Best futures brokers

What each of the top ten is good at

One line each, expanded into a full profile further down.

1. IC Markets - Competitive pricing. MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView. Strong index and commodity coverage.
2. TabTrade - 16 futures CFDs through MT5. High leverage. Fast execution from Equinix LD5.
3. FxPro - Futures CFDs across major markets. Multiple advanced platforms. Execution under 8ms.
4. FXTM - Futures and CFD access. MT4 and MT5. Flexible accounts.
5. IG - Extensive derivatives range. 17,000+ CFD markets. Advanced proprietary platform.
6. Axi - Futures-related CFDs on MetaTrader. The cheapest pricing here. Strong tools for active traders.
7. Saxo Bank - Exchange-listed futures across global exchanges. Professional platforms. Vast coverage.

Futures, or CFDs on futures?

A futures contract is a standardised agreement to buy or sell something at a set price on a set date, traded on an exchange like CME, ICE or EUREX, cleared by a clearing house, with a defined contract size and tick value.

A futures CFD is an over-the-counter contract with your broker whose price is derived from that futures market. You get the exposure without the exchange: smaller position sizes, no exchange membership, cash settlement, and it sits in the same MetaTrader account as your forex.

Neither is better. But they are not the same product, and a comparison that treats a per-contract commission at an exchange broker as equivalent to a CFD spread is comparing two different things. Saxo Bank is the only broker on this page offering conventional exchange-listed futures.

What each broker actually sells

Researched for this page. Our broker records show that a firm offers futures, not which of the two products it offers - a gap this page has to fill by hand.

What each broker actually sells

Broker	Futures product	Main futures markets	Agricultural	Currency futures	Exchange-listed contracts
IC Markets9.5	Futures CFDs	Indices, commodities	Yes	No	No
TabTrade9.3	Futures CFDs	16 futures CFDs	Depends on product	No	No
FxPro9.1	Futures CFDs	Indices, commodities, energy	Yes	No	No
FXTM8.6	Futures CFDs	Commodities, indices	Depends on product	No	No
IG7.9	Futures CFDs	Indices, commodities and more	Yes	Depends on entity	Depends on entity
Axi7.7	Futures CFDs	Indices, commodities	Depends on product	No	No
Saxo Bank7.6	Exchange-listed futures	Global futures exchanges	Yes	Yes	Yes

The last three columns are where the ten separate. Index and commodity futures exposure is universal here; agricultural markets are patchier; currency futures and exchange-listed contracts are Saxo alone, with IG depending on the entity you are onboarded to.

For most people trading an S&P 500 or a crude oil position, the CFD route is the practical one and the distinction is academic. It stops being academic if you want a specific contract month, an exchange order book, or a contract you can hold to delivery.

The two products, line by line

The margin row is the one that catches people. Exchange margin is set per contract by the exchange and moves when volatility does; CFD margin is a leverage ratio the broker applies, and the broker can lower it on an individual instrument whenever it likes.

Expiry and rollover, which cash CFDs do not have

A futures CFD references a specific underlying contract month, so unlike a spot CFD it does not simply run forever. As the underlying approaches expiry the broker will close it, cash settle it, roll it into the next contract, or require you to close it yourself - and which of those happens is in the contract specification rather than in any general rule.

That is worth reading before you hold one through an expiry, because a position rolled into the next contract is a position opened at a different price.

The compensation is on financing. A cash CFD is charged overnight financing every night it stays open. A futures CFD takes its price from a futures contract, and the cost of carry is already inside that price - so many futures CFDs carry no separate daily financing charge at all. They can instead trade at a premium or discount to spot, carry wider spreads, and expire.

None of that makes them free to hold. It makes the holding cost arrive differently, and the contract specification is the only place it is written down.

What it costs

For futures CFDs the cost is the spread, plus commission where the account charges one, plus whatever rollover treatment the contract carries. For exchange-listed futures at Saxo it is a per-contract commission plus exchange, clearing and regulatory fees, and often market data.

The two cannot be compared directly, so the table below does what can be compared honestly across all ten: forex pricing, which every one of them offers on the same terms.

