How We Test Brokers: Our Methodology

You're about to read dozens of broker reviews — ours and others'. But before you do, it helps to understand how a proper broker review works. This lesson pulls back the curtain on our testing process, so you know exactly what's behind the ratings you see on our site.

Why Methodology Matters

Most broker review sites work like this: they sign up for an affiliate program, write something positive about the broker, slap a 4.5/5 rating on it, and earn commissions every time someone clicks through and opens an account. The "review" is really an ad.

We do earn commissions from some brokers — we're transparent about that. But our testing process is the same whether a broker has an affiliate program or not. If a broker is terrible, it gets a low score. If a broker we have no relationship with is excellent, it gets a high score. The methodology exists specifically to prevent commercial relationships from affecting the outcome.

You can read the full details on our methodology page, but here's the essential breakdown.

How We Test

1. We Open Real Accounts

We deposit real money into live accounts. Not press accounts, not demo accounts with fabricated conditions — real accounts that any retail trader would get. This means we experience the actual spreads, execution, and deposit/withdrawal process firsthand.

2. We Trade on Each Account

We execute real trades across different market conditions — during London open, New York session, news events, and quiet periods. We record spreads, execution speeds, and slippage for each trade. This gives us data, not opinions.

3. We Test Withdrawals

Every broker gets a withdrawal test. We request a withdrawal and track how long it takes, what documentation is required, and what fees are charged. A broker that's quick to take your deposit but slow to return it loses points.

4. We Contact Support

We test live chat, email, and phone support (where available) with real questions — not "what are your spreads?" but actual troubleshooting scenarios. Response time, knowledge, and helpfulness all factor in.

5. We Check Regulation

We verify every license claim directly with the regulator. We note which entity you'll actually be trading with (since many brokers have multiple entities) and what protections come with it.

Our Scoring Categories

Each broker is scored across several weighted categories:

• Regulation & Trust (25%) — license quality, fund segregation, company history, and transparency
• Trading Costs (20%) — spreads, commissions, swaps, and hidden fees based on our actual trading data
• Platforms & Tools (15%) — platform quality, mobile app, charting tools, research, and educational resources
• Account Features (15%) — account types, minimum deposits, leverage options, and available instruments
• Execution Quality (15%) — fill speed, slippage, and requote frequency from our live testing
• Deposits & Withdrawals (10%) — processing times, fees, and method variety

The weights reflect what matters most. Regulation comes first because it's the foundation — great spreads don't matter if your broker steals your money. Execution gets significant weight because it directly impacts profitability.

What We Look For (And What We Don't Care About)

We care about:

• Actual trading conditions (spreads, execution) measured from real accounts
• Regulatory standing verified at the source
• Withdrawal reliability tested firsthand
• Platform stability and functionality tested across devices
• How the broker handles problems (support quality, dispute resolution)

We don't care about:

• Marketing claims — "best spreads in the industry" means nothing without data
• Awards — most are paid for (yes, seriously)
• Bonuses — these often come with conditions that hurt traders
• Celebrity sponsorships — completely irrelevant to service quality

How Often We Update

Broker conditions change. Spreads shift, platforms get updated, regulation gets tighter. We re-test brokers periodically and update our reviews when significant changes occur. If a broker's conditions deteriorate, the rating drops. If they improve, it goes up.

Every review shows when it was last updated so you know how current the information is.

Why This Matters for You

Knowing how reviews are produced helps you evaluate not just our reviews, but everyone else's. In the next lesson, we'll teach you exactly how to read broker reviews critically — including how to spot the fake ones.