Selecting the best brokers for day trading is a challenge because day-traders regularly need fast and reliable trading platforms, as well as low trading costs.

Day trading is one of the most preferred strategies among retail traders. A day-trader would buy and sell by observing price action in shorter time frames with the goal to gain net profit at the end of the day. Quick entry, quick exit.

Selecting the best brokers for day trading is a challenge because day-traders regularly need fast and reliable trading platforms, as well as low trading costs. Typical trading platforms with technical data and charting tools are not enough, because highly active traders would also compare execution speeds and accuracy among brokers.

It is also important for day-traders to consider factors such as spreads, commissions, and other expenses. The dilemma is that the lowest cost brokers might not provide the best trading platform and vice versa.

To help you choose the best brokers for day trading, we have searched through dozens of platforms around the world. And here's our verdict.

Best Brokers for Day Trading in 2022

 

IC Markets

The Australian-based online brokerage provides CFD trading over forex, stock indices, commodities, bonds, and equity markets with a minimum deposit of $200. IC Markets' trade servers are placed in the Equinix NY4 data centers in New York, enabling them to offer an average trade execution speed of around 35 milliseconds on currency pairs.

There are two types of accounts we can choose: the Raw Spread Account and Standard Account. Raw Spread Account would be most favorable for day-traders since it provides an extremely low spread and commission charge of $7 per standard lot round turn. You could also choose Standard Account if you prefer to pay lower commission fees. Learn more on IC Markets website.

Summary:

  • Minimum Deposit: $200
  • Execution Speed: 0.035s
  • Trading Platforms: MetaTrader4, MetaTrader5, cTrader, mobile app
  • Spread: average spread 0.1 pips for EUR/USD (Raw Spread Account)
  • Commission: $7 per standard lot round turn (Raw Spread Account)
Website
Established
2007
Leverage
1:1000
Min Deposit
$200
Regulation
ASIC, CySEC, SCB, The Financial Commission, FSA (Seychelles)
Interest rate on funds
Free education
PAMM
MAM
Segregated accounts
Managed accounts
Islamic accounts available
Compensation scheme
Swap
Low spread eur/usd
VPS
Copy trading
FasaPay
Neteller
PayPal
Skrill
Wire transfer

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.

 

OANDA

The US-based online forex broker has over 23 years of experience in offering multi-asset trading services and currency data, both for retail and institutional traders. There is no minimum deposit amount, so we can start trading with any amount.

There are three ways to trade with OANDA: via MetaTrader4, or their customizable web-based and desktop trading platforms. OANDA's proprietary platform was voted World's Best Retail FX Platform in 2018. Engineered for reliability and speed, trades through OANDA are executed in 0.012 seconds. The only drawback might be the comparatively more expensive trading costs. Learn more on OANDA website.

Summary:

  • Minimum Deposit: $0
  • Execution Speed: 0.012s
  • Trading Platforms: MetaTrader4, OANDA fxTrade Web Platform, OANDA Desktop Platform, mobile app
  • Spread: starting from 0.1 pips for EUR/USD
  • Commission: $40 per million USD
Website
Established
1996
Leverage
1:20
Min Deposit
$0
Regulation
CFTC/NFA, FCA, FSA (Japan), FSC (BVI), Kanto Local Finance Bureau (Japan), MFSA, 12, 2020, MAS, ASIC, AFSL No, IIROC
Islamic Accounts available
US traders are welcome
Negative balance protection
Segregated accounts
Compensation scheme
VPS Affiliate program
Trading via API
Education
Webinar
Swap
Wire transfer
Skrill
Neteller

Traders looking for brokers with accurate precision, OANDA can be an option. That is because OANDA is a broker that provides quotes with 5-digit accuracy and active price movements that follow market developments. Order execution speed is also faster in this broker.

It provides benefits for novice traders, as they can trade with smaller volumes using the calculation system based on currency value, unlike other brokers adopting the lot system.

Founded in 1996, OANDA was built by Dr. Michael Stumm who is a lecturer in Computer Engineering at the University of Toronto, Canada, along with his colleague, Dr. Richard Olsen of The Olsen Ltd., which is one of the leading econometric research institutes. They have a head office in San Francisco, United States.

