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Written By
James Barra
Written By
James Barra
James is an investment writer with a background in financial services. He has worked as a management consultant, where he delivered large-scale operational transformational programmes at some of Europe's biggest banks.James authors, edits and fact-checks content for a series of investing websites.
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Fact Checked By
Jemma Grist
Fact Checked By
Jemma Grist
Jemma is a writer, editor and fact-checker focused on retail trading and investing. Jemma brings a unique perspective to the forex, stock, and cryptocurrency markets and works across several investment websites as a researcher and broker analyst.
» Jemma Grist Profile Page
Updated
Mar 20, 2024
The best day trading brokers in the UK provide platforms that are easy to use with great charting tools, low costs, fast execution, and leverage trading.
Most are also regulated by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and tailored for British day traders, offering access to major markets such as the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and currency pairs like the GBP/USD. Many of the top day trading platforms also support accounts in the British Pound, simplifying deposits, withdrawals, and trade management.
Discover our pick of the best brokers for day trading in the UK. Each brokerage we recommend accepts traders from the UK and was evaluated by British traders using real money or a test account.
Best 5 Brokers For Day Trading In The UK
Our analysis shows that these are the 5 top platforms for UK day traders:
- XTB - XTB stands out as a top choice for new day traders with the terrific xStation platform, commission-free pricing, no minimum deposit, and excellent educational tools, many of which are seamlessly integrated into the platform.
- CMC Markets - With advanced charting tools and an extensive range of tradable CFDs, including an almost unrivalled selection of currencies and custom indices, CMC Markets provides a fantastic online platform for traders of all levels.
- Eightcap - Eightcap delivers in every area for day traders with a growing selection of charting platforms and AI-powered tools. Now sporting 250+ crypto CFDs and the Crypto Crusher market scanner, it's also become a stand-out choice for crypto trading, winning our 'Best Crypto Broker' award two years in a row.
- Spreadex - Spreadex will appeal to UK day traders who are interested in both spread betting on financial markets and placing traditional bets on sports events. Fees are low on short trades and profits are tax-free on spread bets. There's also a powerful proprietary charting platform, plus £0 minimum deposit required to get started.
- Pepperstone - Pepperstone stands out as a top choice for day trading, offering razor-sharp spreads, ultra-fast execution, and advanced charting platforms for experienced traders. New traders are also welcomed with no minimum deposit, extensive educational resources, and exceptional 24/7 support.
Best Day Trading Platforms and Brokers in the UK 2024 Comparison
| Broker | GBP Account | FCA Regulated | Minimum Deposit | Markets | Platforms | Leverage | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | ✔ | ✔ | $0 | CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Crypto, ETFs | xStation | 1:30 | Visit |
| | ✔ | ✔ | $0 | CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Treasuries, Custom Indices, Spread Betting | Web, MT4 | 1:30 (Retail), 1:500 (Pro) | Visit |
| | ✔ | ✔ | $100 | CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities | MT4, MT5, TradingView | 1:30 | Visit |
| | ✔ | ✔ | £0 | Forex, CFDs, Indices, Commodities, Stocks, Crypto, Bonds, Interest Rates, ETFs, Options, Spread Betting | Spreadex Platform, TradingView | 1:30 | Visit |
| | ✔ | ✔ | $0 | CFDs, Forex, Currency Indices, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Crypto(only Pro clients), Spread Betting | MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView, AutoChartist, DupliTrade | 1:30 (Retail), 1:500 (Pro) | Visit |
| | ✔ | ✔ | $0 | Stocks, Options, Futures, Forex, Funds, Bonds, ETFs, Mutual Funds, CFDs, Cryptocurrencies | Trader Workstation (TWS), IBKR Desktop, GlobalTrader, Mobile, Client Portal, AlgoTrader, OmniTrader, eSignal, TradingCentral | 1:50 | Visit |
| | ✔ | ✔ | $0 | CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Options, Commodities, Bonds | MT4, TradingView, TradingCentral | 1:30 (Retail), 1:50 (Accredited Investor), 1:200 (Sophisticated Investor), 1:300 (Wholesale Investor), 1:400 (Professional Trader). Varies with jurisdiction. | Visit |
