26 Best CFTC Regulated Forex Brokers – ( Reviewed ) 2025

Here is a collection of some of the Best CFTC Regulated Forex brokers, according to research in South Africa. CFTC is an independent regulatory organization situated in the United States and is the very important task of regulating the financial markets of all firms and individuals who are dealing in futures contracts, including swaps and commodities. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission or CFTC is designed to create a transparent, competitive, and financially stable market and offers protection to both consumers as well as the integrity of the US economy.

CFTC regulated brokers are required by law to be licensed and regulated by both the CFTC and the NFA and the CFTC follows a legislative rule book which is meticulously updated to ensure that all firms and individuals who take part in the financial markets abide by strict rules of conduct, hereby avoiding fraud or abuse.

The main purpose of the CFTC is to regulate forex brokers who provide brokerage services for all types of commodities, including oil, precious metals, agricultural commodities, and other types of futures contracts.

XM Group

The XM Group provides the entire suite of MetaTrader platforms plus over 1300 tradeable instruments.

• The XM Group is regulated in two tier-1 jurisdictions and one tier-2 jurisdiction, making it a safe broker (average-risk) for forex and CFDs trading.
• Pricing at XM Group varies by account type.

XM Group is considered as an average-risk, and is not publicly-traded and does not operate a bank.

Offering of Investments

The XM Group offers traders CFDs on 1200 stocks, 30 indices, eight commodities, four metals, five energies, and 57 forex pairs.

Commissions & Fees

The commissions and fees at XM Group is depended on the type of account used.

Spreads: In the XM Zero account, average spreads on the EUR/USD stand at 0.1 pips (according to XM Group website data, and not including commission), compared to the commission-free Standard and Micro account, which had average spreads of 1.7 pips for the same pairs.

Commissions: Even after including the USD $3.5 per side commission ($7 per Round Turn), and average spreads of 0.1 pips on the EUR/USD, the all-in cost to trade is 0.8 pips (0.1 spread + 0.7 RT commission), making the XM Zero account the firm’s most competitively priced offering.

Platforms & Tools

XM Group is a MetaTrader-only broker offering the standard experience which includes both MT4 and MT5.

XM Group’s research offering consists of:

• Content generated by an in-house team of analysts including:
• Daily market recaps and
• Technical and fundamental analysis articles and videos.
• An economic calendar powered by Investing.com

Trading signals: The XM Group offers its trading signals hub to live account holders but, trading signals that can be automated are currently limited to the Signals Market available within the MetaTrader platform.

Technical analysis:  The XM Group offers Tradepedia, which provides educational Forex and CFD content.

Video news analysis:  The XM Group creates daily forex news videos with market analysis explained in a TV interview-style format.

Customer Service

• Average Connection Time:<1 minute
• Average Net Promoter Score:66 / 10
• Average Professionalism Score:2 / 10
• Overall Score:7 / 10
• Ranking:24th out of 43 brokers

Forex Time (FXTM)

Forex Time (FXTM) is a MetaTrader broker which offers forex and CFD traders multiple account options for both MT4 and MT5 platforms.

Forex Time (FXTM) User Likes and Dislikes:

Pros and Cons

Is FXTM Safe?

FXTM is considered average-risk and is not publicly traded and does not operate a bank. FXTM is authorised by zero tier-1 regulators (high trust), one tier-2 regulator (average trust), and one tier-3 regulator (low trust).

Commissions & Fees

FXTM offers users seven different accounts types where the execution method, range of markets, available platform, and commissions and fees may vary.  Three accounts are offered under the Standard category.

Customer Service

• Average Connection Time:<1 minute
• Average Net Promoter Score:6 / 10
• Average Professionalism Score:4 / 10
• Overall Score:8 / 10
• Ranking:23^rd of 43 brokers

FXTM provides research in the form of daily technical and fundamental news analysis provided by an in-house team of analysts.

Alpari

Alpari with its long-standing brand history, numerous offices, range of account types and diverse managed account offerings is the perfect choice for Forex and CFD traders who are looking to leverage the power of MetaTrader platforms.

Alpari User likes and Dislikes:

Pros and Cons

Is Alpari Safe?

Alpari is considered high-risk, and is not publicly traded and does not operate a bank. Alpari is authorised by zero tier-1 regulators (high trust), zero tier-2 regulators (average trust), and one tier-3 regulators (low trust).

