Forex.com Review: Is There More to This Broker Than Trading on Forex?

Last Updated: February 17, 2023

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Natalie Mootz

Risk Warning: Your Capital is at Risk.

Forex.com is one of the most popular online brokers for trading on forex, Contracts-for-Difference (CFDs), spot gold and silver, as well as other derivatives.

Traders can choose between Forex.com’s web-based trading platform, mobile apps, and the industry-standard MetaTrader 4 (MT4) platform.

Forex.com has been in operation for more than 20 years, offering innovative trading products and services to the online marketplace. It’s ultimate parent company, StoneX Group Inc., is also a publicly traded company (NASDAQ:SNEX).

This review covers facts about what the broker offers and discusses its major advantages and disadvantages. After reading this review, you’ll know whether Forex.com is available in and whether it’s for you.

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Quick Summary of Forex.com

Forex.com offers CFD trading on asset classes including forex, indices, stocks, and commodities. The products and services offered depend on your location and the entity holding your account.

Important: In the US & Canada they offer only forex and unleveraged gold/silver trading.

Traders seeking a regulated broker that provides access to a decent range of derivatives products may want to investigate Forex.com.

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Who is Forex.com Best For?

Forex.com is may be considered by any trader due to its wide range of products, focus on trading education, startup tutorial, and 30-day demo account.

Experienced traders who are used to using MetaTrader 4 may prefer the platform over Forex.com’s web trader.

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Fast Facts About Forex.com

Forex.com traders have access to more than 300 global markets including more than 80 forex pairs and shares of more than 220 companies.

Forex.com is the number one forex (FX) broker in the US, based on client assets per the 2019 monthly Retail Forex Obligation reports published by the CFTC.

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Where Does Forex.com Operate?

Forex.com operates in over 140 countries including the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Europe, Hong Kong, Japan, South Africa, and most places where online trading is allowed.

To find out if Forex.com is available in , click to see the list below.

Restricted Countries

The following countries are restricted in the Forex.com products available to their citizens:

Country	Products Available	Not Available
Canada	Forex, CFDs on Indices, Shares, Commodities	CFDs on Cryptocurrency
United States	Forex, Spot Gold & Silver without leverage	All CFDs, cryptocurrency
United Kingdom	Forex, CFDs on Indices, Shares, Commodities	CFDs on Cryptocurrency

Banned Countries

Citizens of the following countries are ineligible from using Forex.com’s products:

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Forex.com Trading Products

Forex.com offers customers trading in over 200 different products including forex, CFDs on indices, shares, commodities, and – in limited countries – cryptocurrencies.

Forex Trading

True to its name, Forex.com offers trading on forex markets. Trading online FX is available in all countries where Forex.com does business, including the US.

CFDs

Contracts for Difference (CFDs) are derivative securities that allow customers to gain exposure to the price of financial instruments without actually holding the instruments in their accounts.

Index CFDs

CFD Shares

Forex.com customers can trade CFDs on shares for more than 220 companies, including ones headquartered in the United Kingdom (including FTSE 100 and other UK shares) and the United States.

CFDs on Commodities

Forex.com customers can trade CFDs on commodities futures, metals, and can trade on spot commodities.

Cryptocurrency CFDs

Forex.com offers CFDs on the following cryptocurrencies starting at 10 pips per point.

• Bitcoin
• Bitcoin Cash
• Ethereum
• Litecoin
• Ripple

Traders do not buy crypto assets from Forex.com, only derivative products.

Traders do not own the coins traded, and Forex.com doesn’t provide a digital wallet.

Please Note: Availability subject to regulations. Cryptocurrency CFDs are not available to UK retail traders.

Furthermore, cryptocurrencies are not available in the US or Canada.

Forex.com Account Types

Forex.com offers several account types on its proprietary platform: standard, commission, direct market access (DMA), STP Pro Account, and a demo account.

The broker also offers a standard and demo account with the MetaTrader 4 (MT4) platform.

