Phil Greenway

Is Pepperstone Available in the UK?

Yes. Pepperstone accepts traders from the UK.

The platform was established in 2010 in Melbourne, Australia, but it very popular in the UK and other European countries. It distinguishes itself among other brokers thanks to superior technological advancements and faster, more efficient trade executions.

It also affords traders with multiple accounts and trading platforms that we shall come to in a little while.

But first, let us give priority to one of the more bottom-of-the-priority-list services of this UK broker since it is as important as it is understated.

Pepperstone’s Trading Platform

Two of the world’s leading platforms for foreign exchange are available at Pepperstone, MetaTrader and cTrader.

MetaTrader

• Most popular platform for forex trading
• User-friendly interface and resourceful management tools
• Charts are displayed in real time along with live price quotes and detailed news

cTrader

• Offers direct access to inter-bank market depth
• Capable of implementing forex trading systems based on algorithms
• Customizable interface featuring charts both pre-set and detachable
• Facilitates comprehensive backtesting

Choosing between the two can induce a breakdown if you are too keen. What is important to remember here that one does not have to be objectively worse than the other. It just needs to be a better suitor your subjective trading needs. MT4 tends to be the choice for traders keen on using forex automation while cTrader is favored by those who intend to personalize their interface as well as obtain more advanced options for placing orders.

If you are not quite sure which one is better suited to your style, you can always give both options a trial run on a demo account before you make up your mind.

eToro is one of Pepperstone’s biggest competitors. Read the eToro UK review here.

Trade executions

Now with Pepperstone the first thing that catches your attention with Pepperstone is that its trade executions are fast. Pepperstone is actually an ECN broker and what that means for forex traders is forex trading minus dealer intervention via their Razor account. It is called the edge environment and forex traders have direct access to liquidity currency pools that is not excluding big global financial institutions.

There are other factors at play that make the speed of execution even faster…

Fast trading servers

Fast global trading servers to be precise thanks to a partnership between Pepperstone and Equinix of NASDAQ fame. The servers are located in New York and London.

Pepperstone in Australia is connected to its equinox servers in New York via an optical fiber network. That effectively eliminates the several thousand kilometers between the two cities that information would have to travel in order to execute a trade. As result, latency is 10 times less than what it would be otherwise.

Leverage with Pepperstone

Pepperstone leverage is 1:500, one of the highest levels of on any forex market. So in essence, every dollar you invest is equivalent to $500 dollars on leverage. To put that into context, making the minimum deposit of $200 into your Pepperstone account allows you to trade up to $100,000 on the market.

Customer service

The team that constitutes customer service for Pepperstone has many years of experience working in the forex industry. That becomes a distinct advantage since experience translates to helpful advice and instruction that users can rely on for various inquiries. In fact, Pepperstone can even provide an account manager just to ease your way with getting to know the industry and how best to play it.

As long as the forex markets are open, so is Pepperstone’s customer service facility thanks to five offices which span the entire globe from Melbourne to Shanghai to Bangkok to London, UK and finally Texas. So you do not necessarily have to be a trader based in Australia to have a local service in your region.

Contact options

You can contact Pepperstone’s customer service primarily through email and a live online chat. You can get in touch by phone with headquarters in Melbourne, or Shanghai if you want to communicate in Chinese, or the branch in Dallas, Texas.

Spreads and Fees

Pepperstone is considered to offer some of the best value of any Australian forex broker when it comes to weighing the cost of trading with the services being provided.

There are no commission to pay for holders of the standard account and spreads starting from 1.0 pips. For holders of the Razor account, a commission of AU$3.5 will be charged for 100k that is traded. So there are commission allocated to certain types of accounts, the spreads are still fairly low in Australia.

Which type of account is best for you?

There really is not any shortage of options here. There is something for everyone at Pepperstone from cTrader to MT4, 5 and the Razor account. As a beginner, you can use the limitless demo account to properly acquaint yourself with other accounts so you can make a confident and informed decision and not risk your own money trying to figure it out.

Bonus offers

In previous years, Pepperstone would match the initial deposit with some $600 Aussie dollars in free brokerage. However, there were conditions to be met.

• Only new traders who were signing up with Pepperstone were eligible
• The bonus would expire 60 days after the account was activated

It is not yet confirmed that the offer still stands for 2017 so it would help to inquire about it from customer services. ‘Free brokerage’ I technically commission free trading with an edge account from Pepperstone.

