Best Forex Brokers in Canada for 2023

In this article, we have grouped some of the best forex brokers available in Canada.

In compiling this ranking, we have taken into consideration a multitude of factors, including

• The broker’s regulations
• The overall quality of the broker
• The commissions on forex trading
• The trading platforms available
• The availability of CAD accounts, deposits, and withdrawals

Round-up

1. AvaTrade: best for fixed spreads
2. Forex.com: best for the overall trading experience
3. Vantage: best for day traders
4. FXCM: best service quality
5. Oanda: best for beginners
6. EasyMarkets: great trading flexibility
7. OctaFX: best for forex algo-traders
8. CMC Markets: best for CFD trading
9. Interactive Brokers: highest amount of markets

WARNING

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.
Between 74-89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs.
You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money

Review

Here’s our list of the best Canadian forex brokers.

1. AvaTrade

• AvaTrade provides its trading services in Canada through the IIROC Friedberg Direct company
• Canadian traders can trade over 30 forex pairs with fixed spreads as low as 0.9 pips with AvaTrade
• In Canada with AvaTrade, traders will be able to deposit and open accounts in CAD (with a minimum deposit of 300 CAD), thus avoiding conversion fees.
• The service provided by AvaTrade is available in both English and French.
• Regional restrictions: Alberta (only Accredited Investors)

Visit Avatrade
(79% of retail CFD accounts lose money)

2. Forex.com

• Forex.com is registered as Forex.com Canada Limited under the IIROC regulation.
• In Canada, Forex.com traders will have access to over 3000 instruments, including 80 forex pairs.
• Commissions charged by Forex.com in Canada start at 0.8 pips on forex.
• Although Forex.com operates in Canada, the broker does not allow accounts to be opened in CAD. CAD deposits and withdrawals will cause a currency conversion fee.
• The Canadian branch of Forex.com does not have a physical presence in the country, but is administered from an office in New Jersey, USA.
• Regional restrictions: Alberta (Accredited Investors only).

Visit Forex.com
73% of retail CFD accounts lose money

3. Vantage

• Even though Vantage is not IIROC regulated, they are still well-trusted in the sector and accepted for trading in Canada.
• Canadian traders can open a Vantage trading account with a minimum deposit starting at $200.
• Vantage provides high-speed trade execution through both MT4 and MT5 trading platforms
• Spreads at Vantage start from 0 pips on forex with over 40 forex pairs available.
• Vantage in Canada offers leverage of as much as 50:1.
• Regional restrictions: Alberta (only Accredited Investors), British Columbia

Visit Vantage
74-89% of retail CFD accounts lose money

4. FXCM

• FXCM operates in Canada through an IIROC member, Friedberg Direct
• FXCM doesn’t own a local office in Canada but is still able to provide services to all residents.
• The only language available on the FXCM website is English
• The Canadian entity of FXCM provides more than 40 forex pairs with spreads from 0.2 pips.
• FXCM Canada offers an active trader program designed to reduce spread costs by up to 60%
• FXCM traders in Canada can deposit funds and open accounts in both USD and CAD though the minimum deposit to open any new account is 5,000 CAD or USD
• Regional restrictions: Alberta (only Accredited Investors)

Visit FXCM
71% of retail CFD accounts lose money

5. Oanda

• Oanda is listed on IIROC records as OANDA (Canada) Corporation ULC, and has an office in Ontario, Toronto.
• Canadian traders will have access to over 70 forex pairs and 120 CFDs in total on Oanda.
• Spreads in Oanda’s Canadian branch start at 1 pip, while maximum leverage goes up to 1:50.
• Oanda offers the option of opening CAD accounts in Canada, so traders avoid conversion fees.
• Oanda’s website is available not only in English but also in French.
• Regional restrictions: Alberta (Accredited Investors Only).

Visit Oanda
73.5% of retail CFD accounts lose money

6. EasyMarkets

• easyMarkets is not IIROC regulated, however, it can operate in a number of Canadian regions.
• Canadian traders can get started with a $200 USD minimum deposit.
• easyMarkets in Canada offers over 120 forex pairs with fixed spreads from 0.9 pips.
• easyMarkets in Canada offers leverage up to 1:50.
• Regional restrictions: Alberta (only Accredited Investors), British Columbia, Ontario, Manitoba, Quebec.

Visit EasyMarkets
75% of retail CFD accounts lose money

7. OctaFX

• OctaFX is not IIROC regulated, but can offer its forex trading services in Canada.
• Canadian traders with OctaFX can benefit from a very accessible minimum deposit of just $25.
• OctaFX in Canada offers around 35 forex currency pairs to trade with spreads from 0.2 pips.
• OctaFX offers its own proprietary copytrading service in Canada.
• Regional restrictions: Alberta (only Accredited Investors).

Visit OctaFx
74-89% of retail CFD accounts lose money

8. CMC Markets

• CMC Markets is authorized to operate in Canada by the IIROC under the subsidiary CMC Markets Canada Inc.
• With CMC Markets, over 330 forex pairs can be traded with spreads as low as 0.7 pips.
• More advanced Canadian traders will have access to CMC Markets’ Cash Rebates program, where they can get a 20% reduction in spreads.
• In Canada, it is possible to open CAD or USD accounts with CMC Markets.
• CMC Markets has an office in Ontario, in Toronto.
• Regional restrictions: Alberta (Accredited Investors Only).

