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Top 4 best CFD brokers in the UK 2025
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Trade your favourite markets with our top-rated broker, .
82% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
This detailed guide is the result of our extensive research. We’ve picked out the top CFD trading platforms that offer the best service to help you start CFD trading in the UK.
To identify the best services, we created a checklist of key criteria that the UK CFD broker must meet in order to earn a high ranking. The features it must offer include:
- Regulatory approval from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the financial regulator in the UK
- A low-cost way to trade CFDs in the UK
- A free demo account for beginners
- A significant number of available trading instruments, including stocks, forex, commodities, and crypto CFDs where available
- A high average user rating that indicates a positive experience for a majority of customers
The results are clear: Our panel recommends Plus500 as the best CFD broker in the UK for 2025.
Best CFD broker in the UK
Copy link to sectionAlongside Plus500 , a number of other UK CFD brokers impressed the experts. We rank these platforms highly, as CFD trading platforms in the UK that offer a secure, simple, and low cost trading experience.
Plus500
Buy or sell stock CFDs with Plus500. 82% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 51% 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.
IG Markets
Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Our top 4 best CFD trading platforms in the UK, reviewed & compared
Copy link to sectionWe found 14 online brokers for users based in
1. Plus500. Best for international trading*
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Overview
We love Plus500 because it is one of the industry’s most transparent and reliable brokers. Its fees are clear and you’ll know exactly what you will be paying before you trade. Its technology driven platform gives access to futures for a range of instruments, including forex, commodities, and cryptocurrencies among several others.
Plus500 has something for all types of traders, no matter what level of experience. Its low margin requirements (starting at $20) and different contracts make it a top choice for day traders. At the same time, its trading academy is packed with educational content, perfect for beginners just starting.
For accurate instrument availability, visit plus500.com.
The fees: Plus500 charges a commission of $0.49 per Micro contract and $0.89 per Standard contract (per side). There is an Auto-Liquidation fee of $10 per contract. Other exchange fees may be applicable and can be found on the CME group website.
*Based on a comparison of 60+ leading brokers and trading platforms.
Highlights
| No. of tradable assets | 2800+ |
| Min. Deposit | $100 |
| ID verification required | Yes |
| Free demo account | Yes |
| Supported assets | Stock CFDs, ETF CFDs, Forex CFDs, Crypto CFDs, Index CFDs, Commodity CFDs |
| Mobile trading app | Yes |
| Web trading platform | Yes |
| Regulatory bodies | FSA, ASIC, FMA, FCA, CySEC |
Fees & Costs
| Trading fees | No |
| Inactivity fees | Yes |
| Rollover/overnight fees | Yes |
| Withdrawal fees | No |
| Spreads | Yes |
| Conversion fees | Yes |
Pros & Cons
Buy or sell stock CFDs with Plus500. 82% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
2. eToro. Best for beginners, copy-trading & demo-account
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Overview
We love eToro because it’s a trading platform built with beginners and casual traders in mind. The platform combines an interactive, social trading experience with an easy-to-use interface, making it ideal for novice traders.
The far-reaching catalog of more than 5,500 stocks and ETFs includes big names like Apple and Tesla, as well as smaller companies with high growth potential. You can start trading with as little as $10 using fractional shares if you’re on a tight budget.
One feature we particularly appreciate is the ability to interact with eToro’s 35 million users on any asset, market, or portfolio page. If you find traders whose strategies match your risk tolerance, you can copy their portfolios automatically using eToro’s flagship copy trading functionality. This is a great way to learn and potentially benefit from the expertise of more experienced traders.
If you don’t feel comfortable investing your cash straight away, you can use a free demo account, credited with $100,000 virtual dollars. This offers plenty of opportunities to try out a trading strategy that works for you across stocks, crypto, and options trading markets.
