FBS Review: Pros and Cons Uncovered 2023

Founded in 2009, FBS is a well-regulated ECN 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
• Cent account available
• 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
(74-89% of retail CFD accounts lose money)

Our opinion on FBS

FBS is an ECN/STP broker offering only CFD trading. The broker stands out for their fixed, and even negative spreads that are great for scalpers. They are worldwide with traders from all over, though the asset selection can vary on location. Trading costs are very low from 0 pips, and the broker has won over 40 awards since starting.

Alongside an impressive range of account types available to suit all needs, you will find the FBS Cent account particularly ideal for newer traders looking for lower risk trading.

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 surprisingly few assets available to trade. These are limited to less than 100 and even fewer for international traders.

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.

CFDs and Forex Review

Trading CFDs or forex at FBS and you will find that a wide range of account types are supported, though not all of these are available if you are trading in the EU. Every asset here is traded as a CFD. This means forex, commodities, indices, stocks, and everything on offer from the broker.

They are dynamic in the sense that both fixed and variable spreads are available, but where they really come short is offering less than 100 tradable assets, even less in the EU. If you are looking for the most commonly traded assets though, 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 and account types available to EU traders

Cent Account Review

The FBS Cent account is ideal for new traders or those getting to know the broker. It is widely accessible and offers an ultra-low minimum deposit from just $1 for non-EU traders, or $10 in the EU. 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

• The broker only accepts a few base currencies

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 0.4 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 200 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?

Regulation is of course a key factor in making sure the trading environment is as safe as possible. To that end, FBS has regulatory oversight in place from some of the top tier-one bodies.

• FBS Markets Inc. is regulated by IFSC in Belize (IFSC/000102/310);
• TRADE STONE SA (PTY) LTD is regulated by FSCA in South Africa (50885);
• Under the name Traderstone Limited is regulated by CySEC (331/17) in Europe;
• Intelligent Financial Markets Pty Ltd (ACN 155 185 014), trading as FBS Oceania, is regulated by ASIC (426359) in Australia.

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.

Countries where FBS is 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:

Account Types

There is a good range of several account types available and you should be able to find one here 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 a very popular choice with many traders at the broker. This account type is available under both CySEC and IFSC regulation with a great low minimum deposit of just $100 needed.

The spreads too are very competitive starting from just 1 pip with very fast order execution. If you are trading under IFSC 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 account is likely ideal for you. This is the perfect introductory type of trading account for newer traders and is available under both IFSC and CySEC regulations. The minimum deposit starts from as low as $1 under IFSC regulations, and $10 under CySEC.

If you are looking for leverage, this is also well-catered under IFSC regulation with up to 1000:1 leverage available 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 Micro Account

The FBS  Micro account is also available, though only under IFSC regulation. The minimum deposit here is very low too at only $5. This makes the account very accessible. It also has the unique feature of providing fixed spread trading making it ideal if you prefer this type of trading.

The FBS micro account facilitates a huge leverage of up to 3000:1 as well on this micro account with the fixed spreads starting from 3 pips.

FBS Zero Spread Account

Again the FBS Zero Spread Account is available only under IFSC regulations. This account features a minimum deposit of $500, great value if you want to get started in trading with no spreads. The spread here starts from a fixed 0 pips with a commission from $20 per lot traded.

There is also leverage of up to 3000:1 provided on this account type which in itself is a very unique type of account not offered by many other brokers. The STP execution style also helps to ensure that you get the very best possible prices on your trades.

FBS ECN Account

The FBS ECN account is offered under IFSC regulations only, and is another popular account type choice for the more experienced traders. Here you will need a minimum deposit of $1,000 but for that you will get a pure ECN service with the best possible pricing and lightning executions speeds.

Added to that, the spreads start in negative territory from -1pip with a $6 per lot commission attached and 500:1 leverage available.This account type will cater only for forex trading with a total of 25 markets to choose from.

FBS Crypto Account

FBS does provide access to a crypto account that you can use and trade within. This account can be opened through the FBS trader and is available as a mobile platform. Just as with the other account types, you will find this FBS crypto account very accessible.

This accessibility is highlighted by a minimum deposit of just $1. The spreads and cost of trading here are also great value. These start from just 1 pip with a commission of 0.05% on opening, and 0.05% on closing positions.

You will have more than 100 crypto assets to choose from when you are trading with the FBS crypto account, and you can also try out the demo account version first to get completely comfortable.

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 MT4 MAM Account

If you are an experienced trader and interested in managing multiple accounts, then the FBS MT4 MAM account can help you out. This account provides you the capability to oversee multiple accounts with the most up to date possible information in terms of live quotes and news always available to you.

As the name suggests, this account operates with MT4 as the trading platform.

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.

Deposit and withdrawal

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 is available within the EU, and under IFSC regulation, 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 will depend on the account type you choose, though it ranges from $1 to $1,000 in general. The lowest minimum deposit available is $1 which is on the cent account for IFSC traders. This is $10 for CySEC traders.

The minimum deposit for an ECN account is $500, and the highest minimum deposit of $1,000 applies to the FBS Zero spread account that only charges commission, but no spreads.

