Security 93
Cost 81
Trading 68
Education 60
Rated: High
79

Founded in 2009, FBS is a well-regulated STP broker. They have regulation in place from a number of top-tier industry regulators including CySEC (Tradestone Ltd) and ASIC (Intelligent Financial Markets Pty Ltd). FBS has collected 68 awards over the years since its inception.

They are also noted as a broker that provides very low spreads on trading across a wide range of markets. FBS is a popular choice with Asian and African traders in particular.

In this FBS review, the InvestinGoal team has carefully examined all the key features of the broker including account types, trading costs, products offered, and trading platforms to ensure you have the most accurate basis to make your broker choice.

The key strengths of FBS include:

  • 68 international awards
  • Low spreads on the majority of assets
  • Well-regulated by top-tier bodies

As with most top forex brokers, FBS does have a demo account available. You can use this to get to know the broker, or the industry if you are new to trading.

OPEN A FBS DEMO ACCOUNT
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Table of Content

What Is Our Opinion On FBS?

FBS is an STP broker offering only CFD trading. The broker stands out for its remarkably low-cost trading options from 0.7 pips on Forex and a supportive environment for various trading strategies like hedging, scalping, and algo-trading, making it a versatile choice for traders globally.

FBS is a versatile choice for trader globally and has won over 60 awards since starting.

What are the FBS Pros and Cons?

Pros

Starting from the costs, these are kept extremely low. The broker is also very open and supportive when it comes to other trading methods being used. These include hedging, scalping, and algo-trading which are all possible.

From an availability standpoint, FBS is open to almost any trader from any country in the world. You can also enjoy their proprietary trading platform that is very user-friendly and ideal for getting started.

Cons

Starting with the negative, for such a major international broker, you will find that the services available to you will differ depending on your area of regulation.

If you can overlook this key point, then the broker has a great deal of possibility to be a good fit for you in trading.

Pros and Cons: a Summary

The chart below examines key broker areas and identifies pros and cons from each.

If you want to expand your research, and evaluate some options similar to this broker, you can consult the alternatives to FBS.

FBS Offer Advantages Downsides
Demo Account Available for every account type Available only for a 90 days period
Minimum Deposit Low barrier of $5 to open an account N/a
CFDs and Forex Spreads starting from 0.7 pips N/a
Cent Account Start trading with real funds Only under CySEC regulation
Scalping FBS allow and provide VPS N/a
Indonesia Fixed exchange rate for deposit to avoid flactuation Not physically present

CFDs and Forex Review

FBS offers trading on Forex and CFDs only. This includes markets such as commodities, indices, stocks, and everything on offer from the broker.

They provide variable spreads from 0.7 pips on Forex and they offer more than 550 tradable assets. If you are looking for the most commonly traded assets, it can be an excellent choice.

Pros

  • The spreads are kept very low here
  • A low minimum deposit is perfect for new traders

Cons

  • There are fewer assets compared to other major forex brokers

Cent Account Review

The FBS Cent account is ideal for new traders or those getting to know the broker. It is accessible only under CySEC regulation and offers an ultra-low minimum deposit from $10. It also supports trading nano lots to further reduce risk.

This is the best choice if you are learning, or testing out new trading strategies without wanting to risk big money on full standard lots and trading accounts.

Pros

  • It is the perfect place to start out in trading
  • The risk here is substantially lower than other account types

Cons

  • Available only under CySEC regulation

Scalping Review

FBS does a great job in supporting scalping and is a very popular choice in this regard. This comes thanks to a very fast execution speed with orders executed within 0.01 seconds. Market execution is in place which also makes requotes impossible.

Also, you are permitted to use a VPS and the broker can provide you one that meets their requirements such as the one that only 500 open positions and pending orders can exist (400 for EU traders). Overall, these features despite the limited assets, make FBS a top scaping broker choice.

Pros

  • VPS use is both supported and one is provided
  • Automated trading is also allowed

Cons

  • A limited selection of assets is available

FBS Indonesia Review

Indonesian traders, in particular, find FBS to be an excellent broker choice. One of the reasons behind this may be that they offer a fixed exchange rate of 10,000 IDR to 1 USD to help avoid currency fluctuations. Another may be that as an Indonesian trader you are eligible to get a Trade 100 bonus.

