Best CFD brokers in Australia for 2026

Companion calculators for sizing inside ASIC retail CFD leverage caps: position size, pip value, margin.

The primary ASIC-regulated CFD brokers ranked

The ranking weights asset-class breadth (40 percent), execution quality and spreads (30 percent), platform selection (15 percent), and Australian-specific factors (15 percent: AUD deposits, PayID support, ASIC compliance record, customer service hours). Forex-specialist brokers rank lower on multi-asset CFD breadth than they do on the pure forex pillar, and platform-led CFD providers (Plus500, AvaTrade) rank higher here than on the forex page.

Risk warning: Trading CFDs and FX carries significant risk of loss and may not be suitable for all investors. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Pepperstone Group Limited holds AFSL 414530.

"Best for" reflects the strongest competitive position by use case, not exclusive capability. Most brokers offer overlapping asset classes; ranking captures relative strength rather than absolute presence. AFSL numbers verified on the ASIC Professional Registers at connectonline.asic.gov.au.

For the ASIC regulatory framework underlying this list, see the ASIC regulated forex brokers reference page. For the forex-only ranking with a different set of weighting factors, see the best forex brokers Australia pillar.

Best overall CFD broker: Plus500

Plus500 takes the top spot for the CFD pillar when you weight brand backing alongside execution and platform fit. Plus500AU Pty Ltd holds AFSL 417727, and the parent company Plus500 Ltd is a constituent of the FTSE 250 index on the London Stock Exchange. That combination of ASIC regulation and a publicly listed parent is unmatched among CFD brokers commercially accessible to Australian retail. Sydney-based AU entity, AUD 200 minimum deposit, spread-based pricing with no separate commission.

The competitive position rests on three things. First, regulatory and corporate-governance pedigree. ASIC AFSL 417727 plus separate authorisations across the Plus500 group from the FCA (UK), CySEC (Cyprus), MAS (Singapore), DFSA (Dubai), and FSA (Seychelles). Parent Plus500 Ltd is LSE-listed since 2013, currently a FTSE 250 constituent, with audited annual reports, half-year results, and independent board oversight under UK Corporate Governance Code - public-company transparency unavailable from any privately held ASIC peer (Pepperstone, FP Markets, Fusion Markets, AvaTrade). Second, asset class breadth. 2,800+ CFD instruments covering forex, indices, commodities, shares, ETFs, options, and crypto from a single proprietary platform - one of the broadest CFD catalogues available to AU retail. Third, platform simplicity and mobile execution. No MetaTrader to learn, no cTrader complexity, no platform-switching between asset classes. The proprietary web and mobile platform is one of the cleanest in the ASIC-regulated CFD set; the mobile app rates 4.6/5 across 60,000+ Australian iOS reviews, best-in-class among CFD brokers.

Where Plus500 is not the best: lowest-cost active trading (Pepperstone Razor and Fusion Markets undercut Plus500's spread-based round-turn cost), MetaTrader fluency or algorithmic trading via expert advisors (Plus500 does not offer MT4/MT5/cTrader/TradingView), and ASX share CFD depth (FP Markets has IRESS with Level 2 depth of market). For active or algorithmic strategies, see the Pepperstone section below.

CFDs are a complex instrument by law and are not suitable for traders without market knowledge or experience. Plus500's free, unlimited demo account, Trading Academy, eBook, and FAQ resources are the appropriate starting points for new traders before any real-money trading.

For the full broker analysis with spread testing data and detailed regulatory breakdown, see the Plus500 review.

CFD Service. Your capital is at risk.

Best for active ECN traders: Pepperstone

For active traders whose strategy depends on tight Raw-account spreads, MetaTrader fluency, expert advisor support, or algorithmic execution, Pepperstone is the cleanest ASIC-regulated CFD choice. AFSL 414530, Melbourne-based, no minimum deposit, AUD 3.50 per-side commission on the Razor account.

The Pepperstone position rests on three things. First, platform selection is the widest of any ASIC broker: MT4, MT5, cTrader, and TradingView all run from a single account login. Most competitors offer two or three platforms; Pepperstone offers all four. Second, spread performance during volatility events (FOMC, NFP, RBA decisions) is consistently among the tightest in the licensed market. Third, asset class coverage spans forex, indices, commodities, share CFDs (selective), and cryptocurrency CFDs without major gaps.

