16 Best Low Leverage Forex Brokers

As most Forex traders know, leverage can quickly and exponentially amplify your losses especially when starting out, but it can also amplify profits. In this list of the 16 best Forex brokers with low leverages you will be able to assess the broker and decide if low leverage is worth employing at the outset.

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 76.31% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

More about Forex brokers with low margin requirements in the video below:

What is leverage?

Leverage is the use of borrowed funds, from the broker, in order to increase one’s trading position beyond what would be available from the trader’s cash balance alone.

Forex traders often use leverage to profit from relatively small price changes in currency pairs.

They can get up to 1000 times the profit amount that they would have been able to generate with their own capital and a 1:1 leverage.

Leverage, however, can quickly and exponentially amplify losses as well if you aren’t an experienced trader that knows what they are doing and knows how to manage risk.

Because of this, most good brokers will allow you to use low leverages (of even 1:1) so that you can gain experience, learn to trade better and also learn how to begin using leverage responsibly.

Many brokers, especially those that are highly regulated, have leverage caps, with Forex pairs being traded at 1:30 (major pairs) and 1:20 for exotic pairs.

This mitigates risk and will give you the time to gain the experience and confidence needed to make use of high leverages to greatly increase your potential for profit.  When you are ready.

This is list is not ranked in any particular order but is rather a comprehensive list of great brokers to choose from.

Alpari

Alpari allows you to change your leverage from the highest at 1000:1 to the lowest at 1:1, giving you the freedom to set your own leverage.

However, lowering your leverage will subject you to stricter margin requirements, says Alpari.

Alpari was established in 1998, relaunched in 2014 and is based in and regulated by the Financial Services Commission (FSC) of the Republic of Mauritius.

Alpari gives their traders access to more than 250 markets in Forex, Stocks, Indices, Metals and Cryptocurrencies.  They offer both the MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 platforms on Desktop, Web and Mobile formats.

Both beginner and experienced traders will find a good fit with Alpari with demo accounts and educational resources as well as boasting more than $1.3 trillion in trading turnover per year.

Features

• Over 60 Forex currency pairs and crosses available for trading
• Choice between ECN and market-maker execution models
• Available on PCs, smartphones, tablets and the web
• One click trading on MetaTrader 5
• MT5 Bridge technology with access to interbank liquidity
• Alpari mobile app for Forex trading
• Alpari Invest mobile app for investors to manage investments in one place
• Alpari Fix-Contracts trading on mobile and online version

Pros and Cons

FXTM

FXTM (ForexTime) provides really flexible leverage from 1:1 up to 2000:1.

There is nothing worse than a broker closing your position because you don’t have enough margin in your trading account.

FXTM states that understanding the margin requirements ahead of time is good risk management practice every trader should employ.

As such they clearly set out the leverage and margin on their website for all Forex pairs and trading platforms.

They even clearly show you how to calculate the Forex margin requirements with flexible leverage for you to work out.

FXTM is a licensed and well-regulated broker worldwide, from the UK, South Africa, Belize, Cyprus and Mauritius as examples.  They also boast an impressive list of awards.

FXTM was founded in 2012 with offices in major cities like London, Germany, Poland, France, Spain, Italy, Turkey, China, Thailand, South Korea, Malaysia, India and Nigeria.

All central operations are directed from FXTM’s five story tower located in Cyprus.

FXTM offers tight spreads, trading in all currency pairs as well as a wide range of other financial products and derivatives.

Features

• MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 on mobile, web or desktop
• Allows hedging
• ECN Zero account
• Low stock index CFD fees
• Spreads as low as 0.1 pip for a standard account and 0 pips for ECN based trading accounts
• Over 5000 trading strategies when copy trading with FXTM invest

Pros and Cons

FP Markets

FP Markets provides leverage up to 500:1 on Forex pairs and precious metal CFDs.

Because leverage can amplify both profit and losses it is important to first assess what your risk tolerance is, says FP Markets.

As a trusted broker FP Markets show they care about managing your risk by advising every Forex trader to select leverage cautiously accordingly to your risk tolerance.

FP Markets is an Australian CFD and Forex broker that was founded in 2005 and is regulated by the Australian ASIC and the Cypriot CySEC.

