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Head to head

Orbex vs Pepperstone

Orbex is licensed by FSC Mauritius in Mauritius (international clients), and also has an offshore registration. Pepperstone is licensed by ASIC in Australia; FCA in the United Kingdom; CySEC in the European Union; BaFin in Germany; DFSA in Dubai (DIFC), UAE and SCB in The Bahamas. 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 $100 at Orbex and $0 at Pepperstone. Both offer negative balance protection and segregated client money.

Facts last checked: Orbex on 20 October 2026, Pepperstone on 20 October 2026.

Orbex profilePepperstone 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
OrbexRegulatedRead the profile
PepperstoneStrictly regulatedRead the profile
Comparing
OrbexMauritius (international clients)
PepperstoneAustralia

Overview

Founded
2011
Not yet checked
Headquarters
Ebène, Mauritius
Melbourne, Australia
Official websites
  • orbex.com
  • pepperstone.com
Facts last checked
20 October 2026
20 October 2026

Regulation and protection

Company you would contract with
Orbex Global Ltd
Pepperstone Group Limited
Regulator
FSC Mauritius
Mauritius (international clients)
ASIC
Australia
Regulation level
Regulated
Strictly regulated
Licence number
C118023330 (SEC-2.1B Investment Dealer)
Check the register
AFSL 414530
Check the register
Clients this company serves
International clients; Orbex's trading terms name Orbex Global Limited as the counterparty
Australian residents
All licences held
  • FSC Mauritius (Mauritius (international clients))
  • FSA Seychelles (Seychelles (international clients))
  • ASIC (Australia)
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • CySEC (European Union)
  • BaFin (Germany)
  • DFSA (Dubai (DIFC), UAE)
  • SCB (The Bahamas)
Segregated client money
Yes
Yes
Negative balance protection
Yes
Yes
Compensation scheme
None
FSCS up to £85,000 (UK); ICF up to €20,000 (Pepperstone EU); none for the Bahamas company

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 1:500 (1:30 by default when the account is opened)
1:30 on major pairs (UK, EU, Australia)
Retail leverage by asset class
  • All CFDs, up to 19.99 lots open: Up to 1:500
  • All CFDs, 20 to 39.99 lots open: 1:300
  • All CFDs, 40 lots or more open: 1:100
  • 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
100%
Not yet checked
Stop-out level
20%
50% (MT4 and MT5)

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
  • MT4 and MT5 web terminals
  • Orbex mobile app
  • FIX API
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • cTrader
  • TradingView
  • Pepperstone platform
  • Mobile app
Markets
400+ CFDs on forex, stocks, metals, indices, energies and futures
90+ forex pairs, indices, commodities, share CFDs, ETFs, currency indices and crypto CFDs (not for UK retail)
Demo account
Yes
Yes
Copy trading
Yes
Yes
Expert advisors (automated trading)
Yes
Yes
News trading allowed
Yes
Not yet checked
Guaranteed stops
Not yet checked
Not yet checked

Deposits and withdrawals

Deposit methods
  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • Skrill
  • Neteller
  • Perfect Money
  • UnionPay
  • Bank wire
  • Local payment methods
  • Debit card
  • Credit card
  • Apple Pay
  • Google Pay
  • Bank transfer
Withdrawal fee
0% from Orbex on cards and e-wallets listed on its funding page
Free by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay and bank transfer (UK)
Inactivity fee
Not yet checked
Not yet checked

Support

Customer support
24/5 live chat, email and phone, plus call-back requests
24 hours Monday to Friday and 18 hours at weekends

Our notes

Strengths
  • Orbex Global Ltd is on the FSC Mauritius register as an investment dealer (SEC-2.1B), licensed since 7 January 2019
  • Says client money is held separately from company money and offers negative balance protection on all accounts
  • Commission-free Starter account from $100, and raw-spread accounts with a published per-lot commission
  • MetaTrader 4 and 5, a FIX API and PAMM accounts
  • Licensed by four strict regulators (ASIC, FCA, CySEC, BaFin), with retail money held in segregated accounts
  • Negative balance protection for retail clients
  • Razor account commission is published per currency (for example £2.25 per lot per side on GBP accounts)
  • No minimum deposit for bank transfers in the UK, and free withdrawals
Watch out for
  • Its CySEC licence (124/10, ORBEX Ltd) is shown on the CySEC register as under examination for voluntary renunciation, so new clients are not covered by EU rules or the Cyprus compensation fund, even though the website still mentions the ICF
  • The website names several operating companies (Orbex Global Ltd in Mauritius, Orbex Limited in Seychelles, an Orbex Limited registered in Saint Lucia and Orbex LLC in St Vincent); check which one is named in your agreement
  • Leverage up to 1:500, far above the 1:30 cap that applies in the UK and EU
  • The spreads it publishes are minimums ("as low as"); typical spreads are not published
  • Says Pepperstone Markets Kenya Limited holds CMA licence 128; we could not confirm it on the Capital Markets Authority register on 2026-10-20 because the CMA website was unavailable.
  • Says Pepperstone Financial Services LLC holds UAE CMA licence 20200000358 for introduction and financial consultation; we could not confirm it on the regulator's register on 2026-10-20.
  • Clients outside the UK, EU and Australia may be placed with the Bahamas company, which has no compensation scheme
  • Pepperstone publishes minimum spreads, not typical spreads; Pro clients lose negative balance protection

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:

  • Orbex: Trading foreign exchange on margin carries a high level of risk, and may not be suitable for all investors. Before deciding to trade foreign exchange, you should carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite. There is a possibility that you may sustain a loss of some or all of your investment and therefore you should not invest money that you cannot afford to lose. You should be aware of all the risks associated with foreign exchange trading, and seek advice from an independent financial advisor if you have any doubts.
  • Pepperstone: Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 73.6% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and 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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