Looking to trade forex, stocks, cryptos and more but feeling like Capital.com just isn’t quite the right fit? Don’t sweat it – there are plenty of alternative trading platforms out there that could be a better match for your particular needs and style.
This guide covers the top Capital.com alternatives that are definitely worth a look, including standout platforms like:
- eToro – famous for social trading and commission-free stock/ETF trading
- IG – with a massive range of over 17,000 tradable shares
- Pepperstone – a forex specialist with incredibly tight currency spreads
- Interactive Brokers – providing access to 1.3 million+ instruments at rock-bottom costs
- Plus500 – a streamlined platform designed for ease-of-use, even for total beginners
Rather than listing out every single feature, I’ll break down the key aspects you actually care about – fees, pricing models, trading tools, educational resources, regulation, and more. I’ll also share insider tips on how to properly test-drive platforms using demo accounts to ensure you make the ideal choice.
Top Capital.com Alternatives
Look, trading is hard enough as it is. You don’t need to be stuck using a platform that doesn’t gel with your trading goals and style. With so many quality brokers out there these days, you’re bound to find one that fits like a glove. Let’s get started with eToro!
eToro
eToro is a leading online trading platform that, similar to Capital.com, provides access to a diverse range of asset classes including forex, stocks, cryptocurrencies, commodities, and ETFs. Both platforms boast user-friendly interfaces available on desktop and mobile devices.
🌟 Key Differentiators and Advantages
- Social Trading: eToro’s standout feature allows traders to automatically copy the positions of successful investors on the platform, leveraging their expertise.
- Zero-Commission Stock/ETF Trading: Unlike Capital.com, eToro offers commission-free trading for U.S. stocks and ETFs, potentially saving traders significant costs.
- Robust Analysis Tools: In addition to charting capabilities, eToro provides a comprehensive suite of analysis tools, including technical indicators, fundamental data, and social trading statistics.
💰 Fees
- No commission fees for stock and ETF trades
- Competitive spreads for forex trading, though cryptocurrency spreads may be higher than some competitors
- One free withdrawal per month, with fees applying for additional withdrawals
🔒 Regulation and Security
eToro is regulated by multiple top-tier authorities, including:
- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK
- Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC)
- Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)
Client funds are held in segregated bank accounts, and eToro offers negative balance protection for forex and CFD trading, ensuring clients cannot lose more than their account balance.
Exness
Exness is an online forex and CFD broker that, like Capital.com, offers trading across multiple asset classes including currencies, stocks, commodities, and cryptocurrencies. Both platforms provide user-friendly web and mobile trading platforms.
🌟 Key Differentiators and Advantages
- Extensive Forex Offering: Exness specializes in forex trading, providing access to over 120 currency pairs with low spreads and fast execution.
- Advanced Trading Tools: Traders can utilize advanced tools like Expert Advisors (EAs) and custom indicators for automated and algorithmic trading strategies.
- High Leverage: Exness offers leverage up to 1:2000 for professional traders, higher than Capital.com’s maximum leverage.
💰 Fees
- Low spreads, starting from 0.3 pips for major forex pairs
- No commissions on most account types
- Swap-free (Islamic) accounts available
- Inactivity fees may apply after 12 months of inactivity
🔒 Regulation and Security
Exness is regulated by multiple financial authorities, including:
- Financial Services Commission (FSC) in Mauritius
- Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC)
- Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) in South Africa
Client funds are segregated from the company’s operational funds, and Exness offers negative balance protection, ensuring clients cannot lose more than their account balance.
IG
IG is a well-established online trading platform that, similar to Capital.com, offers access to multiple asset classes including forex, stocks, commodities, cryptocurrencies, and more. Both platforms provide user-friendly web and mobile trading interfaces.
🌟 Key Differentiators and Advantages
- Extensive Asset Coverage: IG offers a wider range of tradable instruments, including over 17,000 shares across global markets.
- Advanced Trading Tools: Traders can utilize advanced tools like L2 Dealer, Charts, Signals, and ProRealTime for enhanced analysis and execution.