Commissions & Fees

The commissions and fees at Alpari are varied and depend on the account type and platform used.

Customer Service

• Average Connection Time:<1 minute
• Average Net Promoter Score:33 / 10
• Average Professionalism Score:2 / 10
• Overall Score:5 / 10
• Ranking:26^th in 43 brokers

Alpari integrates research content from several third-party providers under its Forex Analytics section and is a MetaTrader-only broker.  The native versions of the mobile app for MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 are available for Android and iOS devices straight from the developer.

InstaForex

InstaForex is a MetaTrader only broker.

InstaForex user likes and dislikes:

Pros and Cons

Is Instaforex Safe?

Instaforex is considered high-risk and is not publicly traded and does not operate a bank. Instaforex is authorised by zero tier-1 regulators (high trust), one tier-2 regulator (average trust), and one tier-3 regulator (low trust).

Commissions & Fees

InstaForex offers users two main account types:

• Standard (ECN / non-dealing desk)
• Eurica (dealing desk).

Both above mentioned accounts have a 1 USD minimum deposit.

Research & Education

InstaForex provides a range of offerings which includes InstaForex’s daily market analysis blogs and technical analysis posts via MT5. Interviews, weekly reviews, and educational videos are also available.

Education primarily includes videos, a glossary, and a variety of text articles based on forex trading.

Platforms & Tools

InstaForex is a MetaTrader4-only broker – offering the MT4 platform suite from MetaQuotes Software Corporation, developer of the widely popular MT4 and MT5 platforms for desktop, mobile, and web.

• InstaForex features only the default functionality
• No other third-party platforms or plugins provided to traders

iOS and Android versions of the MetaTrader 4 mobile app come standard and are both available for download from the Apple iTunes store and Android Playstore, respectively.

Pepperstone

Pepperstone was founded in 2010 in Melbourne, and processes, on average, $12.55 billion of trades each day (October 2019) and is best known for its extensive selection of third-party trading platforms.

Pepperstone provides forex and CFD traders competitive pricing, outstanding customer service, and one of the largest selections of third-party platforms available.  Pepperstone also offers a small set of tradeable products but.

Is Pepperstone Safe?

Pepperstone is measured as average-risk and is not publicly traded and does not operate a bank. Pepperstone is authorised by:

• Two tier-1 regulators
• Zero tier-2 regulators
• Zero tier-3 regulators

Pepperstone is authorised by the following tier-1 regulators: Australian Securities & Investment Commission (ASIC) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

Commissions & Fees

Pepperstone is an agency-execution broker and offers a decent range of options on pricing plans, with its commission-based Razor Account being the top choice.

Account types

Pepperstone offers two pricing models which are dependent on the account type the user wishes to open, ranging from:

The Standard Account: Which incorporates commissions into the prevailing spreads. Fees may also slightly vary, depending on the platform the user choose to trade.  The standard account is commission-free but has higher spreads and is not as competitive as the Razor Account.

Razor Account: The Razor Account can be used with either the MetaTrader (MT4) or cTrader platforms and follows a commission-based pricing structure in addition to prevailing spreads.

Active traders: Pepperstone’s active trader program offers discounts on the appropriate commission rates which helps to boost its ranking in the active trader category.

• A minimum amount of 200 lots is required to qualify for the lowest tier
• A rebate of $1.00 per standard lot
• Applies only to Razor accounts.

Order-Routing: Pepperstone uses its EDGE infrastructure to help bridge the MetaTrader platform with liquidity providers and incorporates its Pepperstone Price Improvement (PPI) technology to help improve execution rates.

Platforms & Tools

Pepperstone offers an excellent third-party platform.

• Platforms: Pepperstone offers the full MetaTrader and cTrader suites which includes a MT4 (desktop and web), MT4 Multi-terminal, MT5, cTrader (desktop and web), and cAlgo. Traders can use either account type, Razor, or Standard, with any platform.

Copy trading:  Pepperstone offers

• The MirrorTrader and RoboX platform from Tradency
• The ZuluTrade platform
• MyFxbook for MT4

cTrader vs MT4: Both cTrader and MT4 support algorithmic trading, cTrader has an advantage with its web-based platform.

Broad range of third-party social copy-trading platforms and research tools:

• Third-party tools:Pepperstone offers traders access to AutoChartist, which is a well-known, popular software provider of automated pattern recognition and trading signals.