Pricing, on the one product they all share

Pricing, on the one product they all share

Broker	Spread from	Commission	All-in EUR/USD	Spread type	Overnight financing
IC Markets9.5	0.0 pips	$3.50 per side / $7 round turn (Raw Spread MetaTrader)	Approx. 0.8 pips	Variable	Both: swaps charged; swap-free accounts available
TabTrade9.3	0.0 pips	$3.50 per side / $7 round turn (Edge)	Approx. 0.73 pips	Variable	Both: swaps charged/credited; swap-free account available
FxPro9.1	0.0 pips	$3.50 per side / $7 round turn	Approx. 1.13 pips	Variable	Both: overnight swaps apply; Islamic/swap-free accounts available
FXTM8.6	0.0 pips	$3.50 per side / $7 round turn, Advantage	Approx. 0.8 pips	Variable	Both: swaps charged/credited; swap-free accounts available
IG7.9	0.6 pips	$0 on standard forex CFDs	0.85 pips	Variable	Both: overnight funding charged/credited
Axi7.7	0.0 pips	US$2.25 per side / US$4.50 round turn, Pro	Approx. 0.45 pips	Variable	Both: overnight swaps charged/credited; swap-free accounts available
Saxo Bank7.6	0.7 pips	$0 on spot forex	Approx. 1.0 pip	Variable	Both: FX rollover/financing charged or credited

From our broker records. These figures describe forex, not futures - futures CFD pricing is per instrument and is not held in our database. Treat this as a read on how each broker prices rather than as the cost of a futures trade.

It is worth reading the two ends of this table against the ranking. Axi, ninth on this page, is the cheapest broker here at about 0.45 pips all in - it charges $2.25 per side where most of this group charges $3.50, and only Fusion Markets matches that across everything we rate.

IronFX, tenth, is at the other end: roughly 1.8 pips all in on a commission of about $9 per side. That is the most expensive raw pricing in any of these guides, and about four times what Axi charges for the same trade.

Two brokers ranked side by side, four times apart on price. This is why the rating beside each name is worth reading rather than the position.

Leverage and margin

Futures CFDs use the broker's leverage ratio. Exchange-listed futures use contract-specific margin set by the exchange, which rises when volatility does and is not expressed as a leverage ratio at all.

For the CFD brokers here the advertised maximum is the usual retail story: capped at 1:30 on major forex for retail clients in Australia, the UK and the EU, with higher limits under international entities and lower limits on individual instruments than the headline suggests. A broker advertising 1:1000 will not offer 1:1000 on a natural gas contract.

The number to check is the margin requirement for the specific futures instrument you intend to trade, on the entity that will actually hold your account. It is in the contract specification, and it is frequently a long way from the number on the homepage.

Platforms and execution

Futures CFDs trade on the same platforms as everything else these brokers sell, which is most of their appeal: MetaTrader 4 and 5 for anyone already there, cTrader and TradingView for anyone who wants more, and proprietary platforms at the two ends of this list.

Platforms

Platforms

Broker	MT4	MT5	cTrader	TradingView	Own platform	All platforms
IC Markets9.5	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, TradingView
TabTrade9.3	No	Yes	No	No	No	MetaTrader 5
FxPro9.1	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, TradingView, FxPro Trading Platform
FXTM8.6	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, FXTM App
IG7.9	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	IG Trading Platform, MetaTrader 4, ProRealTime, TradingView
Axi7.7	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, Axi Trading Platform
Saxo Bank7.6	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	SaxoInvestor, SaxoTrader, SaxoTraderPRO, TradingView

IC Markets and FxPro carry the widest choice. Axi and IronFX are the MetaTrader specialists here, IronFX built almost entirely around MetaTrader 4. Saxo and IG run their own professional environments, which is what an exchange-listed futures offering requires - an options and futures chain into a live exchange is not something MetaTrader was designed to do.

