ECN is a very common term in the trading industry which is an abbreviation for Electronic Communications Networks. ECN provides traders in the United Kingdom (UK) and other regions with direct access to other participants in the forex market.

ECN brokers, such as those discussed in this article, consolidate price quotes that originate from across several different market participants, offering their traders the best, tightest bid/ask spreads that would not typically be available to these traders. Unlike Market Makers, ECN brokers do not take the opposite side of trades.

The minimum deposit which is charged by ECN brokers may be higher than standard retail investor accounts, but there are several advantages that ECN brokers offer UK traders, such as the use of scalping trading strategies because of tight variable spreads, competitive trading costs, transparent market conditions, and others.

Exness

Features

Exness is one of the most reputable and popular ECN brokers in the industry that offers UK traders a wide range of financial instruments that can be traded, tight and variable spreads, transparent market conditions, and a secure trading environment.

Exness caters for both beginner traders as well as experienced traders, despite their trading style, and trading strategies that they use. Exness is well-regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and several other reputable entities.

Pros and Cons

PROSCONS
Well-regulated global brokerAccounts are not multi-currency
Adequate maximum leverage offered      
Powerful trading platforms offered 

Plus500

Features

Plus500 is one of the most well-regulated and well-established ECN online brokers in the industry that is well-regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to offer trading solutions to UK traders in addition to retail traders from around the globe.

With Plus500, traders can expect a competitive minimum deposit, variable spreads, a powerful proprietary trading platform, and many other attractive options. Plus500 is also well-known for its reliable trade execution, zero commissions on trades, and range of educational material.

Pros and Cons

PROSCONS
Multi-regulatedLimited payment methods
Large variety of tradable financial instrumentsOnly one account option

Tickmill

Features

Tickmill is one of the reputable forex brokers that work according to an ECN and STP model, offering UK traders with tight spreads, a competitive minimum deposit requirement, and a range of tradable financial instruments which are spread across several asset classes.

In addition to this, Tickmill offers a powerful trading platform, negative balance protection which is applied to retail investor accounts, transparent trading fees, and a range of useful trading tools.

Pros and Cons

PROSCONS
Multi-regulatedNo fixed spreads
Commission-free trading offered 

FOREX.com

Features

FOREX.com is a large and trusted forex broker with more than 200,000 registered forex traders. UK forex traders have access to a wide range of financial instruments which can be traded through powerful trading platforms.

As one of the leading online brokers, FOREX.com is one of few with proven trade execution and an execution scorecard.

Pros and Cons

PROSCONS
Well-regulated by reputable entitiesLimited payment methods
Advanced, powerful trading platformsFixed spreads not offered

XM

Features

XM is one of the largest, most trusted forex brokers that offer UK traders competitive trading conditions that consist of tight spreads, a wide range of financial instruments, superior customer service, and flexible funding methods including debit cards, credit cards, bank transfer, and others.

Read more: Latest XM news

XM is regulated and authorized by reputable regulatory bodies, offers negative balance protection on retail accounts, and a range of trading tools that UK traders can use to refine their trading.

Pros and Cons

PROSCONS
Strict regulation through reputable entitiesNo fixed spread accounts
Negative balance protection offered   
Competitive trading conditions