In this guide, we look at the best gold CFD and spread betting brokers for UK traders. If you are looking to trade gold, these are the best gold brokers based on fees/spreads, platforms available, and gold instruments available.
Choosing a Broker for Trading Gold
Everyone knows that gold is one of the most volatile pairs to trade. Choosing the right broker to trade gold is perhaps one of the most important factors in ensuring that you get the right entries, liquidity and meet your trading goals.
We’ve analysed 12+ brokers based on the following factors to find the best gold broker in the UK for CFD trading & spread betting. Our criteria include:
- Fees: How much are the spreads, overnight holding costs, and any associated currency conversion costs (XAU/USD is likely the pair you will be trading)?
- Platform experience: Does the broker support multiple platforms, or offer an exceptional proprietary platform that makes gold pairs easy to find?
- Instrument choice: Does the broker only offer XAUUSD, or are more exotic gold pairs available, like XAU/GBP, XAU/CAD?
- Account types: Does the broker offer multiple options, including spread betting, professional accounts, or low-cost commission-based accounts?
So, based on these criteria, let’s look at the best brokers for UK traders to trade gold.
Here’s our full breakdown:
The Best Brokers for Trading Gold
| Gold trading need | Best broker | Why it stands out |
|---|---|---|
| Best overall broker for gold trading | Our overall pick, combining very low gold trading costs, multiple platform choices and a wider range of XAU currency crosses. | |
| Best gold broker for beginners | SpreadEx makes gold trading easier to understand with Trading Signals built directly into its charts and a straightforward proprietary platform. | |
| Best broker for trading gold on mobile | Our favourite mobile option for gold, with Trading Signals available on mobile and spot-gold spreads starting from 0.3 pips. | |
| Best broker for the lowest spot gold spreads | Pepperstone’s Razor account offers spot-gold pricing from 0.08 pips, the lowest figure in our comparison. | |
| Best broker for spread betting gold | Gold spread-betting pricing starts from 0.1 points, below the other major brokers compared in this guide. | |
| Best broker for gold futures and multi-day holding costs | CMC combines gold futures with low holding costs; in our test, a £1,000 cash position cost £9.19 to hold for three days. | |
| Best broker for weekend gold trading | CMC lets traders access gold from Friday night through Sunday with no overnight fee on the weekend product before it rolls into cash. | |
| Best broker for high-volume gold trading | Pepperstone’s 0.08-pip Razor pricing makes repeated spot-gold trading especially cost competitive. | |
| Best broker for gold FX crosses | Pepperstone offers roughly 10 XAU currency crosses, including XAU/GBP, XAU/EUR and XAU/JPY plus more unusual crosses. | |
| Best brokers for trading gold on MT4 | Both support MT4; Pepperstone offers lower spot pricing, while CMC is stronger when low holding costs matter. | |
| Best brokers for professional gold traders | Pepperstone is compelling for low trading costs; CMC adds volume rebates for qualifying high-volume traders. |
Video Summary
Who are the Best Brokers for Gold CFD Trading & Spread Betting?
The best broker to trade gold CFDs and spread bet is Pepperstone.
Here are the top picks for UK traders:
- Best for Overall for Gold Trading: Pepperstone
- Best for Beginners & Mobile Gold Trading: SpreadEx
- Best for Gold Futures & Holding Costs: CMC
The Full Rankings and Reviews
| Ranking | Broker | Rationale | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pepperstone | The lowest overall Gold trading broker. Pepperstone combines low-cost gold CFD trading and spread betting with a variety of gold trading options, including all major cross-currency pairs (e.g., XAU/GBP). | 10/10 |
| 2 | SpreadEx | SpreadEx, like CMC & IG, offers spot gold (XAU/USD) and gold futures, with spot gold pricing starting from 0.3 pips. Their forte lies in their mobile trading platform and beginner-friendliness, with Trading Signals on their proprietary platform making the most volatile currency slightly more ‘understandable’. | 9/10 |
| 3 | CMC Markets | CMC offers the second-lowest fees, from 0.2 pips on spot gold. However, they lack FX crosses for gold. They have weekend gold trading, which is a fantastic feature in the industry, and also offer some of the lowest futures and CFD holding costs. | 8.7/10 |
Verdict
Pepperstone offers some of the lowest-cost gold CFD trading & spread betting, with spreads starting from 0.08 pips on their Razor account and 0.1 points on their spread betting account. On the standard CFD trading account, this goes to 0.15 pips. These are some of the lowest spreads for UK traders (see below).