They offer MT4, MT5 platforms as well as over 50 currency pairs, gold, silver, CFDs, Indices, stocks and cryptos to trade with.

Features

• MetaTrader 4 Trader Toolbox which has 12 online trading tools for better enhanced trading decisions
• Iress trader platform with enhanced trading tools for professionals
• Offer Direct Markets Access (DMA)
• Demo Account for beginner traders
• 50 plus currency pairings to trade

Pros and Cons

XM

XM offers flexible leverage from 1:1 up to 888:1 depending on the account type opened with them, allowing you to choose your desired risk level.

They also note that the margin required will be unchanged during the week, overnight or on weekends, and it is up to you to request an increase or decrease in leverage.

XM suggest by monitoring in real-time your used and available margin you should be able to limit your risk exposure. This will also avoid any surprises when XM follows their margin call policy when your account equity drops below 50% of the margin needed to keep the trade open.

XM Global was established in 2017 and offers more than 1000 financial instruments which includes Forex Trading, Stocks CFDs, Commodities CFDs, Equity Indices CFDs, Precious Metals CFDs and Energies CFDs.

XM is regulated by the International Financial Services Commission. They offer over 55 currency pairs for Forex trading and boast having over 70,000 traders.

XM offers 2 trading platforms which are accessible from both real and demo accounts; both MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, the most widely used platforms in trading.

They are an award winning firm with some of their recent awards being: Best FX Service Provider for 2025 awarded by City of Wealth Management Awards 2025, Best Customer Service Global 2019 awarded by Capital Finance International Magazine, Best Market Research and Education Global 2019 awarded by Capital Finance International Magazine, and Best FX Service Provider awarded by City of London Wealth Management Awards 2019.

Features

• Allows scalping
• Offers negative balance protection
• Low min deposit
• Offers Negative Balance Protection
• Allows Hedging

Pros and Cons

GO Markets

At the time of writing this article GO Markets have limited their leverage up to 500:1 due to the market volatility in June 2025.

We believe this demonstrates good risk management practice to protect clients which we believe is an excellent move.  Every account is setup by default with a leverage of 100:1 and you can set this lower to 1:1 or higher up to 500:1.

GO Markets is one of the leading and trusted Australian regulated brokers and was established in 2006.  They have offices in Melbourne, London, Taipei and Hong Kong.

GO Markets currently offers more than 350 tradeable CFD instruments including Forex, Shares, Indices and Commodities and Cryptocurrencies.

Features

• Allows hedging
• Allows scalping
• Offers STP
• Offers Negative Balance Protection

Pros and Cons

AvaTrade

AvaTrade has a variety of leverage options up to 400:1 and depends on the product and platform that you select.

On MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 platforms you will get 400:1 leverage, and gold is also 400:1, but crude oil and silver only get 200:1 leverage.

For individuals trading with AvaTrade, you must have 50% equity in your account, of your used margin, in both MetaTrader 4 and AvaOptions accounts.

AvaTrade was founded in 2006.  Their headquarters are in Dublin, Ireland but they also have  offices around the world, located in Japan, Australia, Ireland, and the British Virgin Islands with sales offices also in Paris, Milan, Madrid, Mongolia, Beijing, Nigeria, Santiago, and Johannesburg.

AvaTrade offers more than 250 instruments which include more than 60 currency pairs, major stock indices, cryptocurrencies, commodities, bonds, individual shares and ETFs and is highly regulated.

They are regulated in Europe, the British Virgin Islands, Australia, Japan, and South Africa.

Features

• A range of automated trading platforms and EA compatibility
• Client funds are held in segregated accounts for increased security
• Desktop, tablet, mobile and web-based trading with MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5 and AvaTradeGO
• Competitive spreads offering
• Trading websites in more than 20 languages

Pros and Cons

Exness

Exness allows you to select the leverage that works for you starting at 1:1 up to 1:2000 under certain conditions.

They also provide a really great calculator on the Exness website where you can drag the leverage or equity and watch in real-time the relationship change between margin, equity and leverage.

You can see exactly how much leverage, maximum equity and margin requirements when trading with Exness.

