Start with the smallest amount each broker will take
A handful of these brokers set no floor at all, which suits a reader who wants to test an account with a small transfer before committing. AGORA direct™ publishes a minimum deposit of €0, Angel One INR 0, Ally Bank $0 on self-directed trading and APMEX $0. Nothing stands between you and a first order.
The other end of the list looks very different. American Hartford Gold asks for a minimum deposit of $10,000 and Augusta Precious Metals for $50,000, so a figure at that level rules a provider out for most retail investors before you read a single feature. That is why it is the first thing to check, and the Brokers for beginners shortlist is a sensible place to narrow the field once you know your own figure.
Match the account type before you look at any charge
The charge that matters is tied to the account you open, so pick the wrapper first. AJ Bell lists an ISA, a SIPP, a LISA and a JISA, and asks for a minimum deposit of £25 to get going. The AJ Bell review shows what you can hold inside each of those.
Ally Bank takes a different route. It offers joint, IRA and Roth IRA accounts, asks for a minimum deposit of $0 on self-directed trading, and sets a separate minimum investment of $100 for its automated investing. Two numbers, two products, and the Ally Bank review helps you see which one you are actually opening.
The same split shows up among the gold and silver providers. Advantage Gold, Alliance Gold, APMEX and Augusta Precious Metals each offer an IRA account, so your funding goes into a retirement wrapper rather than a taxable dealing account. Abf Trade Eu lists a corporate account, which tells you straight away that it is built for businesses rather than private investors, and 1822direkt offers a joint account with a minimum investment of €25.
What it costs to move money in and out
A minimum deposit tells you when you can start, but the deposit and withdrawal charges tell you what it costs to keep going. Abf Trade Eu makes no charge on deposits, and AJ Bell makes no charge on withdrawals, so funding your account and taking money back out stay simple.
AvaTrade, AvaTrade Kenya, AvaTrade Me and Axi also take no charge on deposits and withdrawals, which means repeated funding and withdrawals do not quietly eat into your balance. The Abf Trade Eu review is a good illustration of how a no-charge deposit is presented next to an entry level.
The exception shows why this line matters. ATC Brokers charges a fee on international wire transfers, and its minimum deposit of $2,000 sits well above the entry level of most of the list. Sending money in by a slower, cheaper method can be a sensible choice, so read the funding options before you settle on a route.
Where the middle of the range sits
Most of the comparison falls into a middle band, and the differences are small enough to matter. Admirals asks for a minimum deposit of $25, Amillex $50, AMarkets $100 and Anzo Capital $100. Read the Admirals review next, because two brokers with similar entry levels can still differ on cost once you trade.
Higher up that same band, Alchemy Markets requires $1,000 and Abf Trade Eu $500, so both suit a reader who funds in stages. Alpari starts lower at $30, and its micro account keeps the same test-and-learn habit for a first order.
Across the AvaTrade entries, the minimum deposit is $100 for AvaTrade, $100 for AvaTrade Kenya and $100 for AvaTrade Me, so the local entity is worth checking rather than assuming the headline figure carries over. The CFD brokers ranking groups the spread-led providers together for the same reason.
Minimum deposit, minimum investment, subscription
Three kinds of entry level get mixed up, so keep them apart in your notes. A minimum deposit is what the broker needs in the account before you can trade, as at AMP Futures with $100. A minimum investment is what a product needs before it starts working, as at 1822direkt with €25 and at Ally Bank with $100.
A subscription works differently again. Acre Gold takes a minimum deposit of $12 for a monthly gold purchase, which is a small, repeatable commitment rather than a lump sum and suits a reader who would rather drip-feed money into a metal. Arttrade asks for €1,000, so if your plan needs meaningful art holdings from the start, budget accordingly. Alor Broker sits at RUB 10,000 in its own account currency, which brings up the next point.
Compare the currency, then read the reviews
Each broker publishes its minimum in the currency the account is held in, so the number and the currency travel together. Before you put two brokers side by side, check what converting your money will cost and which currency you will end up holding, because that sits outside the minimum deposit itself.
Once the numbers are in front of you, let the reviews settle the judgement. The Brokers for beginners list suits a first account, the CFD brokers list suits a wider product range, and the Copy trading platforms list suits readers who would rather follow an experienced trader. Read each one against the minimum deposit and the account type you have settled on, and you will find the broker that matches your figure rather than the one with the largest headline.