Highlights
| No. of tradable assets | 3600+ |
| Min. Deposit | $100 |
| ID verification required | Yes |
| Free demo account | Yes |
| Supported assets | Stock CFDs, ETF CFDs, Forex CFDs, Crypto CFDs, Index CFDs, Commodity CFDs, NFTs |
| Mobile trading app | Yes |
| Web trading platform | Yes |
| Regulatory bodies | ASIC, FCA, CySEC, FinCEN |
Fees & Costs
| Trading fees | Yes, on certain assets |
| Inactivity fees | Yes |
| Rollover/overnight fees | Yes, on CFDs |
| Withdrawal fees | Yes |
| Spreads | Yes, on certain assets |
| Conversion fees | Yes, for non-USD currencies |
Pros & Cons
eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 51% 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.
3. IG Markets: Best for trusted and transparent trading
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Overview
We love IG because it’s one of the most established and reputable names in the online trading industry, known for its reliability, comprehensive market offerings, and strong regulatory compliance. IG offers CFD trading in stocks, forex, commodities, indices, ETFs and more, with plenty of useful plugins and integrations to improve the trading experience.
One of the key strengths of IG Markets is its seamless integration with MetaTrader 4 (MT4), a popular third-party trading platform favored by many traders for its advanced charting tools, automated trading capabilities, and custom indicators. This integration allows users to leverage MT4’s sophisticated features while benefiting from IG Markets’ competitive pricing, reliable execution, and extensive market access.
Beyond its product range and platform integrations, IG Markets stands out for its commitment to education and customer support. The company offers a wealth of educational resources, such as webinars, tutorials, and market analysis, which help traders of all levels improve their knowledge and skills.
The fees: For most assets, you don’t pay a trading fee but will be charged through the spread instead. That’s the difference between the buy and sell price of an asset. IG’s spreads are competitive but variable: you’ll pay a smaller spread on popular assets compared to less popular ones. Share trading works differently, and you’ll be charged a minimum fee on each trade of at least $15.
Highlights
| No. of tradable assets | 17,000+ |
| Min. Deposit | $0 |
| ID verification required | Yes |
| Free demo account | Yes |
| Supported assets | Stock CFDs, ETFs, Forex CFDs, Crypto CFDs, Index CFDs, Commodities |
| Mobile trading app | Yes |
| Web trading platform | Yes |
| Regulatory bodies | FSCA, MAS, FMA, ASIC, FCA, BaFin, FINMA, DFSA, BMA, CFTC, NFA |
Fees & Costs
| Trading fees | Yes |
| Inactivity fees | Yes |
| Rollover/overnight fees | Yes |
| Withdrawal fees | No |
| Spreads | Yes |
| Conversion fees | Yes |
Pros & Cons
Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
4. Degiro. Best for 0% commission on US stocks
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Overview
Degiro is a low-cost platform, making it a great choice for UK investors who want to keep fees to a minimum.
When we tested Degiro, we were impressed by its straightforward, no-frills approach. The platform is designed to be simple and efficient, which is perfect for beginners.
One of the main advantages of Degiro is its low fees. There are no inactivity fees or hidden charges, and the trading costs are among the lowest we’ve seen. You can buy and sell US listed shares and pay just €1 commission.
This makes it ideal if you’re looking to invest without having your profits eaten away by fees. However, it’s worth noting that Degiro doesn’t offer commission-free trading, unlike some other platforms.
Degiro is also regulated by top financial authorities, including the FCA. The platform offers access to a wide range of global markets, which is great if you want to diversify your portfolio beyond UK stocks.
We also liked that Degiro provides a user-friendly mobile app, which makes it easy to manage your investments on the go.
However, the platform is quite basic when it comes to research tools and educational content. If you’re a beginner who wants in-depth guidance, you might find this lacking.
Overall, we think Degiro is an excellent choice for UK investors focused on low-cost trading. It’s simple, cost-effective, and gives you access to a broad range of markets. While it might not have all the bells and whistles, it’s a reliable platform for getting started with investing.
The fees: All stock trades come with a €1 handling fee. US stock trading has no other fees, UK stock trading costs $1.75, and European stock trading costs €3.90. The rest of the world costs €5. A core selection of ETFs are free to trade, other global ETFs cost €2 plus a €1 handling fee. Derivative trading costs €0.75. There are no inactivity, deposit, or withdrawal fees.
