| Updated: Our team spent hours researching and shortlisting forex brokerages whose retail customers can access 1:500 leverage. All 11 brokers covered on this page are regulated and established, offering competitive spreads and transparent trading conditions. In addition to pricing, we have evaluated each broker’s range of platforms, research tools, educational content, and market selection for leveraged trading.
Plus500 USThis content applies only to Plus500 US and clients from the United States. Trading futures involves the risk of loss.
eToro50% of retail investor accounts lose money
Fusion Markets74-89% of retail's CFD accounts lose money
BlackBull MarketsTrading leveraged products is risky
Eightcap59.57% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
easyMarkets71% of retail investor accounts lose money
FBS72.12% of retail investor accounts lose money
IC Markets70.64% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
XTB73% of retail investor accounts lose money
FXTMTop 11 Brokers with 1:500 Leverage
Founded in 2019, Fusion Markets offers no-dealing-desk order execution, low-cost trading, and tight spreads. The broker enables portfolio diversification as it provides access to more than 250 markets, including over 90 forex pairs, commodities, US stocks, cryptocurrencies, and equity indices. There are no minimum deposit requirements when opening a live account.
Australian retail clients can access leverage of up to 1:30. Higher leverage of up to 1:500 is available through Fusion Markets’ Vanuatu and Seychelles-regulated entities. This maximum applies to forex and precious metals, while CFDs on indices and cryptocurrencies are restricted to leverage of 1:100 and 1:10. Negative balance protection is available only to clients registered under the ASIC-regulated entity.
Gleneagle Asset Management Limited (ABN 29 103 162 278) trading as Fusion Markets, is the issuer of the Fusion Markets Products described in this communication. Trading in Fusion Markets Products involves the potential for profit as well as the risk of loss which may vastly exceed the amount of your initial deposit and is not suitable for all investors. You should read all of these Financial Product Service Terms, the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and the Financial Services Guide (available on our website) carefully, consider your own financial situation, needs and objectives for investing in these Fusion Markets Products and obtain independent financial advice.- 2. FP Markets
Founded in 2005, FP Markets is an Australian broker enabling forex and CFD trading across more than 10,000 markets, with access to widely used platforms like MT4, MT5, cTrader, and TradingView.
Forex spreads are competitive, starting from 1.0 pip for Standard commission-free accounts and 0.0 pips for Raw accounts with a $6 round-turn commission. FP Markets offers leverage of up to 1:500 through its FSCA and FSA-regulated entities on major currency pairs. The ASIC and CySEC-regulated divisions offer maximum forex leverage of 1:30. Australian and European professional clients, however, can access leverage of up to 1:500 on currency pairs, silver, and gold, and up to 1:200 on indices.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 72.92% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. BlackBull Markets is an award-winning ECN brokerage that services customers from over 180 countries. The New Zealand-based company has established a strong reputation as a reliable and regulated broker and operates with licenses from the FMA and FSA (Seychelles). BlackBull Markets provides access to more than 26,000 financial instruments, including over 50 currency pairs, with fast order execution and competitive pricing.
Retail customers have access to maximum leverage of 1:500 at the offshore entity regulated by the FSA (Seychelles). Traders can adjust their leverage caps from the client portal of their live accounts. CFD traders receive margin call notifications when their available balance drops under 70%. BlackBull Markets liquidates losing positions in accounts with margin percentages below 50%.
Trading foreign exchange on margin carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The high degree of leverage can work against you as well as for you. Before deciding to trade foreign exchange, you should carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite. The possibility exists that you could sustain a loss of some or all of your initial investment and, therefore, you should not invest money you cannot afford to lose. You should make yourself aware of all the risks associated with foreign exchange trading and seek advice from an independent financial advisor if you have any questions or concerns as to how a loss would affect your lifestyle.- 4. XTB
XTB is a multi-licensed broker with more than two decades of market experience and over 2 million clients worldwide. The company is publicly traded on the Warsaw Stock Exchange and has registered offices in over a dozen countries, including France, Germany, and Chile. It holds licences from several major regulators, including the CySEC, FCA, DFSA, FSC, and KNF.
