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Gold trading broker refers to brokerage firms that allow individual investors to buy and sell gold as a commodity or a contract for difference (CFD) on various trading platforms.

Gold trading brokers are often reffered to as “gold trading platforms” or “gold trading accounts” or sometimes simply “gold brokers”.

This flourishing sector of the financial markets allows traders to speculate on gold prices without the need for physical ownership, and through this article, we aim to guide you in identifying the best gold trading brokers.

Choosing a gold broker for trading gold online involves considering several factors such as regulatory oversight, commission rates, and the range of gold derivatives offered. In fact, gold can be traded via several methods such as the Spot Market, Futures Market, CFD Market, and Option Market.

Gold markets can be navigated through various platforms, with brokers regulated by authorities like NFA, ASIC, or FCA offering secure experiences.

It’s important to consider trading costs, including commissions, which can take the form of pips on CFDs or a fixed amount on gold futures. The chosen gold trading platform should align with the trader’s goals and provide the desired gold derivative for trading.

Trading gold through CFD brokers introduces additional conditions like the application of spreads, overnight and conversion fees, and limitations on leverage. When using brokers for gold trading, fees such as mark-ups on the buy-sell price, overnight fees for holding positions, and conversion fees for trades in currencies other than USD should be expected.

In order to choose which gold trading brokers to feature in this top 10, we have took into consideration a number of factors including:

  • The availability of tradable gold instruments;
  • Commissions charged by the broker on gold;
  • The different methods of investment offered on gold;
  • The minimum contract size on gold assets;
  • The regulation of the brokers.
Table of Content

Round-up

Find below a comparison table showing the differences and similarities of each of the 10 gold forex brokers.

BROKERS TRADED AS MINIMUM CONTRACT SIZE XAG/USD SPREAD MINI-GOLD CONTRACTS
HF Markets Spot 1 oz 0.023 pips No
IG Markets Spot, Futures, Stocks 2 oz 0.030 pips No
eToro Spot, Futures, Stocks 1000 USD 0.045 pips No
Admiral Markets Spot, Futures, Stocks 1 oz 0.010 pips No
Forex.com Spot, Futures 1 oz 0.025 pips No
AvaTrade Spot, Futures, Options Stocks 1 oz 0.029 pips No
City Index Spot, Futures N/A 0.003 pips Yes
CMC Markets Spot, Futures, Stocks 0.4 oz 0.003 pips No
FBS Spot 1 oz 0.031 pips No
Plus500 Spot, Futures, Stocks 1 oz 0.0553 pips No

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.

What are the best gold trading brokers and platforms?

