There are a lot of brokers offering swap-free or Islamic accounts. But what about brokers regulated in Australia? Where to find ASIC brokers that offer swap-free?
Among the various account types brokers offered for traders, swap-free account features a unique benefit as it's initially provided to support Muslim traders, but later attracts many other traders to relieve them from swap rates. But what is actually a swap-free account?
Which broker to choose if you're keen to trade with an Australian broker?
- IC Markets: Offers an Islamic account with low pips for Australian Traders.
- Pepperstone: Their swap-free account feature includes spreads as low as 1.2 pips on average.
- AvaTrade: Easy application, traders only need to verify account by sending relevant documents.
- ThinkMarkets: Traders can request to open Islamic Accounts straight from their official website.
- Vantage: Their Islamic Account provides Standard STP and Swap-Free RAW ECN accounts.
1. IC Markets
IC Markets is an Australian broker that has been regulated by ASIC under license number 335692. The company offers an Islamic account for Muslim Traders in Australia. This account gives traders access to more than 90 instruments to trade with. IC Markets also lets clients enjoy spreads as low as 0.0 pips with no additional cost in place of swaps. This swap-free account is available on both raw spread and standard accounts regardless of the platforms (MT4, MT5, or cTrader).
This broker is known for offering trading solutions for active day traders, scalpers, as well as new traders. This is why they offer raw spreads starting from 0.0 pips. To ensure there is no slippage for their clients, IC Markets executes orders under 40ms using low latency fiber optic and Equinix NY4 server as well as low latency collocated VPS.
Despite all the complex features they provide, IC Markets is very beginner-friendly. If you are a new trader who has just started trading, this broker will equip you with a demo account where you can learn how to trade without actually losing money.
IC Markets is an online forex broker operating under the company of International Capital Markets Pty Ltd. Traders under the Australian jurisdiction are provided with the trading service of IC Markets AU that is headquartered in Australia and licensed by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).
On the other hand, non-Australian traders who open an account in this broker are registered under IC Markets SEY that is based in Seychelles, and regulated under the Seychelles Financial Services Authority (SFSA). The dual operation is a result of the relatively new rules from ASIC that prohibit their regulated broker to offer trading services outside Australia.
Classified as an ECN broker, IC Markets provide clients with MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader as platform trading options. This broker also follows market trends to include Cryptocurrencies as one of its products, enriching its already wide selection of trading assets that include Currencies, Indices, Metals, Energies, Softs, Stocks, as well as Bonds.
The minimum deposit in IC Markets is in the middle range compared to other ASIC-regulated brokers, as it reaches $200 for every client. Market analysis materials are also prepared regularly for trading insights on IC Markets's official website, proving their competence to serve their traders with important contents created by market experts that work specifically for them.
For payment methods, IC Markets allows funding and withdrawal via wire transfer, credit card, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, FasaPay, UnionPay, as well as Bitcoin via BitPay. The more interesting aspect from this broker is its multi-base currencies that include USD, AUD, EUR, GBP, SGD, NZD, JPY, CHF, HKD, and CAD.
As the trading technology in IC Markets is highly equipped with co-located servers and extremely low latency (especially on cTrader), the broker is widely known for its capability in hosting traders with the special needs for high-frequency trading as well as scalping.
To sum up, IC Markets is a fitting destination for active traders looking for a well-regulated broker. IC Markets is also flexible in terms of base currency and payment methods, signaling their commitment to welcome traders beyond their home country. As of late 2019, IC Markets provided their website in 18 international languages including English, Korean, Indonesian, French, Spanish, Italian, Malay, German, and Chinese.
2. Pepperstone
As one of the best brokers offering swap-free accounts, Pepperstone makes sure their traders can take advantage of their cutting-edge trading technology and deep liquidity. Their swap-free account feature includes spreads as low as 1.2 pips on average, with a minimum trade size of 0.01 lots and a maximum of 100 lots. The best part is they offer a $0 commission fee for all traders. Pepperstone also allows scalping, hedging, and EAs with this account.
This ASIC-regulated broker operates with license number 414530, and is best known for its social trading service where you can follow and copy trades from popular traders using third-party services while learning how to improve your own trading. They partner with social trading platforms such as Myfxbook, MetaTrader Signals, and DupliTrade. Pepperstone also makes sure to give the fastest trading executions with a 99.9% fill rate and no dealing desk intervention.
Pepperstone was founded in 2010 by a team of experienced traders with a shared commitment to improve the world of online trading. Based in Melbourne, Australia, they grew to become one of the largest forex brokers in the world. If traders want to find a broker that provides low spreads, fast execution, and award-winning support, then the answer is Pepperstone.
