Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of FOREX.com vs Pepperstone, 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.
FOREX.com and Pepperstone are well-known online brokers. FOREX.com, founded in 1999, is publicly traded; Pepperstone, founded in 2010, is privately held. Neither broker is a bank. On the ForexBrokers.com Trust Score, both are rated highly trusted: FOREX.com earns 99/99 and Pepperstone 94/99 (90–99 = highly trusted, 80–89 = trusted, 70–79 = average risk, 60–69 = high risk, below 59 = not trusted).
Regulation is a key difference. FOREX.com holds 7 Tier-1 licenses and 1 Tier-2 license, while Pepperstone holds 3 Tier-1 and 2 Tier-2 licenses; Tier-1 regulators are viewed as highly trusted and Tier-2 as trusted by ForexBrokers.com. In simple terms, both brokers are well regulated, with FOREX.com offering the broader top-tier coverage.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
Pepperstone
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2010 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 3 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
Comparing commissions and fees, Pepperstone edges out FOREX.com for most traders. Pepperstone earns 5/5 stars and ranks #6 of 63 brokers for Commissions and Fees, while FOREX.com scores 4.5/5 stars and ranks #15 of 63. Both offer a choice between a commission-free Standard account and a low-spread, commission-based option, but Pepperstone’s all-in costs on EUR/USD are typically a touch lower.
FOREX.com’s Standard account carries wider spreads, averaging about 1.4 pips on EUR/USD in the U.S. (July 2023). Outside the U.S., spreads averaged 0.74 pips (time-weighted, July 2023). Its RAW Spread account targets active traders with typical EUR/USD spreads of 0.13 pips (Feb 2024) plus a $7 per standard lot commission (about 0.7 pips), putting the all-in cost near 0.83 pips before any volume rebates. Rebates range from $2 to $9 per million, but unless you trade more than $50 million per month, the RAW account’s total costs are similar to the Standard account for U.S. residents.
Pepperstone’s Razor account posts an average EUR/USD spread of 0.10 pips (July 2024) plus a commission equivalent to about 0.70 pips, for an all-in cost near 0.80 pips. Its Standard account is commission-free with a higher 1.1-pip average spread, making Razor the better value. High-volume traders can reduce costs further through Pepperstone’s Active Trader rebates: UK/EU professional clients may receive 15%–25% off per lot (starting from £20 million monthly volume), while in Australia, professional clients can see 10%–30% spread reductions depending on monthly lots traded.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
Pepperstone
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.00 | 1.1 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.13 | 0.8 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Comparing FOREX.com vs Pepperstone for range of investments: both brokers support forex trading as CFDs or spot. FOREX.com offers 5,500 tradeable symbols and 80 currency pairs, while Pepperstone lists 1,726 symbols and 65 pairs. For Range of Investments, FOREX.com is rated 5 stars and ranks #6 out of 63 brokers, whereas Pepperstone is rated 4 stars and ranks #23.
FOREX.com also lets you buy exchange-traded securities (not CFDs) on both U.S. and international exchanges—think real shares like Apple or Vodafone. Pepperstone does not offer real share dealing. Both brokers provide cryptocurrency CFDs but not actual crypto. Pepperstone supports copy trading; FOREX.com does not. Choose FOREX.com if you want wider market access, or Pepperstone if copy trading is important and you mainly trade forex and CFDs.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
Pepperstone
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 1726 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 80 | 65 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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.
FOREX.com and Pepperstone both offer wide platform choice for traders. Each provides a free demo (paper) account, an in-house proprietary platform, and support for MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5). You can trade via a web browser or a Windows desktop app with either broker, and both allow trading directly from charts with access to a variety of indicators and drawing tools.
