Vantage FX Review: Is It Safe? Fees, Pros and Cons

Regulated

ByArsam Javed

, fact-checked by Florian Fendt

Updated 2 December 2024

Vantage FX in a nutshell

Vantage FXRegulated

4.3Overall scoreout of 5

Minimum deposit: $50

Visit Vantage FX

80% of retail investor accounts lose money trading CFDs with this provider.

Compare Vantage FX with similar brokers

Vantage FX is a provider of global market trading services that began serving traders in 2009. Vantage FX offers traders access to the global markets in Forex, commodities, indices, shares, and others. Many traders know the broker for swift execution, attractive promotions and bonuses, and competitively low spreads.

The broker has its main offices in Sydney, Australia, with other offices in London, UK, Cayman Islands, and Vanuatu, although traders all over the world can access its services. Its trading servers are, however, located in the top financial centers of New York and London.

Vantage FX is considered secure by most traders as it is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) of the UK, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), and the Vanuatu Financial Services Commission (VFSC).

What we like

Low and free commissions on trading, depending on the account type
Virtually free deposit and withdrawal
Fast Execution with the ECN or Pro account
High-quality educational and research tools and resources

Before you register and start trading with Vantage FX, it is important to be aware of the positive and negative aspects of the broker’s services.

Trading at Vantage FX is cheap since traders don’t get levied with charges for most of the services the broker offers. For the most part, traders don’t pay commissions, except for specific types of accounts. Then, there are no deposit, withdrawal, and inactivity fees.

The educational and research tools are aimed at boosting traders’ profitability. The customer service is also responsive and available at almost all times of the day.

What to watch out for

Lack of real stocks
Slightly high fees on trading CFD stocks

Although Vantage FX offers access to a lot of Forex pairs and shares CFDs, popular instruments such as cryptocurrencies and some exotic Forex pairs are absent. Then, it does not provide access to buying or investing in underlying assets such as shares and crypto tokens.

The fees and commissions charged on CFDs trading are a bit on the high side when compared to other brokers. Moreover, the broker does not protect the accounts of traders from falling into the negative territory, which implies that traders can end up owing the broker.

Vantage FX is highly recommended for beginner, intermediate, and professional traders. With over 10 years in the industry, the broker has developed cutting-edge technologies to ensure fast execution all at low commissions, tight, or even free spreads. Clients find the broker’s trading platforms friendly to use and its offers dutifully tailored to their needs.

The combination of very low commissions, free or tight spreads, and fast execution makes Vantage FX a suitable option for most beginner to intermediate traders. Professional traders and institutional investors may also enjoy the services of the broker especially if they sign up for the PRO ECN account.

For over 10 years, Vantage FX has remained committed to offering quality services to clients through user-friendly trading platforms, top-notch technology, and client-focused offers.

Vantage FX Highlights
Regulation	FCA (UK), ASIC (Australia), CIMA (Cayman Islands)
Trading commissions	No
Inactivity fee charged	No
Withdrawal fee amount	$0
Minimum deposit	$200
Time to open an account	24 hours
Deposit with credit card	Possible
Depositing with electronic wallet	Possible
Possible account currencies	EUR, USD, GBP, PLN, AUD
Free & unlimited Demo account	Yes
Available Instruments	+300 \| CFDs (equity, index, crypto, commodity) and forex pairs

Vantage FX utilises superior trading technology to offer traders ultra-fast trading execution speeds. As a result, traders do not experience any significant interruptions during trading sessions. A key feature of Vantage FX services is cheap and affordable trading. The spreads the broker charges across instruments are minimal, meaning that traders can get the best out of a profitable trade.

Then, the fees and commissions that traders are charged for executing trades and other related activities are negligible. Deposits and withdrawals related to the trading account do not attract any charges internally, which means traders get as much of their profits as possible. There are also no fees for long-term inactivity, so traders do not incur expenses when they are not trading.

How can you open an account at Vantage FX?

The process of getting a trading account with Vantage FX is not complicated. By the company’s own estimates, the process should not take more than 5 minutes. The specific steps you need to take go thus:

Go to the account opening portal and fill out the forms. (80% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.)
First, you will enter key details including your email, nationality, residential address, and your identification number. You can select from any of national identity card, passport, or government-issued driver’s license.

Vantage FX also requires your employment, financial details, and answers to some questions about your trading experience.