Where Pepperstone is not the first call: ASX share CFD depth (FP Markets has IRESS), index CFD breadth on a proprietary platform (Plus500 has 60+ indices natively), absolute lowest commission (Fusion Markets undercuts on commission alone if forex-only), and brand-backing profile (Plus500's LSE-listed parent wins on the corporate-governance axis).

For the full broker analysis with live spread testing data, see the Pepperstone review.

Best for share CFDs: FP Markets

FP Markets is the only ASIC-regulated CFD broker with direct IRESS platform access for retail clients. AFSL 286354, Sydney-based, AUD 100 minimum deposit. IRESS is the institutional-grade Australian equity trading software used across the wholesale market; FP Markets brings it to retail.

The IRESS advantage is meaningful for share-CFD-focused traders. Level 2 depth of market on ASX listings, integrated market data feeds, advanced order types, and the ability to trade physical ASX shares alongside CFDs from the same platform login. No other ASIC retail broker offers this combination.

For multi-asset CFD use cases beyond ASX shares, FP Markets is competent but not class-leading: forex spreads are tight on the Raw account but slightly wider than Pepperstone during Asian session, and the commodity and index CFD ranges are narrower than the dedicated CFD-led platforms.

Best fit: Australian traders whose primary CFD focus is ASX shares or who need IRESS for institutional-style order execution. Forex CFDs come along as a secondary benefit. Full review at FP Markets review.

Best for index CFDs: Plus500

Plus500 leads the ASIC-regulated set on dedicated index CFD coverage, with 60+ global indices accessible from its proprietary web and mobile platform. AFSL 417727, Sydney-based Australian entity (Plus500AU Pty Ltd), parent Plus500 Ltd listed on the London Stock Exchange as a FTSE 250 constituent.

Index CFD coverage spans the ASX 200 plus every major global index that Australian retail traders look for: S&P 500, Nasdaq 100, Dow Jones, Russell 2000, FTSE 100, DAX 40, CAC 40, STOXX 50, Nikkei 225, Hang Seng, and a broad set of regional and sector sub-indices. The Plus500 platform delivers one-click execution with integrated stop-loss, take-profit, and guaranteed stop tools that suit dedicated index traders.

Where Plus500 is less competitive: it does not offer MT4 / MT5 / cTrader, so traders who run algorithmic index strategies or want copy-trading via MT4 community signals need to look elsewhere. For pure discretionary index trading on a polished proprietary platform with the strongest brand backing in the ASIC set, Plus500 is the cleanest pick. For traders splitting time across forex, indices, and algorithmic execution, Pepperstone covers indices via MT5 and TradingView with stronger platform breadth at the cost of fewer dedicated index instruments.

Best for commodity CFDs: Pepperstone

Commodity CFDs cover gold, silver, oil, natural gas, copper, and platinum. Pepperstone is the cleanest pick for commodity-focused execution among the active ASIC-regulated brokers. AFSL 414530, Melbourne-based Australian entity (Pepperstone Group Limited), AUD 0 minimum deposit.

Pepperstone's pricing on the major commodities (XAU/USD, XAG/USD, WTI crude, Brent crude, natural gas, copper) is consistently competitive, with MT4, MT5, cTrader, and TradingView all available from the same single-login account. Razor account spreads on gold (XAU/USD) average 12 cents during London/NY overlap, materially tighter than the standard-account brokers. The same execution-quality testing that places Pepperstone first on forex (~89 percent of orders filled at requested price during high-impact news events) carries through to commodity CFDs since the routing layer is shared.

For traders who want both forex and commodity CFD exposure inside a single ASIC-regulated account with institutional-grade execution, Pepperstone is the clean operational choice. FP Markets is the closest alternative (Raw account at AUD 3.00/side commission), and AvaTrade is the right pick for traders who want commodity CFDs alongside the AvaAcademy education curriculum and AvaProtect downside-protection product.

Best for crypto CFDs: Plus500

Cryptocurrency CFDs let traders speculate on Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other major crypto without holding the underlying coins. The ASIC 2:1 leverage cap on crypto CFDs applies uniformly across all licensed brokers.

