Forex trading is not only about placing trades, as traders can find easier solution from copy trading platform. What is it and which brokers to choose if you want to copy trade?

Top Forex Brokers for Copy Trading

Unlike mirror trading, copy trading allows forex traders to copy specific strategies and any trading action the copied forex trader makes. The whole position is executed according to the proportion between the copied forex trader's account and the copying forex trader's allotted copy trading funds.

Traders can enjoy copy trading from several brokers, including:

  1. eToro: Almost exclusively focuses on social copy trading.
  2. Pepperstone: Offers a comprehensive range of third-party social copy-trading platforms.
  3. FXCM: Provide copy trading through ZuluTrade and MT4.
  4. Darwinex: Serve abundant strategies to copy from.
  5. AvaTrade: Equipped with multiple platforms for algorithmic and social copy-trading.

Each of these brokers has different trading specifications for their copy trading feature. In addition to offering one of the best copy trading experiences, what else to know about these brokers?

 

Best Forex Brokers For Copy Trading

Copy trading was first developed from automated trading, also known as algorithmic trading, around 2005. It was an automated trading system where forex traders shared their trading history that others could follow. Tradency was one of the first companies to propose an auto-trading system 2005 called "Mirror Trader". Right now, there are plenty of brokers offering copy trading services. Below is the list of the top 5 forex brokers for copy trading:

 

1. eToro

eToro is a social trading and multi-asset brokerage company that focuses on providing financial and copy trading services. The company has registered offices in Cyprus, Israel, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia. In 2018, the company's value was $800 million.

It has continued to update its cutting-edge platform with the next-generation "eToro platform." It delivers an astonishing user experience in a modern web-based user interface. It continues to lead the industry forward and almost exclusively focuses on social copy trading. Furthermore, this platform is well-known for stock copy trading and cryptocurrency advancements in social trading.

Website
Established
2007
Leverage
1:400
Min Deposit
$200
Regulation
CySEC, FCA, ASIC, FINRA, Financial Services Regulatory Authority (Abu Dhabi), FSA (Seychelles)
Accepts US traders
Personal manager
Trading contests
Segregated accounts
Free education
Compensation scheme
Negative balance protection
Swap
Low spread eur/usd
Hedging
Islamic account
Affiliate program
Trading via API
Interest rate on funds
Copy trading
WebMoney
PayPal
Skrill
Wire transfer
Neteller

eToro established in early 2007, with a mission to make trading accessible to anyone, anywhere, and reduce dependency on traditional financial institutions. The company has head offices in the United Kingdom, Cyprus, USA, and Australia.

eToro (Europe) Ltd operates as a Financial Services Company authorized and regulated by the Cyprus Securities Exchange Commission (CySEC) under license no. #109/10. Meanwhile, eToro (UK) Ltd is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) under the license FRN 583263.

As for eToro AUS Capital Pty Ltd, the legal standing is acknowledged by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) to provide financial services under Australian Financial Services License 491139.

A broker that belongs to the 4-digit type, eToro offers both short-term options for day traders and long-term options for investors, such as their innovative Smart Portfolios, a fully managed thematic portfolio.

Since 2007, eToro has been at the forefront of the Fintech revolution. The most recent was launched in 2017, which is Smart Portfolios powered by Machine learning Al. Beyond developing Smart Portfolios, the company integrated Microsoft's machine learning technology into Momentum DD.

The new Smart Portfolios investment strategy uses artificial intelligence to find the steadiest traders who are most likely to generate a double-digit return and bundle traders into one fully-managed portfolio. eToro has hundreds of financial assets for trading across several categories including stocks, commodities, crypto assets, currencies, indices, and ETFs. Each asset class has characteristics and can be traded using a variety of investment strategies.

Some positions on eToro involve ownership of underlying assets, such as non-leveraged positions on stocks and cryptos. Employing CFDs will enable a variety of options, such as leveraged trades, short (sell) positions, fractional ownership, and more. For example, traders can invest as little as USD100 in gold, even if a single unit of gold cost USD1,000. Some of eToro's most popular CFD commodities include gold, oil, natural gas, silver, and platinum.