CMC offers weekend trading, low spot gold spreads from 0.2 pips & low holding costs, but their platform is difficult to use, and they offer no FX/Gold crosses (XAU/GBP, XAU/JPY etc.) – only offering Spot Gold (XAU/USD) and gold futures.
SpreadEx also offers only Spot Gold and Gold Futures but it has an exceptional mobile and desktop experience for beginner gold traders, with guided support (Trading Signals) and low spot gold spreads from 0.3 pips.
1. Pepperstone: The Best Gold Broker Overall
Pepperstone: Low-Cost Gold Trading
If you’re looking for a broker that offers the best low-cost account for gold CFD trading and spread betting, then Pepperstone is the only option.
72.9% 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 Pepperstone the best broker for gold trading?
If you are looking for a low-cost Gold trading option, then Pepperstone is it. Their XAU/USD spot gold pip spreads start from 0.08 pips on their Razor account – this is not only the lowest spread amongst FCA-regulated brokers for UK traders, but even their spread betting cost of 0.1 pips is significantly lower than competitors whose spreads often hit 0.3 and 0.4 pip spreads.
They also offer the widest range of platforms for high-volume traders, including MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView, and Pepperstone Platform (their proprietary platform). This optionality is great for gold trading.
Key Gold FAQs for Pepperstone
What gold pairs does Pepperstone offer?
Pepperstone offers XAU/USD, XAU/GBP, XAU/EUR, XAU/JPY and a range of forex/gold minor and exotic crosses (see above). They also offer forward gold contracts (XAU/USD) and spot gold trading. Their range might not be the widest, but their fees are by far the lowest of any broker.
Does Pepperstone offer gold spread betting?
Yes, Pepperstone offers gold spread betting through their spread betting account type. Spreads start at 0.1 points – this is 0.2 pips lower than IG (see below), where spreads start at 0.3 pip spreads. This 0.3 pip spread is, in fact, the most common spread for gold trading in the UK, so Pepperstone is by far the cheapest.
Is Pepperstone good for high-volume Gold CFD trading?
Pepperstone’s low costs on their Razor and CFD trading accounts, where spot gold spreads start from 0.08 for the Razor account and 0.15 pips for the CFD trading account, respectively, make Pepperstone definitively the cheapest broker for spot gold CFD trading and perfect for high-volume trading.
Is Pepperstone good for gold trading on mobile?
Pepperstone offers multiple platform options including their Pepperstone Platform, TradingView, MT4, MT5, and cTrader. Whilst they don’t have a dedicated mobile app themselves, these platforms offer great mobile experiences. So, yes, Pepperstone, as a broker, offers multiple mobile gold trading platform options, but as a proprietary platform, there may be better options.
My Experience
We traded gold on the native Pepperstone Platform and through their TradingView integration. We traded XAU/CHF and XAU/USD on their native platform using both the CFD and spread betting accounts.
The Pepperstone platform was super simple and easy to use, making it really easy to find instruments and place trades. You could even see the Bid/Ask move in real-time when placing a trade – this is something I’ve never seen on any other broker; they actively show you the changing spread in real-time, and it speaks to the confidence Pepperstone has in providing tight gold spreads (see below).
Execution speed was fantastic (Pepperstone claims sub-50ms latency) on the Pepperstone Platform, even for crosses. On TradingView, we tested Pepperstone’s pair availability (XAU crosses) and found Pepperstone to be one of the few brokers in the UK offering true FX exotic crosses like XAU/THB (see below).
Verdict
Pepperstone offers a decent range of ~10 XAU FX crosses, including most majors, some minors, and some exotics. However, where they win is in their costs; they are the lowest-cost gold CFD and spread betting broker for UK traders by far, with spreads from 0.08 pips on their Razor account and 0.1 points on their spread betting account. Compared to other brokers on this list, they are generally 0.2 pips cheaper on spot gold pricing.
