Finding the best spread betting brokers for UK traders is something we set our minds to way back in 2024, when we created spreadbet.ai. Since then, a lot has changed, and after the acquisition, we wanted to present a definitive list of the best spread betting brokers for UK traders. Here’s what we found in 2026.
Who are the best spread betting brokers?
The best spread betting broker is IG. They offer the widest range of instruments: 16,000+ instruments as of 2026, and they even invented spread betting in 1974. They are suitable for beginners through to more advanced traders, offering several beginner platforms like Tradingview and their native webtrader. They also offer MT4 & MT5 integration for fans of Metatrader.
The best brokers for spread betting in the UK are:
- Best Spread Betting Broker: IG
- Runner-Up: CMC Markets
- Third Place: ActivTrades
CMC Markets offers 12,000+ instruments, the second highest in this list, and their platform is an award-winning platform, significantly better than competitors like SpreadEx, Capital.com and TradeNation.
ActivTrades’ proprietary platform makes is a great option for beginners looking to spread bet and the CFD offerings, $1 million in global insurance and FCA-regulation make this a fantastic, regulated option for spread betting.
Largest number of Spread Betting Options
If you want the broadest market selection (stocks, ETFs, forex, bonds, everything), plus top-tier educational resources, IG wins hands down.
69% 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.
12,000+ Instruments to Trade + Brilliant Platform for Spread Betting
CMC is the broker that most people use for spread betting for a reason – their platform seems to be made for it!
76% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with XTB Limited. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Great option for a simpler platform. UK-based and dedicated to spread betting
ActivTrades UK site is frankly dedicated to spread betting – but before you write them off – look at their proprietary platform experience.
83% 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.
Great Low Fee Broker but Fewer Tradable Assets
Pepperstone is a great broker for trading in general, but when it comes to spread betting, their limited asset range comes at a disadvantage.
75.5% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading on margin with this provider
Low fees & simple execution platform
Straightforward account types (Standard or Raw ECN), stable MT4/MT5 environment, and no inactivity fees. A solid blend of convenience and reliability.
70.5% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs and Spread Bets with this provider.
The Full Rankings and Reviews
| Ranking | Broker | Rationale | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | IG | The most instruments to trade (16,000+) and the birthplace of spread betting | 10/10 |
| 2 | CMC | Second-highest number of instruments to trade (12,000+) and great user experience and interface | 9/10 |
| 3 | ActivTrades | Great proprietary platform, easy for beginners. | 8/10 |
| 4 | Pepperstone | Tight spreads for spread betting plus cTrader allows for algorithmic trading. | 8/10 |
| 5 | Vantage Markets | Similar to Pepperstone but fewer instruments to trade (900+ vs Pepperstone’s 1100+) | 7/10 |
1. IG: The Best Spread Betting Broker
IG: Huge Market Range
IG offers the most comprehensive list of spread betting options to trade. If you are looking for a one-stop shop then this is your best bet.
69% 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.
Why is IG the best spread betting broker?
IG has the most instruments to trade by far, with 16,000+ stock CFDs, ETFs, commodities and forex pairs to trade, this is the largest range of instruments to trade out of any spread betting broker.
They also offer a wide range of platform options, MT4, MT5, Tradingview and their own proprietary webtrader this is perfect for beginners who may be looking for a simple setup like a webtrader or TradingView option.
Also, as the inventors of spread betting, they may not claim the are exclusively dedicated to spread betting, but it’s a prominent part of their core offering alongside CFDs and ISAs. If you want to see a full IG review we have one here.
Key Spread Betting FAQs for IG
Can you spread bet on IG?
Yes IG is considered the best spread betting broker by Trading Brokers, Good Money Guide and Compare Forex Brokers. These publications all rank IG as the leading spread betting broker.
How many instruments can I spread bet on IG?
IG offers 16,000 instruments to spread bet which is by far the largest number of any broker.
Is IG better than Capital.com for spread betting?
Yes, Capital.com offers 5,000+ instruments compared to IG’s 16,000.
Is IG better than Pepperstone for spread betting?
Yes IG offers more instruments (16,000+ vs 1200+) although both offer tradingview, and Metatrader options. For a full IG vs Pepperstone review see this IG vs Pepperstone comparison.
My Experience
When we explored the spread betting options on IG it was easy to use, they had the familiar points-based system for spread betting and it’s literally three clicks away – from the sidebar, to the instrument, to the trade. Three clicks and a few numbers, that’s how quick it is to start trading (see the image below).
Onboarding is simple, and of course, with a FCA-regulated international broker it was trustworthy, enter a few details and send over a picture of your driving license for KYC and you are in. Honestly, the whole process is super simple.
2. CMC Markets: Best Spread Betting Platform
CMC: Award-Winning Platform Experience
There is a lot of contention about CMCs platform – even here at Trading Brokers, their platform is very marmite, but for spread betting it works wonderfully.
