We found 11 online brokers that are appropriate for Trading Ecn.
ECN trading brokers are unlike market maker brokers in the sense that they tend to charge higher minimum deposits compared to regular Forex accounts.
However, they do offer some considerable advantages to traders. Some of the best ECN brokers are equipped with the ability to get lower spreads and to carry out scalping.
With such attractive options offered by ECN brokers, it can sometimes be tough to choose one of the best. It has also recently become a trend that several traditional brokers are offering the same accounts. This has further complicated the decision-making process.
Despite this, we will try to make decision-making easy here, even though it can be tricky to figure out who the real ECN brokers are.
So, how can one tell who the real ECN broker is? In simple terms, an ECN broker plugs the orders of investors into a network that matches a matching order automatically from either a liquidity provider or another client.
ECN brokers are the types that utilize the electronic communication network, that is where the name ECN foreign exchange (or Forex) market comes from.
Many forex brokers have stepped into this new system and are also known as STP brokers, which means straight-through processing. Also referred to as non-dealing desk brokers or NDD brokers.
ECN Forex brokers function through a computerized system to match the trade orders of customers electronically. Suppose a customer is looking to sell 1 lot of EUR/USD at a 1.2000 price tag and another customer is looking to buy a lot with the same parameter, the computerized system of the broker matches the two orders. The broker makes a profit from the commission charged on each trade.
The ECN brokers observe the price quotes from several liquidity providers and offer the same to customers at a spread, which is the difference between the buy price and sell price, which is measured in pips.
The spreads offered by ECN brokers are comparatively lower than those offered by traditional brokers. However, it is also important to understand that the real spread is a combination of both spread and commission charged.
With ECN brokers the ECN system does the work of matching participants electronically.
ECN Forex brokers trade as per the requests of clients and not against them for a fixed commission based on the number of transactions. Usually, the fee is less compared to non-ECN Forex trading.
Essentially, ECN FX brokers offer assistance with ECN trading on a network typically used by multiple Forex traders.
When starting their trading journey, many traders ask what an ECN is. Who are the best ECN brokers? ECN is not rocket science, but simply an electronic system network that facilitates buyers and sellers to meet and execute trades.
The ECN is designed to match buyers and sellers that can trade and transact. If the match is not met, the network reflects the highest and lowest bids that are listed on it.
An ECN is an automated matching machine meant for matching market buy and sell orders. For instance, if a buyer enters an order for 20 shares of Apple stock into one of these machines, they pair that request with either one seller (or more than one) who is offering Apple shares.
If it turns out that there are zero sellers available to entertain the buyer’s request, the buy order is then marked as an “open” quote in the automated order book.
ECNs help traders evade third parties like brokers. This way, they can trade directly with one another.
This is different when compared to the conventional trading system where market makers directly trade with clients, controlling the opposite side of trades and obtaining their profits from the bid-and-offer spread.
In this conventional trading system, rather than purchasing 20 Apple shares from someone who offers 20 Apple shares, you would be buying 20 Apple shares from the company’s market maker.
Following are the advantages of using ECNs:
The main benefit of ECN is that the broker earns through a spread and not through commission on each trade. This means there would be no earnings if the client makes a loss. This also means that conflicts between clients and ECN brokers would be negligible.
The primary benefit of ECN forex is that traders can trade beyond the traditional trading hours. The availability here is comparatively wider and the price feed has transparency too. All the ECN Forex brokers access the same feed and so they trade at the defined price.
Price manipulation is not possible with ECN brokers as recent price history is made available. No trader enjoys a built-in advantage over other traders on ECN.
What sets ECN apart from market making brokers is that it promises transparency. All the members in the system have direct access to data on the available prices and trading orders.
ECN trading platforms also offer price history and that makes it a lot easier to analyze market trends. It also rules out the likeliness of price manipulation.
Traders are often open books when they are carrying out regular foreign exchange trading. Nonetheless, discretion and privacy are highly crucial when a trader chooses to go with an ENC broker.
The confidentiality and secrecy they offer have to be associated with the fact that the broker would merely be serving as a mediator in the market rather than a market maker.
The way ECN brokers work allows all the possible chances to trade in a global liquidity pool of controlled, sustainable, and reputable financial corporations.
In addition to that, because of how connected data is communicated, transparency is also one of the most prominent benefits of working with ECN brokers.
Since all ECN brokers can gain access to the same market data, transparency of essential market prices from several liquidity providers is ensured.
Traders are offered unrestricted access to market prices via an ECN broker paired with a dedicated account.
Considering the prices constantly change upon supply and demand, volatility, and other possible market environments, one can choose to trade on extremely low bid-and-offer spreads, granted they choose the right ECN broker to do so.
