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Pepperstone vs Swissquote

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. 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 $0 at Pepperstone and $1,000 at Swissquote (the Prime account needs $50,000). Only Pepperstone offers negative balance protection and segregated client money.

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

Pepperstone 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
PepperstoneStrictly regulatedRead the profile
SwissquoteStrictly regulatedRead the profile
Comparing
PepperstoneAustralia
SwissquotePrime account · Switzerland

Overview

Founded
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Headquarters
Melbourne, Australia
Switzerland
Official websites
  • pepperstone.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
Pepperstone Group Limited
Swissquote Bank Ltd (Swissquote Bank SA)
Regulator
ASIC
Australia
FINMA
Switzerland
Regulation level
Strictly regulated
Strictly regulated
Licence number
AFSL 414530
Check the register
Bank licence
Check the register
Clients this company serves
Australian residents
Swiss residents and international clients not served by a local Swissquote company
All licences held
  • ASIC (Australia)
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • CySEC (European Union)
  • BaFin (Germany)
  • DFSA (Dubai (DIFC), UAE)
  • SCB (The Bahamas)
  • 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 (Pepperstone EU); none for the Bahamas company
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: 1:30
  • Other currency pairs: 1:20
  • Other commodities and non-major indices: 1:10
  • Share CFDs: 1:5
  • 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
50% (MT4 and MT5)
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
  • cTrader
  • TradingView
  • Pepperstone platform
  • Mobile app
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • CFXD
  • TradingView
  • FIX API
Markets
90+ forex pairs, indices, commodities, share CFDs, ETFs, currency indices and crypto CFDs (not for UK retail)
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
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Guaranteed stops
Not yet checked
Not yet checked

Deposits and withdrawals

Deposit methods
  • Debit card
  • Credit card
  • Apple Pay
  • Google Pay
  • Bank transfer
  • Bank transfer
Withdrawal fee
Free by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay and bank transfer (UK)
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 hours Monday to Friday and 18 hours at weekends
Not yet checked

Our notes

Strengths
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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:

  • 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.
  • 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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