Home High Leverage Forex Brokers
Edith Muthoni

What factors do you pay the most attention to when looking for a high leverage forex broker? Some people will probably give more preference to brokers with high leverages. 

As a trader, decent leverage allows you to take control of large trade sizes with minimal capital. High Leverage brokers understand this and have been using high leverages as a marketing tool to woe in investors and extend their competitive edge in the industry.

In this guide, we look at the best forex brokers with the most attractive leverages. We, however, start by looking at how it works and the criteria used to rank the best high leverage brokers.

Top Forex Brokers with High Leverage in 2024

You can read about the top high leverage forex brokers in more depth further down this guide, but if you’re looking for a quick summary, check out the list below.

  1. Forex.com– Trusted and reputable broker with high leverage
  2. FBS – Up to 1:3000 forex leverage
  3. AvaTrade – Established broker with MT4/5
  4. CryptoRocket – Beginner-friendly high leverage forex broker
  5. PaxForex – Low spreads and trading fees
  6. Eagle FX – Wide range of forex pairs
  7. XM Global – Forex broker with 1:888 leverage
  8. InstaForex – Minimum deposit of just $1
  9. OctaFX – Supports a variety of trading platforms
  10. NordFX – Very competitive forex spreads
Note: Leverage allows you to take control of large trade positions with minimal capital. And with the right set of skills, strategy, and mindset, leverage will help amplify your gains. However, this works both ways. Just as it amplifies your gains, leverage also amplifies your losses. And the need to protect most Forex traders from these amplified losses forms the primary reason why some regulators capped the maximum leverage in their jurisdiction.

How Does Leverage Work?

Leverage is a form of investment loan given to an investor by the brokerage firm. It serves to inflate your trading account balances, making it possible to enter into larger trading positions with the hope of scoring higher returns. To access this loan, you will need first to open a margin account with your preferred broker. The leverage advanced is then expressed as 1:50, 1:100, 1:200, or 1:500.

Best High Leverage Brokers...

But what does this mean? In the case of 1:200, it implies that for every one base currency you are willing to stake into a trade, the broker will loan you two hundred more. If you, therefore, wished to enter into a $200,000 trade, you would only need $1,000 in your trading account.

What are the pros and cons of using a Broker’s Leverage?

Pros

  • Provides you with additional albeit loaned trading capital
  • Helps you enter into larger trade positions that magnify your gains
  • The leveraged (loaned) trading capital is interest-free
  • Allows a trader to enter into any trade with low capital

Cons

  • Can easily wipe out your trading capital (staked amounts)
  • It exposes you to margin call risks
  • Higher leverages (free money) encourages reckless trading

Criteria used to rank the Best High-Leverage Brokers:

  • Amount of leverage advanced
  • Regulation and compliance
  • Spreads and additional charges or fees
  • Risk management tools available
  • Trade execution speeds
  • Customer support
  • Consumer experience
  • Number of Forex pairs available

Best High Leverage Broker For 2024

1. Forex.com – Best for longstanding reputation (1:400)

Forex.com features on this list majorly because of its relatively attractive leverage of 1:400. But we also liked the solid reputation of trust and reliability it has established over the years. Having been actively involved in the industry for close to two decades, Forex.com has morphed into a market leader and is dominating different aspects of forex trade.

It, for instance, hosts one of the highest numbers of currency trading pairs (80+). It also has one of the most advanced and adaptive trading platforms, as well as the broadest collection of technical analysis and trade automation tools. In addition to this, the broker hosts a highly polished industry insiders and pro analysts. And they are constantly reviewing the markets and publishing actionable tips on possible market movements and price actions.

Our rating

  • Have the web and mobile trading apps that allow you to trade on the go.
  • CFTC accepts U.S. clients
  • Supports both MT4 and NinjaTrader platforms
  • Beginner-friendly
  • Huge spreads push up the trading costs
  • Maximum leverage is not uniform on all trades

2. FBS – Best for High Leverages (1:3000)

FBS maintains the highest leverage in the global forex trading industry – currently set at 1:3000. It also is one of the most versatile brokers we have come across with a unique approach to the industry. It also has a long list of trading account types, and each is specially designed to suit a particular class of traders.