Currencies are traded on eToro only as CFDs. Also, CFDs enable Sell (short) positions and leveraged trade, even for assets that don't offer the option in traditional trading. Some of the popular currencies include EUR/USD, GBP/USD, AUD/USD, USD/JPY, and USD/CAD.

Furthermore, An Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) is a financial instrument comprising several assets grouped to serve as one tradable fund. After opening an account in eToro, traders can invest as little as USD250 in an ETF that costs USD500. Some of the popular ETFs on eToro include SPY, VXXB, TLT, and HMMJ.

However, eToro also offers additional functions using CFD trading. All leveraged ETF positions in the UK are under FCA regulations. Meanwhile, all CFD positions executed by eToro Australia are under ASIC regulations.

The company has other advantages. In all financial assets that can be traded, eToro does not charge any deposit or trading frees other than spreads.

eToro charges a USD25 fee for withdrawals and the minimum withdrawal amount is USD50. Long (Buy), non-leveraged crypto, stock, and ETF positions are not executed as CFDs and do not incur any fees. eToro does charge overnight or weekend fees for CFDs positions, such as leveraged positions and short (sell) orders.

Fee updates always apply to open positions. Fees are subject to change at any given time and could change daily, without prior notice, depending on market conditions.

As a beginner, trader can use CopyTrading eToro. Different from the features of other brokers, traders can copy the strategies of professional traders without fee or profit-sharing. Therefore, 100% profit is fully owned by traders. For example, while trader A who is copied by trader B, produces a profit of 10% this month, then trader B also gets a profit of 10%.

The company is the world's leading social trading network. Since eToro operates in complete transparency, each trader has valuable information on their eToro profiles, so other traders that are interested to copy their trades can have assistance in creating their best portfolios.

Another feature that is unique to eToro is the personalized, social News Feed. Just like on any social media, traders can post their updates on feed, comment on other's posts, and gradually create a feed that is tailor-fitted to trader's trading and investing interests. On eToro social trading platform, traders will also get notifications when a trader writes a new post and many other important updates.

 

2. Pepperstone

Pepperstone is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, and a broker specializing in financial markets access. The company provides access to over 150 instruments, including Forex, Indices, Shares, Commodities, Cryptocurrencies, and Currency Index CFDs.

Its comprehensive range of third-party social copy-trading platforms makes it a competitive forex broker for copy trading, in addition to the native forex signals market available in MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and cMirror platforms. Another noteworthy service for copy trading is the company's connection to the ZuluTrade platform, AutoTrade by Myfxbook, Tradency's MirrorTrader platform, and the developer's RoboX solution.

Pepperstone is also well-known for its launch of EDGE FX trading platform as an alternative to MT. It offers a standard account type, oriented towards smaller accounts, and a Razor account with tighter spreads for more advanced and Expert Advisor (EA) algorithmic traders.

Website
Established
2010
Leverage
1:400
Min Deposit
$0
Regulation
ASIC, BaFin, Capital Markets Authority of Kenya, CySEC, DFSA (Dubai), FCA, SCB
Free education
Trading by telephone
PAMM
MAM
Segregated accounts
Affiliate program
Islamic accounts available
Compensation scheme
Negative balance protection
Low spread eur/usd
VPS
Trading via API
Copy trading
Webinar
PayPal
Wire transfer
Neteller
Skrill

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. FXCM

Also known as Forex Capital Markets, FXCM is one of the major retail brokers for trading on the forex market. The company hosts several options for copy trading, including the web-based ZuluTrade platform and the signals from the MT4 platform.

Originally famous as a US-based broker, FXCM has come such a long way and is now a subsidiary company of Jefferies Financial Group. With over 20 years of experience since its foundation, FXCM has proven to be one of the most experienced brokers in the forex trading industry.

Website
Established
2011
Leverage
1:2000
Min Deposit
$10
Regulation
FSC (Mauritius), C113012295, CySEC, 185/12, FCA, 777911, FSCA, 46614, Capital Markets Authority of Kenya, 135
Bonuses
Personal manager
Trading contests
Segregated accounts
Free education
Trading by phone
Compensation scheme
Low spread eur/usd
VPS
Affiliate program
Copy trading
Webinar
WebMoney
Skrill
Wire transfer
Neteller
QIWI
FasaPay

FXTM was initially launched in 2011 with a unique vision to provide unparalleled superior trading conditions. Opening an account in FXTM would also bring about access to advanced education and sophisticated trading tools in the forex industry.