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 IFSC, 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 IFSC. 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%

Trading Fees

FBS has spreads that are both floating and fixed for you to choose from. Fixed spreads are offered through the FBS Micro Account, and the FBS Zero Spread account. These start from 3 pips on the FBS Micro account, and are fixed at 0 pips with the Zero Spread account though there is a $20 per lot traded commission here.

The floating spreads typically start from 1 pip on an FBS Standard Account, and from a negative -1 pip through the FBS ECN account.

Non Trading Fees

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 also charge an inactivity fee. This will apply if you are inactive for 180 days. A $10 annual inactivity fee will be charged by FBS. If you do not have a sufficient balance to cover this fee, then the broker reserves the right to close your account. You should also note that this fee does not apply to you on a demo account.

Markets

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 35 forex currency pairs. If you are trading from the EU, then there are 31 forex pairs available to choose.

Commodities

Commodities with FBS are also traded as CFDs and there are 6 in total available. These include 4 metals, palladium, platinum, gold, and silver, and 2 energies in the form of both Brent and WTI crude oil.

Indices

There are 4 indices available for trading which again are traded as CFDs. These markets are the DAX,NASDAQ, SPX500, and DJ Mini Futures.

Stocks

If you are interested in stocks trading, this too is available though not if you are under CySEC jurisdiction. A total of 33 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 over 100 crypto assets that you can choose to trade as CFDs. These include crypto to crypto pairs, crypto to fiat, and even crypto to metals and others assets. The market for trading these assets is open 24/7.

Execution, leverage and position sizing

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 ECN/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.

This STP execution is offered on all FBS accounts. True ECN execution is also available through the FBS ECN account that you can open with a minimum deposit of $500

Leverage

The leverage you can access for trading with FBS will depend on two factors. The first of these is where you are located, and the second is your account type choice. 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.

If however, you are trading under the IFSC regulated entity of the broker then leverage will be 500:1 on ECN accounts, 1000:1 on Cent accounts, and up to 3000:1 on Micro, Standard, and Zero Spread accounts.

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.

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.

Platforms & Mobile

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

Charting and Trading tools

Since the broker is primarily 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.

Special features you can find on FBS

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 Loyalty Program

The FBS loyalty program is available only if you are trading under IFSC regulation. Through the program you can earn points with your FBS trading. The total amount of these points, or your account equity, will determine your loyalty tier of Green, Silver, Gold, or Platinum. You can then redeem these points for benefits.

These benefits start out as small monetary prizes, free VPS access, or private trading coaching in the green tier. Moving to the platinum tier you will have a chance to get exclusive gifts for your birthday or for new years eve.

FBS No Deposit Bonus

The FBS no deposit bonus is available under IFSC 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.

FBS 100% deposit bonus

This deposit bonus too is only available to IFSC traders. It will double the amount of your deposit although you cannot withdraw the added bonus amount. Any profits from this bonus though, can be withdrawn when you meet certain requirements.

FBS Cashback service

The FBS Cashback service is another perk for IFSC traders. No matter whether the position was a winner or loser, you can claim back up to $15 per lot traded on each position. This benefit can be activated from within your personal area at the broker.

FBS Huge Leverage

If you are based under IFSC regulation with FBS you will have access to some of the highest leverage in the industry. This starts out from 500:1 and can reach as much as 3000:1 depending on your account type.

Customer service

Languages

The FBS website does very well in supporting a total of 18 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. The only support language here though is English. There is also a well-stocked FAQ section that can help you answer many questions without the need to contact support.

Research and Education

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.

FAQs

Is FBS a regulated broker?

FBS has been around since 2009 and is both very safe and extremely well-regulated. They are regulated within the EU by CySEC (331/17) and outside the EU by IFSC Belize (60/230/TS/19).

Does FBS allow hedging?

Yes, hedging is allowed by FBS, as well as scalping and other trading techniques.

Is FBS broker regulated in South Africa?

At the moment, FBS is not regulated by the South African FSCA. Even so,  it can still offer its services there thanks to the international offshore IFSC regulation. South African traders who sign up with FBS will be regulated through the IFSC.

How do I withdraw money from FBS broker?

You can make a withdrawal from FBS by logging into your personal account area on the FBS website. From there, you can simply choose your withdrawal method and follow the on-screen guide to make your withdrawal.

Where is FBS broker located?

FBS has two offices. These are located in Limassol (Cyprus), and Belize.

How does FBS bonus work?

FBS offers multiple bonuses that all work in a slightly different way. The best thing you can do to check this out in detail is to check the bonus area of our review, and also double check the terms and conditions of each bonus with the broker in more detail at their website before applying.

How do I claim FBS bonus?

Generally if you want to claim an FBS bonus, you have to deposit a certain amount of money, or you have to be a new client. In any case, it will also depend on the bonus you are trying to claim whether you are eligible or not.

Can I withdraw FBS bonus?

Yes, an FBS bonus may be withdrawn, but only once you have met the conditions displayed in the terms and conditions that you can find on the brokers website in more detail.

How do I close my FBS account?

If you wish to close your FBS account then you can do this. You will need to contact FBS support who can help you do this. They can be contacted through the website with live chat, email, or telephone.