| | ✔ | ✔ | $100 | Forex, CFDs, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Futures, Options, Crypto | MT4, MT5, TradingView, eSignal, AutoChartist, TradingCentral | 1:30 (Retail), 1:500 (Pro) | Visit |
| | - | ✔ | $50 | CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, ETFs, Smart Portfolios, Commodities, Futures, Crypto, NFTs | eToro Web, CopyTrader, TradingCentral | 1:30 | Visit |
| | ✔ | ✔ | £0 | Stocks, Funds, Trusts, ETFs, Bonds, Gilts, VCTs | Own | - | Visit |
| | ✔ | ✔ | $0 | Forex, CFDs, Indices, Shares, Commodities, Futures, Bonds, Cryptos (Bahamas Entity Only) | MT4 | 1:500 (entity dependent) | Visit |
| | ✔ | ✔ | $50 | CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Bonds, Spread betting | ProTrader, MT4, MT5, TradingView, DupliTrade | 1:500 | Visit |
| | ✔ | ✔ | $100 | CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Futures | FxPro Platform, MT4, MT5, cTrader, AutoChartist, TradingCentral, DupliTrade | 1:30 (Retail), 1:500 (Pro) | Visit |
| | ✔ | ✔ | $100 | CFDs on Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Futures, Options, Crypto | WebTrader, App | 1:30 | Visit |
| | ✔ | ✔ | $0 | CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Futures, Options, Crypto, Spread Betting | Web, ProRealTime, L2 Dealer, MT4, AutoChartist, TradingCentral | 1:30 (Retail), 1:222 (Pro) | Visit |
#1 - XTB
Why We Chose XTB
Founded in 2002 in Poland, XTB now serves more than 935,000 clients. The forex and CFD broker combines a heavily regulated trading environment with an extensive selection of 5,600+ assets and a commitment to trader satisfaction, featuring an intuitive in-house platform with superb tools to support aspiring day traders.
- Instruments: CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Crypto, ETFs
- Regulator: FCA, CySEC, KNF, CNMV, DFSA, FSC
- Platforms: xStation
- Minimum Deposit: $0
- Minimum Trade: 0.01 Lots
- Leverage: 1:30
Pros
- XTB offers fast withdrawals with same-day payments if requested before 1 pm, ensuring day traders have quick access to their funds.
- First-class 24/5 customer support is available, including a friendly live chat with response times of under two minutes during testing.
- The xStation platform continues to impress with its user-friendly interface and intuitive features, including customizable news feeds, sentiment heatmaps, and trader calculator, reducing the learning curve for newer traders.
Cons
- The research tools at XTB are good but could be great if they went beyond in-house features with access to leading third-party tools such as Autochartist, Trading Central and TipRanks.
- Trading fees are competitive with average spreads of around 1 pip on the EUR/USD but still trail the cheapest brokers like IC Markets, plus there's an inactivity fee after 12 months.
- Not being able to adjust the default leverage level of XTB products is frustrating, as manual adjustment can significantly mitigate trade risk, especially in forex and CFD trading.
Visit XTB
#2 - CMC Markets
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Review
Why We Chose CMC Markets
Established in 1989, CMC Markets is a respected broker listed on the London Stock Exchange and authorized by several tier-one regulators, including the FCA, ASIC and CIRO. More than 1 million traders from around the world have signed up with the multi-award winning brokerage.
- Instruments: CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Treasuries, Custom Indices, Spread Betting
- Regulator: FCA, ASIC, MAS, CIRO, BaFin, FMA, DFSA
- Platforms: Web, MT4
- Minimum Deposit: $0
- Minimum Trade: 0.01 Lots
- Leverage: 1:30 (Retail), 1:500 (Pro)
Pros
- CMC offers excellent pricing, including tight spreads and low trading fees for all but stock CFDs. The Alpha and Price+ schemes also offer perks for active traders with up to 40% discounts on spreads.
- CMC Markets is heavily regulated by reputable financial authorities and maintains its stellar reputation, helping to ensure a secure and trustworthy trading environment.
- The brokerage continues to stand out with its wide range of value-add resources, including pattern recognition scanners, webinars, tutorials, news feeds, and research from respected sources like Morningstar.
Cons
- An inactivity fee of $10 per month is applied after 12 months of inactivity, which may deter casual investors.
- Trading stock CFDs incurs a relatively high commission, especially compared to the cheapest brokers like IC Markets.