- Competitive Pricing: IG is known for its tight spreads, especially for forex and index trading.
💰 Fees
- Tight spreads starting from 0.6 pips for forex pairs
- No commission fees for share CFD and cryptocurrency trading
- Inactivity fees apply after 24 months of inactivity
- Commission fees for share trading vary by region
🔒 Regulation and Security
IG is regulated by multiple top-tier authorities, including:
- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK
- Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA)
- Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)
Client funds are held in segregated bank accounts, and IG offers negative balance protection for retail clients, ensuring clients cannot lose more than their account balance.
Pepperstone
Pepperstone is an online forex and CFD broker that, like Capital.com, offers trading across multiple asset classes including currencies, indices, commodities, and cryptocurrencies. Both platforms provide user-friendly web and mobile trading platforms.
🌟 Key Differentiators and Advantages
- Forex Specialists: Pepperstone is primarily focused on forex trading, offering tight spreads and fast execution speeds.
- Advanced Trading Tools: Traders can utilize advanced tools like cTrader and MetaTrader 5 (MT5) for enhanced charting, automated trading, and more.
- Extensive Educational Resources: Pepperstone provides a wealth of educational materials, including courses, webinars, and a trading academy.
💰 Fees
- Tight spreads from 0.0 pips for forex pairs (with commission)
- Commission-based pricing model for forex and CFDs
- No withdrawal fees or inactivity fees
- Swap-free (Islamic) accounts available
🔒 Regulation and Security
Pepperstone is regulated by multiple financial authorities, including:
- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK
- Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)
- Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA)
Client funds are segregated from the company’s operational funds, and Pepperstone offers negative balance protection, ensuring clients cannot lose more than their account balance.
Interactive Brokers
Like Capital.com, Interactive Brokers offer access to a diverse range of asset classes through my online trading platform. This includes forex, stocks, options, futures, bonds, funds, and more. Their web and mobile platforms are designed to be user-friendly and intuitive.
🌟 Key Differentiators and Advantages
- Extensive Asset Coverage: They provide access to markets in over 135 countries, allowing you to trade over 1.3 million different instruments.
- Advanced Trading Tools: Their platforms are loaded with powerful tools like Trader Workstation (TWS), market scanners, algorithmic trading capabilities, and more.
- Low Costs: They are known for having some of the lowest trading costs and fees in the industry.
💰 Fees
- Extremely low commissions, some as low as $0.005 per share for US stocks
- Tight spreads for forex, starting at 0.1 pips for popular pairs
- Inactivity fees apply after 36 months with less than $100,000 account equity
🔒 Regulation and Security
Interactive Brokers is regulated by multiple top-tier authorities worldwide, including:
- Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the US
- Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)
- Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC)
Customer funds are kept in segregated accounts and I maintain excess capital requirements, ensuring your money is secure.
Plus500
Similar to Capital.com, Plus500 is an online trading platform that provides access to multiple asset classes, including forex, shares, cryptocurrencies, commodities, ETFs, and options. Their web and mobile platforms aim to deliver a user-friendly trading experience.
🌟 Key Differentiators and Advantages
- Simple Trading: They specialize in offering a straightforward and easy-to-use platform for traders, especially beginners.
- Wide Range of Markets: While not as extensive as some competitors, Plus500 provides access to over 2,500 instruments across various asset classes.
- Robust Educational Resources: They offer a comprehensive educational suite, including courses, webinars, and tutorials to help traders improve their skills.
💰 Fees
- No commissions or swaps, with pricing based on spreads
- Competitive spreads, though may be higher than some competitors for certain assets
- Inactivity fees apply after 3 months of no trading activity
- No deposit or withdrawal fees
🔒 Regulation and Security
They’re regulated by multiple financial authorities around the world, including:
- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK
- Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)
- Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC)
Client funds are kept in segregated bank accounts, and they offer negative balance protection to ensure traders cannot lose more than their account balance.
