Our Pepperstone review delves into this Australian online Forex and Contracts for Difference (CFD) broker operating since 2010. On this platform, you can trade Forex and CFDs on commodities, indices, stocks, ETFs, and cryptocurrencies. Pepperstone is available in over 160 countries globally. However, the broker does not accept clients from certain countries, such as the US, Canada, Japan, and New Zealand.
It is licensed and well-regulated by top-tier financial authorities, including the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), and others.
Pepperstone offers a range of advanced trading platforms to provide traders with complete tools and features. Here is everything you need to know about Pepperstone.
Table of Contents
What Is a Contract for Difference (CDF)
The first headline you see when you open Pepperstone.com is, ‘’CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 75.5% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.’
Before investing in CFDs, ensure you have a complete understanding and are ready for more risk than usual. Our Pepperwotone review defines a CFD.
It is a derivative product and a financial instrument that allows traders to speculate on the price movements of an underlying asset, such as a stock, commodity, or currency pair, without actually owning the underlying asset. The seller agrees to pay the buyer the difference between the current value of an asset and its value at the time the contract is closed.
CFDs are traded over-the-counter (OTC) with authorized providers rather than on a centralized exchange. In the US, trading CFDs is illegal for retail investors.
Pepperstone Review of the Platform
Let’s get into our Pepperstone review by looking at what they are and what they offer. With Pepperstone, you can trade a variety of CFDs and major currencies. It is well-regulated and offers many products.
It has basic customer support available 24/5 via phone, email, and live chat. The broker also provides various educational resources, including webinars, tutorials, and market analysis, to help traders improve their skills and knowledge.
Pepperstone Review of Markets
This Pepperstone review finds that they offer access to various markets. You can trade over 1,200 assets. Here is a quick description:
- Forex – Trading on 70 major, minor, and exotic currency pairs (EUR, USD, JPY, GBP, CHF, AUD, and more).
- Commodities CFDs – Trading of CFDs on commodities such as gold, silver, oil, natural gas, and agricultural products like coffee, cocoa, cotton, and sugar.
- CFDs on Indices – Pepperstone offers CFDs on major global stock market indices like the S&P 500, NASDAQ-100, FTSE 100, DAX 40, Nikkei 225, S&P/ASX 200, and Hang Seng.
- Stocks CFDs – A wide range of stocks from the US, UK, Germany, and Australia.
- ETF CFDs – Pepperstone supports over 100 ETF-based CFDs across various sectors.
- Cryptocurrencies – Trading CFDs such as Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Dash, and Litecoin. Cryptocurrency CFDs are available for weekend trading.
Account Types
Pepperstone offers various account types based on your individual needs. There are no funding, withdrawal, maintenance, or inactivity fees.
You can access the same types of assets and platforms (MT4, MT5, and cTrader) with all the accounts. More on the different types of platforms later. Here is a brief description of each account in this Pepperstone review.
1. Standard Account
A Pepperwstone review of the Standard Account features floating spreads starting from 0.6 pips. There is a rollover commission for overnight positions. For equity CFDs, the commissions range from 0.07% to 0.20% of the trade value. They depend on the currency and the type of trade.
The leverage available on the Standard account varies depending on the regulatory jurisdiction (1:30, 1:400, and 1:500). It also includes an Active Trader Program, which discounts trading commissions for professional or high-volume traders.
2. Razor Account
A Pepperstone review of the Razor account features floating spreads starting from 0.0 pips plus a commission of $3.50 (MT4, MT5) or $3.00 (cTrader) per side per lot, with a rollover commission for overnight positions. This structure allows traders to benefit from industry-leading low spreads.
The leverage also varies on the regulatory jurisdiction (1:30, 1:400, and 1:500). The Razor account also features no swap fees, providing additional cost savings for traders.