The Exness Group was founded in 2008 in St. Petersburg, Russia and offers access to more than 120 financial instruments to trade across which include Forex, Crypto, Stocks and Indices. In Forex they offer 120 currency pairs to choose from.

They have licences from the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) and the Financial Services Authority (FSA) of Seychelles.

The Exness Group has a monthly trading volume of more than $180 billion, as well as 15,000 new accounts opened each month, with more than 80,000 active traders.

Their website is available in 23 different languages including English, Chinese, Russian, Vietnamese, Farsi, Hindi, Urdu, Tamil, Thai, Bengali, Indonesian, and Malay with 24/5 customer support in 13 languages.

Features

• MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 platforms
• 120 Currency pairs to trade from
• Min initial deposit of $1
• Average spread EUR/USD 0.9 pips
• Client funds kept in segregated accounts
• Tight spreads
• Copy trading system
• Use of Trading Central, Economic Calendar and Forex News

Pros and Cons

HotForex

With HotForex you can select to fix your leverage or use floating leverage, particularly if you are trading smaller size lots.

South African Forex traders can get leverage up to 1:200, whereas leverage is capped at 1:30 for Forex instruments and 1:25 for Spot Metals as per ESMA regulation.

HotForex was founded in 2010 and has its headquarters in Cyprus with several global satellite offices in Dubai, South Africa and offshore entities in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

The company was listed as on the Top 100 Companies by World Finance Magazine and the received the award for Business Excellence in 2015.

Users can access 150+ trading instruments across Forex, Commodities, Indices, Shares, Bonds and Cryptocurrency CFDs over 6 core trading accounts. Every account type offers commission-free trading for Forex pairs.

Features

• Known for great technology
• Great range of markets
• Allows EAs, scalping and hedging
• Offers Negative Balance Protection
• Additional Civil Liability Insurance
• Lots of premium MetaTrader tools offered

Pros and Cons

eToro

The leading copy trading broker eToro provides zero leverage (x1) up to what it calls x30. It is worth noting that eToro expresses leverage like this: x30. Other brokers would show this as: 1:30 or 30:1, but they all mean the same.

When you start trading and open a trade it is your choice to use the leverage available.

Retail traders from Europe, Cyprus, FCA regulated (UK), and residents of China who opened accounts on or before 25 May 2025 are allowed the following leverage on eToro:

• x30 (30:1) major currency pairs
• x20 (20:1) for non-major currency pairs gold and major indices
• x10 (10:1) for commodities other than gold and non-major equity indices
• x5 (5:1) for CFD stocks and ETFs
• x2 (2:1) for cryptocurrency

eToro is a brokerage firm based in Tel Aviv, Israel and founded in 2007.  eToro made its name on its social investing platform that allows users to copy the trades of other investors.

In fact, in the eToro social community, traders can become “leaders” and earn from leading other traders that follow and copy their trades.

The firm started off as a broker only offering Forex trading and has since expanded its product offerings to include cryptocurrencies, commodities, stocks and market indices and now boast more than 10 million users in 140 countries worldwide.

Investors whose trades are copied can earn fixed payments and up to 2% of their annual assets under management paid monthly.

Features

• Premier Social trading/Copy trading platform and community
• Huge cryptocurrency offering
• Platforms are secured with the top standards in cyber security
• Trader’s funds are safe in major European banks
• Robust charting
• Offers access to 15 cryptocurrencies
• Free stock and ETF trading in Europe

Pros and Cons

XTB

XTB offers leverage from 1:1 up to 1:500 depending on the financial instruments and account type on its award-winning platform.

One of the downfalls of XTB is that you are unable to change the default leverage level of the product you select, compared to other Forex brokers where you are in control of the leverage you set.

XTB are one of the top Forex, CFD and cryptocurrency brokers in the world and were founded in 2002.

They are regulated regulated by the top-tier FCA and have offices in more than 13 countries including the UK, Poland, Germany, France and Turkey with headquarters based in London and Warsaw.

You can choose between the XTB xStation 5 platform and MetaTrader 4. Both platforms offer good trading conditions on desktop, web and mobile.