  • Both MT4 and MT5 trading platforms support trading on gold as CFDs. You can also trade one gold ETF (GLD).
  • HF Markets allows gold trading also for those traders interested in copy trading on the proprietary HF Copy platform.
  • The size of 1 lot on gold is equal to 100 ounces while the minimum trade size is 0.01 lots or 1 ounce. High-volume traders can open up to 60 lots or 7 lots if operating on a micro account.
  • Gold is typically traded against the USD with a spread starting at 0.023 pips but on HF Markets you can trade also against the EUR with spread charged from 0.12 pips.
  • Maximum leverage on gold is 1:20 in Europe, UK, and Australia or 1:200 for international traders.
70.51% of retail investor accounts lose money
  • Trade gold as CFDs in different asset classes including: options, spread betting, shares, ETFs, and futures.
  • Size of 1 lot is equal to 100 ounces while the minimum size is 0.20 lots or 20 ounces.
  • Spread on CFD spot XAU/USD is 0.3 pips, whereas on barrier and vanilla options there is a commission of $ 0.10 per contract.
  • Trading gold on IG Markets you will not be charged for positions above $100.
  • Maximum leverage is 1:20 in Europe, UK, and Australia, 1:200 for international traders.
68% of retail CFD accounts lose money
  • eToro is popular for social trading features in which you can interact with other traders at the same time and keep up to date with live news about gold market.
  • Trading gold on eToro is facilitated by CFDs on spot markets, the SDPR gold ETF (GLD) or you can even trade Bitcoin against Gold.
  • eToro’s minimum trade size on commodities is $1,000. You can lower this amount to $50 on gold, based on the leverage applied to open the position.
  • The spread you can find on XAU/USD is slightly higher than competitors at 0.045 pips.
  • Leveraged gold positions are capped to 1:20 for any retail client of eToro.
76% of retail CFD accounts lose money
  • Trading gold on MT4 or MT5 you’ll benefit from a cashback program if you meet the broker’s requirements on monthly trading volume.
  • Gold trading is available on many CFDs assets such as ETFs and futures.
  • Spread on spot XAU/USD is charged from 0.010 pips while leverage on gold depends on your position since it may vary from 1:500 for international traders to 1:20 for traders in the EU, the UK or Australia.
  • The minimum contract size with Admiral is 1 oz. For traders who want to trade higher volumes, the maximum is 25oz.
76% of retail investor accounts lose money
  • Forex.com allows to trading of gold CFDs on Spot and futures markets. Gold and silver trading is not available on MT4.
  • The spread on gold starts from 0.025 pips against USD only even though Forex.com currently offer also EUR, GBP, CHF, and AUD.
  • The minimum trade size on gold with Forex.com is kept low at 1 ounce.
  • Forex.com provides TradingView to improve charting analysis on Gold.
81% of retail investor accounts lose money
  • AvaTrade offers plenty CFDs on gold assets such as spot, options, futures, shares, ETFs and Bitcoin Gold.
  • For UK traders, AvaTrade allows spread betting on gold.
  • The minimum trade size for spot gold available on AvaTrade is 1 ounce.
  • AvaTrade offers fixed spread to trade gold from 0.029 pips, which is reduced to 0.023 pips for professional traders who can avail of a leverage up to 1:200.
76% of retail investor accounts lose money
  • Gold trading is made available as CFDs on spot and futures market. City Index enables spread betting on gold for UK traders only.
  • Mini-contract gold trading is permitted.
  • Spreads on gold start from 0.003 pips but the spread on futures is slightly higher at 0.005 pips.
  • Spread betting follows the same fees but lacks mini-contracts on gold.
70% of retail CFD accounts lose money
  • Gold trading is facilitated through CFDs on spot, futures, shares, and ETFs. Spread betting is available for traders in the UK.
  • Gold CFDs at CMC Markets are charged with a spread of 0.003 pips.
  • Minimum trade size on gold is 0.4 units or 0.0004 lot on MT4 with a maximum of 7500 units or 750 lots on MT4.
  • CMC Markets enables the use of guaranteed stop loss on gold orders charging $0.30 USD per unit.
78% of retail investor accounts lose money when spread betting and/or trading CFDs with this provider.
  • FBS allows trading of spot gold CFDs and gold is also traded against cryptos such as Bitcoin Cash, Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Ripple.
  • The spread charged on gold starts from 0.031 pips but depends on the account chosen.
  • A lot size on gold is equal to 100 ounces with a minimum size available of 1 ounce.
  • Traders in Europe, UK or Australia are limited to leverage on gold up to 1:20 while international traders have a higher ratio at 1:400.
74-89% of retail CFD accounts lose money
  • Plus500 provides gold CFDs on different assets such as spot, futures, shares, and ETFs via the proprietary platforms. It is known for being a top CFD service.
  • The spread you can find on gold starts from a minimum of 0.053 pips.
  • With Plus500 you can also trade gold via a call-put option with a higher spread. Calls from 0.094 pips, puts from 0.078 pips.
  • Plus500 makes gold trading available from only 1 ounce per contract.
77% of retail investor accounts lose money

How to Choose a Gold Trading Broker

When selecting a gold trading broker, it’s essential to consider several factors to ensure a smooth and profitable trading experience. Here are some key points to keep in mind:

