Best Spread Betting Brokers in the UK

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This is an evidence-led comparison of six FCA-authorised spread-betting providers, originally refreshed from official sources on 14 August 2026, with a targeted funding, platform, and warning update on 7 September 2026. MatchMyBroker checked every entity name, market count, platform claim, funding term, and risk warning against the provider and regulator pages linked throughout the article, and the method section below explains how the comparison works.

The full comparison sits in the table below. The featured first row carries Capital.com's standardised risk warning alongside its key terms, so the warning meets you before any product detail does.

Read the provider and entity column first. Your agreement, your protections, and any complaint sit with the entity, not with the brand: IG's spread bets come from IG Index Ltd, and City Index is a trading name of StoneX Financial Ltd. The funding column records funding terms only, so a GBP 5 or GBP 20 minimum tells you how little a firm accepts, not how much risk you can carry.

Six FCA-authorised providers made the final list, in the order the table shows.

• Capital.com: Featured Provider
• IG: Broad Verified Market Range
• CMC Markets: Best Proprietary Platform
• Spreadex: Specialist Provider
• City Index: TradingView Access and Funding Terms
• Trade Nation: Best Fixed-Spread Structure

A short definition anchors everything that follows. A spread bet is a leveraged derivative: you stake a cash amount per point of market movement, you never own the underlying asset, and your profit or loss is the market movement multiplied by your stake per point. Providers offer the product mainly to qualifying UK and Irish residents, subject to each firm's eligibility checks. Our guide to what spread betting is covers the mechanics in more depth.

Treat this comparison as a starting point rather than a decision. The legal entity that will hold your account, the platforms that support the spread-betting product specifically, the full cost stack, the market range, and the funding methods will shape your costs and your access more than one headline spread or one loss-warning percentage. And none of the six providers suits you if you do not understand leverage, if you cannot afford to lose the full balance of the restricted account, if you want to own the underlying assets, or if you want a low-maintenance long-term investment.

Key takeaways

Each provider below passed the same eligibility filter, authorisation by the Financial Conduct Authority for the relevant entity. The fit statements stay restrained because a comparison cannot know your circumstances.

• Capital.com's verified terms include 5,000+ spread-betting markets, a GBP 20 minimum deposit, and product access through its current web and mobile platforms and TradingView.
• IG advertises 16,000 spread-betting markets, a broad product-specific figure, across web, mobile, ProRealTime, MetaTrader 4, and TradingView.
• CMC Markets runs UK spread betting on its proprietary platform and MetaTrader 4, states 21,000 instruments, and excludes UK spread-betting accounts from TradingView.
• Spreadex lists more than 10,000 markets, a GBP 5 minimum deposit, no joining, maintenance, or inactivity fee, and TradingView integration.
• City Index is a trading name of StoneX Financial Ltd. It states 8,500+ spread-betting markets and that spread betting is available on TradingView. There is no account or bank-transfer minimum; GBP card deposits have a GBP 100 minimum. Its current 68% loss warning covers CFDs specifically.
• Trade Nation offers a fixed-spread structure with published qualifications, more than 1,000 markets, and spread betting through TN Trader and TradingView. Confirm MetaTrader 4 availability for the specific spread-betting account because official pages differ.

How MatchMyBroker built this comparison

MatchMyBroker builds comparisons from official evidence: regulator publications, provider product pages, charge schedules, terms of business, and dated press releases. Every factual claim in this article traces to one of those sources, and the source references further down link to the pages behind the six provider sections. You can read how MatchMyBroker works on our about page.

We did not open, fund, or trade through any account for this article, so nothing here reflects personal execution experience, and we make no claims about platform speed or service quality. Capital.com appears first as the featured provider. The other five sections compare verified market range, product-specific platform access, funding terms, and cost disclosure.

FCA authorisation worked as the eligibility filter for this list, not as a scoring advantage. The retail protections section below explains what the framework does and does not do, and why no provider earns credit in this comparison for meeting it.

The standardised loss warnings are risk disclosures, not quality scores, and they did not shape the order of this comparison. The percentages report the share of retail accounts that lost money at each firm, they say nothing about your costs or your product mix, and their scope varies: IG's current 69% figure covers spread bets and CFDs combined. City Index's 68% and Trade Nation's 73.7% loss sentences cover CFDs specifically, so they should not be read as spread-betting-only outcomes.

One scope note completes the method. This comparison covers the spread-betting product only. Several of these firms also market CFDs, and some publish one warning covering both products, so check which product a page describes before you rely on it. Our guide to spread betting vs CFDs explains how the two wrappers differ.