OANDA branch offices can be found everywhere. Some of these offices are located in the United Kingdom, Singapore, Japan, and Canada. With this number of offices spread, OANDA has increasingly attracted the attention of clients worldwide.

OANDA's company is registered under several well-known jurisdictions in financial trading. They are regulated by CFTC and NFA in the US, FCA in the UK, ASIC in Australia, and many others. Traders do not need to worry anymore about security when trading in OANDA. However, these advantages make trading rules at OANDA more stringent compared to other brokers.

For example, OANDA only allows maximum leverage of 1:20, because the rules in the US and Japan do not allow leverage above that. Besides, the registration procedure is more complex due to various additional requirements that are not submitted by other forex brokers. On top of that, hedging is not allowed in one trading account as the client must open an additional account to hedge.

Nevertheless, OANDA is known for being a leading broker with many advantages offered. OANDA faces increased market risk during periods of price volatility, such as economic and political news announcements. When market spreads increase or decrease, their pricing engine widens or narrows spreads accordingly. That way, traders can get the latest conditions from price movements in the market more quickly.

Prices move very fast in the market. Especially when news releases have a large impact on market volatility. This condition is often exploited by brokers to take advantage of clients with Requotes. However, traders do not need to worry about additional costs when trading with OANDA.

The company never withdraws Requotes so traders can get maximum profit. When traders are unavailable to monitor open positions, they can set take profit orders to lock in profits and Stop Loss orders to help protect against further losses.

As an experienced and well-known online forex broker, OANDA is committed to maintain an efficient trading environment that reduces latency and provid tools to help clients manage the degree of acceptable slippage.

With a fast & reliable trading platform by OANDA, clients' trades are executed in 0.012 seconds. This suits traders who choose brokers based on execution speed.

Because of this exceptional execution service, it is not surprising that OANDA won many awards, including the winner of the world's Best Retail FX Platform at the prestigious e-FX awards. The broker is also voted number 1 for Consistency of filling trades at quoted prices, Execution speed, and Reliability of platforms.

There is no minimum deposit or minimum balance required to open an OANDA account. Deposit and withdrawal can be done easily. OANDA provides a variety of payment method facilities, including Paypal, Wire Transfer, Credit Card, and Debit. Traders can adjust it to the region where they live.

OANDA provides more than 100 trading instruments, including 71 currency pairs, 16 indices, 8 commodities (Brent Crude Oil, Copper, Corn, Natural Gas, Soybeans, Sugar, etc.), 6 Bonds, and 23 Metals.

The fxTrade and MetaTrader platform are available at OANDA. These platforms can be used for Desktop and Mobile. Another plus is they have an OANDA Technical Analysis that exists in collaboration with a technical analysis provider called Autochartist.

With these platforms, clients can monitor price movements easier and automatically recognize patterns created on charts, as well as receive alerts when the awaited patterns appear. Access to this technology can be enjoyed free of charge.

In conclusion, OANDA is an ideal broker for traders in need of fast execution backed by many years of experience. The company is also a good alternative for those looking for a well-regulated broker with flexible trading and deposit conditions.

 

Interactive Brokers

Interactive Brokers, also known as IBKR, is the most favorite broker for day trading in the US. Observant traders record average trade execution speed around 250 milliseconds, but IBKR always ranks among brokers with the best order execution quality.

IBKR's proprietary platform provides flexible tools and high level of customization for forex, futures, bonds, options, stocks, and more. Its complex structure might be more suitable for professional traders than beginners, but this is just right for day-traders. Read more on Interactive Brokers review.

