Base Markets at a glance
Base Markets is the broker we rank first on this site, and this review exists because we have compared it against XM head-to-head before but never reviewed it as a standalone broker on its own terms. That is the gap this page closes.
The short version: it is a real, licensed broker with a genuinely low cost of entry, but it is not the most heavily regulated name on our list — and we think you should know that clearly before you read the rest of this page.
Base Markets — key facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Regulator | FSC (Mauritius) |
| Headquarters | Mauritius |
| Platform | MetaTrader 5 only — no MT4 |
| Min deposit | $0 |
| Spreads from | 0.0 pips |
| Swap-free accounts | Yes, on request |
| Our signals free? | Yes — with a $400 deposit that stays your own capital |
| Our rank | 1 of 5 |
Regulation: honest about where Base Markets stands
Base Markets is licensed by the Financial Services Commission (FSC) of Mauritius. That is a real licence — it requires client-fund segregation and KYC procedures, and Base Markets is not unregulated and not a scam.
But it is a lighter-touch jurisdiction than the tier-one regulators behind the other brokers we rank. Pepperstone holds FCA (UK), ASIC (Australia) and CySEC (Cyprus) licences among seven authorities. Capital.com is regulated by the FCA, ASIC and CySEC as well. ActivTrades is FCA-authorised with FSCS protection up to £85,000. XM holds ASIC, CySEC and DFSA licences. Base Markets holds one licence, from one regulator, in one jurisdiction — and that regulator does not carry the same supervisory weight.
We say this plainly because it is true, not despite ranking Base Markets first. If regulatory strength is your top filter, Pepperstone or Capital.com are the stronger picks among our five. Our how to verify a broker's licence guide shows you how to check any of these claims yourself on the regulators' public registers.
Why Base Markets ranks #1 on this site — the real reason
Base Markets sits at rank 1 for one disclosed reason: open an account through our link and deposit $400 — which stays in your account as your own trading capital, not a fee — and our complete trading signals service unlocks free, the same feed paying subscribers receive on other brokers.
That is not a regulatory endorsement. It is an affiliate arrangement, and we are telling you so directly rather than presenting the ranking as a neutral verdict. Our full criteria are on the methodology page, and the disclosure applies to every broker we rank — we earn commission from all five, including Pepperstone and Capital.com.
How Base Markets compares to the other four brokers
Regulation and platform choice are where Base Markets trails the field. Cost of entry is where it leads. The table below lines up all five brokers on the facts that matter most.
Base Markets vs the other 4 brokers we rank
| Broker | Regulators | Platforms | Min deposit | Free signals? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base Markets | FSC (Mauritius) | MT5 only | $0 | Yes — $400 deposit |
| Pepperstone | FCA, ASIC, CySEC + more | MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView | $0 | No — paid subscription |
| Capital.com | FCA, ASIC, CySEC | MT4, TradingView, native app | $20 | No — paid subscription |
| ActivTrades | FCA, SCB, CMVM | MT4, MT5, ActivTrader | $0 | No — paid subscription |
| XM | ASIC, CySEC, DFSA | MT4, MT5 | $5 | No — paid subscription |