Forex Brokers for Scalping
- Written By thinkforexbrokers
- Updated:
Scalping is a fast-paced forex trading strategy where traders aim to make quick profits from small price movements in currency pairs. When done right, it can be quite profitable. But not every broker is scalper-friendly—some don’t allow it at all, while others may impose restrictions or penalties.
The good news? Our team has done the research and put together a list of the best brokers that fully support scalping. These brokers offer ultra-low spreads, lightning-fast trade execution, high leverage, and a solid set of trading tools—everything a scalper needs for success.
74-89 % of retails CFD accounts lose money
73.85 % of retails CFD accounts lose money
59.57 % of retails CFD accounts lose money
Trading leveraged product is risky
74 to 89 % of retails CFD accounts lose money
75.5% of retails investor accounts lose money
The vast majority of retail client accounts lose money
72.82 % of retails investor lose money
82 % of retails investors accounts lose money
Top 10 Brokers for Forex Scalpers
1. Fusion Markets
Fusion Markets is a globally accessible, ASIC- and VFSC-regulated discount broker that’s been making waves since its launch in 2019. It quickly earned a solid reputation for offering some of the lowest spreads in the industry and top-tier trading conditions. In fact, its trading commissions are around 36% lower than many of its competitors.
Traders can choose from over 250 instruments, including a standout selection of more than 90 currency pairs. Fusion Markets uses no dealing desk execution and offers spreads starting from zero pips.
The platform is built to suit all types of traders—scalpers and hedgers included. There are no restrictions on how long you hold a position or where you place your stop-loss and take-profit orders, which is great news for scalpers who want to jump in and out of trades quickly. For those looking for tight spreads and low costs, the Zero Account is a strong choice.
Fusion Markets products are issued by Gleneagle Asset Management Limited (ABN 29 103 162 278), trading as Fusion Markets. Keep in mind that trading these products comes with both the potential for profit and the risk of significant losses—losses that could exceed your initial deposit. This type of trading isn’t suitable for everyone. Before getting started, it’s important to read the Financial Product Service Terms, Product Disclosure Statement (PDS), and Financial Services Guide, all of which you can find on our website. Make sure to consider your personal financial situation, needs, and investment goals carefully—and if you’re unsure, seek independent financial advice.
2. FP Markets
FP Markets is a strong choice for traders who want access to a wide range of markets without any restrictions on their trading strategies. This award-winning broker offers an impressive lineup of over 10,000 financial instruments and fully supports scalping, hedging, and automated trading—including the use of Expert Advisors (EAs), with no limitations.
As a well-regulated ECN broker, FP Markets is especially appealing to scalpers. It offers ultra-low raw spreads, one-click trading, VPS hosting, and leverage of up to 1:500. Orders are processed with low latency through Equinix NY4 servers, with no dealing desk interference—giving traders direct access to interbank pricing.
For those new to scalping or looking to refine their approach, FP Markets also provides educational resources, including detailed scalping guides that cover key indicators like Moving Averages, Bollinger Bands, and the Relative Strength Index (RSI).
Risk Warning: CFDs are complex financial instruments and carry a high risk of losing money quickly due to leverage. With this provider, 72.92% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should carefully consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
3. Pepperstone
Pepperstone is a well-established online broker, founded in 2010, known for its strong platform support and competitive trading conditions across more than 1,200 financial instruments. It’s a great fit for scalpers—not only is scalping allowed, but the broker goes the extra mile to create ideal conditions for it.
Scalpers can take advantage of raw spreads starting from zero pips on major currency pairs through the Razor account. Thanks to direct pricing from top-tier banks and financial institutions, requotes are extremely rare. Add to that Pepperstone’s lightning-fast trade execution—orders are typically processed in under 30 milliseconds with a 99.90% fill rate—and it’s easy to see why the broker is favored by high-frequency traders.
For those looking to refine their skills, Pepperstone also offers a detailed scalping guide in its ‘Trading Guides’ section.
