Finding the best forex broker for scalping that will help you generate a profit isn’t that easy. If you want to scalp the Forex markets, you’ll have to find a broker that allows it. Scalping is the act of getting in and out of the markets very rapidly, perhaps with trades as short as a few seconds, or even milliseconds for those using algorithms. This can create a bit of an issue with some brokers, as they are on the other side of your trades.
As a general rule, if you are using a broker that claims not to be on the other side of your trades, and they don’t allow scalping, there is an issue. After all, the broker should get paid the spread between the bid and the ask, and that should be as far as their concerns lay.
| Top Brokers | Minimum Deposit | Max Leverage | Regulations | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
$100 | 1:400 | MiFID | VISIT BROKER |
 |
$50 | 1:200 | IFSC | VISIT BROKER |
|
$100 | 1:30 | ASIC, CySEC, FCA, FSB, ISA, MAS | VISIT BROKER |
However, there are some liquidity providers that discourage this. Liquidity providers are best thought of as exchanges where the deals actually take place. The broker, assuming they aren’t a market maker, simply pass your order through to these exchanges in order to allow trading. While scalping was once very difficult, the speed of online trading has made it feasible for many traders.
Let’s check out some of the top-rated forex scalping brokers on the market today!
Compare the Top Broker for Forex Scalping in 2021
Here’s a list of the best forex brokers for scalping that you can quickly use to take advantage of the market.
FXTM
FTXM, often called Forex Time, is a brokerage that hails from Cyprus. They have offices in the UK and Mauritius as well. They offer Forex trading, precious metals, energy, shares, and indices with the CFD markets. Interestingly, they also give you the ability to own shares of your investment just like a standard stockbroker.
FTXM is regulated in many different countries and also uses the Metatrader platform. Forex Time is one of the fastest growing brokers currently, and also has the added benefit of being regulated by multiple countries.
Account Stats
Leverage: If you are looking for a high leverage forex broker, FTXM will be great for you. FTXM offers leverage as high as 1:1000 in certain Forex pairs. Obviously, this rate changes depending on the CFD market, so make sure to check on any particular instrument you want to trade.
Disclaimer about leverage: Leverage is offered based on your knowledge and experience. The Leverage / Margin requirements may be subject to change as a result of applicable regulations in your country of residence. Maximum leverage: Flexible leverage
Minimum deposits allowed: You can open an FXTM account with as little as $10. However, depending on what kind of account you desire, they could require a minimum deposit from $500 to $25,000 for the top of the line accounts.
Regulations:
- FSC (Mauritius)
- CySEC (Cyprus)
- FCA (UK)
- FSP (South Africa)
Payment options: FXTM allows payments via Credit Card, Western Union, WebMoney, Neteller, Skrill, and bank transfers.
Please note that the list of the methods above depend on the FXTM entity and on the Clients Country of Residence.
US Customers: No, FXTM is not regulated in the US.
Pros
- Metatrader platform
- Large amounts of assets available
- Very high leverage
- Regulated by many jurisdictions
Cons
- No US traders allowed
- CFD markets are limited compared to different brokers
Bottom Line
FXTM, or “Forex Time” has been a reliable broker for many clients around the world. The broker has won many awards and has taken the necessary step to ensure regulatory oversight in multiple jurisdictions. This should give traders a bit of comfort, and the history and growth also shows that a lot of people have come before you.
The leverage that they offer is generous, going as high as 1:1000 for FX markets. However, there are a lot of different levels of leverage when it comes to the CFD markets, and therefore we encourage you to make sure that the leverage offered for markets you are interested in suit your needs. FXTM is a good choice for most traders.
Activtrades
Activtrades is a forex broker in London that is highly regulated. Opening in 2001, the broker allows access to the futures markets, CFD markets, Forex markets, spread betting, and so much more. In fact, this is an excellent place to find plenty of opportunities around the world to diversify your portfolio. Furthermore, it also allows you to focus on correlated and non-correlated assets.
