HFM
Visit brokerBest FCA brokers in 2026
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Explore FXStreet’s selection of top brokers regulated by the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
For traders looking for brokers regulated by the UK's Financial Conduct Authority, the FXStreet Team highlights HFM as a notable broker in 2026. HFM combines access to a broad range of markets with advanced trading platforms, useful trading tools and the strong client protections available to UK customers trading through a FCA-regulated UK entity. Moneta Markets also stands out with its broad platform choice, while FxPro provides competitive spreads across its account range. All brokers featured on this comparison are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is the United Kingdom's financial services regulator and oversees the authorisation of retail brokers since taking over from the Financial Services Authority (FSA) in 2013. It maintains a public register that allows any trader to verify whether a broker is authorised and to check the activities a broker is permitted to carry out. This makes it easy for both UK and international traders to confirm a broker's regulatory status before opening an account. Many FCA-regulated brokers also hold licences in other jurisdictions, allowing them to provide services to clients in different regions around the world. For UK residents, trading through an FCA-authorised UK entity provides access to the protections required under UK regulations, while clients in other countries may be onboarded under a different regulatory entity depending on where they live. FCA regulation provides several important protections that distinguish it from most other regulatory jurisdictions. Eligible clients of FCA-regulated brokers may be covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) which protects up to £85,000 per person per authorised firm in the event of broker insolvency, providing a level of financial protection that few offshore regulators match. FCA-regulated brokers are also required to segregate client funds from their own operating capital, meaning client funds are held in separate accounts with approved banks and cannot be used by the broker for its own business activities. The FCA also requires negative balance protection for retail UK clients, ensuring that you can never lose more than the funds in your trading account, even during extreme market volatility. These protections, combined with the FCA's cap on retail leverage at a maximum of 30:1 for major Forex pairs, create a trading environment with additional safeguards that unregulated or lightly regulated brokers do not offer.
Which additional licenses do these FCA-Regulated brokers hold?
All brokers featured in this comparison are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), while also holding licences from other international regulatory authorities. For UK traders, understanding which regulators supervise a broker helps clarify how client funds are safeguarded and what protections apply under different regulatory entities. Although additional licenses such as FSCA, FSA, or FSC allow brokers to provide services in multiple jurisdictions, it is the FCA-authorised UK entity that carries the strongest client protections for eligible clients, including Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), segregated client funds, and negative balance protection, which do not automatically extend to accounts held under the broker's other regulatory entities. The table below compares the regulatory authorities overseeing each broker.
Broker name
Regulation
HFM
FCA, FSCA, FSA, CMA, SVGFSA
Moneta Markets
FCA, FSCA, FSA, FSC
FxPro
FCA, SCB
TIOmarkets
FCA, FSA, MISA
Swissquote
FINMA, DFSA, SFC, FCA
The table shows that these five brokers complement FCA authorisation with additional international regulatory licenses. HFM holds licenses from FSCA (South Africa), FSA (Seychelles), CMA (Kenya), while also maintaining a registered entity in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Moneta Markets is authorised by the FSCA (South Africa), FSA (Seychelles), and FSC (Mauritius), while FxPro also operates under the SCB (Bahamas).TIOmarkets is regulated by the FSA (Seychelles) and Mwali International Services Authority (MISA) in Comoros. Swissquote has one of the broadest international regulatory frameworks in this comparison, with additional licences from FINMA (Switzerland), the DFSA (United Arab Emirates) and the SFC (Hong Kong).
How much market experience do the top brokers regulated by the FCA have?
The brokers featured in this comparison have different lengths of operating history. While a longer track record does not guarantee a better trading experience, many traders view it as one factor when assessing a broker's stability and reputation. Use the table below to compare years of operation across the five brokers.
Broker name
Years operating
HFM
16
Moneta Markets
4
FxPro
27
TIOmarkets
7
Swissquote
30
The table shows that the FCA-regulated brokers in this comparison have varying levels of market experience. Swissquote has the longest track record with thirty years in operation, followed by FxPro at twenty-seven years. HFM has been operating for sixteen years, while TIOmarkets has seven years of market experience. Moneta Markets is the newest broker in this group, with four years in operation.
Which account options are available at these FCA-Regulated brokers?
