FBS Overall rating

	Rating	Weight
User Rating	4.6 (14 reviews)	3
Popularity	4.0	3
Regulation	5.0	2
Pricing rating	4.4	1
Customer Support	3.0	1
Features	Not rated	1

We tested FBS using real-money live accounts. Our reviews are unique in that they do not have any bias for or against any broker and are driven purely on the underlying data we compile from live account testing, regulatory data, and opinions from customers. We list all brokers and do not charge a fee for it. We offer additional visibility for a fee, but our review content cannot be influenced. Read our About Us page to read our editorial guidelines and how we make money.

Trustworthiness & Regulation

FBS is a well-established broker founded in 2009, which has gained significant popularity and trust within the forex trading community. The broker is regulated by multiple authorities, including CySEC in Cyprus, ASIC in Australia, and the FSC in Belize, ensuring a high level of oversight and compliance.

FBS has a strong user rating of 4.5 out of 5 based on 10 reviews, although none of these reviews are from verified real trading accounts. The broker ranks 7th out of 815 forex brokers based on user ratings and 36th based on expert ratings. FBS enjoys a popularity rating of 4.0 out of 5, reflecting its substantial organic web traffic of over 1.5 million visits per month.

Despite its strong regulatory standing and popularity, it's important to remember that even highly regulated and successful financial firms can fail in the past.

Company	Licenses & Regulations	Segregated Client Money	Deposit Compensation Scheme	Negative Balance Protection	Rebates	Max. Leverage Retail Clients
Intelligent Financial Markets Pty Ltd	Australia - AU ASIC					30 : 1
Tradestone Limited	Cyprus - CY CYSEC		up to €20,000			30 : 1
FBS Markets Inc	Belize - BZ FSC					3000 : 1

Deposit Insurance

FBS offers deposit insurance and investor compensation schemes through its regulatory frameworks. Under CySEC regulation in Cyprus, clients are protected by a deposit compensation scheme, which compensates investors if an authorized financial firm fails.

Additionally, FBS ensures segregated client funds, meaning client money is kept separate from the company's operating capital, providing an extra layer of security.

This level of protection is crucial for traders who want to ensure their funds are safe in the event of broker insolvency.

Spreads and Costs

FBS offers competitive spreads and costs compared to industry-leading brokers. The broker's forex spreads average 2.09 pips, which is relatively low, while crypto spreads are higher at 24.02 pips.

Commodity spreads are also competitive, averaging 0.17 pips. Overall, FBS provides reasonable spread and commission costs, making it a viable option for traders seeking lower trading costs.

Combined Spread/Commission Costs by Asset Class Compared to Market Leading Brokers

Crypto averages comprise (BTCUSD, ETHUSD), forex averages comprise (EURUSD, USDJPY, GBPJPY, EURGBP, AUDNZD, CADCHF), indices averages comprise (US30, AUS200), and commodities average comprises (XAUUSD, XAGUSD). Data is sampled every 10 seconds for 24 hours to calculate the average. Forex is stated in pips, and the others are stated in base currency. All spreads include both spread and commission calculated in.

Our data comes from our sophisticated spread analyzer tool, which collects live account information and syncs with our performance analytics system. To compare all brokers and instruments with the latest live data, visit our spread analyzer tool. A spread is the difference between the bid (sell) and ask (buy) price of an asset and can vary widely between brokers and account types.

Some brokers charge higher spreads but no commission, while others charge both, making it crucial to assess the total cost, which includes both spread and commission. Our values reflect this all-in cost. Note that some brokers may set low costs on popular pairs like EURUSD but higher rates on other instruments.

Many brokers also advertise "as low as" spreads that may not reflect the true average or include commissions. Comparing true all-in cost averages across various instruments and asset classes is vital for accurate assessment.

Combined Spread/Commission Costs Per Instrument Compared to Market Leading Brokers

Comparison to other Brokers

FBS stands out in the forex trading industry due to its extensive regulatory oversight, competitive spreads, and high leverage offerings. Compared to other industry-leading brokers, FBS provides a solid range of trading instruments and platforms.

