In order to trade successfully, it is very important to choose the right broker. in the UK, a large number of companies provide access to trading and you will have to choose the one for you among them. It is important to work only with reliable brokers providing all the required instruments for trading based on your trading strategy. TU analysts have selected the best crypto brokers for short selling in the UK 2026. You can compare their features and trading conditions.
1
XM - Best for short selling in the UK
XM is a globally recognized broker, operating in nearly 190 countries and serving over 15 million traders. In 2025, the company marks its 15th anniversary. It provides access to more than 1,400 trading instruments, including Forex pairs, stocks, commodities, cryptocurrencies, and precious metals. Licensed by CySEC (Cyprus), FSCA (South Africa), DFSA (Dubai), FSC (Belize), FSA (Seychelles), FSC (Mauritius), CMA (Kenya) and SCA (United Arab Emirates), XM offers a secure and regulated trading environment.
The broker ensures high-speed order execution without requotes, with 99.35% of trades executed almost instantly. Leverage is up to 1:1000 in some non-EU countries, while strict European compliance applies in other regions, and spreads start from 0.8 pips.
XM runs multiple bonus programs, adapts trading conditions to each client’s country, and provides negative balance protection. Accounts are available for traders of any level and strategy, and for passive income, the broker offers a copy trading platform for investors as well as experienced traders willing to share their strategies.
👍 Advantages of trading with XM for traders from the UK:
•Regulation in six jurisdictions;
•Accounts designed for different strategies and levels of trader experience;
•Minimum deposit of $5;
•Various bonuses, trading competitions, and an affiliate program;
•100% order execution;
•No markup on tight market spreads;
•Access to more than 1,400 instruments;
•No deposit or withdrawal fees;
•24/7 multilingual support in over 30 languages.
👎 Disadvantages of XM for traders from the UK:
•Copy trading and stock trading accounts are not available in all countries.
2
Pepperstone - Best for short selling in the UK
Pepperstone (Pepperstone.com) was founded in 2010 in Melbourne, Australia, by professional traders who were not satisfied with the quality of services provided by most brokers. The founders decided to avoid many of the disadvantages of competitors, including high commissions, delayed execution of orders, etc. The founders therefore focused on improving the technical component. The company has set itself the goal of changing the “rules of the game” and setting the bar high for online trading.
Today, Pepperstone offers clients all over the world some of the best technological solutions and favorable trading conditions. The company also provides professional tools that help traders not only master the fine art of trading, but also significantly increase trading efficiencies. In addition, Pepperstone’s platform is scrutinized by seven regulatory authorities, including ASIC (Australian Securities and Investments Commission, AFSL No.414530), FCA (UK Financial Conduct Authority, 684312), DFSA (F004356), BaFin (151148), CMA, SCB (SIA-F217), and CySec (388/20). Moreover, with Pepperstone, clients' assets are maintained in aggregated accounts with several major, global banking institutions.
👍 Advantages of trading with Pepperstone for traders from the UK:
•Attractive trading conditions.
•Fast order execution - 30 ms on average.
•1,200+ trading instruments.
•Low fees.
•No inactivity fee.
•Support service works only 24/7.
👎 Disadvantages of Pepperstone for traders from the UK:
•No cent account.
•Not available to US clients.
•Limited passive trading opportunities.
•Limited analytical materials available on the site.
•No news section.
•Demo accounts can trade for free for 60 days.
3
FxPro - Best for short selling in the UK
FxPro is a well-established broker offering traders access to over 2,100 financial instruments across multiple asset classes, including Forex, stocks, commodities, indices, and cryptocurrencies. It is regulated by reputable authorities – FCA, CySEC and others.
The broker stands out with its focus on technology and offers an average order execution speed of 14-30 ms, setting a market benchmark. FxPro also provides an impressive suite of trading tools and educational resources, such as Trading Central analytics. The minimum deposit of $100, however, is higher than some competitors.
With a company capital exceeding 100 million euro, and a track record of reliability, FxPro stands out as a top-tier choice for traders looking for a secure and dynamic trading environment.
👍 Advantages of trading with FxPro for traders from the UK:
•Negative Balance Protection with automated risk monitoring;
•Client funds insured via investor compensation fund;
•Access to tested advisors for beginners;
•Full service package regardless of account balance;
•VIP accounts include personal manager and free VPS;
•Company capital exceeds €100 million;
•Swap-free (Islamic) accounts available;
•Strong educational and research support for reliable trading.
👎 Disadvantages of FxPro for traders from the UK:
•$100 minimum deposit may be high for beginners;
•Complicated affiliate program registration process.