The broker uses the Meta Trader and its own proprietary trading platform called ActivTrader. The brokerage firm also allows different types of accounts, including a professional account which has lower spreads but charges commissions. They are known for a large amount of educational materials as well.
Account Stats
Leverage: The leverage available at Activtrades is as high as 1:30 in the Forex markets, due to the fact that it is based in the United Kingdom. This is lower than many other brokerages, but quite frankly responsibility comes into play as well.
Minimum deposits allowed: Activtrades allows traders to start their accounts with just $500, which is a reasonable minimum considering all of the different markets that they offer, further backed by webinars and other educational materials.
Regulations:
- FCA (UK)
- SCB (Bahamas)
Payment options: Titan FX allows Credit Card, bank wire, Skrill, and Neteller.
US Customers: No, they are not regulated to do business with American clients.
Pros
- Metatrader ecosystem as well as web-based platform
- Excellent proprietary platform
- Plenty of markets to trade
- Strong educational area
Cons
- Cannot accept US clients
Bottom Line
Activtrades is a strong candidate for your business even if you are a forex trading beginner. However, most scalpers prefer the higher leverage that some others will offer. This is a bit of a misnomer though, because you also have the ability to trade futures markets here, which offer plenty of leverage, but it comes down to the trader and their markets of choice. All things being equal, this is still a strong player that we could recommend, but again – it comes down to a lack of leverage which helps scalping in the currency markets pay off.
HotForex
HotForex was started in 2010 in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. HF Markets Group, the parent company, for several different platforms has a head office in Cyprus, although the original office was in Kingston, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. HotForex offers bonds, commodities, crypto, indices, and Forex by CFD markets. They are not on the other side of your trades, as they employ a “pass through model” of facilitating trades.
They aren’t your typical Caribbean brokerage firm, as they are also regulated in several other markets. This allows the trader to feel much better about trading with them, and they now have a decade and more of experience dealing with these turbulent markets. Safety is paramount.
Account Stats
Leverage: HotForex offers as much as 1:1000 leverage on currency pairs. This is extraordinarily high as brokers go and can be dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing. Leverage is lower on other CFD markets, so make sure to check for your favorite markets.
Minimum deposits allowed: HotForex allows you to open an account with as little as $5, allowing traders to experiment with live money, but not risking anything substantial.
Regulations:
- FCA (UK)
- CySEC (Cyprus)
- FSA (Seychelles)
- DFSA (Dubai)
- MiFID (EU)
- FSC (British Virgin Islands)
Payment options: HotForex allows Credit Cards, Maestro, FasaPay, Bank wire, Ideal, Crypto, Webmoney, Neteller, Skrill, Sofort, as well as many others.
US Customers: No, they are not regulated to do business with American clients.
Pros
- Higher leverage than other brokers
- Massive number of instruments to trade
- Metatrader MT4 ecosystem
- Plenty of payment options
Cons
- Doesn’t accept US clients
- Spreads bigger than other brokers in the markets
- Research and education is lacking
Bottom Line
HotForex has over 10 years of experience and has hosted thousands of traders over the years. Unfortunately for HotForex, some may dismiss them for being from the Caribbean. However, they are highly regulated around the world, and therefore this shouldn’t be a concern. The leverage is high, so those looking to scalp the markets may find a home here.
Markets.com
Markets.com was founded in 2008 and based out of Nicosia, Cyprus. They offer cryptos with the CFD markets, stocks, Forex, indices, commodities, and bonds. They’ve helped thousands of traders and have become one of the larger brokers out there. It is a publicly traded company as well, so that of course helps with reliability and honesty.
They are regulated in multiple jurisdictions, which of course is a huge benefit to trading with this broker, which of course is something that you should demand out of any brokerage you are dealing with. They offer the MT4 and MT5 platforms, as do most other brokers. They also have a proprietary platform called MarketsX, which is backed by Tradingview technology.
Account Stats
Leverage: The leverage available at markets.com is as high as 1:300, at least in the Forex markets. Obviously, the leverage in other markets will be a bit less, as one would expect. That said, it is still plenty of leverage to use and you should always keep in mind that leverage is a bit of a “double edged sword.”