The brokers featured in this comparison offer a range of trading account types designed to suit different trading styles and levels of experience. Choosing the right account can influence trading costs, execution model and the features available. The table below shows the different account types for each broker.
Broker name
Account types
HFM
Cent, Zero, Premium, PRO, Infinity X
Moneta Markets
Direct STP, Prime ECN, Ultra ECN
FxPro
Standard (MT4 or MT5), Raw+ (MT4 or MT5), cTrader
TIOmarkets
Nano Account, Standard Account, Raw Spread Account, VIP Black Account, Islamic Swap-Free Account, Copy Trading Account
Swissquote
Premium, Prime, Elite
The table shows that the FCA-regulated brokers in this comparison offer a variety of different trading accounts. HFM offers five accounts, including Cent, Zero, Premium, PRO, and Infinity X. Moneta Markets offers Direct STP, Prime ECN, and Ultra ECN accounts, while Swissquote provides Premium, Prime, and Elite accounts. FxPro offers Standard, Raw+, and cTrader accounts, and TIOmarkets provides Nano, Standard, Raw Spread, and VIP Black options. All five brokers also offer Islamic swap-free arrangements for eligible clients, although availability and the accounts to which they can be applied may vary. HFM and TIOmarkets additionally provide dedicated copy trading services.
How do platforms compare across the top brokers regulated by the FCA?
Among these FCA-regulated brokers, trading platforms represent a core part of the overall trading setup they provide. Platform choice affects how you place orders, monitor positions, and integrate tools into your daily workflow. The table below breaks down trading platforms.
Broker name
Trading platforms
HFM
MetaTrader 4 (MT4), MetaTrader 5 (MT5), HFM Platform
Moneta Markets
MetaTrader 4 (MT4), MetaTrader 5 (MT5), MT4 WebTerminal, MT5 WebTrader, Web Platform, Mobile App, ProTrader, AppTrader
FxPro
MetaTrader 4 (MT4), MetaTrader 5 (MT5), MT4 WebTerminal, MT5 WebTrader, cTrader, TradingView, FxPro Trading App, FxPro Webtrader
TIOmarkets
MetaTrader 4 (MT4), MetaTrader 5 (MT5), MT5 WebTrader, MT4 WebTerminal, MAM/PAMM, Autocopy
Swissquote
MetaTrader 4 (MT4), MetaTrader 5 (MT5), CFXD (Integrated with TradingView.com)
The table shows that all five brokers support MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), with several also offering proprietary platforms alongside MetaTrader. Moneta Markets provides its own ProTrader and AppTrader platforms, while FxPro offers the FxPro Trading Platform and FxPro App. HFM also offers its own proprietary trading platform, while Swissquote offers CFXD integrated with TradingView.
HFM
HFM
| Regulated by | FCA, FSCA, FSA, CMA, SVGFSA |
| Currencies accepted for deposits/withdrawals | EUR, GBP, USD, THB, IDR, ZAR, NGN, KES |
| Trading platforms allowed | MetaTrader 4 (MT4), MetaTrader 5 (MT5), HFM Platform |
| Customer service languages available | english, spanish, portuguese, french, italian, arabic, Persian (Farsi), Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), japanese, korean, vietnamese, thai, indonesian, malay, hindi, bengali, urdu, german, greek |
Moneta Markets
Moneta Markets
| Regulated by | FCA, FSCA, FSA, FSC |
| Currencies accepted for deposits/withdrawals | CAD, CHF, EUR, GBP, JPY, NZD, USD, BRL, HKD, SGD |
| Trading platforms allowed | MetaTrader 4 (MT4), MetaTrader 5 (MT5), MT4 WebTerminal, MT5 WebTrader, Web Platform, Mobile App, ProTrader, AppTrader |
| Customer service languages available | arabic, cantonese, Chinese (Traditional), Chinese (Simplified), english, german, indonesian, italian, japanese, korean, malay, mandarin, Persian (Farsi), spanish, turkish, thai, vietnamese |
FxPro
FxPro
| Regulated by | FCA, SCB |
| Currencies accepted for deposits/withdrawals | AUD, CAD, CHF, EUR, GBP, JPY, NZD, USD, AED, INR, MYR, THB, NGN, VND, ZA |
| Trading platforms allowed | MetaTrader 4 (MT4), MetaTrader 5 (MT5), MT4 WebTerminal, MT5 WebTrader, cTrader, TradingView, FxPro Trading App, FxPro Webtrader |
| Customer service languages available | arabic, bulgarian, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), danish, dutch, english, estonian, finnish, french, german, greek, hindi, hungarian, indonesian, italian, japanese, kazakh, korean, kurdish, latvian, lithuanian, malay, norwegian, portuguese, polish, romanian, russian, spanish, swedish, turkish, vietnamese, urdu, ukrainian, thai |
TIOmarkets
TIOmarkets
| Regulated by | FCA, FSA, MISA |