Capital.com: Featured Provider

Capital.com

This section sets out Capital.com's verified facts, the full cost picture, and the drawbacks. Spread betting comes from Capital Com (UK) Ltd, authorised and regulated by the FCA under reference 793714. For a longer assessment of the product, read our Capital.com spread betting review.

On range and access, Capital.com says it offers 5,000+ spread-betting markets on its UK spread-betting page. Available for UK clients only, the product runs through Capital.com's current web and mobile interfaces and through TradingView. Capital.com announced the refreshed app and brand identity on 1 June 2026, after the updated mobile app became available globally from May 2026, per its press announcement, so older reviews and screenshots may show the previous interface.

On cost, Capital.com charges no separate dealing commission (Other fees apply) on spread bets, and the charges sit elsewhere: dynamic spreads, overnight funding on relevant positions, a 0.7% currency-conversion charge for retail clients where conversion applies, and a guaranteed-stop fee when a guaranteed stop triggers, all set out on the firm's fees and charges page. The minimum deposit is GBP 20, and that is a funding term, not a risk control. A small opening balance does not reduce the leverage risk the standardised warning describes.

The drawbacks to weigh follow the same evidence. The full holding-cost stack decides what you pay far more than the headline spread does. And platform availability needs checking for the spread-betting account specifically rather than for Capital.com's general product line. The verified package, 5,000+ markets with web, mobile, and TradingView access, fits readers who confirm the current terms against the official pages before opening anything.

IG: Broad Verified Market Range

IG

IG's own spread-betting page supports the broad verified market range label used here. Spread betting at IG is provided by IG Index Ltd, FCA reference 114059, and the current combined spread-bets-and-CFD warning stands at 69%, a figure whose scope covers both products rather than spread bets alone.

IG's spread-betting page advertises 16,000 markets for the product. The same page also carries a separate general statistic of more than 17,000, so the totals on IG's own page disagree with each other. We use the product-specific 16,000 figure in this comparison and treat the inconsistency as a working reminder: verify market claims against the product, not the group.

IG lists five current interfaces for spread betting: web, mobile, ProRealTime, MetaTrader 4, and TradingView. That is the widest verified platform set in this comparison, and it cuts both ways, because features and market availability vary across those interfaces and the range creates genuine complexity for a first account.

On charges, IG's charges page lists inactivity as free. The relevant costs include the spread, overnight funding on applicable positions, currency conversion, and a guaranteed-stop premium if a guaranteed stop triggers. On funding, IG's deposit guidance states no minimum for bank transfers and a GBP 1 minimum for GBP card deposits. Both figures describe funding mechanics, not any measure of suitability.

The drawback is the flip side of the strength. The product and platform range creates complexity, availability varies by interface and market, and the main product page carries inconsistent market totals. IG fits readers who want a broad verified market range and accept the work of confirming which markets and features sit behind each interface.

CMC Markets: Best Proprietary Platform

CMC Markets

CMC Markets takes the proprietary-platform label because UK spread betting runs on CMC's own platform and a separate MetaTrader 4 account for forex, indices, and commodities. CMC's TradingView page states that UK spread-betting accounts cannot currently connect to TradingView, which makes CMC the exception for TradingView access in this list. Spread betting comes from CMC Markets UK plc, FCA reference 173730, with a current standardised warning of 68%.

CMC's spread-betting page states 21,000 instruments. On cost, CMC says spread bets carry no commission, no currency-conversion fee, and no market-data fee. Those absences do not make the product cheap, because spreads, overnight holding costs, and guaranteed-stop premiums still apply, per CMC's trading costs page, and CMC's terms of business set out a GBP 10 monthly dormancy charge after one inactive year.

On funding, CMC states there is no minimum deposit, although the account needs enough funds to open a position. Separate from the leveraged business, CMC now offers investing accounts and a Stocks and Shares ISA, per its account comparison page. Those are different products with different terms, and nothing about the spread-betting account carries across to them.

The drawbacks follow from the same facts. TradingView users lose their charting workflow on the UK spread-betting account, the dormancy charge applies to an account left inactive for a year, and product-specific terms decide your costs rather than group-level claims. CMC fits readers who want a deep proprietary platform, or MetaTrader 4, and do not need TradingView.

Spreadex: Specialist Provider

Spreadex

Spreadex carries the specialist label in this comparison. Spreadex Ltd holds FCA reference 190941, and its current standardised warning states 61%.

