Roch de Montesquieu
Research Analyst · Fees, Data & Transparency
Owns the fee data and the six-pillar scoring framework. Cross-checks every published cost against each broker’s live terms, and defends a score when a reader challenges it.
2026Independent broker comparator
Finding a broker. Without the marketing.
We're a small editorial team that tests every broker with a real funded account. Tell us what you trade — we'll point you to the ones that hold up.
We test every broker with a real funded account. Tell us what you trade — we'll point you to the ones that hold up.
Edited by Roch de Montesquieu — Research Analyst.
Reviews updated continuously. 47 brokers covered.
Find my broker
Find your ideal broker.
5 questions, 60 seconds, no signup. Start with your country — we'll show you the brokers made for you.
Where do you live?
Free. No signup. Results explained.
01 Who scores these brokers
Three editors. No algorithms. We publish what we tested.
Each review is signed by the editor who tested it. If you disagree with a score, write to that editor directly.
Camille Vasseur
Senior Writer · Markets & Regulation
Has covered online brokers since 2017, previously at Les Échos and Investir Magazine. Verifies each broker’s regulatory status and investor protections before a score is assigned.
Simon Dalmat
Editor-in-Chief · UK Markets & FCA Regulation
Covers UK online brokers, previously at Financial Times Adviser and Citywire. Sets editorial standards and leads reviews of FCA-regulated brokers.
02 How we work
Tested with real money. Not press accounts.
Every broker goes through the same four-step process. No exceptions — partner or not.
STEP 01 $2k+
Fund a real account
We open through the public onboarding flow. No press treatment, no special API. What you'd get.
STEP 02 50+
Execute trades
Across asset classes and order types. We measure fill rate, slippage, re-quote frequency.
STEP 03 4–6 wks
Read every contract
Account agreement, fee schedule, T&Cs. We note where the marketing differs from the legal text.
STEP 04 /10
Score & publish
Six pillars, public methodology. The score appears even if the broker is a partner.
03 Methodology · published in full
Six pillars, weighted publicly.
Every broker scored on the same six dimensions, weighted by relevance for retail investors. Partners and non-partners scored identically.
PILLAR 01 25%
Regulation & safety
Anchor regulators, deposit guarantees, segregation, capital adequacy. What actually protects your money.
PILLAR 02 25%
Fees
Commissions, spreads, withdrawal costs, FX conversion. The total cost — not the headline rate.
PILLAR 03 15%
Instruments
Breadth of asset classes, markets covered, fractional shares, options, bonds, crypto access.
PILLAR 04 15%
Platform
Desktop, web, mobile. Order types, charting, API access, real-world UX quality.
PILLAR 05 10%
Support
Channels, hours, languages, real response times — tested during peak and off-hours.
PILLAR 06 10%
Transparency
Order routing reports, fee disclosure, ownership disclosure, audit history.
Invest with confidence. Without the scams.
Every broker tested. Every score defensible. No exceptions.
investors helped since 2021
Check my broker 04 By use case
What are you trying to do?
Different traders need different brokers. Same methodology, different weightings.
05 From the editors
Latest guides
Practical guides written by our editorial team. What we'd want to read before opening an account.
FOREX GUIDE
How to choose a forex broker in 2026
A practical framework written after testing twelve forex brokers this year. The five things we now check first.
BEGINNERWhat is an online broker, really?
The basics — how brokers actually make money, what they really do for you, and the three signs of a bad one.
METHODOLOGYHow we score brokers — and why
The six-pillar framework, the weights, and the cases where we adjust. Read this before you trust our ranking.
Latest articles
Guides and analysis from our editorial team.
Start with the finder, or browse all 47 brokers.
Free, no signup, results explained.