83% 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.
Why CMC is a top 3 spread betting broker?
CMC is fundamentally a British broker. They provide deep spread betting and CFD trading expertise, and offer the second largest range of instruments to spread bet out of any UK broker – with 12,000+ instruments to trade.
Not only do they have an exceptional range of instruments, but their recently released Spectre account in 2026, combines investing and spread betting – offering a tax-free account account that doesn’t offer leverage – so for those more wary of trading or spread betting with leverage, but still want to get the tax-free benefits – this is one of the best products out there.
CMC is fast approaching IG for the lead spread betting broker in the UK and their release of Spectre is evidence that CMC is committed to spread betting long into the future. No other broker besides IG is this committed to spread betting. You can check out a Spectre account here or read a full CMC review.
Spectre Account Review for Spread Betting
We tried both the Spectre account and the conventional spread betting account and, since we’ve used CMC for a while, it was relatively quick, in fact quicker than IG to place a trade on their Next Generation platform. However, for beginners it may take a bit of getting used to…
However, what really impressed us is Spectre. Imagine all the annoying bits from Next Generation, all the stuff you might not like – like tab limits, confusing layouts etc. Well… CMC has listened. Not only that, they have improved. Here are some screenshots of Spectre.
The platform opens and you get to now choose a layout – brilliant for beginners and people new to the platform.
You then get to choose your preferred asset class – if you’re unsure what you prefer to trade, visit our Beginner’s Guide article, where you have a video and it helps you understand what kind of trader you are.
You are then greeted by a much cleaner UI than Next Generation – the platform seems intuitive and clean – all the best bits of Next Generation but made simpler. You still get the familiar £/pt (pounds per point) layout, as you have with most spread betting accounts, but this felt clean and refreshing, yet familiar.
So overall, we found Spectre to be an improvement on CMCs Next Generation platform. It is not only significantly better for beginner traders, but it also provided a much nicer trading experience. It felt less like Microsoft Word, and more like Apple Pages. This experience alone is worth CMC’s place as one of the best spread betting brokers in the UK.
Key Spread Betting FAQs for CMC
Is Spectre Different to Next Generation?
Spectre is not only a new spread betting account type, but it also has a brand-new platform experience. It’s much simpler, easier to use and has a clean design. The core difference between them is that Spectre offers spread betting without leverage, something more akin to investing, but with the advantage of the profits being tax-free.
Which is better for beginners Spectre or Spread Betting?
Spectre is a form of spread betting but without leverage so Spectre is the better option for newer traders.
Is CMC spread betting beginner friendly?
Their Next Generation platform is not very beginner friendly as it may be a bit confusing, but Spectre, their new account type is very beginner-friendly and much simpler.
Is IG better than CMC for spread betting?
Yes, IG is better than CMC for spread betting overall. IG offers more instruments to trade, and offers MT5 as a platform – something CMC lacks. However, with CMC’s release of Spectre in 2026, expect CMC to be the lead spread betting broker very soon. We’ve written a full IG vs CMC breakdown you can review them there too.
3. ActivTrades: Best for Beginners
ActivTrades not only provides an incredible $1 million in security for their traders, but for beginner traders, they provide the best looking platform in the market. It’s clean, easy-to-use and allows you to get started in minutes.
ActivTrades: Incredible Range & Regulation
If you are new to spread betting then you can’t get much better than one of the most secure highly-regulated brokers in the UK.
83% 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.
Why ActivTrades is the best broker for beginners?
ActivTrades is a publicly-listed company in the UK, unlike Pepperstone, Capital.com, SpreadEx or TradeNation, who are often listed as competitors, under registration number: 05367727. They also offer the tightest spreads at 0.5 pips and an award-winning proprietary platform that is great for beginners to get started. Activtrades is designed for traders and it shows.
My Experience
When you start spread betting you only really hear of three options in the UK: SpreadEx, TradeNation & Capital.com. All of these options offer a limited range of spread betting options compared to ActivTrades (apart from Capital.com), and have distinct features for spread betting, that make them worse:
- SpreadEx is a gambling provider turned spread betting provider, which may put off professional traders.
- TradeNation has fixed spreads, which is great for beginners, and they prove on their site that their spreads are lower than Capital.com’s spread cost (TradeNation is 1.9 spread cost vs Capital.com’s 2.00).
However, none of these options have the same low spread cost of 0.5 pips as ActivTrades, nor do they have the ease of set-up or the proprietary platform excellence. Here was our experience:
When you first open the Activtrades platform, everything is intuitive, the instruments on the left, chart on the right and orders at the bottom. This layout is very similar to Spectre, and is a perfect jumping off point for beginners.
You simply place a trade by clicking on ‘New Order’ and you get a pop-up screen with forex, commodities and stocks. Click on an option, slide the slider to the points per pip and press trade.
