The best Forex brokers and platforms for MAC users, according to our research, are:
- Pepperstone
- Saxo
- eToro
- FxPro
- Oanda
If you’re just starting out in forex trading, or are looking to switch platforms, and the Mac will be your primary device from which you’ll make your trades, you’ve come to the right place. Our comprehensive review of the best forex trading platforms for Mac will help you find a forex broker that suits your needs and preferences.
Overview
Take a look at this quick rundown of our selected best Mac trading platforms. All of them offer a smooth trading experience on Apple’s computers, and what it really comes down to are the criteria usually used to determine the quality of a trading platform, regardless of the device it is used on.
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.
| Broker | Minimum deposit | Tradable assets | Forex Spreads | Spread betting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pepperstone | $200 | 200+ | From 0 pips | Yes |
| Saxo | $0 | 32,000+ | From 0.3 pips | Yes |
| eToro | $50 | 950+ | From 1 pip | No |
| FxPro | $100 | 400+ | From 0.1 pips | Yes |
| Oanda | $0 | 150+ | From 0.8 pips | Yes |
On top of using our usual review criteria that help us determine whether or not an online brokerage platform is worth your time and money, we also took into account the way these platforms perform on MacOS. This entails the overall performance on the system, but also things such as integration across other platforms, and user experience and interface. You’re still going to see the usual key trading information here, but the Mac performance is our leading criterion in this case.
Our performance assessment was based on ease-of-use, number of bugs encountered, fluidity in switching between different windows and views, as well as customizability and accessibility features.
Finally, it’s important to note that our review is not a ranking of the best Mac trading platforms. The online brokers listed here are not organized in a particular order, and they’ve all performed well for us after thorough testing. Treat this review as a collection of five forex trading platforms that are great for MacOS, and use the information we provided to choose the one for you in accordance with your needs and preferences.
What are the best forex trading platforms for MAC?
Below our curated list of the best trading platforms for Mac users interested in Forex and CFD trading, with details of features and characteristics.
Pepperstone
The Best Charting Features
Pepperstone provides MT4, MT5, and cTrader platforms for Mac. Pepperstone allows usage on the Safari browser. Pepperstone’s web app runs slower on Safari than Chrome. Pepperstone remains an excellent choice for low-spread forex trading on Mac.
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About Pepperstone
Pepperstone is a global forex and CFD broker founded in 2010 in Melbourne, Australia. Pepperstone offers trading on currencies, commodities, indices, stocks, and cryptocurrencies through MetaTrader and cTrader platforms. Pepperstone is regulated by multiple authorities including ASIC, FCA, and CySEC. Pepperstone is known for competitive spreads, fast execution, and extensive educational resources. Pepperstone serves clients in over 160 countries worldwide. The Pepperstone CEO is Tamas Szabo.
Pepperstone Features
The features of Pepperstone are listed below.
Pepperstone is a reputable broker that has been providing trading services since 2010 and is regulated by several financial authorities, including FCA, ASIC, and CySEC. It offers a wide range of tradable instruments ranging from forex, commodities, indices, and stocks, as well as social-copy trading through third-party platforms.
Why Pepperstone?
- With Pepperstone you can download a total of three trading platforms on your Mac: the MT4, the MT5 and the cTrader platforms
- Pepperstone allows you to use their platforms on the Safari web browser as well
- We haven’t noticed any major differences in comparison to the Windows application
- Their web app runs a bit slower on Safari than on Google Chrome
- Pepperstone is a good option if you want to trade forex on your Mac with low spreads
Pepperstone Pros and Cons
Advantages of Pepperstone
The advantages of Pepperstone are listed below.
- Stable raw spreads (0,09 pips on EUR/USD on average)
- Caters for algorithmic trading
- Has won over 30 Forex industry awards
Disadvantages of Pepperstone
The disadvantages of Pepperstone are listed below.
- The demo account is not unlimited
Saxo
The Widest Array of Assets
Saxo offers SaxoTraderGO and SaxoTraderPRO platforms for Mac. Saxo’s Mac app mirrors the Windows version. Saxo’s web app functions smoothly on Safari. Saxo provides third-party apps like Excel API compatible with Mac OS.
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About Saxo
Saxo is a Danish investment bank and online trading platform founded in 1992. Saxo offers trading in forex, stocks, CFDs, futures, options, and other financial instruments across global markets. Saxo provides proprietary trading platforms and white-label solutions for institutional clients. Saxo is regulated by multiple authorities including the Danish FSA and UK FCA. Saxo serves retail and institutional clients in over 170 countries. The Saxo CEO and co-founder is Kim Fournais.
