ADMIRAL MARKETS review

Forex trading offers unprecedented access and opportunities for profit but comes with various challenges. This is why choosing the right trading platform and broker should be at the top of your list whether you’re new to the exchange markets or have been skilfully navigating them for years. 

Admiral Markets, currently known as Admirals, is a regional Estonian broker that managed to grow globally, offering traders and investors the opportunity to navigate the world of forex trading. It was founded in 2001 and currently operates in 145 countries. 

But is it the right broker for you?

We understand how appealing forex trading is, but working with a trading platform that aligns with your investment needs is paramount. This review will assess the platform’s features, pros, and cons to help you decide if it’s the right trading platform for you. Let’s begin:

TL;DR

• Admiral Markets is a reliable global broker regulated by top-tier authorities. 
• It provides access to over 8,000 tradable assets and financial instruments. 
• Admiral Markets offers MetaTrader4 and 5 with additional advanced features. 
• Different account types are available to cater to all investors’ needs. 
• Investors have access to competitive pricing with the Zero accounts. 
• Admiral Markets offers excellent educational and research tools. 
• Some drawbacks include the inactivity fee and limited customer support. 

Criteria Breakdown

How can you assess Admiral Markets’ performance? Several criteria can help you draw a clear picture of how it compares to other brokers on the market in our detailed Admiral Markets review. 

Admiral Markets: What It’s Best Known For

For 23 years, Admiral Markets has established a solid reputation in the forex world as a trading platform. It’s designed to meet the needs of newbies and seasoned traders by offering different services. 

It features a user-friendly platform with competitive spreads and fast execution times. Admiral Markets offers many educational tools and resources to help those interested in trading forex, CFDs, cryptocurrencies, and even stocks. Moreover, it’s protected by multiple regulatory bodies to protect you while working with your Admirals broker.

Features

Admiral Markets is a global online trading provider that offers various financial instruments to cater to the needs of beginner and seasoned traders. It’s crucial to highlight some of its main features to see how it compares to other players in the market. 

Wide Offering

As a global forex and CFD broker, Admiral Markets offers more than 8,000 financial instruments and assets, giving you maximum flexibility to diversify your portfolio and trade in your favorable market. 

Investors can trade in forex, currency pairs, CFDs, bonds, ETFs, stocks, shares, indices, energy, metals, and other commodities. No matter what your interest is, you’ll find what works for you with Admirals. 

But that’s not all. Admiral Markets offers tight spreads on most assets, which lower trading costs and make investment more accessible to those on tight budgets. Moreover, these spreads increase the profit potential and provide more accurate pricing. 

Regulatory Oversight

Admiral Markets is regulated and overseen by top-tier bodies that guarantee a safe and transparent investment environment. It’s currently regulated by the following bodies:

• UK – Financial Conduct Authority FCA. 
• Europe – Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission CySEC. 
• Australia – Australian Securities and Investment Commission ASIC. 
• Jordan – Jordan Securities Commission JSC. 
• South Africa – Financial Sector Conduct Authority FSCA. 
• Seychelles – Financial Services Authority of Seychelles FSA. 

So, what does this mean for you? Admirals is one of the most widespread brokers with regulatory bodies in different parts of the world governing its operations. As an investor, you can rest assured knowing your money is safe wherever you are. 

Since it’s regulated by these regulatory bodies, it’s required by law to maintain client funds segregation, where assets and money of clients are separated from the company’s accounts. 

The investor protection amount depends on the client’s location and isn’t available in every jurisdiction. For example, for UK clients, the investor protection amount can be up to £85,000 and €20,000 for clients in the EEA. However, it’s not available elsewhere. 

Strong Track History

While new brokers aren’t bad, working with an established trading platform gives you an extra layer of protection. Admiral Markets has been going strong since 2001, expanding into several jurisdictions, which means it can meet various regulatory criteria. 

With its established name in the industry, you know you are not working with amateurs. Professionals will handle your orders and guarantee the best trading conditions to enable you to achieve your investment goals. 

Trading Platforms

As a trader, you can access MetaTrader4 and MetaTrader5 with Admiral Markets. These two trading platforms offer advanced charting and trading tools to facilitate trading and help investors make informed decisions. 

At the same time, they provide opportunities for automated trading to help investors execute orders at the best prices. 

