One of the most crucial factors influencing trading costs is the spread, which directly impacts the profitability of trades. In this article, we compare the average spreads for major instruments like EURUSD, GBPUSD, and XAUUSD across multiple brokers to determine which offer the most competitive pricing and which could be considered more expensive.
1. AUS Global
EUR/USD: 1.6 point
GBP/USD: 7.7 point
XAU/USD: 6.7 point
AUS Global offers solid spreads across the major pairs and commodities. With 1.6 point on EURUSD, 7.7 point on GBPUSD, and 6.7 point on XAUUSD, AUS Global’s pricing strikes a good balance between low and medium spreads, making it a viable option for traders looking for a reasonably priced broker.
2. Decode Global
EUR/USD: 11 point
GBP/USD: 12.4 point
XAU/USD: 17.3 point
Offers relatively tight worst-case spreads, especially in EUR/USD and GBP/USD.
3. IC Markets
EUR/USD: 0.4 point
GBP/USD: 1.6 point
XAU/USD: 9.6 point
IC Markets consistently tight spreads, especially on EURUSD and GBPUSD. With an average spread of just 0.4 point on EURUSD and 1.6 point on GBPUSD, this broker is hard to beat in terms of competitive pricing. However, the XAUUSD spread comes in at 9.6 point, which is slightly higher than other brokers.
Broker | Avg. spread EURUSD, point | Worst spread, point | |
1 | IC Markets | 0.4 | 177 |
2 | AUS Global | 1.6 | 149 |
3 | ACY Securities | 8.6 | 282 |
4 | Decode Global | 11 | 60 |
5 | Doo Prime | 11.2 | 25 |
IC Markets is known for offering some of the tightest spreads in the industry. On the EURUSD pair, their average spread is just 0.4 point, which is one of the best in the market. However, the worst spread for IC Markets is reported to be 177 point. While this spread is significantly higher than their average, it is important to note that such extreme cases are rare and typically occur during periods of high market volatility or low liquidity, such as during economic announcements or major news events.
AUS Global provides decent spreads with an average of 1.6 point and a worst-case spread of 149 point, making it a solid option for traders looking for competitive pricing but with a bit more flexibility in volatile conditions.
The average spread of EUR/USD for ACY Securities is 8.6 point, with the maximum spread reaching as high as 282 point.
Broker | Avg. spread GBPUSD, point | Worst spread, point | |
1 | IC Markets | 1.6 | 245 |
2 | AUS Global | 7.7 | 202 |
3 | ACY Securities | 9.8 | 400 |
4 | Decode Global | 12.4 | 110 |
5 | ThinkMarkets | 13.4 | 250 |
IC Markets offers the tightest average spread at 1.6 point, but it has the highest worst-case spread at 245 point.
AUS Global provides a solid average spread of 7.7 point, with a manageable worst-case spread of 202 point.
ACY Securities and Decode Global have wider average spreads and higher worst-case spreads.
Broker | Avg. spread XAUUSD, point | Worst spread, point | |
1 | AUS Global | 6.7 | 190 |
2 | IC Markets | 9.6 | 586 |
3 | ACY Securities | 15.9 | 600 |
4 | Decode Global | 17.3 | 83 |
5 | EBC Financial Group | 19.2 | 94 |
AUS Global is the standout choice with the tightest average spread of 6.7 point. However, its worst-case spread of 190 point means traders need to stay alert during volatile market periods.
IC Markets offers a competitive average spread but is exposed to very high worst-case spreads. Traders should be cautious about this risk, especially in fast-moving markets.
Spreads can make or break a trading strategy, and our May 2025 data shows huge disparities between brokers. AUS Global, Decode Global and IC Markets stand out as the best low-cost options, while Swissquote and FXTM should be approached with caution due to excessive spreads.
Reminder: Always evaluate both average and worst-case spreads. A broker offering low averages but high volatility may not suit all strategies.
Data Source: Brokersview Spread Ranking