Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Pepperstone vs Admirals, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 51% and 89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Pepperstone, founded in 2010, and Admirals, established in 2001, are two well-regarded online brokers. Both firms hold a significant number of regulatory licenses, although neither is publicly traded nor operates as a bank. Pepperstone holds three Tier-1 licenses, while Admirals has an edge with four, offering a slight advantage in regulatory standing. Additionally, both brokers maintain a healthy number of Tier-2 licenses, with Pepperstone holding two and Admirals holding three, reinforcing their status as reliable choices for traders.
When it comes to trust ratings by ForexBrokers.com, Pepperstone scores an impressive 95 out of 99, indicating a very high level of trust. Admirals closely follows with a trust score of 93, also marking it as a highly trusted broker. These trust scores reflect their strong regulatory compliance and reputation in the industry, providing traders with confidence in their trading platforms.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 4 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
Pepperstone and Admirals both offer competitive commission and fee structures, appealing to different types of traders. Pepperstone stands out with its Razor account, which provides excellent pricing for high-volume traders, especially when paired with their Active Trader program. The Razor account, compatible with TradingView, MetaTrader (MT4 or MT5), or cTrader, operates on a commission-based pricing strategy. It features an average spread of 0.10 pips for EUR/USD, with an all-in cost of 0.80 pips when accounting for commissions. Meanwhile, Pepperstone’s Standard account, which is commission-free, lists an average spread of 1.1 pips for the same currency pair, making it costlier than the Razor account.
For traders interested in fee rebates based on trading volume, Pepperstone offers enticing benefits through its Active Trader program. For example, traders in the UK or EU who trade extensive volumes can benefit from spread rebates ranging from 15% to 25%, depending on monthly trading amounts. Australian professional clients can also enjoy discounted spreads, with up to a 30% reduction for those trading over 3001 lots monthly. On the other hand, Admirals offers a straightforward pricing model with typical spreads of 0.8 on its Trade account, providing a similar environment for those opting for their Zero account type.
When it comes to rankings and ratings, both brokers have received commendable feedback, though Pepperstone ranks slightly higher overall. Pepperstone holds an impressive 4.5-star rating for commissions and fees, landing at #10 out of 62 brokers as ranked by ForexBrokers.com. Meanwhile, Admirals also boasts a 4.5-star rating, although it ranks #17 in the same category, indicating strong yet slightly lower value compared to Pepperstone in this specific aspect.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.00 | 0.8 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.70 | 0.8 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Pepperstone and Admirals are both well-regarded online brokers that facilitate a variety of investment opportunities, particularly in the realm of global forex trading. Both platforms offer forex trading both as CFDs, with Pepperstone providing access to 65 tradable forex pairs and Admirals offering 82. This makes Admirals slightly more appealing in this category for those interested in exploring a wider range of currency pairs. In total, Pepperstone boasts 1,726 tradeable symbols, providing diverse options within its offerings, but Admirals surpasses this with an impressive 8,702 symbols.
When it comes to exchange-traded securities, there is a notable difference between the two brokers. Admirals allows its clients to buy shares on both U.S. and international exchanges, such as Apple and Vodafone, a feature that Pepperstone does not provide. Both brokers support cryptocurrency derivatives but do not offer the purchase of actual cryptocurrencies. Copy trading is available on both platforms, allowing investors to mimic successful strategies. Overall, Admirals receives a slightly higher rating of 4.5 stars in range of investments, ranking 19th out of 62 brokers, while Pepperstone holds a respectable 4 stars and ranks 26th. This makes Admirals a strong contender for those seeking a broader range of investment options.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1726 | 8702 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 82 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | Yes | Yes |
| Disclaimers | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
Pepperstone and Admirals both provide a comprehensive suite of trading platforms and tools to meet the needs of online traders. Offering simulated trading through free virtual demo accounts, they ensure users can practice without financial risk. Both brokers support a downloadable Windows-based desktop platform alongside a convenient web-based trading option. They also offer popular platforms like MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), with both brokers allowing direct trade execution from charts and providing watch lists with seven customizable columns. On the creative side, Admirals edges ahead by offering 106 drawing tools, compared to Pepperstone’s 30. For those interested in copy trading, both Pepperstone and Admirals facilitate this feature, although Pepperstone also uniquely supports DupliTrade.
