HOW WE TEST ?!
Testing Devices
All testing is conducted on the devices listed below. Mobile device testing is conducted using an 802.11n wireless WiFi connection; 4G connections are used when WiFi is not available. Unless noted, all websites and web-based platforms are tested using the latest version of the Google Chrome browser.
Desktop: Windows 10 Pro, 64 GB RAM, 64-bit Operating System, Intel Core i7-9700 CPU @ 3.00 GHZ with Radeon RX 550 Video Card and 256GB of SSD Flash Storage.
Laptop: MacBook Retina 14”, 3.0 GHz Intel Core I5, Memory 8 GB LPDDR4 RAM, Intel HD 515 1536 MB Graphics card, 500 GB SSD Flash storage with the most current macOS (Mojave) operating system.
Smartphone: Samsung Galaxy S10 +, 6.2″ 4K Super AMOLED (2960×1440) 64-bit Octa-Core Snapdragon 835 Processor 2.7GHz, 6GB RAM 6.2″ with the most current (Android 10 ) operating system.
Review Categories
For the ForexBrokers.com 2022 Review, all brokers were assessed on 113 different variables across eight primary areas: Commissions & Fees, Offering of Investments, Platforms & Tools, Research, Trust Score, Mobile Trading, Education, and Overall.
The weightings of each category were as follows:
| Review Category | Weighting |
|---|---|
| Commissions & Fees | 11% |
| Platforms & Tools | 11% |
| Research | 16% |
| Trust Score | 25% |
| Offering of Investments | 10% |
| Mobile Trading | 16% |
| Education | 11% |
Category Scoring
ForexBrokers.com awarded “Best in Class” distinctions for all seven categories, as well as additional categories Social Copy Trading, Professional Trading, MetaTrader, Crypto Trading, Algo Trading, Beginners, Ease of Use, Trust Score, and Overall. A “Best in Class” designation means finishing in the top seven for that category. Individual Industry awards were also distributed.
An explanation of how the categories are assessed is shown below. For detailed commentary, view our broker guides.
Yes/No with Opinion
First, points are awarded for each “Yes” answer. The number of points awarded depends on the variable. Next, the total points earned from “Yes” answers are then divided by the total points possible to calculate a final Yes/No score.
To determine a final score for the category, this Yes/No score is then combined with an opinion score (1 – 10, with one being “very bad” and ten being “very good”). The weighting of the Yes/No score compared to the opinion score varies for each category. For example, 70% Yes/No, 30% Opinion.
Categories assessed in this manner include Offering of Investments, Platforms & Tools, Research, Mobile Trading, and Education.
Commissions & Fees
Commissions & Fees applies a separate scoring rubric due to its complexity.
To score Commissions & Fees, first, multiple scenarios are assessed for placing trades. For example, the average reported and/or observed spread for the EUR/USD pair. Brokers are awarded points depending on how inexpensive they are relative to their peers.
Next, multiple scenarios are assessed for different investor types on a monthly basis, incorporating any miscellaneous account fees, alongside any active trader or VIP rates. The goal is to determine a net, “all-in” cost per trade.
Finally, all data is analyzed to determine an overall score for Commissions & Fees.