Spreadex's official FAQ states more than 10,000 markets, a far higher figure than some older comparisons still carry. The minimum deposit is GBP 5, and Spreadex says it charges no joining, maintenance, or inactivity fee. Standard withdrawals are free, per its deposits and withdrawals page.

On platforms, TradingView integration is available, per Spreadex's platform page, and TradingView is the access route we verified for this comparison. Confirm any other interface with Spreadex before you rely on it.

The drawbacks stay structural rather than dramatic. Market and fee terms still vary by product, so the flat headline numbers above do not describe every bet you might place, and the GBP 5 minimum is a funding term with no bearing on suitability. Spreadex fits readers who want a specialist provider with a light administrative fee load and TradingView charting.

City Index: TradingView Access and Funding Terms

City Index

City Index is a trading name of StoneX Financial Ltd, authorised and regulated by the FCA under reference 446717. That entity statement, its 8,500+ spread-betting markets, and TradingView access are the verified core of this section.

City Index states no minimum to open an account and no minimum for bank transfers. Card deposits have a minimum of 100 base-currency units, meaning GBP 100 for a GBP account. Its current warning states that 68% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider; that figure is not a spread-betting-only statistic. City Index funding terms.

The funding method changes the minimum: the GBP 100 card threshold does not apply to bank transfers. FCA authorisation worked only as the eligibility filter that admitted City Index to the list, not as an advantage in this comparison. Check the funding terms and instrument specification for the account and market you intend to use.

Trade Nation: Best Fixed-Spread Structure

Trade Nation

Trade Nation closes the list with the most distinctive pricing structure on it. Trade Nation Financial UK Ltd holds FCA reference 525164, and the current standardised warning discloses that 73.7% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. The percentage is a CFD disclosure rather than a spread-betting-only result or a quality score.

Official pages state more than 1,000 markets, the narrowest verified range here. Spread betting runs through TN Trader and TradingView. The spread-betting page also lists MetaTrader 4, but another official page limits MT4 to CFDs, so confirm the account-specific terms.

The fixed-spread label needs its qualifications, and Trade Nation publishes them on its trading costs page. Forex, indices, commodities, and bonds use fixed bid-offer spreads that can change at set session times, so a market's day rate and its overnight rate can differ even though each is fixed while it applies. Equities work on a different basis: a fixed add-on over a variable underlying spread, so the total cost still moves with the underlying market. Commodities can also come in a variable option.

On funding, Trade Nation states no separate account-opening minimum, and individual funding methods currently show minimums from GBP 0.01 to GBP 5, per its deposits and withdrawals page. Withdrawals are free. The trade-offs sit in plain view: the market range is narrower than several peers offer, and fixed does not mean unchanging at every time or across every product. Trade Nation fits readers who value knowing the spread in advance for the session they trade and can work inside a smaller market list.

The official evidence behind this comparison

Every provider section above rests on official pages you can open yourself. The source references below point to those pages; providers change product terms, schedules, and warnings without notice.

City Index's current funding FAQ confirms no account or bank-transfer minimum and a GBP 100 card minimum for GBP accounts. Its 68% loss sentence refers specifically to CFDs. The source links let you check these terms directly.

What spread betting costs actually include

Start with the spread, the difference between the provider's buy price and its sell price. You cross it on entry, so a wider spread raises the market movement you need before a position reaches breakeven. Spread betting commonly uses spread-based pricing, but share-related and platform-specific charges can vary by provider, which is why a headline index spread tells you little about the cost of an equities bet at the same firm.

Holding costs come next, and they split by product structure. Relevant daily-funded positions incur overnight funding, so the same bet can cost different amounts depending on how long you hold it. Forward bets work on a different structure: the provider incorporates financing into a wider spread, and the bet carries an expiry rather than the daily funding pattern. Neither route removes the financing cost; the two structures price it differently.

Two conditional charges deserve their own line. Currency conversion can apply under some provider account structures when a bet or its financing runs through another currency, and Capital.com's 0.7% retail conversion charge shows the shape such fees take. Guaranteed-stop premium timing depends on the provider: Capital.com charges if triggered, while CMC charges the premium initially and refunds it in full if the stop is not triggered.

The quiet charges round out the stack. Dormancy fees, such as CMC's GBP 10 per month after one inactive year, market-data fees where a provider levies them, and deposit or withdrawal charges all depend on the provider, which is why Spreadex and Trade Nation stating free withdrawals is worth recording, alongside IG listing inactivity as free and Spreadex stating no inactivity fee at all.