Clients can trade over 2,600 leveraged CFDs with competitive spreads starting from 0.8 pips for forex majors. Customers accessing the Belize-regulated entity can leverage their trades at ratios as high as 1:500. The broker has no minimum deposit requirements, allowing clients to trade in micro lots. On the downside, negative balance protection is not available to CFD traders registering through XTB’s Belize-regulated entity.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 73% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. - 5. IC Markets
Established in 2007, IC Markets provides access to over 2,200 financial instruments with no-dealing-desk execution. The Sydney-based broker offers 61 currency pairs, tradable with leverage of up to 1:500 under the Seychelles entity. Customers can use lower ratios corresponding to their risk tolerance and trading style by requesting a reduction through the client portal. The changes come into effect within one business day.
IC Markets serves both scalpers and algorithmic traders with average order execution speeds of less than 40 milliseconds and raw spreads from 0.0 pips for Raw Spread accounts that incur commissions of $3.50 or $3 per side, per standard lot, depending on the trading platform. Copy trading is available to customers with cTrader accounts.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 70.64% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. - 6. Eightcap
Eightcap is a multi-regulated broker with licenses from CySEC, FCA, and SCB, among others, offering more than 800 CFD markets across forex, shares, commodities, indices, and cryptocurrencies. Spreads start from 0.0 pips for Raw accounts with a $7 round-turn commission and low-latency order execution. Trading is available through popular third-party platforms like TradingView, MetaTrader 4, and MetaTrader 5.
The brokerage provides maximum leverage of 1:500 to retail customers registered via its Bahamas entity, regulated by the SCB. New accounts are typically set to 1:100 by default, but traders with a higher risk tolerance can request an increase through the client portal. However, customers must meet the broker’s requirements for minimum account equity to gain access to higher leverage. Leverage reaches 1:400 for professional traders registered under the CySEC entity.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 76.09% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. - 7. FBS
Launched in 2009, FBS is a Belize-based CFD broker serving more than 27 million traders across over 150 jurisdictions. The broker offers access to more than 550 instruments across major asset classes, including forex, indices, stocks, and commodities. Customers can access these markets via live MT4 or MT5 accounts. Demo accounts with $10,000 in virtual funds are available for risk-free practice and platform testing.
Retail traders registering via the ASIC or CySEC entities can use maximum leverage of 1:30, while professionals are eligible for ratios of up to 1:500. Leverage is considerably higher at the Belize-regulated division, reaching 1:3000. FBS offers negative balance protection and enforces stop-out levels of 20% at its offshore arm.
Risk warning: ᏟᖴᎠs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 72.12% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading ᏟᖴᎠs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how ᏟᖴᎠs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. - 8. easyMarkets
EasyMarkets has been in operation since 2001 and offers over 270 financial markets, including forex, crypto, commodities, and stocks. The company provides a choice from several account types, including MT4 and MT5 accounts. It holds licenses from the regulatory authorities of Australia, Cyprus, the British Virgin Islands, and the Seychelles.
Leverage at easyMarkets varies by jurisdiction and platform. The Seychelles-regulated entity offers leverage of up to 1:2000 on MT5 accounts. The maximum ratio for the proprietary web platform and MT4 accounts is 1:400. MT5 accounts are protected against negative balances, although slippage may occur occasionally. Professional clients registered under the CySEC-regulated entity can access leverage of up to 1:2000 on currency pairs and 1:1000 on metals.
Trade Responsibly: CFDs and Options are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 71% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs and Options work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Please refer to our full Risk Disclaimer. Easy Forex Trading Ltd (CySEC – License Number 079/07). - 9. FXTM
FXTM provides access to more than 1,000 instruments, including forex, crypto, precious metals, energies, indices, and shares. The broker falls under the regulatory purview of the FSCA in South Africa and the FSC in Mauritius, offering an average execution speed of 0.09 milliseconds, spreads from 1.5 pips on a commission-free basis, and dynamic leverage as high as 1:3000.