Execution and automation

Execution and automation

Broker	Execution model	Typical speed	Servers	Expert Advisors	API	Copy trading
IC Markets9.5	Market execution	Approx. 35ms on forex	Equinix NY4, New York; Equinix LD5, London	Yes	Yes	Yes
TabTrade9.3	Market execution / ECN-style institutional execution	Under 30ms	Equinix LD5, London	Yes	Yes	Yes
FxPro9.1	No dealing desk intervention / market execution	Under 8ms	Equinix LD4, London	Yes	Yes	Yes
FXTM8.6	Market execution	82ms	Global financial data-centre infrastructure	Yes	Yes	Yes
IG7.9	Market maker / principal with DMA available on selected markets	Approx. 10ms	London and global financial data centres	Yes	Yes	No
Axi7.7	Market execution / liquidity-provider aggregation	29ms	Co-located servers in major global financial data centres	Yes	Yes	Yes
Saxo Bank7.6	Agency/principal hybrid with direct market access	Approx. 50ms	Global institutional data-centre infrastructure including London	Yes	Yes	No

From our broker records. Brokers measure execution differently and publish under favourable conditions, so treat these as an order of magnitude rather than a stopwatch.

The range across this ten is wide: FxPro under 8 milliseconds, IG about 10, Axi about 29, ThinkMarkets about 50, FXTM about 82, and IronFX under 100. That is more than a tenfold spread between the fastest and slowest brokers on the same page.

Whether it matters depends on how you trade. Holding an index futures CFD for a week, it is irrelevant. Scalping a commodity around an inventory release, it is most of the game - and so are slippage, fill rate and what happens to the spread in the seconds after the number prints, none of which a single millisecond figure captures.

Can I trust these brokers?

The group spans a wide range. Saxo Bank scores a perfect 100 for regulation on our table and IG the same, both holding a dozen or so licences across major jurisdictions. ThinkMarkets, Axi and IC Markets are all strongly regulated firms with ASIC and FCA licences among others.

At the other end, TabTrade launched in 2026 under a single Mauritius licence with no statutory compensation scheme and, on our record, no negative balance protection - which on a leveraged, expiring product is worth weighing rather than skipping. IronFX operates primarily from the British Virgin Islands with ASIC and FSCA entities alongside.

As always, what protects you is the entity that ends up holding your account rather than the longest list of licences on the website.

Trust metrics

Trust metrics

Broker	Regulators	Founded	Client money segregated	Negative balance protection	Compensation scheme
IC Markets9.5	ASICCySECFSA (Seychelles)+2	2007	Yes	Yes	ICF up to €20,000 for eligible EU clients; Raw Trading Ltd insolvency insurance up to US$1,000,000
TabTrade9.3	FSC (Mauritius)	2026	Yes	No	No statutory investor compensation scheme
FxPro9.1	FCACySECFSCA (South Africa)+2	1999	Yes	Yes	FSCS up to £85,000 for eligible UK clients; ICF up to €20,000 for eligible CySEC clients
FXTM8.6	FSC (Mauritius)FSCA (South Africa)CMA (Kenya)	2011	Yes	Yes	No statutory investor compensation scheme
IG7.9	FCAASICBaFin+7	1974	Yes	Yes	FSCS up to £85,000 for eligible UK clients; statutory schemes vary by regulated entity
Axi7.7	ASICFCAFMA (New Zealand)+1	2007	Yes	Yes	FSCS up to £85,000 for eligible UK clients; no statutory investor compensation scheme under ASIC
Saxo Bank7.6	FSA (Denmark)FCAASIC+6	1992	Yes	Yes	Danish DGS: cash deposits up to €100,000 and unreturned securities up to €20,000

From our broker records. Negative balance protection and compensation schemes depend on the entity you are onboarded to and your client classification.

