Best discount brokers in Pakistan in 2020

Choose the best discount broker in 2020 for citizens in Pakistan, we did the research for you. Fees, fees, and fees. We do not like them and surely you do not either. Checking carefully, we uncovered all the hidden fees. After testing 71 brokers, 5 made it to the top. And now, without further ado...

The top 5 picks for the best discount brokers for Pakistani citizens in 2020:

1. TradeStation Global is the best discount broker in Pakistan in 2020. Low trading and non-trading fees, high fund fees.
2. Interactive Brokers is the second. Low trading fees, average non-trading fee, free stock and ETF trading for US customers.
3. XM rounded out the top three. Low trading fees, average non-trading fees, low CFD fees. Third place.
4. IG in the fourth place. Average trading fees, low non-trading fees, low index CFD fees.
5. Saxo Bank. Average trading and non-trading fees, low forex fees. Just made it to the list with being number five.

What makes a good discount broker? Certainly, damn low fees. This holds for commissions, financing rates, and a lot of people forget, non-trading fees like inactivity or withdrawal fees. Besides low fees, it also should offer access to a lot of markets and products.

Easy to list, but hard to figure it out. We are testing brokers along more than 100 criteria with real accounts and real money. We know what's up.

Not sure which broker? For a tailored recommendation, check out the broker finder tool. You can enter your country and it will show only the relevant brokers. Want more details? Compare brokers with this detailed comparison table.

And now, let's see the best discount brokers for Pakistani citizens in 2020 one by one, starting with the winner, TradeStation Global.

TradeStation Global is the brand of TradeStation International Ltd, which is based in the UK and is regulated by the top-tier Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

TradeStation Global is a combined product offered by Interactive Brokers (IB) and TradeStation. Here are its most important elements:

• The account opening, deposit/withdrawal options, and available products are the same as at Interactive Brokers.
• You can use both Interactive Brokers's and TradeStation's own desktop platform.
• TradeStation Global charges its own fees, and offers its own customer support and educational tools.

Both Interactive Brokers and TradeStation are reputable brokers, regulated by top-tier financial authorities. While Interactive Brokers is listed on the NASDAQ, TradeStation itself is not: only TradeStation's parent company Monex is listed, on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Recommended for traders and investors looking for low fees and a wide selection of products

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#1 TradeStation Global
Fees

4.0

TradeStation Global has low trading fees, especially for stocks and ETFs. It's also great that there is no inactivity fee and the first withdrawal each month is free of charge. On the other hand, mutual fund fees are high.

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#1 TradeStation Global
Account opening

2.8

TradeStation Global's account opening is fully digital and fast. On the negative side, the process is complicated and there is a high, $1,000 minimum deposit required in order to use TSG's own desktop platform.

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#1 TradeStation Global
Deposit and withdrawal

2.5

TradeStation Global offers many account base currency options and one free withdrawal per month. The main drawbacks are that you can only use bank transfer and the process is not user-friendly.

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#1 TradeStation Global
Markets and products

5.0

With TradeStation Global, you can access the same range of product types and exchanges as at Interactive Brokers. This selection is one of the widest among online brokers.

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#1 TradeStation Global
Web trading platform

4.3

You can use your TradeStation Global account to log in to the Interactive Brokers web trading platform. The TSG Client Portal is simple and easy to use even for beginners. On the negative side, it is not customizable.

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#1 TradeStation Global
Verdict

TradeStation Global has low trading fees, provides access to a lot of products and markets and has great customer support. The TradeStation Global desktop platform has great charting tools, plenty of indicators, highly customizable watchlists (Radar Screen) and a great programming tool (EasyLanguage).

On the other hand, the deposit and withdrawal process is not user-friendly and you can use only bank transfer. The account opening is complicated and for full account verification to use the TSG desktop trading platform, a minimum deposit of $1,000 is required. Margin rates are higher than at Interactive Brokers (IB). Lastly, the education section could be expanded with more materials, as it is quite limited.

If you want access to IB's product range and an account without inactivity fees, feel free to try TradeStation Global.

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Interactive Brokers was founded in 1978 and is one of the biggest US-based discount brokers. The broker is regulated by several financial authorities globally, including top-tier ones like the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

As it has licenses from multiple top-tier regulators, Interactive Brokers is considered safe. Having a long track record and publicly disclosed financials while being listed on a stock exchange are also great signs for its safety.

Recommended for traders looking for low fees and a professional trading environment

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#2 Interactive Brokers
Fees

4.3

Interactive Brokers has low trading fees; while for US clients, stock and ETF trading is free. On the negative side, there is a high inactivity fee for non-US clients.

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#2 Interactive Brokers
Account opening

3.4

IB's account opening process is fully digital and the required minimum deposit is low. On the negative side, the process is complicated, and account verification takes relatively long.

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#2 Interactive Brokers
Deposit and withdrawal

2.5

Interactive Brokers offers many account base currency options and one free withdrawal per month. The main drawbacks are that you can only use bank transfer, and the process is not user-friendly.

