Comparison of Saxo and Swissquote
| Feature | Saxo | Swissquote |
|---|---|---|
| Broker | ||
| Year Founded | 1992 | 1996 |
| Broker Type | DMA | STP |
| Dealing | A-book | A-book |
| Execution | Market | Market |
| Regulation | Danish FSA, FCA, MAS, FINMA | FINMA, CSSF, FCA, DFSA, SFC, MAS |
| Platforms | SaxoTraderGO, SaxoTraderPRO, TradingView | MetaTrader 4 (MT4), MetaTrader 5 (MT5), CFXD, TradingView |
| Spread | ⮕ Average | ⬈ High |
| Maximum Leverage | 1:30 | 1:400 |
| Minimum Deposit | $1 | $1000 |
| Base Currencies | USD, EUR, GBP, CHF, JPY, AUD, SGD, HKD, DKK, SEK, NOK | USD, EUR, JPY, GBP, CHF, CAD, AUD, TRY, PLN, SEK, NOK, SGD, XGD, HUF, CZK |
| Funding Methods | Bank Wire, Credit Card, Debit Card | Bank transfer (SWIFT/SEPA), Visa, Mastercard |
| Inactivity Fee | ✖ | $10 per month after 6 months of inactivity |
| Interest on Margin | ✔ | ✖ |
| Withdrawal Fee | ✖ | $10 for standard bank withdrawals; card withdrawals 1.9 % (SEPA) / 0 % (non-SEPA) |
| Investor Protection | Danish Guarantee Fund, UK FSCS | esisuisse / FGDL |
| Protection Size | DKK 100 000 / £85 000 | CHF 100 000 / €100 000 |
| Segregated Accounts | ✔ | ✔ |
| Negative Balance Protection | ✔ | ✔ |
| Guaranteed Stop Loss | ✖ | ✖ |
| Copy Trading | ✖ | ✔ |
| VPS | ✖ | ✖ |
| MAM/PAMM | ✖ | ✖ |
| Scalping Allowed | ✔ | ✔ |
| EAs/Robots | ✔ | ✔ |
| Depth of Market (DOM) | ✔ | ✔ |
| Tradable Assets (CFDs) | Currencies, Stocks, ETFs, Bonds, Options, Futures, Commodities, Cryptocurrencies | Currencies, Indices, Stocks, Cryptocurrencies, Metals, Energies, Soft Commodities, Bonds |
| Review | Saxo Review | Swissquote Review |
About Saxo
Saxo is a Danish multi-asset broker and fully licensed bank offering Direct Market Access across more than 190 FX pairs, 19 000+ equities and thousands of other instruments. Regulated by the Danish FSA, FCA, MAS and FINMA, Saxo provides the award-winning SaxoTraderGO/PRO platforms plus TradingView connectivity. Its Classic account has no minimum deposit, floating FX spreads from 0.9 pips and leverage up to 1:30, while Platinum and VIP tiers unlock tighter pricing and premium service. Traders benefit from segregated client funds, negative-balance protection in the EU, rich analytics and extensive education.
Pros
- Bank-grade regulation (DK FSA, FCA, MAS, FINMA)
- No-minimum Classic account; tight DMA pricing
- 190+ FX pairs and 40 000+ instruments overall
- SaxoTraderGO/PRO plus TradingView integration
- Tiered positive-balance interest on cash
- Extensive research, webinars and market tools
Cons
- High deposits (USD 200k / 1 M) for better Platinum / VIP pricing
- No MetaTrader support
- Islamic swap-free accounts not available
About Swissquote
Swissquote is Switzerland’s flagship online banking and brokerage group, supervised by FINMA and listed on SIX (SQN). Combining a Swiss bank account with a multi-asset trading hub, it offers 70+ FX pairs, 400+ CFDs on MT4/MT5, the proprietary CFXD platform and TradingView. Retail leverage is capped at 1:100 (EU 1:30), spreads start from 1.7 pips on Standard and 1.1 pips on Prime, while client funds enjoy segregated custody and deposit insurance up to CHF 100 000/€100 000. The broker best suits safety-minded traders who value Swiss banking regulation, high-volume FX/CFD professionals needing FIX/API connectivity, and diversified investors seeking direct access to global exchanges from a single account. Beginners with very small deposits may find the USD 1 000 entry threshold and inactivity fee less attractive than at zero-commission fintechs.