• Smart Trader Tools are also offered by Pepperstone which included an MT4 add-on with tools such as sentiment indicators.

• Market analysis: Pepperstone offers content from third-party analysts. Trading Economics, a provider of market data, powers the firm’s economic calendar.

• In-house commentary:  Pepperstone’s in-house research offers content such as “Daily Fix” and a “Chart of the Day” series.

Mobile Trading

At Pepperstone, Mobile trading is conduct with either the MetaTrader 4 (MT4) or MetaTrader 5 (MT5) mobile app, or the cTrader app, all available directly from the developer.

Customer Service

• Average Connection Time:<1 minute
• Average Net Promoter Score:9 / 10
• Average Professionalism Score:5 / 10
• Overall Score:42 / 10
• Ranking:4^th of 22 brokers

AvaTrade

AvaTrade is an excellent partner for all types of trader, be it beginner or pro – with over 200,000 active traders around the globe, on both the MetaTrader 4 and AvaGo platforms.  AvaTrade offers great trading conditions across Forex, commodities, cryptocurrencies, ETFs, bonds, and equities and boasting FSCA and ASIC regulation.

Benefits

AvaTrade does not charge their clients for making deposits and withdrawals and the only costs are the bank card, e-wallet, or bank transfer fees.  Traders have access to professional customer support, 24 hours a day, five days a week.

HotForex

HotForex offers traders a variety of account types to choose from including fixed and floating spreads, commission-free trading (in Micro, Premium and Fixed accounts) or tighter spreads, involving commission fees. Beginner traders can sign up for Micro accounts with a minimum deposit of as little as $5, and micro lots are available for trade on all accounts.

An Auto Account, which enables traders to subscribe to free and paid Trading Signals from the MQL5 Community and a HF Social account, which provides trading powered by FxStat is also on offer.

Benefits

HotForex is a retail forex broker, offering attractive conditions for trading in a wide range of instruments, including Forex, Spot Metals and CFDs on commodities, indices and popular shares such as Google, Apple and Facebook.

easyMarkets

easyMarkets is an easy to use platform and offers several unique features which is attractive to beginners through its branded trading platform. easyMarkets is pricey and offers only a small selection of tradeable products.  easyMarkets was founded in 2001 and is regulated in one tier-1 jurisdiction and one tier-2 jurisdiction, making it a safe choice and average-risk for forex and CFDs trading.

easyMarkets has an excellent proprietary web-based platform that is easy to use and offers two beginner-friendly features including dealCancellation and Freeze Rate. The easyMarkets line-up includes forex market research tools, 256 tradeable instruments, and a mobile app.

Features

easyMarkets offers two platforms, its own proprietary HTML5 web-based platform and MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and a good customer service experience.

IG

IG is regulated and trusted across the globe and offers traders an extensive list of tradeable products, excellent trading and research tools, industry-leading education, and competitive rates.

Features

IG uses its size to provide traders competitive pricing across the board, regardless of the product traders choose to trade, and stands out from the crowd for its active trader pricing available through its Forex Direct accounts.

Platforms and Tools

• Flagship platform:IG’s main trading platform is its patented web-based platform.

• Charting:The default charts within the platform feature advanced functionality, such as the ability to add an alert on a specific indicator, with a total of 28 studies available to select.

• Additional platforms: The MetaTrader4 (MT4) platform and its L2 Dealer platform where Forex Direct and Direct Market Access (DMA) are available for share trading.

• ProRealTime charts:More advanced charting with nearly 100 indicators is provided by IG via the ProRealTime premium charting.

IG provides traders with an excellent selection of quality market research and its mobile app competes with the best of the best as the app comes packed with plenty of features that will satisfy both casual and advanced traders.

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Forex.com

FOREX.com delivers an excellent trading experience for both forex and CFDs traders alike. With competitive pricing, full-feature trading platforms, comprehensive market research, and a robust mobile app, FOREX.com caters to traders of all experience levels, from beginner to pro.

FOREX.com is publicly-traded and regulated in four tier-1 jurisdictions, making it low-risk for forex and CFDs trading alike.  FOREX.com has earned Best in Class (top 7) awards for numerous categories in 2025, including Offering of Investments, Commissions & Fees, Education, Professional Trading, Crypto Trading, Ease of Use, and Overall.