Highlights
| No. of tradable assets | 2,000,000 + |
| Min. Deposit | $0 |
| ID verification required | Yes |
| Free demo account | No |
| Supported assets | Stocks, Indices, Commodities |
| Mobile trading app | Yes |
| Web trading platform | Yes |
| Regulatory bodies | BaFin |
Fees & Costs
| Trading fees | Yes |
| Inactivity fees | No |
| Rollover/overnight fees | Yes |
| Withdrawal fees | No |
| Spreads | Yes |
| Conversion fees | Yes |
Pros & Cons
Investing involves risk of loss
Is CFD trading legal in the UK?
Copy link to sectionYes, you can legally trade CFDs in the UK. However, certain aspects of CFD trading in the UK are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The restrictions generally work in your favour, as they are designed to protect traders from large, unexpected losses.
Primarily this means there are limitations on the amount of leverage that CFD brokers in the UK can offer, along with a limit on the maximum losses any retail customer account can experience. In addition, they must clearly warn traders of the risks involved so you can make informed investment decisions.
How to find a reliable CFD broker in the UK
Copy link to sectionThe key features that separate the best CFD broker in the UK from the rest are security, cost, the range of markets available. Keep those in mind and you won’t run into too many problems.
If you need more help making up your mind, use this short Q&A to find the best CFD trading platform in the UK.
Are CFD brokers in the UK regulated?
Copy link to sectionYes, CFD trading platforms in the UK are licensed and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) limits the amount of leverage available to trade with, which is capped at 30:1. In addition, the FCA forces every UK CFD broker to provide negative balance protection and a variety of other features, designed to protect you from large, unexpected losses.
The FCA has some of the most stringent regulations on CFD trades in the world. And firms must abide by these rules in order to offer CFD trading accounts to consumers.
How else do CFD trading platforms in the UK protect me?
Copy link to sectionThe top CFD brokers in the UK offer negative balance protection, which is a form of insurance that protects you from losing more money than you have in your account. This is particularly useful if you use leverage or short CFDs, as it’s possible to lose significantly more than the initial value of your trade.
According to laws on the sale and marketing of CFDs, laid down by the FCA in 2019, UK CFD brokers must also:
- Close your position if your available funds fall to 50% of the margin required to keep the positions open
- Not offer any incentives of inducements (like deposit bonuses) to encourage trading
- Display a risk warning that clearly states what percentage of accounts with the firm lose money (such as saying that 80% of customers lose money when trading CFDs)
A UK CFD broker should also protect you by providing Two Factor Authentication (2FA) to secure your account and with a customer service line that’s always open and available to help.
What types of UK CFD brokers are there?
Copy link to sectionMost of the time, you’re going to be dealing with market makers. A market maker is a CFD broker in the UK that effectively creates a market for any asset at all times, so you can always buy or sell.
Other forms of the UK CFD brokers include direct market access (DMA) brokers or STP/ECN brokers. These offer faster trade execution or allow you to buy and sell from other traders directly, rather than through an intermediary. Though the truth is that these services are geared towards professional or high volume traders, rather than casual users.
How much do CFD brokers in the UK cost?
Copy link to sectionMost CFD brokers in the UK offer no-commission trading, so you don’t have to pay each time you make a trade. However, the costs come elsewhere, usually in the form of the spread.
The spread is the difference between the buy and sell price of a contract for difference (CFD). The best the UK CFD trading platforms make money by taking a cut of that difference, so you can compare the costs of using different platforms by comparing the spreads. The lower the difference between the buy and sell price, the more cost-effective a platform is.
Which assets can I trade through a UK CFD broker?
Copy link to sectionAny CFD broker in the UK will offer currency and commodity CFD markets. CFDs are the most common way to trade forex and commodities like gold and oil.
Then the rules can change depending on the whims of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Generally, you can trade stock CFDs, though the available companies may vary. Any share that trades on the London Stock Exchange is likely to be available, along with popular US stocks.