Saxo Features
The features of Saxo are listed below.
Saxo is a well-regulated platform overseen by multiple financial regulatory bodies. Saxo offers a demo account that has a duration of 20 days and provides traders with virtual funds worth $100k.
Why Saxo?
- Saxo offers two proprietary Mac trading platforms to their traders: SaxoTraderGO and SaxoTraderPRO
- Saxo’s Mac application is a 1-1 equivalent of the Windows app.
- The Saxo’s in-browser app runs well on Safari, and it workes as smoothly as it does in other browsers.
- They offer multiple third party apps such as an API for Excel and Tradingview, which are both compatible with Mac OS
Saxo Pros and Cons
Advantages of Saxo
The advantages of Saxo are listed below.
- Regulation and Trust
- Extensive Product Range
- Advanced Trading Platform
Disadvantages of Saxo
The disadvantages of Saxo are listed below.
- High Minimum Deposits for Premium Accounts
- Lack of Spread Betting Options
- Custody Fees in Certain Regions
eToro
Perfect for Social Trading
eToro lacks a desktop app for Mac. eToro provides only a web-based platform usable on Safari. Mac users find eToro ideal for Copy Trading. eToro focuses solely on webtrader availability for Mac.
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About eToro
eToro is a global multi-asset investment platform founded in 2007, offering trading on stocks, ETFs, Crypto CFDs, commodities, and forex. eToro provides a proprietary web and mobile platform with social trading features. eToro is regulated by multiple authorities including FCA, ASIC, and CySEC. eToro is known for its user-friendly interface, copy trading functionality, and commission-free stock trading. eToro serves over 30 million users worldwide. The eToro CEO and co-founder is Yoni Assia.
eToro Features
The features of eToro are listed below.
The eToro trading platform is a well-regulated and secure option for traders. With its multiple licenses, including registration with FinCEN in the USA, the platform offers a high level of security for traders. The eToro demo account is especially helpful, as it allows traders to test out the platform with virtual funds before committing real money.
Why eToro?
- eToro doesn’t have a dedicated desktop app for any operating system
- eToro only offers one trading platforms, and it’s only available as webtrader
- Mac users can use the eToro webtrader from Safari
- If you’re a Mac user interested in Copy Trading, eToro is the best choice for you
eToro Pros and Cons
Advantages of eToro
The advantages of eToro are listed below.
- Great copy trading and social trading features
- Wide range of asset classes
- It allows to buy fractional stocks from $10
Disadvantages of eToro
The disadvantages of eToro are listed below.
- The eToro spreads can be high
- Offers only USD accounts
- Transferring cryptocurrencies to other platforms can be hard
FxPro
Great Market Research Materials
FxPro offers MT4, MT5, and cTrader platforms for Mac. FxPro supports use on Safari and mobile. FxPro’s Mac app responds quickly. FxPro optimizes its platform well for Apple’s operating system while maintains performance with apps in the background.
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About FxPro
FxPro is a global online broker founded in 2006, offering trading on forex, CFDs, stocks, indices, commodities, and cryptocurrencies. FxPro provides multiple trading platforms including MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, and its proprietary FxPro Platform. FxPro is regulated by multiple authorities including FCA, CySEC, SCB, FSC and KNN. FxPro serves clients in over 170 countries and has won numerous industry awards. The FxPro CEO is Charalambos Psimolophitis.
FxPro Features
The features of FxPro are listed below.
FxPro is a popular trading platform that offers secure and regulated trading opportunities for investors around the world with regulations from FCA, CySEC, FSCA, and SCB (Bahamas). The platform offers a demo account with virtual funds worth $100,000 and an account opening amount of just $100.
Why FxPro?
- FxPro offers multiple trading platforms for Mac users such as MT4, MT5 and cTrader
- These FxPro platforms are both available for Desktop and mobile users, and they are also compatible with the Safari browser
- The FxPro EDGE trading platform for spread betting is only available as webtrader
- Their dedicated MacOS app is quick and responsive, which is particularly important when day-trading.
- The FxPro platform is also well-optimized for Apple’s operating system: even with a number of apps running in the background, we didn’t experience any dips in FxPro’s performance.
FxPro Pros and Cons
Advantages of FxPro
The advantages of FxPro are listed below.
- Regulated and Trusted Forex broker
- Diverse Trading Platforms
- Wide Range of Instruments
Disadvantages of FxPro
The disadvantages of FxPro are listed below.
