Two brokers compete on regulation, protection schemes, and platform choices. The matchup highlights tension between traditional ECN pricing and broader investor protections.
Skilling edges AMarkets on regulation and protections, backed by CySEC/FCA oversight, negative balance protection, and compensation. AMarkets remains solid but relies on SVG FSA and lacks these protections.
Find out which broker best suits your trader profile.
Choose AMarkets if…
Choose AMarkets for MT4/MT5 and cTrader with raw spreads and $6/lot commissions. AMarkets uses SVG FSA regulation and does not offer investor compensation.
Choose Skilling if…
Choose Skilling for CySEC/FCA regulation and negative balance protection. Skilling also offers investor compensation and a proprietary platform.
Which broker wins for each type of trader, based on costs, safety, platforms, and editorial scoring.
AMarkets offers tighter spreads from 0.00 pips vs 0.70 pips for Skilling, reducing trading costs.
| Editorial score | 3.8/ 5 | 4.1/ 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Score Breakdown | ||
Trust & Regulation 40% weight | 3.4 / 5 | 4.3 / 5▲ |
Pros
MT4, MT5, and cTrader all available
Competitive $6 round-turn ECN commission
Mature PAMM platform with full performance transparency
No inactivity fee
Client funds held in segregated accounts
Raw spread account available
A closer look at the specific criteria each broker meets or misses within each scoring category.
| Criteria | AMarkets | Skilling |
|---|---|---|
| Trust & Regulation | ||
| Top-tier regulator (FCA, ASIC, CFTC, etc.) | Fail | Pass |
| Segregated client funds | Pass | Pass |
| Negative balance protection | Fail | Pass |
| Compensation scheme (e.g. FSCS) | Fail | Pass |
| Fees & Spreads | ||
| Raw/ECN spreads available | Pass | Pass |
| No deposit fee | Pass | Pass |
| No inactivity fee | Pass | Pass |
| Transparent pricing page | Pass | Pass |
| Platforms & Tools | ||
| MT4/MT5 available | Pass | Pass |
| Proprietary platform | Fail | Pass |
| Mobile app | Pass | Pass |
| Advanced charting tools | Fail | Pass |
| Customer Support | ||
| 24/5 live chat | Pass | Pass |
| Phone support | Pass | Fail |
| Multilingual support | Pass | Pass |
The scores are close: AMarkets rates 3.8/5 and Skilling rates 4.1/5. Skilling 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.
AMarkets starts from 0 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 AMarkets and Skilling require a minimum deposit of $100 to open a live trading account.
Skilling holds top-tier regulation (FCA, FSCA, CySEC), providing stronger investor protections. AMarkets may be regulated but does not hold top-tier status in our data. Verify regulatory status on each regulator's public register before depositing funds.
For beginners, Skilling provides negative balance protection, capping losses at your deposit amount. Also compare demo account availability and educational resources on each broker's site before deciding.
AMarkets lists maximum leverage of 3000:1, 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.
AMarkets charges $6 per lot on commission-based accounts. Commission details for Skilling are not currently available. Check their website for up-to-date pricing.
AMarkets supports cTrader, MetaTrader 5, MetaTrader 4, while Skilling supports cTrader, Skilling Trader, MetaTrader 4. Both provide cTrader and MetaTrader 4. AMarkets has exclusive access to MetaTrader 5. Skilling has exclusive access to Skilling Trader.
Skilling wins for safety & regulation due to CySEC/FCA oversight and protections.
Skilling wins for active traders with broader instrument range and advanced charting.
AMarkets is better suited for scalpers: tighter spreads from 0.00 pips.
Skilling wins for platform choice with a proprietary platform plus MT4/MT5 and cTrader.
Skilling wins for beginners thanks to a clean UX and regulated protections.
Skilling wins for instrument variety with 1000 instruments versus 250.
Fees & Spreads 30% weight | 4.0 / 5 | 4.2 / 5▲ |
|---|
Platforms & Tools 20% weight | 4.1 / 5 | 4.3 / 5▲ |
|---|
Customer Support 10% weight | 3.9 / 5 | 4.1 / 5▲ |
|---|
| Founded | 2007 | 2016 |
|---|
| Headquarters | Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Valletta, Malta |
|---|
| Min Deposit | $100 | $100 |
|---|
| Spreads From | 0 pips▼ lower | 0.7 pips |
|---|
| Commission / lot | $6/lot | N/A |
|---|
| 0.6 pips | N/A |
| Max Leverage | 3,000:1 | 500:1▲ higher |
|---|
| Inactivity Fee | None | $10/month (after 90 days) |
|---|
| Deposit Fee | Free | Free |
|---|
| Deposit methods | Bank transferCredit cardDebit cardSkrillNetellerWebMoneyCrypto | Bank transferCredit cardDebit cardSkrillNeteller |
|---|
| Withdrawal methods | Bank transferCredit cardSkrillNetellerWebMoneyCrypto | Bank transferCredit cardSkrillNeteller |
|---|
| Withdrawal Fee | Free | Free |
|---|
| Regulators | SVGFSA | FCA FSCA CySEC |
|---|
| Platforms | cTrader MetaTrader 5 MetaTrader 4 | cTrader Skilling Trader MetaTrader 4 |
|---|
| Active bonuses |
|---|
No deposit fees
MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 supported
Mobile trading app available
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
SVG FSA registration only, no meaningful retail investor protection
No EU or Tier 1 licensed entity
Very high leverage (3000:1) is a risk amplifier
No top-tier regulatory licence
No negative balance protection
No investor compensation scheme
No proprietary platform
Limited charting capabilities
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 3.8 / 5
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