As an Indonesian trader, you also have full access to the complete range of FBS features that can be limited elsewhere so it is a strong country for the broker.

Pros

  • They offer a fixed currency conversion rate for IDR-USD
  • A trade bonus is made available

Cons

  • The broker has no physical presence in Indonesia

Is FBS regulated and legit?

FBS is regulated by FSC, FSCA, ASIC and CySEC within the European Union, which makes FBS an ESMA compliant broker.

Here below you can find a summary of all the FBS regulations:

  • FBS Markets Inc: FSC in Belize (FSC/000102/460);
  • Trade Stone SA (PTY) LTD: FSCA in South Africa (50885);
  • Traderstone Limited: CySEC in Europe (331/17);
  • FBS Oceania: ASIC in Australia (426359).

Foundation and Offices

FBS was founded in 2009. Since  that time they have worked hard to expand their offering to traders worldwide. They manage operations through the two following office locations.

Cyprus

Vasileos Georgiou A 89, Office 101,
Potamos Germasogeias 4048,
Limassol, Cyprus

Belize

2118, Guava Street,
Belize Belama Phase 1, Belize

Money Protection

FBS provides for several protection measures to make sure that the funds you deposit with the broker remain safe and secure.

This includes a negative balance protection which means you can never lose more than you deposit. Added to that, your funds will also be placed in segregated accounts so that if the company does come under any financial difficulty like bankruptcy or insolvency, your funds remain protected.

This protection is further strengthened for those located in Europe. Here you can avail of the ICF insurance which covers your deposit up to 20.000€.

Awards

FBS broker is very well-decorated in the industry. They regularly win awards for all aspects of their service and they have won 68 awards since they were founded. This includes a recent award of Best EU Broker in 2019.

They have also collected 2 awards as the best broker in Asia, and other awards as the best broker in Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, and more. This backs up their very strong reputation in the industry.

In Which Countries is FBS not Available?

FBS has over 16 million customers from 150 different countries. Despite this excellent worldwide offering, there are still a few places the broker remains unavailable as follows:

    Pros

    • The broker offers excellent negative balance protection to all traders
    • FBS does an excellent job in securing top-tier regulation, and ensuring your funds are always secure
    • Their trading services are available in many countries worldwide
    • They have won more than 60 awards over the years for their top quality service

    Cons

    • Physical office locations for the broker are quite limited at only two

    What Are FBS Account Types?

    New clients will no longer find a good range of FBS account types available. FBS has a standard account to suit all of your trading needs.

    FBS Demo Account

    The very best place to get started if you are a beginner, is the demo account. FBS also offers a demo account that is completely free and can replicate live trading conditions but with no-risk virtual funds, and no pressure to move to a live account when you are finished.

    The FBS demo account is available for a 90-day period, though once this expires, you can easily open another since the only information you really need is your name and email address to get started here.

    FBS Standard Account

    The FBS Standard account is available under any regulation with a great low minimum deposit of just $5 outside the EU and $100 within Europe.

    The spreads too are very competitive starting from just 0.7 pips with very fast order execution. If you are trading under FSC regulation you will also be able to access extensive leverage up to 3000:1

    FBS Cent Account

    If you are looking for a lower risk type of account with FBS then the Cent Forex account is likely ideal for you. This is the perfect introductory type of trading account for newer traders and is available only under CySEC regulation. The minimum deposit starts from as low as $10.

    If you are looking for leverage, this is available up to 30:1 and competitive spreads starting from 1 pip. Through this account type, you can trade in nano lots which means trades can be opened from $1.

    FBS Islamic Account

    An Islamic account is available on request from FBS. As you would expect here, the FBS Islamic account is swap-free to be compliant with Shariah law, but the broker may charge a fee if you keep a position open for longer than 2 days.

    You can find out more about these types of accounts through our article on swap-free Islamic brokers.

