Swissquote

Swissquote is one of the most established names in online trading, headquartered in Switzerland and listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange. Founded in 1996, it has grown into a full-scale financial services provider with banking, investing, and trading all under one roof. Regulation is top-tier, with authorisation from FINMA (Switzerland) and the FCA (UK), giving clients strong legal protection and operational transparency.

Traders can access a wide range of instruments, including forex, indices, commodities, shares, ETFs, bonds, and cryptocurrencies. Swissquote supports MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, and its own proprietary Advanced Trader platform, giving traders flexibility across different trading styles. On top of that, there’s integration with TradingView, plus access to research tools, market insights, and a well-developed education centre that includes webinars and strategy tutorials.

Swissquote impressed us with its reputation, platform range, and regulatory strength. The combination of a listed, Swiss-based institution with FCA supervision in the UK inspires a high level of trust—something that few brokers can match. The trading environment feels professional, and we particularly liked the research coverage available directly through their platforms. Their in-house analytics, daily market briefings, and access to third-party research give traders plenty of insight.

The trading experience itself was smooth. Both MT4/MT5 and Advanced Trader handled orders reliably, and connection stability was solid. We also appreciated their educational offering—Swissquote’s academy and learning materials cater well to both beginners and more experienced traders who want to refine their technical or macro approach.

Where Swissquote falls short is cost. In our live testing, spreads across most major instruments were among the highest we’ve seen in our TraderGuide monitoring. The DOW spread was recorded at 5.80 points, and gold sat at roughly 7.06—both significantly higher than what top-tier, low-cost brokers offer. These conditions make it harder to turn a profit, especially for day traders or those using tighter strategies.

The platform range, while broad, can feel a bit heavy for newcomers. Advanced Trader, in particular has a learning curve, and the interface isn’t as intuitive as some of the newer competitors. While research is excellent, pricing overshadows these positives for most retail traders focused on cost efficiency.

Swissquote is a premium, highly regulated broker that offers safety, transparency, and a polished platform environment. If you value reputation, regulation, and a banking-level trading experience, Swissquote stands out as one of the more trustworthy options in the market.

However, from a value-for-money perspective, it simply doesn’t compete with the brokers at the top of our TraderGuide rankings. With spreads this high across major markets, traders are paying a premium for brand stability and security rather than tight pricing.

In summary, Swissquote is a reliable, well-established broker best suited for traders who prioritise safety and research over raw trading costs—but for those chasing lower spreads and better cost efficiency, there are stronger choices on our leaderboard.