Admirals also offers monthly access to StereoTrader, a powerful trading tool to broaden your strategies and help you become a successful trader. 

This platform offers 30 different orders that can be placed with a single button click, guaranteeing you won’t miss a single opportunity. Moreover, it offers advanced order types that can’t be found elsewhere to adapt to the changing market conditions. 

Different Account Types

Admiral Markets offers two account types with MetaTrader4 and three with MetaTrader5. The Trader and Zero accounts have a minimum deposit of $25, while the Invest account has a minimum of $1. All account types are available in different currencies. 

These accounts have different leverages and charge different commissions to suit beginner and seasoned investors. They also provide access to multiple asset classes. 

Admirals offers a swap-free account for those who don’t want to pay or receive interest rates. At the same time, these traders still have access to low spreads and commissions and fast execution granted by the other account types. 

But it doesn’t stop here. If you’re new to trading, you can benefit from the demo account trading. It’s risk-free and allows you to practice trading in real market conditions without the risk of losing all your invested capital. 

It’s worth mentioning that Admiral Markets doesn’t accept US clients. So, you can’t open an account if you’re based in the US. 

Trading Flexibility

Admiral Markets addresses traders’ biggest concern: flexibility. It offers fractional trading that allows investors to access global markets at a fraction of the price for maximum risk distribution. 

There’s no minimum order value, so you can start trading from as low as 1/100 of the asset’s value. This feature allows smaller investors and those with a low-risk tolerance to build a diversified portfolio that includes assets from industry leaders without enduring the high costs. 

Market Analytics

Which assets should be on your radar? With Admirals, you’ll easily find the answer to this question. The platform offers premium analytical charts allowing you to track market conditions. 

In addition to the fundamental analytics, you can access Premium Analytics, which includes updated market news, an economic calendar, and global sentiment indicators. This feature is free once you create an account. 

Mobile App

Do you want to place and execute orders whenever and wherever you like? It’s possible with the mobile app. It has a user-friendly interface and allows you to access your account from any Android or iOS device. 

The app is secure and enables real-time trading. You’ll never miss a great deal with Admiral Markets’ in-house mobile app.

Pros

After highlighting the platform’s main features, it’s time to highlight its pros. 

Regulated by Top-Tier Authorities

Brokers regulated by top-tier regulators like Admiral Markets rarely or never scam. If you’ve been trading, you probably understand how important this is. 

This regulated broker will guard your money like a hawk because otherwise, it will face serious consequences. You can rest assured knowing your funds are safe even if the company faces financial difficulties. 

Excellent Educational Content

No matter how experienced you are,  you can never stop learning when trading. There are always new tactics and strategies to learn to cope with the changing market conditions. 

Admirals understands this, and the platform provides several high-quality tools to teach investors how to become better at what they do. Beginners can start with the trader’s glossary and the FAQs section to learn about the most important terms and pressing issues they might face while trading. 

Next, is the Zero to Hero course which promises to teach you how to trade in 20 days. Everything you might encounter in your trading journey will be addressed from setting up your account to executing orders. 

Seasoned investors aren’t ignored, with regular articles and webinars that address the latest news and updates in the market. It’s a comprehensive broker for every trader. 

Competitive Pricing on Some Account Types

Some brokers charge high commissions and set high deposit minimums, creating an obstacle for beginner investors. But this isn’t the case with Admirals. 

With the Invest account minimum set to $1, anyone can start trading with Admiral Markets. It charges $0.02 of commission for stocks and ETFs. The Trade account has a minimum of $25 and charges a commission of $0.02 per single share and ETF CFDs. Trading other instruments is free. 

Advanced Trading Tools and Features

Thanks to the MetaTrader 4 and 5 platforms, you can access many charting tools that help you make the best decisions that align with your investment goals. Moreover, you can access these features on any device with the Virtual Private Server. 

Cons

Despite these pros, some features might make Admiral Markets less-than-perfect for some traders. 

Inactivity Fee

Admiral Markets charges €10 per month after 2 years of inactivity if your balance is more than zero. This means that your balance can be quickly depleted if you don’t trade for a while. This is intimidating for investors who like to take an occasional break from trading. 

No 24/7 Customer Support

The help center is available 24/7 and you can submit a ticket to describe your issue. However, the email and phone number dedicated to global clients is available five days a week from 9 am to 6 pm. This means that some of your queries will be left for a while before you receive a response. 