Standard Account

Most traders may sign up for the Forex.com Standard account type. This account features fast trade execution and spreads that are competitive with other brokers.

Alongside the Demo account, the Standard account is the only type available for use with MetaTrader 4.

Commission Account

The Commission account is for experienced traders who want reduced, tighter spreads in combination with lower, flat commission rates. Traders pay $5 commission per 100K traded.

The Commission account is not available for use with MetaTrader 4.

Direct Market Access Account

Forex.com’s Direct Market Access (or DMA) account is for experienced, high-volume forex traders.

The payment scheme is commissions-only (no spreads). The recommended balance for this account type is a minimum of $25,000 and the minimum trade amount is $100,000.

Other benefits of the DMA account include:

• Waived wire transfer fees
• A personal, dedicated market strategist
• Earned interest on your average daily margin, from 0.5% – 1.5% APY

There are some limitations on this account:

• On the Forex.com web trading platform and on the mobile apps, this account features only top of book trading.
• It has 60 currency pairs (vs 80+ pairs for other account types).
• Not available for use with MetaTrader 4.

Demo Account

The Forex.com demo account is designed to familiarize you with the trading tools and features of the Forex.com trading platforms. It allows traders to test forex trading strategies using virtual funds.

Traders can use demo accounts for up to 30 days, free of charge. Demo accounts are not renewable at this time.

Unfortunately, demo accounts are separate from the live platforms, so traders can’t toggle back and forth between play money and real money. This is a feature that some other brokers allow.

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Forex.com Spreads and Fees

The underlying financial instruments determine the Forex.com spreads that traders pay.

Fixed and Variable Spreads

Forex.com offers both fixed and variable spreads depending on the specific market being traded:

• Fixed spreads: These spreads don’t change with market conditions such as volatility or liquidity. Fixed spreads may either be offered for a defined period of the day or throughout trading hours.
• Variable spreads: These spreads may fluctuate throughout the day according to factors such as underlying liquidity or market volatility. Forex.com informs traders on its website of the minimum variable spreads as well as the average spreads over a recent time frame.

Forex.com obtains the data for spreads from reputable third-party sources, which obtain the data directly from exchange feeds.

Spreads vary based on market conditions like volatility and liquidity, alongside others.

Fees and Commissions

We’ve gathered up the information on the fees and commissions that Forex.com charges their clients. See the table below.

Fees

Fee Type	Forex.com Policy
Borrowing Costs for Shorting CFDs	A small minority of CFDs traded on the Forex.com platform are tied to underlying assets that are hard to borrow. Traders who want to short these CFDs will incur borrowing costs.
Currency Conversion	Forex.com charges commercially reasonable rates for converting CFD and forex trades back to your base currency. The broker discloses the conversion rates on contract notices and trader statements.
Data Exchange	No fee, however, positions held overnight will incur a rollover fee
Deposits	No fee
Inactivity	Forex.com charges a monthly inactivity fee of £15 (15 base currency equivalent or 1500 JPY) to accounts that are inactive for 12 months or more. Accounts with a balance of 10,000 base currency or more are exempt from inactivity fees.
Finance or Rollovers	Forex.com charges financing fees, or rollovers, to hold a position open overnight. Forex.com automatically applies the daily financing fee to your account each day that you hold an open position (including weekends). The financing rates are set at a benchmark regional interest rate of +/- 2.5%.
Withdrawal	Forex.com does not charge withdrawal fees using credit or debit cards or to your bank accounts using SWIFT or BACS payments unless the customer wants to receive same-day payment using CHAPS. Same-day CHAPS transfers incur a £25 fee for amounts under £10,000.
Dividend Adjustments	Made on the ex-dividend date. Long positions: adjusted net of tax. Short positions: Charged the declared amount of gross adjustment.

Commissions

Commissions at Forex.com vary by account type and instrument.

• Standard Accounts: Commissions charged on shares CFDs.
• Commissions accounts: Charged a flat $5 commission per 100K lot at the time of trade execution.
• DMA accounts: Variable commissions based on the volume traded.