Conclusion

Pepperstone UK is one of the most reputed and acclaimed brokers in the business, not just in Australia where it is based, but on the international stage as well. Since its inception, the broker has seen rapid expansion for it client base and thoroughly comprehensive and positive reviews. That is thanks in part to the low spreads on offer but mostly due to superior technological prowess and swifter execution of trades. It is a flexible and innovative player in the broker business, one that you would do very well to sign in as a forex trader.

eToro is headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel and became popular with its social trading feature.

eToro is registered as a Cypriot Investment Firm of CIF under the number HE200585 and regulated under CySec, the Cyprus Securities & Exchange Commission.

The license number is 109/10. eToro’s European base is also in Cyprus, specifically in Limassol. And in the UK, the broker’s headquarters are in London. Over there, it is also registered as a UK firm under the number 7973792 and regulated by the FCA or Financial Conduct Authority.

Is eToro Available in the UK?

Yes. eToro accept traders from the UK.

In fact, the UK is one of the markets they focus most on. They even have offices in the UK, located at this address: eToro (UK) Ltd. 24th floor, One Canada Square Canary Wharf London, E14 5AB.

At present, eToro is used by over 20 million traders from over 100 countries (60%+ are from Europe).

The list of available trading assets include currencies, commodities, CFDs, and indices, and the platform on which it is all down has literally thousands of new accounts being opened on a daily basis. However, eToro is not an active broker in the United States is not an option for traders that are based there.

“OpenBook” is eToro’s social investment platform and it was launched in 2010 coincidentally with “CopyTrading”.

2010 also saw the launch of the broker’s Android app so traders could now access their account and trade on their mobile phone or tablet. The traders could utilize these features to keenly observe how the most successful traders playing and feed off of that. However, these features have now been swapped for an all-encompassing platform which is still accessible on your android device.

eToro’s main competitors are: 24Option, Markets.com and BDSwiss.

Features of eToro UK

eToro retains a brilliant program for education as well as an all accepting platform for trade.

But what is even more special than that it has one of the world’s largest financial trading communities online. Whereas “OpenBook” and “WebTrader” had a good run as the company’s trading platforms, they were recently replaced by a more efficient all-inclusive platform that can be accessed from any sort of device.

The minimum first deposit for opening a live account with eToro is variable depending which country and specific region a trader is based.

The figure can be anywhere from $50 to $1000. There is a practice account available as well which you can sign up for at no cost whatsoever. The practice account offers a useful insight into the workings of the platform with virtual money and no funding required. Additionally, eToro also offers an Islamic accounts.

eToro does not charge any commissions on executed trades, much like other high-end forex brokers. As compensation, the broker slightly expands the spread.

Trading software

eToro’s original trading platform was rather primitive, aimed at novice inexperienced traders. But it has steadily graduated to the award-winning platform that is now, accessible on both your Android and iOS devices. You can download eToro’s App from Google Play or the iOS App Store.

Deposits and withdrawals

eToro trades on US currency only, therefore converting any deposit made in another currency as it is received. There is a convenient number of option with which you can open a live account with eToro. We have listed them below:

• Visa
• Mastercard
• Diner’s Club credit
• Wirecard
• Debit cards
• Bank wire transfer
• Yandex
• Neteller
• Skrill Limited UK
• China Union Pay
• Webmoney UK
• PayPal
• GiroPay

Customer Support

Customer support for traders is available 24 hours a day, five days a week from Monday to Friday. Communication is possible via telephone or email. The official email response time is 48 hours.

There does not seem to be a live chat option but there is a customizable digital customer service from a company called “Nano Rep”. There is also a “Customer Service Wall” so that customers can communicate with customer services in a sort of forum.

Usually, any inquiries are manageable with the use of online guides but if a client requests direct communication with a representative, that will be arranged in a short while.

You can choose which representative you would like to speak to by clicking on their photograph where there will be a brief bio description included as well. You can communicate either in English, French, Spanish, German, or Italian.

Security

Besides being regulated by authorities like the FCS and CySEC, we know for a fact that eToro preserves customer information safe and secure by using an updated Secure Socket Layer or SSL to authenticate data transfers and users. It is part of the reason, why the broker is so successful and reputed in forex trading circles.

Conclusion

eToro is very popular among stocks and forex traders.

With its new, all-inclusive trading and social investment platform, it is highly efficient and accessible on your mobile devices as well as your computer. And it caters very well to young and inexperienced traders with its numerous education programs.

The only criticisms we have so far are the lack of an online chat system and the 5-day wait on the withdrawal process. But apart from that, a very good broker indeed.