The regulator has examined this stack. The FCA said in November 2025 that its review found some CFD providers may not be sufficiently justifying overnight charges or delivering fair value, per its published findings. That finding covers the product family these firms operate in, and it is a reason to read a provider's overnight-funding methodology rather than assume the charge is routine.

Which platforms support the spread-betting account

A broker's platform page usually describes the group, not the product, and the gap between the two catches people. Capital.com's product-specific evidence for spread betting covers web, mobile, and TradingView. CMC states outright that UK spread-betting accounts cannot currently connect to TradingView, whatever the wider group supports. Trade Nation confirms TN Trader and TradingView, while its official pages differ on MetaTrader 4 spread-betting access, and City Index confirms that spread betting is available on TradingView.

The matrix below therefore records product-specific access only: what each provider's current evidence supports for the spread-betting account, and nothing inherited from a general list.

IG supports the widest verified set, web, mobile, ProRealTime, MetaTrader 4, and TradingView, and TradingView runs through five of the six providers on current product-specific evidence, with CMC excluded by its own statement. If a specific interface anchors your workflow, confirm it against the provider's spread-betting product page on the day you apply, because these lists change.

How HMRC treats spread betting

Tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and may change in future. The tax treatment of spread betting assumes it is not your main source of income, and may differ if you are taxed outside the UK. The following is general information and is not tax advice from Capital.com or MatchMyBroker. If you are unsure how the rules apply to you, seek independent professional tax advice.

For an ordinary standalone financial spread bet, no asset is acquired or disposed of. On that basis, gains are generally not treated as chargeable gains, while losses are generally not treated as allowable capital losses.

Relying on betting winnings for income does not, by itself, mean the activity is a taxable trade. The outcome depends on the full facts and circumstances.

A spread bet used as a commercial or business hedge may form part of that trade's taxable results. Whether that applies depends on the facts of the business, so readers should seek independent tax advice on their own position.

Current allowances and rates are not included because they change and depend on individual circumstances.

Retail protections and professional status

The FCA's retail measures for spread bets and CFDs, set out in PS19/18 and the current COBS 22.5 rules, include leverage limits, a 50% account-level margin closeout rule, negative balance protection, restrictions on incentives, and the standardised loss warning you have seen throughout this article. Every provider here operates inside that framework, which is why the framework cannot separate them.

Negative balance protection deserves its precise meaning. It limits a UK retail client's liability to the funds in the restricted speculative-investment account. It does not stop the loss of the full account balance, and it is not a guarantee that an account can never show a negative balance.

Client-money rules and possible eligibility for Financial Services Compensation Scheme cover sit in the same baseline category. They are features of dealing with an FCA-authorised entity, they depend on the circumstances of any claim, and they do not make the product itself less risky, so no provider on this list earns credit in this comparison for them.

The framework also has an exit door, and the FCA warned about it in October 2025: opting up to professional status or moving to an offshore entity can remove these retail protections. Opting up can remove the measures listed above, and this article does not encourage that route.

A provider-selection checklist

The checklist stays neutral on purpose. It contains no instructions about how to trade, only the factual points that decide whether a provider matches your situation, each answerable from official pages.

• Entity. Confirm the legal entity that will hold your account and its FCA reference, because your agreement sits there rather than with the brand.
• Market range. Check the product-specific market count for spread betting, not the group figure, and check that the markets you want appear in it.
• Platform. Verify that your interface supports the spread-betting account itself. CMC's TradingView exclusion and Trade Nation's conflicting MetaTrader 4 product descriptions show why product-specific evidence matters.
• Total cost. Price the full stack for your intended use: spread, overnight funding or forward pricing, conversion where applicable, guaranteed-stop premiums, and any dormancy or funding charges.
• Funding method. Look at method-level minimums and any deposit or withdrawal charges, and treat minimums as funding terms rather than guidance on position size.
• Stop behaviour. Read the execution terms for standard stops and the premium schedule for guaranteed stops before you rely on either.
• Holding pattern. Match the product structure to your holding period, because daily-funded positions and forward bets price the same exposure differently over time.

One structural question sits before the checklist: whether spread betting is the right wrapper at all. The CFD is the alternative derivative wrapper at many of these firms, with its own comparison points, and our guide to the best CFD brokers in the UK covers that market.

Frequently asked questions

Reader questions from community threads shaped this list. The answers come from the verified sources above, not from forum replies.