Features

FOREX.com’s pricing structure is competitive and easy to understand, provides forex traders everything they need, and more, to trade effectively through platforms and tools on offer, which include – Advanced Trading, Web Trading and MetaTrader.

FBS

FBS offers traders a choice of four accounts and all accounts offer market execution and the chance to trade in micro lots in Cent accounts for more precise risk management.

Benefits

FBS is a popular international broker and offers clients competitive trading conditions, a wide range of trading accounts, payment methods, a choice of fixed and variable spreads, Metatrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, as well as various promotions.  An account with FBS can be opened for just $1.

OANDA

OANDA is the Most Regulated Forex Broker and operate across six of the most credible authorities including:

• Australia AISC (Australian Securities and Investments Commission)
• United States CFTC (Commodity Futures Trading Commission)
• Europe and UK FCA – (Financial Conduct Authority)
• Japan IFFA (Institute Financial Futures Association)
• Singapore MAS (Monetary Authority of Singapore)
• Canada IIROC (Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada)

OANDA Focuses on Transparency

OANDA is focused on pricing transparency and customer satisfaction and they offer real-time data from liquidity providers and finds mid-points across instruments. When it comes to customer support, OANDA boasts multiple customer service awards for 24 hours/6 days a week support. Live chat, emails and phone support is available.

OctaFX

OctaFX is one of the very few forex brokers which offers traders Metatrader and cTrader.

OctaFX offer Market execution with all their platforms and allows scalping & hedging, Expert Advisors and custom indicators.

VPS service is also available with their MT4 platform.

Features

• Supports: MT4, MT5 & cTrader for desktop, web & mobile
• Minimum deposit: $100 (₦36,000)
• Leverage: 1:500 (variable based on account type)
• Trading Instruments: 28 currency pairs, 3 Cryptocurrencies, CFDs on Indices, metals

XTB

XTB is a European broker which was founded in 2002, and has offices in 13 countries across the globe.  XTB is regulated by some of the world’s biggest supervision authorities and has been listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange since 2016.

Features

XTB is a fintech company which combines financial services with innovative technology and it offers clients two platforms to choose from:

• xStation 5
• MT4

XTB is different from other brokers in three main aspects: its trading platform, their level of educational and analytical materials, and a high level of support.  XTB offers free educational material in the form of their online Trading Academy and video tutorials.

Traders can choose from 25 crypto CFDs (9 individual coins or 16 crypto pairs) which are available 7 days a week (from 3am Saturday to 9pm Friday). Traders can buy or sell digital coins with 2:1 leverage and 365-day expiry.

Pros and Cons

To open a live account, traders will need a minimum deposit of at least $1.

Features

XTB support a wide range of languages including English, Spanish, Czech, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovenian, Turkish, Arabic, and Russian.

eToro

eToro is a leading social trading platform for trading major financial markets including stocks, forex and cryptocurrencies.

Pros and Cons

eToro offers over 1,083 different instruments to trade, including over 47 currency pairs.

Features

eToro supports a wide range of languages including English, German, Spanish, French, and Italian.

Interactive Brokers

Interactive Brokers had its start in 1978 and is one of the biggest US-based discount brokers regulated by several financial authorities globally.

Pros and Cons

Markets.com

Markets.com is an online broker which founded in 2008 and offers Forex, CFDs and Spread Bets. Spread Bets are only available to UK customers trading and Markets.com is a global broker with a head office situated in Cyprus.

New traders will need to make a minimum deposit of $100 and a demo account is available for those who wants to try before they ‘buy’ in.

Traders can trade in a wide variety of instruments and currency pairs

• Over 100 instruments
• Over 80 currency pairs

Markets.com offers both of the MetaTrader platforms; MT4 and MT5. plus, mobile apps for Android and iOS.

Benefits

• Allows scalping
• Allows hedging
• Low min deposit
• Guaranteed stop loss
• Offers Negative Balance Protection

Accounts offered

• Demo account
• Mini account
• Standard account
• Islamic account

Markets.com support a wide range of languages including Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, and Turkish.

Roboforex

Roboforex are an online, global broker which was founded in 2009 and offers traders Forex and CFDs trading.  When starting off with Roboforex traders will need to make a minimum deposit of $1 and there is an option available for a demo account for those who would like to get acquainted with the platform.