Pepperstone has a strong legality guarantee because it has been licensed by the Australian regulator ASIC and FCA. Traders' funds can be deposited in segregated accounts at top Australian banks, one of which is the National Australia Bank (NAB). Therefore, the safety of funds is not a concern if a trader chooses to open an account in Pepperstone.
They succeeded in collaborating with 23 top banks to bring Bid to investors instantly via optical fiber. This allows all orders to be executed 100 percent automatically with low latency up to 0.05 milliseconds, without dealing desk intervention and requotes, as well as with super low trading costs.
Trusted by over 73,000 traders around the world, Pepperstone processes an average of USD12.55 billion of trading volumes every day. Because of that, they have many awards such as:
- The Best Global Forex ECN Broker 2019 and Best Forex Trading Support-Europe
- Best Australian Broker and Best Trading Platform 2018 by Compareforexbrokers.com
- Best Forex ECN Broker, Best Forex Trading Support, and Best Forex Trading Conditions by UK Forex Awards 2018
With the many rewards gained, Pepperstone hopes to attract more and more traders from all over the world. The rising performance of Pepperstone is not only due to the super-tight spreads and fast execution that it provides, but also because many traders are interested in trading with deposits in currencies other than US Dollars.
For this reason, Pepperstone is one of the most market-responsive brokers because it is willing to accept deposits in 10 currencies, which include AUD, USD, EUR, CAD, GBP, CHF, JPY, NZD, SGD, and HKD.
Trading in Pepperstone would allow traders to choose between 11 trading platforms: MT4 for desktop, MT4 Mac, MT4 iPhone, MT4 Android, MT4 iPad/Tablet, MT5, WebTrader, cTrader WebTrader, cTrader cAlgo, and cTrader Mobile. The choice of trading platforms may seem confusing to novice traders, but actually, it is very useful because it has fast execution.
When trading forex, traders can enjoy raw spreads from 0.0 pips on Razor accounts, over 61 currency pairs, and commission-free account funding on a wide range of deposit options. In addition to currency pairs, Pepperstone provides many types of trading instruments, including CFDs for indices and shares, commodities, and cryptocurrencies.
Instruments in commodity trading are pretty much diversified. Not only metal, gold, and silver, but traders can also trade with soft commodities such as cotton, sugar, coffee, cocoa, and orange juice. Pepperstone also provides trading on energy (oil and gas).
There are two types of accounts provided by Pepperstone, namely Razor accounts, and Standard accounts. If you area beginner, it is recommended to choose a Standard account with an average EUR/USD spread of 1.0-1.3 pips and free commission.
Those with particular trading styles such as scalpers and algorithmic traders may enjoy the lower cost setup traditionally seen in a Razor account, with a commission from AUD7 round turn of 100k traded. You can start trading with a minimum lot of 0.01 (micro) and 1:400 leverage.
As a Pepperstone client, a trader can fund and withdraw with alternative methods including Visa, Mastercard, POLi internet banking, bank transfer, BPay, PayPal, Neteller, Skrill, and Union Pay.
If you are new to trading or looking to practice your trading strategies in a risk-free environment, you can create Demo Account in Pepperstone. But if you are an experienced trader or prefer to learn by doing, Pepperstone provides a Live Account that allows you to trade with live executions and pricing.
Traders can also follow and copy strategies from popular traders using third-party services while learning how to improve their trading abilities. Pepperstone has partnered with a range of social trading platforms that traders can choose from, such as Myfxbook, ZuluTrade, Mirror Trader, MetaTrader signals, and Duplitrade.
3. AvaTrade
Another ASIC broker offering swap-free accounts is AvaTrade. This broker is regulated under license number 406684.
Their Islamic trading account allows you to access the CFD market 24 hours a day with a wide variety of instruments to trade such as forex, commodities, bonds, ETFs, and many more.
Creating an Islamic account in AvaTrade is relatively easy; you only need to verify your account by sending relevant documents. Once you have funded your account, you can apply for an Islamic account that operates under Sharia Law. However, keep in mind that the AvaTrade Islamic account doesn't let you trade with cryptocurrency.
AvaTrade supports mobile traders through their AvaTradeGo, an app allowing you to monitor the markets anywhere. This app lets you create your own watchlists and view live prices and charts from over 1,000 instruments.
This award-winning app gives you a smooth trading experience with a sophisticated dashboard, complete management tools, clear charts, and other unique features. This broker also allows deposit though credit cards as well.
