Admirals and Skilling face off on regulation, costs, and platform choice. The tension hinges on whether stronger oversight or modern trading tools deliver greater overall value.
Admirals edges Skilling on the editorial score, driven by broader regulation and higher overall score. Skilling remains competitive with strong platform options and regulatory protections.
Find out which broker best suits your trader profile.
Which broker wins for each type of trader, based on costs, safety, platforms, and editorial scoring.
Admirals offers tighter spreads from 0.50 pips vs 0.70 pips for Skilling, reducing trading costs.
| Editorial score | 4.3/ 5 | 4.1/ 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Score Breakdown | ||
Trust & Regulation 40% weight | 4.3 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 |
Pros
Extensive range of accounts including Zero, Trade, and Invest
Strong FCA and CySEC regulation covering EU and UK traders
High-quality educational content including live webinars
Zero account offers spreads from 0.5 pips with $6 round-turn commission
Client funds held in segregated accounts
A closer look at the specific criteria each broker meets or misses within each scoring category.
| Criteria | Admirals | Skilling |
|---|---|---|
| Trust & Regulation | ||
| Top-tier regulator (FCA, ASIC, CFTC, etc.) | Pass | Pass |
| Segregated client funds | Pass | Pass |
| Negative balance protection | Pass | Pass |
| Compensation scheme (e.g. FSCS) | Pass | Pass |
| Fees & Spreads | ||
| Raw/ECN spreads available | Pass | Pass |
| No deposit fee | Pass | Pass |
| No inactivity fee | Fail | Pass |
| Transparent pricing page | Pass | Pass |
| Platforms & Tools | ||
| MT4/MT5 available | Pass | Pass |
| Proprietary platform | Fail | Pass |
| Mobile app | Pass | Pass |
| Advanced charting tools | Pass | Pass |
| Customer Support | ||
| 24/5 live chat | Pass | Pass |
| Phone support | Pass | Fail |
| Multilingual support | Pass | Pass |
The scores are close: Admirals rates 4.3/5 and Skilling rates 4.1/5. Admirals has a marginal edge in our scoring, but the difference is small enough that your specific priorities — fees, platforms, or regulatory jurisdiction — should guide the final choice.
Admirals starts from 0.5 pips, tighter than Skilling's 0.7 pips. Tighter spreads lower the cost per trade, which matters most for high-frequency and scalping strategies.
Both Admirals and Skilling require a minimum deposit of $100 to open a live trading account.
Both Admirals and Skilling hold licences from top-tier regulators, indicating a high standard of regulatory oversight. Check each broker's specific regulatory bodies to confirm coverage in your jurisdiction.
For beginners, both brokers provide negative balance protection. Also compare demo account availability and educational resources on each broker's site before deciding.
Admirals lists maximum leverage of 500:1, while Skilling lists up to 500:1. Available leverage depends on your jurisdiction. EU retail clients under ESMA rules are capped at 1:30 on major forex pairs.
Admirals charges $6 per lot on commission-based accounts. Commission details for Skilling are not currently available. Check their website for up-to-date pricing.
Admirals supports MetaTrader 5, MetaTrader 4, while Skilling supports cTrader, Skilling Trader, MetaTrader 4. Both provide MetaTrader 4. Admirals has exclusive access to MetaTrader 5. Skilling has exclusive access to cTrader and Skilling Trader.
Admirals is best for safety and regulation due to broader oversight including KNF.
Admirals wins for active traders due to broader instrument range and competitive pricing under strong regulation.
Admirals is better suited for scalpers: tighter spreads from 0.50 pips.
Skilling wins for platform choice with a modern proprietary platform and options including cTrader and MT4.
Skilling wins for beginners due to clean UX and beginner-friendly environment.
Admirals wins for instrument variety with about 8000 tradable instruments.
Fees & Spreads 30% weight | 4.4 / 5▲ | 4.2 / 5 |
|---|
Platforms & Tools 20% weight | 4.2 / 5 | 4.3 / 5▲ |
|---|
Customer Support 10% weight | 4.2 / 5▲ | 4.1 / 5 |
|---|
| Founded | 2001 | 2016 |
|---|
| Headquarters | Tallinn, Estonia | Valletta, Malta |
|---|
| Min Deposit | $100 | $100 |
|---|
| Spreads From | 0.5 pips▼ lower | 0.7 pips |
|---|
| Commission / lot | $6/lot | N/A |
|---|
| 1.1 pips | N/A |
| Max Leverage | 500:1 | 500:1 |
|---|
| Inactivity Fee | $10/month (after 24 months) | $10/month (after 90 days) |
|---|
| Deposit Fee | Free | Free |
|---|
| Deposit methods | Bank transferCredit cardDebit cardSkrillNeteller | Bank transferCredit cardDebit cardSkrillNeteller |
|---|
| Withdrawal methods | Bank transferCredit cardSkrillNeteller | Bank transferCredit cardSkrillNeteller |
|---|
| Withdrawal Fee | Free | Free |
|---|
| Regulators | FCA ASIC CySEC KNF | FCA FSCA CySEC |
|---|
| Platforms | MetaTrader 5 MetaTrader 4 | cTrader Skilling Trader MetaTrader 4 |
|---|
| Active bonuses |
|---|
Negative balance protection
Investor compensation scheme coverage
No deposit fees
MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 supported
Mobile trading app available
Advanced charting tools included
Transparent pricing with clear cost disclosure
24/5 live chat support
Phone support available
Multilingual customer support
Pros
Clean modern Skilling Trader platform, excellent UX for new-to-intermediate traders
cTrader available with raw spreads from 0.0 pips
CySEC and FCA regulation with EU and UK investor protections
Growing Latin American presence with local-language support
Client funds held in segregated accounts
Negative balance protection
Investor compensation scheme coverage
No deposit fees
No inactivity fee
MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 supported
Mobile trading app available
Proprietary trading platform available
Advanced charting tools included
Transparent pricing with clear cost disclosure
24/5 live chat support
Multilingual customer support
Cons
Platform-heavy, MT4 and MT5 only, no proprietary platform
Customer support quality varies by region
Not available to US clients
Inactivity fee applies
Cons
$100 minimum deposit on standard accounts
Newer broker, less track record than IG or Pepperstone
Product range narrower than multi-asset brokers
No phone support
Dig deeper into each broker’s features, fees, and regulation.
Score 4.1 / 5
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