Admirals vs Pepperstone (2026): regulation, platforms and costs compared
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Data refreshed 25 Aug 2026 · Compiled by David Ispiryan
Admirals is a well-regarded forex and CFD broker offering broad market access, user-friendly platforms, and integrated research and education. It provides a range of account options and risk management tools under established…
Pepperstone is a well-regarded forex broker offering access to forex and CFD markets through multiple trading platforms, with tools for analysis and risk management.
Admirals (Estonia, founded 2001) holds 5 regulatory licences (ASIC, CySEC, FCA, FSCA, JSC), 2 of them tier-1, offers MT4, MT5 and sits in our low-fee bracket. Pepperstone (Australia, founded 2010) holds 8 regulatory licences (ASIC, BaFin, CMA, CySEC, DFSA…), 3 of them tier-1, offers cTrader, MT4, MT5, TradingView and sits in our low-fee bracket. The two overlap in 227 countries; Admirals is available in 1 countries where Pepperstone is not, and Pepperstone in 2 where Admirals is not.
Verdict at a glance
Admirals leads on track record.
Pepperstone leads on trust rank, regulatory coverage, platform choice, country coverage and tier-1 licences.
Level on instrument range and fee level.
Scored on 8 measurable dimensions where both brokers have verified data. Dimensions missing for either side are excluded rather than guessed. This is a data summary, not a recommendation.
Copy Trading, Professional Trading, Retail Trading
Highlighted cells mark the stronger value where a direction is objectively better (e.g. more licences, lower fees). "Not verified" means the field is not yet in our catalogue for that broker — we never fill gaps with estimates.
Pros
Admirals
FCA, ASIC, CySEC regulation
MT4/MT5 with MetaTrader Supreme Edition
Zero Accounts with raw spreads and low commissions
Wide multi-asset range (FX, indices, commodities, stocks, ETFs, crypto CFDs)
Volatility Protection and negative balance protection
Pepperstone
Raw spreads from 0.0 pips + low commissions
Ultra-low-latency market execution, deep liquidity
NDD/STP model with scalping, hedging, and EAs allowed
MT4/MT5, cTrader, TradingView, and API support
Top-tier regulation (FCA, ASIC)
Cons
Admirals
Charges inactivity fee
Limited free withdrawals
No cTrader platform support
Leverage capped at 1:30 for EU/UK retail
Not available to U.S. residents
Pepperstone
No guaranteed stop-loss orders
Negative balance protection limited to EU/UK retail clients
Not available to U.S. residents
CFDs-only offering (no real stocks/ETFs)
No proprietary trading platform
Key features
Admirals
Forex and CFD trading on MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5
Invest MT5 real stocks and ETFs
Multi jurisdiction regulation and segregated client funds
Negative balance protection and volatility protection
Zero account raw spreads with market execution
MetaTrader Supreme Edition and premium analytics
Pepperstone
Agency model no dealing desk market execution
Razor raw spreads and Standard pricing
MT4 MT5 cTrader and TradingView platforms
Advanced tools Autochartist Smart Trader Tools cTrader Automate and VPS
Risk warning: CFDs and forex are complex, leveraged instruments and carry a high risk of losing money rapidly. A majority of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. Nothing on this page is financial advice; verify licence status on the regulator's register before depositing. Full risk disclosure.