Features

• Lots of educational materials offered
• Fully digital account opening and trading
• Offers Negative Balance Protection
• xStation 5 is easily customizable
• Excellent charting tools with 35 technical indicators

Pros and Cons

Axi

Axi offers leverage up to 400:1 and they allow you to set your desired leverage either through the MetaTrader 4 platform before placing a trade, or via your personal settings on the Axi client zone.

Axi is an Australian based company founded in 2007. They also have offices in London, which was opened in 2012.

They offer more than 40,000 registered traders in over 100 countries and boasts a monthly client trading volume of around $100 billion. They are known for providing award-winning customer service levels.

Features

• Allows hedging
• Low spreads starting from 0.0 pips
• Allows scalping
• Strong leverage up to 400:1
• Wide range of Forex Markets

Pros and Cons

IC Markets

IC Markets has leverage options starting at 1:1 (zero margin) up to 1:500. You are in control of your leverage setting on your trading account and can lower or increase it from the client portal.

International Capital Markets Pty Ltd (IC Markets) was founded in 2007 with a team of financial professionals who had the vision to bridge the gap existing between retail and institutional clients.

One of the ways they do this is by being an ECN broker, which means that there is no-dealing-desk. This also means they offer tight spreads in its offering of 63 Forex pairs and 41 CFDs on indices, metals, cryptocurrencies and futures

IC Markets is based in Sydney and acquired an Australian Financial Services License (AFSL) with the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) in 2009.

IC Markets offers several trading platforms to choose from including MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), as well as the suite of cTrader platforms.  All their platforms make use of their own high-level web security

Features

• Great variety of educational materials
• Selection of sophisticated trading platforms
• Low min deposit
• True ECN broker with institutional grade liquidity
• Wide range of tradeable products
• Good customer service with 24/7 Support

Pros and Cons

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 76.31% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

FXCM

All new accounts with FXCM come with a default leverage of 400:1 on Forex and 200:1 on CFDs.

FXCM does allow for accounts that have in excess of 20, 000 CCY to have leverage of 100:1 on Forex. The broker says they have the sole right to change your leverage settings.

FXCM is a UK-based broker that also have offices in the UK,  Australia and South Africa.

FXCM was founded in 1999, and it has grown to be one of the leading providers of online trading and is known for fast trade executions and advanced and innovative technology.

Users can trade on FXCM’s proprietary Trading Station platform for Desktop, Web and Mobile, as well as on MetaTrader 4, NinjaTrader and ZuluTrade.

The broker also offers access to other platforms such as QuantConnect, MotiveWave, AlgoTerminal, Sierra Chart and others as well.

Features

• A huge offering of platforms including their proprietary Trading Station
• Wide range of tradeable markets, research and educational resources
• Top Notch charting and technical analysis tools
• Great technical research tools
• High quality educational tools

Pros and Cons

Leverage is a double-edged sword and can dramatically amplify your profits. It can also just as dramatically amplify your losses. Trading foreign exchange/CFDs with any level of leverage may not be suitable for all investors.

FXCM’s service includes products that are traded on margin and carry a risk of losses in excess of your deposited funds. The products may not be suitable for all investors. Please ensure that you fully understand the risks involved.

FxPro

FxPro’s leverage is dependant on the financial instrument, platform and the region you are trading from. Leverage levels are explained on their website in detail and range from 2:1 for cryptocurrencies (UK) up to 500:1 (FxPro Global) for Forex Majors and Minors.

FxPro also uses a dynamic forex leverage model on the MT4, MT5 and cTrader platforms which automatically adapts to the clients trading positions.

They have an easy to use margin calculator on their website so you can know exactly what margin you will need based on the leverage you would like.

FxPro UK was founded in 2006 and is a subsidiary of FxPro Group Limited. They boast over 870,000 client accounts in 173 countries and are regulated by the FCA and CySEC, and FSB (FSCA) in South Africa.

They offer incredible execution speeds, with an average execution time of less than 11.06 milliseconds and it processes approximately 7 000 orders per second.

