Overview
FXCM is a forex and CFD broker that started in 1999 and now runs from London. It suits traders who care about charting and platform choice more than a huge product list. The UK arm, Stratos Markets Limited, is FCA regulated, and there are licensed entities with ASIC in Australia, CySEC in Cyprus, the FSCA in South Africa and the Israel Securities Authority. It doesn't take US clients.
Accounts and costs
The Standard account is the default. You pay no commission, the cost sits in the spread, and EUR/USD starts around 0.8 pips. The minimum deposit is $50 for most people, but EU clients need £300 or €300. Heavier traders can move to the Active Trader account, which switches to spread plus commission or mark-up depending on your balance and volume, with rebates as you trade more. UK clients also get a spread betting account. Leverage on major FX pairs defaults to 30:1 in the UK, EU, Australia and South Africa, with lower limits on gold, indices and single shares.
Platforms and markets
FXCM's own Trading Station is the flagship, and you can also trade through MT4 or straight from TradingView charts. MT4 users get free EAs and VPS access. There's no MT5. The range is narrower than some rivals, with under 500 symbols across forex, indices, commodities, stock CFDs and crypto CFDs, and no options.
Money in and out
You can deposit by bank wire, card, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, Apple Pay, Google Pay, crypto and a handful of local methods. FXCM doesn't charge for deposits or card withdrawals, but a bank wire withdrawal can cost $40, so cards are the cheaper way out.
Good
- Licensed by the FCA, ASIC and CySEC, with roots going back to 1999
- Trade from Trading Station, MT4 or TradingView with one account
- Free EAs and VPS access for MT4 users
- Low $50 minimum deposit outside the EU
- Lots of ways to pay, from cards and PayPal to crypto
Watch for
- No MetaTrader 5
- Under 500 tradable symbols and no options
- Bank wire withdrawals can cost up to $40
- EU clients need £300 or €300 to start
- Not open to US residents
Accounts and costs
What each account needs to open and what you pay to trade on it.
| Account | Min deposit | Pricing | Max leverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard account | $50 | No commission, spreads from 0.8 pips on EUR/USD | 30:1 on major FX pairs by default for UK, EU, Australian and South African clients |
| Active Trader account | $50 | Spread plus mark-up or spread plus commission depending on equity and volume, with tiered rebates | — |
| Spread betting account (UK) | — | Spread only | — |
Regulation
Which entity holds which licence. Your protection depends on the entity you open an account with.
Platforms and markets
Platforms
Markets
Deposits and withdrawals
- Methods
- Bank transfer, Card, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, Crypto, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Local methods
- Minimum deposit
- $50
- Not available in
- US
What traders say
Scores from the sites traders use, and our summary of what they're saying, checked 6 October 2026.
FXCM gets a broadly positive score from its own users and a much rougher one on complaint sites. It holds 4.7 on Trustpilot from about 990 reviews and 4.4 on TradingView from about 8,000 ratings (as reported by CompareForexBrokers on 2 October 2026). Reviews.io shows 1.8 from about 790 reviews, and the Forex Peace Army page carries many withdrawal and account complaints, with no FPA score in what we collected.
What traders like
Platforms and TradingView. Many reviewers like Trading Station and MT4, and TradingView users say the account link makes placing and dragging orders easy.
Support. Trustpilot reviewers often name individual staff who helped them, and several long-time clients say service has stayed good for years.
Algo trading. A few reviewers point to API and Python support as a reason to stay.
Reasonable fees. Some describe costs as fair, though one Reddit poster calls spreads only average now.
Common complaints
Withdrawals. The most common theme across Forex Peace Army, Myfxbook, TradingView and forum threads: slow bank transfers, money that reviewers say did not arrive, and withdrawals limited to the original funding account. A UK Financial Ombudsman decision upheld one complaint about funds sent to an expired card.
Positions closed. Several reviewers say margin calls closed all their trades at once, or that orders only partly filled before a margin call.
Accounts ended after winning. A few Forex Peace Army reviewers say their accounts were locked or terminated as no longer suited to retail pricing.
Past regulatory history. Reddit threads still bring up the 2015 Swiss franc shock and FXCM's exit from the US.
Recently
At collection in early October 2026, the top review on FXCM's Trustpilot page described a margin call that closed six positions for a loss of about USD 51,000. Nothing else in the evidence is clearly dated within the last 90 days.
Where this comes from
Trustpilot: the main review page.
TradingView: reviews from traders who connect an FXCM account.
Forex Peace Army: trader reviews and complaints.
Myfxbook: trader reviews.
Reviews.io: a mostly negative review pool.
Financial Ombudsman decision: an upheld withdrawal complaint.
Reddit search: threads in r/Forex and r/Daytrading.
Verified reviews
Reviews from traders who've connected an account at FXCM to Chartnaut, so you know they actually traded there. Opening soon.