The key difference is copy trading: Pepperstone supports it, while FOREX.com does not. For Trading Platforms and Tools, ForexBrokers.com rates FOREX.com at 5 stars (ranked #5 of 63) and Pepperstone at 4 stars (ranked #21 of 63). Choose Pepperstone if you want integrated copy trading, or pick FOREX.com if you prefer a higher-rated platform lineup and an in-house platform experience.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
Pepperstone
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 90 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Both FOREX.com and Pepperstone deliver full-featured mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app supports price alerts, synced watchlists across mobile and web, and chart tools like drawing trendlines with auto-saved annotations. The key difference is charting depth: FOREX.com packs 90 technical studies in its mobile charts, while Pepperstone offers 30, which may matter if you rely heavily on indicators.
In industry evaluations, FOREX.com’s mobile app earns 5 stars and ranks #2 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps, compared with Pepperstone’s 4-star rating and #19 ranking. If you want richer mobile charting and top-tier ratings, FOREX.com stands out. If you prefer a simpler setup that still covers alerts, syncing, and drawing tools, Pepperstone remains a solid choice.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
Pepperstone
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 90 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
FOREX.com and Pepperstone both deliver useful market research for traders. Each offers daily market commentary, real-time forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg or Reuters, a sentiment tool showing long/short positioning, and an economic calendar. Neither broker includes research from TipRanks or Acuity Trading.
The key difference is in third‑party tools: FOREX.com provides Trading Central but not Autochartist, while Pepperstone offers Autochartist but not Trading Central. In independent testing, FOREX.com earned 5 stars for Research and ranks #7 out of 63 brokers, while Pepperstone earned 4.5 stars and ranks #12. If you prefer Trading Central’s insights, FOREX.com fits well; if you want Autochartist pattern recognition, Pepperstone is a strong pick.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
Pepperstone
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central | Yes | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
FOREX.com and Pepperstone both offer beginner‑friendly forex and CFD education. Each provides at least 10 pieces of educational content, including beginner trading videos, articles, and archived webinars, and both host online client webinars at least once a month. New traders can start with beginner videos and then step up to advanced topics—both brokers offer at least 10 advanced videos as your skills grow.
In a head‑to‑head comparison, FOREX.com gets the edge for education: it earns 5 stars and ranks #4 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com. Pepperstone is close behind with a 4.5‑star rating and a #15 ranking. If top‑rated education is your priority, FOREX.com is the stronger pick; if you like Pepperstone’s platform and pricing, its education still makes it a solid choice for beginners.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
Pepperstone
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that FOREX.com is better than Pepperstone. FOREX.com finished with an overall rank of #4, while Pepperstone finished with an overall rank of #17.
FOREX.com is a trusted brand that delivers an excellent trading experience for forex and CFDs traders across the globe. It offers a wide range of markets and provides an impressive suite of proprietary platforms – alongside limited access to MetaTrader.
| Feature |
FOREX.com
|
Pepperstone
|
|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 99 | 94 |
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In the FOREX.com vs Pepperstone comparison for cryptocurrency trading, neither online broker lets you buy actual (delivered) crypto, but both offer access via cryptocurrency CFDs.
FOREX.com vs Pepperstone: both brokers support ACH/SEPA transfers, PayPal, and bank wire deposits/withdrawals, while only FOREX.com offers Skrill (Pepperstone does not), and Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified.
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 | FOREX.com | Pepperstone | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 94 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FOREX.com Review | Pepperstone Review |
| Broker Screenshots | FOREX.com | Pepperstone | |
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| Regulation | FOREX.com | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 94 | |
| Year Founded | 1999 | 2010 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 7 | 3 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 1 | 2 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | FOREX.com | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | Yes | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | FOREX.com | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | FOREX.com | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 5500 | 1726 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 80 | 65 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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 | FOREX.com | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.00 | 1.1 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.13 | 0.8 | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | FOREX.com | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $100 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | FOREX.com | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | Yes | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | Yes |
| Trading Tools | FOREX.com | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 90 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | FOREX.com | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 90 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | FOREX.com | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | FOREX.com | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | FOREX.com | Pepperstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | FOREX.com Review | Pepperstone Review |
| Overall | FOREX.com | Pepperstone | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 94 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | FOREX.com Review | Pepperstone Review |
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