You can browse the customer support center for dedicated phone numbers, corresponding to your location. But there’s no guarantee that you’ll receive an immediate response. 

Limited Product Portfolio for Some Account Types

Admiral Markets offers several account types, but the products available for some accounts are limited. For example, if you open a Trade.MT4 account, you’ll have access to 37 currency pairs, 4 metal CFDs, 3 energy CFDs, 16 cash indices, and 230 stocks. 

The offering changes to 45 currency pairs, 3 metal CFDs, 10 cash indices, and 3 energy CFDs if you open a Zero.MT4 account. 

So, what does this mean for you as an investor?

You should be careful about the type of assets you want to trade in if you’re interested in committing to Admiral Markets as your broker. 

Criteria Evaluation

As part of our thorough and in-depth analysis of Admiral Markets, we highlighted several criteria to help us evaluate this platform. Here’s how Admiral Markets scores. 

Regulation and Safety: 4.5/5

No broker is perfect, but Admiral Markets has an almost-perfect score when it comes to trading safety. Top-tier regulators that closely monitor its operations and guarantee investors’ safety audit and regulate it externally. 

Moreover, the platform practices account segregation, which separates the company’s funds from clients’ investments. So, if something goes wrong, you know your money is safe.

But that’s not all. Under the investor’s protection clause, you can receive up to £85,000 in the UK, €20,000 for clients in the EEA, and $100,000 for Admiral Markets AS Jordan Ltd clients. No actions, fees, or costs are needed. 

Trading Platforms: 4/5

Thanks to the availability of MT4 and MT5, Admiral Markets creates an inviting trading environment for beginner and experienced investors. Each tool provides different features, allowing you to choose one that aligns with your investment skills and goals. 

Moreover, you can access your account, place orders, and follow up with their execution using the mobile app. Such flexibility attracts several investors to Admirals. 

Asset Selection: 4/5

Admirals offer more than 8,000 tradable assets, including 80 currency pairs, 43 indices CFDs, bonds, commodities, more than 3000 shares, and more than 370 ETFs. 

However, the availability of these assets depends on the account type you choose. So, you’ll need to do some research and be precise about the assets you want to add to your portfolio before creating an account. 

Fees and Commissions: 3.5/5

Admiral Markets offers competitive pricing on some account types, with some tradable assets traded for no commission. However, the commission can be too high on other assets, depending on your account type. 

The platform charges an inactivity fee of €10 charged monthly after two years of inactivity. Currency conversion rates depend on the market price. 

Otherwise, Admirals don’t charge any deposit fee for bank transfers. However, you might be charged an additional charge based on your deposit method. 

Education and Research: 4.5/5

Admirals offers an extensive collection of educational resources for research and training purposes. Beginner investors can start practicing with the demo account, and then proceed to an exclusive course that teaches all the ins and outs of trading from creating an account to executing orders. 

Moreover, many charting and educational tools in addition to webinars and tutorials provide access to the latest market news and updates. This way, you can make better-informed decisions for the best results. 

Customer Support: 3.5/5

Many users praise the availability of phone numbers and email addresses dedicated to investors based on their location. This means that customer support representatives are aware of the market conditions where you practice trading. Moreover, support is available in multiple languages. 

However, customer support representatives are available only five days a week from 9 am to 6 pm. You might be left stranded if you’re dealing with an emergency after office hours. 

Account Types: 4/5

Admirals offers many account types with competitive pricing and a wide selection of tradable assets and financial instruments. The commission and leverage depend on the account type, so you should do your homework before choosing one. 

Moreover, some assets are available for one account type and not the other. This can also be a little confusing, especially if you’re trading for the first time or unsure about the best way to diversify your portfolio. 

Nevertheless, many investors choose Admiral Markets because it offers a risk-free demo account in addition to a swap-free account for those who don’t want to pay or receive interest. 

Deposit and Withdrawal: 4/5

Admiral Markets doesn’t accept cash deposits but accepts bank transfers, which instantly reflect in your balance. However, other payment methods like credit and debit cards can take a few days before your account is funded. 

There’s no information on the website about withdrawal charges, but Admirals charge currency conversion fees depending on the market prices. 

Community Reviews and Expert Recommendations

So, what does the trading community have to say about Admiral Markets?