At the time of its launch, Bitcoin was the first and most prominent cryptocurrency around.

Now, 10 years later, it still occupies the top spot. However, the same cannot be said about the playing field.

We have seen the rise of dozens of other cryptocurrencies, most notably Ethereum, Ripple, and Litecoin, all competing to knock Bitcoin off the top.

Buying Bitcoin with PayPal in the UK

Most people in the UK have a paypal account and are probably wondering: Is it possible to buy Bitcoin with paypal in the UK?

Similarly, PayPal is another highly used method of making online payments. So the chances are quite high that a Bitcoin trader may simultaneously be maintaining a PayPal account.

This will naturally make anyone wonder whether it’s possible to purchase Bitcoin off your PayPal account. Happily, the answer to that is, yes, it is very possible. In this article, we will break down how it is done.

The first thing you are going to realize about securing Bitcoin purchases with your PayPal account is that there is no direct method of doing so. This makes the process a bit complicated. But for now, you are going to have to settle with alternative methods and marketplaces.

VirWox

Fortunately, PayPal does allow users to employ SSLs or Second Life Lindens to purchase Bitcoin and so several exchanges begun offering SLL services.

VirWox is one of them. It is technically not a Bitcoin exchange but a platform which serves the Second Life game as a way of buying in-game collectibles.

Since the game has been accepted by PayPal, users can employ gaming funds to buy Bitcoins.

Before you begin making Bitcoin purchases through PayPal and Virwox, you must first determine your budget and set up a cryptocurrency wallet if you do not already have one.

Next, you will need to set up an account with VirWox. Once your account is active, you can start depositing money using PayPal. Now you will be able to exchange your balance for SLL and then able to convert SLL to Bitcoin. Virwox does impose a 10% fee on the transaction which is rather high. Once your Bitcoins have been purchased, it is best to transfer them to your wallet.

LocalBitcoins

LocalBitcoins is a popular Bitcoin exchange with an international user base. It supplies a virtual platform through which buyers and sellers can connect with each other and make trades using online payment methods like PayPal.

However, trading here is at your own risk. The platform is considered generally safe and reliable.

Paxful

With Paxful, you can open an account, find a seller and do transactions with your PayPal account. It is not quite as popular as some of the other platforms. However, Paxful users do have better security thanks to its use of an escrow service.

Conclusion

While there are no direct ways in the UK to make direct Bitcoin transactions with your PayPal account, these are a few of the best ways to get around that problem.

While the following platforms have been listed in order of their popularity, your pick should always be based on how suitable it will be for your specific interests and needs as a trader.

“Welcome to the world’s most awarded trading platform” is what it says when you enter the website for 24option.

And to be fair, that is not an empty greeting. As far as CFD brokers go, this is one really is the grand old man of the clan. It is about as old as the concept of CFD Trading itself. It is currently under the ownership of Rodeler Limited, licensed and regulated under CySEC.

The main talking point with 24option has always been that it offers the highest returns for traders compared to any other broker in the industry. That is 89% for certain options and types of options. The trading platform is an improved version of the Tech Financials system, which is already quite popular.

24Option UK Accounts

With 24option, there are 3 types of accounts to choose from. In descending order they are categorized as Platinum, Gold and Standard. All of them require an initial deposit to be activated and all are offered along with a free demo account. You can start trading soon as your initial deposit is made.

Transactions

• The minimum amount required for your initial deposit is $250 or the equivalent of that in GBP, EUR, JPY, or RUB.
• On average the minimum amount invested per option is $24 while the maximum is around the ballpark of $10,000.
• This broker is compliant with all major credit cards, such as VISA, MasterCard, Maestro International, Carte Bleue, Carta Si, Dankort and Discoverer.
• Electronic deposits are allowed via MoneyBookers.
• Wire transfers are also doable but not under the minimum amount of $1000.
• Supported currencies are the US Dollar, Euro, British Pound, and Japanese Yen. Once selected, the currency may not be switched.
• Traders are required to produce legal documentation prior to processing withdrawals as is put forth by anti-money laundering policies.
• Clients are entitled to one free withdrawal every month that is not including any fees being charged by a third party intermediary.

24Option UK Trading platform

24option uses the hugely popular Tech Financials trading platform. You will not be required to download it but you will need to have Flash players and JavaScript. The screen can is available in English as well as French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, Arabic, Russian, Chinese, Latvian, Romanian, Danish and Indonesian. The platform can also be accessed via your smartphone so you can make trades while on the move.

