Forex alternatives

Capital.com Alternatives
| Alternative | Why consider it | What to check | Commission ($)¹ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Check spread plus commission | — | View | |
| Best for forex and CFD trading | Check spread plus commission | $7 | View | |
| Best for combining investing with CFD trading | Check spread plus commission | — | View | |
| Best for copy trading | Check spread plus commission | — | View | |
| Best simple CFD-focused | Check spread plus commission | — | View |
IG is the best Capital.com alternative overall for traders who want a broader platform without giving up CFDs. Pepperstone is the stronger choice for active forex and CFD traders, while XTB and Trading 212 make more sense if your priority is owning shares and ETFs rather than primarily trading derivatives.
eToro is the best alternative for copy trading and social investing. Plus500 is worth considering if what you like about Capital.com is a straightforward proprietary CFD platform and you do not need the additional trading platforms offered by Pepperstone or IG.
There is no single broker that is better than Capital.com at everything. The useful question is why you want to replace Capital.com in the first place.
Capital.com's current UK platform provides more than 5,500 CFD and spread-betting markets across shares, forex, indices, commodities and other asset classes. It supports TradingView, MetaTrader and its own web platform, while its standard CFD pricing is primarily spread-based rather than commission-based.
If those features already match what you need, switching brokers purely for the sake of switching makes little sense. The alternatives become more compelling when you want broader markets, different execution and pricing options, underlying investments, an ISA, copy trading or a different platform ecosystem.
Important: Broker products, fees and regulatory entities vary by country. This comparison uses current UK offerings as the main reference point where a regional distinction matters. Check the product available through the regulated entity serving your country before opening an account.
What is the best alternative to Capital.com?
IG currently advertises access to more than 15,000 UK trading markets, including forex, shares, indices, commodities and options. UK customers can also use share dealing and a Stocks and Shares ISA, so IG can cover both leveraged trading and longer-term investing from the same provider.
That makes IG particularly attractive if you have outgrown Capital.com rather than simply become dissatisfied with it.
Pepperstone beats IG for some active forex traders because its Razor account offers raw-spread pricing and access to cTrader alongside MetaTrader and TradingView. XTB and Trading 212 are more compelling if your real objective is to move away from CFDs and towards owning stocks and ETFs.
Capital.com alternatives compared
IG
- Best for
- Best overall
- Products that stand out
- CFDs, spread betting, shares, ETFs, ISA
- Why choose it over Capital.com?
- Much broader market range and more account types
- Main limitation
- More functionality than some beginners need
Pepperstone
- Best for
- Active forex and CFD traders
- Products that stand out
- CFDs, spread betting, forex
- Why choose it over Capital.com?
- cTrader plus MT4, MT5 and TradingView; raw-spread Razor pricing available
- Main limitation
- Primarily a derivatives trading proposition
XTB
- Best for
- Investing and trading in one account
- Products that stand out
- Real stocks, ETFs, CFDs, ISA
- Why choose it over Capital.com?
- Stronger choice for underlying investments while retaining CFD access
- Main limitation
- FX conversion costs can matter for foreign investments
Trading 212
- Best for
- Low-cost stock and ETF investing
- Products that stand out
- Stocks, ETFs, ISA, CFDs
- Why choose it over Capital.com?
- 13,000+ stocks and ETFs and low FX conversion costs
- Main limitation
- Less focused on advanced CFD trading workflows
eToro
- Best for
- Copy trading and social investing
- Products that stand out
- Stocks, ETFs, crypto, CFDs, CopyTrader
- Why choose it over Capital.com?
- Capital.com does not provide an equivalent social-copy ecosystem
- Main limitation
- Pricing and product treatment vary by asset and jurisdiction
Plus500
- Best for
- Straightforward proprietary CFD trading
- Products that stand out
- CFDs and other products depending on region
- Why choose it over Capital.com?