Avatrade can be called one of the most well-rounded brokers that support almost all trading styles. Not only allowing hedging, scalping, and expert advisor (EA), Avatrade also completes their service with One-cancels-the-other order (OCO) and AutoTrading in many variants of automated trading systems.
AvaTrade was founded in 2006, with the primary mission to empower people to trade with confidence. If traders are still confused about what is the best broker for supporting trader's trading, AvaTrade perchance option of traders, because it has been evaluated and honored for some of the industry's most remarkable financial and technological achievements that it provided to clients.
In 2019, the Dublin-based broker got achievement from Daytrading.com as The Best Forex Broker 2019. Besides, the company is honored as Best Forex Broker, Best Bitcoin CFD Trading Provider of the year, and Best Affiliation Programme in the European area.
Furthermore, for traders who have high mobility, AvaTrade provides many platforms that allow traders to trade using laptops and mobile phones. The availability of the free Autochartist tool in the platforms is the best support for both novice and experienced traders because it makes it easier for them to find trading opportunities without the need to glance at charts all day.
The Autochartist free signal is provided in Gold Account, Platinum Account, and AVA Select. By opening an account in AvaTrade, traders don't have to pay for getting a full Autochartist service. Autochartist itself is a market scanner tool that can detect trading signals from various technical perspectives.
Traders can access AvaTrade in many variants of platforms, such as AvaTradeGO, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, Automated Trading, Mac Trading, Web Trading, Mobile Trading, and AvaOptions.
In terms of regulation, AvaTrade is regarded as a superior broker because it has a lot of credible licenses. That way, even with deposits of up to ten thousand dollars, security can be guaranteed. Applying the Segregated Account system, AvaTrade is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland (No.C53877), ASIC Australia (No.406684), JFSA Japan (No.1662), and South Africa (FSP 45984).
Can traders lose more than their deposit abruptly in the event of high volatility? AvaTrade explicitly answers no, as traders have negative balance protection.
With a minimum deposit of USD100, AvaTrade offers various leverage depending on the trading instruments; whether it is forex (starts from 30:1), indices (starts from 20:1), commodities (starts from 5:1), ETFs (starts from 5:1), or cryptocurrencies (starts from 2:1).
AvaTrade has committed to a set of values in relation to customers. Therefore, the company provides the best trading experience, offering multilingual customer service and the most sophisticated and user-friendly trading platform.
New traders can also learn forex trading in the Education tab on AvaTrade's official website. Traders will find a wide collection of articles, video tutorials, and more tools that will assist them every step of the way. It is an important requirement as the forex market might be a bit overwhelming and even scary at times, so traders need to make sure that they are fully prepared to begin trading in the real account.
There are many types of account types provided by AvaTrade. There is also an Islamic Trading Account, which is uniquely provided for Muslim Traders. Islamic account type is similar to a regular one with one key difference; it is not subject to any special fees or interests (swap-free), which sits well with the finance principles of Sharia Law.
If traders have felt confident for forex trading, traders can choose AvaTrade as an ideal choice. The minimum deposit and various platforms offered to make it a suitable destination for even beginners who would like to try forex trading for the first time.
4. ThinkMarkets
ThinkMarkets created an Islamic account in order to comply with Sharia law for their Muslim traders. You can make a request to open this account from their official website. Other account types they have are Standard account and ThinkZero account where you can benefit from 0 pips spread for forex trading.
ThinkMarkets is perfectly regulated under ASIC with license number 424700. You can use two kinds of trading platforms in this broker: the MetaTrader series (MT4 and MT5) and their own platform called ThinkTrader.
As a multi-asset online brokerage, ThinkMarkets present a wide range of trading assets starting from Forex to Precious Metals, Commodities, Indices, Shares, and Cryptocurrencies. The Australian-based broker is established in 2010 and has since opened additional headquarters in London and regional offices throughout Asia-Pacific, Middle East, North Africa, Europe, and South America.
Along with its history operation, ThinkMarkets has been awarded and recognized many times in various aspects. Most recently, they won the Best Value Broker in Asia at the 2020 Global Forex Awards.
Average FX spreads for traders opening an account in ThinkMarkets start from 1.2 pips for the standard account, while ThinkZero provides the best trading experience with 0.1 pips spread. Still, traders may need to consider that ThinkZero applies commission from $3.5 per side for every 1000,000 trading volumes.
As a global online brokerage, ThinkMarkets operates under various financial regulatory institutions. For example, ThinkMarkets Australia is managed by TF Global Markets (Aust) Limited and is licensed by the Australian Financial Services as well as the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) with ABN: 69158361561. ThinkMarkets UK is registered under the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) by the company name of TF Global Markets (UK) Limited (number: 09042646).