Risk Warning: CFDs are complex instruments and carry a high risk of losing money quickly due to leverage. 75.5% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. Make sure you understand how CFDs work and consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
4. Global Prime
Global Prime brings over a decade of experience to the table, offering high-quality online trading for retail clients around the world. Regulated by ASIC, this broker is known for its low commissions, tight spreads on 40+ forex pairs, and free funding options. It’s also a strong choice for scalpers, thanks to its flexible trading conditions—there are no restrictions on how long you hold positions or which strategies you use.
Whether you prefer the Standard or Raw account, both support scalping, hedging, and algorithmic trading. Plus, there’s no minimum deposit requirement, so new traders can start with whatever amount they’re comfortable with.
Global Prime is a trading name of FMGP Trading Group Pty Ltd (ABN 74 146 086 017) and is regulated by ASIC and licensed to carry on a financial services business in Australia under Australian Financial Services License No. 385620. Gleneagle Securities Pty Limited trading as Global Prime FX is a registered Vanuatu company (Company Number 40256) and is regulated by the VFSC. The website is owned and operated by FMGP Trading Group Pty Ltd, ABN 74 146 086 017.
5. XM Group
XM is a reliable broker offering a wide variety of tradable assets and account options. Serving clients in over 190 countries, XM is regulated by authorities in Cyprus, Belize, and Australia. Their extensive product lineup includes more than 1,000 financial instruments, including popular diversification tools like thematic indices.
Scalping is allowed on all XM account types—whether you choose micro, standard, or zero accounts. Scalpers can take advantage of ultra-tight spreads, no requotes, and excellent order fill rates. Plus, depending on where you’re located, you could access leverage up to 1:1000, helping to boost potential profits from even the smallest price moves.
6. AvaTrade
AvaTrade has been a pioneer in online trading for over 18 years, providing competitive trading conditions to clients around the world. The broker is regulated by nine trusted financial authorities, including ASIC, CySEC, and the FSA. With a diverse offering of more than 1,200 instruments—covering currencies, vanilla options, bonds, commodities, indices, stocks, and cryptocurrencies—AvaTrade makes low-cost trading accessible.
Scalpers will find AvaTrade especially appealing, thanks to ultra-tight spreads, high leverage, and plenty of tools for automated trading. Forex scalpers can take advantage of competitive spreads on major pairs like EUR/USD, GBP/USD, and USD/JPY—perfect for quick scalping strategies. Traders outside Europe, Canada, and Australia can enjoy leverage up to 1:400 by default. Plus, AvaTrade protects clients with negative balance protection and keeps funds safe in segregated accounts.
Risk Warning: CFDs are complex instruments and carry a high risk of losing money quickly due to leverage. 76% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. Make sure you fully understand how CFDs work and carefully consider whether you can afford the high risk of losing your money.
7. Eightcap
Licensed by ASIC, CySEC, the FCA, and the SCB, Eightcap is a trusted online broker offering retail traders access to over 800 markets with confidence. Known for its transparent pricing, tight spreads, and user-friendly platforms, Eightcap caters to both beginners and experienced traders alike.
The broker welcomes all trading styles—including scalping, hedging, algorithmic, and copy trading. Scalpers can pick from Standard, Raw, or TradingView accounts, with spreads ranging from 0.0 to 1.0 pips. The minimum deposit is $100 across all account types. Orders are executed using ECN and STP models with no dealing desk interference, ensuring fast and fair pricing. Eightcap recommends scalpers focus on liquid currency pairs with tight spreads to keep transaction costs low.
Risk Warning: CFDs are complex instruments and carry a high risk of losing money quickly due to leverage. 76.09% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. Make sure you fully understand how CFDs work and carefully consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
8. BlackBull Markets
With over a decade of experience, BlackBull Markets has built a reputation as a reliable broker for traders seeking a wide range of markets, tight spreads, and fast order execution. Regulated in New Zealand and Seychelles, the broker offers an impressive selection of more than 26,000 tradable assets, including over 70 major, exotic, and cross currency pairs.
BlackBull Markets is an excellent choice for algorithmic traders and scalpers alike, providing ECN execution speeds averaging under 20 milliseconds and VPS hosting to keep trades running smoothly. Scalpers can expect minimal slippage and razor-tight spreads starting from just 0.1 pips. Plus, the broker supports multiple funding options, including popular cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum.
