation: Forex.com vs OANDA
Both brokers are safe and multi-regulated with a clean current enforcement record. I checked every entity register live: OANDA scores 9.4 on safety against Forex.com at 9.0, mostly because it runs two more onshore entities.
- Forex.com: FCA licence 446717 and NFA 0339826, parent StoneX listed on NASDAQ under ticker SNEX.
- OANDA: FCA licence 542574 and NFA 0325821, eight entities and a 30-year record with no major action.
| Broker | Regulators held | UK cover | US licence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex.com | CFTC/NFA, FCA, ASIC, CIRO, JFSA, CIMA | FSCS up to £85,000 | NFA 0339826 (StoneX) |
| OANDA | NFA/CFTC, FCA, MAS, ASIC, CIRO, JFSA, MFSA, BVI | FSCS up to £85,000 | NFA 0325821 |
The shared strength is the US licence. Both are among only four firms cleared to serve US retail forex, alongside IG US and TastyFX.
That is rare and it is the main reason a US trader would shortlist these two. For the entity-level detail see OANDA’s regulation and the Forex.com review.
Both brokers also share several safety and access strengths worth noting before the differences:
- Segregated client funds at tier-1 banks under each regulator’s rules
- FSCS cover up to £85,000 for UK retail clients on both FCA entities
- A US NFA licence, putting both in the four-broker US retail forex set
- An Islamic swap-free overlay on the right entity, MENA at Forex.com, MAS and BVI at OANDA
- A clean current regulator register with no active enforcement action
Here is the licence detail entity by entity, so you can check which one your account would sit under before you fund it.
| Regulator | Forex.com entity | OANDA entity | Client protection |
|---|---|---|---|
| CFTC / NFA (US) | NFA 0339826 | NFA 0325821 | Segregated funds, no SIPC on FX |
| FCA (UK) | Licence 446717 | Licence 542574 | FSCS up to £85,000 |
| ASIC (Australia) | AFSL 345646 | AFSL 412981 | AFCA dispute resolution |
| MAS (Singapore) | Not held | CMS-licensed | SIPF alignment |
| MFSA (Malta, EU) | Not held | IS/93105 | ICF up to €20,000 |
| CIRO (Canada) | Member firm | Authorised | CIPF up to CAD 1 million |
| JFSA (Japan) | Type 1 #1455 | Type 1 FIB | Local investor scheme |
| CIMA (Cayman) | Licensed | Not held | No compensation scheme |
| BVI FSC | Not held | Licensed | No compensation scheme |
| Parent / owner | StoneX (NASDAQ: SNEX) | CVC Capital Partners | Governance layer |
Forex.com was founded in 2001 and OANDA in 1996. The takeaway is simple: fund the entity, not the brand.
OANDA adds MAS Singapore and MFSA Malta cover that Forex.com does not hold, while Forex.com leans on the NASDAQ-listed StoneX parent for audited public disclosure. Check your onboarding entity before you deposit.
OANDA wins on safety breadth with eight regulators and a 30-year unblemished record. Forex.com counters with a listed parent but holds two fewer entities.
Winner: OANDAFees & Spreads: Forex.com vs OANDA
This is where Forex.com pulls ahead for active traders. On the default no-commission accounts the two are close, but the raw-cost tier tells the story.
| Broker | Default tier | Avg EUR/USD spread | Cheapest active tier | Effective cost per lot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forex.com | Standard ($100) | 1.0 to 1.4 pips | Commission, 0.1 pip raw + $5/side | ~$10 round-turn |
| OANDA | Core ($0) | 1.2 pips | Elite, 0.4 pip + $5/side + $50/mo | ~$10 round-turn plus subscription |
Both raw tiers land near $10 round-turn per lot, but OANDA adds a $50 monthly Elite subscription that Forex.com does not charge. That fixed fee only pays back above roughly 25 lots a week, so for most active retail traders Forex.com Commission is cheaper.
Here is what the subscription gap means in cash, comparing the two raw tiers at matched volume.
| Monthly volume | Forex.com Commission | OANDA Elite (incl. $50/mo) | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 lots | ~$100 | ~$150 | Forex.com |
| 25 lots | ~$250 | ~$300 | Forex.com |
| 100 lots | ~$1,000 | ~$1,050 | Forex.com |
OANDA closes the gap only at very high volume, where its Elite Trader rebate activates above $10 million monthly notional. Neither charges a short-term inactivity fee, though both apply a $10 to $15 monthly charge after 12 dormant months.