Despite offering considerable freedom and flexibility, using ECNs comes with its disadvantages as well.
Something to be aware of when trading ECN forex is pre-trade-based commissions may be higher. The commission fees to use ECN forex are higher compared to non-ECN trading.
If the commissions are factored in the spreads, the overall cost of smaller traders becomes high compared to the charges of market maker brokers.
The spreads are unpredictable and are based on market behaviour. Spreads tend to be high with thin liquidity. Apart from all of this, some ECN brokers avoid offering trades in micro-lots.
There are times when the markets may indulge in dishonest practices. The way this type of account functions enables every partaker to be their market maker.
This ends up promoting dishonesty in the entire market. The chances of dishonest people introducing high-volume trades also grow. Some may also deceive others into thinking of them as ECN brokers when in reality, they are not.
Keeping in mind the advantages and disadvantages of using ECNs, it may be confusing for traders what decision to go with.
In general, the best ECN Forex brokers are seen as a better option compared to conventional Forex brokers. This is because they offer a clearer match between buyers and sellers.
The main caution should be for traders using the same ECN, however. If one trader always routes their trades via the same ECN, it is advised for them to track market fragmentation as it may lead to the ECN’s prices deviating from the ones offered in the wider market.
Understanding what market makers are is quite simple. Market makers are brokers that, as their name suggests, “make” markets by controlling the bid and asking prices through their systems. After that, they show these prices through their platforms, allowing investors to open as well as close trading positions.
Under normal circumstances, market makers will not hedge their customer positions with other disparate liquidity providers; this is a widespread practice among ECN brokers. On the contrary, what market makers usually do is that they pay client positions that are winning through their accounts. also, whenever a trader acquires a winning trading position, a market maker loses.
An ECN (or Electronic Communication Network) broker offers its traders access to other participants in the market through interbank trading prices. This enables buyers and sellers in the exchange to seek a counteragent of their trading positions.
Through the use of varying liquidity providers, ECN brokers can enable prices from these providers to compete against one another in the same auction.
This usually means that traders can acquire competent prices and a cheaper trading environment. Furthermore, by using ECN brokers, traders get to trade in a more transparent and productive environment.
Normally, an ECN broker gets its earnings via the trading volume of its customers by charging a commission on every position offered.
The first factor to consider is where one is residing and the second one is trade size. Other factors include what one wants to trade and what the frequency of the trades would be as the cost is affected accordingly.
It is important to know one's trading style while choosing the best ECN forex broker. Moreover, it is always suggested to read the small print as sometimes the low spread turns out to mean a higher commission rate.
The three essential elements to consider are the deposit money, the type of instrument, and how often to trade.
It is suggested to opt for such ECN brokers who are from the same country, or who speak the same language even if they are from a neighbouring country. Moreover, the ECN brokers should be under a similar legal system to that of one's own country.
The legal framework for the United States ECN brokers is different from that of the United Kingdom ECN brokers. Each country has its legal system and this may differ from that of some other countries.
Lately, ECN Forex brokers are gaining popularity and their number is increasing by at least two-fold year after year.
It is important to know whether the ECN forex brokers you decide to trade with can meet minimum industry standards. Check your ECN brokers have a presence in your country. You and your ECN broker should be governed by the same legal system.
If you are in the UK, it is suggested to look for ECN brokers who have a presence there. Same if you are based in South Africa, United Emirates, or anywhere else in the world.
Regulation and safety are two other factors to consider when choosing one of the best ECN brokers. Sometimes these two factors land up being big issues. Protection to deposit is important. Most countries protect a certain level of investment, such as up to GBP 75,000 in the UK.
The cost of trading is another factor to consider. It is important to save money from fees, commissions, spreads, and other charges. Hence, it is suggested to first open a demo account to get a better understanding of spreads before investing money.
The trading platform plays a key role, and it is important to consider this while choosing your ECN broker. The platform needs to be easy to use, pleasant, and intuitive. The platforms should also execute the work smoothly.
Look for the regulation under which your broker is governed to check how safe your deposit is. Even for small investors, this is important.
Check the trading fees and commissions and check whether you are allowed to start with a demo account.
Note that all the best ECN brokers are obligated to hold FCA licenses. When trading with a fully regulated ECN broker, you can be certain that you are going to be shielded by several security measures previously established by UK or EU laws.
There are numerous Forex brokerage companies in operation globally, and a lot of them are not regulated by any executive authority. Some unregulated brokers even call themselves ECN brokers when in actuality they are dealing desk brokers.
The best way to ensure that a Forex broker is an ECN broker is to check if they are regulated by a reputable financial authority. Regulated brokerage companies always have proper information about their regulated status on their websites.
One more way to make sure you are in contact with an authorized, legitimate ECN broker is that they do not constantly present requotes to their clients. Requotes happen as a result of the slower execution at the hands of dealing desk brokers.