Minimum deposits allowed: Markets.com allows people to open a new account with only $100, making it affordable and reachable by the average trader. Obviously, be aware that the positions you take need to have enough margin in the account to facilitate operations.
Regulations:
- CySEC (Cyprus)
- FCA (UK)
- FSCA (South Africa)
- ASIC (Australia)
Payment options: Markets.com allows PayPal, Credit Cards, bank wire, Skrill, Neteller, and Sofort.
US Customers: No, they are not regulated to do business with American clients.
Pros
- Nice proprietary platform
- Tons of instruments to trade
- Metatrader MT4 & MT5
Cons
- Doesn’t allow US clients
- Lower leverage compared with some others
Bottom Line
The bottom line for trading with Markets.com is that it is a well-respected broker trusted by 1,000s of traders. Being highly regulated in many jurisdictions is one of the most important things to look for when it comes to safety of funds, and markets.com certainly fills that need.
The proprietary platform is very strong as it is backed by tradingview.com technology. They offer a significant amount of markets the trade and have a reasonable amount of ways to fund the account. Ultimately, Markets.com is one of the largest brokerages that people will use outside of the US. It’s certainly a very important brokerage firm for many people around the world. They also have a great education and research department, so traders of all levels will find it a comfortable place to be.
OctaFX
OctaFX is a forex broker founded in 2011 in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. They offer metals, Forex, indices, and cryptos with the CFD markets. They are regulated outside of the Caribbean though, so this helps the trader feel a bit more secure. The broker uses the Metatrader ecosystem, and therefore should mean that trading there should feel “familiar” to most traders. They also offer the cTrader platform, an online platform that allows algo trading and programming.
There are a whole host of trading accounts you can choose from, including Micro, ECN, Pro, and Sharia. They also offer copy trading and several bonus promotions during various times. Because of this, you should check the availability of these offers.
Account Stats
Leverage: The leverage available at OctaFX can be as high as 1:500 in the Forex markets. The leverage in other markets will be a bit less, as is the industry standard. The leverage at OctaFX is typical for a lot of “offshore” brokers, and this is similar to a lot of the other brokers that we have reviewed.
Minimum deposits allowed: OctaFX lets you open an account for $5, meaning that just about anyone can try this broker. You should keep in mind that the positions you take need to have enough margin in the account to put the trade on.
Regulations:
- CySEC (Cyprus)
Payment options: OctaFX allows credit cards, bank wire, Skrill, Neteller, as well as many regional vendors.
US Customers: No, they are not regulated to do business with American clients.
Pros
- Metatrader MT4 and cTrader
- Instrument choices are varied
- Great education and research resources
Cons
- Cannot accept US clients
Bottom Line
OctaFX is a growing company that should be thought of as an alternative for your trading needs. The spreads are typical, as is the leverage offered at OctaFX. The platforms available are well-known, including both Metatrader and cTrader. The markets available are wide, and this allows you the ability to mitigate risks, and allows the diversity that a lot of the world is looking for. As everything gets interconnected in the markets, this is paramount for your success.
OctaFX is a solid choice for most traders, but those looking to scalp the markets may or may not wish for more leverage in some markets. The ability to use cTrader for algo trading is something that should be explored if you are looking for scalping opportunities.
Equiti Capital
Equiti Capital is a Jordanian based broker that offers Forex, indices, commodities, and shares via the CFD markets. A relatively young broker, opening in 2013 with a headquarters in Amman. The broker is rapidly branching out beyond the Middle East and is even starting to reach into the EU and UK as it is regulated by the FCA in London.
Equiti uses the Metatrader ecosystem, specifically version 4. They also have a web trader version that looks a lot like it is backed by Tradingview, so it should feel relatively familiar for a lot of traders out there.
Account Stats
Leverage: The leverage available at Equiti can be as high as 1:500 in the Forex markets, but know that they are only allowed to offer 1:30 in some jurisdictions. The leverage in other markets will be a bit less, as is the industry standard.