How to Choose the Best Capital.com Alternative for You
Picking the right trading platform is crucial, so I want to make sure you consider all the key factors that fit your individual needs and goals. Let me break it down:
Your Trading Style and Preferred Assets
What kind of trader are you? If you’re a short-term trader looking to scalp or day trade, you’ll likely want a platform with ultra-fast execution speeds and advanced order types. But if you’re investing for the long haul, an easy-to-use interface may be more important than blazing speed. Also think about which assets you want to focus on – forex, stocks, cryptos, or a mix? For example, if forex is your thing, you’d want a broker like Pepperstone that specializes in tight currency spreads.
Fees and Security
Listen up, fees can really eat into your profits if you’re not careful. I’m talking spreads, commissions, swaps, inactivity fees – you name it. That’s why I always encourage traders to make detailed calculations on how fees compare across different brokers for the assets and trade sizes they plan to deal with. Safety is just as important as costs though. Only consider regulated brokers that segregate client funds and ideally offer negative balance protection so you can’t lose more than your account balance.
Tools for Success and Solid Support
Having access to quality education can seriously level up your trading game, especially if you’re a newbie. Look for brokers that provide courses, webinars, and learning academies to constantly sharpen your skills. And don’t underestimate the value of reliable customer support! When you need assistance, you’ll want a team that can actually help in a timely manner.
Get the Insider Review
Finally, I always tell traders to read the brutally honest user reviews and get a feel for the platform’s reputation in the community. Are clients raving or ranting about certain aspects? Those first-hand experiences can reveal a lot that the marketing doesn’t. The bottom line is – your ideal platform will check all the boxes for your trading needs, assets, budget, tools and more. Don’t be afraid to test drive a few options using demo accounts until you find the perfect fit. This is one decision you don’t want to rush!
Tips for Evaluating New Trading Platforms
You know I’m all about helping you make the smartest decision when it comes to choosing a trading platform. Here are some pro tips I always recommend:
Open a Demo Account
My number one suggestion? Go for a test drive first! All the major brokers like IG, Interactive Brokers, Pepperstone, etc. offer free demo accounts. This lets you experience the platform’s interface, tools, execution speeds, and more in a risk-free environment before putting real capital on the line.
Don’t Underestimate Mobile
These days, solid mobile capabilities are a must for active traders. After all, you don’t want to miss out on opportunities just because you’re away from your desktop. Give the broker’s mobile app a thorough trial run. How user-friendly is it? Can you access the same tools, research, and trading capabilities as the desktop version. Reliability is also key.
Account Types and Minimums
Different brokers cater to different trader levels with varying account types. For example, IG Markets offers three account tiers – retail, professional, and institution – each with their own minimums and features. Other brokers like Interactive Brokers have ultra-low minimums perfect for beginners.
Funding and Withdrawals
Sure, you want a wide range of secure payment methods to easily deposit and withdraw funds whenever needed. But also watch out for brokers that charge excessive fees for things like wire transfers or credit card payments. Those can add up quickly. At the end of the day, taking a new platform through its paces is the best way to assess if it genuinely matches your trading needs and expectations. Use those demo accounts, read the reviews, and you’ll make the ideal choice!
Final Thoughts
To quickly recap, some of the top alternatives to Capital.com that stand out are:
- eToro – Offering social trading, zero commission stocks/ETFs, and a great educational suite.
- IG – With extensive asset coverage, advanced tools, and competitive pricing.
- Pepperstone – A forex specialist providing tight spreads and platforms like cTrader.
- Interactive Brokers – Giving access to over 1.3 million instruments at rock-bottom costs.
While those are some of the headliners, remember there are plenty of other quality brokers out there like Exness, Plus500, and more to explore. No matter which direction you lean, I can’t emphasize enough the importance of doing your own thorough research and due diligence.
Read the reviews, test out demos, and make sure your chosen platform aligns perfectly with your individual trading needs, style, and risk tolerance. Most importantly, never lose sight of the inherent risks involved in trading securities, forex, or any leveraged products. The potential for big gains is matched by the potential for big losses. Protect your capital at all times by using proper risk management techniques like stop losses. There are no guarantees in this game.
Wishing you the absolute best on your trading journey.