Also read:

• Markets.com UK
• BDSwiss UK
• Avatrade UK

Education

24option contains a comprehensive center of learning which offers eCourses, ebooks for trading, interactive ebooks and trading videos all focused on inspiring the best possible trading strategies for clients with varying levels of experience.

Customer support

Customer support from 24option is among the highest rated of any broker. It is available 24 hours of the day for 7 days a week via telephone, email, or live online chat. Traders can communicate in as many as 17 different languages.

Security

CySEC regulations are decidedly quite strict and any broker that submits to them is considered trustworthy.

Every deposit from a client is separated from the operating capital and safeguarded by the Investor Compensation Program. Personal details, as well as trading details, are encrypted with the latest 128bit SSL technology. That is about as secure as they can get at this point.

Conclusion

24option is one of those long-standing brokers with an impeccable track record and continues to be at the forefront of the broker business.

24option also has the distinction of being the most awarded and critically acclaimed broker of them all. Factor in the sensational payoff ratio, easy to use trading platform, resourceful learning facilities and efficient customer service and it is not hard to see why this broker gets so much praise.

Markets.com was founded in 2006 and became involved in the forex market a couple of years later in 2008.

I’ve tried out Markets.com for a few weeks and I’m pretty impressed.

Is Markets.com Available in the UK?

Yes, you can use Markets.com in the UK.

It’s an online trading platform that allows you to trade a whole host of financial instruments, from stocks to forex, commodities and indices – it’s like a buffet of trading options.

And the best part?

Markets.com is regulated by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), so you can rest assured that it’s a legit broker. No dodgy dealings here.

Markets.com Features

Clients of Markets.com have access to all kinds of helpful material like chart analysis, indicators, oscillators as well as other alerts being offered, in order to make an accurate assessment of the markets they are investing in and so make better predictions that will win them more profits.

Types of accounts

To open an account with Markets.com you must deposit a minimum amount of $100.

Spreads are competitive and the default setting for leverage is 1:50 but it can go as high as 1:300. Bear in mind that the heavier the leverage, the heavier the risk.

Leverage for trading forex is available up to 1:300 while the limit for commodities and indices is 1:200 and for stocks, it is 1:10. Nevertheless, all these values can yield significant returns or losses.

With Markets.com, you can trade in a decent variety of instruments such as gold, commodities, stocks, currencies, CFDs, and equities.

What’s more, said trading is entirely free of commissions and the spreads are still quite tight, down to 1.7 on important fx pairs like GPB/USD, EUR/USD, and USD/JPY.

There is also an unlimited demo account on offer which traders can use to sharpen their trading instincts and skills without risking real funds.

Also read:

• BDSwiss UK Review
• Avatrade UK Review
• Thinkorswim UK Review

Deposits and withdrawals

There are numerous methods of payment by which to fund your Markets.com account.

Making withdrawals is simple enough with Markets.com. Once you have logged into your account, click on the withdrawal tab and wait for the funds to be transferred through to your bank account.

Educational facilities

At Markets.com, traders can benefit from a comprehensive educational programme in both forex and CFD trading. For instance, there is the News and Research section where traders can access in-depth coverage of the forex market.

Both forex and CFD traders can benefit from technical analysis brought by Trading Central, a leading provider, to help them identify and benefit from the momentum of the market.

CFDs and currencies aside, traders can also access to coverage and analysis of commodities, indices, and stocks.

There is also the Autochartist tool where traders who sign up can and be given alerts, both audio and visual, just as soon as any emerging or complete patterns are recognized or when a Fibonacci pattern is emerging. The alerts, of course, also come with relevant charts/graphs.

Autochartist also features Powerstats that offers you a better assessment of risk and volatility associated with whatever instruments you are trading in.

The website itself is accessible in up to 15 languages including French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Norwegian, Polish, Slovakian, Romanian and Arabic.

Customer Support

Markets.com boasts one of the most widely available customer support systems of any broker with officers set up in up to 21 locations across the globe with representatives on hand 24 hours a day, 5 days a week.

You can reach them either by email or live online chat.

Is Markets.com a Good UK Broker?

With the provision of such a favorable trading environment and abundant access to customer services, trading with Markets.com is about as sweet as it sounds.

Is My Money Safe With M1 Finance UK?

As a trader, it’s crucial to assess the safety of your money before entrusting it to a broker like Markets.com UK. Firstly, it’s important to note that Markets.com UK is regulated by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which means that they are subject to strict rules and regulations aimed at protecting clients’ money.

