Best ECN Brokers in Australia in 2024

1
8.29
Your capital is at risk.
Please note that your capital is at risk.
2
8.4
Your capital is at risk.
Up to 75.93% of the broker’s non-professional clients incur losses when trading CFDs.
3
8.23
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ECN trading accounts enjoy wide popularity both among beginners and experienced traders. These accounts allow traders to save on fees and also ensure quick order execution. Traders Union analysts have prepared the rating of the best ECN brokers in Australia. Experts analyzed companies based on more than 100 criteria. The specialists singled out the most reliable brokers with attractive trading conditions.

The most reliable brokers in Australia by TU include the following:

1
8.29
VISIT BROKER
Your capital is at risk.
Please note that your capital is at risk.

Pepperstone is particularly suitable for novice market participants as well as more seasoned trading professionals. In general, the Pepperstone platform offers everything novice traders need for comfortable trading such as favorable conditions, reliability, a wide selection of trading options, along with an assortment of first rate educational materials.

2
8.4
VISIT BROKER
Your capital is at risk.
Up to 75.93% of the broker’s non-professional clients incur losses when trading CFDs.

IC Markets Trading Company is a great broker for scalping enthusiasts, automated trading lovers, and beginner traders.

3

IG Markets is a well-known international company focused on financial market services. It is one of the largest CFD and Forex providers. The broker is regulated by reputable supervisory authorities and provides a high level of security for client assets.

4
7.76
VISIT BROKER
Your capital is at risk.
74.1% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.

Axi is a reliable brokerage with years of experience, holding three licenses in different jurisdictions. It offers accounts for traders of all experience levels, along with education and tools to enhance trading efficiency.

5
7.76
VISIT BROKER
Your capital is at risk.
77% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.

FXOpen is a reliable broker with years of experience in financial markets, and adjusting trading conditions for its clients based on the regulatory requirements of their jurisdiction.

Best ECN brokers in Australia in 2024

Pepperstone IC Markets IG Markets Axi FXOpen

Trading platform

cTrader, TradingView, MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5

MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, TradingView and cTrader

MetaTrader 4, IG Trading Platform, ProRealTime, L2 Dealer, and API

MT4 desktop, MT4 mobile app, MT4 WebTrader, Axi Mobile app

MT4, MT5, TickTrader, TradingView

Min deposit

$1

$200

$1

No

$300

Leverage

From 1:1
to 1:400

From 1:1
to 1:500

From 1:1
to 1:200

From 1:1
to 1:500

From 1:1
to 1:500

Trust management

No

No

No

No

No

Accrual of % on the balance

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

Spread

From 0.0 points

From 0.0 points

From 0.4 points

From 0.0 points

From 0.9 points

Level of margin call / stop out

90% / 20%

100% / 50%

No

90% / 20%

20% / 100%

Execution of orders

Instant Execution

Market Execution

Market Execution

Market Execution

Market Execution

No deposit bonus

No

No

No

No

No

Cent accounts

No

No

No

No

Yes

ECN is an electronic communication network which is used to process the trades of traders. There is no dealing, which is used by classical brokers. Such companies earn a profit exclusively from the fees paid by the traders. Therefore, they are directly interested in making sure that the client trades as long as possible and does not lose the deposit fast.

The ECN technology does not allow the broker to interfere with the process in any way. Traders work directly with the liquidity providers, i.e. the largest banks and financial institutions. Liquidity improvement is achieved through an increased number of trades, and not the trading volume. The spreads are floating on ECN accounts and they are better compared to classical brokers with dealing centers.

1
Best ECN broker in Australia - Pepperstone

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 (128), SCB (SIA-F217), and CySec (388/20). Moreover, with Pepperstone, clients' assets are maintained in aggregated accounts with several major, global banking institutions. These facts confirm the reliability of the company and guarantee the safety of the client's capital.

👍 Advantages of trading with Pepperstone for traders from Australia:

Attractive trading conditions;

Fast order execution - 30 ms on average;

1,200+ trading instruments;

Low fees; and

No inactivity fee.

👎 Disadvantages of Pepperstone for traders from Australia:

Support service works only 24/5;

No cent account;

Not available to US clients;

Limited passive trading opportunities;

Limited analytical materials available on the site. The only way to resolve this issue is to connect to trading signals;

No news section; and

Demo accounts can only trade for free for one month only.

Pepperstone Commissions & Fees for traders from Australia

The fees are the key source of income for ECN brokers. Before choosing a broker, it is important to evaluate the levels of commissions and fees, which the broker offers on different accounts, including ECN.

Pepperstone Commissions and Fees in Australia

Account type Spread (minimum value) Withdrawal commision

Razor

From $0

No

Standard

From $1

No

VISIT BROKER
Your capital is at risk.
Please note that your capital is at risk.

