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Head to head

eToro vs Swissquote

eToro is licensed by CySEC in the European Union; FCA in the United Kingdom; ASIC in Australia and FSRA (ADGM) in Abu Dhabi (ADGM), UAE, and also has an offshore registration. Swissquote is licensed by FINMA in Switzerland; FCA in the United Kingdom; CySEC in the European Union; SFC in Hong Kong and DFSA in Dubai (DIFC), UAE. 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 $10 at eToro and $1,000 at Swissquote (the Prime account needs $50,000). Only eToro offers negative balance protection and segregated client money.

Facts last checked: eToro on 20 October 2026, Swissquote on 20 October 2026.

eToro profileSwissquote 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
eToroStrictly regulatedRead the profile
SwissquoteStrictly regulatedRead the profile
Comparing
eToroEuropean Union
SwissquotePrime account · Switzerland

Overview

Founded
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Headquarters
Not yet checked
Switzerland
Official websites
  • etoro.com
  • swissquote.com
  • swissquote.ch
  • swissquote.co.uk
  • swissquote.eu
  • swissquote.cy
Facts last checked
20 October 2026
20 October 2026

Regulation and protection

Company you would contract with
eToro (Europe) Ltd
Swissquote Bank Ltd (Swissquote Bank SA)
Regulator
CySEC
European Union
FINMA
Switzerland
Regulation level
Strictly regulated
Strictly regulated
Licence number
109/10
Check the register
Bank licence
Check the register
Clients this company serves
Residents of EU and EEA countries
Swiss residents and international clients not served by a local Swissquote company
All licences held
  • CySEC (European Union)
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • ASIC (Australia)
  • FSRA (ADGM) (Abu Dhabi (ADGM), UAE)
  • FSA Seychelles (Seychelles)
  • FINMA (Switzerland)
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • CySEC (European Union)
  • SFC (Hong Kong)
  • DFSA (Dubai (DIFC), UAE)
Segregated client money
Yes
No
Negative balance protection
Yes
No
Compensation scheme
FSCS up to £85,000 (UK); ICF up to €20,000 (Cyprus); none we know of for the Abu Dhabi or Seychelles companies
Swiss depositor protection up to CHF 100,000 (Swissquote Bank); FSCS up to £85,000 (UK); ICF up to €20,000 (Cyprus)

Costs

Your monthly cost
No accounts listed
$120$12 per lot × 10 lots
Cost per lot (EUR/USD)
No accounts listed
$12
Spread from
No accounts listed
1.1 pips
Typical EUR/USD spread
No accounts listed
1.2 pips
Commission per lot (round turn)
No accounts listed
None
Typical GBP/USD spread
Not yet checked
1.6 pips
Typical USD/JPY spread
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Typical XAU/USD spread
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Swap-free account
Not yet checked
Not yet checked

Leverage and margin

Maximum retail leverage
1:30 on major pairs (UK, EU, Australia)
1:30 on major pairs (UK, EU); 1:100 standard at Swissquote Bank
Retail leverage by asset class
  • Major currency pairs (UK: 1:30
  • Non-major currency pairs: 1:20
  • Major currency pairs (UK: 1:30
  • EUR/USD and other major pairs (Swissquote Bank): 1:100 (1% margin)
  • Gold (Swissquote Bank): 1:50 (2% margin)
Margin call level
Not yet checked
100% (maintenance margin)
Stop-out level
Not yet checked
30%

Account

Minimum deposit (this account)
No accounts listed
$50,000
Base currencies
No accounts listed
Not yet checked
Execution
No accounts listed
Spread only, minimum trade 1 lot

Platforms and features

Platforms
  • eToro web platform
  • eToro mobile app
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • CFXD
  • TradingView
  • FIX API
Markets
Currency, index and commodity CFDs alongside stocks, ETFs and crypto (this profile covers CFDs only)
About 130 currency pairs, metals and CFDs on indices, commodities and bonds
Demo account
Yes
Yes
Copy trading
Yes
Not yet checked
Expert advisors (automated trading)
No
Yes
News trading allowed
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Guaranteed stops
Not yet checked
Not yet checked

Deposits and withdrawals

Deposit methods
Not yet checked
  • Bank transfer
Withdrawal fee
$5 on withdrawals from a USD account; none from GBP, EUR or DKK local-currency accounts
Not yet checked
Inactivity fee
None since 28 May 2026, according to eToro's help centre
10 units of the account currency a month after 6 months without activity

Support

Customer support
Not yet checked
Not yet checked

Our notes

Strengths
  • Licensed by CySEC, the FCA and ASIC, with retail negative balance protection in those regions
  • Copy trading built into the platform, with the same account used for CFDs, stocks and crypto
  • Low first deposit in some countries ($10 in the UK)
  • Forex accounts held with a Swiss bank supervised by FINMA, with Swiss depositor protection up to CHF 100,000
  • Subsidiaries licensed by the FCA, CySEC and Hong Kong's SFC
  • Spread-only pricing with no commission on forex, and live spreads shown per account on its website
Watch out for
  • eToro's website could not be loaded during our check on 2026-10-20; the cost details on this page come from eToro's own fee and help pages read through a search tool, so confirm them on etoro.com before you trade.
  • eToro now prices CFDs as the market spread plus an opening and closing spread fee charged as a percentage (0.005% per trade on EUR/USD), which is harder to compare with pip-based spreads.
  • Deposits and withdrawals that need a currency conversion carry a conversion fee, and USD withdrawals cost $5
  • MetaTrader is not offered; you can only trade on eToro's own platform
  • High entry level: $1,000 for Standard, $10,000 for Premium and $50,000 for Prime.
  • At Swissquote Bank, Swissquote warns that losses are in theory unlimited and you may have to pay in more if your balance falls below margin
  • Inactivity fee of 10 a month in the account currency after only 6 months
  • Says Swissquote South Africa (Pty) Ltd holds FSCA licence 43908 (advice and intermediary services); we could not confirm it on the FSCA register on 2026-10-20.

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:

  • Swissquote: Trading leveraged products on the Forex platform, such as foreign exchange, spot precious metals and Contracts for Difference (CFDs), involves significant risk of loss due to the leverage and may not be suitable for all investors. Prior to opening an account with Swissquote, consider your level of experience, investment objectives, assets, income and risk appetite. Losses are in theory unlimited and you may be required to make additional payments if your account balance falls below the required margin level and therefore you should not speculate, invest or hedge with capital you cannot afford to lose, that is borrowed or urgently needed or necessary for personal or family subsistence. Over the past 12 months, 68.22% of retail investors have either lost money when trading CFDs, experienced a total loss of their margin at the closing of their position or ended up with a negative balance after closing their position.

Open this comparison in the full tool to share a link with your own accounts and companies chosen.

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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