Markets.com UK also segregates client funds from its own operating funds, which provides an additional layer of protection against any potential insolvency or financial difficulty. In the event of such an occurrence, client funds would not be impacted, and they would remain separate and accessible to clients.

In addition, Markets.com UK is also a member of the Investor Compensation Scheme (FSCS), which protects clients’ funds up to a limit of £85,000 in case the broker becomes insolvent or fails to meet its obligations.

Our Verdict

Markets.com UK – the legit online trading platform that has more options than your favourite buffet. Want to trade in stocks, forex, commodities, or indices? They’ve got you covered!

And the best part? Their website is available in up to 15 languages, so you can finally put that GCSE French to good use.

After using them for weeks I can say that their customer service is really good and on hand 24/5, either by email or live online chat. They’ve got you covered, even if you’re trading in your pyjamas at 2 am.

What about safety?

Markets.com UK is regulated by the FCA. Plus, your funds are segregated from operating funds, like your parents’ savings account that they always told you never to touch. In the unlikely event of a financial difficulty, your funds would remain safe and accessible to you.

So, if you’re looking for a trading platform that’s more legit than your favourite TikTok influencer, Markets.com UK might just be the one for you!

The Broker known as a BD Swiss, which was known earlier as Bank De Swiss, has been around since 2011 and has since become a globally reputed broker in CFD trading and most recently in Forex trading as well.

BD Swiss has most of its half a million plus clients operating from European nations. Altogether it is accessible for up to 20 countries and its platform therefore is available in 20 different languages.

BDSwiss accepts traders from the UK.

However, Australia – which happens to be one of the most prominent nations in the world when it comes to CFD trading and forex trading – is not a member of that list.

The BD Swiss brand is owned by the financial investment company, Keplero Holdings Ltd. It is a licensed and fully regulated CFD trading and Forex broker under the Cyprus Securities & exchange Commission or CySEC.

Also read:

• BDSwiss UK Review
• Avatrade UK Review
• Thinkorswim UK Review

Primary Features

BD Swiss is quite compatible with the majority of CFD and Forex traders incorporating into its system the essential elements and qualities of any good broker in the business. As with all brokers of this kind its trading platform is based online and is called SpotOption. Not only is it preposterously simple to use, it is also aesthetically pleasing and that could matter more to some customers than others.

Pay out rates are not exactly through the roof but they are still up there. On calling a High or Low Option for instance, you can expect a pay-out of 89%. You also have the option of extending time period on a trade by using the Roll Over feature. Changing the time period could potentially save you from making an inaccurate prediction and landing out the money.

You can also make use of the double feature to double the funds placed on an option. If you are confident enough that your prediction is accurate, you could then stand to make double the profit that was originally projected.

The Mobile App

Being able to continue trading while commuting outdoors is essential for many CFD traders. BD Swiss offers an easy to use app for devices with both Android and IOS software.  You will have complete access to your account details and history as well as place all the different options on any asset offered by the online platform.

Opening an Account

BD Swiss is a fairly attractive choice for novice traders to invest in as it requires just $100 for opening a brand new account. However, in order to afford yourself more leverage on trades, it is advisable to invest at least two and half times that amount to get a decent start in the market. Traders do not have the option of maintaining multiple accounts simultaneously or access to a demo account.

Deposits and Withdrawals

Unlike its stingy policy on accounts, you do get a much friendlier variety of deposit options with BD Swiss. For the convenience of the traders, the website features a thorough description of all the important details concerning deposits such as the various methods available as well as the relevant processing times.

The minimum deposit that can be made in 100 Euros or an equivalent value in other currencies. Apart from bank wire transfers which can take any amount of time within a week to be processed, a deposit can be made using a Credit card, Paysafecard, EPS, Maestro, Giropay, Ukash or Sofort.

Withdrawals can be made using the same methods used on deposits. Processing a withdrawal can last from a single day to an entire week. As with deposits, the minimum amount for takeout is 100 Euros. Only for bank wire transfers, there will be a handling fee of $25.

Bonuses are not much of an amusement here. There are some but you would have to consult the terms & conditions extensively to see if you can land one.

Customer Support

You can keep in touch with this broker via telephone, emailing or a live chat option on the official website. The main languages you can communicate in are English, Spanish, Italian, German, Swedish, Austrian, Norwegian and Danish.

