eToro combines social copy trading with real stock and ETF investing, though stock commissions, CFD spreads and conversion fees make active trading costly.
Spreads from
1 pips
Commission
$0 (spread-only)
Min deposit
$50
Established
2007
Regulated by
FCA · ASIC · CySEC · FSRA/ADGM · SEC/FINRA · FSA Seychelles
Written byLaverlane Team·Updated10 Oct 2026
Researched with AI assistance and verified by our editors
Regulation
eToro holds multiple licences across Tier-1 and Tier-2 jurisdictions, though regulatory protections depend on your contracting entity.
Regulatory oversight varies by entity: eToro (UK) Ltd is authorised by the FCA, eToro (Europe) Ltd holds a CySEC licence, eToro AUS Capital Limited holds an ASIC licence, eToro (ME) Limited is regulated by the FSRA in Abu Dhabi Global Market, and eToro (Seychelles) Ltd operates under FSA Seychelles supervision.
While European clients benefit from strict regulatory oversight and investor compensation schemes, international clients contracting under the Seychelles entity receive segregated client funds without statutory compensation. Public enforcement records include a CySEC settlement with eToro (Europe) Ltd in 2013, an Ontario Securities Commission settlement in 2018, an SEC settlement with eToro USA in 2024 and an ASIC court action against eToro AUS Capital over CFD target-market rules, filed in 2023 with the outcome not confirmed.
Key facts
Founded in 2007, eToro operates as a global multi-asset investing platform with millions of registered users across global regions.
Client-facing entity
eToro (UK) Ltd
Regulators
FCA, ASIC, CySEC, FSRA/ADGM, SEC/FINRA, FSA Seychelles
Restricted countries
US, CA, IR, KP, SY
Negative-balance protection
Yes
Minimum deposit
$50
Max leverage (UK/EU retail)
1:30
Max leverage (Australia)
1:30
Max leverage (offshore entity)
1:400
Typical EUR/USD spread
1 pips
Platforms
Proprietary
Account currencies
USD
Established in 2007, eToro is a widely recognised retail platform. That long operating record provides stability that newer unregulated offshore entities cannot match.
Best for
Pros & cons
Fund safety
Client funds are segregated in tier-one banking institutions, but statutory compensation schemes vary by corporate entity.
Client funds are held in segregated accounts across top-tier financial institutions. Accounts held under eToro (UK) Ltd benefit from FSCS protection up to £85,000, and eToro (Europe) Ltd offers ICF protection up to €20,000, whereas eToro (Seychelles) Ltd provides no statutory compensation scheme. This setup protects against corporate insolvency but offers no safety net for market losses.
Account terms
eToro provides clear account disclosures, though discretionary terms allow order suspensions under extreme market volatility.
Discretionary account suspension clauses exist in the Client Agreement. This matters if you employ automated trading strategies, though casual investors are unlikely to be impacted. The broker maintains a transparent conflict-of-interest policy while acting as the primary counterparty to retail CFD transactions.
Costs
eToro charges a $1 or $2 commission per side on stock trades, nothing on ETFs and spread-only pricing on CFDs, though non-trading and conversion fees add overhead.
eToro charges CFD spreads as a percentage of position value when a trade opens and closes: EUR/USD is listed at 0.005% per trade, roughly 1.0 pip round trip. That affects high-frequency scalpers heavily, whereas long-term investors holding positions for weeks will barely notice. Furthermore, non-USD deposits incur conversion markups, and withdrawals from a USD account carry a $5 fee. Notably, eToro no longer charges an inactivity fee as of 28 May 2026.
| Instrument | Asset class | Typical spread | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | Forex CFD | 1 | pips |
Spreads shown are typical, not guaranteed, and widen during volatile sessions or outside main market hours. Figures reflect the broker's standard retail account.
Markets
eToro supports more than 5,000 assets across stocks, ETFs, currencies, commodities, indices and cryptoassets.
Forex CFD
50 pairs
Index CFD
20 indices
Commodity CFD
Metals, energies, softs
Single-Stock CFD
3000 shares
Crypto CFD
Available ✓ · Weekend trading ✓
Real ownership: Stocks / ETFs
Stocks, ETFs, Crypto
More than 5,000 assets span stocks, ETFs, forex, commodities and crypto CFDs. That breadth suits multi-asset investors, though deep commodity traders may find specialised coverage limited. You can buy real stocks (with a $1–$2 commission per side) and commission-free ETFs, or trade leveraged CFDs across various market sectors.
