Focus Markets review 2026

Is Focus Markets regulated?

Focus Markets is connected with 2 recorded regulatory licence or licences. The entity relevant to users in Australia is Focus Markets Global Limited, reported as regulated by Australian Securities and Investments Commission under licence number AFSL 514425.

The broker operates through multiple legal entities. The regulator and protections applying to an account depend on which entity accepts the client, not simply on the broker brand displayed.

Focus Markets holds a tier-one authorisation from ASIC. That matters more than any headline spread: it determines your leverage cap, whether losses can exceed your deposit, and what happens to your money if the firm fails.

It also operates an offshore entity (FSC). Which one you are onboarded to depends on where you live, and the two carry very different protections - worth confirming before you deposit.

ASIC caps retail leverage at 1:30, requires negative balance protection, and obliges the broker to hold client money in a separate trust account.

An FSC licence (Mauritius or Belize, depending on the entity) is an offshore authorisation with lighter reporting duties than a tier-one regulator.

How safe is Focus Markets?

The available evidence supports a favourable assessment. Positive factors include a tier-one licence, segregated client money and audited accounts (Not prominently disclosed). Risk factors include no compensation scheme. Regulation can improve oversight and complaint options, but it does not prevent trading losses or guarantee that every dispute will be resolved.

Client money is held separately from the firm's own money, at Not prominently disclosed. That separation is what makes your balance recoverable if the company fails, rather than part of the pool its creditors divide up.

Covered by No statutory Australian investor compensation scheme equivalent to FSCS, which pays eligible clients up to its limit if the firm fails owing client money.

Verify licence with ASIC

Focus Markets trading conditions

Trading conditions vary by account, platform, legal entity and client classification. The figures below reflect the latest information available to 88 Forex Brokers and should be confirmed before trading.

Spreads and commissions

Focus Markets advertises spreads from 0.0 pips on Standard. The stated commission is $3.50 per side / $7 round turn, Raw. Typical or live pricing may be higher than the advertised minimum, particularly outside liquid trading hours or during volatile markets.

A quoted spread from 0.0 pips is a raw-spread figure, which almost always means a separate commission per lot. Compare the two together - a "zero spread" account with a high commission can cost more than a wider spread with none.

Quoted spreads are best-case figures on the most liquid pair, in normal conditions. What you actually pay widens around news and at the session open.

Focus Markets lists a minimum deposit of $0. Treat it as the cost of opening an account, not the cost of trading one - position sizing on a small balance is what tends to cause damage.

Spread type

Variable

EUR/USD average spread

Not reliably published

GBP/USD average spread

Not reliably published

Commission

$3.50 per side / $7 round turn, Raw

All-in cost, EUR/USD

Variable

Leverage and margin

Maximum leverage is reported as 1:1000, although the available limit depends on the account entity, instrument, client classification and local rules. Higher leverage increases both potential gains and losses and can lead to rapid account depletion.

Execution model

Focus Markets describes its execution model as Market maker / hedged liquidity model. The available information indicates an average execution speed of Not reliably published, order types of Market, limit, stop, stop-loss, take-profit and platform-specific pending orders and servers in Not prominently disclosed. Execution labels are not standardised across the industry, so review the order-execution policy and conflict disclosures rather than relying on a single term.

Trading rules

Expert advisers

Yes

Copy trading

Platform-dependent

Negative balance protection

Australian retail protections apply; international entity-dependent

Scalping, Hedging, Stop-out level and Guaranteed stop loss: the broker does not publish enough information for us to confirm this trading condition.

Focus Markets account types

Focus Markets offers 4 reported account types. Compare the minimum deposit, spread model, commission, platform and eligibility before choosing an account.

Focus Markets runs 4 account types. More choice is not automatically better: the tightest headline spread almost always sits on the account that also charges a commission, so the comparison that matters is the two added together.

Base currencies: AUD, USD, GBP, EUR, NZD, SGD, CAD. Holding the account in the currency you fund it with avoids a conversion charge on every deposit and withdrawal - a cost that never shows up in a spread comparison.

The smallest position is 0.01 lots. For anyone starting carefully this matters more than the minimum deposit, because it sets the least you can put at risk on a single trade.

A demo account is available. Worth using for the platform rather than the results: fills are simulated, so it tells you how the software behaves but very little about execution.

StandardRawAccessDemo

Minimum deposit

$0

Spreads from

0.0 pips

Commission

$3.50 per side / $7 round turn, Raw

Maximum leverage

1:1000

Platforms

MetaTrader 5, Proprietary platform

Base currencies

AUD, USD, GBP, EUR, NZD, SGD, CAD

Available markets

Forex, Commodities, Indices, Shares, ETFs, Cryptocurrency CFDs

Minimum trade size

0.01 lots

Account opening time

Online application, subject to verification

Demo account

A demo account is reported as available for testing the platform and practising with virtual funds. Demo pricing and execution may not match live conditions.

Islamic account

An Islamic or swap-free option is reported as entity/account dependent. Alternative charges, holding limits or eligibility conditions may apply.

Focus Markets fees and trading costs

The total cost of trading can include spreads, commissions, overnight financing, currency conversion, deposit or withdrawal charges and inactivity fees.

Advertised spreads start from 0.0 pips, but typical pricing may be higher.