£10 Minimum Deposit
Best for Forex
Pepperstone is a Melbourne-based broker that offers an excellent range of assets in the financial trading markets, including CFD's for commodities, shares, ETFs and more.
73-89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading on margin with this provider.
2. SpreadEx: Best Gold Broker for Beginners
SpreadEx: Best Gold Broker for Beginners
SpreadEx’s mobile platform is one of the best around. They offer gold spread betting & CFD trading on an exceptional platform.
68% 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 SpreadEx is a Good Gold Broker?
SpreadEx offers a reduced range of gold pairs, including spot gold (XAU/USD) and Gold Futures. This is common amongst some major brokers, including IG, where ‘Gold’ is labelled as ‘Gold’ or ‘Spot Gold’ and very few FX crosses exist.
However, despite the comparatively gold-limited offering, they offer one of the most compelling platforms for UK traders. Not only that, but their pricing is in line with most major brokers as well, starting from 0.3 pips on Gold (XAU/USD) CFDs and spread betting.
Key Gold Trading FAQs for SpreadEx
What gold pairs does SpreadEx offer?
SpreadEx offers Spot Gold (XAU/USD) and Gold Futures. This is in line with major broker offerings, such as IG.
Does SpreadEx offer gold spread betting?
Yes, SpreadEx offers gold spread betting. SpreadEx offers two main account types: CFD trading and Spread Betting. Gold is available on both at pip spreads starting from 0.3 pips.
Is SpreadEx good for high-volume Gold CFD trading?
SpreadEx’s fees are in line with most major brokers for gold trading, so whilst not as competitive as Pepperstone’s fees for high-volume traders, it is still good for high-volume trading; however, its forte is really its proprietary platform excellence on mobile and desktop, given how simple it is for beginners to understand Gold charting patterns quickly.
Is SpreadEx good for gold trading on mobile?
Yes, SpreadEx is our favourite broker for mobile Gold trading. We analysed over 12 different brokers in our research, including Capital.com, which is renowned for its platform excellence. SpreadEx won for better pricing (Capital.com spreads often reach 0.75 pips – see below) and for its beginner-friendliness with Trading Signals.
My Experience
So what is trading gold on SpreadEx actually like? Well, SpreadEx is available on TradingView and on its own proprietary platform, so again, we tested both.
What we really liked is that SpreadEx really thinks about beginner traders – they integrate ‘Trading Signals‘ directly into their chart (see our SpreadEx review for more information on what this is). Essentially, this means that when you open their spot gold chart, you can see gold technical analysis patterns emerging (like the triangle pattern in the image above). Now, the best part is that this isn’t just on desktop; you also get the same useful information on mobile.
Given SpreadEx only has a limited range, finding it in TradingView was relatively simple – just type in ‘Spot Gold’. We actually preferred trading through their proprietary platform, though, as most technical analysis tools were still there. Their execution speed was great on both TradingView and their platform.
Verdict
SpreadEx is built for two types of gold traders – beginners and mobile traders. If you don’t want to worry about gold FX crosses or trading anything other than XAU/USD, then SpreadEx makes this incredibly simple. They also, through their Trading Signals, make it incredibly easy to pick up and start trading with a kind of ‘co-pilot’ for trading, which is excellent. They have the same great feature on mobile too, which makes this a fantastic broker for spot gold or gold futures trading.
£5 Minimum Deposit
Best Mobile App
SpreadEx is a broker that just works. Easy to use, great professional feel and exceptional proprietary platforms.
Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 61% of retail investors 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.
3. CMC Markets: Best for Gold Futures & CFD Holding Costs
CMC Markets has a range of benefits for gold trading, including low CFD holding costs, weekend trading, and low spot gold trading fees. The drawbacks include no FX crosses apart from USD (a shock considering they have one of the largest ranges of forex minors and exotic pairs) and a difficult-to-use platform.
CMC: Best Gold Futures & Holding
CMC Markets offers tight spreads on spot gold pricing, great low holding costs for CFD futures and brilliant futures trading options.
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 CMC is a Great Broker for Gold Trading
CMC offers a pretty compelling proposition. They have some of the lowest Spot Gold(XAU/USD) pricing for UK traders with spreads starting from 0.2 pip spreads, lower than both IG and SpreadEx, they also offer some of the lowest CFD holding costs of any broker (alongside IG).