  1. Regulatory oversight is crucial for the safety and security of your funds. Look for brokers that are regulated by reputable financial authorities such as NFA (National Futures Association), ASIC (Australian Securities and Investments Commission), or FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) in the UK. These regulatory bodies enforce strict rules and guidelines to protect traders and maintain the integrity of the financial markets.
  2. Trading gold often involves paying commissions, so it’s wise to find a broker with competitive commission rates. Typically, gold brokers charge commissions either in the form of pips on CFDs (Contracts for Difference) or a fixed amount per contract on gold futures. Look for brokers offering reasonable commission rates, such as 1 pip on CFDs or $1 per contract on futures, to minimize trading costs.
  3. Check if the broker offers the gold derivative you want to trade as not all brokers offer the same range of gold derivatives for trading: some brokers, like Interactive Brokers (IB), provide a wide variety of gold derivatives, including options, CFDs, and futures. On the other hand, platforms like eToro may focus more on CFDs. Choose a broker that aligns with your specific trading preferences and goals.

Resources for Gold Traders

To make informed trading decisions, gold traders can benefit from various resources that provide market insights and analysis. Here are some valuable resources to consider:

  • Use news and Analysis Websites to stay updated with the latest financial news and gold market analysis. Use reputable websites like Bloomberg and investing.com.
  • Use economic calendars to keep track of significant events and economic indicators that could impact the gold market. Many financial news websites offer economic calendars with dates and times for these events.
  • Follow training and courses to improve your gold trading skills by enrolling in online courses offered by platforms like Coursera and Udemy. There are also specialized trading education websites that focus specifically on gold trading.
  • Read books for a comprehensive understanding of the gold market and its historical background. Consider reading books like “Precious Metals Investing For Dummies.”

Ways to Trade Gold

Gold can be traded in several different ways, each catering to various trading strategies and risk appetites. The common methods for trading gold are Gold Spot Market, Gold Futures Market, Gold CFD Market and Gold Option Market.

In the Gold Spot Market, gold is traded at its current market price. This market primarily involves physical gold trading. It is important to note that over 25 million contracts are traded per day in this market.

The Gold Futures Market involves buying gold in contracts that reflect future pricing. This market allows traders to speculate on the future price movements of gold. Approximately 20 million contracts are traded per day in this market.

Gold CFD (Contract for Difference) trading is ideal for price speculation. With CFDs, traders can speculate on whether the gold price will rise or fall without owning the physical asset. The CFD market is usually based on the spot gold market.

Similar to the futures market, the Gold Option Market derives its price from gold futures contracts. However, traders have the option to decide whether to buy or not to buy the gold at the due date, providing more flexibility in their trading strategies.

Gold Trading Conditions with CFD Brokers

If you choose to trade gold through CFD brokers, here are some important conditions to be aware of:

  • CFD Gold brokers typically apply a spread, which is a mark-up added to the buy-sell price. Spreads are usually from 1 pip.
  • Overnight fees and conversion fees may apply when trading gold as CFDs. These fees are important to consider when holding positions overnight or when trading with a currency other than USD.
  • While CFDs offer leverage, it is essential to note that the leverage is often limited to 1:20 (5% margin) in certain regions like the UK, Australia, and the European Union. This restriction is in place to protect traders from excessive risks associated with high leverage.

Fees Charged by Gold Trading Brokers

When trading gold with brokers, you may encounter several types of fees. Here are the common fees associated with gold trading:

  • Brokers apply a mark-up on the buy-sell price (spread), commonly known as spreads. The spread is usually from 1 pip, and it represents the broker’s profit on each trade.
  • If you hold gold positions overnight as CFDs, some brokers may charge overnight fees. These fees compensate for the cost of maintaining positions overnight.
  • When you buy gold using a currency different from USD, a conversion fee may be applied. For example, if your account is denominated in EUR, and you trade gold quoted in USD, the broker may charge a fee for converting EUR to USD.

Pros and cons of gold trading brokers

Pros

  • flexible trading environment
  • most brokers offer news and resources to trade gold

Cons

  • brokers might not always offer certain gold derivatives
  • leverage may be limited in some countries

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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