While it may not have the lowest spreads in all categories, its overall cost structure remains competitive. The broker's popularity and substantial web traffic indicate a strong presence in the market.

Still, the lack of verified real trading account reviews and public financial disclosures may be a drawback for some traders. Nonetheless, FBS's long-standing presence since 2009 and its comprehensive regulatory framework make it a reliable choice for many traders.

Trading Platforms - Mobile, Desktop, Automated

FBS offers a variety of trading platforms catering to different types of traders. MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5) are available on desktop, mobile, and web, providing robust charting tools, automated trading capabilities, and a wide range of technical indicators.

MT4 uses the MQL4 programming language, while MT5 uses MQL5, both of which offer moderate ease of learnability. The FBS Trader App is designed for mobile trading, offering an intuitive interface and ease of use but without automated trading capabilities.

Overall, FBS's platforms are versatile and cater to both novice and experienced traders.

What Can you Trade?

FBS offers a broad range of tradable instruments, including 70 forex CFDs, over 10 crypto CFDs, 475 stock CFDs, 11 stock index CFDs, and 11 commodities CFDs. However, it does not provide ETFs, bond CFDs, or futures CFDs.

Traders can engage in CFD trading, which involves speculating on the price movement of these instruments without owning the underlying asset. CFD trading allows for leverage, which can amplify both potential gains and losses.

It is important to understand the risks involved in leveraged trading and to use risk management strategies. For more details on the specific instruments available, visit the FBS' trading specs web page.

Available Leverage

FBS offers varying leverage levels depending on the regulatory entity and the type of instrument traded. Under CySEC regulation in Cyprus, the maximum leverage for retail clients is 30:1. In Australia, under ASIC regulation, the leverage is also capped at 30:1 for retail clients.

Still, FBS Markets Inc in Belize offers significantly higher leverage of up to 3000:1. It's crucial for traders to understand that while higher leverage can increase potential profits, it also magnifies potential losses.

Therefore, traders should use leverage wisely and consider their risk tolerance and trading strategy.

Prohibited Countries

FBS does not offer its services to residents of certain countries due to regulatory restrictions. These countries include the United States, Japan, Canada, the United Kingdom, Myanmar, Brazil, Malaysia, Israel, and the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Traders from these countries are prohibited from opening accounts with FBS. It is always recommended to check the broker's website or contact customer support for the most up-to-date information regarding restricted countries.

FBS Account types

	Standard	Cent
Maximum leverage	3000:1	1000:1
Mobile Platform	MT4 Mobile, MT5 Mobile, Proprietary	MT4 Mobile, MT5 Mobile
Trading platform	MT4, MT5, Proprietary	MT4, MT5
Spread Type	Variable Spread
Minimum Deposit	5
Minimum Trade Size	0.01
Trailing Stops
Scalping Allowed
Hedging Allowed
Islamic Accounts

	Standard
Maximum leverage	3000:1
Trading platform	MT4MT5Proprietary
Mobile platform	MT4 MobileMT5 MobileProprietary
Spread type	Variable Spread
Minimum deposit	5
Minimum Trade Size	0.01
Trailing Stops
Scalping Allowed
Hedging Allowed
Islamic Accounts

	Cent
Maximum leverage	1000:1
Trading platform	MT4MT5
Mobile platform	MT4 MobileMT5 Mobile
Spread type	Variable Spread
Minimum deposit	5
Minimum Trade Size	0.01
Trailing Stops
Scalping Allowed
Hedging Allowed
Islamic Accounts

FBS Web traffic

Our web traffic data is sourced from SimilarWeb and sums the traffic data of all websites associated with a broker. Organic visits are visits the broker didn't pay for, based on the available data. This data updates once monthly and can be based on data purchased from internet service providers, traffic metrics sourced by a third party such as Google Analytics that the company chooses to share with SimilarWeb, etc.

FBS Profile

24 hour support

Segregated Accounts

Islamic Accounts

Accepts Canadian clients

Accepts Japanese Clients

Non expiring demo

Trading API

Cent accounts

Negative balance protection

Social trading

Regulatory deposit insurance

Trailing stops

Bonuses

Interest on margin

Fixed spread

Variable spread