Leverage For Forex.com Traders

Forex.com offers different amounts of leverage to different account holders, depending on the location and entity holding the account.

Customers can adjust leverage within the Forex.com or MT4 web trading platforms or by contacting customer support.

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Forex.com Account Requirements

After you click the Forex.com “Open an Account” button, you must answer a series of questions.

1. Choose a platform: the standard Forex.com platform or MetaTrader 4.
2. Enter your name, email, phone, and date of birth.
3. Choose a password for your account and select your base currency.
4. Enter your address and tax residency status.

The next set of questions Forex.com is about your financial status and trading experience.

The broker doesn’t require specific prior trading experience to open an account. However, traders must answer some questions to demonstrate that they understand the trading products and the risks associated with them.

You must then agree to some disclosures regarding your understanding of CFD trading.

To pass your identity verification, you will need to upload one document for proof of identity and one for proof of address.

Minimum Deposit Amount

The minimum deposit to open an account is $100 or currency equivalent. However, Forex.com recommends that you deposit at least $2,500 to maintain an adequate excess margin balance above your required margin.

Forex.com doesn’t charge fees on incoming deposits, regardless of type. However, the banks involved in the transaction may charge you fees.

You can easily fund your account by logging in to MyAccount and visiting the ‘Funding’ page. Traders can deposit using the following methods:

***Other deposit methods may be available depending on entity holding account.

Margin Requirements

Each financial instrument also has specific Forex.com margin requirements that traders must maintain.

Traders who fall below the Forex.com margin requirements risk receiving a margin call and having their position closed prematurely.

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Withdrawing Funds From Forex.com

Withdrawal requests can be submitted through MyAccount and are processed in order of receipt.

• The minimum withdrawal amount is $100 (or currency equivalent).
• Forex.com doesn’t charge withdrawal fees.
• Withdrawals are processed within 48 hours.

Maximum Withdrawal Amounts

Funds Deposited To	Maximum Withdrawal Amount
Credit/Debit Card	Up to $25,000 (or currency equivalent) per 24 hours or the amount funded, whichever is lower
PayPal	Up to $25,000 (or currency equivalent) per transaction or the amount funded, whichever is lower
Wire Transfer	Unlimited, once card deposits are refunded

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Forex.com Mobile App Review

Many traders execute their strategy via mobile devices and Forex.com caters to these traders with iOS and Android mobile apps for use with tablets and smartphones.

The Forex.com mobile app lets you trade the way you like with all the same features of its web platform. You also get access to charting and analysis tools as well as the ability to fund your account directly from your phone.

Here is a brief introduction to some of the key features traders might find interesting.

Mobile Charting

The mobile app uses TradingView charts instead of Autochartist, which optimizes charts for mobile devices. The video below features the 14 chart types you can get with TradingView.

Alerts and Personalization

Traders on mobile have the advantage of getting real-time order alerts on their phones.

You can set up a Watchlist that includes mobile notifications of your choice, including notice of your orders.

You can personalize your Forex.com mobile app — both the dashboard and the main menu.

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Forex.com Web Trading Platform Review

Forex.com traders have access to its web trading platform, MetaTrader 4, and mobile trading apps for iOS and Android smartphones and tablets:

• Forex.com: A web trading platform offering simple and complex order types, professional charting, news services, trade ideas, and mobile trading.
• MetaTrader 4: The industry-standard advanced trading platform offering high-end features and automated trading support.

Tutorial By Forex.com

One of the first things you notice when logging in to the Forex.com web platform is the Getting Started tutorial, a step-by-step guide to the platform.

The tutorial explains the charting, trading, and account management features of the platform clearly. Many other brokers overlook the usefulness of this feature.

The tutorial ends with a link that takes you to the Education section of the website (see below). When you finish the tutorial, you arrive at the main trading screen.

Trading Screen Layout

The web browser layout manages to provide a lot of features in one trading window. Traders can customize the layout and access multiple tabs in each trading window.

The top of the main window gives the trader access to a variety of subcategories. This gives the platform a very economical feel.