Does spread betting become taxable if it provides most of someone's income?

Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances. Relying on betting winnings for income does not, by itself, make the activity a taxable trade. Other facts can change the outcome, including whether a spread bet forms part of a commercial or business hedge. This is general information, not tax advice, so readers should seek independent advice on their own position.

Does MetaTrader 5 support spread betting at every broker?

No. Among the six providers here, none has product-specific evidence confirming MetaTrader 5 access for spread betting. IG's verified list includes MetaTrader 4 but not MetaTrader 5, and City Index's verified spread-betting access covers TradingView rather than MetaTrader 5.

Why can the spread-bet price differ from the underlying chart feed?

Because you trade the provider's quote, not the underlying print. The provider publishes its own buy and sell prices, and the spread between them means the tradable prices sit around the underlying level rather than on it. Forward bets widen the gap further, because the provider incorporates financing into a wider spread, so a forward quote can sit away from the spot chart even before the market moves.

Which costs matter beyond the headline spread?

Overnight funding on daily-funded positions, financing built into forward spreads, currency conversion where an account structure applies it, guaranteed-stop premiums under the provider's terms, dormancy charges such as CMC's GBP 10 per month after one inactive year, and any deposit, withdrawal, or market-data charges a provider levies. The FCA's November 2025 review found some CFD providers may not be sufficiently justifying overnight charges or delivering fair value, which puts holding costs at the top of that list.

What does a fixed spread mean when session rates can change?

At Trade Nation, fixed means fixed for the session and the product, not fixed forever. Forex, indices, commodities, and bonds use fixed bid-offer spreads that can change at set session times, equities carry a fixed add-on over a variable underlying spread, and commodities can also come in a variable option. A fixed spread removes one variable while it applies, and the schedule around it still moves.

Can a retail client lose more than the restricted-account balance?

Under the FCA's retail framework, negative balance protection limits a UK retail client's liability to the funds in the restricted account, so liability is capped at that balance while you remain a retail client of the UK entity. The full balance itself remains at risk, and the FCA warned in October 2025 that opting up to professional status or moving offshore can remove the protection.

Does FCA authorisation make spread betting safe?

No. Authorisation is the entry requirement that put a provider on this list, and the retail measures shape how the product is sold, but the providers' own standardised warnings disclose substantial retail losses. Their scope varies, including combined spread-bet and CFD figures and CFD-only figures, so they are not like-for-like product scores. Regulation frames the risk without removing it.

Can a standard stop fill below the selected level?

Yes. A standard stop instructs the provider to close the position once the price reaches your level, and the close then happens at the price available, which can sit beyond your level when the market moves through it without trading at it. The guaranteed-stop products in this comparison exist for that reason: the provider honours the exact level under its terms, with a premium whose timing depends on the provider.

Conclusion

Capital.com appears first in this article as the featured provider. Every figure in the Capital.com section traces to the same official evidence standard as the other five.

The factual needs point in different directions. IG lists 16,000 spread-betting markets. A proprietary platform with MetaTrader 4, and no TradingView for UK spread betting, describes CMC. Spreadex pairs more than 10,000 markets with a GBP 5 minimum and no joining, maintenance, or inactivity fee. City Index has verified 8,500+ spread-betting markets and TradingView access with no account or bank-transfer minimum and a GBP 100 card minimum for GBP accounts. Its 68% warning applies specifically to CFDs. Trade Nation trades market breadth for a fixed-spread structure with published qualifications. Capital.com's verified package stands at 5,000+ markets, a GBP 20 minimum, and access through web, mobile, and TradingView.

If that package fits the criteria you built from the checklist, the panel below carries Capital.com's key terms, the required risk warning, and the visit link. You can visit Capital.com through the same destination.

Capital.com spread betting

Capital Com (UK) Ltd
FCA reference 793714

Market range5,000+ spread-betting markets

FundingGBP 20 minimum deposit

PricingNo separate dealing commission (Other fees apply)

Other fees apply: dynamic spreads, overnight funding, 0.7% retail currency conversion where applicable, and a guaranteed-stop fee when triggered.

Visit Capital.com

Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 65% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Whichever provider you shortlist, confirm the current terms on the official pages linked throughout this article on the day you apply. Product terms, platform access, charges, and warnings change without notice, and the pages behind this comparison are the place to check them.

Advertisement Feature. Capital.com paid for placement as the featured provider. MatchMyBroker may receive compensation if you use an affiliate link. This content is for information and does not assess your personal circumstances.

Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 65% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.