ThinkMarkets consistently try to improve their trading environments with various advanced products. Automatic trading fans are provided with free VPS Hosting, while passionate traders who'd like to experience beyond MetaQuote platforms can try ThinkMarkets' proprietary platform called ThinkTrader.
The trading platform is available on 3 different interfaces specifically designed for Web Desktop, Tablet, and Mobile displays. Furthermore, customized tools such as 80+ drawing tools and more than 125 indicators for technical analysis accessible even through Mobile screens would certainly provide a brand new trading on-the-go experience.
As far as market updates go, trading in ThinkMarkets would be accompanied with news from FX Wire Pro that is known for its strict policy toward upholding objective journalism and delivering critical, trusted information in real-time. Information segments covered by FX Wire Pro include Economic Commentary, Technical-level Reports, Currency and Commodities, Central Bank Bulletins, Energies and metals, together with Event-driven Flashes.
For payment methods, ThinkMarkets offer the gateway via bank transfer, credit card (Visa and MasterCard), Skrill, Neteller, POLi internet banking, BPay, and Bitcoin wallet.
All in all, it is safe to say that for a company that started business since 2010, ThinkMarkets is an accomplished broker in terms of legal standing and innovation in trading technology. As an additional safety assurance for traders, this broker underlines its commitment to provide a $1 million insurance protection program which is made possible by ThinkMarkets' insurance policy with Lloyd's of London that protects clients' funds for up to $1 million in the unlikely event of insolvency.
5. Vantage
Vantage is another Australian broker offering a swap-free account for traders who are unable to receive or pay swaps due to religious beliefs. Their Islamic account provides Standard STP and Swap-Free RAW ECN accounts.
Traders can gain access to more than 300 tradeable assets that include forex, gold, oil, and many more. This ASIC broker is best known for its Raw ECN account that gives traders the most cost-effective trading solution, only $3.00 commissions per standard lot, per side. This broker is regulated by ASIC No: 428901.
Vantage Markets was founded in 2009 in Australia. It is the brand name of the Vantage International Group which is regulated by the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA). Before it is known as Vantage Markets as today, they used to be MXT Global in 2009 and Vantage Markets Pty LTD in 2015. The Vantage Group also operates other companies such as Vantage Global Prime, which is regulated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
According to the broker's website, Vantage Markets adds further protection to clients by segregating client funds and holding their funds with Australia's National Australia Bank (NAB). NAB is one of the 4 largest financial institutions in Australia as well as the Top 20 safest banks in the world. Thus, clients don't need to worry about saving their funds at Vantage Markets.
With Vantage Markets, traders will experience super-fast trade execution, as well as interbank grade and RAW ECN spreads. When combined, these elements offer clients a true institutional trading experience, across a wide range of trading instruments. They also offer services designed for both beginners and professionals with access to Forex ECN trading, as well as CFD trading on Indices, Commodities, and U.S & Hong Kong Shares. Those instruments are available to trade on MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, MetaTrader WebTrader, CHARTS by TradingView, Mobile Apps, either for Mac, PC, iOS, or Android. There are also social trading platforms such as MyFXbook and Zulutrade.
By registering in Vantage Markets, traders will have access to an impressive range of educational materials and research tools including MT4 SmartTrader Tools, a wide variety of promotional trading offers and rebate programs, as well as access to accounts with up to 500:1 leverage. However, the leverage for ASIC and FCA clients is 30:1, and normally no promotion for AU and UK clients because of the compliance policy.
Vantage Markets provides research in the form of technical and fundamental analysis on its blog from in-house staff as well as guest writers. There is also an economic calendar powered by MQL5 from MetaQuotes. For clients who deposit at least $1,000, Vantage Markets offers a suite of plugins for MT4 branded as MT4 SmartTrader Tools, developed by FX Blue LLP.
As an authorized representative of Vantage Global Prime, the broker caters to retail traders under the Vantage Markets brand and offers access to the following instruments:
- 44 currency pairs, which are the most liquid global forex market currencies.
- 16 most liquid Indices from across the globe, including the S&P 500, DAX, FTSE, DJ30, and more.
- 16 commodities, either soft commodities or precious metals.
- 5 indices futures such as DJ30ft, DAX4ft, and NAS100ft.
- 600+ US, UK, and HK shares from large companies, such as Apple, Google, Coca-Cola, and big corporations listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Clients can open accounts in Vantage Markets and deposit funds in 8 base currencies: USD, GBP, CAD, AUD, EUR, SGD, NZD, HKD, and JPY. They also provide clients with convenient deposit and withdrawal methods through local and international bank transfers, credit/debit cards, and e-payment.