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#2 Interactive Brokers
Markets and products

5.0

Through Interactive Brokers you can access an extremely wide range of markets and all product types are available.

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#2 Interactive Brokers
Web trading platform

4.3

Interactive Brokers's web platform is simple and easy to use, even for beginners. On the negative side, it is not customizable.

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#2 Interactive Brokers
Verdict

Interactive Brokers is one of the biggest US-based discount brokers, regulated by several top-tier regulators globally. We recommend this broker for advanced traders.

On the plus side, IB has low fees, a vast range of markets and products available with diverse research tools. 

There are some drawbacks though: there is a high inactivity fee and the account opening process is complicated. The desktop platform is complex and hard to get a handle on, especially for beginners.

If you have experience navigating complex platforms and enjoy transparent, low-cost trading, Interactive Brokers could be a great fit for you.

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XM is an online broker whose parent company is Trading Point Holding, a global CFD and FX broker founded in 2009. Trading Point Holding has two brands, XM and Trading.com.

XM is available globally and is regulated by three financial authorities: the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and the International Financial Services Commission of Belize (IFSC).

Trading.com is available only for most EEA residents and is regulated by the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

In this review, we will focus on the XM brand.

Disclaimer: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 75.55% 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.

Recommended for forex and cfd traders who prefer metatrader platforms and seek low trading fees

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75.55% of retail CFD accounts lose money

#3 XM
Fees

3.8

XM has low trading fees for CFDs and charges no withdrawal fee. On the other hand, forex fees are only average, and there is a fee for inactivity.

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75.55% of retail CFD accounts lose money

#3 XM
Account opening

5.0

XM account opening is hassle-free and straightforward. You may be able to trade on your account already on the same day.

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75.55% of retail CFD accounts lose money

#3 XM
Deposit and withdrawal

5.0

XM's deposit and withdrawal processes are fast and inexpensive, and offer you several options.

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75.55% of retail CFD accounts lose money

#3 XM
Markets and products

2.5

XM provides CFDs and forex for all clients, while real stocks are available only for clients opening their accounts under the IFSC-regulated entity. Popular asset classes, like real ETFs, bonds or options are missing.

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75.55% of retail CFD accounts lose money

#3 XM
Web trading platform

2.8

XM's web trading platform is provided by MetaTrader. It is highly customizable and has a clear fee report. On the other hand, the platform lacks price alerts and the design is outdated.

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75.55% of retail CFD accounts lose money

#3 XM
Verdict

XM is regulated by several authorities globally, including the top-tier ASIC.

On the plus side, we liked the low CFD and withdrawal fees. The account opening process is seamless and hassle-free. There is a wide range of educational tools of great quality.

XM has some drawbacks though. Its product range is limited to FX and CFDs. Its forex fees are average, and non-EU customers are not covered by any investor protection.

We recommend XM for those who are interested in CFD and forex trading and prefer MetaTrader trading platforms. Feel free to test it via the demo account.

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75.55% of retail CFD accounts lose money

IG was established in the UK in 1974 and is one of the biggest CFD brokers in the world. It is regulated by several bodies globally, including top-tier regulators like the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Germany's Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin). IG Group is listed on the London Stock Exchange.

IG is considered safe because it is listed on a stock exchange, discloses its financials and is overseen by top-tier regulators.

Disclaimer: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 76% 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. CFDs are not provided for US clients. Forex trading involves risk. Losses can exceed deposits.

Recommended for traders of any experience level looking for an easy-to-use trading platform

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76% of retail CFD accounts lose money

#4 IG
Fees

3.4

IG has low fees for stock index CFDs, while forex fees are average to low. There is no fee for withdrawals and an inactivity fee is charged only after 2 years. On the negative side, the stock CFD fees are high.

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76% of retail CFD accounts lose money

#4 IG
Account opening

4.4

IG's account opening is seamless and fully digital. There is no minimum deposit for bank transfers and a low, $/€300 minimum deposit for credit/debit cards and PayPal. On the other hand, account verification takes around 3 business days, which is slower than at some other brokers.

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76% of retail CFD accounts lose money

#4 IG
Deposit and withdrawal

4.5

IG offers free and fast deposits and withdrawals. There are various options for funding your account, including traditional methods such as bank wire transfer and credit card funding, as well as PayPal.

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76% of retail CFD accounts lose money

#4 IG
Markets and products

3.5

At IG, most clients can only trade with CFDs, forex and options. There are literally thousands of CFDs available to trade. Residents in the UK and some other countries can also trade with real stocks. Other popular assets, however, like mutual funds and bonds, are not available.

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76% of retail CFD accounts lose money

#4 IG
Web trading platform

5.0

IG's web trading platform is great for both beginners and professional traders. It is easy to use, has all the necessary functions and can be customized.

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76% of retail CFD accounts lose money

#4 IG
Verdict

IG is one of the biggest and most reliable CFD brokers. It is regulated by several financial authorities around the world. IG Group is listed on the London Stock Exchange.

