How We Review Brokers and Platforms

The short version

• We open a real account (demo at minimum, funded where stated) before reviewing a platform
• Every review states exactly what was tested, on which account type, and on which dates
• Fee and spread figures are taken from our own account observations and the broker’s official fee schedule, with the observation date shown
• We do not publish star ratings until our scoring model is published on this page
• Volity, our affiliated platform, is never scored or ranked in our reviews or comparisons

What we test

Each review covers the same checklist, in the same order, so reviews are comparable:

• Regulation and investor protection: which entity you contract with, which regulator covers it, deposit protection, negative balance protection
• Account opening and KYC: how long verification actually took for us, what documents were required
• Fees and spreads: spreads observed on major instruments on our account (with date), commission structure, overnight/swap charges, inactivity and withdrawal fees from the official fee schedule
• Instruments and markets: what you can actually trade, and in which jurisdictions
• Platform and app quality: order types, charting, usability on desktop and mobile
• Deposits and withdrawals: methods, minimums, processing times we experienced where a funded account is stated
• Risk tools: stop-loss types, margin-call and stop-out policy, leverage limits
• Who it suits, and who should avoid it

What we will not do

• No star ratings or numeric scores until a scoring model is published here first
• No “we tested this” claims for anything we did not test; desk research is labelled as such
• No pressure language. We explain, compare, and point to demo accounts; we do not push anyone to deposit
• No ranking of Volity in any review, comparison, or “best of” list — see our Volity disclosure

How reviews stay current

Broker fees and spreads change. Each review carries a “data verified” date, and fee-sensitive figures are re-verified on a quarterly cycle. If you find something out of date, tell us and we will re-check it against the current fee schedule.

Affiliate links

Some reviews contain affiliate links, including to platforms that compete with our affiliated platform Volity. Compensation never changes a verdict, and verdicts are written before affiliate arrangements are considered. Full details are on the disclosure page.