5 Best Forex Trading Apps in Europe for 2024

List of Best Forex Trading Apps in Europe

How Did FXEmpire Select the Best Forex Apps in Europe?

• We verified each broker is licensed to provide services in Europe.
• We ensured each broker offers a proprietary or third-party mobile app to access the forex market.
• We checked that the apps are secure, reliable, and have a user-friendly interface.
• We tested each app for its level of customizable features to tailor to individual preferences.
• We explored each app’s different tools and features to check if they aid in trading decisions.
• We checked the app offers account management, trading tickets, and customer support for an all-in-one experience.
• We opened live trading accounts to examine the broker’s trading fees and competitiveness against the industry average.

Our team of experts has identified each broker’s strengths and weaknesses using FX Empire’s comprehensive methodology. Here’s how we test.

Now let’s go through the selected brokers.

How to choose a forex trading app?

Here is a quick guide on how to choose a forex trading app.

How is the broker regulated?

Within the financial markets industry, brokers can be either regulated or unregulated. Trading in the forex market with a regulated broker is crucial. Regulated brokers are required to comply with stringent regulations that govern how your funds are handled and how trades are executed. Failure to adhere to these regulations can result in penalties and the loss of their license.

However, it’s important to note that regulatory standards can vary among regulated brokers. In our evaluations of broker ratings, we classify regulators into three tiers:

• Tier-1 regulators encompass well-established financial authorities such as the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).
• Tier-2 regulators maintain stringent standards but may be less renowned. Examples include the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), and the Financial Markets Authority of New Zealand (FMA).
• Tier-3 regulators, such as the Vanuatu Financial Services Commission (VFSC) and the Securities Commission of the Bahamas (SCB), typically operate from offshore jurisdictions.

Brokers based in Europe must comply with the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) Markets in Financial Instruments Directive MiFID II. It requires brokers to segregate client funds from company funds, provide a negative balance protection to prevent your account from going below zero and participate in a compensation scheme to safeguard client deposits in case of the broker’s insolvency.

For instance, UK FCA-regulated brokers must be part of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), which covers client deposits up to GBP 85,000 in the event of insolvency. CySEC-regulated brokers must be part of the Investor Compensation Fund (ICF), which covers client deposits up to EUR 20,000.

You can verify a broker’s regulatory status and authorizations by reviewing their legal terms and conditions and consulting the regulator’s register in their operational country. It is advisable to stay clear of unregulated brokers. These brokers operate without adherence to strict rules governing fund handling, leaving clients vulnerable. In the unfortunate event of theft, there are limited legal avenues for reclaiming funds.

Check out our guide on Best European regulated forex brokers.

What fees to consider when choosing a broker?

Trading fees are pivotal in determining your overall profitability. Brokers aim to maximize fees, while traders seek to minimize them. When selecting a broker, consider the following fees:

• Spread: The difference between the buy and sell prices. Discover Best zero spread forex brokers.
• Commission: A fee charged for buying or selling.
• Overnight or swap fee: The cost of holding leveraged or margined positions overnight. Find Best low swap fees brokers.
• Payments: Fees related to depositing or withdrawing funds.
• Inactivity: A charge if no trading activity has occurred for a certain number of months.

A reputable broker wants you to know how good their fees are as they want your business. Therefore, if the fee structure is unclear or not readily available on the broker’s website, it should raise concerns and serve as a warning sign against trading with that broker.

Read more about Best low spread forex brokers.

How to choose the best account type?

Based on my experience, brokers typically provide a range of trading accounts. These accounts vary in what they offer. However, the primary difference among these accounts often lies in their trading fees.

Trading accounts are generally divided into two categories: commission-free and commission-based.

• A commission-free account does not charge fees for buying or selling. Instead, most fees are incorporated within the spread, resulting in wider spreads on these accounts.
• A commission-based account entails a fee for buying or selling, granting access to price quotes directly from the interbank market, often leading to narrower spreads.

The selection of a trading account depends on the trader’s individual style. Novice traders may prefer a commission-free account as costs are integrated into the spread, simplifying risk management decisions. Conversely, short-term traders might opt for a commission-based account to capitalize on reduced spreads.

Discover Best STP forex brokers and Best ECN forex brokers.

What is leverage, and how does it work?

Leverage allows traders to control a large position with a small deposit. For instance, with a leverage ratio of 1:30 offered by a broker, traders can manage a position worth $30 using only $1. This means you can oversee a position valued at thirty times the deposit you make.

To ensure a safe trading environment, European regulators cap retail trading leverage for forex pairs at 1:30. However, traders in Europe have the option to open accounts with offshore and unregulated brokers that offer significantly higher leverage, up to 1:3000. Extreme caution is advised when dealing with these brokers.

Check out our list of Best high-leverage forex brokers.

It is important to recognize that leverage can magnify both profits and losses. Your profit or loss is calculated on the total value of the trade, not merely on the margin you’ve contributed. If your account does not have enough capital to cover the trade value, the broker may issue a margin call and automatically close your positions, potentially leading to substantial losses. Hence, careful consideration is necessary when evaluating brokers that provide exceptionally high leverage.