The most popular account type is the micro-lot trading (CENT) account for beginners, and the high-volume (ECN) account for scalpers. The broker further takes pride in hosting a huge collection of trading tools as well as highly effective automated trading systems. More importantly, forex transactions are commission-free while spreads range from 0.0 pips for the Zero-Spread trading account to 3.0 pips for least popular forex pairs

Our Rating

  • Hosts Sharia law compliant accounts for Islamic traders
  • Boasts of the highest leverage in the world
  • Advanced trading technology eliminates any incidences of slippage and requotes
  • Supports expert advisers and other automated trading tools
  • Not available to U.S. residents
  • Poor risk management practices where some accounts, such as ECN, don't have a stop-loss feature

3. AvaTrade – Best for Non-U.S investors (1:400)

AvaTrade has an established presence in over 150 countries around the world. It is thus operated under the strict guidance of all major financial regulatory agencies in Europe, Canada, Japan, and Australia. This, plus the fact that it offers highly attractive leverages of up to 1:400 makes it a preferred broker for most international traders. Apart from the leverage, you will also be interested to note that the broker runs one of the most advanced and user-friendly trading platforms.

Some key features availed by the broker include a professional in-house trading software, Forex APIs, and lucrative trading strategies – all of which are available freely on the site. Plus the broker is also one of the few that provides you with adjustable trading algorithms and Forex trading APIs that let you automate your trades from scratch.

Our Rating

  • Support a host of payment processing companies and free deposits and withdrawals
  • The advanced auto trading algorithms and APIs are availed to you free of charge
  • Exposes you to automated risk management tools like negative balance protection
  • Free training and access to Forex educational materials make it most appealing for beginner traders
  • Doesn’t accept U.S clients
  • Consumers have often complained of delayed withdrawals – can take up to 10 days

4. Crypto Rocket – Best For Free deposits (1: 500)

CryptoRocket stands out from the competition in the industry because of its attractive leverage of up to 1:500. But we also like it because of its zero-fee policy on deposits. But these aren’t the only reasons the broker makes it here. Other unique features that drew us to the Forex CFD trader include the fact that it exposes you to over 55 Forex trading pairs. Plus their ultra-tight spreads and the highly advanced trading platform are available in both the web trader, P.C., and mobile apps.

Our Rating

  • Their straight-through trade execution eliminates slippage and requotes
  • Their trading platform comes with numerous advanced trading tools that appeal to both beginner and elite traders
  • It doesn't charge transaction fees when live trading
  • CryptoRocket is a non-regulated exchange
  • There are limited financial products you can trade here - mostly cryptocurrencies

5. PaxForex – Best for U.S Forex investors (1:500)

PaxForex stands out with its non-discriminative and high leverage of 1:500. This is now available to all types of trading accounts availed by the acclaimed broker. In addition to the high leverage, there are several other reasons PaxForex tops our list of high leverage brokers. And we are especially drawn in by the fact that they maintain over five types of trading accounts.

They also expose you to more than 20 trading pairs and maintains a highly affordable minimum deposit of $10. It also is compatible with the all-popular desktop and Mobile versions of the MetaTrader (MT4) platforms. Note that this attractive leverage is, however, capped at the CFTC recommended 1:50 ratio for their U.S. clients.

Our Rating

  • Charges attractively low spreads both fixed and floating
  • All trader accounts are commission-free
  • Offers you a variety of account types
  • The broker is not regulated
  • Has a limited choice of trading platforms

6. Eagle FX – Best for the High number of Forex Trading Pairs (1:500)

Eagle F.X. appeals most to experienced traders looking for an advanced platform that gives them access to huge investment opportunities and attractive leverage. The broker exposes you to over 53 forex trading pairs (including all the major currencies). And these can be executed with leverage of 1:500.

Beginner traders looking to gain a deeper understanding of the Forex market can do so within the Eagle Fx demo account. It is free and has no limit to the amount of time or virtual currency you can spend there. Other factors that make it stand out from the competition, despite being a few months old, include its zero-fee approach to deposits and withdrawals. Plus the fact that you only need $10 to open a real trading account.

