A broker’s homepage can promise access to everything from euro pairs to crypto CFDs. What it rarely shows is which of those markets a trader can actually reach after opening an account. That gap between advertising and account reality separates multi-asset CFD brokers more than any instrument count.
This comparison examines seven platforms through a single lens. How easily can a trader verify what is reachable before funding? CFDs are leveraged products, and most retail accounts lose money. Nothing below is investment advice.
How to Verify Instrument Access Before Choosing
Global brokers compete on instrument breadth, but breadth without documentation means little. One regulator might oversee an entity offering 60 forex pairs. A second license under the same brand could double that while cutting protections. Checking CFD trading costs matters, though costs sit downstream of a more basic question. What can this specific account actually trade?
The comparison below weighs each broker on five points. Entity-level product documentation. Platform delivery of those products. Published spread and commission schedules. Order handling during volatility. And the regulator overseeing the specific entity serving the account.
1. TMGM
TMGM is one of the best international multi-asset forex and CFD brokers for the trader considering access to MetaTrader and account-based pricing. While most of the brokers prefer to use only one pricing model throughout all of their products, TMGM divides the process.
Edge hands traders raw spreads from 0.0 pips with a $3.50 per side commission stacked on top. Classic takes the other road, baking costs into spreads from 1.0 pips and dropping the commission line entirely. Behind both tiers sit 55+ forex pairs, 15+ indices, 50+ shares, and six commodities, all reachable through MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, or the TMGM App.
- Edge beats Classic only after monthly volume clears the commission threshold, which makes trade frequency the deciding factor.
- The $7 round turn on Edge sounds high until you weigh it against Classic’s wider spread over a full month of trading.
- A small account at TMGM hits the same $50 to $100 floor as a large one, since cent-sized positions never enter the picture.
- Six asset classes share a single login, so a trader can move from forex to commodities to indices without a second account.
Why TMGM earns the top spot here: the Edge and Classic split lets a trader match cost structure to trade frequency instead of accepting one pricing model for everything.
2. Pepperstone
Pepperstone’s biggest instrument list is not available to every Pepperstone client. Which markets a trader can reach depends on which regulator issued the license on their account. Two structures carry the pricing load. Razor pairs have spreads from 0.0 pips with a commission. Standard replaces that commission with spreads from 1.0 pip. Forex leads the book with 90+ pairs. Total product coverage runs past 1,200 instruments across MT5, cTrader, and TradingView.
- Razor’s commission only pays off when trade size is large enough to offset the wider Standard spread.
- All ninety forex pairs are sufficient to include the majors and cross currencies, although for exotics it is subject to regulator approval for the trader’s account.
- Since the charting and automation capabilities in these two platforms are so different, the trading platform chosen plays a bigger role than the applicable fees schedule.
- Nothing is withdrawn from deposits, withdrawals, or inactive accounts, which becomes very useful for the traders who deposit and then suspend and restart their funding.
Why Pepperstone stays relevant: more than 1,200 financial products and over 90 forex pairs in MT5, cTrader, and TradingView provide traders with a good variety of tools to work with.
3. IC Markets
IC Markets charges the same trader different amounts depending on which structure they open at signup. Raw Spread clients pay $7 per round turn. Standard clients pay nothing extra because the cost hides inside the spread instead.
The 0.0 pip number only tells part of the story once that $7 enters the picture on every fill.
Outside of forex, the book widens. Bonds, futures, and crypto sit alongside the usual CFDs, pushing the total past 1,900 instruments and past what most competitors bother to carry.
A $200 minimum deposit keeps micro accounts out. That floor shapes who actually signs up more than any marketing page does.
- Raw Spread splits cost into spread plus commission, which makes per-trade math simple.
- Standard hides the cost in a wider spread, which is easier to ignore but harder to optimize.
- Bonds and futures widen the menu past typical CFD coverage.
- The $200 deposit floor filters out very small accounts before they open.
The commission model on Raw Spread gives a trader a number they can compare directly against any other broker charging per-fill fees.
4. FP Markets
FP Markets splits its offering into two paths, and the gap between them decides how a trader pays. Standard accounts carry spreads from 1.0 pip with nothing added on top. Raw accounts strip spreads down to 0.0 pips and charge $3 per side instead. Either way, the door opens at $100. Six regulators keep watch over the operation, among them ASIC, CySEC, FSCA, FSC, SCB, and CMA. Traders who need swap-free terms can request an Islamic account.
- Raw’s $6 round-turn is lower than IC Markets’ $7, which matters for traders comparing the two directly.
- Standard’s 1.0 pip floor suits traders who would rather see one cost than two.
- The equal $100 minimum on both accounts removes deposit size from the pricing decision.
- Islamic accounts strip swap charges, which changes overnight cost math for traders who need them.
Why FP Markets stands out among similar setups: the $6 round turn on Raw and the same $100 minimum across both accounts remove two common friction points.
5. IG
IG runs two things at once that most brokers cannot manage together. It lists over 17,000 markets, and it trades on a public stock exchange where anyone can read the numbers. The market list sounds huge until a trader learns that regional rules cut it down hard. Which products show up depends entirely on which entity holds the account.
Six regulators watch over the operation. ASIC, FCA, FSA Japan, FMA, MAS, and DFSA each cover a different slice of the business. Client funds sit apart from company funds in segregated accounts. And because the shares trade on a public exchange, quarterly numbers land on the record whether they flatter the company or not.
- A US-based entity and an Australian entity under the same brand will not carry the same instruments.