They also offer a great gold trading feature – weekend gold trading. Essentially, this enables traders to either spread bet or trade gold CFDs from 10pm Friday to 10pm Sunday, and those positions roll into cash positions (Spot Gold) after that point. You can also do this with no overnight fees.
The benefit of this is that if you have a thought/position on the market on Friday, you can execute it up to Sunday. If some breaking news comes through, then you can take a macro position that rolls into cash on Monday. Honestly, it’s a fabulous feature, and with no holding costs it’s even better.
Key Gold Trading FAQs for CMC
What gold pairs does CMC offer?
CMC offers spot gold and gold futures trading, like SpreadEx. They have competitive fees for this, starting at 0.2 pip spreads. This is decent. Not cheaper than Pepperstone’s spread costs of 0.08 pips, 0.15 pips or 0.1 points for their Razor, CFD and spread betting accounts respectively, but still very competitive.
Does CMC offer gold spread betting?
Yes, CMC offers gold on two spread betting accounts: Spectre and their ‘standard’ spread betting account. We’ve done a full Spectre breakdown in our CMC review. Essentially, Spectre allows you to trade without leverage.
Is CMC good for high-volume Gold CFD trading?
Yes, CMC is good for traders looking to trade gold at large volumes. Their spreads are very competitive from 0.2 pips, and their holding costs are some of the lowest for gold, including weekend trading, which incurs no holding costs. They also offer rebates at their ‘plus’ tiers for high-volume traders – we’ve explored this further here.
Is CMC good for gold trading on mobile?
Not really. CMC’s proprietary platform is quite complicated for beginners and mobile traders. CMC does, however, also integrate with TradingView and MT4, so there are other options for mobile trading with CMC.
My Experience
We traded with both their proprietary Next Generation platform and their TradingView integration. Right off the bat, beginners will find this confusing. Terminology between brokers changes a lot; on CMC, they call Spot Gold ‘Gold-Cash’. They also have Gold-Dec 2026 (it’s September as of writing, so this is a futures contract), but no beginner is reasonably going to be able to understand what any of this means (see below).
You even have to type in this rather ‘Gold – Cash’ label into TradingView; it won’t show for XAU/USD or ‘Spot Gold’
Despite how unfriendly this is to beginner traders, their actual trading experience is great. Holding our £1,000 cash position for three days, we were only charged £9.19, which is very good.
Verdict
CMC offers very low Spot Gold (XAU/USD) pricing, starting at 0.2 pips. Whilst higher than Pepperstone, this is lower than IG’s 0.3 pips. They are also one of the best Gold futures brokers, with multiple futures contracts and low holding costs. They also have a feature that only one other broker (IG) offers: weekend gold trading. This weekend trading also has no overnight costs. If you are looking to take a longer-term gold position, then CMC is one of the best brokers.
No Minimum Deposit
Best for Forex Variety
CMC is a leading CFD & Spread Betting platform in the UK, founded in 1989, it is truly one of the oldest and greatest platforms for trading forex CFDs with the widest range of forex pairs of any major broker.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 68% 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.
How to Choose a Broker for Gold Trading?
What to look for in a Gold Broker?
Whilst it might seem simple, gold trading, like any other trading, can become complicated very quickly. Here’s a quick checklist if you are looking to trade gold CFDs or spread bet gold in the UK:
- Regulation: Use the FCA-Checker tool if you are unsure; do not trade gold with any broker not on this list.
- Spread Betting: If you are trading high-volume, you’ll want your gains to be free from capital gains tax. Spread betting options are offered by all these brokers (CMC, Pepperstone and SpreadEx) so you can check these out or see our top spread betting brokers guide.
- FX-Crosses: Brokers use different names and labels for gold, such as Spot Gold, Gold Cash, XAU/USD, and more. Ultimately, these are USD-based contracts, so trading them may incur currency conversion costs if your account is GBP-denominated. Check whether your broker has any currency conversion charges and/or offers XAU/GBP contracts as well.
- Spread Costs & Fees: Most people fixate on the spot gold spreads like 0.3 pips. However, gold is particularly volatile, so traders tend to hold positions for longer, which can incur overnight holding costs. Make sure you check our guide on overnight costs before holding positions overnight.