Autochartist Feature

One of the most unique aspects of the Forex.com platform is the myriad of technical indicators and drawing tools available in the charting section called Autochartist.

Traders will appreciate the ability to draw trend lines on charts and create graphs using lines, bars, candlesticks, and a host of other indicators.

The automated technical analysis tools allow traders to scan the markets, find patterns, and trade ideas.

News and Market Sentiment

Forex.com offers a surprisingly large range of fundamental news and analysis tools, compared to other brokers.

Traders can navigate to the ‘Research and Analysis’ tab and find access to market news and analysis.

There’s also an economic calendar with upcoming announcements and a Market Analysis section with recent news events by the Forex.com research team.

Forex.com offers the Reuters-powered newsfeed on the bottom of the screen, too.

Risk Management with Smart Trade Tickets

Forex.com offers a custom trade ticked window called Smart Tickets.

Traders can choose a variety of parameters for placing stops on trades and use the tool for calculating margin requirements:

Forex.com’s Smart Trading ticket helps traders better manage risks because they can set orders based on factors like profit/loss, price, or pips. Margin requirements are also shown on the right side of the ticket.

Active Trader Program

Forex.com also offers an Active Trader program for traders who deal in high volumes of currency trading.

A minimum initial deposit of US$10,000 or trade US$50m in a calendar month to automatically qualify for Active Trader.

Continued eligibility is contingent on a total quarterly trade volume of at least US$50m or an average account balance of at least US$25,000

The Active Trader program also offers:

• Reduced pricing on standard spreads of up to 15%
• Cash rebates
• Personalized, one-on-one customer support
• No account service fees
• Reimbursement for bank wire fees

ESMA regulations prohibit CFD brokers from offering bonuses to retail investors in Europe to encourage CFD trading (or a greater volume of trading), including signup bonuses or fee rebates.

Forex.com Education Resources

Forex.com has an Education tab on its website that offers three sections of trading courses based on a trader’s experience level.

Each course section can be filtered by one of the following six themes:

1. Trading Concepts
2. Managing Risk
3. Technical Analysis
4. Trading Strategies
5. Fundamental Analysis

When you click on a section and then click on a theme, Forex.com presents videos, charts, and text covering the topic. The colorful charts and detailed explanations in this section are thorough and impressive.

The teaching material allows traders to learn at their own pace by making use of the knowledgebase’s filtering feature, a search engine built into an intranet for learning about forex and CFD trading.

Platform Shortcomings

Although Forex.com is an excellent choice for many traders, it does have a few limitations.

• Languages available – The Forex.com web trading platform is only available in English and Chinese. Forex.com doesn’t specify what other languages it offers support in.
• Demo accounts – The Forex.com demo account is only available for 30 days and can’t be renewed, unlike demo accounts with eToro or Fortrade. Additionally, the Forex.com demo account isn’t linked to a trader’s live account so you can’t toggle between them as other brokers enable you to do.

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Can I Trust Forex.com?

Forex.com is a regulated way to trade on forex, spot commodities, and CFDs. The broker is a subsidiary of a New York Stock Exchange company that has over two decades’ experience as a provider of retail trading platforms.

As a global operator, Forex.com receives regulatory oversight from several agencies:

Regulator	Countries Covered*
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Markets in Financial Directive (MiFID)	Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK.
Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC)	Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa
Securities and Futures Commission (SFC)	Hong Kong
Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA)	Cayman Islands
Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC)	Canada
Financial Services Authority (FSA)	Japan
Commodities and Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)	United States
National Futures Association (NFA)	United States

Forex.com keeps client funds segregated from its own funds and holds client funds in top-tier banks.

Financial Conduct Authority

The UK’s Financial Conduct Agency (FCA) regulates Forex.com’s activities in the United Kingdom.

The FCA is widely respected as a leader in financial regulation. The UK scores highly in Transparency International‘s rankings of countries based on their corruption perceptions index meaning the UK is a pillar of anti-corruption.