Summary:

  • Minimum Deposit: $0 (accounts with less than $100,000 in net liquidation value are subject to certain monthly activity fees)
  • Execution Speed: 0.25s
  • Trading Platforms: IBKR PRO, IBKR LITE
  • Spread: starting from 0.1 pips for EUR/USD
  • Commission: variable commission fees with a minimum of $2 per order ($4 per round turn), but can drop to 0.08 basis points if you are an exceptionally active trader
Website
Established
1977
Leverage
1:100
Min Deposit
$10000
Regulation
SEC (US), FCA, CFTC/NFA, ASIC, MAS, Central Bank of Ireland, Hungarian National Bank
Segregated accounts
Managed accounts
Free education
Wire transfer

Interactive Brokers is a direct market access broker that provides execution, clearance, settlement, and prime brokerage for customers. Since it was found 41 years ago by Thomas Peterffy, the company has grown internally to become one of the premier securities firms with over $7 billion in equity capital.

First acknowledged as a popular broker for advanced traders, Interactive Brokers launched a second tier of service called IBKR Lite for more casual investors in 2019.

The IBKR Lite provides services on over 125 market destinations worldwide and gives direct access (online) trade execution and clearing services, both to institutional and professional traders for a wide variety of traded products including stocks, options, futures, forex, fixed income, and funds worldwide. Interactive Brokers Group and its affiliates execute over 859,000 trades per day.

Headquartered in Greenwich, Connecticut, Interactive Brokers has over 1,400 employees in the USA, Switzerland, Canada, Hong Kong, UK, Australia, Hungary, Russia, Japan, India, China, and Estonia companies. IBKR is regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and is registered in the New York Stoch Exchange (NYSE).

Interactive Brokers offers a wide range of product-centered tools like the OptionTrader and Probability Lab for simplified single and complex multi-leg option trading; FXTrader for forex trading, Mutual Fund/ETF Replicator for helping traders find a lower cost on ETF alternatives, also fixed-income screeners for corporate and agency bonds. Overall, trading with Interactive Brokers would be provided with the most useful and updated tools to maximize trading and investing goals.

As a popular and regulated broker in the US, Interactive Brokers has won some awards. Recently, they were awarded by the Barrons as the 2019 Best Online Broker, which is categorized as the best broker for mobile, international, and frequent traders. Besides, they also won an award as Top Performing Broker by the Preqin Service Providers, and Best Overall Broker by Investopedia (Best for Low Costs, Best for International Trading, Best for Options Trading, Best for Day Trading, and Best for Penny Stocks). The awards are not only achieved during 2019. Since 2005, Interactive Brokers has won lots of awards regarding its best services for clients.

To optimize clients' trading speed and efficiency, Interactive Brokers provides some powerful suites of trading platforms. Below is the list:

  • Client Portal
    A one-stop destination to check quotes and place trades, see account balances, Profit and Loss, as well as key performance metrics, funding, and reporting.
  • Desktop TWS
    A flagship platform designed for active traders and investors who trade multiple products and require power and flexibility. Opening an account in Interactive Brokers and using this platform allows traders to utilize the most advanced algorithms and trading tools, as well as a library of tools and asset-based trading layouts for optimum customization.
  • IBKR TWS for Mobile
    The IBKR TWS for Mobile is made for traders who want to easily trade and monitor their IBKR account on-the-go from either iOS or Android device (tablet or smartphone).
  • IBoT
    IBoT is a robot for finding information and placing orders using clients' own words. IBot is available on TWS for Desktop, IBKR Mobile, and Client Portal.
  • IBKR WebTrader
    IBKR WebTrader is made for traders and investors who prefer a simplified interface.
  • IBKR APIs or IBKR Pro
    This trading platform is provided especially for traders and investors who want to write their trading software or automated trading programs; third-party software users.

Overall, Interactive Brokers has always been a great choice for those who want to find out a credible and regulated broker for trading. Offering lots of trading platforms, Interactive Brokers has committed to provide their best services for both novices and professionals, since it is suited to every clients' needs.

 

Exness

The Cyprus-based forex broker has been providing reliable multi-asset trading services with lower spreads and easier registration for worldwide traders since 2008. Minimum deposits vary according to the payment system you choose to register, starting from $10 for standard accounts or $200 for professional accounts.

Zero Spread Account and Raw Spread Account might be more suitable for day-traders, with spread starting from 0.0 pips. Commissions vary based on the trading instrument, starting from USD 0.2/lot in one direction for Zero Spread Account and up to USD 3.5/lot in one direction for Raw Spread Account. Learn more on Exness website.