Platforms
eToro relies exclusively on its intuitive proprietary web and mobile platform, featuring integrated social copy tools.
The proprietary web and mobile platform integrates CopyTrader seamlessly without third-party integration. Bear in mind that a trader’s past performance doesn’t guarantee future results, and you can lose money by copying them.
This works well for social traders, but traders relying on custom EAs will find the lack of MT4/MT5 a barrier. Advanced charting tools and social sentiment indicators are fully integrated into the browser interface.
Execution
eToro operates a market maker execution model with internal order matching across retail CFD transactions.
eToro operates a market maker model with internal order matching and market spread execution. This ensures smooth CopyTrader execution, but traders seeking raw ECN market depth will face wider spreads. The platform does not publish external execution quality statistics.
Leverage
Leverage limits follow local regulatory mandates, capping retail traders at 1:30 on major forex pairs in Tier-1 zones.
Leverage is capped at 1:30 on major forex pairs for retail UK, EU and Australian clients, while retail clients of the Seychelles entity can access advanced leverage up to 1:400 on major pairs, subject to eligibility. This constraint protects beginners from sudden margin calls, while experienced traders may feel restricted. eToro sends margin call alerts when portfolio value falls below 20% and 10% of its value at the last deposit or withdrawal, and liquidates positions if portfolio value turns negative.
Account types
eToro streamlines client onboarding with a single standard retail trading account alongside professional account status.
| Account | Min deposit | Commission | Swap | Spread | Demo | Islamic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Account | $50 | Spread-only | Variable overnight fees apply | From 1 pips · Variable | Yes | No |
| Professional Account | $50 | Spread-only | Variable overnight fees apply | From 1 pips · Variable | No | No |
The platform offers a single main retail account tier alongside professional status. That simplifies onboarding, but volume traders miss out on tiered commission discounts available elsewhere. Account tiering occurs primarily through the eToro Club tier system based on asset balance.
Funding
Deposits are free, with a minimum first deposit of $50 in many countries and $200 in most others, while USD withdrawals carry a $5 fee.
Deposits carry no fee, but withdrawals from a USD account incur a $5 fee (local currency accounts are free), alongside conversion markups. This fixed charge punishes small, frequent withdrawals, while larger transfers absorb the fee easily. Withdrawals by card or bank transfer can take up to five business days, and e-wallets up to two.
Support
Customer support operates 24/5 via live chat and online ticketing systems for verified account holders.
Customer support runs 24/5 via live chat and ticketing for account holders. This provides adequate coverage during market hours, but non-registered users face limited access. Educational materials and market analysis are available through the eToro Academy.
Availability
eToro serves clients worldwide, though CFD trading is restricted in jurisdictions including the United States and Canada.
Services span global regions except for restricted zones including the US and Canada for CFDs. This clear boundary ensures compliance, though expatriates in blocked regions cannot maintain active accounts. Clients outside the UK, EU and Australia may be assigned to the offshore Seychelles entity; eToro handles transfers to that entity case by case.
Verdict
eToro delivers a well-developed social trading ecosystem, making it easy for beginner and passive investors to follow experienced portfolios or buy real equities. However, active CFD traders will find the roughly 1.0 pip round-trip EUR/USD cost, $5 USD withdrawal fee, and absence of MetaTrader restrictive compared to specialised brokers.
eToro is right for you if you want an all-in-one platform to copy seasoned traders or hold multi-asset portfolios long term. It is less fitting if you demand raw spread execution or custom EA deployment.
Traders who value social sentiment, simplified investing interfaces, and community copy tools will thrive on eToro. Experienced technical scalpers who require ECN execution should look elsewhere.