You may enter an order to buy or sell at the current market price, but rather than having your order filled promptly, you could be presented with a requote at a different market price.
The execution order delays resulting from requotes may cost traders a significant amount of money, or in a fast-moving market, hinder them from executing a trade at all.
The real ECN Forex brokers will readily offer ECN-type accounts and put your orders into the electronic network to match with another trader.
Ask the ECN brokers about liquidity providers and this should always be a tier-one bank.
There are numerous ways to determine if the broker you are looking at is a true ECN broker. The first step is to monitor the spreads provided by the broker. A majority of ECN brokers provide variably low spreads. Secondly, it is also advisable to check the customer agreement of a broker o check if they define their services as ECN. Lastly, the most ideal way to find out if the broker is a true ECN broker is to determine if it allows negative slippage. If the broker allows that, it is likely that the broker is not an ECN broker.
ECN brokers carry out their trades via the ECN for prospective investors. Due to the way ECNs operate, trading through such kinds of brokers also leads to lowered costs and extra (and flexible) trading time.
ECN brokers do not transfer the inflow of orders to market makers. Instead, they automatically match the market participants in trade and move the orders to mediators present in the securities markets.
ECN brokers are not allowed to trade against their clients because that ends up matching transactions among other participants in the market. Because ECN spreads are a lot smaller compared to the ones used by regular brokers, ECN brokers charge their clients a predetermined commission per transaction.
In terms of what the difference between ECN and standard account is, one of the main differences is that a standard account normally has a fixed spread. In whatever trading position, a standard account broker plays the role of the counterparty a majority of the time. In contrast, an ECN account broker offers clients liquidity through a network. Put simply, it means that there are different bids and offers available for traders since the spread between the bid and ask price is normally tighter. The most significant comparisons between standard accounts and an ECN accounts are as follows:
The main characteristics of ECN accounts are as follows:
The main characteristics of standard accounts are as follows:
Deposit and withdrawal methods usually vary for every broker. Different brokers may offer different options, i.e., electronic payments, credit cards, debit cards, and/or wire transfers. Some ECN brokers UK define maximum and minimum deposit and withdrawal accounts. They may charge fees based on the methods their customers may choose and the process can either be quick or take a few working days. However, withdrawals should not take more than three business days unless something unusual happens.
A lot of brokers enforce minimum and maximum accounts on funding and withdrawals. Most commonly, minimums correlate to deposits, and maximums are linked to withdrawals.
For instance, some of the best Forex ECN brokers accept deposits that are 100 USD at minimum or the equivalent. They enforce maximum limits on deposits via certain payment options based on anti-money laundering guidelines. In the case of withdrawals, many top ECN brokers do not set maximum limits, granted there are enough funds available in the user’s account.
ECN brokers are perfect for scalpers because they rely on minute market movements. Scalpers need to get in and exit the market immediately, and ECN’s rapid execution offers a great advantage. Aside from that, the tight spreads are also essential, together with the stability deep liquidity can offer.
Therefore, ECN accounts offer all the main components a scalper will seek out and need if they aim to operate favourably. Yet another crucial requirement for scalpers to be able to make use of small markets is the accessibility of trading with high leverage brokers. Normally, a leverage amount that is anywhere between 10 to 1 and 20 to 1 is sufficient to balance reward and risk for many individuals.
Acquiring leverage in the UK and Europe under ASIC, FCA, and ESMA rules, brokers can provide peak leverage of 30 to 1 on the main Forex pairs. However, this amount can increase for traders trading outside these areas. For instance, in regions like South Africa, regulated brokers can offer their customers leverage of 400 to 1 on all main Forex pairs.
ECN liquidity providers are known to provide prices to brokers, which can then be offered to traders. ECN Forex brokers usually select the best prices from their liquidity providers to supply in their ECN. It is not unusual for the best ECN brokers to have several multiple liquidity providers. It lets them have a raised liquidity level, and that in turn offers the lowest yet consistent pricing on the Forex market to their clients.
Overall, it can be said that ECN trading depends not only on brokers to offer a stellar experience but also on the offerings and performance of every liquidity provider.
In this article titled ECN brokers, we discussed what an ECN broker is and what to consider when choosing such a broker. It is always important to read the fine print and understand the hidden costs before opening an account. The suggestion is particularly significant to beginners and those who have low-risk attitudes.
Also keep in mind that licensed brokers should follow strict rules when the security of a trader’s funds is at stake. Considering this, if your broker is fully regulated by one or several regulatory bodies know that your funds will be safe.
