How does FXStreet review and score brokers?

At FXStreet, we strive to offer an honest and impartial assessment of brokers you may be considering. Our reviews combine in-depth research with hands-on testing, reflecting the real-world experience of opening and using a brokerage account.

We understand that every trader has different needs, so rather than assign a single overall score, we break down our reviews across six categories.

Each of these is scored individually based on how well the broker performs in relevant subcategories.

While brokers do pay to be reviewed, our analysts and writers work with full editorial independence. FXStreet has always taken the trader's side, and principles of accuracy, transparency, and objectivity guide our content. Our goal is to save you time and potential frustration by helping you find a broker that aligns with your needs before you commit your funds.

Account Conditions

We assess the cost, flexibility, and ease of setting up and funding an account. The less friction involved, the higher the score. Key criteria include:

Account Types & Minimum Deposit: Brokers offering multiple account types, including Islamic and demo accounts, with low or no minimum deposits score higher. Limited account types or high deposit requirements reduce the score.
Costs & Fees: Transparent brokers with low spreads, commissions, and swap rates, as well as minimal non-trading fees (inactivity, deposit, withdrawal) earn top marks. Higher or hidden costs lower the rating.
Bonuses & Promotions: Points are awarded for accessible welcome offers, loyalty schemes, and achievable referral programs. A lack of promotions or unachievable terms will reduce scores.
Depositing & Withdrawing Ease: Brokers that offer fast, diverse, low-cost funding and withdrawal methods in multiple currencies rate higher. Delays, restrictions, high fees, or limited options result in a lower score.

Points are allocated depending on the breadth, speed, accessibility, and affordability of the broker's offering.

Trading Settings

We review the broker's trading environment, flexibility, and execution performance:

Asset & Instrument Variety: A broader range of tradable markets (e.g., FX, indices, commodities, crypto, CFDs, futures, ETFs) and instruments available within them earn more points. A limited offering will reduce the score.
Leverage: High but responsibly managed leverage, adjusted for regulatory regions, is rewarded. Minimal or no leverage options score lower.
Execution Quality: We perform real account testing across multiple asset classes to evaluate how a broker handles trade execution in real conditions. This includes a detailed assessment of transparency, order types, execution speed, and performance.

We test for slippage, order rejections, and spread consistency. Brokers using transparent ECN or DMA models with a wide range of advanced order types, such as trailing stops or bracket orders, are rated more favorably.

We also examine whether trades are filled promptly and at the expected prices, particularly during high-volume sessions. Those that experience delays, poor fill accuracy, frequent requotes, or widening spreads during stable market conditions will see their scores impacted accordingly.

This scoring is entirely experimental and based on actual trading experience.
Trading Conditions: Brokers that allow hedging, scalping, and algorithmic trading earn additional points. Restrictions on these features may result in a lower score.

Scores are determined based on range, flexibility, and real-time test performance.

Tools & Resources

We assess how well a broker supports a trader's journey with platforms, tools, and education:

Trading Platforms: MT4/5, cTrader, TradingView, and in-house platforms are scored on customization, speed, and usability. Outdated or clunky platforms with limited features receive lower scores.
Copy Trading & PAMM/MAM: Tools that support copy trading and capital management, such as PAMM or MAM accounts, are evaluated based on their integration and management capabilities. Brokers offering proprietary or in-house solutions receive higher scores due to greater oversight and control of performance and risk.

Third-party integrations, while still valuable, typically score lower because the broker has limited influence over the quality of fund management. Brokers without these tools, or with poor integration, are rated lower.
Education: Regular webinars, in-depth tutorials, and comprehensive written guides are all positively rated. Limited, outdated, or low-quality content lowers the score.
Trader Tools: Brokers offering calendars, sentiment indicators, calculators, VPS, and news feeds receive the highest scores. Missing tools or limited functionality result in reduced points.

Points are assigned based on variety, usefulness, and quality of available tools and content.

Trust

This is our most heavily weighted category. We assess regulation, safety, and reputation:

Regulatory Tiers: Regulation is one of the most important signals of trust. We evaluate the quality and number of regulatory licenses a broker holds, placing the most emphasis on Tier 1 regulators such as those in the UK, US, EU, Australia, and Japan.

Brokers licensed by multiple top-tier authorities score highest. Approval from only one major regulator can still be viewed positively, while regulation from emerging market jurisdictions earns moderate recognition. Brokers with minimal or no regulatory oversight receive lower trust scores
Regulatory Alerts: Brokers with no warnings or unresolved issues score higher. Multiple or major unresolved alerts significantly lower scores.
Client Protections: Negative balance protection, segregated funds, and compensation schemes all add points. The absence of these protections results in a lower score.
Reputation: This score reflects FXStreet's editorial opinion, alongside aggregated feedback from respected platforms such as ForexPeaceArmy, Trustpilot, and others. We consider the overall sentiment of user reviews, any unresolved regulatory complaints, and our own experience from the hands-on testing process.

Consistent positive feedback and transparency are rewarded, while poor user experiences or unresolved issues result in a reduced score.
Stability: We assess a broker's long-term operational track record and consistency. Brokers with many years in business and a stable brand identity tend to inspire greater trust. A long history of uninterrupted operations and minimal name changes is viewed positively, as it signals reliability and resilience. Those with multiple name changes in a short period score lower.

Points are allocated based on transparency, credibility, and investor safety.

Customer Support

We evaluate the quality, reach, and responsiveness of the broker's support team:

Languages: Brokers offering multilingual support score higher. Each supported language adds value, especially when handled by fluent human agents rather than automated translations. Higher marks are awarded for support in widely used languages such as English, Spanish, and Arabic as these reflect broader accessibility and global trader reach.
Support Channels: A wider variety of contact methods, including live chat, email, phone, and social media, earns higher scores. Brokers with limited or outdated communication options score lower.
Support Schedule: Brokers offering 24/7 customer support are rated highest. Reduced scores are given when support is limited to business hours or doesn't align with major global trading sessions.
Response Times: We submit real queries and time the responses. Fast replies, particularly within minutes, score highest, while delays of over a day result in lower scores.
Usefulness: The quality of the support matters. Clear, helpful, and accurate responses that resolve the issue earn top marks. Generic, unhelpful, or incorrect answers reduce the score.

Scoring is based on the breadth, accessibility, and effectiveness of customer service.

User Experience

We score how smooth and intuitive the overall experience is:

Website & Navigation: Clean design, fast performance, and well-organized content. Slow or outdated websites reduce the score.
Account Opening: Fast, digital onboarding processes get higher marks. Complicated or manual processes reduce the score.
Platform Interface: A well-structured, customisable platform earns more points. Poorly designed, inflexible platforms score lower.
Mobile App: Apps that mirror the full platform experience are rewarded. Basic, slow, or unstable apps lose marks.

Scores are awarded based on user-friendliness, accessibility, and consistency across devices.

Final Notes

This document provides a mid-level overview of our scoring system, more detailed than a light summary but easier to digest than our full methodology.

Scores are distributed across subcategories based on the strength, accessibility, and quality of the broker's offering.

While higher scores reflect better performance, lower scores typically result from slow processes, poor transparency, limited features, or inconsistent user experience.

Whether you are a beginner or seasoned trader, our goal is to help you choose a broker with confidence backed by unbiased analysis and hands-on insight. While every trader's needs differ, our reviews aim to highlight the strengths and weaknesses across all broker types, giving you clarity, confidence, and control.