9. Axi
Launched in 2007 and based in Sydney, Axi is a well-regulated and trusted broker offering a solid selection of over 220 tradable instruments. As a MetaTrader broker, Axi supports trading through both MT4 WebTrader and MT4 desktop platforms.
Clients enjoy multilingual customer support, transparent pricing, and a wide range of educational resources. Axi is especially suited for scalpers, thanks to its partnerships with top-tier liquidity providers that deliver institutional-level raw spreads starting at zero pips. While the broker allows full and partial hedging, it does not permit any form of arbitrage trading.
Risk Warning: CFDs are complex instruments and carry a high risk of losing money quickly due to leverage. The majority of retail client accounts lose money when trading CFDs. Make sure you understand how CFDs work and carefully consider whether you can afford the high risk of losing your money.
10. ActivTrades
With over 20 years of experience, more than 100,000 registered customers, and over 65 global awards, ActivTrades is a well-established Forex broker that welcomes scalping and algorithmic trading. Traders can take advantage of small price movements in currency pairs thanks to the broker’s tight spreads and lightning-fast average execution speed of just 0.004 seconds. ActivTrades offers 54 currency pairs with competitive spreads starting from 0.5 pips and no commissions.
Beyond Forex—including major, minor, and exotic pairs—traders can also explore other markets like shares, indices, cryptocurrencies, ETFs, commodities, and bonds.
Risk Warning: CFDs are complex instruments and carry a high risk of losing money quickly due to leverage. 75% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. Make sure you understand how CFDs work and carefully consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Comprehensive Comparison of the Top 10 Forex Brokers for Scalping
Forex Broker | Min Deposit | Regulators | Platforms | Order Execution | FX Pairs | Commission | Spread | Avg Execution Speed | Inactivity Fee | Trust Pilot Rating |
$50 (AU$100) | ASIC, CySEC, FSA (Seychelles), FSCA, FSA (St. Vincent and the Grenadines), SCB (Bahamas) | MetaTrader4, MetaTrader5, WebTrader, IRESS, cTrader, TradingView | NDD, ECN | 70+ | $0 Standard Account; $6 round turn on Pro Account | 1.0 pips Standard; 0.0 pips Raw | 40 ms | No | ||
$0 (Standard) $2,000 (Prime) $20,000 (Institutional) | FSA (Seychelles) (No. SD045), FMA (No. FSP403326) | MetaTrader4, MetaTrader5, TradingView, cTrader, MT WebTrader, BlackBull Shares, BlackBull CopyTrader, BlackBull Trade, BlackBull Invest, ZuluTrade | STP, ECN/STP | 70+ | $0 Standard; $6 per lot Prime; $4 per lot Institutional | 0.8 pips Standard; 0.1 pips Prime; 0.0 pips Institutional | 20 ms | No | ||
$0 | ASIC, FSA (Seychelles), VFSC (Vanuatu) | MetaTrader4, MetaTrader5, cTrader, DupliTrade, Fusion+ Copy Trade, TradingView | NDD | 80+ | $0 Classic Account, $4.50 round turn on Zero Account | from 0.9 pips Classic; from 0.0 pips Zero | 37ms | No | ||
$100 | FFAJ (License No.1574), CySEC (No. 347/17), ISA (No. 514666577), IIROC, ADGM / FSRA (No.190018), CBI (No.C53877), BVIFSC (No. SIBA/L/13/1049), FSCA(No.45984), ASIC (No.406684), JFSA (No. 1662) | MetaTrader4, MetaTrader5, WebTrader, AvaTade App, AvaSocial, AvaOptions, DupliTrade | DD | 50+ | $0 | From 0.9 pips (retail), 0.6 pips (pro) | 30ms | After 2 consecutive months - $/€/£10 | ||
$0 | ASIC (No. 385620), VFSC (No. 40256) | MT4, MT4 Webtrader, MT4 Android; for VFSC clients MT4, MT5, and GP Copy | NDD | 56 | $0 Standard Accounts; $7 round turn on Raw Accounts | 0.9 pips Standard, 0.0 pips Raw | 100 ms, 1 to 5 ms with VPS | No | ||