We have conducted extensive research and analysis on over multiple data points on Ecn Brokers to present you with a comprehensive guide that can help you find the most suitable Ecn Brokers. Below is a list of what we consider to be the best ecn brokers after careful consideration and evaluation. We hope this list will assist you in making an informed decision when researching Ecn Brokers.
There are a number of important factors to consider when picking an online Ecn trading brokerage.
Our team have listed brokers that match your criteria for you below. All brokerage data has been summarised into a comparison table. Scroll down.
We compare these features to make it easier for you to make a more informed choice.
Here are the top Ecn Brokers.
Compare Ecn Brokers min deposits, regulation, headquarters, benefits, funding methods and fees side by side.
All brokers below are ecn brokers. Learn more about what they offer below.
You can scroll left and right on the comparison table below to see more ecn brokers that accept ecn clients
Broker |
Roboforex
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Pepperstone
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NordFX
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Admiral
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Axitrader
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forexmart
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Eightcap
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phoenixmarkets
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ezinvest
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FXPrimus
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IB
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Regulation | Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) | Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin), Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), Capital Markets Authority of Kenya (CMA), Pepperstone Markets Limited is incorporated in The Bahamas (number 177174 B), Licensed by the Securities Commission of the Bahamas (SCB) number SIA-F217 | Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), License No: 209/13, VFSC registration number 15008 | Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) | Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) | Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) | Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) | Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) | Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) | Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), Markets In Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID) | Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) |
Min Deposit | 1 | 200 | 1 | 200 | No minimum deposit | 1 | 100 | 500 | 500 | 100 | 10000 |
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Used By | 1,000,000+ | 400,000+ | 10,000+ | 10,000+ | 10,000+ | 10,000+ | 10,000+ | 10,000+ | 10,000+ | 10,000+ | 10,000+ |
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Platforms | MT4, MT5, Mac, Web Trader, cTrader, Tablet & Mobile apps | MT4, MT5, TradingView, DupliTrade, myFXbook, Mac, Web Trader, cTrader, Tablet & Mobile apps | MT4, MT5, Tablet & Mobile apps | MT4, MT5, Mac, Web Trader, Tablet & Mobile apps | MT4, Mac, ZuluTrade, Web Trader, Tablet & Mobile apps | MT4,WEB,desktop | MT4, Tablet & Mobile apps | MT4,mac,Android.iPhone/iPad | MT4,mac,Android.iPhone/iPad | MT4, Mac, Mirror Trader, Web Trader, Tablet & Mobile apps | Web Trader, NinjaTrader, Tablet & Mobile apps |
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Learn More |
Sign
Up with roboforex |
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Up with pepperstone |
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Up with nordfx |
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Up with admiralmarkets |
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Up with axitrader |
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Up with forexmart |
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Up with eightcap |
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Up with phoenixmarkets |
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Up with ezinvest |
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Up with fxprimus |
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Up with interactivebrokers |
Risk Warning | Losses can exceed deposits | 74-89 % of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs | Losses can exceed deposits | Losses can exceed deposits | Losses can exceed deposits | Your capital is at risk | Losses can exceed deposits | Your capital is at risk | Your capital is at risk | Losses can exceed deposits | Losses can exceed deposits |
Demo |
Roboforex Demo |
Pepperstone Demo |
NordFX Demo |
Admiral Markets Demo |
Axitrader Demo |
ForexMart Demo |
Eightcap Demo |
Phoenix Markets Demo |
EZINVEST Demo |
FXPrimus Demo |
Interactive Brokers Demo |
Excluded Countries | US, JP, IR, RU | AF, AS, AQ, AR, AM, AZ, BY, BE, BZ, BT, BA, BI, CM, CA, CF, TD, CG, CI, ER, GF, PF, GP, GU, GN, GW, GY, HT, VA, IR, IQ, JP, KZ, LB, LR, LY, ML, MQ, YT, MZ, MM, NZ, NI, KP, PS, PR, RE, KN, LC, VC, WS, SO, GS, KR, SS, SD, SR, SY, TJ, TN, TM, TC, US, UY, VU, VG, EH, YE, ZW | US, CA, EU, RU, SY, KP, CU | US, CA, JP, SG, MY, JM, IR, TR | US, JP | RU | US | BE, CA, IR, JP, KP, US, BA, ET, IQ, UG, VU, YE, AF, LA, TR, SY, IL | BE, CA, IR, JP, KP, US, BA, ET, IQ, UG, VU, YE, AF, LA, TR, SY, IL | AF, CI, CU, IQ, IR, LY, MM, KR, SD, PR, US, AU, SY, DZ, JP, EC. | US |
You can compare Ecn Brokers ratings, min deposits what the the broker offers, funding methods, platforms, spread types, customer support options, regulation and account types side by side.
We also have an indepth Top Ecn Brokers for 2023 article further below. You can see it now by clicking here
We have listed top Ecn brokers below.