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Data refreshed 25 Aug 2026 · Compiled by David Ispiryan
Trust rank #18 · Founded 2008
Markets.com is a well‐regarded forex and CFD broker offering broad access to currency pairs and multi‐asset CFDs on intuitive web and mobile platforms. It provides built‐in research, education, and risk management tools…
Read the Markets.com review
Trust rank #10 · Founded 2010
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.
Read the Pepperstone reviewMarkets.com (Cyprus, founded 2008) holds 5 regulatory licences (ASIC, BVI FSC, CySEC, FCA, FSCA), 2 of them tier-1, offers MT4, MT5, Proprietary 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 174 countries; Markets.com is available in 1 countries where Pepperstone is not, and Pepperstone in 55 where Markets.com is not.
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.
| Criteria | Markets.com | Pepperstone |
|---|---|---|
| Trust rank | #18 | #10 |
| Founded | 2008 | 2010 |
| Headquarters | Cyprus | Australia |
| Regulators | ASIC, BVI FSC, CySEC, FCA, FSCA | ASIC, BaFin, CMA, CySEC, DFSA, FCA, FSCA, SCB |
| Broker type | Market Maker | ECN, STP |
| Platforms | MT4, MT5, Proprietary | cTrader, MT4, MT5, TradingView |
| Instruments | Commodities, Cryptocurrencies, Forex, Indices, Metals | Commodities, Cryptocurrencies, Forex, Indices, Metals |
| Countries accepted | 175 countries | 229 countries |
| Fee level | Low | Low |
| Trading types | CFD Trading | CFD Trading, Spot Trading |
| Best-for use cases | Retail Trading | 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.
Available at both (174): Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Benin, Bermuda, Bolivia, Bonaire, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Croatia, Curaçao, Cyprus, Czechia, Côte d'Ivoire and 134 more.
Only Markets.com (1): Spain.
Only Pepperstone (55): American Samoa, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belize, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Canada, China, Cook Islands, Guam, Haiti, Hong Kong, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Libya, Macao, Maldives, Mali, Micronesia and 30 more.
Availability reflects the countries each broker declares it serves. Local rules change; confirm on the broker's own site before signing up.
Pepperstone holds more regulatory licences: Markets.com (ASIC, BVI FSC, CySEC, FCA, FSCA) versus Pepperstone (ASIC, BaFin, CMA, CySEC, DFSA, FCA, FSCA, SCB). Tier-1 licences: Markets.com 2, Pepperstone 3.
Markets.com offers MT4, MT5, Proprietary; Pepperstone offers cTrader, MT4, MT5, TradingView.
Both sit in the same fee bracket (low) in our catalogue; compare the spreads and commission rows above for detail.
Markets.com is the older of the two, founded in 2008; Pepperstone was founded in 2010.
They overlap in 174 countries. Markets.com is additionally available in 1 countries (Spain) and Pepperstone in 55 countries (American Samoa, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belize and 49 more).
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.