Then you are to configure your trading account by selecting your trading platform, account type, and the currency in which the account will be denominated.
Upon filing these details, you, however, have to undergo a Know Your Customer (KYC) process by uploading documents to show Proof of Address and Proof of Identity.

Proof of Identity: For this, you need to submit an identity document issued by the government. You can select one of national identity card, passport, or driver’s license.
Proof of Address: This can be either your statement of account from your bank bearing your residential address, a utility bill, or a residential certificate.

Opening an account on Vantage FX is completely digitised and, as such, you can complete the entire process on any of your devices.

Upon completing the above, Vantage FX issues you a trading ID and password with which to log into your client portal, deposit funds, and start your trading. The minimum amount you can deposit into the trading account is $200.

Compare brokers

Compare brokers
Select a row to sort	Vantage FX	Capital.com	XM	XTB
	4.3	4.8	4.6	4.5
	$50	$20	$5	$0
Regulators	FCA, ASIC, CIMA, VFSC	CySEC, FCA, ASIC, SCA, SCB	CySEC, DFSA, FSC, FSCA, FSA	FCA, KNF, CySEC, IFSC
Demo account	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
MetaTrader 4	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
MetaTrader 5	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Web platform	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Own platform	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Open an account	Visit broker Vantage FX 80% of retail CFD accounts lose money.	Visit broker Capital.com 65% of retail CFD accounts lose money.	Visit broker XM 80% of retail CFD accounts lose money.	Visit broker XTB 77% of retail CFD accounts lose money.

Are Vantage FX fees low?

Vantage offers competitive trading fees and spreads, making it an attractive option for traders, particularly those focused on forex and CFDs. The broker’s fee structure is designed to cater to both beginners and advanced traders, with different account types offering varying fee levels.

Forex Fees and Spreads

Vantage’s forex fees are generally considered low. For forex trading, the broker offers the following:

Raw ECN Account:

Commission: $3.00 per lot per trade
Spreads: Variable, with average costs during peak trading hours:
- EUR/USD: 0.1 pips
- GBP/USD: 0.3 pips

These tight spreads, especially on major pairs like EUR/USD, make Vantage particularly attractive for forex traders.

CFD Fees and Spreads

Vantage’s CFD fees are average compared to other brokers. The fees for CFDs are typically built into the spread. Here are some examples:

S&P 500 CFD: Average spread of 0.36 points during peak trading hours
Europe 50 CFD: Average spread of 1.45 points during peak trading hours
Stock CFDs: Commissions vary, e.g., $6 per trade for Apple CFDs, £10 per trade for Vodafone CFDs

It’s worth noting that while index CFD fees are generally low, stock CFD fees are comparatively higher.

Account Types and Fee Structures

Vantage offers different account types with varying fee structures:

Standard Account: Wider spreads but commission-free
Raw ECN Account: Tighter spreads with a commission fee
Pro ECN Account: Similar to Raw ECN but with potentially better conditions for high-volume traders

Non-Trading Fees

Vantage stands out for its favorable non-trading fees:

Deposit Fee: $0
Withdrawal Fee: $0 (for most methods, though international bank withdrawals may incur charges after the first free withdrawal per month)
Account Fee: None
Inactivity Fee: None

Overall Fee Assessment

When compared to its competitors, Vantage offers competitive fees, especially in forex trading. Its CFD fees are average, with some products being more cost-effective than others. The absence of most non-trading fees is a significant advantage for traders who prioritize cost efficiency.

Remember that while fees are an important consideration, they should be evaluated alongside other factors such as regulation, platform quality, and customer service when choosing a broker.

Is Vantage FX safe?

Vantage FX is licensed by top-tier financial regulators across three continents. These include the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA), and the Vanuatu Financial Services Commission (VFSC).

Here are the multiple entities or subsidiaries under which Vantage FX operates depending on location:

Vantage Global Prime LLP, a financial services company regulated and licensed by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) UK.
Vantage Global Prime Pty Ltd, a financial services company licensed and regulated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).
Vantage International Group Limited, a financial services company regulated and overseen by the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA).

Is your money safe at Vantage FX?

The funds that traders deposit into their trading accounts at Vantage FX are safe and secure. This is because of the preparations that the broker has made to ensure that the funds of traders are protected. These arrangements include the holding of clients’ funds in accounts that are separated from the broker’s own funds.