Non-trading fees

Non-trading fees

Broker	Inactivity fee	Currency conversion	Min. withdrawal	Withdrawal time
IC Markets9.5	None on Global; EU: 10 account-currency units/month after 6 months inactivity	Conversion at applicable exchange rate/charges; no fixed percentage published	No minimum	Same-day processing before cutoff; cards typically 3-5 business days; international wire up to 14 days
TabTrade9.3	No inactivity fee	Conversion rate may include a currency conversion fee	No minimum	Typically 1 business day processing; cards 1-3 business days; Skrill/Neteller 1-2 business days; bank transfer 2-5 business days
FxPro9.1	Not on record	Currency conversion applies where funding/account currencies differ	No minimum	Processed 24/5; typically within 1 business day, plus payment-provider processing time
FXTM8.6	$10/€10/£10 per month after 3 months inactivity	Conversion at applicable exchange rate/charges	$5	Typically processed within 24 hours; arrival depends on payment method
IG7.9	Not on record	0.5%	$0	Typically 1-3 business days
Axi7.7	$10/month after 12 months inactivity	Currency conversion applies where account and transaction currencies differ	$5	Instant for eligible card withdrawals; other methods vary by provider
Saxo Bank7.6	Not on record	0.25%	No minimum	Typically 1-3 business days

From our broker records. Banks, card issuers and payment providers can charge on top of anything the broker does or does not charge.

IronFX charges $50 a year after twelve months of inactivity, the steepest dormancy charge on this page, and Axi $10 a month after the same period. If you trade futures seasonally - and plenty of commodity traders do - read that clause before the spread table.

The top 7, one by one

#1

IC Markets

9.5/10

Recommended for traders who want futures exposure alongside everything else, on a platform of their choice.

Overall rating

9.5 / 10

Markets rating

9.4 / 10

Minimum deposit

$200

Minimum trade

0.01 lots

Spread from

0.0 pips

Commission

$3.50 per side / $7 round turn (Raw Spread MetaTrader)

All-in cost, EUR/USD

Approx. 0.8 pips

Maximum leverage

1:30

Platforms

MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, TradingView

Demo account

Yes, expires after 30 days of inactivity

Copy trading

IC Social; cTrader Copy; ZuluTrade; Myfxbook AutoTrade; Signal Start

Support

24/7

Founded

2007

Regulation

ASICCySECFSA (Seychelles)SCB (Bahamas)+1

IC Markets is the highest-rated broker on our table, and for futures its appeal is the same as everywhere else: the pricing and the platform choice, rather than anything specific to the futures desk.

Its futures CFDs cover index and commodity markets, including agricultural contracts, within a catalogue of 2,250+ instruments that also carries forex, shares, indices, bonds and crypto.

MetaTrader 4 and 5, cTrader and TradingView are all available - the joint-widest choice on this page - with Expert Advisors, cBots, VPS support and a FIX API for anyone automating.

Execution averages about 35 milliseconds, with MetaTrader servers at Equinix NY4 and cTrader in London. The $200 minimum deposit is the highest here.

Open an account with IC MarketsRead our full IC Markets review

#2

TabTrade

9.3/10

Recommended for MetaTrader 5 traders who want futures CFDs in the same tightly priced account.

Overall rating

9.3 / 10

Markets rating

9.6 / 10

Minimum deposit

$0

Minimum trade

0.01 lots

Spread from

0.0 pips

Commission

$3.50 per side / $7 round turn (Edge)

All-in cost, EUR/USD

Approx. 0.73 pips

Maximum leverage

1:1000

Platforms

MetaTrader 5

Demo account

Yes

Copy trading

Yes, TabTrade Social

Support

24/7

Founded

2026

Futures CFDs

16

Regulation

FSC (Mauritius)

TabTrade lists 16 futures CFDs within a catalogue of 1,173 instruments, alongside forex, shares, indices, commodities and crypto - all in one MetaTrader 5 account.

The pricing is the draw. Its Edge account records 0.03 pips on EUR/USD with $3.50 per side, about 0.73 pips all in, and execution averages under 30 milliseconds from Equinix LD5 in London.

It is the only broker on this page whose record shows leverage to 1:1000 outright rather than through an entity you may not qualify for, and the Standard account has no minimum deposit.

The counterweight belongs in any decision: it launched in 2026, operates under a single Mauritius licence with no statutory compensation scheme, and on our record provides no negative balance protection. On a leveraged product that expires, that is worth a deliberate choice.

