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Head to head

Orbex vs Swissquote

Orbex is licensed by FSC Mauritius in Mauritius (international clients), 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 $100 at Orbex and $1,000 at Swissquote (the Prime account needs $50,000). Only Orbex offers negative balance protection and segregated client money.

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

Orbex 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
OrbexRegulatedRead the profile
SwissquoteStrictly regulatedRead the profile
Comparing
OrbexMauritius (international clients)
SwissquotePrime account · Switzerland

Overview

Founded
2011
Not yet checked
Headquarters
Ebène, Mauritius
Switzerland
Official websites
  • orbex.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
Orbex Global Ltd
Swissquote Bank Ltd (Swissquote Bank SA)
Regulator
FSC Mauritius
Mauritius (international clients)
FINMA
Switzerland
Regulation level
Regulated
Strictly regulated
Licence number
C118023330 (SEC-2.1B Investment Dealer)
Check the register
Bank licence
Check the register
Clients this company serves
International clients; Orbex's trading terms name Orbex Global Limited as the counterparty
Swiss residents and international clients not served by a local Swissquote company
All licences held
  • FSC Mauritius (Mauritius (international clients))
  • FSA Seychelles (Seychelles (international clients))
  • 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
None
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
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); 1:100 standard at Swissquote Bank
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 (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
100%
100% (maintenance margin)
Stop-out level
20%
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
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • MT4 and MT5 web terminals
  • Orbex mobile app
  • FIX API
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • CFXD
  • TradingView
  • FIX API
Markets
400+ CFDs on forex, stocks, metals, indices, energies and futures
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)
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
  • Bank transfer
Withdrawal fee
0% from Orbex on cards and e-wallets listed on its funding page
Not yet checked
Inactivity fee
Not yet checked
10 units of the account currency a month after 6 months without activity

Support

Customer support
24/5 live chat, email and phone, plus call-back requests
Not yet checked

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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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:

  • 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.
  • 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.

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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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