How to choose a suitable trading app?

A trading platform and its corresponding mobile app are your gateway to the world’s financial markets. They should help to facilitate real-time price monitoring, analysis, and trade execution. When choosing a platform, consider the following factors:

• Accessibility: Ensure compatibility across desktop, web, and mobile devices.
• Availability of real-time price data: Verify access to free, real-time price data.
• Integrated tools: Look for built-in drawing tools and technical indicators.
• Educational resources: Seek platforms that offer tutorials to enhance user understanding.
• Customer support: Ensure easy access to customer support services.
• Third-party integrations: Confirm whether the broker allows third-party integrations for added functionality.
• Research: Check for the presence of a dedicated research team providing live market updates directly from the platform or app.

Several widely used forex trading apps include:

• MetaTrader 4 (MT4): A well-known mobile app offering real-time charts with 54 technical analysis indicators and drawing tools, 9 timeframes, and a built-in market news feed. Explore Best MT4 brokers.
• MetaTrader 5 (MT5): An enhanced version of the MT4 app offering the same features, as well as price alerts, multiple chart view options, customizable chart colors, trading level visuals, and market depth (Level 2) data. Discover Best MT5 brokers.
• cTrader: An app tailored for high-frequency traders and scalpers with 65 technical indicators, 10 chart types, 16 drawing tools, price alerts, watchlist, and trade performance statistics. Read more about Best cTrader forex brokers.
• TradingView: A social trading app offering access to global markets including 90 exchanges, advanced drawing tools such as Elliott Waves, highly customizable watchlists, and trading ideas. Check out our picks of Best TradingView forex brokers.
• In-House Proprietary App: Some brokers develop their own unique trading app.

Personally, I prefer trading with a broker that offers a platform accessible across multiple devices. This way, even if I can’t access the web platform, I can still use the mobile app to monitor positions and execute trades.

Check out our list of Best forex platforms in Europe.

What to avoid when choosing a forex trading app?

Here are some things to avoid when selecting a forex trading app:

• Unregulated Brokers: Trading with an unregulated broker carries significant risks. In case of fraudulent activities, there are no safeguards in place to assist in recovering lost or stolen funds.
• Lack of Transparency: Difficulty understanding and verifying a broker’s regulatory status, trading fees, and terms indicates a lack of transparency. A reputable broker prioritizes transparency, ensuring you understand the safety of trading with them and the competitiveness of their fees.
• No Physical Presence: Brokers lacking a physical office and staff in reputable regions raise red flags. Trustworthy brokers typically maintain offices in well-known financial regions and employ a substantial workforce to manage operations and support your trading activities.
• Unrealistic Profit Promises: Brokers making exaggerated and unrealistic promises of significant profits engage in dishonest practices. It’s essential to recognize that all trading involves risks. Any guarantees of profits should be viewed as fraudulent.

How to avoid forex and CFD scams?

Regrettably, the forex and CFD industry is rife with fraudulent schemes. Here are some guidelines to avoid them:

• Trade only with brokers regulated by reputable financial authorities and verify their licenses on the official regulator’s website.
• Verify that the broker operates from a physical office within a jurisdiction governed by robust regulatory standards.
• Ensure access to live customer support for prompt assistance with inquiries or issues.
• Conduct a comprehensive background check by examining online news articles and broker reviews.
• Use only well-known and familiar payment methods for deposits and withdrawals.
• Thoroughly review the broker’s terms and conditions before committing to any agreements.

Our Methodology

At FXEmpire, we use a proprietary rating system to assess brokers. This involves analyzing 250 data points across nine key categories, which include:

• Trustworthiness: We verify the brokers’ authorizations and licenses by the respective country’s regulatory body.
• Fees: We evaluate trading fees by opening live trading accounts and comparing them to the industry average.
• Trading platform and tools: We test the trading platforms to examine the range of features and their user-friendliness.
• Tradable instruments: We identify the number of tradable instruments to ensure a diverse range of asset classes are available.
• Customer support: We engage with the customer support team to test the ease of access, knowledge, and helpfulness.
• Payment methods: We examine the available deposit and withdrawal methods and their associated fees and processing times.
• Account types: We investigate the features and benefits of each account type, including execution method, minimum deposits, and more.
• Research and education: We assess the quality of the broker’s research and educational materials.

For this guide, we conducted a thorough review to ensure each broker we examined is licensed to operate in Europe and provides a proprietary or third-party mobile app for forex market access.

We checked the security, reliability, and user-friendliness of these apps, along with their level of customizable features to cater to individual preferences. We also explored the various tools and features within each app to determine their effectiveness in aiding trading decisions.

Meet Our Writers

The team of forex and CFD writers and editors at FX Empire is composed of trading industry professionals and seasoned financial journalists. Our writers have been published on leading financial websites such as Investopedia and Forbes, and they all have extensive trading experience.

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