Of course, mobile trading, customer service support and educational materials are as important for gold trading as they are for all kinds of trading – that’s why we’ve ranked the best trading brokers on our homepage so you can quickly review all the best brokers for all of these features.
Other Brokers We Considered
As part of this research, we analysed 12+ other FCA-regulated brokers, including Capital.com, TradeNation, InterActive brokers, Trading 212, Vantage Markets and IG. Ultimately, here’s how they fared against our list:
IG
IG’s spread costs for spot gold start at 0.3 pips (see below) – this is in line with SpreadEx but higher than both Pepperstone & CMC. They also only offer Spot Gold and Gold futures – in line with SpreadEx and CMC, but not enough variety to make it to our top three. They are also not as beginner-friendly as SpreadEx, and SpreadEx ultimately had an edge in Trading Signals.
Capital.com
Capital.com’s dynamic spread pricing means prices for spot gold often fluctuate between 0.5-0.75 pip spreads (see below). This is exceptionally high compared to most other brokers on our list. Whilst their platform experience is great for beginners, having only XAU/USD (Spot Gold) and Gold Futures, as well as higher spread costs, meant it didn’t make our list.
TradeNation
TradeNation is renowned for low forex spreads; we’ve even compared them against major brokers, and they performed well. However, for Gold trading, their spot gold spreads start at 0.4 pips – higher than all other brokers on this list. Whilst they offer great pricing for forex, they are less competitive for gold trading.
FAQ’s
1. What is the typical leverage for Gold for UK traders?
Leverage is capped by the FCA at 20:1, and most brokers require a 5% margin.
2. Which broker is best for holding gold over multiple days?
CMC was the lowest-cost broker for holding gold CFD positions over multiple days, according to our research.
3. Which broker is best for trading gold on MT4?
Pepperstone & CMC both offer MT4 integrations, with Pepperstone offering lower spot pricing across all three of their accounts vs other major brokers.
4. Which broker is best for spread betting gold?
Pepperstone offers the lowest gold spread betting fees, from 0.1 pip spreads vs IG & SpreadEx’s 0.3 pips & CMC’s 0.2 pip spreads.
5. What is the best broker for Gold CFDs?
This depends. If you are looking to hold positions over multiple days, you will need to investigate CFD holding costs, as CMC offers the lowest fees. If you are spot trading, then Pepperstone is the best overall, and SpreadEx is the best for beginners.
6. Which broker is best for high-volume gold trading?
Pepperstone offers the lowest fees for high-volume trading, with an exceptional 0.08 pip spread on their Razor account, which is by far the lowest gold spread of any FCA-regulated broker for UK traders. CMC is also a great option with rebates for high-volume traders.
7. Which broker is best for professional gold trading?
If you qualify for a professional account, then Pepperstone’s low fees are appealing. If you want to get more rebates and are a professional trader at high volume, consider CMC or Pepperstone.
7. Which broker is best for beginner gold trading?
SpreadEx is the best for beginners, with Trading Signals showing technical analysis patterns on their charts, a beginner-friendly mobile platform, and tight spreads at 0.3 pips on spot gold (XAU/USD). It’s highly competitive.
8. Which Gold Broker Should I Choose?
If you are looking for the lowest-cost gold broker, then Pepperstone is the best for gold CFDs and spread bets.
If you are looking to swing trade gold over multiple days, CMC Markets offers low overnight/holding fees.
If you are new to trading gold, then SpreadEx’s proprietary platform offers great technical analysis support.
All of these brokers offer TradingView integrations and spread betting options for UK traders, so choosing among them depends on your preferences for cost, trading style, and experience level. If you are still undecided, Reddit is also a great resource for real UK gold traders.
Sources
- CMC Gold Spread Cost
- SpreadEx Gold Spread Cost
- Pepperstone Gold Spread Cost
- Capital.com Gold Spread Cost
- TradeNation Gold Spread Cost
- Best Gold Brokers for Trading - September 14, 2026
- Best TradeNation Alternatives - September 2, 2026
- Pepperstone vs Axi: Broker Comparison - August 31, 2026