Pros

• User friendly online platform
• Low deposit for opening an account
• Diversity of assets and option are available

Cons

• Does not accept US or Australian traders

Verdict

BD Swiss tends to prefer European clientele. However, it is still an extremely competent and reliable broker and is capable of returning huge profits to its clients.

Founded in 2006 and based in Dublin, Ireland, AvaTrade is a forex broker with a trading network accessible to over 150 nations.

It is licensed and regulated broker under multiple government authorities including the EU, BVI and also authorities in Australia, Japan, and South Africa. However, it does not extend its services to US based traders.

AvaTrade allows its users to:

• Trade Cryptocurrencies and Commodities
• Forex Trading,
• Purchase And Sell Stocks,
• Partake in various methods of training to improve yourself as a trader! (for free)

In order to use AvaTrade you must create an account.

You will be able to choose between a few different types of accounts, including some more and less advanced ones, these services are available in 14 different languages.

AvaTrade is regulated across 6 jurisdictions including the UK.

Trading Software

AvaTrade provides access to a variable multitude of trading platforms, both automatic and manual. Traders can select from over 250 trading assets in addition to analytical instruments, indicators, and charts. The platform itself is very user-friendly and allows you to trade any asset with a single click on the same screen. Another perk with this trading platform is that it can be customized quite a bit and provides access to advanced charts, live feeds, and real-time analysis.

Deposits and Withdrawals

The minimum deposit required to open an account with AvaTrade is $100. The maximum leverage available is 400:1.

Avatrade is compatible with many methods for depositing funds. Refer the list below:

• Credit card
• Wire transfers
• PayPal
• WebMoney
• NeTeller
• Moneybookers

If you are keen to skip the paperwork on your withdrawal, you can use the Ava Debit card. However, a withdrawal usually takes a yawning 5 days to be processed.

Avatrade Accounts

Sometimes, especially for people who are new to trading, it’s hard to pick the metaphorical depth of the pool you’re willing to hop into – that’s why AvaTrade offers a demo account for free!

The demo account is a tool which remains active for 21 days starting from the point of creation. (according to the website you can extend this period of time by contacting them – or just make a new account.)

• The demo account lets you experience forex trading for free, depending on your region you will receive different leverage,
• The demo account provides you with virtual funds to experiment and learn trading with,
• The largest limitation is the inability to use features restricted to VIP and Experienced accounts, such, plus the fact the money you get to start is.

Make sure to also check out M1 Finance.

If you are living in the EU, the standard account for most users in the retail account, the big advantages of using this type of account are…

• Risk warning put in place to help the user avoid dangerous trades,
• Negative balance protection stopping you from going into debt with a negative balance,

If you are living outside of the EU, the go-to normal account is the standard account – aside from leverage differences (for legal reasons) the (EU) retail account and the (NON-EU) standard account are virtually identical.

So for someone living in Australia for example, you’d go for the standard account, not the retail account.

The professional account is not the kind used by your average trader who trades for a hobby, it’s designed from educated and experienced users who don’t need the training wheels and who know the risks of trading.

Seeing as the holder of this kind of account is seen as experienced, they will no longer receive warnings and will no longer

Crypto account

While not considered a “core” account, the crypto account allows you to trade cryptocurrencies. The currencies which you are able to trade include: Bitcoin, Stellar coin, Etherium, Ripple and Litecoin.

AvaTrade provides you with trading and analytical tools.

AvaTradeGO

This is a mobile application allowing you to “trade on the go” – it promises both a friendly dashboard and advanced features.

MetaTrader 4

Also known as MT4, this tool which offers you a platform to trade, they promise…

• 80 currency pairs,
• No commissions,
• Free download and installation,
• And no deposit!

MetaTrader 5

Much like it’s ancestor the MT5 is a trading platform, on top of the previously mentioned pros it also offers:

• An improved interface
• More analytical tools
• 38 Technical trend detection indicators

MT5 is also more accessible than MT4 – giving you the ability to use it on your PC, iOS and Android devices.

Automatic software

The two automatic trading software offered are:

• DupliTrade
• ZuluTrade

These tools let you automatically copy the actions of more experienced users allowing for effortless investments in the right places.

Customer services

Customer support form Avatrade is on hand 24 hours a day for 5 days a week. The interface is well developed and the staff, very skilled. Traders can communicate in at least 12 different languages.

Does AvaTrade Offer Any Support To Its Users?