Minimum deposits allowed: Equiti allows traders to start an account with $500, which makes it a bit more expensive than some of the other brokers, but ultimately the serious trader will need at least that they even get started. As far as some type of ability to test out the broker, they of course offer demo accounts.
Regulations:
- JSC (Jordon)
- FCA (UK)
- DMCC (Dubai)
- SCA (Dubai)
Payment options: Equiti allows Skrill, and Neteller, credit cards, bank wire.
US Customers: No, they are not regulated to do business with American clients.
Pros
- Metatrader ecosystem as well as web-based platform
- Instrument choices are varied
Cons
- Cannot accept US clients
- No real education and research
- Charge withdrawal fees
Bottom Line
Equiti is a young company out of Jordan that a lot of people are starting to pay attention to. That being said, there are a few things that will irk traders. The initial thing is of course that there are fees to withdraw your own money, unless you use credit or debit cards. Ultimately, it’s a decent broker but even though they have a varied amount of choices to trade as far as markets are concerned, they still don’t have as many as some of the others that we have reviewed here. While this isn’t necessarily a dismissal of Equiti, there’s a good chance that you will find a more attractive offer somewhere else.
Titan FX
Titan FX was based in New Zealand, and offers Forex, metals, and commodity CFD markets. They offer not only retail clients access to these markets, but also institutional clients. They offer over 70 currency pairs, as well as some of the world’s largest stock market indices.
Titan FX offers the Metatrader ecosystem as do many other brokerages around the world. This means that you can trade in a very comfortable and familiar environment, thereby skipping a lot of the learning curve. What is very interesting about Titan FX is that even though it is originally based in New Zealand, they have since open up offices in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. What’s even more concerning is that they are not able to offer accounts to residents of New Zealand, the very country that they started out in.
Account Stats
Leverage: The leverage available at Titan FX is as high as 1:500 in the Forex markets which is relatively high, but the leverage in some of the other markets that they offer will be a bit lower.
Minimum deposits allowed: Titan FX lets traders start their accounts with only $200, which is a reasonable minimum deposit to get involved in trading. They also offer a demo account as well.
Regulations:
- VFSC (Vanuatu)
Payment options: Titan FX allows Credit Card, bank wire, Skrill, and Neteller.
US Customers: No, they are not regulated to do business with American clients.
Pros
- Metatrader platform as well as web-based platform
Cons
- Cannot accept US clients
- Only regulated in Vanuatu
Bottom Line
While Titan FX does offer reasonably high leverage and access to the currency markets with the Metatrader ecosystem, the reality is that it is regulated in Vanuatu, which is a huge red flag. The fact that they initially got set up in New Zealand and can even sell to people in that country, is another huge red flag. Quite frankly, there’s absolutely no reason to waste your time with this brokerage.
Common Forex Broker Scalping Questions
Here is a list of the most common questions traders have about scalping with a forex broker.
What is Forex Scalping?
Scalping in the Forex market is the same as it is in any other marketplace, simply jumping in and out in a very quick manner. This can be either minutes or seconds, and the idea is that traders are simply trying to pick up little bits and pieces of profit without exposing themselves to the market very long. This can be as little as one pip gains for those who are quick. It does take a certain amount of concentration and mental strength to do, which is why a lot of scalpers will use automated strategies.
Does Pepperstone Allow Scalping?
Yes, Pepperstone does. There are a couple of different accounts that you can use at that broker though, with the Razor account being the better of the two because it is a commission based and thin spread that scalping traders can take advantage of.
Is Forex Scalping Profitable?
It can be, but only for the truly agile. Scalping isn’t the easiest thing to do in the world, and most traders lack the discipling necessary to get out of a trade when it goes against them quick enough to make the idea of scalping 2 pips work out. After all, the scalper runs the serious risk of having one trade go against them and take the profits of several others. This is because many scalpers will have asymmetric risk in their trading. Trying to get a pip or two while quite often risking 10 will never work out longer-term. This is why a lot of scalpers will actually use automated strategies.