TradingCritique

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EC Markets vs Pepperstone : Fees, Safety & Trading Conditions Compared (2026)

Broker Name

EC Markets

EC Markets

VS
Pepperstone

Pepperstone

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Broker Overview

Broker Type (e.g., Market Maker, ECN/STP)

STP broker

ECN broker

Years of Existence / Established Year

2011

2010

Customer Base / Number of Accounts

No information

400,000 traders


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Regulation & Security

Regulations (governing bodies)

FSA,FCA, FSC

FCA, ASIC, DFSA, CySEC, CMA, BaFin, and SCB

Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)

Best Trading Liquidity Award, Best Customer Awards

2024 Forex Broker of the Year by BrokerWahl.de, TradingView Social Champion 2023

Security Measures

FSCS

FSCS

SSL Encryption / 2FA

Yes

Yes

Segregated Funds

Yes

Yes

Negative Balance Protection

Yes

Yes


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Trading Instruments/Products Offered

Assets Types / Trading Instruments (total count and breakdown)

150+

1200+ trading assets including shares, currencies indices

Currency Pairs

Yes

Yes

Commodities

Yes

Yes

Indices

Yes

Yes

Cryptocurrencies

Yes

Yes

CFDs

No

Yes

ETFs

No

Yes

Stocks

No

No

Options

No

No

Futures

No

No

Bonds

No

No

Mutual Funds

No

No

Fractional Shares

No

No

Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)

No

No

Precious Metals

Yes

No

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)

No

No

Equities

No

No


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Trading Platforms & Technology

Trading Platform Availability

Yes

Yes

MT4

Yes

Yes

MT5

Yes

Yes

cTrader

No

Yes

Social Trading

Yes

Yes

Copy Trading

Yes

Yes

Other Trading Platforms (proprietary, etc.)

No

Pepperstone proprietary platform

Platform Compatibility (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)

Yes except Mac

Yes


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Account Types & Conditions

Account Types (Retail, Pro, VIP, etc.)

Standard and ECN accounts

Standard and Razor account

Demo Account (Yes/No)

Yes

Yes

Islamic Accounts (Yes/No)

No

Yes

Minimum Deposit

$10

$0

Leverage Available

200:1 to 500:1

1:20 to 1:500

Trade Limit (maximum per trade)

Unlimited

100 lots trading size

Commission (per account type)

$0 for standard account, $5 per lot per side for ECN account

Razor account - $3, Standard account -$0

Best Suited For (e.g., beginners, experienced traders)

Both beginners and experienced traders

Beginner to experienced traders


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Deposit & Withdrawal Options

Deposit Methods

Union Pay, OCT 365, Swift wire transfer, Indonesia bank ATM, Bank Transfer Malaysia, THAI QR payment,e-wallets

Credit/debit card, Bank transfer, e-wallets, Union pay, USDT

Withdrawal Methods

Union Pay, OCT 365, Swift wire transfer, Indonesia bank ATM, Bank Transfer Malaysia, THAI QR payment, e-wallets

Credit/debit card, Bank transfer, e-wallets, Union pay, USDT

Other E-Wallets Supported

VN pay, PoLi.

Neteller,skrill, PayPal


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Tools & Educational Resources

Economic Calendar

Yes

Yes

Tools & Educational Resources (tutorials, webinars, market news, etc.)

Trading Education, Market Analysis, Webinars, eBooks and Guides, Video Tutorials, MT4 Indicator Plugin

Trading Education Online Courses, Market Analysis and Insights, Webinars, Trading Guides and eBooks, Video Tutorials, The Daily Fix Market News and Analysis, Pepperstone Blog Trading Insights


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Fees & Commissions

Trading-Related Fees

Spread for Std account: Starts from 1.0 pip, Spread for ECN accounts: Starts from 0.0 pips

Spread-1.2 pips

Spread (typical, fixed, variable)

Variable

Variable

Per Lot Fees

$5

Razor account: $3.50 per lot, Raw account: $7 per lot, cTrader:$6 round trip per unit, TradingView: $7 roundtrip per unit

Options Contract Fees

NA

NA

Futures Contract Fees

NA

NA

Markup Fees on Spread

NA

1 pip on FX pairs

Guaranteed Stop Loss Fees

NA

Charges apply

Maximum Leverage

500:1

1:500


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Non-Trading Fees

Dormant Fees

NA

$0

Subscription Fees (for premium features, data feeds)

NA

NA

Advisory Fees

NA

NA

Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)

Yes

Yes

Statement or Document Fee

NA

NA

Account Opening Fee

NA

NA

Account Maintenance Fee

NA

NA

Deposit Fee

$0

$0

Currency Conversion Fee

NA

Razor Account- $29.36, Standard Account - $48.12, Swap-free Account $58.78

Withdrawal Fee

$0 bank fees may apply

$0


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Bonuses, Promotions & Benefits

Bonuses, Promotions, and Referrals

Yes

Yes

Customer Benefits (e.g., Retirement Plan)

No

No


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Trading Hours

Trading Hours (for each asset class if applicable)

Varies by asset type

VIX 00:01 - 23:59 (Opens Monday 01:00; Friday close 23:55), NAS100 01:00 - 23:15, 23:30 - 23:59 (Closes Friday 23:55), HK Share CFDs 4:30-7:00, 8:00-11:00, US Share CFDs 16:31 - 22:55


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Customer Support

Support Hours (e.g., 24/7, weekdays only)

24/5

24/7

Customer Support Methods (phone, email, live chat)

Phone: +248 422 4099, E-mail: [email protected], Live chat

Phone: +1786 628 1209, Email: [email protected], Live chat

Support Languages

23

8+


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Additional Information

Headquarters Location

3rd Floor, 30 City Road, London, United Kingdom, EC1Y 2AY.

Melbourne, Australia

Complaints (for crypto brokers)

No

No


At TradingCritique, we don't just list brokers. We test, compare, and simplify your decision-making. Whether you're a beginner or a pro, our data-driven comparisons are built to match your trading style and region. Learn how we Evaluate a broker.
EC Markets stands out for its zero-commission trading model, appealing to cost-conscious investors. In contrast, Pepperstone offers more comprehensive services with slightly higher fees, especially for advanced tools and asset classes.
Account approval at EC Markets is usually completed within hours, often with automated ID checks. Pepperstone might take longer due to manual reviews, but provides in-depth onboarding support along the way.
EC Markets platform is great for fast-paced day trading, especially with features like one-click trading. Pepperstone platform, by comparison, is built for strategy testing and long-term portfolio management.
Advanced users will enjoy EC Markets capabilities, but Pepperstone remains a favorite for its streamlined and beginner-centric approach.