Our Rating

  • Available in both the web and mobile trading versions
  • Beginner-friendly as it supports social trading and copy trading
  • A low minimum deposit of $10 and high leverage that starts from 25:1 to 500:1
  • Not regulated
  • Not available to U.S. clients

7. XM Global - Best for Account Management Support (1:888)

X.M. Global ranks highly on the list of the most reputable online trading brokerages. Here, traders are treated to highly attractive leverages of 1:888. Not to mention that they also offer one the broadest list of trading pairs and other financial investment products. And these can be executed within one of their several retail client trading accounts that cater to both the beginner and expert traders.

Note, however, that the 1:888 leverage is only available to international traders operating outside the U.S. and Europe. X.M. isn’t available in the United States but operates through a Proxy – XM-UK in Europe. And in this FCA controlled financial district, leverage is capped at 1:30. Additionally, traders are treated to ultra-tight spreads of as low as 0.6 pips for all the major trading pairs. You might also be interested to note that all X.M. trading platforms are expert advisory friendly. You will also be treated to a 50%+20% bonus on your initial deposit upon verifying your trading account.

Our Rating

  • Every account is matched with a supportive account manager
  • Highly adaptive trading platform and a friendly user interface
  • Regulated in Europe, Canada, Australia, and the U.K.
  • Fastest trade execution speeds, eliminating requotes and slippage.
  • Limited deposit and withdrawal options

8. InstaForex – Best in Eastern Europe (1:1000)

InstaForex is headquartered in Russia, making it one of the few most successful brokerages in Eastern Europe. It stands out because it supports huge leverage that currently stands at 1:1000 and an equally large number of currency trading pairs – including all the major currencies. Other factors ensuring InstaForex makes it to the list of the reputable high leverage brokerages include its near-instant customer support services.

Plus, a wide range of technical analysis tools on an elaborate trading platform. Here, a client is also free to maintain up to three different trading accounts.

Our Rating

  • The broker supports both the MT4 and MT5 trading platforms
  • One-click trading technology guarantees fast trade execution
  • The low minimum deposit for real account – stands at $1
  • Not available to both the U.S. and E.U. markets
  • Limited and relatively slow withdrawal options

9. OctaFX – Best for Social Trading (1:500)

On paper, OctaFX has its leverage set at 1:500 for MT4 platform traders and 1:200 for the MT5 traders. And in a world where major Forex hubs are constantly coming up with regulations that seek to shrink leverages further, we consider this high and attractive. However, OctaFX is regularly holding promotions that allow traders from different parts of the world to adjust this leverage upwards manually.

In most cases, MT4 traders leverage moves from the standard 1:500 to 1:1000, while leverage for MT5 trades moves from 1:200 to 1:500. In addition to this, we liked the superior social trading feature on their website that supports copy trading for beginners. Plus, the fact that the broker also operates the one-click trading feature that guarantees fast trade execution speeds.

Our Rating

  • No deposit or withdrawal fees
  • Beginner-friendly through social trading and educational resources
  • OctaFX supports multi-platform trading on MT4, MT5, Web and OctaFX app trading platforms.
  • Multilingual customer support
  • Sluggish withdrawals
  • Limited payment processing options as it does not support debit and credit cards or PayPal

10. NordFX – Best for versatile trading platforms (1:1000)

NordFX also features on our list of high leverage brokers majorly because of its high leverage of 1:1000. But we are also impressed by the level of technology the broker has integrated into their trading platform. This is evidenced by the fact that Nord FX runs one of the most advanced trading platforms with sophisticated analysis tools, indicators, and trading strategies. It also takes pride in having one of the fastest payment processing systems that have resulted in minimal complaints.

