Traders at MTrading and InstaForex get PAMM accounts and proprietary copy trading services, but InstaForex offers additional passive investing services. Another benefit is the notably larger trading community of 7M+ at InstaForex versus 250,000+ at MTrading. The similarities extend to education and research, where InstaForex takes the lead amid a more mature product and services portfolio, including its in-house TV stream.

MTrading offers cheaper trading costs, the only drawback at InstaForex. Traders get the MT4 trading platform at MTrading, upgraded via the powerful and rare MT4 Supreme Edition. InstaForex offers traders the coreMT4/MT5, provides custom candlestick-based indicators, and two proprietary solutions. Generous bonuses exist at MTrading and InstaForex alike.

I have conducted an in-depth review of MTrading and InstaForex to determine which one presents the better overall choice and which traders will benefit the most at either broker.

Headquarters
CyprusBelize
Regulators
CySECEFSA, FSC Belize
Tier 1 Regulator(s)?
Owned by Public Company?
Year Established
20072013
Execution Type(s)
ECN/STPMarket Maker
Minimum Deposit
$1$1
Trading Platform(s)
MetaTrader 4Other, MetaTrader 4, Web-based+
Average Trading Cost EUR/USD
3.0 pips ($30.00)2.0 pips ($20.00)
Average Trading Cost GBP/USD
3.0 pips ($30.00)2.7 pips ($27.00)
Average Trading Cost WTI Crude Oil
$0.00$0.15
Average Trading Cost Gold
$0.80$0.35
Islamic Account
Signals
US Persons Accepted?
Managed Accounts
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Features and Platforms

MT4
MT5
cTrader
Proprietary Platform
Automated Trading
DOM?
Guaranteed Stop Loss
Scalping
Hedging
One-Click Trading
OCO Orders
Interest on Margin
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Noteworthy:

InstaForex offers better rewards for high-frequency traders, but both brokers maintain very lucrative partnership programs. Unlike most brokers, one lot at InstaForex equals 10,000 currency units or 0.10 standard lot.

Available Markets

Commodities
Crude Oil
Gold
Metals
Equity Indices
Stocks (non-CFDs)
ETFs
Futures
Synthetics
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MTrading maintains a balanced but small list of trading instruments, sufficient for beginners and those requiring few but liquid assets, like scalpers. InstaForex ranks among the leading Forex and commodity brokers based on its asset selection exceeding 110 currency pairs and 75 commodity contracts. It also maintains an introductory choice of equity CFDs.

Typical Spreads and Fees

Average Trading Cost EUR/USD
3.0 pips ($30.00)2.0 pips ($20.00)
Average Trading Cost GBP/USD
3.0 pips ($30.00)2.7 pips ($27.00)
Average Trading Cost WTI Crude Oil
$0.00$0.15
Average Trading Cost Gold
$0.80$0.35
Average Trading Cost Bitcoin
$0.25$400.00
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While both brokers offer raw spreads from 0 pips, MTrading charges a commission of $8.00 versus $30.00 at InstaForex, which regrettably remains among the highest Forex trading costs. Equity trading at MTrading remains commission-free, and InstaForex charges 0.10%, the industry standard. Trading costs are where MTrading maintains a notable advantage.

Security and Trust

Country of the Regulator
Cyprus, British Virgin IslandsN/A
Name of the Regulator
CySECEFSA, FSC Belize
Regulatory License Number
SIBA/L/14/1082, 266/15N/A
Regulatory Tier
4, 1N/A
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Both brokers have one unregulated subsidiary in St.Vincent and the Grenadines, where the financial regulator oversees business registrations but does not regulate brokers. Negative balance protection and segregation of client deposits from corporate funds apply at both brokers. MTrading maintains membership with the Hong Kong-based Financial Commission. It audits financial statements and offers a €20,000 investor compensation fund, like CySEC-regulated brokers and superior to many regulators.

MTrading versus InstaForex – Verdict

MTrading

Pros
Cons
Upgraded MT4 trading platform via Supreme EditionLimited asset selection
PAMM accounts and copy trading platform$500 minimum deposit for the competitively priced account
High leverage and 30+ payment processors
Generous bonus program and affiliate offers

InstaForex

Pros
Cons
Industry-leading choice of currency pairs and commodity contracts High trading costs
MT4/MT5 trading platforms with custom candlestick-based indicators
PAMM accounts and proprietary copy trading service
Excellent research and education for beginner traders

MTrading and InstaForex present quality trading environments to traders, but InstaForex has the overall advantage. InstaForex features a higher quality product and services portfolio enabling more strategies, except for trading costs and trading platforms, where MTrading pulls ahead for $500+ deposits. The core market for both brokers are emerging and frontier markets, PAMM accounts, and social traders. MTrading and InstaForex support algorithmic traders with VPS hosting and maximum leverage of 1:1000.

You might also be interested in reviewing the below broker comparison:

FAQs

Is MTrading a good broker?

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MTrading is a good broker for social traders and PAMM accounts for deposits above $500.

Can InstaForex be trusted?

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InstaForex is a trustworthy and regulated broker.

Is MTrading regulated?

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MTrading is unregulated but is a member of the Hong-Kong based Financial Commission.