$0; $5 (EU and UK) | ASIC, FCA, CySEC, DFSA, FSA (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines), FMA | MetaTrader4, MT4 WebTrader, Axi Mobile | DD, STP | 80 | $0 on Standard Account; $7 round trip on Pro Account | From 0.0 pips (Elite and Pro Accounts), 0.9 pips (Standard Account) | 9ms | No | ||
$0 | ASIC (No. 414530), UK FCA (No.684312), CySEC (No. 388/20), BaFin (No.151148), DFSA (F004356), CMA (128), SCB Bahamas (SIA-F217), FSA (SD108) | MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, TradingView | STP, ECN/STP | 90+ | $0 (Standard Account), $7 round-turn (Razor Account) | From 0.0 pips (Razor Accounts), 1 pip (Standard Accounts) | 30 ms | No | ||
$100 | SCB (No. SIA-F220), ASIC (No.391441), CySEC (No. 246/14), FCA (No. 921296), SCA | MetaTrader4, MetaTrader5, WebTrader, TradingView, Capitalise.ai, FlashTrader | Hybrid (ECN, DD) | 50+ | $0 on Standard and TradingView Accounts; $7 round turn on Raw Accounts | 0.1 pips on Standard and TradingView Accounts; 0.0 pips Raw Accounts | 14ms | No | ||
$5 | CySEC (license no. 120/10), (ASIC) (ref. no. 443670), FSC Belize (license no. 000261/27), FSC of Mauritius (GB23202700), FSA Seychelles (SD190), DFSA (ref. no. F003484), FSCA (49976), Registrations for EU passporting: - BaFin, CNMV, MNB, CONSOB, ACPR, FIN-FSA (Finland), KNF, AFM, FI | MetaTrader4, MetaTrader5, MT4 WebTrader, MT5 WebTrader, MT4 Multiterminal, XM App | Dealing Desk | 50+ | $0 Ultra Low Micro and Ultra Low Standard Accounts; $3.50 per side XM Zero Account | From 0.0 pips (Zero Account), from 0.8 pips (Standard and Micro Accounts) | <1000 ms | $5 per month after 90 days of no activity | ||
Standard Account: $1,000; Premium Account: $10,000; Prime Account: $50,000 | FCA (562170), DFSA (F001438), SFC (AZV127), MFSA (C 57936), CySEC (422/22), MAS (226182), CSSF, FSCA | CFXD, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader5 | STP | 80+ | $/€0 on Standard, Premium and Prime Accounts; $/€2.5 per side per lot for Elite Accounts | From 1.7 pips (Standard), 1.4 pips (Premium), 1.1 pips (Prime), 0.0 pips (Elite for EU customers) | 9 ms | $10 per month after 6 months of no activity |
Scalping Forex Trading Strategy Explained
Scalping is a popular trading strategy where traders aim to make small profits from tiny price movements. It involves making many quick trades—sometimes hundreds in a single day—each lasting just seconds to a few minutes. Scalpers usually close their positions as soon as prices move slightly above their break-even point.
The idea behind scalping is simple: small price changes happen far more often than big ones, and these modest gains can add up over time. But scalping demands strict discipline, as traders need to stick closely to predefined profit and loss targets. One common rule among scalpers is to avoid holding positions overnight.
Because scalping requires constant market monitoring, many traders use automation tools like expert advisors (trading robots) to help execute trades faster. Scalpers often use high leverage to increase their market exposure, aiming to boost profits while using less capital. Success with scalping depends on accuracy, speed, and solid risk management.
There are several popular scalping strategies, each with its own approach:
Momentum Scalping:
This strategy focuses on taking advantage of strong price moves within short time frames. Traders typically use 1- to 5-minute charts to spot assets gaining momentum. They identify overbought or oversold conditions by analyzing volume and technical indicators like the MACD (Moving Average Convergence Divergence), RSI (Relative Strength Index), and Stochastic oscillator.