4
CAPEX - Best for short selling in the UK
CAPEX.com was launched in 2016 with the core mission to transform online trading procedures. CAPEX.com implements cutting-edge technology offering traders modern ways to invest in the financial markets. CAPEX.com offers a customer-friendly trading environment due to its customer-oriented educational approach. Capex gives traders access to more than 2100 financial tools in various asset classes to trade in the financial markets across the world.
👍 Advantages of trading with CAPEX for traders from the UK:
•Diversification of trading assets. The broker offers access to currencies, commodity and stock market assets (including ETFs, indices, bonds) and cryptocurrencies. There are also thematic investment portfolios.
•Big educational base: CAPEX Academy, market reviews, podcasts, articles, etc.
•License issued by CySEC (Cyprus, 292/16). It is a reputable regulatory authority that operates in compliance with the European law.
👎 Disadvantages of CAPEX for traders from the UK:
•High minimum deposit: USD 100 on Standard account, from USD 1,000 and more on other account types. Trading conditions seem to be more of a marketing nature than to provide specific information.
5
World Forex - Best for short selling in the UK
World Forex is a broker operating on the market for 12 years. The company carries on its activity in 50 countries in the world. It is a member of the Financial Commission for Dispute Resolution in the field of financial services in the international exchange market. World Forex coops with front developers, introducing modern tools that provide traders with safe and uninterrupted trading. The company is admitted as the best Forex digital contract broker.
👍 Advantages of trading with World Forex for traders from the UK:
•bonus 100% for replenishment;
•commissions compensation when depositing;
•low barrier for entry — you can deposit $1;
•Safe-box account — high interests for trader's funds, free-and-easy converting and cash transferring between your trade accounts according to official bank rates;
•making transactions with ECN/STP technologies avoid a conflict of interest between the broker and the trader;
•auto trading is available;
•wide range of replenishment and withdrawal systems;
•own developed course "Forex Guide for the trader";
•the ability to trade digital contracts provides a potential profit of 100%.
👎 Disadvantages of World Forex for traders from the UK:
•no search box on the website;
•the support service may take several hours to respond
•the training section can be amended with video courses and training articles.
TOP 5 Comparison
This table makes it easy to compare the best crypto brokers for short selling in the UK for 2026 by placing their information side by side all in one place. The table includes the categories that are most important when deciding on a broker to work with. The data contained in this table is verified and only includes the most reputable brokers.
| XM | Pepperstone | FxPro | CAPEX | World Forex | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Trading platform |
MT4, MT5, Mobile Trading, XM App |
MT4, Mobile Trading, WebTrader, cTrader, MT5, TradingView |
MT4, Mobile Trading, MT5, cTrader, FxPro Edge |
MT5, WebTrader, Mobile Trading |
MT4, WebTrader, Android, iPhone, MAC platform |
|
Min deposit |
$5 |
$1 |
$100 |
$100 |
$1 |
|
Leverage |
From 1:1 |
From 1:1 |
From 1:1 |
From 1:1 |
From 1:33 |
|
Trust management |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
|
Accrual of % on the balance |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
|
Spread |
From 0.8 points |
From 0 points |
From 0 points |
From 0 points |
From 0.2 points |
|
Level of margin call / stop out |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
|
Execution of orders |
Market Execution |
Instant Execution |
Market Execution |
Market Execution, Instant Execution |
Market Execution, Instant Execution |
|
No deposit bonus |
$30 |
No |
No |
No |
No |
|
Cent accounts |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Commissions & Fees
Brokerage fees are the amount of money that you pay for using the services that a brokerage offers in order to perform trading and manage investments. The brokerage fee structure and regulations vary from broker to broker, and there are two primary fee types which are:
Trading Fees: This type of fee is only charged when you perform a trade. It can be a conversion fee, margin rate, financing rate, spread, or commission.
Non-Trading Fees: This type of fee isn't directly related to your trading activity, and it can include inactivity fee, withdrawal fee, deposit fee, etcetera.