Each broker is dedicated to enhancing the trading experience through proprietary trading platforms developed in-house. However, neither supports ZuluTrade. Despite these similarities, assessment by ForexBrokers.com ranks Admirals slightly higher, at 19th compared to Pepperstone’s 22nd out of 62 brokers. Interestingly, both receive the same star rating of 4 out of 5 for their trading platforms and tools, reflecting comparable user satisfaction and quality. Whether you prioritize diverse drawing tools, proprietary platforms, or specific trading integrations like DupliTrade, both Pepperstone and Admirals present strong options for traders looking to explore financial markets online.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| DupliTrade | Yes | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 15 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 30 | 106 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Pepperstone and Admirals both excel in providing user-friendly mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android users. They each deliver essential features like stock and forex price alerts, the ability to draw trendlines, multiple time frame views, and auto-saving of chart drawings. Both platforms boast 30 technical studies for charting, ensuring a comprehensive analytical experience. Users can create watchlists with real-time quotes on either app. However, when it comes to synchronizing watchlists across devices, Pepperstone holds a slight advantage, offering seamless syncing with online accounts, a feature Admirals lacks.
In terms of ratings, both Pepperstone and Admirals earn a commendable 4-star rating for their mobile trading apps. However, Pepperstone edges out slightly in the rankings, securing the 21st spot out of 62 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com, while Admirals comes in at 23rd. Despite the close competition, these rankings provide a subtle nod towards Pepperstone's slightly enhanced user experience for mobile traders, especially for those who value syncing capabilities between their mobile and online platforms.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Pepperstone and Admirals both offer a strong suite of market research tools and resources, ensuring traders stay well-informed and up-to-date. Both brokers provide daily market commentary and deliver forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters. They also offer sentiment-based trading tools that provide insights into long and short positions across various currency pairs. Additionally, access to an economic calendar is available from both, helping traders keep track of significant global events.
However, there are key differences between the two brokers. Pepperstone stands out by offering tools from Autochartist, which Admirals does not provide. Admirals, on the other hand, offers research tools from Trading Central and Acuity Trading and provides market research from TipRanks, unlike Pepperstone. Despite these differences, Pepperstone achieves a slightly higher rating of 4.5 stars compared to Admirals' 4 stars in the research category, and ranks 12th out of 62 brokers as evaluated by ForexBrokers.com, while Admirals ranks 15th.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | Yes |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | No | Yes |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Pepperstone and Admirals are both strong contenders when it comes to providing educational resources for those new to forex and CFDs trading. Both brokers deliver over 10 educational pieces, such as articles and videos, to help beginners grasp trading concepts. They also host online educational webinars at least once a month and maintain an accessible archive of recorded sessions for future reference. Additionally, each platform provides a series of beginner-focused educational videos, as well as more advanced material for seasoned traders. An investor dictionary with definitions of at least 50 investing terms is also available from both brokers to further aid their clients' learning journeys.
When it comes to ratings, Pepperstone earns a commendable 4.5 stars for its educational offerings, compared to Admirals' 4-star rating. Despite this, ForexBrokers.com ranks Admirals slightly higher at #12 out of 62 brokers in the Education category, while Pepperstone stands at #18. Both brokers evidently prioritize the educational needs of their clients, providing ample resources that cater to traders with varying levels of experience. Overall, beginners can expect comprehensive support from either platform, but slight differences in rankings and ratings may influence which broker they ultimately choose.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 62 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Pepperstone is better than Admirals. Pepperstone finished with an overall rank of #16, while Admirals finished with an overall rank of #18.
Pepperstone offers a growing range of tradeable markets, good-quality research, and support for multiple social copy trading platforms.
| Feature |
Pepperstone
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 95 | 93 |
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Both Pepperstone and Admirals do not offer the ability to buy actual delivered cryptocurrency, but both provide the option to trade cryptocurrency derivatives.
Both online brokers, Pepperstone and Admirals, provide a wide array of options for depositing and withdrawing account funds, including ACH or SEPA transfers, PayPal, Skrill, Visa or Mastercard, and bank wires, ensuring flexibility and convenience for their users.
Please note:
We review each broker’s overall global offering – a “Yes” checkmark in our Compare Tool does not guarantee the availability of any specific features in your country of residence. To verify the availability of any features within your country of residence, please contact the broker directly.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Pepperstone | Admirals | |
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| Trust Score | 95 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Pepperstone Review | Admirals Review |
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| Regulation | Pepperstone | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 95 | 93 | |
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2001 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | No | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 3 | 4 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 2 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Pepperstone | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | No | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | No | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Pepperstone | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No | Yes |
| Investments | Pepperstone | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 1726 | 8702 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 65 | 82 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | No | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | Yes | Yes | |
| Disclaimers | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). |
| Cost | Pepperstone | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.00 | 0.8 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.70 | 0.8 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | Yes | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | Yes | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | Pepperstone | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | Pepperstone | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | Yes | No | |
| DupliTrade | Yes | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Pepperstone | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 7 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 15 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 30 | 106 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Pepperstone | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 30 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Pepperstone | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | Yes | |
| TipRanks | No | Yes | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Pepperstone | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Pepperstone | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | Pepperstone Review | Admirals Review |
| Overall | Pepperstone | Admirals | |
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| Trust Score | 95 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Pepperstone Review | Admirals Review |
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