Pepperstone vs Plus500 Comparison – 2025

Top Reasons to Choose Pepperstone or Plus500

Pepperstone strikes a perfect balance between offering a wide range of trading platforms and maintaining exceptional execution standards. The broker caters even to the pickiest technical, day, or algo traders by supporting MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, and TradingView. Its custom mobile app is also impressive, offering a smooth, user-friendly experience with one-click trading, chart-based orders, and integrated market news. On top of that, Pepperstone includes helpful platform tools and integrations to improve the trading experience.

Plus500, on the other hand, stands out for its huge variety of tradable instruments. The broker gives access to more than 2,800 CFDs across forex, commodities, shares, indices, cryptocurrencies, ETFs, and options. This broad selection allows traders not only to speculate on price movements but also to hedge their exposure and adapt to shifting market conditions with confidence.

Pepperstone: Snapshot

Pepperstone is a financial derivatives broker founded in 2010 and headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. In addition to its wide selection of trading platforms, Pepperstone offers access to over 1,350 CFD instruments. My live testing revealed that Pepperstone’s spreads are among the lowest in the industry, helping to keep trading costs manageable. The broker also enhances its offering with top-tier market research powered by Autochartist.

Pepperstone: Who is it For?

Pepperstone is an excellent choice for chart-focused traders, day traders, and algorithmic traders. The broker supports a variety of versatile trading platforms, including MetaTrader, cTrader, and TradingView—ideal for in-depth price action analysis. Some of these platforms can also be integrated with actionable trading signals from Autochartist, providing day traders with timely opportunities. The Pepperstone mobile app also delivers a smooth, user-friendly experience. Finally, Pepperstone supports FIX API connectivity, allowing for low-latency trading and custom algorithm deployment.

What Makes Pepperstone Stand Out?

Pepperstone distinguishes itself with some of the lowest standard account fees in the industry. My live tests confirmed that its spreads consistently outperform the industry average. On top of that, traders of all experience levels benefit from its diverse platform options, fast execution speeds, and high-quality market research.

Plus500: Snapshot

Launched in 2008 and headquartered in Israel, Plus500 is a globally recognized platform serving over 30 million traders worldwide. The broker’s proprietary platform blends high-definition charts — ideal for experienced technical traders — with an intuitive layout suitable for casual traders. Plus500 also offers competitive pricing, comprehensive market research, and professional accounts tailored to high-volume, experienced clients.

Plus500: Who is it For?

Whether you’re a day trader searching for the next trading opportunity or a high-volume swing trader aiming to capture larger market moves, Plus500 could be the right fit. Its innovative +Insights sentiment tool aggregates data from its global user base to highlight shifts in market dynamics. In addition, its broad selection of instruments offers access to a wide range of markets and trading opportunities.

What Makes Plus500 Stand Out?

Plus500 sets itself apart with its wide range of CFD instruments, including a strong selection of CFDs on options — a feature not commonly offered by most CFD brokers. These include puts and calls based on instruments such as stocks, indices, commodities, and forex pairs. While they do not grant the right to exercise like traditional options, they allow traders to speculate on the price movements of option contracts. Plus500 also offers option CFDs with up to 1:5 leverage for retail trading.

Trust

Pepperstone vs Plus500 Trust and Regulation Comparison

Pepperstone is regulated by several respected financial authorities, including the FCA (UK), CySEC (Cyprus), BaFin (Germany), ASIC (Australia), DFSA (UAE), CMA (Kenya), and the SCB (Bahamas). The broker safeguards client funds by holding them in segregated accounts at major banks and provides negative balance protection across all its entities. With a strong international footprint and multiple top-tier licenses, Pepperstone ranks among the most extensively regulated CFD brokers we’ve reviewed.