XM Commissions and Fees
Traders Union analysts have analyzed the main and additional commissions for each XM Broker account. There are no additional commissions on all accounts.
| Account type | Spread (minimum value) | Withdrawal commision |
|---|---|---|
|
Ultra Low |
From 6 USD |
No |
|
Zero |
From 0 USD |
No |
Pepperstone Commissions and Fees
Pepperstone’s commissions and fee structure has been reviewed by our professional analysts for trading and non-trading commissions. The company's spread was considered as a trading commission. Our professional analysts also categorized additional fees charged for withdrawing funds as non-trading commission additional fees.
| Account type | Spread (minimum value) | Withdrawal commision |
|---|---|---|
|
Razor |
From $0 |
No |
|
Standard |
From $1 |
No |
FxPro Commissions and Fees
Traders Union professional team has analyzed FxPro trading conditions for commissions. For comparison and reference convenience, the results have been presented in the table.
| Account type | Spread (minimum value) | Withdrawal commision |
|---|---|---|
|
Standard |
From $10 |
No |
|
cTrader |
From $5 |
No |
|
Raw+ |
From $5 |
No |
|
Elite |
From $3 |
No |
CAPEX Commissions and Fees
Traders Union analysts performed a review of the broker’s trading conditions. The fee schedule is transparent, but with many nuances. For example, the broker charges inactivity fee, withdrawal fee that depends on the amount, withdrawal currency, etc. The broker offers six account types, but the conditions do not specify how the spread value depends on the account type. Below is the spread from the online widget for the EUR/USD pair.
| Account type | Spread (minimum value) | Withdrawal commision |
|---|---|---|
|
all accounts |
USD 11 |
yes |
World Forex Commissions and Fees
Traders Union analysts examined the conditions offered by the World Forex broker to identify hidden trading and non-trading commissions. A spread was chosen as the basis for assessing the trading commission, and a withdrawal fee was analyzed to determine the non-trading commission. The replenishment fee is absent in all accounts.
| Account type | Spread (minimum value) | Withdrawal commision |
|---|---|---|
|
W-Cent |
From 1.8$ |
Yes |
|
W-Profi |
From 18$ |
Yes |
|
W-Instant |
From 20$ |
Yes |
|
W-ECN |
From 2$ |
Yes |
Summary
Many brokers are available for traders from the UK, but not all of them offer good conditions. In this review, TU experts chose the Best crypto brokers for short selling in the UK 2026. These are the most trusted companies that offer the best conditions for traders. You will also be able to review the general assessment of each broker.
Overall score of the best Crypto Brokers For Short Selling in the UK
| XM | Pepperstone | FxPro | CAPEX | World Forex | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Overall score |
9.3 |
9.25 |
8.7 |
7 |
7.18 |
|
Execution of orders |
9.35 |
9.15 |
8.25 |
4.45 |
7.25 |
|
Investment instruments |
10 |
10 |
10 |
10 |
4.7 |
|
Withdrawal speed |
7 |
7 |
6 |
6 |
4 |
|
Customer Support work |
9.6 |
7 |
9.4 |
2.5 |
8.3 |
|
Variety of instruments |
8.02 |
6.32 |
9.27 |
7.37 |
4.67 |
|
Trading platform |
8.9 |
7.3 |
9.2 |
2.2 |
5.5 |
|
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
What factors are important when you are choosing a broker?
When you are choosing a broker, it is important to make sure it is a reliable company, consider its fees, the list of trading instruments, deposit and withdrawal methods and other factors. It is important to study a broker in detail, before opening an account with it.
What learning instruments can a broker offer?
Brokers offer various educational options. These include full-fledged educational courses, or video tutorials, articles, and books. Companies also often hold seminars and webinars.
Does the choice of a beginner differ from the choice of an experienced trader?
Yes. A novice trader should primarily consider the availability of educational tools and a demo account, as well as basic assets. A more experienced trader is interested in wider opportunities on advanced account types, a wider choice of instruments for technical analysis, and a greater number of trading instruments.
Can you earn passive income in the financial markets?
Yes, the best brokers in the UK offer passive income options. These could include copy trading, PAMM accounts, managed portfolios, etc.
Best Crypto Brokers For Short Selling by Countries
Team that worked on the article
Mikhail Vnuchkov joined Traders Union as an author in 2020. He began his professional career as a journalist-observer at a small online financial publication, where he covered global economic events and discussed their impact on the segment of financial investment, including investor income. With five years of experience in finance, Mikhail joined Traders Union team, where he is in charge of forming the pool of latest news for traders, who trade stocks, cryptocurrencies, Forex instruments and fixed income.
Olga Shendetskaya has been a part of the Traders Union team as an author, editor and proofreader since 2017. Since 2020, Shendetskaya has been the assistant chief editor of the website of Traders Union, an international association of traders. She has over 10 years of experience of working with economic and financial texts. In the period of 2017-2020, Olga has worked as a journalist and editor of laftNews news agency, economic and financial news sections. At the moment, Olga is a part of the team of top industry experts involved in creation of educational articles in finance and investment, overseeing their writing and publication on the Traders Union website.