| Currencies accepted for deposits/withdrawals | AUD, CAD, EUR, GBP, JPY, USD, AED, CZK, ZAR |
| Trading platforms allowed | MetaTrader 4 (MT4), MetaTrader 5 (MT5), MT5 WebTrader, MT4 WebTerminal, MAM/PAMM, Autocopy |
| Customer service languages available | english, malay, portuguese, arabic, french, hindi, indonesian, thai, vietnamese, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), turkish, korean, japanese, spanish |
Swissquote
Swissquote
| Regulated by | FINMA, DFSA, SFC, FCA |
| Currencies accepted for deposits/withdrawals | CHF, EUR, GBP, USD |
| Trading platforms allowed | MetaTrader 4 (MT4), MetaTrader 5 (MT5), CFXD (Integrated with TradingView.com) |
| Customer service languages available | italian, english, french, german, polish, russian, spanish, Chinese (Simplified), arabic |
Forex Brokers FAQs
What is the FCA?
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is the financial services regulator in the United Kingdom. Established on 1 April 2013 under the Financial Services Act 2012, replacing the Financial Services Authority (FSA). The FCA operates independently of the UK Government and is funded by fees paid by the financial services firms it regulates. It regulates the conduct of both retail and wholesale financial services firms, maintains the integrity of the UK's financial markets, and oversees around 58,000 businesses. Its headquarters are at 12 Endeavour Square in London, and its current Chief Executive is Nikhil Rathi.
How does FCA regulation protect my funds with a forex broker?
FCA rules require brokers to keep client money in segregated bank accounts, separate from the firm’s own operating funds. They must also meet minimum capital requirements and submit to ongoing audits, so if the broker runs into financial trouble, your trading funds are better ring‑fenced and more likely to be returned.
Are trading costs lower with FCA regulated brokers?
FCA oversight does not guarantee lower spreads or commissions, but it does require brokers to publish clear, comparable information on pricing and to avoid misleading claims about low costs. This transparency makes it easier to assess the real cost of trading, including spreads, commissions, overnight financing (swap) rates and non‑trading fees like withdrawals or inactivity.
What does FCA leverage and negative balance protection actually mean?
Under FCA rules, retail clients face capped leverage on major asset classes and must receive negative balance protection, meaning you cannot lose more than the funds in your account in normal market conditions. Lower leverage reduces the speed at which gains and losses accumulate, while negative balance protection limits the risk of owing money to your broker after extreme market moves.
How do I open an account with an FCA regulated broker?
You typically complete an online application, upload identity and address documents, and answer a short questionnaire about your trading experience to meet FCA suitability and anti‑money‑laundering checks. Once verified, you can fund the account via bank transfer, card or e‑wallet and then choose your trading platform, such as MetaTrader or a broker’s proprietary platform.
Can I trade high‑risk products like CFDs under FCA rules?
Yes, Contracts for Difference (CFDs) are allowed under FCA regulation, but brokers must provide risk warnings, standardized disclosure documents and protections such as margin close‑out limits and negative balance protection for retail clients. The FCA also restricts certain high‑risk products and aggressive sales practices to help reduce the likelihood of large, rapid losses for inexperienced traders.
Is forex trading under FCA regulation suitable for beginners?
FCA rules make the trading environment more transparent and safer than with unregulated providers, but they do not remove market risk, leverage risk or the chance of losing money quickly. Beginners should still start with a demo account, use small position sizes and have a clear risk management plan before committing significant capital.
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Our Editorial Process
Our editorial team personally tests each broker with real accounts. We evaluate spreads, execution speed, customer support, and withdrawal times over a 3-month period. Every broker on this list has been independently verified by at least two members of our research team to ensure accuracy and fairness in our recommendations.