FAQ
eToro allows users to close open long positions or initiate short trades directly through the order window. For stock and ETF investments, clicking the Close option liquidates the asset at the prevailing market price. For CFD short positions, opening a Sell order creates a distinct contract to speculate on price declines.
eToro enables cryptocurrency purchases by selecting Bitcoin from the market list and clicking the Trade button. Non-leveraged Buy positions grant ownership of the underlying cryptoasset, held securely in the eToro Money wallet. Leveraged Buy orders or Short positions are executed as CFDs, incurring a 1% spread markup and overnight financing fees. Leveraged crypto CFDs aren’t available to UK retail clients.
eToro receives criticism primarily due to its non-trading overheads and CFD trading costs. Currency conversion fees apply to non-USD deposits, alongside a $5 fee on USD withdrawals. CFD spreads are charged per trade as a percentage of position value, for example 0.005% per trade on EUR/USD, which is roughly 1.0 pip round trip.
eToro is considered a strong platform for passive, retail, and social traders seeking user-friendly multi-asset access. Its CopyTrader feature allows users to replicate the portfolios of top-performing investors automatically without management fees. Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results, so copied portfolios can still lose money. However, higher CFD spreads and non-trading fees make it less suitable for high-frequency scalpers.
eToro's regional entities are overseen by regulators including the FCA and ASIC. eToro (UK) Ltd is regulated by the FCA with FSCS protection up to £85,000, while eToro (Europe) Ltd holds a CySEC licence with ICF coverage up to €20,000. Global clients contracting with eToro (Seychelles) Ltd receive segregated client accounts but no statutory compensation scheme.
Alternatives
Eightcap offers CFDs on 850+ markets through TradingView, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5 and TradeLocker, with a Raw account that starts from 0.0 pips. Clients outside the regulated regions contract with Eightcap Global Limited in The Bahamas, which carries no statutory compensation scheme.
Octa offers swap-free forex and CFD trading on OctaTrader, MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, with no trading commission and a $25 minimum deposit. Accounts on octabroker.com are with Versustrategy Inc, registered in Saint Lucia, and the legal documents page lists no financial regulator.
JustMarkets offers leverage of up to 1:3000, swap-free trading and MT4, MT5 and its own app, but international clients contract with an offshore Seychelles entity without a statutory compensation scheme.
FXCM offers forex and CFD trading on Trading Station, MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and TradingView. Accounts on the international website are with Stratos Global LLC, an offshore entity in St Vincent and the Grenadines that sits outside the group’s regulated companies.
ThinkMarkets offers ThinkTrader, TradingView, MT4 and MT5 with 4,000+ instruments and leverage of up to 1:500 on Standard and ThinkZero accounts. International clients contract with a Seychelles-licensed entity.
IronFX operates as a retail CFD broker providing high leverage up to 1:1000 on MetaTrader 4, but international clients contract through an offshore entity without statutory compensation protection.
CFI Financial offers MT5, TradingView and its own app with no minimum deposit and leverage of up to 1:500. International clients trade with CFI International Ltd, licensed in Mauritius.
EC Markets offers MT4, MT5 and its own app with a $10 minimum deposit on STD and ECN accounts and leverage of up to 1:1000. International clients trade with the Mauritius-licensed entity.
General CFD risk warning
CFDs are complex leveraged products and carry a high risk of rapid losses. They do not give you ownership of the underlying asset. Depending on your jurisdiction, broker entity and client classification, protections such as leverage limits and negative-balance protection may differ or may not apply. Where negative-balance protection is not provided, losses may exceed the funds you deposit. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford the high risk of losing your money.
Disclaimer
This page is provided for general information only. Nothing on this page constitutes investment, tax or trading advice, or a recommendation to open an account or trade with a particular broker. Laverlane does not provide personalised investment advice. We are not a broker or financial institution, we do not arrange or execute trades, and we do not hold client funds.
Broker availability, spreads, fees, leverage, products and legal protections, including compensation schemes and negative-balance protection, vary by the broker’s legal entity, your country of residence and your client classification, and may change over time. Where a broker is required to publish its retail CFD loss rate, that figure is shown on its review page. Spreads shown are typical figures as at our verification date; they are not guaranteed and may widen, particularly during volatile market conditions.
Laverlane Scores reflect the information available at our most recent review. They are editorial assessments, not guarantees of a broker’s financial strength, reliability or future performance. Where we report a regulator warning or enforcement notice, it reflects the official public information available at the time of our review.
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