Looking for the top forex cent account? After testing 80 brokers this year, our experts have identified the 2 best options tailored to diverse trading needs, complete with practical tips.
Cent accounts, also known as micro accounts, serve as a bridge between demo accounts and standard trading. Designed for beginners, they allow traders to experience real-world conditions with minimal risk, as trades are executed in small sizes worth cents.
With a deposit requirement as low as $1, cent accounts are ideal for testing strategies and fine-tuning parameters without risking significant amounts. These accounts often provide access to all major trading instruments, including forex, commodities, and indices, while maintaining low trade sizes that make them suitable for learning and experimentation.
Our team of experts has identified each broker’s strengths and weaknesses using FXEmpire’s comprehensive methodology. You can read more about it and how we conduct our tests here.
Now let’s dive into the selected brokers.
Founded in 2008, Exness is a global forex and CFD broker providing trading in currencies, cryptocurrencies, stocks, indices, and commodities. Exness shined in our platforms category with its Terminal platform, equipped with cutting-edge TradingView charts and other innovative tools. The Cyprus-based broker is regulated by multiple authorities, including top-tier CySEC and the UK FCA. Retail customers are assigned to entities regulated offshore.
Key Cent Account Features:
The Exness Terminal has a well-designed, intuitive interface and offers popular features like watchlists, 1-click trading, and trading from the chart. The platform also has unique tools like sentiment data, which tells you the percentage of buy and sell orders recently opened by traders.
Exness also offers the popular MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 platforms, which include advanced functions like copy trading and automated trading. Clients can also take advantage of advanced order types like trailing stops. Trading signals from Trading Central are available within the client portal, providing a steady source of ideas.
My tests showed that the Standard Cent account provides competitive spreads, as low as 0.8 pips in EUR/USD. The maximum leverage of 1:2000 is much higher than the industry average. Accounts can be denominated in 45 different base currencies.
Similarly to its European counterpart RoboMarkets, RoboForex ensures multilayered protections and excellent trading conditions. Even though it is licensed by an offshore regulator, RoboForex provides additional safety mechanisms, such as civil liabilities insurance, on its own initiative. In my estimation, RoboForex’s overall safety is one of the best with respect to offshore brokers.
Key Cent Account Features:
RoboForex is a great choice for beginner traders because it has competitive trading fees and excellent research and educational materials. The broker develops its research content in-house, incorporating technical, fundamental, and psychological analyses to deliver comprehensive market insights. Novice traders can also take advantage of its varied educational materials to gain a firm understanding of essential trading concepts.
RoboForex’s ProCent account features commission-free trading and floating spreads from 1.3 pips. With regards to Cent accounts, this offering falls below the industry average. It is suitable for both high-frequency trading in the short-term and longer-term intraday trading. The maximum retail leverage of 1:2000 is another perk for high-frequency trading.
RoboForex also provides access to R StocksTrader, and MetaTrader 4&5. MT4 and its successor are more cumbersome but have easier learning curves and feature a greater number of analytical tools. On the other hand, R StocksTrader is a preferable option for beginner traders looking to delve into technical analysis.
In this part, I will outline what traders need to consider when looking for a trustworthy broker.
There are several steps you can take to verify if a broker is regulated and to identify the regulatory body overseeing it. Upon visiting a broker’s website, scroll down to the bottom of the page to find the entity’s legal name. This is where the regulatory information is usually stated. You need to look for a reference/licensing number, which you can then use to verify the entity by going to the regulator’s own website and checking its registry of authorized entities.
You also need to assess a broker’s transparency in relation to order execution and whether it can be trusted not to manipulate price action. You need to check whether the broker has a ‘best execution policy’, publishes regular quality execution statements, and states its average execution speed.
Check out our comprehensive guide on the Best regulated forex brokers.
To find a trustworthy partner, make sure that the broker’s entity you choose is tightly regulated and complies with most industry safety requirements.
I have broken down the most important safety mechanisms to look for in a broker below:
Check out our dedicated guides on Best CySEC-regulated brokers and Best FCA-regulated brokers.
Cent accounts are ideal for beginners and those looking to refine their trading strategies with minimal risk by placing small-sized trades. Since gains and losses are limited, traders often overlook Cent account fees. However, it’s wise to evaluate the fees of a broker’s other account types to ensure favorable conditions when transitioning to standard accounts.
Brokers typically offer two main account types with different pricing structures: STP accounts, which are commission-free with floating spreads, and ECN accounts, which have fixed commissions and raw spreads starting as low as 0.1 pips. While STP accounts may initially seem more cost-effective, brokers sometimes raise spreads, making them less competitive.
Explore Best STP forex accounts and Best ECN forex accounts.
To compare accounts, you can calculate the total trade cost using a formula: trade value = spread x pip value + commission. For example, with the EURUSD, comparing a 0.9-pip spread on STP to a 0.1-pip spread plus a $6 commission on ECN helps reveal the better option.
Account Type | Spread | Commission | Net Cost |
STP | 0.9 | $0 | $9 |
ECN | 0.1 | $6 | $7 |
This is just a hypothetical example, but hopefully, it illustrates how more can be less in trading. So it’s worthwhile evaluating the costs of a broker you consider opening an account with for yourself before doing so.
Check out our list of Best lowest spread forex brokers.
A trading platform is your window into the market. It allows you to observe price action behavior and study potential opportunities for placing orders. Technical traders use a platform’s array of indicators, drawing tools, and other features to examine various price patterns, changes in volatility, liquidity, and so on in order to gauge the most favorable times to enter or exit the market.
