Swissquote

Swissquote is a Swiss bank and broker offering forex, CFDs, stocks, bonds, and cryptocurrencies through MT4, MT5, and its own Advanced Trader platform. It holds a Swiss banking license and sets a $1,000 minimum deposit on its standard forex account.

History and background

Swissquote started in 1990 as Marvel Communications SA, a financial software and web-application company. In 1996 it launched its first online platform, giving private investors free real-time access to Swiss stock exchange prices, and the Swissquote brand was born. The company, now Swissquote Group Holding Ltd, is headquartered in Gland, Switzerland, with offices in Zurich, Bern, Dubai, Malta, Hong Kong, London, Singapore, and Luxembourg.

Swissquote has held partnerships with financial institutions including PostFinance, Goldman Sachs, UBS, Commerzbank, and Vontobel, and has partnered with Manchester United since 2015.

Regulation and safety

Swissquote Bank Ltd holds a banking license from Switzerland's FINMA and is a member of the Swiss Bankers' Association. Its international subsidiaries are authorized by local regulators, including the FCA (UK), DFSA (Dubai), MFSA (Malta), SFC (Hong Kong), and MAS (Singapore).

Client funds are held in segregated accounts at top-tier banks, separate from company funds, and are insured against company insolvency. The broker undergoes regular internal and external audits and ongoing monitoring by its regulators.

Leverage

Standard leverage is 1:100. European clients are capped at 1:30 on major currency pairs under EU rules, while clients in Dubai and Hong Kong can access leverage of up to 1:200.

Account types

Swissquote offers four private trading accounts, all commission-free with costs built into the spread:

1. Standard: spreads from 1.7 pips, $1,000 minimum deposit.
2. Premium: spreads from 1.4 pips, $10,000 minimum deposit.
3. Prime: spreads from 1.1 pips, $50,000 minimum deposit.
4. Professional: individual spreads and minimum deposit based on trading volume.

Demo versions are available for all account types.

Trading platforms

Swissquote provides its proprietary Advanced Trader platform alongside MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5).

Trading instruments and tools

Available instruments include forex currency pairs, currency options, precious metals, stock indices, commodities, stocks, bonds, and cryptocurrencies. Beyond forex and CFDs, Swissquote offers:

• Investment Account: access to roughly 3 million products across 60 exchanges, including stocks, bonds, IPOs, ETFs, funds, options, futures, and commodities.
• Robo-Advisors: automated portfolios built from your stated risk tolerance, capital, and market preferences.
• Crypto-Assets: trading in 12 major cryptocurrencies.

Deposits and withdrawals

The minimum deposit for a standard forex account is $1,000. Supported base currencies are EUR, USD, JPY, GBP, CHF, CAD, AUD, TRY, PLN, SEK, NOK, SGD, and CZK. Deposits are made by bank transfer or debit/credit card. Swissquote generally charges no withdrawal fees, though an inactivity fee applies. Withdrawals are managed through the broker's e-banking service, and a Swissquote Card is available for ATM withdrawals and payments.

Account features

Swissquote offers Islamic (swap-free) accounts, segregated client funds, an affiliate program, scalping, automated trading, mobile trading, a web terminal, social trading, trading signals, and VPS hosting. PAMM accounts, deposit bonuses, and contests are not offered. Customer support is available 24/5.

Bottom line

Swissquote pairs a Swiss banking license and broad regulatory coverage with a wide product range spanning forex, stocks, bonds, and crypto. Its minimum deposits run higher than many forex-only brokers, from $1,000 on the Standard account up to $50,000 for Prime.