Open an account with TabTradeRead our full TabTrade review

#3

FxPro

9.1/10

Recommended for active traders who want the fastest execution here and every major platform.

Overall rating

9.1 / 10

Markets rating

9.1 / 10

Minimum deposit

$0

Minimum trade

0.01 lots

Spread from

0.0 pips

Commission

$3.50 per side / $7 round turn

All-in cost, EUR/USD

Approx. 1.13 pips

Maximum leverage

1:30

Platforms

MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, TradingView, FxPro Trading Platform

Demo account

Yes, 180-day lifespan

Copy trading

Yes, cTrader Copy

Support

24/5

Founded

1999

Regulation

FCACySECFSCA (South Africa)SCB (Bahamas)+1

FxPro executes in under 8 milliseconds from Equinix LD4, the fastest figure on this page by some distance, which is the strongest single argument for the account if you trade around releases.

Its futures CFDs sit within 2,100+ instruments covering indices, commodities, energy and agricultural markets, and it runs MetaTrader 4 and 5, cTrader, TradingView and its own platform, with cTrader Copy and a FIX API.

Trading since 1999, it is the second-oldest firm here after IG, holds FCA and CySEC licences among others, and asks no minimum deposit on the Standard account.

On cost it is the wrong end of this page: about 1.13 pips all in on EUR/USD once its $7 round turn is counted, against Axi's 0.45. You are buying execution and platform breadth.

Open an account with FxProRead our full FxPro review

#4

FXTM

8.6/10

Recommended for MetaTrader traders who want a low entry and several pricing structures.

Overall rating

8.6 / 10

Markets rating

8.5 / 10

Minimum deposit

$30

Minimum trade

0.01 lots

Spread from

0.0 pips

Commission

$3.50 per side / $7 round turn, Advantage

All-in cost, EUR/USD

Approx. 0.8 pips

Maximum leverage

1:3000

Platforms

MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, FXTM App

Demo account

Yes

Copy trading

Yes, FXTM Invest

Support

Monday-Friday 03:00-20:00 UTC; Saturday-Sunday 07:00-11:00 UTC

Founded

2011

Regulation

FSC (Mauritius)FSCA (South Africa)CMA (Kenya)

FXTM covers futures-related markets across 1,000+ instruments on MetaTrader 4 and 5, with a choice between commission-free spread pricing and its Advantage account at 0.0 pips with $3.50 per side - about 0.8 pips all in.

The account opens from $30, and it offers some genuinely unusual products, including cross-market contracts trading the relative performance of two underlying markets.

Founded in 2011 and regulated in Mauritius, South Africa and Kenya, it scores 90 for regulation - higher than better-known names on this page.

Its execution averages about 82 milliseconds, second-slowest here, and its advertised leverage runs to 1:3000 on eligible international accounts. Neither matters much for a position held for days; both matter a great deal for one held for minutes.

Open an account with FXTMRead our full FXTM review

#5

IG

7.9/10

Recommended for traders who want depth, and possibly listed contracts depending on their entity.

Overall rating

7.9 / 10

Markets rating

8.0 / 10

Minimum deposit

$0

Minimum trade

0.01 lots equivalent / instrument-dependent

Spread from

0.6 pips

Commission

$0 on standard forex CFDs

All-in cost, EUR/USD

0.85 pips

Maximum leverage

1:30

Platforms

IG Trading Platform, MetaTrader 4, ProRealTime, TradingView

Demo account

Yes

Copy trading

No

Support

24/5

Founded

1974

Regulation

FCAASICBaFinFINMA+6

IG lists more than 17,000 CFD markets, and its futures-related coverage runs across indices, commodities, agricultural markets and more. Depending on the entity you are onboarded to, currency futures and exchange-listed contracts can also be available - the only broker here other than Saxo where that is true.

It scores a perfect 100 for regulation, one of only four brokers we rate that does, on ten licences including the FCA, ASIC, BaFin and FINMA, with a history back to 1974.

Execution is about 10 milliseconds, second-fastest on this page, with direct market access on selected markets - not what most people expect from a broker known for breadth.