No matter you level of expertise you always have various resources to use in your journey through AvaTrade,

On the official website you have access to an ‘education’ tab, it contains…

• The ‘Trading for beginners’ tab, it will lead you down a rabbit hole of all the basic you need to know, from basics like ‘what is a trend?’ to ‘technical analysis’ – at the time of writing the ‘Trading for beginners’ tab contains 31 articles explaining each topic in
• The ‘What are Economic Indicators?’ tab, this is a smaller piece explaining the logic behind and the use for the trader’s ability to predict the impact of certain events on the
• ‘Trading Video Tutorials’ – these are professional videos created to explain various topics, from tutorials on how to train safely to tutorials regarding advanced training tools, in total at the time of writing this – there are 56 video tutorial available for free!.
• Lastly they also offer the ‘Forex eBook’ this is a book covering the basics and the more advanced aspects of forex trading, available for free!

Aside from learning about how to trade, sometimes you need to ask someone a question – sometimes too simple or too specific to find in a standardised tutorial or QNA, for that there is a ‘Live Chat’ button – after filling out some small details you will be sent into a live chat where you can ask for assistance.

It’s natural to be skeptical about internet security. Especially when you’re handling serious money or relying on it for a living, this is why AvaTrade comes with a host of security measures such as 256-bit SSL encryption. Needless to say, so long as you don’t give away your password – you’ll be safe

Security

AvaTrade is part of a holding company that has a market cap around the ballpark of $17 billion, which is a rare phenomenon in the forex market and is a good reason for why this broker is so trustworthy. On top of that, as a broker based in a European nation, it submits to the comprehensive and regulations set forth by the EU. That suggests its security devices such as data encryption are held to the highest possible standard. The rest of its operations also receive real-time updates thanks to the work of top IT in the field. Rest assured, for a trader, the operations of this firm areas bang up to date as this morning’s newspaper.

Additional services

AvaTrade has made important strides in the education sector as well, appealing equally to both novice and veteran traders. You can access plenty of tips and tools that will help your career in online trading. The learning materials being offered are detailed in the list below:

• Market reviews
• Signals and analysis
• Technical analysis
• Free FX signals
• Economic calendar

For novice traders, there are live introductory seminars accessible online, containing real-time information on the market as well as guided tutorials. All of it is freely available.

The platform can be accessed on both your Android and iOS devices.

AvaOptions appeals to the more hardcore traders who intend to trade on Real FX Options. The platform provides access to OTC Vanilla options along with spot and trading options from the same interface for over 30 currency pairs.

Is Avatrade a Good Broker for UK Investors?

While no forex trading is easy AvaTrade along with it’s software provide a safe, regulated and intuitive platform for traders of any skill level to benefit from.

I think that the official review on their website speak for itself, displaying a 4.1 out of 5 with 150 reviews.

Conclusion

AvaTrades operations in the forex market have been active for more than a decade.

In that time, its primary assets have proven to be a high level of security for traders as well as the prompt technological updates it receives on all of its functions. One of the foremost imperatives for a trader is to verify that their broker’s services are licensed and regulated by a reputed government agency.

AvaTrade belongs to an international group with a market cap worth billions of dollars. And its numerous allocated learning resources for trading make it a prime consideration for both novice and experienced traders all over the world.

Not only does it come with several tools, but you’re charged zero commissions.

Is Thinkorswim Available in the UK?

Unfortunately Thinkorswim is not available in the United Kingdom in 2025. This broker is focused on the US market and most other countries are not accepted at the moment. The only exceptions are US, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China.

Best Thinkorswim Alternatives

Luckily there are many other platforms to choose from. This is our #1 rated trading platform in the UK:

	FCA Regulated eToro Minimum Deposit: $50 CopyTrading
	OPEN ACCOUNTWe recommend shares trading instead of CFDs. eToro Disclaimer: 67% of retail CFD accounts lose money.

Traders in the UK have access to other robust platforms as well, such as SaxoTraderGO from Saxo Bank.

Even though eToro is the best choice, SaxoTraderGO caters to both novice and experienced traders. The app is offering a fully customizable trader workstation and a wide range of investment strategies, including CFDs (contracts for difference).

Traders still have a plethora of options to explore through SaxoTraderGO, ensuring they can make informed decisions without any offer or solicitation restrictions.

Thinkorswim UK – Overview

Thinkorswim is a well-known trading platform. It was bought by TD Ameritrade in 2009, one of the largest online brokers in the US.

It competes with big names like Interactive Brokers and eToro.

When you sign up, you can start using the platform right away. It’s trusted by many and lets you trade different assets, like forex, futures, options, and stocks. Many advanced traders love it because of its powerful tools.