Roboforex can accommodate various levels of traders, from experienced to beginner, and they can trade a wide variety of instruments and currency pairs.  Roboforex offers over 100 instruments and over 35 currency pairs in total.

Roboforex offers traders both of the MetaTrader platforms; MT4 and MT5 plus the cTrader platform developed for traders.   Roboforex also offer mobile apps for Android and iOS.

Benefits

• Allows scalping
• Allows hedging
• Offers STP
• Low min deposit

Roboforex Trading Accounts include – Demo, Micro, Mini, Standard, Zero, ECN, STP and Islamic and all accounts support a wide range of languages including English, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Indonesian, Malaysian, and much more.

FP Markets

FP Markets is a global, online broker which was founded in 2005 and offer Forex trading and has a head office situated in Australia.  When starting off with FP Markets traders will need to make a minimum deposit of $100 and a demo account is on offer with a wide variety of instruments and currency pairs on offer.

Over 100 instruments and over 60 currency pairs in total is on offer, on the popular MT4 forex trading platform.  FP Markets also offers traders mobile apps for Android and iOS.

Benefits

• Allows scalping
• Allows hedging
• Offers STP
• Low min deposit
• Offers Negative Balance Protection

FP Markets Trading Accounts Offered include: Demo, Mini, Standard, ECN, STP, Managed and Islamic and all accounts support a wide range of languages including English, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Bulgarian, Arabic, Russian, French, Italian, Greek, Philippines, Latvian, Polish, Indonesian, Thai, Malay, German, Vietnamese.

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HYCM

HYCM is an online broker which was founded in 1977 and offers Forex and CFDs trading on the popular MT4 forex trading platform plus mobile apps for Android and iOS.

Traders starting off with HYCM will need to make a minimum deposit of at least $100 and have the choice to sign up for a demo account perfect for various levels of traders, experienced or novice.

a wide variety of instruments and currency pairs are available for trade:

• Over 100 instruments
• Over 40 currency pairs

Benefits

• Allows scalping
• Allows hedging
• Low min deposit

HYCM Trading Accounts on offer include Demo, Micro, Mini, Standard and Islamic and the minimum and maximum trade requirements will vary depending on the trader and the instrument.

IQ Option

IQ Option was founded in 2013 and offers two accounts that are designed to be accessible to every trader regardless of their experience level, and trading balance. The standard trading account can be opened by depositing a minimum of $10 and offers all the trading tools a trader would need, and is a perfect choice for beginners.

The VIP account is similar in many ways to the standard account but requires a minimum deposit of $1900, or a total trading volume of $1500.

BDSwiss

BDSwiss offers 3 types of accounts – Basic, Raw, and Black VIP. These accounts come with a minimum deposit of $100 accept the Raw account which has a monthly subscription fee of between $1 and $79.

BDSwiss offers both full demo and Islamic accounts are available and traders can fund their account through wire transfer deposits as well as through credit card and deposits which are fee free in most cases. Trading with the broker takes place through MT4, MT5, and WebTrader.

Other lesser-known but mention worthy CFTC Regulated Brokers include:

Oinvest

Tradestation

FX Primus

TD Ameritrade

Read 20 Best Forex Brokers compared side by side – ( Reviewed ) 2025

In Conclusion

The CFTC is committed to its task of keeping the integrity of the futures and financial market intact and makes every effort to inform traders on their every move.  CFTC registered brokers offer traders a safe, supervised and trustworthy environment.  CFTC will also track the activities of fraudulent businesses and warn traders against them, according to research in South Africa

Frequently Asked Questions

What does CFTC regulated brokers mean?

Brokers that are regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission of the USA, who in turn works in partnership with the National Futures Association and the US Securities and Exchange Commission to ensure that brokers are operating in a responsible way.

Are CFTC regulated brokers safe?

Extremely safe.

Who is the best CFTC regulated Forex Brokers?

Here is a list of the 26 Best CFTC Regulated Forex Brokers

How do I make sure that a broker is regulated by CFTC?

The NFA is the CFTC designated regulator for forex brokers. Find the NFA license number on the broker on its website.  Verify the license number by going to the NFA’s (BASIC) Background Affiliation Status Information Center website and entering the number to check the status of the broker.

Is XM Group a CFTC regulated broker?

Yes.