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Head to head

Alpari vs OANDA

Alpari has no licence we could confirm on a regulator's register. OANDA is licensed by CFTC / NFA in the United States, FCA in the United Kingdom, KNF in the European Union, CIRO in Canada, ASIC in Australia, MAS in Singapore and JFSA in Japan, and also has an offshore registration. The licence that applies to you depends on where you live, so check which company you would contract with before comparing anything else.

Minimum deposits start at $30 at Alpari and $0 at OANDA. Only OANDA offers negative balance protection and segregated client money.

Facts last checked: Alpari on 20 October 2026, OANDA on 20 October 2026.

Alpari profileOANDA profile
Broker 1
Broker 2
Broker 3

Monthly cost uses the account chosen in each slot: cost per lot × your lots. Swap and other fees are extra. The lowest monthly cost is highlighted only as a fact about cost, not as a recommendation.

Broker
AlpariRead the profile
OANDAStrictly regulatedRead the profile
Comparing
Alpari
OANDAUnited States

Overview

Founded
1998
Not yet checked
Headquarters
Fomboni, Mohéli, Comoros
Not yet checked
Official websites
  • alpari.com
  • oanda.com
  • oanda.sg
Facts last checked
20 October 2026
20 October 2026

Regulation and protection

Company you would contract with
No licence listed
OANDA Corporation
Regulator
No licence listed
CFTC / NFA
United States
Regulation level
No licence listed
Strictly regulated
Licence number
No licence listed
NFA ID 0325821
Check the register
Clients this company serves
No licence listed
US residents (retail forex; registered futures commission merchant and retail foreign exchange dealer)
All licences held
None listed
  • CFTC / NFA (United States)
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • KNF (European Union)
  • CIRO (Canada)
  • ASIC (Australia)
  • MAS (Singapore)
  • JFSA (Japan)
  • FSC (BVI) (British Virgin Islands)
Segregated client money
No
Yes
Negative balance protection
No
Yes
Compensation scheme
None
FSCS (UK, OANDA Europe Limited clients); CIPF (Canada); other countries have their own schemes or none

Costs

Your monthly cost
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Cost per lot (EUR/USD)
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Spread from
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Typical EUR/USD spread
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Commission per lot (round turn)
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Typical GBP/USD spread
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Typical USD/JPY spread
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Typical XAU/USD spread
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Swap-free account
Yes
Not yet checked

Leverage and margin

Maximum retail leverage
Up to 1:3000 (ECN and Pro ECN); 1:1000 on Standard; 1:500 on Micro
1:30 on major currency pairs (UK and EU retail clients); other companies set their own limits
Retail leverage by asset class
  • Micro account: Up to 1:500
  • Standard account: Up to 1:1000
  • ECN and Pro ECN accounts: Up to 1:3000 (floating)
  • Major currency pairs: 1:30
  • Other currency pairs: 1:20
  • Other commodities and non-major indices: 1:10
  • Share CFDs: 1:5
Margin call level
50% on Micro and Standard; 80% on ECN and Pro ECN
Not yet checked
Stop-out level
20% on Micro and Standard; 50% on ECN and Pro ECN
Not yet checked

Account

Minimum deposit (this account)
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Base currencies
No accounts listed
No accounts listed
Execution
No accounts listed
No accounts listed

Platforms and features

Platforms
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • Alpari trading app
  • OANDA Trade web
  • OANDA Trade mobile app
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • TradingView
Markets
Forex, metals, indices, commodities, cryptocurrencies, stocks, ETF, futures and crosses CFDs
Currency pairs, indices, commodities, metals, bonds, shares and ETFs as CFDs and spread bets (UK)
Demo account
Yes
Not yet checked
Copy trading
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Expert advisors (automated trading)
Yes
Yes
News trading allowed
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Guaranteed stops
Not yet checked
Yes

Deposits and withdrawals

Deposit methods
  • Debit or credit card
  • Bank wire
  • E-wallet
  • Cryptocurrency
  • Local payment methods
  • Debit or credit card
  • Bank transfer
Withdrawal fee
Varies by method; the fee is taken from the amount withdrawn
No deposit or withdrawal fees from OANDA (UK); your bank may charge
Inactivity fee
Not yet checked
Monthly fee after 12 months without trading, capped at £20 a month per client (UK)

Support

Customer support
Live chat, chatbot, messengers and phone helpline
Not yet checked

Our notes

Strengths
  • Four account types, from a $30 Micro account to a raw-spread Pro ECN account
  • Commission-free Micro, Standard and ECN accounts
  • MetaTrader 4 and 5, PAMM investing and a demo account
  • Licensed by strict regulators in the US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia, Singapore and Japan
  • No minimum account balance and no deposit or withdrawal fees on the UK site
  • Guaranteed stop-loss orders available in the UK (for a fee)
Watch out for
  • Says it holds Mwali International Services Authority (MISA) licence T2023236; we could not confirm it on MISA's register on 2026-10-20, because the register sits behind a bot check
  • No licence from a strict regulator; not available to UK or EU residents
  • We found no statement on its site about segregated client money or negative balance protection
  • Leverage up to 1:3000, and deposit bonuses that come with conditions
  • Clients outside the countries with a local OANDA company may be placed with OANDA Global Markets Ltd, which holds only an offshore licence from the BVI FSC
  • UK inactivity fee after 12 months without trading, up to £20 a month
  • The NFA's BASIC record for OANDA Corporation lists past NFA and CFTC regulatory actions; read them there before you open a US account

Risk warnings

The buttons to a broker’s website above the table are partner links: we may earn a commission if you open an account through them. That never changes the facts shown here. Trading leveraged products such as forex and CFDs carries a high risk of losing money rapidly, and most retail accounts lose money. Each broker’s own warning:

  • Alpari: Before trading, you should ensure that you've undergone sufficient preparation and fully understand the risks involved in margin trading.
  • OANDA: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 76.6% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

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Other head-to-head pages

Cost per lot is the typical EUR/USD spread in busy hours × $10, plus any round-turn commission, for one standard lot. “Not yet checked” means we have not confirmed that fact yet. This page compares facts; it does not rank the brokers or recommend either. Confirm costs and licences on each broker’s site and the regulator’s public register before opening an account: see how we review brokers and check a broker yourself.

Nothing on this page is financial advice. Read the full disclaimer.

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