    FBS Professional Account

    The FBS Professional account is available under CySEC regulations, though in order to qualify as a professional trader, you will have to meet at least two of the following criteria:

    • Have an average of 10 transactions of significant size per quarter in the past year
    • Own a financial instrument portfolio of over €500,000 (in your bank or into the trading account)
    • Relevant experience in the financial services sector

    Once you have met at least two of the above conditions, you will qualify to open a professional account and have access to a higher leverage of up to 500:1 for trading forex.

    How Can You Deposit And Withdraw With FBS?

    Account Base Currency

    The account base currency is that which is available for you to trade with. This selection is a little limited with FBS. The EUR and USD are the available base currencies. This means you may have to pay a conversion fee if you deposit in, or withdraw to, another currency.

    Deposit

    Let’s take a closer look at the FBS minimum deposit and any fees which may be associated here.

    FBS Minimum deposit

    The FBS minimum deposit is $5.

    The minimum deposit for traders under the CySEC regulation is $10 on the Cent account and $100 on the Standard account.

    Deposit Methods

    As you would expect with a major forex broker, there are a number of deposit methods catered for. This includes wire transfers which are only available in Europe, and typically take 3-4 days processing time.

    Credit card deposits through Visa and MasterCard are both also accepted, although MasterCard is not available outside the EU. This is usually instant, though your first deposit may take a little longer.

    eWallet deposits through both Skrill and Neteller are supported too and again these are typically instant. There are a few more methods also available depending on where you are located.

    In the EU, Rapid Transfer is available for instant deposit, while under the FSC, Globe Pay, Stic Pay, and Perfect Money are all supported for instant deposits.

    Deposit Fees

    Deposits are typically free of any fees. With that said, a few of the methods may attract a fee. This includes Globe Pay with a 1.5% fee, Stic Pay with a 2.5% fee and $0.30 commission, and Perfect Money charge a fee too depending on the funding method.

    A conversion fee may apply if you are depositing a non-base currency, and you should check with your bank fee policy for wire transfers.

    FBS Deposit – Fixed Rate

    FBS offers a fixed rate for deposits if you are from Indonesia or Nigeria. This rate is fixed at 10,000 IDR or 400 NGN for 1 USD and is another reason the broker is popular in many areas of the world.

    Withdrawals

    Let’s also take a look at the withdrawal features of FBS.

    Withdrawal Methods

    For withdrawals, FBS makes all of the same methods available. This means you can choose from wire transfers, credit cards, and eWallet methods the same as with deposit methods.

    Rapid Transfer is also available in the EU for withdrawals, as are Globe Pay, Stic Pay, and Perfect Money under FSC. All withdrawals regardless of the method will typically take around 48 hours to process.

    Withdrawal Fees

    There are also no withdrawal fees to worry about if you are a European trader. If you are trading outside Europe, you may be charged a commission that depends on the payment method chosen, plus a conversion fee if the base currency doesn’t match the currency of your bank account. These fees and commissions are listed below:

    • Visa – $1 commission
    • Stic Pay – 2.5% + $0.30
    • Skrill – 1% + $0.32
    • Neteller – 2% (min $1, max $30)
    • PerfectMoney – 0.50%
    • Globe Pay – 1%

    How Much Are Trading Fees With FBS?

    FBS offers only floating spreads starting from 0.7 pips on Forex.

    How Much Are Non-Trading Fees With FBS?

    There are also a couple of other fees to consider if you are starting to trade at FBS.

    Overnight Fees

    The overnight fee is commonly charged by every broker in the industry, and is the fee for holding a position open overnight. These fees are charged daily on market closing and basically apply to every asset with FBS since they are a CFD broker.

    Since it is a changing fee, you can find more information on it through your trading platform. If you are an Islamic trader, you will qualify for a swap-free account so this fee is not applied.

    Inactivity Fees

    FBS does not charge any inactivity fees to its traders.

    Pros

    • The spreads and trading costs here remain incredibly low
    • A really low minimum deposit helps encourage traders to get started

    Cons

    • The demo account is only available for a limited period of time
    • The number of base currencies made available is also quite limited

    Which Markets Does FBS Offer?

    FBS is a CFDs broker, every asset listed on the platform is offered as CFDs. Here are the available assets.

    Forex

    FBS provides for forex trading in a total of 36 forex currency pairs.

