Best international online brokers for citizens in Pakistan

To find the best international online brokers in Pakistan, we went ahead and did the research for you. After testing, analyzing and comparing 20 brokers, 5 made it to the top. We highly recommend all 5 to you. And now, without further ado...

The top 5 picks for the best international online brokers of 2019 for citizens in Pakistan:

1. Interactive Brokers is the number one international online broker in 2019. Broad product portfolio. Low fees. Great and diverse research tools.
2. Saxo Bank, place two. Outstanding research. Great trading platform. Broad product portfolio.
3. IG. Easy to use web trading platform. Helpful and reliable customer service. Great deposit and withdrawal tools. Third place.
4. eToro, numero quatro. Enjoyable trading platform. Social trading experience. Seamless account opening .
5. Plus500. Easy to use platform. Low spreads. Listed on AIM section of the London Stock Exchange. Just made it to the list with being number five.

All 5 brokers are considered safe. They are regulated by top-tier financial regulators.

What makes a good online broker? They need to offer fair fees. It must also be easy to open an account and deposit. They should offer access to a lot of markets and need to have a great platform. Easy to list, but hard to figure it out. We are testing brokers along ~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.

Boring, but important stuff: Some of the brokers portfolio might contain CFD products. CFDs are complex and very risky, thus not suitable for everyone. You can easily lose all of your invested money. If you don't have clue what a CFD is, start with these CFD trading tips

And now, let's see the best international online brokers for Pakistan in 2019 one by one. Starting with the winner, Interactive Brokers.

#1 Best international online brokers for citizens in Pakistan
Interactive Brokers

Interactive Brokers was founded in 1978 and it is one of the biggest US-based discount brokers. It is regulated by several regulators globally, including top-tier authorities like FCA and SEC. Interactive Brokers Group is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

Interactive Brokers is considered safe because it has a long track record, is listed on a stock exchange, discloses its financials, and is regulated by top-tier regulators.

Recommended for advanced traders preferring low fees and can cope with a complicated trading platform.

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#1 Interactive Brokers
Fees 4 stars

Interactive Brokers has low trading fees and high non-trading fees. The fees are transparent.

All spreads, commissions and financing rate for opening a position, holding for a week, and closing.
Position sizes: $2k for stocks, and $20k for FX

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#1 Interactive Brokers
Account opening 3 stars

The account opening process is fully digital, but slow, and complicated.

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#1 Interactive Brokers
Deposit and withdrawal 2 stars

Interactive Brokers offers a lot of base currencies and one withdrawal per month is free. On the flip side, only bank transfer is available.

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#1 Interactive Brokers
Markets and products 5 stars

At Interactive Brokers you can reach the most markets and trade with all product types. IB has the widest offering.

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#1 Interactive Brokers
Web trading platform 4 stars

Interactive Brokers' web platform is simple and easy to use. Even beginners can easily get around. On the flip side, it can't be well-customized.

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#1 Interactive Brokers
Verdict

IB is one of the biggest discount US brokers regulated by top-tier regulators. If you like low-cost trading and easily navigate on a really complicated platform, Interactive Brokers is for you. We mainly recommend IB for traders.

It has low trading fees, a wide range of product portfolio, and diverse research tools. 

On the flip side, only bank transfer is available for deposit and withdrawal. The account opening and the desktop platform are not user-friendly and complicated.

Interactive Brokers is definitely recommended if you want low fees, a lot of products and you are experienced to cope with a complicated platform.

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#2 Best international online brokers for citizens in Pakistan
Saxo Bank

Saxo Bank is a Danish investment bank providing online trading and investments. It is a leading European retail brokerage innovator. Saxo is privately owned, established in 1992, and headquartered in Copenhagen.

Saxo is considered safe as it is regulated worldwide by more than 10 financial regulators, including top-tier regulators, like the UK FCA.

Recommended for investors aiming for a great trading platform and research.

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#2 Saxo Bank
Fees 2 stars

Saxo Bank has high trading fees and average non-trading fees. There is a $100 inactivity fee if you don't trade for 6 months.

All spreads, commissions and financing rate for opening a position, holding for a week, and closing.
Position sizes: $2k for stocks, and $20k for FX

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#2 Saxo Bank
Account opening 3 stars

Account opening is available for almost all residents and is fully digital. However, a $2,000 minimum funding is required.