In 2020, TD Ameritrade merged with Charles Schwab. This deal was announced in late 2019 and finalized in October 2020.

After the merger, Charles Schwab became one of the biggest asset managers in the US. As of 2024, it manages over $7 trillion in client assets. This makes Schwab a leader in the brokerage industry and gives users even better tools and services, including Thinkorswim.

My Personal Experience With Thinkorswim

I was intrigued when my buddy in the US recommended Thinkorswim. Unfortunately, my UK residency meant I couldn’t try it out myself, but my American amigo kindly offered to give me the grand tour.

Let’s get one thing straight, this broker is not for the trigger-happy day trader types.

No, no, this platform is for the serious investors who want a trading experience as robust as their portfolios.

It’s packed with features that’ll help you analyze the market like a pro and make trades that’d make Warren Buffett nod in approval. But if you’re used to trading at the speed of light, the lack of hot keys may slow you down a bit.

Paper trading (or demo account) is also available to UK traders.

How To Sign Up With Thinkorswim?

UK traders cannot sign up.

This won’t take long – it took us around 15 minutes. There are 5 steps to doing this.

Step 1

The first would be to choose the type of account you want to trade with.

When choosing an account, you’ll be asked if you want to trade futures in the future. With that out of the way, you’ll be led to a drop-down, where you need to fill in your login information. The accounts available are:

• Individual
• Corporate
• Joint Tenant

Step 2

You will be asked to fill in your personal information. This includes your:

• Address
• Date of birth
• Education
• National Identity Card number

You’ll be asked several things about your employment status and what you’re trying to achieve by trading.

You will also need to provide details about your income and net worth. This is quite normal as most brokers require this information.

Step 3

This step requires you to fill out the client form.

Step 4

You will need to submit a W8Ben form.

Step 5

You have to submit all of your documents. They would be used to verify your identity and address. These include bank statements, utility bills, and government-issued identification.

Once everything has been submitted, you will have to wait for up to 7 business days for them to review you. If you have been approved, you will get an email.

You won’t be charged to create an account. You can fund this through electronic transfers, cheque deposits, account transfers from other brokers, as well as international wires from your bank account.

Depending on the method you used to fund your account, the duration of time the cash takes to arrive would differ. You can expect it in 5 business days at the latest.

Offerings

You will be able to trade a range of things on the platform, such as:

• Stocks
• ETFs
• Options
• Futures
• Forex
• Closed-end funds

The best thing about them is that trading certain assets come with no commission fees. This includes stocks, ETFs, and closed-end funds.

If you’re going to trade futures, you will be charged $2.25 per side for a trade. There is no base charge for options. However, a 65-cent fee for contracts is present. In terms of Forex, you will be charged depending on the bid-ask spread.

Tools & Research

The platform is known for its research tools – there are so many to talk about that we can’t cover them all. To begin with, Market Maker Move (MMM) is available. This helps make note of the stocks that could move up, by showing you an estimate of the magnitude of price movements. You’ll also be able to screen for stocks using their Stock Hacker feature.

There is a live-stream of market movements by TD Ameritrade Network and constant newsfeeds from CNBC.

There is also a strategy roller that lets you create covered call strategies. You can enter the criteria so that Thinkorswim will make use of them every month.

There are various charts – tick charts, time charts, range charts, and even seasonal ones. Their heat map tells you exactly how the market is doing through their MarketWatch feature. Along with this, you get a calendar that shows you how much companies are reported to earn in the upcoming weeks

Customer Service

The app offers access to friendly and helpful experts via live chat or email support.

TD Ameritrade’s experienced call center team quickly addresses issues, saving time on explanations.

An educational center and comprehensive FAQ page are also available for self-help.

Security

You don’t have to worry about security. There are in-depth firewalls that prevent your data from falling into the hands of outsiders. They use thorough military locks too – there is 128-bit encryption in place. In terms of what they do with your information, there is a thorough privacy policy on their site. It provides full transparency and is easy to understand.

The broker is regulated by FINRA, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. They authorize all major brokers in the United States.

Alternatives

Now let’s talk about alternatives that are just as good.

• eToro
• Active Trader Pro
• MetaTrader 4
• MetaTrader 5
• TT Platform
• E*Trade Web Platform

Thinkorswim in the UK

Thinkorswim, a highly popular trading platform known for its comprehensive analysis tools and technical analysis capabilities, is unfortunately not available in the UK.

This has to do with financial regulations. If you live in a country where the broker is available, you will be able to use its expert mobile app too.