2
Best ECN broker in Australia - IC Markets

IC Markets is a multi-regulated STP/ECN broker that offers trading of 2,250+ instruments on MetaTrader, TradingView and cTrader platforms. Currently, IC Markets provides its services to over 200,000 clients worldwide. The broker processes over 500,000 trades daily and its monthly trading volume is almost $1.4 trillion as of June 2024. It is regulated by CySEC, ASIC, and FSA. The broker was incorporated in 2007 and is constantly developing, improving, and adding new services and products.

👍 Advantages of trading with IC Markets for traders from Australia:

Availability of three licenses;

Wide range of assets;

Standard and ECN account types for trading on different platforms;

Mobile apps for Android and iOS-based devices;

Scalping, hedging, and algorithmic trading are allowed;

Minimum delay when executing orders and ultra-fast market execution;

Competitive trading fees;

Wide choice of social trading and copy trading platforms;

24/7 support via live chat;

Demo accounts on MT4, MT5, and cTrader;

Swap-free accounts are available for Muslim traders.

👎 Disadvantages of IC Markets for traders from Australia:

Education materials available on the website are not very informative or diverse;

Rebates are available outside Australia and the European Economic Area;

Not all clients are equally protected since compensation for investment is subject to the trader's country of residence.

IC Markets Commissions & Fees for traders from Australia

The fees are the key source of income for ECN brokers. Before choosing a broker, it is important to evaluate the levels of commissions and fees, which the broker offers on different accounts, including ECN.

IC Markets Commissions and Fees in Australia

Account type Spread (minimum value) Withdrawal commision

Standard

$6

Bank fees apply

Raw spread MT4/MT5

$0

Bank fees apply

Raw spread cTrader

$0

Bank fees apply

Islamic

$0

Bank fees apply

VISIT BROKER
Your capital is at risk.
Up to 75.93% of the broker’s non-professional clients incur losses when trading CFDs.

3
Best ECN broker in Australia - IG Markets

IG Markets has been providing brokerage services for retail traders since 2014. It was established in 1974 in London to work with professional traders. It is a part of the IG Group with representative offices in 17 countries. IG Markets stocks are traded on the London Stock Exchange as a part of the FTSE 250 index. The broker is regulated by FCA (Financial Conduct Authority | the UK), CySec (Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission), ASIC (Australian Securities and Investments Commission), BaFin (the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority | Germany), FINMA (Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority), and NFA (National Futures Association). The IG Group global representative office is supervised by BMA (the Bermuda Monetary Authority). The broker provides services of trading Forex and different CFDs through MetaTrader 4 and its in-house platforms for retail and professional traders.

👍 Advantages of trading with IG Markets for traders from Australia:

Regulated activities and participation in compensation funds;

No minimum deposit requirements when opening an account with the international division;

Leverage is available for trading currencies and CFDs;

Wide range of trading assets and markets;

Fee rebates for new and active existing clients with large trading volumes;

Floating spreads from 0.6 pips for retail Forex traders;

Bonuses for new clients and partnership programs for different client categories.

👎 Disadvantages of IG Markets for traders from Australia:

The broker can reject opening accounts to traders with low capital or insufficient knowledge of derivatives trading;

Deposits and withdrawals can’t be made with e-wallets, electronic payment systems, or cryptocurrencies;

Trading conditions differ for various countries, so you have to look for the broker’s website in your country.

IG Markets Commissions & Fees for traders from Australia

The fees are the key source of income for ECN brokers. Before choosing a broker, it is important to evaluate the levels of commissions and fees, which the broker offers on different accounts, including ECN.

IG Markets Commissions and Fees in Australia

Account type Spread (minimum value) Withdrawal commision

Standard

From $6

YES

4
Best ECN broker in Australia - Axi

Axi is a multi-regulated Forex and CFD broker operating under licenses from ASIC (Australia - 127 606 348 ), FCA (United Kingdom - 466201), and DFSA (UAE - F003742), and is a member of The Financial Commission. Each division of Axi serves a specific region, with global traders transacting through the company registered in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Axi provides access to over 290 CFDs on stocks, commodities, cryptocurrencies, and shares. Specializing in the Forex market, the broker offers clients over 70 currency pairs with leverage up to 1:30, 1:400, or 1:500, depending on the regulator.

👍 Advantages of trading with Axi for traders from Australia:

Compliance with strict FCA, ASIC, and DFSA regulations;

No specific initial deposit requirements for Standard and Pro accounts;

High execution speed and price aggregation from 20+ liquidity providers;

5-digit quotes;

Access to VPS, Autochartist, and an extended toolkit for MT4;

Minimum trade size of 0.01 lots;

No fees for deposits and withdrawals.

👎 Disadvantages of Axi for traders from Australia:

Spreads on the Forex market are not the tightest;

Demo accounts are provided for 30 days if the trader does not have a user account;

The broker does not offer more advanced platforms like MT5 and cTrader, only MT4 is available.