The broker is regulated by at least two key tier-1 authorities such as FCA, ASIC, VFSC, and CIMA, who place a lot of emphasis on the insurance of clients’ funds. Then, its banks with top, AAA-rated banks including National Australia Bank (NAB) and Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA).

However, note that most of the broker’s regulators do not require insurance for the funds of the clients.

FCA – €85,000 (UK)
ASIC – No protection (Australia)
CIMA – No protection (Cayman Islands)
VFSC – No protection (Vanuatu)

Also, Vantage FX does not offer clients negative balance protection which implies that traders can easily lose more money than the balance they have in their trading accounts whenever they have losing trades. Instead, the broker immediately closes losing trades if it appears that they will lead to the trader losing not only all the funds in their account, but even end up owing the broker.

However, sometimes, depending on the situation, if contacted, Vantage FX can help a client restore their account to a neutral balance after which the client can redeposit funds and resume their trading. More importantly, to prevent the rare cases of accounts entering negative balance, the broker has put in place features such as margin and stop out.

How do deposits and withdrawals work at Vantage FX?

Vantage FX makes it possible for traders to deposit and withdraw through a variety of channels. These channels include:

Credit and Debit Cards processors: Including MasterCard, Visa, UnionPay, JCB,
Bank and wire transfer both domestic and international.
Electronic Wallets including Neteller, Skrill, AstroPay, and FasaPay.
Other channels such as POLi, BPay, transfer from one broker to another and others.

Vantage FX itself does not charge you any funds for deposits and withdrawals. However, any of the payment channels above may levy charges for making the transactions happen.

Note that Vantage FX does not permit any third-party transactions. Whenever you carry out any deposit or withdrawal transactions, the account you use must be owned by you and be registered in the same name you used to open your Vantage FX account. Otherwise, Vantage FX may stop the transactions from going through. The main purpose of this is to protect your funds.

In the case of bank payments, traders at Vantage FX can choose from around 8 currencies in which to carry out their transactions. This is slightly less than what you get at FP Markets, which offers up to 15 local currencies. However, it is much better than FXCM, which provides only 4 currency options.

The payment channels that will be available to you will depend on your location. You can check a list of these available options on your client portal. Then, there is generally a restriction on one-time deposits to a maximum of $10,000.

How easy is it to open an account at Vantage FX?

By regulation, every new client must go through some basic compliance checks to ensure that you understand the risks of trading and are admitted to trading. When you open an account, you will probably be asked for the following items, so it is good to have them handy: A scanned colour copy of your passport or national ID A utility bill or bank statement from the last six months with your address You will also need to answer a few basic compliance questions to confirm how much trading experience you have. It is therefore best to take at least 10 minutes to complete the account opening process. Although you can explore the demo account immediately, it is important to note that you cannot make any real trading transactions until you have passed compliance, which can take up to several days depending on your situation.

Account Type

Standard account: Yes
Demo account: Yes
Islamic account: Yes
VIP account: Yes

Your account at Vantage FX

Vantage FX offers traders two major types of accounts aimed at providing for the services of different classes of traders. These types of accounts are the Standard STP, RAW ECN, and PRO ECN.

Standard STP

This account is aimed mainly at beginner traders and features zero commissions and low spreads. Its key features include:

Trading Platform: MetaTrader 4 and 5.
Minimum Deposit: $200
Minimum Trade Size: 0.01 Lot
Maximum Leverage: 500:1.
Spreads: Starting from 1.0 pip.
Commissions: None

RAW ECN

The RAW ECN account focuses more on more experienced traders who are in need of greater market liquidity and minimal commissions. The key features you get with this account are outlined below:

Trading Platform: MetaTrader 4 and 5.
Minimum Deposit: $500
Minimum Trade Size: From 0.01 Lot
Maximum Leverage: 500:1.
Spreads: Starting from 0.0 pips.
Commissions: Starting from $3.0 per lot, per side.

PRO ECN

The best users of this account category are institutional traders and professional fund managers who require ultra-fast speed of trade execution. The services to look out for are:

Trading Platform: MetaTrader 4 and 5.
Minimum Deposit: $20,000
Minimum Trade Size: From 0.01 Lot
Maximum Leverage: 500:1.
Spreads: Starting from 0.0 pips.
Commissions: Starting from $2.00 per lot, per side.