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#2 Saxo Bank
Deposit and withdrawal 5 stars

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

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#2 Saxo Bank
Markets and products 4 stars

At Saxo Bank you can reach many markets and trade with a lot of different products except for funds.

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#2 Saxo Bank
Web trading platform 5 stars

Saxo Bank's web trading platform is easy-to-use and well-designed. However, it doesn't provide a two-step login and the customizability is limited.

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#2 Saxo Bank
Verdict

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

It has one of the best trading platforms backed by a great research and customer service. The product portfolio is covering all important international markets and asset classes.

It has some drawbacks though. It hardly supports investors and traders with a smaller wallet to invest: the Saxo Bank $2,000 minimum deposit is a bit high. Fees are high and live chat is missing.

In general, Saxo Bank is one of the best online brokerage companies a European customer can choose. By opening an account, you end up with a broad, well-developed service.

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#3 Best international online brokers for citizens in Pakistan
IG

IG was established in the UK in 1974 and is one of the biggest CFD providers in the world. It is regulated by several regulators globally, including top-tier authorities, like the FCA. 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 regulated by top-tier regulators.

IG is primarily a CFD broker. CFDs are usually leveraged products with high risk. 81% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading with this provider. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Recommended for traders aiming for a great and easy-to-use trading platform.

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#3 IG
Fees 2 stars

IG's trading fees are high and non-trading fees are average. Its financing rate is one of the best.

All spreads, commissions and financing rate for opening a position, holding for a week, and closing.
Position sizes: $2k for stocks, and $20k for FX

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#3 IG
Account opening 4 stars

The account opening process is fast, user-friendly, and fully digital. On the other hand, there is a £250 or equivalent minimum deposit for cards and the sales team is very pushy.

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#3 IG
Deposit and withdrawal 5 stars

You have several options to transfer money. The transfer process is user-friendly and fast.

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#3 IG
Markets and products 3 stars

At IG, most clients can only trade with CFDs and forex. There are many-many CFDs. UK and some other clients can also trade with shares.

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#3 IG
Web trading platform 5 stars

IG's web platform is great. It is easy to use, has all necessary functions, and can be customized. Even first time users can get familiar with it instantly.

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#3 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 the best web trading platform Brokerchooser tested. Its customer service is professional and relevant. The deposit and withdrawal conditions are also great.

The biggest drawback is the fee structure. It is quite pricey especially when you trade lower amounts. IG's product portfolio is limited to CFDs, however, in the UK and some other countries, stocks are also accessible. 

It is quite easy to test IG's first class trading platform since there is no minimum funding for bank transfer and you can easily open a demo account. 

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#4 Best international online brokers for citizens in Pakistan
eToro

eToro is a well-known fintech startup, an Israeli social trading broker established in 2007. eToro serves UK clients by an FCA regulated entity and Australians by an Australian entity. All other customers are served by a Cypriot entity. eToro is not listed on any exchange, does not disclose its annual report on its site and does not have a bank parent. It is also one of the 5 best trading platforms for Europeans.

eToro is considered safe, because it's UK arm is regulated by a top tier regulator and it is a well known fintech startup.

eToro is primarily a CFD broker. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 65% 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 social trading, e.g. following other traders’ trades.

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#4 eToro
Fees 4 stars

eToro's trading fees are low, while non-trading fees are high.

All spreads, commissions and financing rate for opening a position, holding for a week, and closing.
Position sizes: $2k for stocks, and $20k for FX

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#4 eToro
Account opening 5 stars

Account opening is enjoyable and super fast.

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#4 eToro
Deposit and withdrawal 4 stars

It is easy to deposit with a lot of options, including credit cards. However, there is a withdrawal fee, and only USD accounts are available.

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#4 eToro
Markets and products 3 stars

At eToro you can trade with CFDs and forex. There are also real stocks and ETFs, and many cryptos. It also offers social trading and "CFD funds".

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#4 eToro
Web trading platform 4 stars

eToro’s web trading platform is nice looking and easy-to-use. Getting your fee report is a bit of a pain.

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#4 eToro
Verdict

When looking back, eToro was a bit unreliable in 2017 because of the huge demand for cryptos. It had problems in customer support and the platform sometimes froze. In our latest test eToro improved.

On the plus side, eToro is great for social trading and also good for crypto CFDs, it is a pleasure to use, has a lot of innovative features, and the account opening is spot on. Its trading fees are low.

It has some drawbacks though. Customer service was a letdown, the platform did not work on multiple occasions. Also, it has a tight product range which includes stocks and CFDs. Non-trading fees are high.