In general, traders have positive reviews to share about this broker. Many praise the wide selection of account types, trading platforms, and extensive educational resources that leave no rock unturned. 

One user on TrustPilot raved, “The webinars are a must if you want to really learn trading. Keep doing great work at Admirals. Your Team is the best!!”

Another reviewer on Forex Peace Army praised the limit orders, saying, “This is the only broker I’ve ever used that actually respects my limit orders and doesn’t execute them as market orders that in itself is a 10/10 from me. The commission is better than most brokers.” However, since we know that Admiral Markets has some pitfalls, other traders had some negative feedback to share, especially regarding customer support, as this trader explained on TrustPilot, “I really started to like Admiral Markets to use it as a demo account, but one day suddenly I couldn’t log in anymore, who knows why. It said that I couldn’t log in anymore, whatever. There also was written that I could text support to ask what was going on, which I did. Guess what… right, they didn’t answer. I sent three e-mails in total to ask what was going on, but they didn’t answer a single one. After that, I got bored and just started using another platform.”

In my opinion, this broker can be an excellent choice if you want a reliable trading platform with top-tier regulatory features and in-depth educational resources. However, if you often need the help of customer support representatives, Admirals might occasionally disappoint you. 

Price

Assessing a broker’s pricing is crucial before deciding if it’s right for you. Luckily, Admiral Markets can adapt its pricing to suit different investors’ needs with competitive pricing, starting at 0.0 pip for Zero.MT4 accounts. You probably know that this is pretty rare as it means that the broker isn’t charging a spread. 

However, it’s not that easy, as the commission can be pretty high, depending on the asset you choose to trade. Moreover, there’s also the inactivity fee that can quickly eat up your funds if you tend to take long breaks from trading. 

Alternatives to Admiral Markets

Admiral Markets isn’t the only fish in the sea. If it doesn’t work for you for any of the reasons above, other alternatives can provide a good option. 

Exness

Exness is a global forex and CFD broker, regulated by top-tier bodies. It offers a wide selection of assets with competitive spreads and 24/7 customer support. However, some trading instruments aren’t available for all account types and the lack of enough educational resources can leave some brokers perplexed. You can learn more about it from our Exness review. 

XM Broker

Nothing beats the user-friendliness of XM Broker’s mobile app. The platform offers excellent educational tools and charges low stock and CFD withdrawal fees. However, it offers a limited product portfolio, so it might not suit you if you have a low-risk tolerance. Click here to read our in-depth XM Broker review. 

RoboForex

Roboforex is an excellent choice for beginner traders with favorable trading conditions and a low deposit. It also offers instant withdrawals and a unique investment program called CopyFx. Nevertheless, the high commission and limited offering of currency pairs increase investors’ risk and make the platform less appealing. Our Roboforex review highlights the platform’s features in detail. 

Pepperstone

If you’re interested in low forex fees, no activity or withdrawal fees, and copy trading features, Pepperstone will be an excellent choice. However, the platform doesn’t offer enough educational resources and charges high fees for holding positions overnight. You can learn more about this broker by reading our Pepperstone review. 

Final Thoughts

We’ve reached the end of our journey with Admiral Markets—one of the world’s top-regulated brokers. With a solid history in the market, a strong regulatory status, and extensive trading and educational tools, it’s probably one of the best options out there. 

Admiral Markets offers MetaTrader4 and 5 platforms but provides something extra with its Supreme Edition add-ons, creating a powerful toolkit for all investors. Moreover, it provides access to more than 8,000 assets, allowing traders to build a diversified portfolio. But that’s not all. The zero pip on Zero accounts is another lucrative benefit, especially for beginners. 

However, this broker comes with some pitfalls, starting with the limited offering on some account types. Its high inactivity fees and the lack of 24/7 customer support might turn off many investors. Moreover, having too many features and tools isn’t always in beginner investors’ best interest as they can easily get confused. 

At Top Brokers, we know firsthand how perplexing trading can be. That ‘s why we prepared a special glossary about all the forex trading terms you should know before trading. We’ll also have posts that can teach you how to read forex charts.

So, is Admiral Markets the right broker for you?

Only you can answer this question. Remember that doing your research is a crucial part of your journey as an investor. 

You can find everything you need to compare this broker to others and more at Top Brokers.