They also boast over 70 international and UK awards in total to date which include:

• Most Reliable Broker of the Year 2019, “International Investor” Magazine
• Best FX provider of the Year 2019, Online Personal Wealth Awards
• Best Tablet Application 2019, Online Personal Wealth Awards
• Best European Value Broker of the Year 2019, Global Forex Awards
• Best Global Forex Introducing Broker Programme 2019, Global Forex Awards
• Best European Forex Trading Platform 2019, Global Forex Awards
• Best MetaTrader Broker 2019, ForexBrokers com
• Best in Class of Commissions & Fees, ForexBrokers com
• 5-stars MetaTrader Broker 2019, ForexBrokers com

Features

• No dealing desk and very fast execution of trade speeds
• Company capital in excess of 1 million British Pounds
• CFDs on six asset classes: Forex, shares, futures, spot indices, spot metals and energies

• Good customer service with 24/7 Support
• Automated trading
• Spot aggregator and advanced order-matching technology

Pros and Cons

ThinkMarkets

ThinkMarkets offers up to 500:1 leverage when trading ASIC and FSCA (South Africa) regions and 30:1 in the UK.

ThinkMarkets, an online Forex and CFD brokerage firm, was founded in 2010 and is based in London. They also have offices in the Asia-Pacific, Middle East, North Africa, Europe and in South America.

ThinkMarkets keeps the funds of clients in segregated accounts with top-tier banks such as Barclays, National Australia Bank as well as the Commonwealth Bank of Australia which prohibits the use of client funds for any reason and is heavily regulated and authorized by two of the strictest and most demanding regulatory and authorization entities within the UK and in Australia, namely the FCA and the ASIC as well as the FSCS (FSB) in South Africa, providing a good layer of protection.

Features

• Three account types: standard, ThinkZero, ECN-like account and a Pro (VIP) account
• 24/6 customer support
• Segregated client funds
• Highly regulated in major markets
• Diverse technical research tools
• Tightest possible spreads

Pros and Cons

Forex.com

Forex.com also provides dynamic leverage that you get to choose from 1:1 up to 1:500.

Forex.com was established in 2001 and is the brand name of GAIN Capital, which is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and is a global FX and CFD brokerage firm.

The company is regulated by several financial authorities, including the top-tier Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK or the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

Forex.com has garnered many awards and in 2025 it has earned Best in Class (top 7) awards for numerous categories including Offering of Investments, Commissions & Fees, Education, Professional Trading, Crypto Trading, Ease of Use, and Overall.

They offer over 4,500 CFD instruments to trade with and they allow access to over 180 markets which include Forex pairs, stocks, indices, cryptocurrencies and commodities. 

Features

• Diverse technical research tools
• TradingView charts built into platform
• Great mobile and desktop functionality
• Multiple news channels
• Trading Central automated pattern-recognition modules
• Real-time trade signals
• Autochartist and Recognia analysis tools

Pros and Cons

In conclusion

It is absolutely essential that you understand both the benefits and the pitfalls of trading with leverage.

Leverage can help you make a lot more profits than you could either wise make without it, but like every good tool, you need to know its dangers as well.

Using a ratio of 100:1 as an example with $1,000 of margin available in your account, you can trade up to $100,000. Giving you the potential of earning profits on $100,000 and not the $1,000 in your account.

This gives you the potential to earn profits on the equivalent of a $100,000 trade!

When leverage works for you it multiplies your gains. On the flip side, however, leverage can also work against you and you could find yourself very quickly losing all you have.

The bottom line is that there’s no need to be afraid of leverage once you have learned how to manage it. Leverage can be a fantastic tool when used successfully with proper risk management.

Like any double edged tool, leverage must be handled carefully.  If you learn to use it with care and respect for the power that it has, it could help you really make a great deal more profit than without it.

We trust this list of 17 best Forex brokers that offer lower leverage enables you to find the right broker for your Forex trading and leverage requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the lowest leverage in Forex trading?

When you have as little as $1,000 margin available, you can trade up to $100 000 at a 100:1 leverage, meaning that there is a potential profit earning on the equivalent of a $100 000 trade.

What is the advantage of low leverage in forex?

It can magnify your gains substantially.

Who are the best lowest level forex brokers?

Go here for a list of the  17 Best Low Leverage Forex Brokers

What is the disadvantage of low leverage?

When your trade moves in an opposite direction, leverage will amplify your losses.

Can I trade without any leverage?

Yes you can, but to make your trading worthwhile you will need to have a lot of money.