The best platforms are also the most versatile ones. They include a wide spectrum of technical indicators, such as Fibonacci retracement levels, oscillators, trend-based and range-based indicators, and others, as well as drawing tools, such as trend lines, channels, wedges, etc. They also allow you to easily scale price action up and down.
The retail industry’s most popular platforms, MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, have established themselves as benchmarks for simplicity and reliability over the years. While they offer a decent range of technical indicators and drawing tools for multi-timeframe analysis, their rugged design becomes evident when compared to newer and sleeker platforms. Although MetaTrader is suitable for beginners, those seeking more advanced trading capabilities may require a sophisticated platform. Read more about the platforms in our detailed guides on the best MT4 and best MT5 forex brokers.
In response, some brokers have developed their own proprietary platforms, which offer convenience and additional features not found in MetaTrader. These platforms allow for instrument search by asset class, easy scaling of price action, and execution of complex box orders. Ultimately, the choice of the best platform for you boils down to a trade-off between simplicity and practicality. Check out our carefully curated list of forex brokers featuring the best trading platforms in our dedicated guide.
Here is a quick rundown of some of the most important things to avoid:
And if you are still uncertain, you can always check out our database of reviews to sort out the most competitive brokers.
Scammers rely on the gullibility of traders. A common tactic fraudsters employ is to promise quick and easy profits at no risk to the trader. Often scammers would use labels that closely resemble the brands of real and legitimate companies. That is why regulators like the FCA have registers where traders can read about such fraudulent companies pretending to be others.
The best and easiest way to protect yourself is to make sure you work with a trustworthy and transparent broker. You can find a comprehensive list of reliable brokers by jurisdiction here.
Another important consideration is online safety. Be cautious about where you leave your personal information. Registering your details on suspicious pop-ups that promise enormous profits could lead to your contact information landing on a scammer’s dialing list. Remember, no licensed broker would make unsolicited cold calls.
The next time you get contacted out of the blue with promises of becoming the next Warren Buffet, you must remember that you are most likely speaking to a scammer. I think that nowhere is the “if something sounds too good to be true…” saying more accurate than in the world of trading. That is why you should do your due diligence before opening an account with any broker.
Here at FX Empire, we have pioneered a unique methodology for evaluating Over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives brokers worldwide. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive picture of a broker’s pros and cons so that our readers can make informed decisions. We understand their need to choose the best partner for their particular goals and needs.
Our team of dedicated professionals is working continuously to improve our system and keep it up-to-date with current market trends. We test each broker systematically by employing over 250 variables across nine categories:
We strive to be as objective as possible, which is why our rigorous examinations are devoid of any personal bias as much as possible. We review the licenses of all the subsidiaries of a broker and check the fine print in the Client Agreement. The reliability of a broker is further determined based on the regulation, fees, and general transparency of the website.
We collect essential information by opening a live account with a broker entity and testing its services in real time. We measure the spreads, swaps, and commissions on its most popular account type and compare our findings to the industry average.
We also test the functionality of the available platforms, the number and types of tradable instruments, the reliability of customer support, and the quality of the research and educational materials.
For this guide, we only considered brokers with an overall score of 4+ from over rating system that are safe and secure, providing Cent accounts with favorable conditions. We evaluated brokers’ maximum leverage policies, minimum deposit requirements, the amount and type of tradable instruments on offer, and selections of available trading platforms.
We abide by our strict guidelines for editorial integrity based on the objective standards we have set for our reviews. You can read more about our review process here.
The team of forex and CFD writers and editors at FX Empire comprises trading industry professionals and seasoned financial journalists. Our writers have been published on leading financial websites such as Investopedia and Forbes. In addition, they all have extensive trading experience.
Dan Blystone began his career in the trading industry in 1998 on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Later Dan gained insight into the forex industry during his time as a Series 3 licenced futures and forex broker. He also traded at a couple of different prop trading firms in Chicago. Dan is well-equipped to recommend the best forex brokers due to his extensive experience and understanding of the brokerage industry.
Jitan Solanki is a professional trader, market analyst, and educator. He day trades major currency and index markets and focuses on swing trading US equities and commodities. A qualified Market Technician, Jitan also works with trader education and brokerage companies on various projects. These include market analysis, live trading events, and broker reviews. As an experienced trader and educator, Jitan brings all his qualities in action when reviewing and recommending brokers.
Having been a retail trader since 2013, Plamen has gained an in-depth understanding of the challenges that novice traders face today. His expertise is swing trading and day trading with a heavy emphasis on psychological and fundamental analysis. Plamen’s favourite trading instruments include FX majors and gold. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Economics and International Relations. Plamen's broad experience has equipped him with the expertise to recommend the best forex brokers.
In more than 15 years of trading in the financial markets, Vladimir dealt with a wide range of brokers and financial instruments. His career as a day-trader at a proprietary trading firm goes back to 2007. Later, Vladimir turned to longer time frames and became an independent trader and analyst managing his own portfolio. Using his experience, he helps traders find the best broker in his reviews.
Having been a retail trader since 2013, Plamen has gained an in-depth understanding of the challenges that novice traders face today. His expertise is swing trading and day trading with a heavy emphasis on psychological and fundamental analysis. Plamen’s favourite trading instruments include FX majors and gold. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Economics and International Relations. Plamen's broad experience has equipped him with the expertise to recommend the best forex brokers.
At FXEmpire, we strive to provide unbiased, thorough and accurate broker reviews by industry experts to help our users make smarter financial decisions.