Summary:

  • Minimum Deposit: $10 (standard accounts) or $200 (professional accounts)
  • Execution Speed: 0.1s
  • Trading Platforms: MetaTrader4, MetaTrader5, mobile app
  • Spread: starting from 0.0 pips for EUR/USD
  • Commission: USD 0.2/lot in one direction (Zero Spread Account) or USD 3.5/lot in one direction (Raw Spread Account)
Website
Established
2008
Leverage
1:2000
Min Deposit
$10
Regulation
FSA (Seychelles), CBCS (Curacao), FSC (BVI), FSCA, CMA (Kenya), FCA, CySEC, ESMA
PAMM
Trading contests
LAMM
Segregated accounts
VPS
Free education
Islamic account
Copy trading
Compensation scheme
Negative balance protection
Low spread eur/usd
Affiliate program
Trading via API
WebMoney
Wire transfer
Skrill
Neteller

The choice of broker is adjusted to the needs of each trader. If you are a trader who only needs a basic platform and trading features with the best attributes, then Exness can be your best choice.

Exness covers its lack of feature variations with other advantages like low spreads starting from only 0.1 pip. This is very suitable for traders who use scalping strategies (Scalper). Spreads on major pairs in certain account types can also be as low as 0.0 pip, depending on market conditions.

Not only that, but traders can also enjoy other advantages such as automatic fund withdrawals. Exness processes the majority of client withdrawals instantly, without manual checks; however, withdrawals may be subject tos depending on the payment provider or method of choice.

The safety of traders' funds is also guaranteed as Exness is one of the European-based STP/ECN brokers. Exness's ability to become an official partner of the Real Madrid soccer team for 3 years, starting July 2017, also provides evidence that the company has high solidity.

Deposits and withdrawals may be made 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. However, it is important to note that the company shall not be liable fors in processing deposits and withdrawals if suchs are caused by the payment system.

Traders do not need to worry about transaction fees when depositing and withdrawing. Exness doesn't charge any transaction fees to traders even though some charges may be incurred depending on the payment provider of choice. A variety of payment methods are provided for traders, including Wire Transfer, Bank Card, Neteller, Skrill, and many others.

The financial reports and metrics on the Exness website are audited quarterly by Deloitte, one of the four largest public accounting firms globally.

Moreover, Exness is one of the mote transparent brokers in the online trading industry. Traders can find out all information about this company on the website, such as trading volume, number of active clients, client deposits, company funds, and many more.

The platforms provided by Exness vary in MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, Web, and Mobile platforms. This makes it easy for traders when trading on Exness, as they can also access Exness platforms anywhere and anytime.

Over the years, Exness has developed into a broker that attracts traders. Trader's trust is further enhanced by its compliance with financial regulations like the FCA and CySEC.

One measure of client confidence can be put on the trading volume. By December 2018, their clients' monthly trading volume reached USD348.4 billion and active traders around the world surpassed 50,342.

Through the program offered by Exness, traders also have the opportunity to earn extra income by becoming their partners. From the Introducing Broker (IB) program, partners can earn up to 33% spread commission from every new client that registers with them.

Additional income can also be obtained from Exness Partners. Traders can get a spread commission of up to 25% per transaction made by traders who register through an affiliate link.

When trading with Exness, clients can also make use of its free VPS hosting services. A VPS (Virtual Private Server) offers increased reliability and stability for traders as they can maintain their trades and expert advisors without interruption in the event of unexpected technical issues, such as internet or electricity downtime.

From the review above, it can be concluded that Exness is a favorite broker for traders because of low spreads and flexible account types. This condition is very suitable for traders with limited funds but is in need of more opportunities to get maximum profit. This broker is also well known for its maximum support on both new and existing partners.

 

Bottom Line

Execution speed, low costs, and reliable platforms might be the keys to successful day-trading. Therefore, it is paramount to choose the best brokers for day trading by taking these factors into account. Another important aspect is to start small. Once you have more experience in using your chosen trading platform, you can trade larger positions.