In addition, you may be able to trade:
- ETF CFDs
- Indices CFDs
Crypto CFDs, on the other hand, are banned in the UK and you are not able to trade them.
Can I use leverage to trade CFDs in the UK?
Copy link to sectionYes, it’s common and legal to trade CFDs with leverage in the UK. The permitted leverage is set at between 2:1 and 30:1 by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and all CFD brokers in the UK must abide by those rules.
In reality, each CFD broker in the UK also offers differing leverage on different assets, up to a maximum of 30:1. Currency pairs offer the most leverage, as it’s a vital part of successful forex trading, while stock and crypto CFDs generally offer the lowest.
Do CFD traders have to pay tax in the UK?
Copy link to sectionYes, CFD trades in the UK are liable to pay a capital gains tax, which is charged as a percentage of any gains you make. Each person is entitled to £6,000 of tax-free gains, after which you have to pay tax (though it’s important to note that the £6,000 allowance includes all capital gains, so if you make money from selling other assets, you need to take that into consideration).
The tax is charged at 10% for basic rate taxpayers or 20% for higher rate ones.
CFDs are exempt from stamp duty tax.
Find out more information by visiting the UK government website and reading their guidance on capital gains tax.
Are there any other ways to trade?
Copy link to sectionYes, one of the most appealing aspects of CFD trading for beginners is the fact you can use CFDs to trade for and against the market. Shorting is when you place a trade on an asset or market to fall in value, and is a very popular way to trade.
Because of that, you can also use CFDs to hedge other trades that you have open. This is where you place a trade on the opposite position to one you made previously. It’s used as a risk management strategy to minimise losses or lock in profit in case something changes.
Do CFD platforms in the UK offer professional trading accounts?
Copy link to sectionYes, generally they do, although the qualifications can be steep. Most of the best trading platforms in the UK offer a retail account to all users, then provide faster execution speeds or lower spreads to high volume users who must meet certain capital requirements.
These accounts are only accessible to a small number of people, who have both significant starting funds and a high annual turnover. Unless you can supply the equivalent of at least £500,000 as a qualifying deposit, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to sign up to a professional account with any UK CFD provider.
How to start trading CFDs in the UK
Copy link to sectionFollow this guide to learn how to use a CFD trading platform in the UK and to place your first CFD trade.
Step 1. Create a CFD trading account
Copy link to sectionChoose the best CFD broker in the UK and sign up with your email and contact details. You may be asked to supply some photo ID to meet Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulations.
Step 2. Deposit some money
Copy link to sectionFund your account with your favoured payment method. Most CFD brokers in the UK accept bank transfers, card payments, and some e-wallets like PayPal.
Step 3. Choose what to trade
Copy link to sectionSearch for the asset you want to trade. Stock CFDs can be found by searching for the correct ticker symbol, and the same is true for currency pairs, commodities, and crypto CFDs as well.
Step 4. Decide whether to go long or short, and set your position size
Copy link to sectionChoose whether to buy (go long) or sell (short) the asset. Then enter how much you want to trade (this is known as the ‘margin’) and how much leverage you want to use.
Step 5. Finalise the trade
Copy link to sectionCheck the details and execute the trade once you’re happy with it. After that, keep monitoring the position regularly until you’re ready to close it out. Consider setting stop-loss limits to protect you from unexpected swings in the market.
To summarise
Copy link to sectionCFD trading is a popular and accessible way to trade for all the UK users, but there are a few risks as well. UK CFD providers give you access to global markets and a greater range of trading options, so you can back markets to go both up and down.
However, using leverage can lead to significant losses and, with CFDs, you don’t own the underlying assets themselves, so you have less investor protection than – for example – company shareholders.
This guide picks out the 4 best CFD brokers in the UK, based on their cost, accessibility, and the range of products available. Once you fully understand the pros and cons, choose any of the top CFD trading platforms above to get started with. It only takes a few minutes to start trading CFDs in the UK.