That’s it. It’s super simple, easy to use and I highly recommend it for beginners. You also get market news, a tab about the number of mentions a company gets in a particular day (if you want to trade sentiment) and a quick and easy messages / contact button to get in touch with customer service. Having this right in the platform itself is a game-changer – something we haven’t seen may others replicate!
How to Choose a Spread Betting Broker?
Since our acquisition of spreadbet.ai this year, Trading Brokers is now the UK’s leading site for forex brokers, trading platforms and spread betting brokers in the UK. This is the best place to start to find FCA-regulated spread betting brokers.
What to look for in a spread betting broker?
The things you need to be aware of when looking for a broker are:
- Regulation: You are looking for FCA-regulated spread betting brokers, that’s crucial.
- Not Gambling Companies: Whilst spread betting is legally classified as gambling by the UK tax office, it is more akin to trading in practice, and several major trading brokers like CMC and IG offer spread betting. There is no need to go with a smaller, less regulated gambling sites who also offer trading, anymore.
- Range of Instruments: What you can trade is very important, look for brokers with a wide range of instruments and low spread costs.
Of course mobile trading, customer service support and educational materials are as important for spread betting as they are for trading – that’s why we’ve ranked the best trading brokers on our homepage so you can quickly review al the best brokers for all of these features.
Brokers to Avoid
If you are spread betting in the UK, there are some brokers you have to avoid, this of course starts with non-FCA registered brokers. Always use the FCA checker (see this article for more information) to validate whether the broker you are reviewing is FCA-regulated or not. We will keep this page updated with a list of companies to avoid based on reviews, and feedback we hear.
FAQ’s
Is Spread Betting Tax-Free?
Yes, spread betting in the UK is tax-free. This is due to it’s classification as gambling by HMRC. However, spread betting is more like trading than gambling in practice, you review charts, place trades and exit them in exactly the same way as trading. Major FCA-regulated brokers like IG and CMC also offer spread betting options.
What’s the difference between spread betting and trading?
The main difference is the tax treatment, with spread betting not subject to capital gains tax. However, another difference is that spread betting is traded by £/pt (£pounds-per-point) whereas trading is often denoted in lot sizes (for forex) or units for stocks. This difference may confuse some beginners.
What are spread betting brokers did you consider?
There are a lot of companies that we considered but some brokers simply receive a lot of attention in media, and often appear in top 10 lists, but are worse than IG, CMC or ActivTrades as they do not offer as many instruments, or offer poor spread betting experiences:
- Capital.com: They only offer 5,000+ instruments compared to CMC’s 12,000+ and IG’s 16,000+ – not enough range to be considered a leading spread betting broker.
- SpreadEx: SpreadEx is also a bookmaker in the UK. Despite spread betting being classed as gambling, it’s proximity to real gambling is uncomfortable for professional traders.
- TradeNation: Only 35 forex pairs, this is a very limited broker to start spread betting on compared to other brokers.
Does Trading 212 Offer Spread Betting?
No, Trading 212 doesn’t offer spread betting. However, some great FCA-regulated spread betting alternatives can be found on our site (Trading Brokers) and include IG and CMC. Both IG and CMC are our top choices for spread betting brokers, with CMC being the best Trading 212 style option with their Spectre account.
Does eToro Offer Spread Betting?
No, eToro doesn’t offer spread betting. If you are looking for a copy trading spread betting broker then the best option is Axi. They are FCA-regulated and provide both copy trading and spread betting options which is the best UK spread betting alternative.
Can you spread bet on TradingView?
Yes, you can spread bet on TradingView but you have to choose a top-tier broker like IG, CMC or Pepperstone – that also offer their brokerage on TradingView. Unfortunately, you cannot spread bet with a lot of brokers on TradingView simply because their brokerage doesn’t integrate with TradingView – e.g.) ActivTrades.
How do I know if my broker is legit?
If you are spread betting in the UK, there are some brokers you have to avoid, this of course starts with non-FCA registered brokers. Always use the FCA checker (see this article for more information) to validate whether the broker you are reviewing is FCA-regulated or not.
Which Spread Betting Broker is Best for Me?
If you are a beginner we recommend CMC’s Spectre account and platform. It’s beginner-friendly, easy to use but doesn’t offer leveraged accounts. It still has the same great tax-free benefits of spread betting but without the leveraged risk of large losses.
If you are a more experienced trader, then IG is the best option.
If you are looking for a simple and easy way to start then ActivTrades.
If you would like copy trading and Spread betting then we recommend checking out Axi.
Ultimately, choosing a spread betting broker is a personal choice and a process of testing what broker is right for your needs. If you are stil wondering then check our our homepage’s ‘Match a Broker’ tool to see which might be right for you.
- Best Spread Betting Brokers for UK Traders - June 3, 2026
- IG vs Vantage Markets - May 29, 2026
- Best Trading 212 Alternatives - May 26, 2026