Plus500 operates through multiple entities regulated by leading financial authorities, including the FCA (UK), CySEC (Cyprus), ASIC (Australia), FMA (New Zealand), MAS (Singapore), FSCA (South Africa), ISA (Israel), FSA (Seychelles), EFSA (Estonia), and the SCB (The Bahamas). The broker safeguards client funds through segregation and provides negative balance protection. For retail clients under EU-based entities, leverage is limited to a maximum of 1:30. Plus500 is also publicly listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a member of the FTSE 250 Index.

If you want to learn more about brokers’ regulations, be sure to check out our article on the top regulated forex brokers.

Fees

Pepperstone vs Plus500, Spreads, Fees and Commissions Comparison

Pepperstone stands out in the fees category with zero commissions and below-average spreads on its Standard account. My live testing showed that spreads are better than average across all asset classes. The Razor account offers even more competitive pricing, featuring raw spreads from 0.0 pips and an industry-standard commission. Additionally, the broker does not charge any handling fees for deposits or withdrawals, except for international bank transfers. Pepperstone also does not impose inactivity or account maintenance fees.

Plus500 offers a standard account with zero commissions and floating spreads starting from 0.8 pips. Based on my live testing, its spreads vary across markets but generally align with the industry average. Some instruments, like EUR/USD, feature particularly competitive spreads. The broker does not charge handling fees for deposits or withdrawals; however, a $10 inactivity fee applies after three months of no account activity.

Platforms and Tools

Pepperstone vs Plus500 Trading Platforms Comparison

Pepperstone excels in the platforms category, thanks to its broad selection tailored to different trading styles. The broker supports MetaTrader 4 and 5 — both of which can be upgraded with powerful add-ons — as well as the intuitive cTrader and TradingView platforms. In my experience, cTrader offers the most advanced functionality, with features optimized for day trading, price action analysis, copy trading, and algorithmic strategies. Additionally, the Pepperstone mobile app provides a smooth, user-friendly experience with one-click trading, chart-based order placement, and integrated market news.

Plus500’s proprietary WebTrader platform delivers over 150 technical indicators, drawing tools, and various chart customization options. Its high-definition charts are visually appealing, and the interface is clean and easy to navigate. The platform supports all standard order types — including market, limit, and stop — as well as trailing stops and guaranteed stop orders for more precise trade control. It also features a highly practical built-in market sentiment tool.

Tradable Instruments

Pepperstone vs Plus500 Instruments Selection Comparison

Pepperstone offers over 1,350 CFD instruments, covering forex pairs, commodities, shares CFDs, indices, cryptocurrencies, and ETFs. In particular, the broker provides an extensive selection of currency pairs, making it a strong choice for forex traders. It also grants access to a wide range of share CFDs — over 1,000 in total — along with an additional group of 116 popular shares that can be traded 24 hours a day, five days a week.

Plus500 excels in the tradable instruments category, offering over 2,800 CFD assets across currency pairs, commodities, shares, indices, cryptocurrencies, ETFs, and options. This broad selection meets the needs of both risk-averse and high-risk traders. In addition, Plus500 offers a variety of real stocks for those interested in value investing through a separate platform. For U.S. clients, the broker also provides access to real futures trading, enabling them to hedge against both expected and unexpected market volatility.

Customer Support

Pepperstone vs Plus500 Customer Support Comparison

Pepperstone offers reliable 24/7 customer support. Clients can reach the broker via live chat, email, or phone. In my tests, response times were generally fast and helpful. Email support was satisfactory, with replies received within one business day. Phone assistance was efficient when contacting the UK and Australian teams, though I did encounter occasional delays when reaching out to the global support line.

Plus500 also provides 24/7 customer support, available through live chat and email. However, phone support is not offered. Assistance is available in 16 languages, including English, Russian, Spanish, and Arabic. Based on my tests, Plus500’s support team was quick to respond and consistently helpful.

Research

Pepperstone vs Plus500 Research Tools Comparison

Pepperstone offers high-quality research through a combination of Autochartist integration and well-structured in-house content. Clients can access daily market breakdowns in both text and video formats, alongside a user-friendly market sentiment tool. This variety provides traders with a well-rounded view of current market conditions and potential trading setups.