Leverage caps at FXTM depend on the national value of one’s live account and the instruments they are trading. For example, index futures CFDs can be traded with leverage of up to 1:500. The broker accommodates small-scale traders by enabling them to open positions as small as one micro lot. In addition, clients can build their expertise through FXTM’s Knowledge Hub, which includes trading guides, videos, economic calendars, and other resources.
- 10. Global Prime
Maximum leverage ratios at Global Prime vary based on jurisdiction, client categorization, and asset class. Clients at the VFSC-regulated entity can use leverage of up to 1:500 on gold, major and minor currency pairs. Other commodities are capped at 1:100. Cryptocurrency CFD leverage is limited to 1:5.
Retail customers registered under the ASIC entity have access to negative balance protection, but leverage is restricted to 1:30 for major and 1:20 for minor currency pairs. Professional clients from Australia can leverage their positions at a maximum of 1:500 and qualify for volume-based rebates. For further details on leverage and trading conditions, clients can contact the broker’s 24/7 support team via live chat, email, or phone.
Global Prime is a trading name of FMGP Trading Group Pty Ltd (ABN 74 146 086 017) and is regulated by ASIC and licensed to carry on a financial services business in Australia under Australian Financial Services License No. 385620. Gleneagle Securities Pty Limited trading as Global Prime FX, is a registered Vanuatu company (Company Number 40256) and is regulated by the VFSC. The website is owned and operated by FMGP Trading Group Pty Ltd, ABN 74 146 086 017. - 11. Axi
Axi has been in operation since 2007 and holds licenses from several regulatory bodies, including CySEC, ASIC, FCA, and FSA. The offshore entity, regulated in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, offers leverage of up to 1:1000 on major forex pairs such as EUR/USD and GBP/USD. Indices are capped at 1:500, cryptocurrencies at 1:200, and stock CFDs at 1:20.
European clients registered at the CySEC entity can apply for a professional status to use maximum leverage of 1:500 with Elite accounts and 1:400 with Standard and Pro accounts. Opening a professional account does not involve additional fees, and spreads start from 0.0 pips on a commission basis. The broker charges round-turn commissions of $4.50 for Pro and $3.50 for Elite accounts.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. The vast majority of retail client accounts lose money when trading in CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Top 9 Brokers Offering 1:500 Leverage Ranked by Trustpilot Score
| Forex Broker | Trustpilot Reviews | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. FP Markets | 9,422 | 4.9 ⭐ |
| 2. BlackBull Markets | 2,681 | 4.8 ⭐ |
| 3. IC Markets | 48,248 | 4.8 ⭐ |
| 4. Fusion Markets | 4,873 | 4.8 ⭐ |
| 5. FBS | 7,267 | 4.3 ⭐ |
| 6. Eightcap | 3,429 | 4.0 ⭐ |
| 7. easyMarkets | 1,735 | 4.0 ⭐ |
| 8. XTB | 1,935 | 3.5 ⭐ |
| 9. FXTM | 1,030 | 2.7 ⭐ |
Comprehensive Comparison of the Top 9 Forex Brokers with 1:500 Leverage
| Forex Broker | Min Account Requirements | Tradable Markets | Negative Balance Protection | Stop-Out Level | Trading Platforms | Trust Pilot Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. FP Markets | $100 | 10,000+ | Yes (Retail traders) | 50% | MetaTrader4, MetaTrader5, WebTrader, IRESS, cTrader, TradingView | 4.9 ⭐ |
| 2. BlackBull Markets | $0 for Standard Accounts | 26,000+ | Yes (all clients) | 50% (70% margin call) | MetaTrader4, MetaTrader5, TradingView, cTrader, MT WebTrader, BlackBull Shares, BlackBull CopyTrader, BlackBull Trade, BlackBull Invest, ZuluTrade | 4.8 ⭐ |
| 3. IC Markets | $200 for Standard accounts | 2,250+ | Yes (European and Australian Retail traders) | 50% | MetaTrader4, MetaTrader5, cTrader, ZuluTrade | 4.8 ⭐ |