3. Professional Account
A Pepperstone review of the Professional account features spreads at 0.6 pips. There is a rollover fee for open positions held overnight. The leverage available on the Professional account is up to 1:500, significantly higher than the leverage offered on the Standard account. It also includes Pepperstone’s Active Trader Program, which provides cash rebates to high-volume traders. It is suitable for experienced and institutional-level traders
4. Demo Account
A Pepperstone review of the Professional account features spreads at 0.6 pips. There is a rollover fee for open positions held overnight. The leverage available on the Professional account is up to 1:500, significantly higher than the leverage offered on the Standard account. It also includes Pepperstone’s Active Trader Program, which provides cash rebates to high-volume traders. It is suitable for experienced and institutional-level traders
Pepperstone Review of Platforms
Platforms are important to traders. Our Pepperstone review looks at what they offer.
Pepperstone offers various platforms. They are available on desktop (Windows, Mac OS, and Linux), web-based (browser), and mobile (iOS and Android) devices.
1. TradingView
This Pepperstone review finds that they offer a direct integration with the TradingView platform. This allows traders to connect their Pepperstone account to TradingView in a few easy steps and place orders directly from the TradingView platform.
TradingView is a popular online platform that provides advanced tools and charting for investors. It is known for its user-friendly interface, fast execution speeds, extensive charting, and real-time data on stocks, cryptocurrencies, forex, and commodities.
Users can create interactive charts with various indicators and tools, customizing their trading experience. TradingView also provides additional decision-making tools, such as screeners for stocks, forex and crypto, heat maps, and more.
2. MetaTrader 4 (MT4)
This Pepperstone review finds that MT4 provides live quotes, real-time charts, in-depth news and analytics, various order management tools, indicators, and expert advisors to give forex traders a competitive edge. The platform is suitable for traders of all levels.
Pepperstone also offers multiple platform add-ons to enhance the MetaTrader experience, such as the ability to trade algorithmic strategies with cAlgo, included with the desktop version.
Clients with a minimum account balance (depending on the currency and jurisdiction) can use Pepperstone’s Smart Trader Tools. These tools help optimize trading strategies, manage risk, and enhance the overall trading experience with 28 smart trading apps, including expert advisors and indicators.
3. MetaTrader 5 (MT5)
This Pepperstone review finds that MT5 offers faster processing times, the ability to hedge positions, and more tools and indicators to help traders stay ahead of the markets. MT5 is more focused on CFD trading than MT4, which is more suited to forex traders.
One of the key features of MT5 is its ability to handle many financial instruments. It can access over 1,200 trading instruments across forex, crypto, indices, commodities, and stocks.
Pepperstone’s MT5 platform also supports automated trading, allowing you to write your scripts in the built-in MQL5 language. This allows traders to develop and run their trading strategies. MT5 also offers robust charting capabilities with customizable indicators and the ability to perform strategy backtesting.
4. cTrader
This Pepperstone review finds that the cTrader platform is used for Electronic Communication Network (ECN) trading. ECN is an automated trading process that connects individual traders and brokerages directly to liquidity providers. It eliminates the middleman or a dealing desk.
cTrader offers a user-friendly interface with customizable charts, technical analysis tools, and various advanced order types, including market orders, limit orders, and stop orders. It is designed to replicate an institutional trading environment. Traders can also develop and run their trading strategies.
Market Analysis
Pepperstone provides a complete market analysis to help traders stay informed and make informed trading decisions.
You can find economic event coverage, expert commentary, videos, major market events, trends, and opportunities across various asset classes. There are also trading guides and resources for trading forex and CFDs.
Final Thoughts: Pepperstone Review
To conclude our Pepperstone review, they are a well-regulated, reputable broker that offers a wide range of trading instruments, including forex, CFDs, indices, commodities, and cryptocurrencies.
The platform provides competitive trading conditions with tight spreads, fast execution, and a choice of popular trading platforms like MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, and cTrader. Unfortunately, Peppersone isn’t available in the US for retail traders because trading CFDs is illegal. Don’t forget that trading CFDs carries a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.
Head to our free library of educational courses to learn more about the stock market.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pepperstone is trustworthy and regulated in major markets such as Europe and Australia.
Pepperstone’s HQ is in Melbourne, Australia.
Pepperstone isn’t available for American or Canadian retail investors.
There is no minimum balance required to trade on Pepperstone.