Forex.com customers in the UK are protected by the UK based scheme Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), which was established to protect consumers when authorized financial services firms fail.

Australian Securities and Investments Commission

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) covers the activities of Forex.com in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.

If you are based in these countries, there is no additional compensation scheme in place to cover your deposit.

However, you are offered the protection afforded by the Australian legal system. Money held in trust in Australia is highly regulated and covered by the Corporations Act.

Commodities and Futures Trading Commission

The Commodities and Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is a US government agency that regulates futures and options markets. The CFTC polices market violators operating under its jurisdiction.

An additional protection the CFTC offers to US traders is helping resolve disputes between traders and investment professionals.

Forex.com is a registered Futures Commission Merchant (FCM) and retail foreign exchange dealer (RFED) with the CFTC and a member of the National Futures Association (NFA no. 0339826).

NOTE: Spot Gold and Silver contracts are not subject to regulation under the U.S. Commodity Exchange Act.

Forex.com Customer Support

Customer support operates 24 hours a day from 10am on Sunday to 5pm on Friday, based on your local time zone.

Traders can contact Forex.com customer service by phone, email, fax, or live chat. Traders can view the Forex.com website in English and Chinese.

Forex.com says it offers customer support in “many languages,” but does not provide a list of them.

Brief History of Forex.com

Forex.com is a subsidiary of StoneX Group Inc. (NASDAQ: SNEX), founded in 1999 to provide traders with low-cost access to the foreign exchange market.

Forex.com has its corporate address in London, United Kingdom.

Who Runs Forex.com?

StoneX Group Inc., the company that owns Forex.com, is a publicly held company and traded on the NASDAQ as SNEX.

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FAQs

Does Forex have an app?

Yes, Forex.com has apps that allow you to trade via your mobile devices like tablets or smartphones. They have both Android and iOS apps available. Experienced traders can also access Forex.com via the MetaTrader 4 mobile apps. See our section above for more information about the Forex.com mobile app.

Can I trade forex on my phone?

Yes, with Forex.com, you can trade on your iOS or Android phone. Forex.com’s mobile apps offer a selection of features that are also found on the desktop platform, so traders can make use of Forex.com while on-the-go. See our section above for more information about the Forex.com mobile app.

Does Forex have a monthly fee?

No, Forex.com doesn’t require a monthly access fee. However, you must initially fund your account with a deposit of at least $100 or currency equivalent. They also have transactional fees on a currency conversion, rollovers, borrowing costs for shorting CFDs, inactivity for 12 months, and some same-day withdrawal types.

How reliable is Forex?

Forex.com’s trading platforms are available 24/7. You can trade via their web-based app, an iOS or Android mobile device, or through MetaTrader 4. Additionally, Forex.com’s parent company, StoneX Group Inc. (NASDAQ:SNEX), is a publicly-held company that must adhere to strict corporate disclosure and financial reporting laws.

For regulatory information about Forex.com, see our regulatory section above.

Which is the best site for forex trading?

Forex traders can access forex trading from many brokers, including Forex.com. The best trading platform is entirely dependent on the type of trader you are, your experience level with trading, where you are located, and what types of technology you have at your disposal. Advanced traders may prefer to use MetaTrader 4 while others may find the Forex.com web platform simpler.

Can I use Forex.com in the USA?

Yes, US residents and citizens may use Forex.com’s forex, spot gold, and spot silver products. Gold and silver in the US do not offer leverage. However, US residents are restricted from accessing Forex.com’s CFD trading products. In the US, Forex.com is regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and is a member of the National Futures Association (NFA).

Is Forex.com legitimate?

Forex.com is licensed by some of the most rigorous regulatory bodies in the world. In the EU and UK, Forex.com is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). In Australia, the company is regulated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). In the US, Forex.com is regulated by both the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the National Futures Association (NFA).

If you think Forex.com isn’t right for you, check out our other broker reviews.

Credits: Original Forex.com review written by Lawrence Pines. Major updates and additions by Natalie Mootz with contributions from the Commodity.com editorial team.