| 4. Fusion Markets | $0 | 250+ | Yes (ASIC entity only) | 20%; 50% (ASIC) | MetaTrader4, MetaTrader5, cTrader, DupliTrade, Fusion+ Copy Trade, TradingView | 4.8 ⭐ |
| 5. FBS | $100 ($10 for cent accounts) | 550+ | Yes | 20% | MT5 Desktop, MT5 WebTrader, MT4 | 4.3 ⭐ |
| 6. Eightcap | $100 | 800+ | Yes | 50% | MetaTrader4, MetaTrader5, WebTrader, TradingView, Capitalise.ai, FlashTrader | 4.0 ⭐ |
| 7. easyMarkets | $100 | 300+ tradable markets | Yes, for MT5 accounts | 50% | easyMarkets Web/Mobile, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, TradingView | 4.0 ⭐ |
| 8. XTB | No minimum account requirements | CFDs on 2,000+ markets | Yes (EU, UK, and MENA regions) | 50% | xStation 5, xStation Mobile | 3.5 ⭐ |
| 9. FXTM | $500 | 1,000+ tradable instruments | Yes | 20% | MetaTrader4, MetaTrader5 | 2.7 ⭐ |
How Leverage Works in Forex Trading
Leverage enables traders to increase their market exposure with smaller deposits. It involves using capital borrowed from a broker to open larger positions in currencies, indices, stocks, commodities, and other assets. Experienced traders can potentially profit from small price movements when using leverage carefully.
High leverage can magnify both your profits and losses. Bigger positions can move your account balance faster in either direction.
In forex, leverage is most commonly used when trading contracts for difference (CFDs). Think of leverage as a multiplier: it shows how much money traders can borrow from their brokers for every currency unit of their own capital. Here is a practical example.
A person opens a position of one mini lot in EUR/USD, and the current price is 1.1150. A mini lot consists of 10,000 base currency units, which means our hypothetical trader would need $11,150 (10,000 x 1.1150) without using leverage.
Leverage of 1:500 would enable the trader to take up a five-figure position in EUR/USD with a capital outlay of around $22.30 (1/500 of $11,150). In effect, the broker is providing additional exposure for each unit of the trader’s capital (500 x 22.30). If the position is closed at 1.1200, the move is 0.0050. On 10,000 units, that’s $50 in net profits (0.0050 x 10,000 = $50) with 1:500 leverage, excluding spread expenses and other fees.
Margin Trading Explained
Traders must satisfy specific minimum margin requirements to use leverage since forex brokers use margin as collateral. You can think of it as a security deposit that helps the broker manage the risk of losses on your open trades. In other words, the margin corresponds to the minimum amount you must have in your balance to maintain a leveraged position.
Margin requirements are typically expressed in percentages and vary across different leverage ratios. Higher leverage generally requires less margin, and vice versa. You must cover 1/500 of your position’s overall size when using 1:500 leverage, which corresponds to a minimum margin requirement of 0.20%.
Proceeding with the example from earlier, the trader would need at least $22.30 (0.20%) available to control a position of $11,150 in EUR/USD with 1:500 leverage. This amount is typically held as “used margin” and remains locked in the trader’s balance until the position is closed, either manually or by the broker due to mounting losses. Any remaining funds are considered “free margin,” which can be used to open new positions or to help absorb market volatility.
Leverage Ratios and Their Corresponding Margin Requirements
As explained above, margin requirements fluctuate depending on leverage ratios and position size. Higher leverage requires less margin, and vice versa.
Your account’s base currency also matters when calculating margin for certain forex pairs. Here are a couple of examples demonstrating how to calculate the minimum balance needed to trade one mini lot (10,000 units) in EUR/USD with 1:500 leverage and 0.20% margin.