- Despite improvements, the web platform still requires enhancements to make it as intuitive to trade on as software from rivals like IG.
Visit CMC Markets
#3 - Eightcap
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Review
Why We Chose Eightcap
Eightcap is an award-winning, FCA-regulated broker offering industry-low day trading fees. They are also the highest-rated brand by TradingView’s 50 million-strong users, who can trade directly on the platform. UK traders can sign up for a live account with an accessible £100 minimum deposit.
- Instruments: CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities
- Regulator: ASIC, FCA, xCySEC, SCB
- Platforms: MT4, MT5, TradingView
- Minimum Deposit: $100
- Minimum Trade: 0.01 Lots
- Leverage: 1:30
Pros
- After bolstering its roster in 2021, Eightcap offers one of the most extensive selections of cryptocurrency CFDs in the market, with crypto/fiat pairs, crypto/crypto pairs, plus crypto indices for broader exposure to the market.
- With tight spreads from 0 pips, low commission fees, and high leverage up to 1:500 for certain clients, Eightcap provides cost-effective and flexible trading conditions that can accommodate an array of strategies, including day trading and scalping.
- Eightcap stands out with a selection of powerful trading tools, including MT4 and MT5, the innovative algorithmic trading platform Capitalise.ai, and more recently the 50-million strong social trading network TradingView.
Cons
- Despite a useful library of educational guides and e-books, Eightcap still trails IG’s comprehensive toolkit for aspiring traders with its dedicated IG Academy app and 18 course categories.
- In spite of an increasing variety of tools, Eightcap doesn't offer industry favorites like Autochartist or Trading Central, which offer cutting-edge charting analytics, live news, and market insights for short-term traders.
- The demo account expires after 30 days and can only be extended upon request - a notable inconvenience compared to the likes of XM with its unlimited demo mode.
Visit Eightcap
#4 - Spreadex
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Review
Why We Chose Spreadex
Spreadex is an FCA-regulated broker that offers spread betting opportunities on an impressive 10,000+ CFD instruments including 60 forex pairs. Traders can also take short-term positions on sporting events. The brand has been around for over 20 years and has won multiple awards.
- Instruments: Forex, CFDs, Indices, Commodities, Stocks, Crypto, Bonds, Interest Rates, ETFs, Options, Spread Betting
- Regulator: FCA
- Platforms: Spreadex Platform, TradingView
- Minimum Deposit: £0
- Minimum Trade: £0.01
- Leverage: 1:30
Pros
- There's a good selection of signals, analysis tools and risk management tools, including guaranteed stops
- Spreadex gives UK traders the opportunity to make tax-free profits through spread betting
- There are some attractive new account promotions, including double the odds and matched betting offers
Cons
- No third-party e-wallets are accepted
- The proprietary terminal lacks comprehensive charting features of platforms like MT4 and MT5
- The lack of a demo account will frustrate prospective clients who want to test Spreadex's services
Visit Spreadex
#5 - Pepperstone
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Review
Why We Chose Pepperstone
Established in Australia in 2010, Pepperstone is a top-rated forex and CFD broker with over 400,000 clients worldwide. It offers access to 1,300+ instruments on leading platforms MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView, maintaining low, transparent fees. Pepperstone is also regulated by trusted authorities like the FCA, ASIC, and CySEC, ensuring a secure environment for day traders at all levels.
- Instruments: CFDs, Forex, Currency Indices, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Crypto(only Pro clients), Spread Betting
- Regulator: FCA, ASIC, CySEC, DFSA, CMA, BaFin, SCB
- Platforms: MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView, AutoChartist, DupliTrade
- Minimum Deposit: $0
- Minimum Trade: 0.01 Lots
- Leverage: 1:30 (Retail), 1:500 (Pro)
Pros
- Now offering spread betting through TradingView, Pepperstone provides a seamless, tax-efficient trading experience with advanced analysis tools.
- Pepperstone boasts impressive execution speeds, averaging around 30ms, facilitating fast order processing and execution that’s ideal for day trading.
- There’s support for a range of industry-leading charting platforms including MT4, MT5, TradingView, and cTrader, catering to various short-term trading styles, including algo trading.
Cons
- There’s no simplified proprietary trading platform, nor are there any social trading features, which could be a disadvantage if you are new to day trading.