Axi Commissions & Fees for traders from Australia

The fees are the key source of income for ECN brokers. Before choosing a broker, it is important to evaluate the levels of commissions and fees, which the broker offers on different accounts, including ECN.

Axi Commissions and Fees in Australia

Account type Spread (minimum value) Withdrawal commision

Elite

From $0

No

Pro

From $0

No

Standard

From $9

No

VISIT BROKER
Your capital is at risk.
74.1% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.

5
Best ECN broker in Australia - FXOpen

FXOpen has been providing brokerage services since 2005 while offering clients STP and True ECN execution models, liquidity from reputable providers, an enviable variety of accounts, and trading instruments. The broker has global offices regulated by the financial supervisory commissions FCA (United Kingdom), CySEC (Cyprus), and ASIC (Australia). FXOpen provides access to trading with over 600 instruments (Forex and CFDs) with leverage up to 1:1000 on the MT4, MT5, and TickTrader platforms. The company serves over 1 million traders, but FXOpen does not have a presence in the U.S.

👍 Advantages of trading with FXOpen for traders from Australia:

Regulation by three reputable supervisory authorities and membership in the Financial Commission;

Compensation of up to EUR 20,000 per client in case of the broker's bankruptcy or failure to fulfill withdrawal obligations;

Use of STP (Straight Through Processing) and ECN (Electronic Communication Network) technologies that eliminate dealing center involvement;

The opportunity for residents of many countries to start trading on STP accounts with $10 and on Micro accounts with $1;

Trading with leverage up to 1:500 on MT4 and MT5 accounts, up to 1:1000 on TickTrader;

Protection against negative balance for every retail trader.

👎 Disadvantages of FXOpen for traders from Australia:

High minimum deposit for traders from the United Kingdom and EU countries, starting from $300 or equivalent;

Limited range of educational content for beginners;

Micro cent accounts are not available in all countries.

FXOpen Commissions & Fees for traders from Australia

The fees are the key source of income for ECN brokers. Before choosing a broker, it is important to evaluate the levels of commissions and fees, which the broker offers on different accounts, including ECN.

FXOpen Commissions and Fees in Australia

Account type Spread (minimum value) Withdrawal commision

STP

From $9

Depends on the payment system and the trader's country

ECN

From $0

Depends on the payment system and the trader's country

Crypto

From $10

Depends on the payment system and the trader's country

Micro

From $0

Depends on the payment system and the trader's country

VISIT BROKER
Your capital is at risk.
77% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.

ECN account pros

Brokers offer simultaneously classic and ECN accounts. However, working through ECN is more beneficial.

The key benefits of this solution include the following:

  • Narrow spreads. The spreads on ECN accounts are lower than on classic trading accounts.

  • Reliability. Brokers have no impact on users’ trades on ECN accounts.

  • No requotes. Brokers make a withdrawal for each trade to the contracting party that offers the best quotes at the specific moment.

  • High liquidity. Trading conditions are more beneficial than on classical accounts; liquidity is achieved at the expense of the number of trades performed through ECN.

  • Impossibility to manipulate quotes. Traders receive direct access to quotes from liquidity providers.

Conclusions

ECN accounts can make trading in financial markets more profitable. Thanks to low fees and direct quotes from liquidity providers, traders can buy and sell assets at market prices, with market spreads and without manipulations with quotes by brokers.

Remember that trading on ECN accounts also carries risks. A trader can lose money, open unprofitable trades, etc. However, with the right approach and trading in line with the strategy, ECN can become a reliable instrument for trading in the Forex and other markets.

Top ECN brokers in 2024 for Australia traders

Pepperstone IC Markets IG Markets Axi FXOpen

Overall score

8.29

8.4

8.23

7.76

7.76

Execution of orders

9.15

9.45

8.75

7.8

6.5

Investment instruments

9.58

8.77

10

9.37

9

Withdrawal speed

8

9.43

8.29

8.86

9.31

Customer Support work

6.98

7.19

6.33

6.05

7.29

Variety of instruments

8.75

8.02

9.65

7.67

8.02

Trading platform

7.29

7.51

6.33

6.82

6.44

FAQs

Is ECN suitable for a beginner?

Yes, ECN is beneficial for a beginner, because it has minimum trading fees and no requotes.

How does ECN work?

ECN provides direct access to liquidity providers, which means that traders work with minimum involvement of the broker. This ensures narrow spreads and protection of the client against manipulations with quotes.

How are trades executed on ECN accounts?

Trades are executed fully automatically. A trade is executed when the buyer and the seller with the best quotes are matched. Dealing is not required.

Team that worked on the article

Mikhail Vnuchkov
Author at Traders Union

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
Author and editor at Traders Union

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.