Visit CMC Markets
78% of retail investor accounts lose money when spread betting and/or trading CFDs with this provider.

9. Interactive Brokers

• Interactive Brokers is an IIROC broker authorized to operate in Canada as Interactive Brokers Canada Inc.
• IB in Canada allows its traders to open accounts in CAD and other currencies.
• In Canada, Interactive Brokers accepts deposits and withdrawals in 23 different currencies.
• On IB, Canadian traders can trade over 100 forex pairs with spreads as low as 0.2 pips.
• Interactive Brokers is available in both English and French.
• Interactive Brokers has an office located in Montréal, Quebec.
• Regional restrictions: Alberta (Accredited Investors Only).

Visit Interactive Brokers
74-89% of retail CFD accounts lose money

Best forex brokers in Canada: our comparison

Here’s a summary of which forex brokers are available in Canada along with key information about their minimum deposits, whether they are IIROC regulated and any regional restrictions. As you may have noticed, every broker that is locally regulated has no problem accepting customers throughout the country (with the exception of those who are residing in Alberta), and may follow the Canadian investor protection fund we’re going to mention in the next section of the article.

On the other hand, other brokers that are not regulated by the Canadian authorities and are still allowed to operate within the country may face regional restrictions when it comes to accepting new clients.

• AB – Alberta
• BC – British Columbia
• ON – Ontario
• MB – Manitoba
• QC – Québec
• SK – Saskatchewan

Is forex trading legal in Canada?

Forex trading, in general, is legal. The forex market in Canada is regulated by the IIROC (Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada). The IIROC is the national regulator, though each region of Canada has its own local regulator which is where things can get more complicated and we will take a look at this below.

For this reason, Canadian customers can face some challenges getting accepted by brokers especially if that broker is not IIROC regulated. In fact, when a broker is not IIROC regulated, each regional regulation has the power to decide whether or not a broker should be allowed to offer its services within the area.

Is forex trading legal in Alberta?

Things get a little tricky as we mentioned, in Alberta. Forex trading is legal, but you must qualify as an “accredited investor” whether or not the broker is IIROC regulated. This is something similar to the qualification as a professional trader in Europe and you must satisfy at least one of the following conditions:

• Qualify as a bank or any other financial institution
• Have a net income of at least $200,000 in the past 2 years
• Have at least $1,000,000 in your financial portfolio
• Have at least $5,000,000 invested in properties

If you can satisfy one of these criteria, then you will have no problem being classified as an accredited investor in Alberta.

How to trade forex in Canada

Things go back to normal in this respect. The steps for starting forex trading within Canada are generally the same as in another country. You should be sure to provide the following:

• Proof of identity typically in the form of your passport is best.
• Proof of residence through a utility bill or bank statement within the last 3 months is usually best.

From there, you will be free to fund and trade on your fully verified account.

What Canadian traders should look for in a forex broker

As a Canadian forex trader, there are indeed some things to watch out for that may be accepted in other countries but not Canada.

Binary options trading for example, is illegal in Canada, whereas spread betting is in fact legal for Canadian traders. Derivative products like CFDs, while they are not legal with the neighbors in the USA, are legal to trade in Canada. Cryptocurrency trading is also legal in Canada and very much enjoyed by Canadian traders.

Restrictions on leverage and other trading conditions are also somewhat lenient in Canada. Leverage can generally reach up to 50:1, and while negative balance protection is not mandatory as it is in Europe, it is still generally offered by top brokers along with the use of segregated bank accounts.

With those points noted, here are a few tips to follow when choosing your forex broker in Canada:

1. Look for forex brokers regulated in Canada

This point goes for every place, you should always be on the lookout for the best regulation. The Canada IIROC is the national regulatory body and very trusted in Canada, so much so in fact, that brokers offering their services in every Canadian province must be regulated by them. This is a great thing to make sure you have in place to improve trust.

Additionally, IIROC brokers usually follow the Canadian Investor Protection Fund program (CIPF), meaning that in case of insolvency the trader will get refunded a certain amount of money depending on the CIPF Terms and Conditions.

2. Try to look for brokers that offer CAD currency

We all want to avoid fees as much as possible. This means trying to choose a broker that facilitates CAD deposits and base currency. It will save you on commissions and fees from both the broker and your bank. Luckily, most Canadian forex brokers already facilitate this.

3. First time trading? Look for Negative Balance Protection

Negative balance protection basically can prevent you from losing more than you have in your account. This could happen in rare cases where the market is volatile and particularly if you are new to trading. So, even though it is not mandatory in Canada, it makes sense for you to find and choose a broker that offers this protection for your own benefit. This is another great layer of protection after the investor compensation fund is already available with most Canadian brokers.

How to verify if a forex broker is regulated in Canada

One of the last steps before trading and once you have found a broker that ticks all the boxes for you, is to verify their regulation. This is simple to complete and means heading over to the IIROC official website, and checking the IIROC Register there using the company name. This name you can typically find at the bottom of your brokers’ homepage.

Is forex trading taxable in Canada?

You will have to pay capital gains tax on any profits in this respect. The typical tax on these earnings is also known to be quite high in Canada so you should expect to pay around 50%.

We are not professional tax advisors, thus we strongly suggest you contact local authorities if you don’t know how to manage this aspect.

Full list of forex brokers available in Canada

WARNING

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.
Between 74-89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs.
You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money