Why trade with an ECN broker?

ECN brokers often allow you to trade faster and on tighter spreads than others. You're anonymous and your orders go straight to market, which can bring peace of mind if you're worried your broker might trade against you.

This blog is reader-supported. Please open a trading account through our links to tip us. Affiliate commissions keep our reviews impartial and ad-free.

ECN trading benefits

• Tight spreads: trade directly on the Forex interbank market with Tier-1 liquidity providers. Competition between market makers and fractional pricing keep spreads as tight as possible. In turn, this makes it easier to profit for small price movements.
• Execute trades instantly: an ECN broker has no dealing desk and no re-quotes. Trade on live, best executable prices with immediate confirmations. This facilitates trading during economic releases and times of unusual market volatility.
• Depth of market: see liquidity at every price point in addition to bid offer spreads. Understand where liquidity lies and use these insights to predict short term changes in prices. Depth of market information supports scalping strategies.
• Trade anonymously: ECN trading is completely anonymous. This helps ensure that the prices you're see are free from bias and reflect market conditions.
• No conflicts of interest: ECN brokers act as intermediaries rather than market markers. They earn money through commissions on trades; the more you trade, they more they stand to profit. This helps align their interests with yours.