Updated September 29, 2026 · BrokerCue Editorial Team
Exness vs Swissquote
What sets them apart
| Compare |  Exness |  Swissquote |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $10Lower | $1,000 |
| Stock trade fee | $0Lower | $20 |
| Inactivity fee | $0Lower | $10 |
| Markets | Stocks, Forex, CFDs, Crypto, MetalsCovers more | Stocks, Forex, CFDs, Crypto |
| Regulators | FCA, CySEC, FSA Seychelles, FSCA | Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF) |
| Investor protection | FSCS up to GBP 85,000 | EU ICS up to EUR 20,000 |
| Maximum retail leverage | 1:Unlimited | 1:100 |
| Deposit and withdrawal fees | no deposit or withdrawal fee | Not confirmed |
| Platforms | MT4, MT5, Exness Terminal, Exness Trade App | Not confirmed |
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Key differences
- Exness scores higher overall: 9.4 vs 8.8.
- Regulators: only Exness offers FCA, CySEC, FSA Seychelles.
- Regulators: only Swissquote offers Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF).
- Founded is lower at Swissquote: 1996 vs 2008.
- Exness is licensed in 3 more countries.
- Minimum deposit is lower at Exness: $10 vs $1,000.
- Stock trade fee is lower at Exness: $0 vs $20.
- Inactivity fee is lower at Exness: $0 vs $10.
- Markets: only Exness offers Metals.
Our verdict on each
Exness
Exness suits beginners and day traders who want to place stock trades without a dealing charge, with a stock trade fee of $0 and an inactivity fee of $0. Regulators listed are the FCA, CySEC, the FSA Seychelles and the FSCA, with FSCS up to GBP 85,000 stated for UK clients.
Swissquote
Swissquote runs a Swiss bank entity under CSSF supervision with EU investor compensation, so it suits traders who want a bank behind the account. The trade-off is entry cost: a stock trade fee of $20 and a minimum deposit of $1,000 sit well above cheaper rivals.
Score breakdown
| Area | Exness | Swissquote |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.3Higher | 8.3Costs run high: stock trade fee $20, minimum deposit $1,000 and inactivity fee $10 sit above site medians. |
| Offer | 9.6Higher | 9.0 |
| Trust | 9.5Higher | 9.0 |
Feature by feature
| Markets | Exness | Swissquote |
|---|---|---|
| Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| Forex | Yes | Yes |
| CFDs | Yes | Yes |
| Crypto | Yes | Yes |
| Metals | Yes | No |
How they place
| Ranking | Exness | Swissquote |
|---|---|---|
| Stock and ETF brokers | 54 of 471 | 187 of 471 |
| Forex brokers | 22 of 147 | 80 of 147 |
| Low-spread forex brokers | 20 of 145 | 78 of 145 |
| CFD brokers | 17 of 122 | 67 of 122 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Exness | Swissquote |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Not confirmed | Demo account, Mobile app |
| Pricing model | Commission free, Low fees | Not confirmed |
| Audience | Beginners, Day traders | Not confirmed |
| Legal entity | Exness (SC) Ltd | Swissquote Bank Europe SA |
| Headquarters | Cyprus | Luxembourg |
| Founded | 2008 | 1996Lower |
| Support channels | Not confirmed | Phone, Help centre |
Robo-advisors
| Fact | Exness | Swissquote |
|---|---|---|
| Portfolio types | Not confirmed | ESG |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Exness | Swissquote | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $10below the median | $1,000highest quarter | $25 |
| Stock trade fee | $0at the median | $20highest quarter | $0 |
| Inactivity fee | $0at the median | $10above the median | $0 |
Median across 134 listed brokers.
Pros and cons
Exness
Pros
- A $0 stock trade fee, with the pricing model read as commission-free and low-fee.
- An inactivity fee of $0, so a dormant balance is not billed.
- Deposits and withdrawals carry no charge, so moving money costs nothing.
Cons
- Retail leverage is listed at 1:Unlimited, and 70.15% of retail accounts on this site lose money.
- Regulators listed include the FSA Seychelles and the FSCA alongside the FCA and CySEC, so the entity behind an account can differ by market.
- The market list, stocks, forex and cfds, stops short of ETFs and futures, so share investors wanting those should look elsewhere.
Swissquote
Pros
- Regulated by the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF) in Luxembourg, with the legal entity named as Swissquote Bank Europe SA.
- Covers stocks, forex, CFDs and crypto on a single account, with retail leverage of 1:100.
- A demo account and a mobile app are both listed features, so you can test before committing.
Cons
- Costs are high for a retail account: a stock trade fee of $20 against a site median of €0.
- The minimum deposit of $1,000 ranks 191 of 213, far above the site median of €4.64.
- An inactivity fee of $10 applies, where the site median is €0.
Who each suits
Exness
Who it suits
- Beginners and day traders, the audiences the brand names.
- Traders who want a $0 stock trade fee and an inactivity fee of $0 on the same account.
- Desktop and mobile users who want to trade across MT4, MT5 and Exness Terminal.
Who should look elsewhere
- CFI, where the minimum deposit is $0.
- Vantage, with a minimum deposit of $5.
- eToro, which also covers ETFs and futures beyond the markets listed here.
Swissquote
Who it suits
- Traders moving between forex, CFDs, crypto and shares on a single account
- Investors who put weight on a supervised bank entity and investor compensation
- People who want to practise on a demo account before risking money
Who should look elsewhere
- Newcomers with a small starting balance, since the minimum deposit is $1,000
- Share buyers focused on trading costs, given the stock trade fee of $20 against eToro at $0
- Passive long term investors, because the portfolio options listed are esg
Questions about each
Exness
What does Exness charge to buy a stock?+
Share dealing runs at a stock trade fee of $0, and the pricing model is listed as commission-free and low-fee. On this site's stock trade fee ranking Exness sits at 1 of 161, so the per-trade cost sits at the cheap end of the brands compared. Deposits and withdrawals carry no charge either.
Does Exness charge an inactivity fee?+
The inactivity fee is $0, so a dormant account is not billed for sitting still. Exness ranks 1 of 56 on this measure, at the top of the table of brands compared. Some rivals charge for unused accounts, so this saves money for anyone who opens an account and leaves it quiet for a while.
Swissquote
How much does it cost to trade shares with Swissquote?+
The stock trade fee is $20, which is well above the site median of €0. Swissquote ranks 161 of 161 on this measure, so share dealing here is costly. eToro, by contrast, charges $0 per trade.
What is the minimum deposit to open an account?+
The minimum deposit is $1,000, which is a high bar for a first account. On our data Swissquote ranks 191 of 213 on this measure, against a site median of €4.64. Vantage asks for $5 and CFI for $0.
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