StarTrader

StarTrader was established in 2013 and operates under multiple regulatory licences, including ASIC (Australia), FSA (Seychelles), and FSC (Mauritius). The broker is a member of the Financial Commission and provides fund segregation, negative balance protection, and even Lloyd’s insurance for added coverage.

Clients can trade over 1,000 instruments—spanning forex, indices, commodities, shares, and cryptocurrencies—via MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, and WebTrader platforms with leverage up to 1:500 under offshore entities.

In our testing, StarTrader delivered tight spreads across forex and commodities, while spreads on indices were slightly higher once commission costs were included. On the Standard account, all instruments are commission-free except indices, where StarTrader charges a $1 commission per lot per side (equal to $2 per round trip). For traders with USD accounts, this is roughly equivalent to adding about 2 points to the spread on indices.

Major forex pairs like EUR/USD and GBP/USD were very competitive—offering strong value, even if not the absolute cheapest we’ve reviewed on TraderGuide.

Execution was fast and reliable, with no slippage issues during normal market conditions. These spreads make the broker appealing for active and cost-conscious traders.

Platform performance on MT4/MT5 and WebTrader was smooth throughout our tests. Funding and withdrawals also worked without hiccups, with multiple payment methods (including crypto) processed efficiently. We also appreciated the availability of both commission‑free (Standard) and ECN-style accounts, along with helpful customer support and multilingual assistance .

While StarTrader offers fair pricing, there are a few trade-offs to consider. The spreads on forex majors are more average—EUR/USD hovered around 1.30 pips, and swap fees tended to run a bit high.

Another point is the regulatory complexity: while entities are licensed under ASIC and others, eligibility varies by region, and there’s no oversight from UK’s FCA or EU regulators. Depending on where you're registering from, you may fall under offshore regulation, so always double-check which entity you're signing up with.

The broker’s in-house WebTrader, while functional, doesn’t quite match the analytical depth or ecosystem of third-party tools available on MetaTrader. And although community feedback around execution and pricing has generally been strong, some reports mention occasional spread spikes during high-volatility news events—which is common but worth being aware of.

StarTrader stands out with fast execution, reliable platforms, and transparent pricing. The addition of an index commission means that trading costs vary slightly between instruments, but forex and commodity pricing remain competitive.

Its membership with ASIC (Australia) and the Financial Commission adds an extra layer of credibility, giving traders confidence in regions where FCA or ESMA oversight isn’t available.

If you’re looking for a broker that offers solid execution, reasonable pricing, and a straightforward trading setup, StarTrader is an excellent choice. While some brokers on our leaderboard offer broader regulation or more niche features, for traders who prioritise pricing efficiency and speed, StarTrader earns a strong recommendation.