    Commodities

    Commodities with FBS are also traded as CFDs and there are 11 in total available. These include 8 metals such as palladium, platinum, gold, and silver, and 3 energies in the form of Brent and WTI crude oil.

    Indices

    There are 11 indices available for trading which again are traded as CFDs. These markets include the DAX,NASDAQ, SPX500, and DJ Mini Futures.

    Stocks

    A total of 127 major global stocks are traded here as CFDs and the offer includes the likes of Apple, Amazon, Walmart, and more.

    Cryptocurrencies

    When it comes to cryptocurrency markets available at FBS, you can trade all of the major coins, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and others as CFDs.

    In total there are 5 crypto pairs that you can choose to trade as CFDs. The market for trading these assets is open 24/7.

    How Are Execution, Leverage And Position Sizing With FBS?

    Here are some of the key trading features that you can expect to find once you start trading with FBS.

    Executions

    FBS is a CFD broker offering STP execution of your trades. This enables you as a trader to get the best possible price on assets and a really competitive spread since the broker deals with some major liquidity providers to make sure you have the best prices.

    Leverage

    The leverage you can access for trading with FBS will depend on where you are located. It is important to note that if you are in the EU, your leverage is limited to 30:1 due to regulations on all account types.

    The only exception is in the case that you qualify as a professional trader in the EU. Then you can access higher leverage up to 500:1.

    If however, you are trading under the FSC regulated entity of the broker then leverage will be up to 3000:1.

    Sizing

    The minimum trade size at FBS will vary depending on the account type you choose, though usually this minimum is one micro lot. This is also equal to 0.01 standard lots, or $1000 in cash value (when non-leveraged).

    The exception here is through the FBS Cent account where you can trade in sizes starting at 0.1 nano lots. This is equivalent to $10 if we are talking about cash value. This means trading should be accessible to absolutely everyone with FBS.

    Risk Management

    When it comes to managing your risk while trading, FBS utilizes all of the tools made available by the trading platforms to make sure you have as many safety options as possible to manage your positions. This includes the ability to place stop losses, take profits, limit orders, and trailing stops to help in this regard.

    FBS also provides margin calls if you are utilizing leverage to trade. This helps to ensure that your equity does not drop below a certain level.

    Forbidden trading techniques

    FBS allows basically all kinds of trading techniques that you would like to use. This includes hedging, scalping, and the use of EAs through MetaTrader to conduct algorithmic trading. You can also utilize a VPS if you wish and you may be provided one by FBS if you meet certain trading requirements.

    What Platforms Does FBS Offer?

    FBS also offers several excellent trading platforms to choose from across a range of mediums.

    Charting and Trading tools

    Since the broker is offering MetaTrader 4 and 5 then you can be fully assured of comprehensive charting capability, customization, and a range of trading tools to make sure you get the best out of the platform.

    Here there are 51 charting indicators and 31 tools available as standard through these platforms with FBS. One click trading is also possible and they are kept up to date with the latest news and analysis at all times.

    MetaTrader 4

    MT4 has been around for a long time and is rightfully recognized as the top trading platform in the industry. It is very lightweight with the ability to run on almost any device. It is also very robust, and easy to get to know with a very high degree of customization available if you wish.

    Through FBS you can also utilize the EAs that MT4 facilitates through the MQL5 community that can allow you to copy other trades and strategies. As one of the most powerful trading platforms around, MT4 still holds on to the title of the most  popular trading platform. It is available through Mac, and Windows on desktop and Webtrader too.

    MetaTrader 5

    MT5 retains all of the excellent capability and features of MT4 but is improved in some areas with more indicators, 6 more pending orders available, and an ability to see the market depth with 21 total time frames.

    Again here, you can apply your strategies for algorithmic trading if you have some and the platform is also available on all devices, Mac, or Windows.

    FBS Trader

    FBS trader is a proprietary trading platform made available by the broker. At the moment it is only available through mobile and you can use it on either iOS or Android devices. This trading platform also supports all of the features of MetaTrader to make it extremely powerful and convenient for trading on the move.

    An upside here is that the FBS Trader platform is more visually appealing and user friendly than metatrader. It also supports both deposits and withdrawals and the team offers live support if you need it.

