ICM Capital was founded in London in 2009 and is recognised for its wide choice of trading platforms, low trading costs, and strong international regulation. ICM has two low-cost live accounts with no minimum deposit: The ICM Direct Account with spreads starting at 1.3 pips (EUR/USD) and the Zero Account with spreads starting at 0 pips (EUR/USD) and a commission of 7 USD per lot traded.  Despite the low trading costs, we were disappointed with ICM Capital’s high non-trading fees - including commissions for both deposits and withdrawals -  and the lack of transparency regarding funding options. And with virtually no Forex education or market analysis we consider ICM a poor choice for beginners.

As of May 2023, Skilling is no longer authorised by the UK Financial Conduct Authority and no longer accepts UK clients. This review is for informational purposes only. With a wide range of tradable assets and good trading conditions on three live accounts, Skilling may appeal to traders familiar with the MT4 or cTrader platforms. Skilling's commission-free Standard accounts have a minimum deposit requirement of 100 EUR and spreads that start at 0.8 pips (EUR/USD), which is tighter than the spreads on other brokers' entry-level accounts. Spreads tighten to 0.1 pips (EUR/USD) with a commission of 6 USD (round turn), but this is in exchange for a minimum deposit requirement of 5000 USD on its Premium Account.  Skilling's financial instrument offering is impressive, with 73 forex pairs, over 700 share CFDs, 5 commodities, and 17 indices available for trading. MT4, cTrader, and Skilling’s proprietary trading platform are all supported, with seamless integration provided between cTrader and Skilling’s own platform – an industry first. Beginner traders will be disappointed to know that Skilling’s Forex education and market analysis are almost completely absent.  

HF Markets is a well-known international broker, but its unique focus on the British market is undeniable. It has local FCA regulation, a dedicated UK customer service team, a toll-free UK customer service number, and offers GBP trading accounts. It also offers fast and free deposits and withdrawals via the Trustly app.  The HF Markets Premium Account has slightly higher trading costs than most other brokers’ entry-level accounts, with spreads starting at 1.4 pips on the EUR/USD. But trading costs improve on the ZERO Spread Account, with EUR/USD spreads starting at 0.1 pips and a 6 USD commission.  Neither account has a minimum deposit requirement. It also offers a Premium Pro Account, with leverage of up to 400:1, but this requires a minimum deposit of 5000 EUR/USD/GBP. HF Markets supports both the MT4 and MT5 platforms in addition to its own mobile HF App, which allows clients to trade from charts and make deposits and withdrawals. It also has several excellent trading tools to assist traders further.

IFC Markets caters well to beginner traders with four low-cost Micro accounts, a well-structured education section, and support for its proprietary platform, which is easier to use and set up than other third-party platforms. IFC Markets also stands out for its innovative Portfolio Quoting Method, which allows for the creation of personalized trading instruments. IFC Markets offers a low-cost trading environment for traders willing to try its proprietary NetTradeX platform. Support is also provided for the Metatrader platforms, but trading costs remain uncompetitive. However, clients can choose to trade on over 600 financial assets, including synthetic CFDs, and even create their instruments. It is clear that IFC Markets focuses on providing a welcoming environment for new traders, with minimum deposits of 5 USD on its beginner-friendly Micro accounts and a host of learning materials covering trading basics.  Alongside the high trading fees on the Metatrader platforms, IFC Markets' non-trading fees are high, including charges for deposits and withdrawals. In addition, it has a limited number of base currencies, which means that British traders will have to pay currency conversion fees.