- Segregated accounts keep client money out of reach if the broker runs into financial trouble.
- Public companies file earnings every quarter, which private brokers are not required to do.
- The 17,000+ market count spans every entity combined, not what a single account can reach.
For a trader weighing brokers, IG offers a level of disclosure that private competitors rarely match.
6. OANDA
Pick an account at OANDA and the spread you pay changes with it. Core opens at 0.2 pips. Standard sits at 1.0 pip. Swap-free lands at 1.6 pips. The deposit floor drops as low as $1 on certain account types. Leave the account untouched for 12 months and a $10 monthly fee kicks in.
- Core’s 0.2 pip entry suits traders who move in and out of positions all day.
- Swap-free charges more per trade but stops the overnight bleed, which pays off for anyone holding past the close.
- A $1 minimum opens the door wider than most brokers are willing to.
- Twelve months of silence before the inactivity fee starts gives dormant accounts room to breathe.
Why OANDA suits forex-first traders: three account types with different spread floors let a trader match cost to holding period instead of settling for a single pricing model.
7. AvaTrade
AvaTrade charges a different minimum depending on how the money arrives. Cards and e-payments open at $100. Wires open at $500. That five-fold gap sits in front of every new account application, and it usually decides the funding method before a trader has thought about spreads. Once the money lands, the account itself splits three ways. Retail is the standard option. Professional raises leverage and drops some regulatory protections that Retail clients keep.
Spread Betting is only available in certain jurisdictions, which means traders in other countries never see it on the menu. Eight regulators supervise the brand worldwide. Each one enforces its own product restrictions, so what a trader in one country can access may be blocked for someone in another. One logo, several rulebooks, and no single version of AvaTrade that applies everywhere.
- Card and e-payment funding enters at one-fifth the wire minimum.
- Professional status raises leverage by reducing some investor safeguards.
- Spread Betting is not offered in every country AvaTrade serves.
- The regulator attached to the account decides which products a trader can open.
The e-payment route keeps the first deposit small, and the tiered structure gives a newer trader somewhere to move once confidence builds.
Where Each Platform Lands on Access and Cost
Sorting through seven brokers gets easier when the same four questions get asked of each one. What platforms does the account actually get? Which products does the entity carry? How does the pricing work? And what restriction is most likely to trip up a strategy? Those answers sit side by side below. Treat the table as a first pass, not the final word on any broker.
| Broker | Platforms | Instrument Coverage | Account Structures | Verification Focus |
| TMGM | MT4, MT5, TMGM App | Six asset classes, entity-specific product schedules | Classic, Edge, Cent, Islamic | Entity-level product documentation |
| Pepperstone | MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView, Proprietary | Forex leads, 90 pairs, ~1,000 stock CFDs | Standard, Razor | Regulatory entity product restrictions |
| IC Markets | MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView | Eight asset categories, 1,980+ instruments | Raw Spread, Standard | Commission structure transparency |
| FP Markets | MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView, WebTrader | 10,000+ instruments | Raw, Standard | Platform-instrument compatibility |
| IG | Proprietary, MT4, ProRealTime, L2 Dealer | 17,000+ markets | Multiple tiers | Regional product restrictions |
| OANDA | MT4, MT5, Proprietary | Forex, indices, commodities, crypto CFDs | Standard, Core | Pricing schedule clarity |
| AvaTrade | MT4, MT5, WebTrader, AvaTradeGO | ~1,000 instruments | Standard, Islamic | Educational resource depth |
These anomalies coincide with the structure of accounts and the restrictions imposed by the platform discussed before, thus making the column ‘Verification’ especially significant.
What CFD Exposure Does Not Give You
Owning a CFD on Apple shares feels a lot like owning Apple stock. The resemblance stops at the price chart.
Hold a CFD overnight and financing charges start to build. How much depends on the instrument and the broker, so the number changes from one position to the next. Dividends work differently too. A shareholder gets the payout. A CFD holder gets an adjustment instead, calculated from the contract, and that figure rarely matches the original dividend.
Each market carries its own specification sheet. It lays out how the adjustment gets calculated and what the overnight charge looks like. Read it before placing an order, and the cost turns into something a trader can budget for.
Why Advertised Spreads Rarely Tell the Full Cost Story
A 0.1 pip spread on EUR/USD looks good on a landing page. Hold that position for three days and swap charges can quietly outrun the spread several times over.
Commission-free accounts carry their own trade-off. The spread is wider, and the wider spread often costs more per round turn than a commission-based structure would. Currency conversion adds another layer when the funding currency and the traded instrument sit in different denominations. Some platforms also charge inactivity fees after a stretch of no trades.
Add the spread to the commission. Add overnight financing on top. Throw in currency conversion and whatever maintenance fee the broker charges. That final number, divided by how many trades a trader expects to place, points toward one broker and away from another.
Final Thoughts
Seven brokers sit on the table, and each one handles a different kind of pressure better than the rest.
TMGM keeps product availability visible at the entity level and pairs MetaTrader access with six asset classes. Pepperstone’s regulatory spread shapes what each client can trade. IC Markets makes commission math easy to follow. FP Markets lets traders swap platforms without changing brokers. IG covers the widest market range. OANDA leans into research. AvaTrade supports traders still building their footing.
Which entity holds the account carries more weight than the logo printed at the top of the website. Three questions do the heavy lifting. What does that entity let the trader buy? Which platform carries those products? And what does the real cost per position come out to once financing and currency conversion enter the picture? Answer those three, and the shortlist shrinks on its own.