IG has one of the best web trading platforms BrokerChooser has tested. The deposit and withdrawal conditions are great. You can also expand your knowledge with great educational materials.

On the other hand, there are some drawbacks. The stock CFD fees are high and the product portfolio in most countries is limited to forex, CFDs and options. Customer support could be better.

Feel free to test IG's first-class trading platform, since there is no minimum funding amount for bank transfers and you can also easily open a demo account. 

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76% of retail CFD accounts lose money

Saxo Bank is a Danish investment bank founded in 1992, providing online trading and investments. The company is regulated by several financial authorities globally, including the Danish Financial Services Agency (FSA) and the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). 

Saxo Bank is a global service provider. In the different regions, its subsidiaries are present in the form of separate legal entities. The services offered by each entity might change slightly especially in case of their fees and products available to trade. In this review, we tested Saxo Bank UK.

Saxo Bank is considered safe because it has a long track record, has a banking background, and is regulated by top-tier financial authorities.

Recommended for investors and traders looking for a great trading platform and solid research

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#5 Saxo Bank
Fees

2.9

Saxo Bank has average trading and non-trading fees overall. The fees for forex, mutual funds and stock index CFDs are low, while they are average for real stocks, ETFs or stock CFDs. Bond, options and futures fees are high.

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#5 Saxo Bank
Account opening

2.5

Saxo's account opening is fully digital, user-friendly, and available in most of the world. On the other hand, the minimum deposit is high in certain countries, and account verification can take longer.

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#5 Saxo Bank
Deposit and withdrawal

4.8

Saxo provides multiple deposit and withdrawal options free of charge on a user-friendly interface.

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#5 Saxo Bank
Markets and products

5.0

Saxo Bank's product portfolio is great. It covers all asset classes and a lot of markets globally. Mutual funds and crypto are the only areas where its selection could be improved.

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#5 Saxo Bank
Web trading platform

5.0

Saxo Bank's web trading platform is one of the best among online brokers. It's easy to use, but also provides features favored by professionals, such as an advanced order panel.

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#5 Saxo Bank
Verdict

Saxo Bank is a great broker, providing a complex and good service.

Saxo offers a user-friendly and well-designed trading platform, backed by great research. The product portfolio covers all asset types and many international markets.

It has some drawbacks though. The fees for bonds, options and futures are high. There is also a high minimum deposit for certain countries. Lastly, there is no live chat or 24/7 customer support.

In general, Saxo Bank is one of the best online brokerage companies out there. By opening an account, you will get a broad, well-developed service constantly responding to the needs of clients.

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Now you know the top three discount brokers. You are probably curious about how we came up with this list. Let's go over three points:

1. What is a discount broker?
2. Why do we think these brokers are safe?
3. What are the most important factors when selecting the best discount brokers?

What is a discount broker?

A discount broker is a brokerage company that executes your buy and sell orders at a low trading fee. Discount brokers' fees can be lower since they don't provide extra services like research, personal investment advice, tax planning or robo-advisory as the full-service brokers.

Discount brokers were appearing with the internet and the online broker services. Brokerage companies started to provide their service online and fully automatized. This was the rise of online trading platforms. An online trading platform is basically a website, where you can insert your own orders and you get only a customer support, no investment advice.

The distance between the full-service brokers and discount brokers has been narrowing in the last years. Discount brokers started to provide extra services as well, like research, while full-service brokers started to lower their fees. The full brokerage and wealth management industry is under fee pressure thanks to the more and more cost-effective online broker companies.

Nowadays, the new discount brokers are the free-trade brokers. These provide commission-free trading and charge an extra fee for ancillary services, like after hour trading. The biggest free-trade online broker in the US is Robinhood. In the UK, Freetrade launched its trading app in 2018. Stay tuned, we will come out with the Freetrade broker reviews soon.

Are these brokers safe?

You can be sure none of them is a scam. They are regulated by at least one top-tier regulator.

However, also brokerage companies can go down. Remember Lehman Brothers? In these cases, it is important to know what happens with your securities and cash. These are usually held in segregated accounts, so even in case of a broker bankruptcy, you are safe.

If everything goes very bad and for example, the broker steals your assets, then you have a last resort, the compensation fund of the country where the broker is regulated.

How did BrokerChooser pick the best discount brokers?

At BrokerChooser, we test online brokers along more than 100 criteria, with a real account and real money. When we selected the best discount brokers, the primary selection criteria were fees.

We made the rank based on the trading fees of all asset classes, such as stock fees, and the fees not related to trading, like the withdrawal fees. We also scored positively if the broker provides a wide range of asset classes, because providing low fees in more than one asset class is not an easy job.

You saw the details, now let's zoom out. Here are best discount brokers in 2020 for citizens in Pakistan:

TradeStation Global is our winner, the best discount broker in Pakistan in 2020. Low trading and non-trading fees, high fund fees.

All brokers are considered a great choice. Pick the winner, or any runner-up and save a lot of money on fees. Let us know what you think in the comment section.

Still unsure? Use the broker finder and find the best broker for you or learn more about investing your money.