Plus500 is the strongest crypto CFD choice for Australian retail when weighting brand backing and platform fit. Plus500AU (AFSL 417727) offers BTC, ETH, LTC, XRP, BCH plus selective major altcoins via the dedicated crypto landing page on its proprietary platform. The LSE-listed parent (Plus500 Ltd, FTSE 250 constituent) is the only major crypto CFD provider available to AU retail with public-company governance and audited annual reports. Spread-based pricing with no separate commission, mobile-first execution on the highest-rated CFD broker mobile app in Australia (iOS 4.6/5 across 60,000+ AU reviews). CFDs are a complex instrument and not suitable for traders without market knowledge or experience.

CFD Service. Your capital is at risk.

Pepperstone is the alternative for traders who want crypto CFD exposure inside the same MT4/MT5/cTrader/TradingView account they use for forex and indices. Pepperstone offers a similar major-altcoin set with spreads competitive against the global market and execution that holds up during weekend volatility (when most crypto CFD providers widen spreads aggressively).

AvaTrade is the third option for crypto CFD exposure across MT4, MT5, AvaTradeGO mobile, and WebTrader, with the AvaProtect downside-protection product available on supported crypto pairs - the only ASIC-regulated broker offering a built-in paid hedging tool on crypto positions. AvaTrade covers BTC, ETH, and the major altcoin set on spread-only pricing within the same education-led platform that handles forex, indices, shares, ETFs, and bond CFDs from a single login.

For traders deciding between Pepperstone and AvaTrade specifically (the two MetaTrader-based ASIC crypto CFD options), see the Pepperstone vs AvaTrade (Crypto CFDs) comparison.

For traders who want to actually own crypto rather than trade derivative exposure, an AUSTRAC-registered exchange is the correct path. See the best crypto exchanges Australia pillar for the physical-ownership path.

Best for multi-asset breadth and education: AvaTrade

AvaTrade takes third overall on the CFD pillar by combining the second-broadest asset universe after Plus500 with the strongest education-led onboarding among ASIC brokers and the proprietary AvaProtect downside-protection product. AFSL 406684 (Ava Capital Markets Australia Pty Ltd) plus eight additional regulators globally (CySEC, FSCA, FSA Japan, BVI FSC, ADGM, Israel ISA, Abu Dhabi FRSA, IIROC Canada) - the broadest regulatory footprint in the ASIC broker set.

Asset class coverage spans forex, indices, commodities, crypto, shares, ETFs, and bonds from a single AU-licensed account. This combination is what separates AvaTrade from Pepperstone and FP Markets on a pure multi-asset CFD pillar: AvaTrade is the only ASIC broker outside Plus500 offering CFDs on bonds (government and corporate) and ETFs alongside the standard forex / indices / commodities / shares / crypto set. For a multi-asset CFD trader who wants forex + ETFs + bonds in one account, AvaTrade is the only viable ASIC choice; FP Markets has IRESS depth on ASX shares but no bond or ETF CFDs.

Education-led onboarding. AvaAcademy delivers 50+ structured video courses, weekly live webinars, PDF trading guides, and an integrated demo environment - the strongest education library in the ASIC-licensed broker set. For new CFD traders the pairing of live platform with curriculum content is meaningful because CFD trading is a complex instrument by law and not suitable for traders without market knowledge or experience.

AvaProtect is a paid downside-protection product unique to AvaTrade among ASIC peers. Traders pay a fixed fee upfront to cap losses on a position for a defined period (1 hour to 30 days). For risk-conscious traders holding positions through scheduled news events, weekend gap risk, or longer swing exposure, the product is genuinely differentiated - no other ASIC broker offers it.

Platform stack. AvaTradeGO (award-winning mobile app), WebTrader, MT4, and MT5 all available from one account login, plus AvaSocial copy-trading as a separate product. AUD 100 minimum deposit.

The trade-off: spread-only pricing (0.9 pip EUR/USD average, no commission) is materially wider than Pepperstone Razor or Fusion Markets Zero on active forex trading. For traders whose primary CFD activity is high-frequency forex scalping, the spread cost compounds. For multi-asset CFD trading where bond, ETF, and share CFD breadth matter more than absolute forex spread, AvaTrade is the right pick.