    What Extra Trading Services does FBS Offer?

    There are also a few additional products to be aware of if you are trading with FBS.

    FBS Fixed Rate

    The FBS fixed rate is a special feature available to FBS traders in Indonesia and Nigeria. Here they can benefit from a fixed exchange rate of 10,000 IDR to 1 USD which can help them avoid currency fluctuation, and the same goes for Nigerian traders who can enjoy the 400 NGN to 1 USD fixed exchange rate.

    FBS VPS Server

    An FBS VPS server is available to you if you deposit enough and make a certain volume of trades. This offer is unlimited and having a VPS in place allows you to fully exploit the use of EAs and trade on a 24/7 basis with the backing of a very fast and stable connection from the broker.

    FBS No Deposit Bonus

    The FBS no deposit bonus is available under FSC regulation only. In fact here you can get as much as $100 in real trading cash with no deposit. There are a number of conditions though so you can only actually withdraw from this money if you have met these conditions within the past 30 days.

    Pros

    • With trading in nano lots available, the broker makes sure that everyone at all budget levels has an opportunity to trade
    • They cater for all trading techniques including scalping and hedging
    • Trading is provided through very secure, well-respected trading platforms

    Cons

    • N/a

    How Is FBS Customer Service?

    Languages

    The FBS website does very well in supporting a total of 16 different languages. This includes almost all EU languages and a good amount of Asian languages including Indonesian, Vietnamese, Laotian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Bengali

    Customer Service

    The customer service provided at FBS is professional and easy to reach. They are available through the web-based chat function as well as through email or phone. There is also a well-stocked FAQ section that can help you answer many questions without the need to contact support.

    FBS customer support is available in 9 languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Indonesian, Malay, Filipino and Tagalog, Thai, Swahili.

    Does FBS Have Research And Education Services?

    Research

    The broker provides for a very well-resourced research section. This includes daily news on the forex market, stocks, other assets, and the general global economy. Market analysis both technical and fundamental is also regularly provided.

    The Forex TV feature of the FBS broker also provides further weekly market insights as well as trading plans on a daily basis and access to a range of informative webinars. The broker also provides a detailed economic calendar keeping you totally up to date with what is happening around the world.

    Education

    The FBS education section is excellent. They do very well at catering for all levels of trader from beginner through to intermediate, and the more experienced, there should be something here for everyone. Included in the educational offering are forex guide books, a dedicated blog with trading tips, a collection of 26 video lessons to help you develop, as well as access to a forex glossary and range of quality webinars.

    Pros

    • The broker website has a great range of languages available to suit all traders
    • The research section here is very detailed and provides an excellent range of material

    Cons

    • The customer service is a little limited, particularly when it comes to language availability

    filippo ucchino

    About The Author

    Filippo Ucchino
    Co-Founder - CEO - Broker Expert
    Filippo is the co-founder and CEO of InvestinGoal.com. He has 15 years of experience in the financial sector and forex in particular. He started his career as a forex trader in 2005 and then became interested in the whole fintech and crypto sector.
    Over this time, he has developed an almost scientific approach to the analysis of brokers, their services, and offerings. In addition, he is an expert in Compliance and Security Policies for consumers protection in this sector.
    With InvestinGoal, Filippo’s goal is to bring as much clarity as possible to help users navigate the world of online trading, forex, and cryptocurrencies.

    Trading CFDs, FX, and cryptocurrencies involves a high degree of risk. All providers have a percentage of retail investor accounts that lose money when trading CFDs with their company. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money and whether you understand how CFDs, FX, and cryptocurrencies work. Cryptocurrencies can widely fluctuate in prices and are not appropriate for all investors. Trading cryptocurrencies is not supervised by any EU regulatory framework. Your capital is at risk. The present page is intended for teaching purposes only. It shall not be intended as operational advice for investments, nor as an invitation to public savings raising. Any real or simulated result shall represent no warranty as to possible future performances. The speculative activity in forex market, as well as in other markets, implies considerable economic risks; anyone who carries out speculative activity does it on its own responsibility.
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    2FC Financial Srl
    Via Filippo Argelati, 10,
    Milan, Italy
    20143

    VAT No. IT10004450960
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