- Inactivity Fee
- Limited Educational Resources
- No Guaranteed Stop-Loss Orders
Oanda
Top Pick for Account Management
Oanda provides the Oanda Connect desktop app for Mac. Oanda’s program performs as well on Mac as on Windows. Oanda offers faster speeds under stress on Mac. Oanda includes MT4 and MT5 for Mac users.
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About Oanda
OANDA is a global multi-asset broker founded in 1996, offering trading on forex, CFDs, commodities, indices, and cryptocurrencies. OANDA provides proprietary platforms and API solutions. OANDA is regulated by multiple authorities including FCA, ASIC, and MAS. OANDA is known for competitive spreads, fast execution, and currency data services. OANDA serves both retail and institutional clients worldwide. The Oanda Chief Executive Officer is Gavin Bambury since August 2019.
Oanda Features
The features of Oanda are listed below.
Oanda is a multi-regulated online trading platform. The platform offers a cost-effective trading experience for traders of all levels and operates in various asset classes, including forex, commodities, indices, crypto assets, stocks, ETFs and bonds.
Why Oanda?
- Just like Windows users, Mac owners get to download and install the Oanda Connect desktop app onto their devices from Oanda’s website.
- At Oanda there are no noticeable differences in how the programs look and run on these competing operating systems.
- The Mac version of Oanda Connect can run significantly faster than its Windows counterpart when under stress
- Oanda also offer the MT4 and MT5 platforms to their Mac traders
Oanda Pros and Cons
Advantages of Oanda
The advantages of Oanda are listed below.
- Comprehensive Platforms
- Robust Education
- Highly Regulatory Trust
Disadvantages of Oanda
The disadvantages of Oanda are listed below.
- Higher Spreads
- Proprietary Platform Limitations
- Inactivity Fees
What is a MAC Forex trading platform?
A MAC forex trading platform refers to a forex (Foreign Exchange) brokerage firm that provides traders with a platform designed specifically for macOS (the operating system used by Apple’s Mac computers) to engage in foreign exchange trading.
The significantly smaller array of third-party programs and applications available for Apple’s computers has been one of the most glaring shortcomings of the MacOS operating system for years. This trend has changed in recent years, however, and today, there is little difference between the roster of apps for Windows and MacOS.
Some of the leading forex brokers have developed Macintosh platforms for forex traders with MacBooks or iMacs. They’re also available to use in-browser, so even if your preferred platform can’t be run natively on MacOS, you’re likely to still use it on your computer via Safari or another internet browser of your choice.
Are MAC trading platforms better than Windows ones?
Trading on a MAC or a Windows PC is essentially the same thing. The difference isn’t in the OS but rather in the platform and its features.
Forex brokers have made it convenient for traders by allowing them to trade on both MAC and Windows without any differentiation between the two operating systems. Whether you’re using MAC or Windows, you can expect the same user experience, features, and functionalities.
This parity also extends to third-party trading platforms like MetaTrader or cTrader. Both these platforms are available for Windows (in .exe format) and for MAC (usually in .dmg format). So, regardless of your OS preference, you have access to the same quality platforms.
If you’re a MAC user who’s hesitant about downloading and installing a forex trading platform, there’s always the option to use the webtrader platform, which runs directly on Safari. This gives you the flexibility to trade without having to worry about system compatibility.
What forex trading software is available for MAC users?
Among the most popular MAC forex trading platforms and softwares there are MT4, MT5, and cTrader.
If your primary interest lies in forex market and forex trading, the MT4 software is arguably the best choice. It stands out for its flexibility and boasts the largest community of forex traders. This vast community means more shared resources, expert advisors, and guidance available for traders.
However, if you have an interest in trading derivatives beyond forex, MT5 would be more suitable. It’s designed to cater to a broader range of financial instruments, including cryptocurrency, futures, and options trading.
For traders who prioritize swift execution, especially scalpers, cTrader is the ideal choice. It offers quick and seamless trading execution, making it a favorite among these categories of traders.
Is the MetaTrader trading platform easy to install on MAC?
MetaTrader, both MT4 and MT5, has become more MAC-friendly over the years.
MAC users can now easily install the MetaTrader platform by directly downloading the installation file from their chosen broker’s website.
There was a time when installing the MetaTrader trading platform on a MAC was a more complex process. Originally, the provided file was in .exe format, which was primarily compatible with Windows. To run this on a MAC, traders needed third-party services and software to convert the .exe file into a format readable by the Apple operating system.
Thankfully, the times have changed. Brokers, recognizing the growing number of the MAC forex traders community, now offer several MAC-specific solutions. This shift ensures a smoother and more direct installation process for MAC users, allowing them to get started with their trading endeavors without unnecessary hassles.