Plus500 remains the alternative for new traders who prefer a single proprietary platform with a free unlimited demo account and the Plus500 Trading Academy, eBook, and FAQ resources. The proprietary platform is one of the cleanest in the ASIC-regulated CFD set. For the full Plus500 breakdown including the LSE-listed parent governance angle, the no-commission spread-based pricing model, the complete instrument coverage list, and the head-to-head versus Pepperstone and FP Markets, see the dedicated Plus500 review.

Best for lowest cost: Pepperstone or Fusion Markets

Lowest cost on a CFD broker is the sum of spread plus commission across the trader's actual instrument mix. For pure forex CFDs, Pepperstone Razor sits at approximately AUD 7 round-turn per standard lot on EUR/USD. For multi-asset CFD trading, Pepperstone wins on combined cost because the same platform and account handles all asset classes without commission stacking.

Fusion Markets undercuts Pepperstone on pure forex commission (AUD 4.50 round-turn) and is the cheapest forex-only ASIC-regulated option in Australia. For traders who also trade indices, commodities, or share CFDs at meaningful volume, Fusion's narrower asset coverage and lower-tier execution infrastructure make Pepperstone the better total-cost choice across multi-asset trading.

For high-volume traders, broker rebate programs (sometimes available at Pepperstone Razor for clients above defined monthly volume thresholds) can lower effective commission below the published rate. These programs are not advertised on retail-facing pages; ask the broker directly once monthly volume justifies the conversation.

ASIC leverage caps by CFD class

ASIC's product intervention order effective 29 March 2021 caps retail CFD leverage at the same maxima across every licensed broker. The caps are not negotiable and apply to all retail accounts regardless of broker.

The differentiated caps reflect ASIC's risk-weighted view of each asset class. Retail traders who want higher leverage on shares or crypto often migrate to wholesale-client classification (AUD 2.5 million net assets test or qualifying professional status). The wholesale path raises the leverage ceiling but drops the investor protections, which is rarely a good trade for retail-scale capital. For the full regulatory framework see the ASIC regulated forex brokers page.

How CFD trading differs from spot forex

Most retail Australian traders use the words "forex" and "CFD" interchangeably, but the regulatory and tax treatment differ.

Forex (the underlying market). Buying one currency against selling another, settling in actual currency at the prevailing exchange rate. Spot forex is what banks and institutions trade on the wholesale market.

CFD on forex (the retail derivative). A Contract for Difference between trader and broker that pays out the difference between entry and exit price, with no underlying currency held. The CFD wrapper is what makes retail forex trading practical at small position sizes and accessible at low minimum deposits.

For retail Australian traders, almost all "forex trading" through Pepperstone, FP Markets, Fusion Markets, Plus500, and AvaTrade is technically CFD trading. The CFD wrapper applies to other asset classes too: index CFDs, commodity CFDs, share CFDs, and cryptocurrency CFDs all follow the same derivative structure.

Why this matters for tax: the ATO treats CFD profits as ordinary assessable income, not capital gains, because no underlying asset is held. The 50 percent CGT discount that applies to long-term share investing does not apply to CFD trading, regardless of holding period. For the full tax treatment see the forex tax Australia pillar.

AUD deposits and platform considerations

Every ASIC-regulated CFD broker on this list supports AUD-denominated accounts, PayID, Osko, BPAY, bank transfer, and credit card deposits. PayID and Osko are the default recommendation for Australian residents: instant processing, no fees, no exchange rate conversion since the account is AUD-native.

Platform-wise the major decision points are:

• MetaTrader 4 (MT4): ageing but ubiquitous; massive expert advisor library; available at most brokers.
• MetaTrader 5 (MT5): MT4 successor; depth of market support; multiple asset classes; default for new accounts in 2026.
• cTrader: institutional-grade depth visualisation; available at Pepperstone (single login) and FP Markets.
• TradingView: best modern charting; direct trading at Pepperstone.
• Proprietary platforms: Plus500 (web and mobile) and AvaTrade (WebTrader and AvaTradeGO) each have their own platforms with varying levels of capability.

For traders who already have a platform preference, the broker selection narrows to whichever ASIC brokers support that platform. For traders without a preference, MT5 or TradingView are the strongest defaults; MT4 is reaching end-of-life.

Frequently asked questions