Best CFD Trading Platforms & Online Brokers in 2024

As the financial landscape continues to evolve, choosing the right CFD trading platform has never been more crucial for traders looking to maximize their investment potential. In 2024, a myriad of online brokers offers diverse features, competitive spreads, and advanced tools to enhance the trading experience. Let’s explore the best CFD trading platforms and online brokers to consider this year.

1. Markets.com

Markets.com is a prominent online trading platform that offers access to a variety of financial instruments including forex, indices, commodities, stocks, and cryptocurrencies. It provides a user-friendly interface and tools for traders to engage in CFD trading across multiple markets. Markets.com has been in business since 2009, and they’re fully regulated in five different major markets, including Europe and the UK. Markets.com is a global company with more than 5M registered accounts which is regulated in Europe, UK, BVI, Australia and South Africa.

Markets.com prioritize providing a secure and technologically advanced trading environment. The platform adheres to stringent regulatory standards, ensuring transparency and client protection. Utilizing state-of-the-art security measures, they safeguard client data and transactions. The trading platform is equipped with advanced tools for technical analysis and risk management, supported by a dedicated customer service team to assist clients promptly.

2. Interactive Brokers

Interactive Brokers (IBKR) stands out as one of the leading trading platforms globally. Traditionally serving institutional and high-volume traders, IBKR consistently addresses the needs of this clientele, making it our top pick for advanced trading, international trading, algorithmic trading, risk management, and cash management, among other categories.

3. IG

IG is a broker specializing in CFDs and forex, featuring a well-designed, user-friendly trading platform along with valuable educational tools and excellent funding and withdrawal options.
However, IG's trading fees for stock CFDs are relatively high, and its product portfolio is somewhat limited, as it primarily offers CFD and options trading in most countries. Additionally, customer support could be improved.

It's important to note that spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments that carry a high risk of rapid financial loss due to leverage. Approximately 68% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. Be sure to consider whether you fully understand how spread bets and CFDs work and if you can afford the high risk of losing your investment.

4. eToro

eToro was established in 2007 in Tel Aviv and has since grown to attract 30 million users worldwide by providing easy access to the stock market. However, it’s worth noting that only about 2.6 million users actively have funds in their accounts, suggesting that the overall user count may be somewhat inflated. eToro has played a significant role in popularizing investing, as evidenced by their advertising campaigns featuring Alec Baldwin.

A standout feature of eToro is its CopyTrader function, which allows users to automatically replicate the trades of successful investors on the platform. This tool is especially beneficial for novice investors who may lack the experience or knowledge to make independent trading decisions. Additionally, eToro features a social feed where users can connect with friends, share ideas, and discuss investment strategies, further solidifying its reputation as a pioneer in "social investing."

5. Plus500

Plus500 is a reputable global brand that provides an intuitive trading platform for online traders. It offers access to share trading through the Plus500 Invest platform, futures trading in the U.S. market, and an extensive array of CFDs via its dedicated Plus500 CFD platform.

The user-friendly design of Plus500’s trading platform makes it particularly appealing to beginners, and it features an expanding range of educational resources. In our 2024 Annual Awards, Plus500 received Best in Class honors for Trust Score, Ease of Use, and Beginner-Friendly categories. However, despite ongoing improvements, the limited market research options may leave active traders seeking more comprehensive analysis tools.

When considering shares, indices, forex (foreign exchange) and commodities for trading and price predictions, remember that trading CFDs involves a significant degree of risk and could result in capital loss.

Past performance is not indicative of any future results. This information is provided for informative purposes only and should not be construed to be investment advice. Trading cryptocurrency CFDs and spread bets is restricted for all UK retail clients.