- Simple, self-contained trading ecosystem
- Main limitation
- Less platform choice than Pepperstone
| Broker | Best for | Products that stand out | Why choose it over Capital.com? | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | CFDs, spread betting, shares, ETFs, ISA | Much broader market range and more account types | More functionality than some beginners need | |
| Active forex and CFD traders | CFDs, spread betting, forex | cTrader plus MT4, MT5 and TradingView; raw-spread Razor pricing available | Primarily a derivatives trading proposition | |
| Investing and trading in one account | Real stocks, ETFs, CFDs, ISA | Stronger choice for underlying investments while retaining CFD access | FX conversion costs can matter for foreign investments | |
| Trading 212 | Low-cost stock and ETF investing | Stocks, ETFs, ISA, CFDs | 13,000+ stocks and ETFs and low FX conversion costs | Less focused on advanced CFD trading workflows |
| Copy trading and social investing | Stocks, ETFs, crypto, CFDs, CopyTrader | Capital.com does not provide an equivalent social-copy ecosystem | Pricing and product treatment vary by asset and jurisdiction | |
| Straightforward proprietary CFD trading | CFDs and other products depending on region | Simple, self-contained trading ecosystem | Less platform choice than Pepperstone |
1. IG: best Capital.com alternative overall
The biggest difference is breadth.
Capital.com's UK market pages currently advertise more than 5,500 markets. IG advertises access to more than 15,000 UK trading markets, including thousands of shares alongside forex, indices, commodities and other products.
IG also goes beyond CFD trading. UK investors can use share dealing and a Stocks and Shares ISA, while active traders can access CFDs and spread betting.
That distinction matters.
Someone searching for a Capital.com competitor because they simply want another CFD provider may not need everything IG offers. Someone who expects to trade CFDs today but buy ETFs, hold shares or use an ISA later gets more room to expand.
Who should choose IG instead of Capital.com?
IG makes most sense for traders who want wider market coverage, more investment account options or a broker capable of handling both leveraged trading and conventional investing.
It is less compelling if your only requirement is tight forex-focused execution on MetaTrader or cTrader. Pepperstone is the more specialised alternative for that use case.
2. Pepperstone: best Capital.com alternative for forex and CFD trading
Pepperstone supports MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, TradingView, cTrader and its own trading platform. That gives active traders more platform flexibility than relying on a single proprietary interface.
Its Razor pricing model is the other important difference.
Pepperstone advertises raw forex spreads from 0.0 on its Razor account, with a separate commission. Its Standard account instead incorporates trading costs into the spread.
Capital.com uses a predominantly spread-based CFD model with no trading commission on its standard offering.
Neither structure is automatically cheaper. The real cost depends on the market, position size, trading frequency, spread at execution and overnight financing.
The difference is that Pepperstone gives high-frequency and forex-focused traders a commission-plus-raw-spread option that Capital.com's standard pricing model does not replicate in the same way.
Pepperstone Limited is authorised and regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority.
Who should choose Pepperstone instead of Capital.com?
Pepperstone is strongest for active traders using forex, indices, commodities or share CFDs who specifically want cTrader, MetaTrader or raw-spread pricing.
If you are actually trying to stop trading CFDs and start buying real investments, Pepperstone solves the wrong problem. Look at XTB or Trading 212 instead.
3. XTB: best alternative for combining investing with CFD trading
XTB's current UK offering includes more than 9,000 stocks and ETFs alongside approximately 2,500 leveraged CFD instruments. It also offers a Stocks and Shares ISA.
That creates a useful distinction from a CFD-first trading setup.
XTB currently charges 0% commission on stocks and ETFs up to the equivalent of €100,000 in monthly turnover. Transactions above the threshold are charged at 0.2%, subject to a minimum charge, and a 0.5% currency conversion fee may apply.
XTB Limited is authorised and regulated by the FCA in the UK.
Who should choose XTB instead of Capital.com?
Choose XTB if you want one provider for both long-term investing and shorter-term CFD trading.