There is no minimum deposit. Its cost score of 66 is the lowest in this ten, which is the trade you are making for the range and the platform.

Open an account with IGRead our full IG review

#6

Axi

7.7/10

Recommended for MetaTrader traders who care most about what the trade costs.

Overall rating

7.7 / 10

Markets rating

8.8 / 10

Minimum deposit

$5

Minimum trade

0.01 lots

Spread from

0.0 pips

Commission

US$2.25 per side / US$4.50 round turn, Pro

All-in cost, EUR/USD

Approx. 0.45 pips

Maximum leverage

1:30

Platforms

MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, Axi Trading Platform

Demo account

Yes

Copy trading

Yes, Axi Copy Trading

Support

24/7

Founded

2007

Regulation

ASICFCAFMA (New Zealand)DFSA (DIFC)

Axi is the cheapest broker on this page and it is not close: about 0.45 pips all in on EUR/USD, on a commission of $2.25 per side against the $3.50 most of this group charges. Across everything we rate, only Fusion Markets matches that commission.

It ranks ninth all the same, because our rating weighs six things and Axi's market range - 1,500 instruments, 79 for markets - is narrower than the brokers above it. On price alone it would be first.

Its futures-related CFDs cover indices and commodities through MetaTrader 4 and 5 and its own platform, with Expert Advisors supported and execution around 29 milliseconds.

Founded in Sydney in 2007 and holding ASIC, FCA, New Zealand FMA and DFSA licences, it scores 94 for regulation. The account opens from $5. It charges $10 a month after twelve dormant months.

Open an account with AxiRead our full Axi review

#7

Saxo Bank

7.6/10

Recommended for traders who want actual exchange-listed futures rather than CFDs on them.

Overall rating

7.6 / 10

Markets rating

7.8 / 10

Minimum deposit

$0

Minimum trade

1,000 currency units / 0.01 lot equivalent

Spread from

0.7 pips

Commission

$0 on spot forex

All-in cost, EUR/USD

Approx. 1.0 pip

Maximum leverage

1:30

Platforms

SaxoInvestor, SaxoTrader, SaxoTraderPRO, TradingView

Demo account

Yes

Copy trading

No

Support

24/5

Founded

1992

Regulation

FSA (Denmark)FCAASICFINMA+5

Saxo Bank is the reason this page has a product table. It is the only broker here offering conventional exchange-listed futures: standardised contracts on international exchanges, with exchange-set margin, defined expiries and contract specifications rather than a broker's leverage ratio.

That extends to currency futures, index futures, energy, metals, agricultural, interest-rate and bond contracts - a range no CFD offering on this page approaches.

It carries more than 71,000 instruments in total, the largest catalogue of any broker we rate, with futures sitting alongside options, stocks, ETFs, bonds and forex in one account. SaxoTraderPRO is a professional platform and behaves like one.

It scores 100 for regulation, holding Danish FSA, FCA, ASIC, FINMA and MAS licences among others. Its cost score of 63 is among the lowest we award: this is priced as a professional service, and futures commissions here are per contract plus exchange fees rather than a spread.

Open an account with Saxo BankRead our full Saxo Bank review

How we chose these brokers

This list covers every broker we rate that offers futures or futures-based markets, ordered by our overall rating, which is printed beside each name. Our records do not distinguish exchange-listed futures from futures CFDs, so that distinction is researched for this page rather than scored. What we weigh:

• Whether the product is an exchange-listed contract or a CFD written on one
• Which futures markets are covered - index, energy, metals, agricultural, currency
• Spreads, commissions and any rollover treatment at expiry
• How the broker handles contract expiry, and whether it rolls or closes
• Whether overnight financing applies, which often differs from a cash CFD
• Margin and leverage on the specific instrument rather than the headline
• Minimum position size, since futures contracts are large and CFDs need not be
• Platforms, charting and automated trading support
• Execution model, measured speed and server location
• The regulator, the entity holding your account, and client-money arrangements

The broker with the most futures markets is not automatically the answer, and neither is the cheapest. Work out whether you want the exchange contract or a CFD on it first; that decision eliminates most of this page either way.