Range Scalping:
Range scalpers profit from prices bouncing between set support and resistance levels. This works best in low-volatility markets where prices move within a defined range. Tools like the Stochastic Oscillator, VWAP (Volume Weighted Average Price), Bollinger Bands, and RSI help range scalpers pinpoint the best moments to enter and exit trades.
News Scalping:
This technique targets the quick price swings that happen right after major news releases, when market volatility and liquidity spike. News scalping requires sharp focus, discipline, and lightning-fast decisions since the window to profit is often very short.
Moving Average Scalping:
Here, traders use moving averages to spot short-term price trends. The strategy typically involves watching for crossovers between a faster moving average (5 to 10 periods) and a slower one (20 to 50 periods). These crossovers signal potential small price moves to jump on.
What Makes a Good Forex Broker for Scalping
When choosing a reliable forex broker for scalping, traders—especially beginners—should keep a few key factors in mind. Here are the most important things to consider.
Accurate and Instant Execution
Execution speed and accuracy are crucial for scalpers. Slow order execution can eat up the small profits made from tiny price changes due to slippage and market impact. It’s best to choose brokers that provide Level 2 pricing and direct access to interbank markets to ensure fast and precise trade execution.
Low Spreads and Commissions
Spreads are another key factor to consider since scalping relies on making profits from tiny price moves. The best brokers for scalping offer low spreads—typically no more than one pip. If commissions apply, they should be competitive, but scalpers often prefer commission-free trading to keep costs as low as possible.
No Stop-Loss and Take-Profit Restrictions
Experienced scalpers often use stop-loss and take-profit orders to manage risk and secure small gains. A good forex broker for scalping lets traders set these orders at any level they choose, without restrictions. Likewise, there should be no limits on how long positions can be held.
Wide Range of Indicators and EAs
Active scalpers often make hundreds of trades each day and frequently automate their strategies using expert advisors (EAs) and other algorithmic trading tools. Choosing a broker that offers custom indicators, multiple timeframes, and a strong selection of EAs is crucial for effective scalping. These tools help scalpers increase their trading frequency and efficiency.
Why Do Some Forex Brokers Prohibit Scalping?
Although scalping is a popular strategy, some brokers don’t allow it because they see it as higher risk. Market makers, who act as the other side of client trades, often ban scalping to protect their own profits.
Scalpers can open hundreds of positions a day, which can overwhelm a broker’s systems. Flooding servers with many large orders in rapid succession may slow down execution or even cause outages.
Instead of outright banning scalping, some brokers limit it by enforcing minimum position hold times or capping the number of trades per day. It’s important to carefully review your broker’s policies before you start scalping to avoid surprises.
Popular Trading Platforms for Scalpers
When choosing a trading platform, scalpers should look for several important features. The ability to open and close positions with a single click is essential, allowing traders to quickly capture small price movements. Advanced charting tools with customizable timeframes help scalpers analyze short-term price action more precisely. For those using automated strategies, API access is a must to boost trading speed and efficiency.
VPS (Virtual Private Server) services are also crucial, as they ensure stable connectivity and lower latency, which means less slippage and faster order execution. Additionally, platforms that offer Level II pricing give scalpers a real-time view of market depth by showing the order book. This insight helps traders gauge short-term market sentiment by examining order sizes and directions.
Three platforms stand out when it comes to scalping:
cTrader is packed with features tailored for scalpers, including 26 timeframes starting from just one minute. It offers lightning-fast one-click trading, so you can enter or exit positions instantly. A handy feature lets you reverse multiple open positions with a single click if the market moves against you. Plus, cTrader supports algorithmic trading with bots, which is a big plus for scalpers.
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5) are also excellent choices. Both platforms provide a wide range of expert advisors and built-in indicators for technical analysis. If you’re comfortable with coding, you can even create custom indicators. Both offer one-click trading and chart-based trading. Between the two, MT5 has a slight edge for scalping thanks to its faster execution speeds.
Who Is Scalping Suitable For?
Scalping demands strong discipline and a solid understanding of financial markets, making it best suited for experienced traders. It’s ideal for those who can dedicate plenty of time to watching and analyzing the markets. Good analytical skills are also essential for success with this fast-paced strategy.