Across these account types, traders can get to trade over 300 CFDs instruments including forex pairs, shares, equity indices, and commodities.

Vantage FX Demo Account

Vantage FX offers traders a demo account that can give them access to the markets “in under 30 seconds.” To start using the virtual account, clients have to sign up with their personal information including full names, country of residency, and contact details. Alternatively, prospective users can sign up with their social media accounts, choosing one of Facebook, Google+, or LinkedIn.

The demo account from Vantage FX enables traders to trade with real-life conditions, even though they are trading with unreal funds. Traders have permanent access to the account as there are no time limits for its use. Traders can execute trades in the market for 24 hours, 5 days a week.

	Standard STP	Raw ECN	Pro ECN
Min. Deposit	$200	$500	$20,000
Available Trading Assets	+300	+300	+300
Advanced Charts	✔️	✔️	✔️
Negative Balance Protection	❌	❌	❌
Guaranteed Stoploss	✔️	✔️	✔️
Stocks Extended Hours	✔️	✔️	✔️
Pers. Platform Introduction	✔️	✔️	✔️
Personal Analysis	❌	✔️	✔️
Personal Account Manager	❌	✔️	✔️
Exclusive Webinars	❌	❌	✔️
Premium Events	❌	❌	✔️

How is the customer support at Vantage FX

Do you have any complaints? Or do you just want to get in touch with the broker? You can do so via a dedicated phone number, email, or live chat. Vantage FX provides quick, reachable, and helpful customer service. Traders can reach the customer support agents via a dedicated phone number, email, and live chat both on the website and mobile app. Most of these channels are available 24/7.

Alternatives

Not sure Vantage FX is right for you?

See the full ranking

Does Vantage FX have a mobile app?

Yes. Vantage FX has apps for iOS and Android.

YesiOS
YesAndroid

Which platforms does Vantage FX offer?

Vantage FX clients get to trade from a broad range of trading platforms. These include:

The Vantage FX mobile application available on Android and iOS.
MetaTrader 4 & 5
ProTrader
WebTrader
ZuluTrade
DupliTrade
MyFxBook Autotrade

Across these platforms, Vantage FX provides quick market execution, quality charting and analysis tools, and the ability to enter limit and stop orders. While the MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 have the same offers in terms of account type, range of markets, platform access, leverage, and minimum trade size, they, however, provide 9 and 21 timeframes respectively.

Through ZuluTrade, DupliTrade, and MyFxBook Autotrade, Vantage FX also offers social trading via which traders can profit by copying the positions of more experienced investors.

Trading Platform

Desktop windows: No
Desktop MAC: No
Web platform: Yes
Own platform: Yes
MetaTrader 4: Yes
MetaTrader 5: Yes

What can you trade at Vantage FX?

Available at Vantage FX is a suite of global markets and assets. Traders can speculate on a wide variety of Forex pairs, CFDs on shares and shares indices, and commodities. Those available instruments are

Forex (+40 pairs)
Indices (15)
Energy
Soft commodities (20)
Precious metals (5), and
US, UK, EU, and AU share CFDs (100 +)

FAQ

Is Vantage FX a good broker?

Vantage FX is a legit broker operating under ASIC and FSA oversight. No scam warning has been issued on the CySEC website.

Is Vantage FX regulated and trustworthy?

Vantage FX remains fully compliant with ASIC and FSA rules and regulations. Traders should view it as a safe and trusted broker.

Is Vantage FX a scam broker?

Vantage FX is a legit broker operating under ASIC and FSA oversight. No scam warning has been issued on the ASIC or FSA website.

What is the minimum deposit at Vantage FX?

The minimum deposit at Vantage FX to open a live account is $250.

Which trading platform is available at Vantage FX?

Vantage FX offers the core MT4 trading platform and a proprietary WebTrader.

Does Vantage FX offer a free demo account?

Yes. Vantage FX offers an unlimited demo account for trading beginners or testing purposes.

How does Vantage FX compare?

Vantage FX alternatives

Vantage FX vs Capital.com

Vantage FX vs XM

Vantage FX vs XTB

Author of this reviewArsam Javed

Arsam, a Trading Expert with over four years of experience, is known for his insightful financial market updates. He combines his trading expertise with programming skills to develop his own Expert Advisors, automating and improving his strategies.

Our methodology

Fact-checked by Florian Fendt