Example #1
When the quote currency in the forex pair coincides with your base account currency, you can determine the margin by multiplying your position size by the exchange rate and the margin percentage. If a trader buys one mini lot in EUR/USD at 1.1250 with a 0.20% margin requirement, they would need $22.50 in collateral:
10,000 x 1.1250 x 0.20% = $22.50
Example #2
When the base currency in the forex pair coincides with the base currency of your live trading account, you can calculate the margin by multiplying your position size by the margin percentage. For example, if someone buys a mini lot in USD/CAD with 1:500 leverage and a 0.20% margin requirement, they would need at least $20 in their live balance:
10,000 x 0.20% = $20
Using Leverage Ratios to Calculate Minimum Margin Percentage
Many brokers provide built-in calculators for quick and simple margin calculation. As for minimum margin percentages, you can easily work them out by dividing 100 by the leverage you plan on using. For example, 1:500 leverage requires a minimum margin of 0.20% (100 / 500) and 1:30 leverage requires roughly 3.33% (100 / 30).
Common Leverage Ratios and Their Minimum Margin Percentages
| Leverage Ratio | Margin Requirement in % |
|---|---|
| 1:2 | 50% |
| 1:5 | 20% |
| 1:10 | 10% |
| 1:30 | 3.33% |
| 1:50 | 2% |
| 1:100 | 1% |
| 1:200 | 0.50% |
| 1:400 | 0.25% |
| 1:500 | 0.20% |
| 1:1000 | 0.10% |
| 1:2000 | 0.05% |
| 1:3000 | 0.03% |
Risks Associated with Using Higher Leverage
Leverage can be useful, but it also increases risk, especially at higher ratios like 1:500. Consider the factors below before trading with high leverage.
Magnified Losses
Leverage can increase your profits, but it may amplify your losses just as quickly. With very high leverage, relatively small price movements could lead to considerable losses even with less significant price fluctuations.
Retail CFD trading carries a substantial risk of losses, with many traders losing their entire balance. Most CFD providers report that over half of their retail clients lose money when using leverage. It follows that leveraged positions should only be entered with extreme caution and a well-defined exit strategy.
Emotional Trading
Trading psychology matters even more when leverage is involved. Inexperienced traders are prone to downplaying the risks associated with using leverage, or letting their emotions take over when the markets move against them. In turn, this leads to poor decision-making like closing profitable positions too early, holding losing positions for too long, or revenge trading after a loss.
Higher Risk Exposure
Forex markets can move sharply, especially during economic releases or unexpected headlines. Using higher leverage intensifies market volatility and increases risk exposure, making it more likely to hit your stop-out level or have your position liquidated.
To mitigate downside risk, experienced traders employ robust risk management strategies, use guaranteed stop-loss orders, size their positions more conservatively, and avoid overexposure to any single asset.
Margin Calls
With 1:500 leverage, margin requirements are low, which can make it tempting to open larger positions. The trade-off is a higher risk of margin calls or automatic liquidation if the market moves against you.
A margin call serves as a formal notification that account equity has fallen below the maintenance requirement. If the balance continues to deteriorate and reaches the stop-out threshold, the broker will initiate an automated liquidation of open positions to prevent further losses.
To prevent margin calls, traders should use risk management techniques like setting stop-loss orders to automatically limit losses and maintaining sufficient free margin by not risking all available capital at once. Additionally, scaling down one’s positions can help ensure they can withstand normal market volatility without triggering automatic liquidations.
When leveraging your positions at high ratios like 1:500, you should monitor them regularly to prevent margin calls and mitigate your risk of sustaining massive losses. Last but not least, you must always ensure your broker offers negative balance protection. Otherwise, you may end up losing more than your initial investment and slipping into debt during extreme market volatility.
You might also be interested in exploring the following forex brokers:
- Forex Brokers with 1:50 Leverage
- Forex Brokers with 1:100 Leverage
- Forex Brokers with 1:200 Leverage
- Forex Brokers with 1:300 Leverage