Beyond EUR/USD, the default-tier spreads I logged track each other closely across the majors and gold.
| Pair | Forex.com (default) | OANDA Core | Tighter |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | 1.0 to 1.4 pips | 1.2 pips | Roughly equal |
| GBP/USD | 1.4 to 1.8 pips | 1.8 pips | Forex.com |
| USD/JPY | 1.2 to 1.6 pips | 1.4 pips | Roughly equal |
| XAU/USD (gold) | 35 to 50 cents | 35 cents | OANDA |
The gap widens only on the raw tiers, where Forex.com Commission runs 0.1 pip against OANDA Elite at 0.4 pip, both plus $5 per side.
Forex.com wins on active-trader cost because its raw account carries no monthly subscription. OANDA only catches up at high-volume rebate tiers.
Winner: Forex.comPlatforms & Execution: Forex.com vs OANDA
Both run the MetaTrader stack cleanly. The difference is OANDA’s proprietary layer, its native TradingView ordering and its public API.
| Broker | Platforms | Mobile (iOS / Android) | Standout surface |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex.com | MT4, MT5, Web Trader, mobile | 4.5 / 4.4 | TradingView routing (UK and AU) |
| OANDA | fxTrade, MT4, MT5, TradingView, API | 4.5 / 4.4 | Native TradingView plus free REST API |
OANDA fills orders directly inside the TradingView chart window, and I clocked its round-trip at 90 ms from a London VPS. It also ships a free REST and Streaming API with a practice environment, which Forex.com does not offer. Forex.com answers with its Web Trader and TradingView routing on the UK and AU entities.
Neither offers cTrader. For raw MetaTrader reliability both are strong, but OANDA has the deeper platform stack.
| Feature | Forex.com | OANDA |
|---|---|---|
| Native TradingView ordering | UK and AU routing | Yes, all non-US entities |
| Public REST and Streaming API | Not offered | Yes, free with practice access |
| Proprietary platform | Web Trader | fxTrade (web, desktop, mobile) |
| cTrader | Not offered | Not offered |
| Fractional lot sizing | 0.01 lot | Down to 1 base-currency unit |
| Copy trading | Not offered | Not offered |
OANDA wins on platform depth with native TradingView execution and a public API. Both tie on core MetaTrader reliability.
Winner: OANDAAccount Types: Forex.com vs OANDA
OANDA opens lower and simpler; Forex.com stacks a far wider catalogue behind a $100 entry. Both include an Islamic swap-free overlay on the right entity.
| Broker | Entry account | Cheapest cost tier | Islamic overlay | Instruments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forex.com | Standard ($100) | Commission, 0.1 pip + $5/side | Yes, MENA, no daily fee | ~5,500 |
| OANDA | Core ($0) | Elite, 0.4 pip + $5/side + $50/mo | MAS and BVI entities only | 124 |
When I funded both, I found OANDA’s $0 Core account the friendliest live-trading entry for a beginner. Forex.com starts at $100 but its Commission account is the cost sweet spot once volume picks up.
See the full account-tier breakdown for both brokers
- Forex.com Standard ($100): retail and swing trading, zero commission, 1.0 to 1.4 pip avg
- Forex.com Commission ($100): active traders, 0.1 pip raw plus $5 per side
- Forex.com DMA ($25,000): high-volume desks, UK and AU only
- Forex.com Islamic overlay (MENA): swap-free on Standard, no daily holding fee
- OANDA Core ($0): first-time and swing traders, 1.2 pip avg, zero commission
- OANDA Elite Pricing ($0, US/UK/SG): active intraday, 0.4 pip plus $5/side plus $50/mo
- OANDA Elite Trader: high-volume algo desks, rebate ladder above $10M notional
- OANDA Islamic (MAS / BVI): swap-free overlay for Muslim-majority jurisdictions
The 5,500 versus 124 headline hides where the range sits. Forex.com stacks its count almost entirely on single-name stock CFDs, while OANDA is a focused forex-first house.
| Asset class | Forex.com | OANDA |
|---|---|---|
| Forex pairs | 80 | 68 |
| Metals | 15 | 8 |
| Indices | 20 | 16 |
| Commodities and energy | 25 | 12 |
| Stock CFDs | 5,340 | 0 |
| Crypto CFDs | 8 | 14 |
| Bonds | 12 | 6 |
| Total | ~5,500 | ~124 |
OANDA actually lists close to the same number of currency pairs despite the far smaller headline. If you want single-name equities, Forex.com’s 5,340 stock CFDs are the reason to pick it.
OANDA wins on entry accessibility with a $0 minimum. Forex.com wins decisively on instrument range and shares CFDs.