Overall, Vantage Markets is valued to be proper for retail traders with small deposits who like the max leverage thresholds. In terms of pricing, the broker's commission-based Raw ECN account is the clear choice for cost-sensitive traders as it features a lower all-in cost compared to its Standard account offering.
What You Should Know About Swap Free Account
As the name suggests, this trading account does not generate swaps or interests. This also explains why a swap-free account is ideal as an Islamic account. A swap-free account generates revenue only through foreign exchange. Sure, this account won't let you earn profit from a positive rollover, but it also eliminates the risk of a negative swap.
In general, certain conditions related to a swap-free account include:
- Great for Muslims, Beneficial for Other Traders
Due to Islamic law, Muslims are advised not to engage in a business or contract that includes charging and receiving interest. That's why many brokers specifically create swap-free accounts for Muslim traders. But in reality, Muslims are not the only traders that can benefit from swap-free accounts. Other traders would deliberately create Islamic accounts despite having different beliefs. The reason is that they don't want to be subjected to negative swaps. - Time Restriction
Although the main idea of a swap-free account is to help traders avoid rollover interest, keep in mind that some brokers may have time restrictions regarding your floating positions. For example, some brokers only allow a floating position for up to 3 days, while others allow you to open your positions for up to a week. This might be a deal-breaker for long-term traders. - Additional Fee
Brokers offering swap-free accounts may charge a commission fee, in which some of them may assign you a fixed commission that isn't affected by the changes in interest rates. If this is the case, you need to ensure that this additional fee is affordable and doesn't influence your profitability.
11 Comments
Dec 2 2021
Can other traders use Islamic accounts too? Or is it only for Muslims?
Feb 9 2023
poortrader13: No, it is not posibble for other trader that Non Muslim can use swap free account. Based on I know, all brokers will not accept other than Muslim trader to trade with swap free account, even in my country, Indonesia, who has most Muslim people in the world, the local brokers in there don`t accept trader that was not Muslim to trade with swap free account.
If you ask why, because the brokers will paid for the swap rate and will charge you with another fees, To do that, it need many effort. As you know, all currency in the world has its own rate. SO it is almost imposibble to avoid the rate
Dec 6 2021
I thought swap-free is an 'add-on' feature, glad to know it's a type of account. So much to learn, I barely start trading.
Feb 9 2023
fromdallas305: Yes, Swap Free is a separate account that is offered in the same way as Standard and Premium Accounts. However, they typically do not appear in the broker's account ion. Therefore, you should visit your broker's customer support and ask them to sign up for a swap-free account.
Don't forget to prepare some document that proves you are a Muslim. Additional Information: Not all brokers offer this account, so Muslim traders who use swing trading or long-term trading styles should ask their broker first before trading to avoid the rate or "riba".
Dec 9 2021
Some brokers allows Non-Muslim trader to enjoy their swap free account. This can be a great opportunity for new traders.
Feb 9 2023
GraaantN12: Dude, do you have any recommendations for brokers that already allow other non-Muslim traders to trade. As far as I know, we have to prove that we are muslim in order to get access to a free swap account at most brokers i know. even when the documents appear to be fake (although they are not), brokers sometimes refuse our requests. This proves that getting a swap free account is not easy at all.
If you know any brokers please let me know in the comments as I would also like to sign up with these brokers as we know swaps are not always cheap.
Sep 25 2023
@Joshua: icmarkets.com, XM and Exness
Dec 14 2021
I'm not a scalper, I prefer long-term trading. Swap free account is the best account for overnight trading, I guarantee.
Feb 9 2023
sourcandytraders: I agree! Long-term trading often incurs high fees due to overnight fees. Not to mention if the transaction remains open for a few days, it will charge three times the fee. For example, if my Wednesday trade is still open, my swap rate will be three times the current swap rate. The reason for brokers is that Saturday and Sunday still charge swap, but not yet. So they started charging that day. I don't know exactly what the rule is, but something like I said before.
But unfortunately, free trades sometimes get high commissions. So be careful and always read the terms and conditions.
Dec 15 2021
remember that swap-free is not without risk, always be wise when placing an order.
Feb 9 2023
hibijibbies456: I agree.. Some exchange accounts are even more expensive, with monthly management fees and higher commissions. All these fees are actually swap rate fees, but they convert into other fees with no exchange rate source
As you know, "rate" in Islamic is forbidden and because of this, many Muslim traders have difficulty finding a broker with free swaps and some of them even don't use long term trading style to avoid it. And after all, come back to us, how we handle trading conditions and how we can avoid more risk in Forex. it depends on us and our strategy as well.