Our Broker Review Methodology
Every rating on fxreviewlab is editorial and independent. Each broker is scored out of 5 using a weighted model across four pillars, and every licence is verified against the regulator's own public register before a review is published.
How is the fxreviewlab score calculated?
The overall score is a weighted average of four pillar scores: Regulation & Safety (35%), Trading Costs (25%), Execution & Platforms (20%) and Funding & Support (20%). Regulation carries the heaviest weight because no spread or bonus matters if client funds are not safe.
Regulation & Safety 35%
We verify each licence directly with the regulator (FCA, ASIC, CySEC, FSCA and others), check which legal entity actually onboards clients, and review fund segregation, negative-balance protection and any enforcement history.
Trading Costs 25%
We compare spreads, commissions, swap/overnight fees and non-trading fees (deposit, withdrawal, inactivity) across each account type — not just the headline "from" number in marketing material.
Execution & Platforms 20%
We assess order-execution model (ECN, STP, market maker), available platforms (MT4, MT5, cTrader, proprietary apps), instrument coverage and tools for the strategies the broker actually permits.
Funding & Support 20%
We review deposit and withdrawal methods, processing times and fees, plus the responsiveness, channels and language coverage of customer support.
What steps does every review go through?
Each review follows the same five-step process: licence verification in the official register, data collection from broker documents, cost comparison per account type, scoring against the weighted model, and a recurring re-check whenever regulation, fees or platforms change.
- Verify the licence. We look up the licence number in the regulator's public register and confirm the entity behind the brand matches the one accepting clients. Reviews link to the register entry so you can re-check it.
- Collect the data. Account types, minimum deposits, leverage, platforms, instruments and fee schedules are taken from official broker documentation and legal terms — not third-party marketing.
- Compare the real costs. Spreads and commissions are compared per account type, including swap and non-trading fees that headline numbers usually hide.
- Score with the weighted model. Each pillar is scored, weighted (35/25/20/20) and combined into the single score out of 5 shown on the review.
- Re-check and update. Reviews carry a visible "last updated" date and are re-verified when a regulator, fee or platform offering changes — or when a reader reports outdated data.
How do affiliate links affect ratings?
They don't. fxreviewlab may earn a commission when you open an account through a link on this site, but commissions never influence a score, ranking position or verdict. Scores are locked by the weighted model before any commercial relationship is considered, and several highly-rated brokers pay us nothing at all.
Found something inaccurate or out of date? Tell us and we will re-verify it against the primary source. Learn more about the team behind the reviews on our About page.