Winner: OANDADeposits & Withdrawals: Forex.com vs OANDA
Payout speed is close, both settling ACH in about two business days. The split is on funding method breadth, where Forex.com carries e-wallets that OANDA does not.
| Method | Forex.com | OANDA | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa | Instant | Instant | Free both |
| Mastercard | Instant | Instant | Free both |
| Skrill | Yes | Not offered | Forex.com only |
| Neteller | Yes | Not offered | Forex.com only |
| PayID (AU) | Instant | Not offered | Forex.com only |
| PayPal | Not offered | UK entity only | OANDA only |
| ACH (US) | 2 business days | 1 to 2 business days | Free both |
| SEPA (EU) | Same day | 1 business day | Free both |
| Crypto | Not offered | Not offered | Neither |
I ran ACH withdrawals at both brokers; Forex.com settled in 2 business days and OANDA in 1 to 2 across 5 payouts.
Forex.com adds Skrill, Neteller and AU PayID rails, which OANDA does not run. OANDA answers with PayPal on the UK entity, unusual in regulated forex, but that is a single method against Forex.com’s wider e-wallet coverage.
Forex.com wins on funding breadth with Skrill, Neteller and PayID e-wallets. Payout speed itself is roughly level between the two.
Winner: Forex.comCustomer Support: Forex.com vs OANDA
Both run multi-desk support across the US, UK and Japan. OANDA answered faster in testing.
| Broker | Live chat response | Phone desks | Notable coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex.com | 2 min 10 sec (recent tests) | US, UK, AU, JP | Japanese-language portal |
| OANDA | 1 min 40 sec (5 tests) | US, UK, JP | Japanese-language live chat |
I timed OANDA’s live chat at 1 minute 40 seconds on average across the 5 contacts I made, ahead of Forex.com at 2 minutes 10 seconds. Both connect phone desks during local business hours without queue delays, and both run a complete Japanese-language client experience rather than a translated one.
OANDA wins on tested response speed. Both are strong on multi-region desks and Japanese-language support.
Winner: OANDAPros & Cons: Forex.com vs OANDA
- Roughly 5,500 instruments including 5,340 single-name stock CFDs
- Commission account at about $10 round-turn with no monthly subscription
- NASDAQ-listed parent StoneX (ticker SNEX) with audited SEC disclosure
- Skrill, Neteller and AU PayID funding rails OANDA does not offer
- One of only four brokers licensed for US retail forex
- $100 minimum entry versus a $0 start at OANDA
- Standard EUR/USD ran 1.0 to 1.4 pips, above OANDA Core
- Six regulators versus OANDA's eight, and no public API
- Eight regulators including the rare US NFA tier and a 30-year clean record
- $0 minimum deposit on Core and Elite Pricing accounts
- Native TradingView ordering routed in 90 ms from a London VPS
- Free public REST and Streaming API with a practice environment
- Live chat answered in 1 min 40 sec across 5 tests
- Only 124 instruments and no single-name stock CFD layer
- Elite Pricing adds a $50 monthly subscription on the raw tier
- No Skrill, Neteller or crypto funding rails
Who Should Pick Which
Match your trader profile to the broker that fits it. This is the fastest way to decide without re-reading every section above.
- Trading shares CFDs and want a 5,500-instrument catalogue
- An active trader who wants a raw account with no monthly fee
- Reassured by a NASDAQ-listed parent and audited disclosure
- Funding with Skrill, Neteller or AU PayID e-wallets
- A US, UK or AU resident who wants breadth on one account
- New to forex and want a $0 live-trading entry
- Weighting regulatory breadth across eight jurisdictions
- A chart-first trader who wants native TradingView execution
- Building an algo strategy on a free public REST API
- A US, Singapore or Canada client wanting onshore cover
Bottom Line: Forex.com vs OANDA
OANDA wins the head-to-head overall at 8.7 against 8.2. It runs eight regulators to Forex.com’s six, opens at $0 versus $100, and answered live chat in 1 minute 40 seconds against 2 minutes 10 seconds.
Forex.com is the better broker for a specific trader: the one who wants shares CFDs, a 5,500-instrument catalogue and a raw account with no monthly subscription.
- Pick OANDA if you want the broadest regulation, a $0 entry and native TradingView execution
- Pick Forex.com if you want shares CFDs, 5,500 instruments and a no-subscription raw account
- Brand new to forex? Start with OANDA
- Trading single-name equities alongside forex? Go with Forex.com
Top pick overall
Best for traders wanting eight-regulator safety, a $0 start and TradingView execution.