To sum up, we recommend eToro for social trading and cheap stock trading.

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#5 Best international online brokers for citizens in Pakistan
Plus500

Plus500 is a CFD broker, established in Israel. It is listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange. Plus500 subsidiaries are authorized and regulated by different regulators, including top-tier regulators like the FCA from the UK.

Plus500 is considered safe because it is listed on a stock exchange, discloses its financials, and is regulated by top-tier regulators.

Plus500 is a CFD and forex broker. 80.6% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Daytraders!: At Plus500 scalping is defined as "A trading strategy where a significant portion of the customer's positions are opened and closed by him/her within 2 minutes." If Plus500 believes you were following this strategy, your account might be blocked and closed. Therefore, if you plan to execute trades within 2 minutes, Plus500 is not your broker

Recommended for experienced traders looking for an easy-to-use platform, with great user experience.

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#5 Plus500
Fees 4 stars

Plus500 has low trading fees and average non-trading fees. Financing rates are very high.

All spreads, commissions and financing rate for opening a position, holding for a week, and closing.
Position sizes: $2k for stocks, and $20k for FX

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#5 Plus500
Account opening 5 stars

Plus500 account opening is seamless, fast and fully digital. You can open your trading account within a day.

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#5 Plus500
Deposit and withdrawal 5 stars

Plus500's deposit and withdrawal are both great. You have many options, the process is easy-to-do and usually free of charge.

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#5 Plus500
Markets and products 2 stars

At Plus500 you can trade only with CFDs and forex. There are a lot CFDs, you can choose from almost 2,000.

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#5 Plus500
Web trading platform 4 stars

Plus500 trading platform is very easy-to-use and also looks great. On the flip side, it cannot be customized. 

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#5 Plus500
Verdict

Plus500 is a good broker. It is for traders aware of the risks of CFD trading.

Is plus 500 safe? It is considered safe because it is listed on the London Stock Exchange and regulated by the FCA. If you are not from the UK, you will be most likely served by Plus500 Cyprus, and hence the Cypriot investor protection will apply.

Daytraders! At Plus500 scalping is defined as "A trading strategy where a significant portion of the customer's positions are opened and closed by him/her within 2 minutes." If Plus500 believes you were following this strategy, your account might be blocked and closed. So if you plan to execute trades within 2 minutes, Plus500 is not your broker.

On the bright side, Plus500 platform is easy-to-use with a great user experience. Even the first time user can navigate the app with ease. Spreads are competitive, but there are really high financing rates. Therefore, fees can be really high. For this fee level, some research tools would have been nice. 

As there is no minimum balance, no withdrawal fee above $100, withdrawal and inactivity fee only kicks in after three months, feel free to try it out.

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Best international online brokers for citizens in Pakistan
What makes a good online broker

Now you know the top 5. You are probably curious about how we came up with this list. Let's go through a few points quickly. What is an online broker? Why do we think these brokers are safe? What are the most important factors when selecting the best online brokers?

What is an online broker?

Thirty years ago if you wanted to buy a stock, you had to pick up the phone and call your broker, who executed the transaction in return for a commission. Brokers were like in the Wolf of Wall Street movie. They were checking the stocks' prices while holding a telephone and shouting. Everything changed after the internet appeared. Nowadays if you want to buy Apple shares, you open online an account, deposit money, and make the order through the brokers' online platform. These brokers are the online brokers. Online brokers help you buying and selling securities, like stocks. After making your order, the online broker executes it immediately. Everything is online.

Are these brokers safe?

Yes, they are considered safe. You can be sure none of them is a scam. They are regulated by top-tier regulators. Some of them are also listed on an exchange, and some have a banking background.

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 international online brokers for a citizen in Pakistan?

At Brokerchooser we test online brokers along ~100 criteria, with a real account and real money. Not to overwhelm you we list the five most important criteria.

The 5 most important criteria for online brokers are:

Best international online brokers for citizens in Pakistan
Bottom line

You saw the details, now let's zoom out. Here are the best international online brokers of 2019 for citizens in Pakistan:

Interactive Brokers is our winner, the best in 2019. Broad product portfolio. Low fees. Great and diverse research tools.
All brokers are considered safe, and a great choice. Pick the winner, or any runner-up and take the next step in your investment journey. Let us know what you think in the comment section.
Still unsure? Use the broker finder and find the best broker for you.