Now, FXTM is registered under the Financial Conduct Authority of the UK with the number 600475. The company is also regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission with CIF license number 185/12, and is licensed by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) of South Africa, with FSP No. 46614

FXTM has 1 million registered accounts with more traders joining every day. The company continually tries to improve their performance and have got many awards such as Best Trading Experience 2019 by World Finance Awards, Best Online Forex Trading Company Nigeria 2018 by International Finance Awards, Reputable Investor Education Forex Broker Award 2018 by Hexun.com, Forex Brand Of The Year China 2018 by Fxeye.Com, and many more.

As a responsible broker, they determine leverage (expressed as a ratio of transaction size relative to trader's buying power) according to the trader's level of knowledge and experience in trading, which is evaluated by the Appropriateness Assessment. The company also enables trading with leverage up to 1:1000.

As for spreads, FXTM offers low spreads starting from 0.1 pip, so traders can withdraw profits at the start of trading. The company, which has headquarters in several countries, uses No Dealing Desk (NDD) technology and partners with credible liquidity providers to provide the best bid and ask prices.

For beginners, there is an automatic trading facility called algorithmic trading provided. When trading in FXTM, traders can develop their trading strategy or adopt other traders' strategies. Furthermore, the strategy is applied to automated trading systems, such as Expert Advisors. The purpose of this system is traders do not have to worry about losing opportunities while not observing the market so that profits can still be earned.

Three types of ECN accounts use the MT4 and MT5 trading platforms. There are also mobile and Tablet Apps trading platforms. Aside of providing many account variants, FXTM goes above and beyond to ensure that their client receives excellent support that they deserve, making their trading experience optimal and user-friendly.

FXTM also provides a diverse range of products. In addition to over 50 currency pairs, they provide gold, silver, CFD on commodity futures (oil), CFD on ETFs, and indices.

Education about the basic concepts of the forex industry is also accessible in this broker. Traders can read all the concepts provided in the form of e-books, video tutorials, articles, webinars, and forex seminars. There are 17 languages provided on the FXTM website to make it easier for traders to learn about forex.

Traders are also given various choices for payment methods, including Credit Cards (Visa, Mastercard, Maestro) and E-Wallet (Neteller, Skrill, Western Union). For withdrawing funds, traders are not charged a fee with a length of 2 hours to 2 days. Traders can live chat to ask further questions and contact the admin via email. There is also a question and answer page about forex trading on FXTM.

 

4. Darwinex

Darwinex provides technology to help traders develop their skills and build verifiable track records. The company was founded in 2012 and employed more than 40 across London headquarters. It serves access to almost 1,200 strategies developed by traders, which are traded like securities (ticker symbols) on the Darwinex platform.

There is a competition system in which the best-performing strategies on the platform would receive funding from the broker. The allocation for the reward amounts to $4.5 million during each competition period.

 

5. AvaTrade

AvaTrade was founded in 2011. The company serves multiple platforms for algorithmic and social copy-trading. It also provides multiple online forex trading platforms, including MT4, MT5, DupliTrade, WebTrader, AvaOptions, and the AvaTradeGO mobile app – there's something for everyone. Forex traders can also enjoy real-time updates to stay on the market.

Website
Established
2006
Leverage
1:400
Min Deposit
$100
Regulation
Financial Futures Association (Japan), ASIC, FSCA, ISA (Israel), FSC (BVI), FSA (Japan), Financial Services Regulatory Authority (Abu Dhabi), Central Bank of Ireland
Bonuses
PAMM
Personal manager
Trading contests
Segregated accounts
Managed accounts
Free education
Compensation scheme
Negative balance protection
Swap
Low spread eur/usd
Islamic account
VPS
Affiliate program
Copy trading
Webinar
WebMoney
Skrill
Wire transfer
Neteller

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.