Review methodology
We rate every broker against the same criteria and give it an editor's rating out of 5. The criteria below are listed in order of their weight in the rating.
What matters most in the rating?
Licences and regulators. We check every licence in the regulator's own register and distinguish strong regulators (such as the UK FCA, Australia's ASIC and Cyprus's CySEC) from weaker offshore ones. A company whose licence we cannot verify never gets a high rating, whatever its other features.
What are the other criteria?
- Fees and costs: spreads, commissions, overnight swaps, withdrawal and inactivity fees, as published by the broker.
- Deposits and withdrawals: minimum deposit, payment methods available in Arab countries, and withdrawal times.
- Platforms and tools: MetaTrader 4 and 5, cTrader, proprietary platforms and mobile apps.
- Products and accounts: number of instruments, swap-free Islamic accounts, demo accounts and copy trading.
- Transparency and client protection: segregated client funds, negative balance protection and published loss ratios.
- Support and education: Arabic-language support and the quality of educational content and research tools.
How are the best-broker lists ranked?
Lists are ranked by editor's rating, then a local licence in the visitor's country, then the number of strong licences, then user rating. Lists such as "lowest deposit" rank by the criterion in their title first.
Editor's rating vs user rating?
The editor's rating follows the criteria above. The user rating is the average of moderated visitor reviews, shown separately and only when real reviews exist.
Do commissions affect ratings?
No. An affiliate agreement with a broker does not raise its rating or change its place in our lists. Read more in our editorial policy.
How often are ratings updated?
We review the data regularly and after any significant regulatory change; every review shows its last-updated date. A rating reflects our view at that date and is not investment advice; always read our risk warning.