- Pepperstone does not support cTrader Copy, a popular copy trading feature built into the excellent cTrader platform and available at alternatives like IC Markets.
- Despite enhancements to its range of markets, crypto offerings are relatively limited compared to other brokers such as eToro, with no option to invest in real coins.
Visit Pepperstone
Choosing A Day Trading Broker In The UK
Our 40+ years of combined experience using UK brokers has shown us that several critical elements should be considered when deciding who to open an account with:
Choose A Trusted Broker
Picking a trusted broker will help safeguard you from unscrupulous trading practices, such as misleading promotions and price manipulation.
It will also help protect you from trading scams, many of which we’ve seen target retail investors in the UK. One notable example is EverFX, a brand that pressured victims to move sometimes tens of thousands of pounds to offshore firms where they lost money and had limited recourse options under UK law.
The hallmarks of a trustworthy day trading broker are authorization from a respected body, such as the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), a long track record, excellent user reviews, and a good reputation in the industry. We prioritize day trading platforms that tick these boxes.
I recommend that British day traders sign up with an FCA-regulated broker. The FCA is hugely respected around the world for its robust investor protections, including providing up to £85,000 through the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) in the event of broker insolvency.
If you choose to open an account with an international broker, check they are not on the FCA’s Warning List.
James Barra
Author
- eToro is highly trusted. It’s regulated by the FCA, has been operating for over 15 years, and our UK experts have traded with it for several years using real money and praise the terrific user experience and best-in-class social trading network for beginners.
Choose A Broker With Low Fees For Day Trading
Selecting a platform with excellent pricing is critical for day traders because high transaction costs can rack up if you’re making a large volume of trades, impacting your profitability.
That’s why we evaluate the fees you can expect to incur day trading as part of our exhaustive broker reviews. This includes recording and comparing spreads and commissions on popular markets like the FTSE, EUR/GBP, and GBP/USD.
Importantly, we also balance costs with the broker’s overall offering, as we know it’s sometimes worth paying more for superior market data, sophisticated trading tools and faster order executions, especially for advanced day traders.
- CMC Markets is one of the cheapest day trading brokers based on our tests, particularly for forex trading. You can trade the GBP/EUR from 0.8 pips in the Standard account, the UK 100 from 1.0, and UK shares with a 0.1% commission. There are also no deposit or withdrawal fees.
Choose A Broker With An Excellent Charting Platform
Finding a platform with strong charting tools is important because day traders often use technical analysis to discover opportunities, while long-term investors tend to rely more on fundamental analysis.
Our experts always evaluate the platforms, mobile apps, and charting tools for day trading as part of our hands-on tests. We use the software to ensure it delivers an excellent user experience with an intuitive design and straightforward navigation.
We also check it comes complete with the charting tools essential for day traders at any skill level, including technical indicators, drawing features, and timeframes that cater to short-term trading strategies, from 1-minute to 60-minute charts.
- AvaTrade continues to excel in its platform offering with easy-to-use proprietary software for new traders alongside industry-leading third-party platforms like MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), which are great for advanced day traders and algo traders.
Choose A Broker With Access To The Markets You Want To Day Trade
Making sure the brokerage facilitates day trading on the assets you’re interested in is critical.
For traders in the UK, it’s often important to be able to speculate on shares listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE), the value of the FTSE 100, and currency pairs that include the British Pound, such as the EUR/GBP and GBP/USD.
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Tip: Also consider other asset classes and sectors, such as US technology stocks and volatile commodities, as building a diverse portfolio can also help you spread risk and find additional opportunities.
We always evaluate the range and depth of the investment offering while using day trading platforms, with a particular eye on access to UK markets for British traders.
The other element we look for is instruments built specifically for short-term trading strategies, notably contracts for difference (CFDs). These derivatives enable you to speculate on rising and falling prices from the same product without taking ownership of the underlying security, such as Barclays shares listed on the LSE.
- XTB excels with its 5,500+ instruments spanning stocks, indices, commodities, forex and ETFs, including the UK 100 and currency pairs with the GBP. It’s also one of the few day trading platforms in the UK to pay interest on unused cash up to 4.9%.
Choose A Broker With Fast Execution Speeds
Opening an account with a broker that offers fast execution is crucial for day trading strategies, especially in volatile markets. Delays in executing orders can lead to price slippage and even failure.