Our Rating

  • Highly affordable spreads that start from 0.0 pips
  • Exposes you to different types of accounts that require low minimum deposit amounts – from $10
  • Stellar customer support team
  • Only features a limited number of forex trading pairs
  • Slow processing of withdrawals

Bottom line

Major financial and forex trading districts like the U.S. and the E.U. may have come up with pieces of legislation aimed at capping leverages. However, there still are several highly reputable brokerages ready to give you attractive trading margins. These are regulated by highly reputable finance industry oversight agencies like Australia’s ASIC and Europe’s CySEC.
Your choice of a trading broker may, therefore, depend on such factors as your country of residence and leverages available. However, we advise that you look at more than just the high leverage. Be sure to review such other factors as customer support, trading costs, and the number of forex pairs available when deciding on the best trading broker. You will also do well to remember that high leverage is a double-edged sword. It helps you score unimaginable profits but can also wipe your account balances in a single trade.

Glossary of Trading Platforms

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Platform Fee

The trading platform fee refers to the amount a trader pays to use the platform and access its integrated platform features and tools. It can be a one –time fee paid for the acquisition of the trading platform, a subscription fee paid monthly or annually. Others will charge on a per-trade basis with a specific fee per trade.

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Cost per trade

Cost per trade is also referred to as the base trade fee and refers to the fee that a broker or trading platform charges you every time you place a trade. Some brokers offer volume discounts and charge a lower cost per trade for voluminous trades.

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Margin

Margin is the money needed in your account to maintain a trade with leverage.

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Social trading

Social trading is a form of trading that allows for the interaction and exchange of trade ideas, signals and trade settings between the different classes of traders.

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Copy Trading

Copy trading, also known as mirror trading is a form of online trading that lets traders copy trade settings from one another. In most cases, it is the newbies and part-time traders that copy the positions of pro traders. The copiers -in most cases - are then required to surrender a share of the profits made from copied trades – averaging 20% - with the pro traders.

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Financial instruments

A Financial instrument ideally refers to the proof of ownership of financial commodities of monetary contracts between two parties. In the money markets, financial instruments refer to such elements as shares, stocks, bonds, Forex and crypto CFDs and other contractual obligations between different parties.

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Index

An index is an indicator that tracks and measures the performance of a security such as a stock or bond.

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Commodities

Commodities refer to raw materials used in the production and manufacturing of other products or agricultural products. Some of the most popular commodities traded on the exchange markets include energy and gases like oil, agricultural products like corn and coffee, and precious metals like gold and silver.

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Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs)

An ETF is a fund that can be traded on an exchange. The fund is a basket containing multiple securities such as stocks, bonds or even commodities. ETFs allow you to trade the basket without having to buy each security individually.

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Contract for difference (CFD)

CFDs are a form of contractual trading that involves speculating on the performance of a particular trade in the market. CFD’s will basically allow you to speculate on the future value of securities such as stocks, currencies and commodities without owning the underlying securities.

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Minimum investment

The minimum investment simply refers to the lowest amount of capital injection you can deposit into a brokerage or a trading platform. Different brokers demand varied minimum investment amounts from their clients either when registering or opening trade positions.

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Daily trading limit

A daily trading limit is the lowest and highest amount that a security is allowed to fluctuate, in one trading session, at the exchange where it’s traded. Once a limit is reached, trading for that particular security is suspended until the next trading session. Daily trading limits are imposed by exchanges to protect investors from extreme price volatilities.

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Day traders

A day trader is a term used to describe a trader who is constantly opening trades and closing them within a day. It is a common term used to refer to forex traders who open trade and only hold onto it for a few minutes or hours before disposing and having to leave no open trades at the time the trading day closes.

FAQs

What is leverage and how does one qualify for one?

 

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Is there a good and bad leverage ratio when trading Forex?

 

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Edith Muthoni

Edith Muthoni

Edith is an investment writer, trader, and personal finance coach specializing in investments advice around the fintech niche. Her fields of expertise include stocks, commodities, forex, indices, bonds, and cryptocurrency investments. She holds a Masters degree in Economics with years of experience as a banker-cum-investment analyst. She is currently the chief editor, learnbonds.com where she specializes in spotting investment opportunities in the emerging financial technology scene and coming up with practical strategies for their exploitation. She also helps her clients identify and take advantage of investment opportunities in the disruptive Fintech world.