Plus500 focuses on in-house research, offering market news, insights, and a practical economic calendar. Its platform features built-in tools like +Insights, which reveals trading trends based on aggregated client data, and Traders’ Sentiment, which highlights extreme long or short positions among traders. Additional analysis is available through video content on the broker’s YouTube channel.

Deposits & Withdrawals

Pepperstone vs Plus500 Deposit and Withdrawal Methods Comparison

Pepperstone offers a wide range of deposit and withdrawal methods, including bank transfers, credit cards, digital wallets, and cryptocurrency. The broker does not charge any handling fees for deposits or withdrawals, except for withdrawals made via international bank transfer. Deposits are usually processed instantly, while withdrawals may take up to three business days.

Plus500 supports payments via bank wire, credit/debit cards, and e-wallets. The broker does not charge deposit or withdrawal fees, although third-party banking fees may apply. Transaction times vary depending on the method but are generally within industry standards. Withdrawal requests are typically processed by the broker within one business day before being released.

Account Types and Terms

Pepperstone vs Plus500 Account Types Comparison

Pepperstone offers two retail trading accounts: Standard and Razor. The Standard account features floating spreads with zero commissions, while the Razor account provides raw spreads from 0.0 pips and a $3 commission per lot, per side. The broker’s stop-out level is set at 50%, which can help protect novice traders from a complete account wipeout. Professional accounts with higher leverage are also available, and the Active Trader Program rewards high-volume traders with rebates.

Plus500 provides a single retail trading account with zero commissions and floating spreads starting from 0.8 pips. The minimum deposit requirement is 100 units of the account’s base currency. Maximum leverage for retail traders depends on the regulatory jurisdiction; for EU-based clients, it is capped at 1:30.

Education

Pepperstone vs Plus500 Educational Content Comparison

Pepperstone provides a comprehensive educational offering that includes written articles, videos, platform tutorials, and regular webinars. The content covers key areas such as technical analysis, fundamental analysis, and trading psychology. Developed by industry veterans with over 20 years of experience, the materials are well-structured and insightful. I found the resources suitable for traders of all experience levels, from beginners to more advanced users.

Plus500’s Trading Academy features a range of educational guides covering essential topics like CFD trading basics and how to use the Plus500 platform. It also offers a detailed eBook that explores technical and fundamental analysis, trading psychology, and risk management. Additionally, Plus500 hosts regular webinars led by seasoned market professionals. The content is more advanced in nature and is particularly helpful for experienced traders.

Our Methodology

Since 2011, FX Empire has developed a detailed methodology for evaluating CFD brokers, involving over 250 variables across nine crucial categories. Our team of experts, with deep industry knowledge, conducts live testing and research by interacting with the brokers directly. We check regulations, open accounts, test spreads, account costs, platform functionality, instrument variety, customer support reliability, and the quality of research and educational content. This granular analysis helps us identify each broker’s strengths and weaknesses, keeping our comparisons current with market trends and ensuring our guides meet traders’ needs.

We strive to evaluate each broker objectively, considering how their offerings align with the diverse trading goals and preferences of our readers. Our focus is on providing a balanced overview of each broker’s strengths and weaknesses. This method ensures that our readers receive clear, insightful comparisons to aid in making well-informed trading decisions.

We employ a comprehensive rating system across nine key categories:

• Trust
• Fees
• Platforms and Tools
• Tradable Instruments
• Customer Support
• Research
• Deposits and Withdrawals
• Account Types and Terms
• Education

In each category, we conduct an in-depth analysis for both brokers, outlining features, advantages, and disadvantages and determining their suitability for different trader profiles. By blending insights from our extensive reviews with first-hand experiences and observations, we ensure each comparison is balanced, informative, and tailored to the trader’s unique needs. You can read more about our review process here.

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