That said,execution quality is also an important consideration and concerns factors like speed, pricing, and the probability of order fulfilment.
That’s why we routinely evaluate brokers’ execution policies and execution speed data (where available), favouring platforms that meet our benchmarks of <100 milliseconds.
- Pepperstone maintains its position as one of the fastest day trading brokers, with most orders executed in less than 60 milliseconds. This makes it a stand-out option for short-term trading strategies like scalping.
Choose A Broker That Supports Leverage Trading With Clear Margin Requirements
Signing up with a firm that supports leverage trading is essential for many day traders, who often use leverage to control larger positions with a small outlay.
Essentially, leverage amplifies your purchasing power, and thus your returns and losses. Let’s say my day trading broker offers leverage of 1:30 on the GBP/EUR. This means a £100 outlay would give me £3,000 to trade with (30 x £100).
However, it’s crucial to understand that leverage trading also greatly increases risk. As a result, a risk management strategy is needed, alongside a solid grasp of your broker’s margin requirements, which outline the amount of capital required.
The FCA limits leverage for retail investors in the UK to between 1:2 and 1:30 depending on the market being traded.
You can day trade with higher leverage if you sign up with a brokerage registered in other jurisdictions, but this elevates the risk of large losses and I do not recommend it for beginners.
James Barra
Author
As part of our exhaustive reviews, we confirm whether margin trading is supported and the maximum leverage available.
We also make sure the broker is upfront about margin requirements and its margin call and stop-out levels, which determine how much capital you need to deposit to prevent positions from being automatically closed.
- Eightcap supports leverage trading with transparent margin requirements. Brits can day trade the GBP/USD with 1:30, the UK 100 with 1:20, and shares with 1:5.
Choose A Broker With An Accessible Minimum Deposit
Selecting a day trading platform that offers a deposit requirement within your budget is important to make sure you don’t risk more than you can afford to lose. This is especially important for beginners who might have a modest amount of capital for trading.
We’ve personally tested over 490 brokers that support day trading using either real money or test accounts, and the vast majority require an initial investment of <£500. That said, some platforms cater specifically to beginner traders with low or even no minimum deposit.
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Tip: Choose a broker that supports GBP as an account base currency. This makes managing your deposits, withdrawals and trading activity convenient while potentially eliminating any conversion fees.
- Interactive Brokers offers a GBP trading account with no minimum deposit and supports an almost unparalleled selection of instruments with advanced trading tools and deep market data for serious day traders.
Methodology
To find the best day trading brokers in the UK, we considered both quantitative data and qualitative insights from our comprehensive broker reviews, focusing on several aspects:
- We confirmed the brokerage accepts day traders from the United Kingdom.
- We chose brands we trust and that are regulated by a credible body like the FCA.
- We favoured online brokers with competitive pricing for day trading.
- We prioritised platforms and apps with excellent charting tools forshort-term strategies.
- We selected brokers with a good range ofassets, favouring those with access to UK markets.
- We focused on brokerages with fast and reliable order execution.
- We checked leverage trading is supported with transparent margin requirements.
- We concentrated on day trading platforms with an accessible minimum deposit.
FAQ
Who Regulates Day Trading Brokers In The UK?
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is the body responsible for overseeing and licensing brokers that offer day trading products to retail investors in the UK.
You can check whether a brokerage is authorised by the FCA by searching for their name or license number (usually found at the bottom of a broker’s website) on the regulator’s register.
How Much Money Do I Need To Start Day Trading In The UK?
Most top day trading brokers accept traders in the UK with a minimum deposit of between £0 and £500.
Beginners may want to open an account with a low minimum deposit broker, while advanced day traders may wish to invest more in return for the best trading tools and market data.
Which Brokers Do Day Traders In The UK Use?
We’ve compiled a list of the best day trading platforms and brokers in the UK. Many of our recommendations have millions of active traders, with a large user base in the UK.
Recommended Reading
Article Sources
- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
- Broker Warning List (FCA)
- Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS)
- London Stock Exchange (LSE)
- Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE 100)
- EverFX Trading Scam (BBC News)
The writing and editorial team at DayTrading.com use credible sources to support their work. These include government agencies, white papers, research institutes, and engagement with industry professionals. Content is written free from bias and is fact-checked where appropriate. Learn more about why you can trust DayTrading.com