Pros
- Bank-licensed, publicly traded and multi-jurisdictionally regulated
- 70+ FX pairs and 400+ CFDs; real stocks on 30+ exchanges
- Choice of MT4/MT5, proprietary Advanced Trader & FIX API
- Retail negative-balance protection and segregated funds
- Comprehensive research, Autochartist, free market news
Cons
- High minimum deposit ($1 000) and tiered account pricing
- Spreads above industry average on Standard account
- Inactivity fee after 6 months
- No support for Skrill/Neteller/PayPal funding
Saxo & Swissquote Regulation
| Feature | Saxo | Swissquote |
|---|---|---|
Companies | Saxo Bank A/S | Swissquote Bank Ltd; Swissquote Bank Europe Ltd; Swissquote Ltd (UK); Swissquote MEA Ltd; Swissquote Asia Ltd; Swissquote Financial Services (Malta) Ltd; Swissquote Pte. Ltd; Swissquote Tech Hub Bucharest S.R.L; Swissquote Capital Markets Ltd; Swissquote South Africa (Pty) Ltd |
Countries | Denmark, United Kingdom, Singapore, Australia, Switzerland, UAE, Hong Kong, Japan, Germany, France | Switzerland, Luxembourg, UK, Dubai, Hong Kong, Malta, Singapore, Romania, Cyprus, South Africa |
Regulators | Danish FSA, FCA, MAS, FINMA | FINMA, CSSF, FCA, DFSA, SFC, MAS |
Investor Protection | Danish Guarantee Fund, UK FSCS | esisuisse / FGDL |
Investor Protection Size | DKK 100 000 / £85 000 | CHF 100 000 / €100 000 |
Publicly Traded | ||
Segregated Accounts | ||
Guaranteed Stop Loss | ||
Negative Balance Protection |
Account Types
| Account | Saxo | Swissquote |
|---|---|---|
Market Maker Account | ||
| Account Name | — | Standard |
| Min Deposit | — | $1 000 |
| Lot Size | — | 0.01 |
| Spread Type | — | Floating |
| Execution | — | Market |
| Min Spread | — | 1.7 |
| Fee | — | No |
| Max Leverage | — | 1:100 |
| Stop Out | — | 30% |
| Margin Call | — | 100% |
STP Account | ||
| Account Name | — | Premium |
| Min Deposit | — | $10 000 |
| Lot Size | — | 0.1 |
| Spread Type | — | Floating |
| Execution | — | Market |
| Min Spread | — | 1.4 |
| Fee | — | No |
| Max Leverage | — | 1:100 |
| Stop Out | — | 30% |
| Margin Call | — | 100% |
DMA Account | ||
| Account Name | Classic | — |
| Min Deposit | $1 | — |
| Lot Size | 0.01 | — |
| Spread Type | Floating | — |
| Execution | Market | — |
| Min Spread | 0.9 | — |
| Fee | No | — |
| Max Leverage | 1:30 | — |
| Stop Out | 50% | — |
| Margin Call | 100% | — |
| Additional Features | ||
| Demo Account | ||
| VIP Account | ||
| Swap-Free Account | ||
| Copy Trading | ||
| VPS | ||
| PAMM/MAM Accounts | ||
Funding and Fees
| Feature | Saxo | Swissquote |
|---|---|---|
Base currencies | USD, EUR, GBP, CHF, JPY, AUD, SGD, HKD, DKK, SEK, NOK | USD, EUR, JPY, GBP, CHF, CAD, AUD, TRY, PLN, SEK, NOK, SGD, XGD, HUF, CZK |
Deposit and withdrawal methods | Bank Wire, Credit Card, Debit Card | Bank transfer (SWIFT/SEPA), Visa, Mastercard |
Inactivity fee | $10 per month after 6 months of inactivity | |
Interest on margin | ||
Withdrawal fee | $10 for standard bank withdrawals; card withdrawals 1.9 % (SEPA) / 0 % (non-SEPA) |
Trading Platforms and Conditions
| Feature | Saxo | Swissquote |
|---|---|---|
Trading Platforms | SaxoTraderGO, SaxoTraderPRO, TradingView | MetaTrader 4 (MT4), MetaTrader 5 (MT5), CFXD, TradingView |
Execution Speed | 9 ms | 9 ms |
Scalping | ||
Expert Advisors (EAs) | ||
Depth of Market (DOM) | ||
Spread | average | high |
Trading Assets
| Asset | Saxo | Swissquote |
|---|---|---|
Currencies | 190 | 76 |
Indices | 29 | 26 |
Stocks | 19000 | 305 |
Cryptocurrencies | 20 | 2 |
Bonds | 5000 | 3 |
Metals | 4 | 16 |
Energies | 5 | 9 |
Soft Commodities | 8 | 5 |
ETFs | 3000 | 0 |
Education and Analytics
| Feature | Saxo | Swissquote |
|---|---|---|
Economic Calendar | ||
Indicators | ||
Robots | ||
Signals | ||
Autochartist | ||
Expert Analytics | ||
News Feed | ||
Education Articles | ||
Webinars | ||
Seminars |
Customer Support
| Contact | Saxo | Swissquote |
|---|---|---|
Email | salesCEE@saxobank.com | fx@swissquote.com |
Phone | +4539774113 | +41448258777 |
Facebook | ||
LinkedIn | ||
YouTube | — | YouTube |
Instagram | — | |
Twitter | ||
TikTok | — | TikTok |
Which Broker is Better?
After comparing Saxo and Swissquote, Swissquote comes out ahead as our overall pick. It ranks higher in our internal scoring and delivers a stronger balance of pricing (spreads/fees), platform experience, and product range. That said, the runner-up may still be a better fit if you prioritize specific needs—like a particular account type, funding method, or niche instruments. This is not financial advice; always choose a broker that matches your goals and local regulatory requirements.
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Andriy Bondarenko
Broker Analyst
Andriy is a seasoned expert in broker reviews with over a decade of experience in finance and trading. Under his leadership, the team produces in-depth and unbiased analyses of leading trading platforms.