CFD brokers.
Contracts for difference let you trade stocks, indices, commodities, and crypto without owning the underlying asset. 7 brokers covered with deep analysis of regulation, spreads, leverage, and platform quality.
Asset classes available.
CFD brokers typically offer multiple asset classes through one platform.
Complete broker list.
Ranked by overall score. CFD trading conditions, asset variety, and execution quality factored heavily.
Multi-regulated CFD broker. 200+ instruments including stocks, indices, commodities, and crypto. Raw spreads from 0.0 pips. Fastest crypto withdrawals in industry.
2000+ tradable instruments. True ECN execution. Best for active CFD traders. cTrader platform especially strong for stock CFDs.
1000+ tradable instruments. Comprehensive education for CFD beginners. Low minimum deposit. Demo with full functionality.
Strong stock CFDs offering. FCA + CySEC + FSCA + DFSA. HFcopy platform integration for copy trading CFDs.
Unique synthetic indices available 24/7. MFSA regulated. CFDs on forex, stocks, commodities + proprietary synthetic instruments.
CySEC + FSCA regulated. CFD trading via cTrader platform. OctaInvest for copy trading other traders’ CFD strategies.
CySEC + FSCA + ASIC. Cent accounts allow CFD trading with very small capital. Strong Asian and African market focus.
What are CFDs?
A CFD (Contract for Difference) is a derivative contract where you trade the price movement of an underlying asset without owning it. You agree with the broker to exchange the difference between the asset’s price when you open the position and when you close it.
Key characteristics:
- Leverage: CFDs are traded on margin, allowing you to control larger positions with smaller capital. EU retail leverage capped at 5:1 (stocks) to 30:1 (major forex). Offshore brokers offer higher leverage.
- Long and short: You can profit from both rising and falling prices, unlike owning the actual asset.
- No ownership: You don’t actually own the stock, commodity, or crypto. No voting rights, no dividends (though brokers often pass dividend equivalents as adjustments).
- Overnight financing: Holding positions overnight incurs swap fees that can be positive or negative depending on interest rate differentials.
- Spread + commission: Trading costs come from the bid-ask spread, sometimes with additional commission depending on broker and asset class.
CFDs are banned for US retail traders due to regulatory restrictions. They remain popular in EU (with strict regulations), UK, Australia, Asia, and emerging markets. Read our true cost analysis for a deep dive on CFD trading expenses.