The reported trading commission is $3.50 per side / $7 round turn, Raw.

Overnight financing applies to eligible positions at rates that can change.

The broker reports $0 on supported methods for deposits.

The broker reports $0 from Focus Markets for withdrawals.

The broker reports no inactivity fee.

A currency-conversion charge of Applicable where conversion is required may apply.

Spreads from

0.0 pips

Commission

$3.50 per side / $7 round turn, Raw

Overnight financing

Both: swaps may be charged or credited

Deposit fee

$0 on supported methods

Withdrawal fee

$0 from Focus Markets

Inactivity fee

Not prominently advertised

Currency conversion

Applicable where conversion is required

Fees can change and may differ by entity, platform, account or payment method. Confirm the full schedule before opening or funding an account.

Trading platforms and apps

Focus Markets supports MetaTrader 5 and Proprietary platform. Availability can differ by account and legal entity.

MetaTrader 5 handles more asset classes and order types than MT4, but expert advisors are not compatible between the two - an MT4 EA will not run on it.

MetaTrader 5Proprietary platform

Proprietary platform

No

Web platform

Yes

Mobile app

MT5 and TradeLocker

Charting

Extensive MT5/TradeLocker charting

Third-party tools

MetaTrader 5, TradeLocker

Server locations

Not prominently disclosed

Automated and copy trading

The broker reports support for expert advisers and automated strategies. Automated strategies can fail, amplify losses or behave differently under changing market conditions.

The platform range is broad. Its main advantage is support for MetaTrader 5; the principal limitation is the absence of MetaTrader 4 and cTrader.

Markets available through Focus Markets

The broker reports access to 800+ instruments across forex, commodities, indices, shares, eTFs and cryptocurrency CFDs. Product availability depends on the account entity and platform.

Leverage up to 1:1000 international; 1:30 Australian retail FX is available on this entity. High leverage does not increase your expected return - it increases position size for the same deposit, and shortens the move needed to close you out.

The product range is strongest for forex, commodities and indices. Traders seeking metals may need another broker.

ForexCommoditiesIndicesSharesETFsCryptocurrency CFDs

Markets, as published

Forex, Commodities, Indices, Stocks, ETFs, Cryptocurrencies

Total instruments

800+

Currency pairs

50+

Cryptocurrency CFDs

Yes

CFDs do not provide ownership of the underlying asset. Product terms, leverage and trading hours vary by market.

Deposits and withdrawals

Available funding methods include Visa/Mastercard, bank transfer, Skrill, Neteller, Bitwallet, cryptocurrency and regional methods. Processing times, limits, fees and availability vary by country, currency and account entity.

Withdrawals are stated at Finance review 1-2 business days; settlement varies, against Instant 24/7 on many electronic methods for deposits. A gap between the two is normal and not in itself a warning sign - identity checks are a legal obligation, not obstruction. What is worth noticing is a withdrawal that keeps meeting new conditions after those checks are done.

Withdrawal routes: cards, bank transfer, skrill, neteller, bitwallet, crypto. Money is usually returned by the route it arrived on, so the deposit method you pick is in effect the withdrawal method you are picking too.

Identity, payment ownership and source-of-funds checks may be required before a withdrawal is processed.

Deposit methods

Visa/Mastercard, bank transfer, Skrill, Neteller, Bitwallet, cryptocurrency and regional methods

Withdrawal methods

Cards, bank transfer, Skrill, Neteller, Bitwallet, crypto

Deposit time

Instant 24/7 on many electronic methods

Withdrawal time

Finance review 1-2 business days; settlement varies

Deposit fee

$0 on supported methods

Withdrawal fee

$0 from Focus Markets

Minimum withdrawal

Not confirmed

Local payment methods

Yes

View withdrawal complaints about Focus Markets

Use a payment method held in your own name. The broker may reject third-party payments or require withdrawals to follow the original funding route.

Customer support

Focus Markets provides support through Phone, email, live chat during 24/5. Supported languages include Multilingual/international.

Support runs 24/5. Round-the-clock cover matters more than it sounds: a position held over a weekend or through an unexpected halt is exactly when you need somebody to answer.

Reachable by phone, email, live chat. A published telephone number is the one channel that is hard to fake and hard to ignore, so whether there is one says more than the number of channels does.

Languages: Multilingual/international. Being able to raise a complaint in your own language is worth more than it appears, because complaints are where precision matters most.

Education: trading education, platform guidance and market content. Treat broker-published material as an introduction rather than as advice - it is produced by a firm whose revenue rises when you trade more.

Support channels

Phone, email, live chat

Support hours

24/5

Languages

Multilingual/international

Telephone

Not confirmed

Email

Not confirmed

Live chat response

Typically fast during trading week

Research and market analysis

Market information and platform-based analysis

Education

Trading education, platform guidance and market content

Is Focus Markets a good broker?

Your decision should reflect your country, experience, preferred platform, trading costs and tolerance for financial and counterparty risk.

Focus Markets is best considered by

• Traders who want a tier-one licence behind the account
• Traders who want raw spreads with a commission
• Traders who want a small first deposit
• Traders who want automated strategies
• Traders who want MetaTrader
• Traders who want high leverage

Consider another broker if

• You require an Islamic account
• You require copy trading
• You require negative balance protection
• You require a compensation scheme

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