It is particularly relevant if the reason you are looking for an alternative is that you increasingly want to own the underlying shares or ETFs rather than obtain exposure through derivatives.
4. Trading 212: best Capital.com alternative for low-cost investing
Trading 212 offers Invest, Stocks ISA and CFD account types in the UK. Its investing platform currently advertises access to more than 13,000 global stocks and ETFs.
The platform is particularly competitive for international investing because the Invest account supports multiple currencies. Trading 212 currently charges a 0.15% FX fee when conversion is required.
Trading 212 UK Limited is authorised and regulated by the FCA.
Trading 212 still offers CFDs, but that is not where its strongest differentiation lies. Its real advantage against Capital.com is its straightforward stocks-and-ETFs ecosystem.
Who should choose Trading 212 instead of Capital.com?
Trading 212 suits investors who care more about buying shares, ETFs, fractional investments and using an ISA than about having an advanced multi-platform CFD setup.
For serious forex or CFD trading, Pepperstone is the stronger alternative.
5. eToro: best Capital.com alternative for copy trading
Its defining feature is CopyTrader. eToro's UK terms describe the service as allowing customers to copy trades from another eToro trader, while its broader platform combines social features with stocks, ETFs and other financial markets.
This is a genuine product-level difference rather than another minor variation in spread or chart layout.
eToro also supports underlying stock and ETF investing in applicable jurisdictions, while leveraged and short positions can be treated as CFDs. Product treatment should therefore be checked on the trade ticket rather than assumed from the asset name alone.
eToro UK Ltd is authorised and regulated by the FCA.
Who should choose eToro instead of Capital.com?
Choose eToro if discovering traders, following portfolios and copy trading are major requirements.
Do not choose it merely because you want an alternative CFD broker. Pepperstone and IG provide a more obvious direct comparison for that job.
6. Plus500: best simple CFD-focused alternative
Plus500 specialises in leveraged trading products, although the exact products available depend on the customer's country and regulated entity. Plus500UK Ltd is authorised and regulated by the FCA.
Like Capital.com, Plus500 primarily earns from the bid/ask spread on its CFD platform.
The important distinction is simplicity versus extensibility.
A trader who wants MetaTrader, cTrader or a more modular platform setup should favour Pepperstone. Someone who wants a self-contained proprietary CFD platform may prefer Plus500.
Is it worth switching from Capital.com?
Capital.com already provides broad CFD coverage, TradingView integration, MetaTrader support and an FCA-regulated UK entity.
The strongest reasons to consider an alternative are therefore structural.
IG gives you broader markets and additional investment products. Pepperstone provides a stronger specialist platform stack for active forex and CFD trading. XTB combines conventional investing with CFDs. Trading 212 focuses heavily on accessible stock and ETF investing. eToro adds copy trading. Plus500 provides another proprietary CFD-focused experience.
That is a more useful comparison than trying to rank six brokers using an arbitrary score.
Capital.com vs IG: which is better?
IG is therefore my overall winner, but it is not automatically the cheapest or simplest option for every trader.
Capital.com vs Pepperstone: which is better?
The choice should be based on the instruments you actually trade and your all-in trading cost, not a broker's advertised minimum spread.
Capital.com vs Trading 212: which is better?
These platforms overlap, but they solve noticeably different primary jobs.
If the objective is long-term portfolio ownership, Trading 212 is the more relevant comparison. If the objective is leveraged speculation across global markets, Capital.com remains much closer to the intended use case.
Which Capital.com alternative should you choose?
Plus500 remains a credible alternative for traders who deliberately want another simple, proprietary CFD platform.
The key distinction is trading versus investing. CFDs are leveraged derivatives and can produce losses quickly. Buying an underlying share or ETF is economically different from trading a CFD linked to the same instrument.
Decide which product you need first. Then compare the broker's current spreads, commissions, FX charges, overnight funding, platform support and regulatory entity for your country.
That will tell you far more than any generic "best broker" score.