Pepperstone vs Exness — which is better?

What is the best forex broker in Europe in 2026?

Our editorial team's top pick for EU traders in 2026 is Pepperstone (9.4/10), followed by IG (9.2/10) and XM (8.7/10). Pepperstone wins on its multi-regulator coverage (CySEC 388/20 for EU/EEA clients, plus FCA, BaFin and ASIC across the group), a zero minimum deposit and raw 0.0-pip spreads. IG offers the broadest market coverage with 17,000+ instruments. XM adds CySEC cover and strong education. Exness, though highly rated globally, closed EU/EEA retail onboarding in 2019 and does not accept EU residents, so it is excluded from EU shortlists.

Is Exness a safe broker?

Exness scores 9.0/10 on regulation in our assessment, but the verdict is conditional on where you live: it does not accept EU, EEA or UK retail clients, having closed onboarding to them in 2019. Where it does onboard, clients contract with its Seychelles FSA entity (licence SD025) — outside ICF and FSCS compensation.

What is an ECN forex broker?

An ECN (Electronic Communication Network) forex broker routes client orders directly to a pool of liquidity providers without running a dealing desk. ECN brokers charge a commission per lot instead of marking up spreads, resulting in lower all-in costs and no conflict of interest with clients.

Article: Exness vs Pepperstone: Head-to-Head Comparison

Exness no longer accepts EU, EEA or UK retail clients, so for those readers Pepperstone wins by default. We keep the spreads, platforms and execution comparison for traders in the regions Exness still serves.