- $0 minimum deposit on Core and Elite Pricing
- Native TradingView ordering routed in 90 ms
- Regulated: NFA, CFTC, FCA, MAS, ASIC
Visit OANDA
Best for instrument range
Best for traders wanting shares CFDs and a no-subscription raw account.
- Roughly 5,500 instruments including 5,340 stock CFDs
- Commission account about $10 round-turn, no monthly fee
- Regulated: CFTC, FCA, ASIC, listed parent StoneX
Visit Forex.com
For the full per-account detail, read our Forex.com review and our OANDA review. Both were tested against the same testing methodology, and you can check is OANDA legit for the OANDA entity breakdown.
New to the category? Start with our best forex brokers guide.
CFDs are complex instruments. 74-89% of retail accounts lose money. Affiliate disclosure: how we earn. Reviewed by Laura West, last updated 2026-08-05.
Scorecard: Forex.com vs OANDA
Star ratings out of 5, converted from our tested 10-point scores for each broker.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is safer, Forex.com or OANDA?
Both are safe and multi-regulated, but OANDA edges the safety score at 9.4 against Forex.com at 9.0. OANDA runs eight regulated entities: NFA and CFTC (US, NFA ID 0325821), FCA (UK, 542574) with FSCS up to £85,000, MFSA Malta (IS/93105), ASIC (AFSL 412981), CIRO Canada with CIPF up to CAD 1 million, MAS Singapore, JFSA Japan and BVI FSC. Forex.com runs six entities under NASDAQ-listed StoneX: CFTC and NFA (0339826), FCA (446717), ASIC (AFSL 345646), CIRO, JFSA and CIMA Cayman. Both have a clean current enforcement record. Check which entity holds your account before you fund it, because that decides your real protection level.
Which has tighter spreads, Forex.com or OANDA?
It depends on your account tier. On the default no-commission accounts they are close: Forex.com Standard ran 1.0 to 1.4 pips on EUR/USD and OANDA Core averaged 1.2 pips. On the cheapest active tier Forex.com is the better value. Its Commission account is 0.1 pip raw plus $5 per side, about $10 round-turn, with no monthly fee. OANDA's Elite Pricing is 0.4 pip plus $5 per side but adds a $50 monthly subscription, so it only pays off above roughly 25 lots a week. For most active retail traders, Forex.com Commission wins on total cost until OANDA's high-volume rebates activate.
Do Forex.com and OANDA accept US clients?
Yes, both do, and that is the headline reason to compare them. Forex.com and OANDA are two of only four brokers licensed to offer retail forex to US residents, alongside IG US and TastyFX. Forex.com US runs through StoneX Financial Inc (NFA ID 0339826) and OANDA through OANDA Corporation (NFA ID 0325821). Both cap US leverage at 1:50 on majors, enforce FIFO order matching and prohibit hedging, because those are CFTC rules rather than broker policies. US clients cannot trade crypto CFDs at either broker, and OANDA's US clients trade on fxTrade or TradingView rather than MetaTrader.
Can I open accounts at both Forex.com and OANDA?
Yes. There is no restriction on holding live accounts at both brokers at the same time. A common split works like this: keep an OANDA Core account for its $0 entry, native TradingView execution and eight-regulator safety, then open a Forex.com account when you want shares CFDs or the 5,500-instrument catalogue that OANDA's 124-line range cannot match. Each broker runs its own KYC, so you verify identity documents twice. Keep both document sets current to avoid a withdrawal pause on either side. Both are US-licensed, so a US resident can legally hold both.
Which is better for beginners, Forex.com or OANDA?
OANDA is the stronger beginner pick, mainly on entry cost. It opens at a $0 minimum deposit with negative balance protection on the ESMA-aligned entities, so a new trader can fund exactly what they want to risk. Its Core account uses simple single-number pricing with no commission to track. Forex.com opens at $100, which is still low, and its education library scores well, but its Standard spread of 1.0 to 1.4 pips runs slightly above OANDA Core. OANDA also fills orders directly inside TradingView, a clean first surface. If you are brand new and want the lowest entry, OANDA fits better.
Which has more instruments, Forex.com or OANDA?
Forex.com wins on breadth by a wide margin. It lists roughly 5,500 instruments, and the vast majority of that count is single-name stock CFDs, plus forex, metals, indices, commodities and a small crypto CFD range on the UK and AU entities. OANDA lists about 124 instruments, built around forex, metals, indices, commodities and bonds with no equity CFD layer on most entities. If you want one account to trade a broad range of shares alongside forex, Forex.com is the clear pick. If your focus is forex, metals and indices, OANDA covers that well and the smaller count is not a constraint.