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BROKER REVIEW · RANK #32 OF 139

LMAX review

LMAX is a multilateral trading facility built in 2010 by Betfair and Goldman Sachs alumni that offers institutional-grade, no-dealing-desk execution, and is dual-regulated by the FCA (UK) and CySEC (Cyprus).

3.36 / 5 overall CySEC No. 310/16 + FCA-licensed (FRN unconfirmed) · est. 2010
Data last reviewed: 8 October 2026 Regulation last reviewed: 8 October 2026 Pricing last checked: March 2026 Next scheduled review: January 2027
Worth knowing: FCA-licensed; firm reference number not independently confirmed.
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Regulated entityLMAX Broker Europe Ltd
RegulationCySEC No. 310/16 + FCA-licensed (FRN unconfirmed)
Other Tier-1 regulatorsNone confirmed
Founded2010
HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom (LMAX Group parent, set up by Betfair/Goldman Sachs alumni); LMAX Broker Europe Ltd is the CySEC-licensed Cyprus entity serving EU retail clients
Minimum deposit$10,000
Avg. spread (EUR/USD)0.3 pips
PlatformsMT4, MT5, Proprietary (LMAX Trader)
InstrumentsLMAX publishes a specific, independently reported range rather than a vague estimate: 100+ instruments across forex, spot metals (bullion), equity indices, commodities, and cryptocurrency CFDs, plus a "Weekend FX" product (cash-settled FX CFDs tradable over the weekend). No shares/stock CFDs were found in any source.

See LMAX's full regulation dossier → · How to check whether a forex broker is regulated

Strengths

  • Low cost to start: $10,000 minimum deposit, 0.3 pip average EUR/USD spread
  • Broad platform choice: MT4, MT5, Proprietary (LMAX Trader)

Weaknesses

  • Thinner regulatory footprint than most peers on this list

Score breakdown

Regulation & client protection
2.6 / 5
Trading costs
4.61 / 5
Non-trading fees
2 / 5
Platforms & tools
3.4 / 5
Execution / trading conditions
4 / 5
Product range
3.5 / 5
Deposits & withdrawals
3.75 / 5
Transparency
5 / 5
Track record
2.06 / 5

Who LMAX is -- and isn't -- a good fit for

Likely a good fit if you're...

  • Well-capitalized or professional-style traders -- the confirmed minimum deposit ($10,000) is higher than most retail-focused brokers in our researched set.
  • Traders who want platform choice -- 3 platforms are confirmed, including MT4, MT5.
  • EU- and/or UK-based traders who want the regulatory protections and investor compensation scheme that come with a CySEC and/or FCA licence (see Investor protection below).
  • Cost-sensitive traders -- this broker scores well on our cost factor (low spread and/or low minimum deposit relative to peers).

Look elsewhere if you're...

  • Beginners or small accounts, given a higher minimum deposit ($10,000) than most peers.

Derived from the same confirmed data behind this broker's score (regulation, cost, platforms, deposit minimum) -- not a separate editorial judgment.

Investor protection

Via its FCA-regulated UK entity, eligible clients are covered by the UK's Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) up to £85,000 per person if the firm fails. Via its CySEC-regulated Cyprus entity, eligible clients are covered by Cyprus's Investor Compensation Fund (ICF) up to €20,000 per person if the firm fails.

Accounts, costs & support in more depth

Beyond the headline spread and minimum deposit above. Where our research hasn't independently confirmed a specific detail, we say so rather than guess -- verify directly with the broker before relying on it.

Account typesReported as Demo, Standard, and ECN/Raw-spread accounts; one source explicitly states LMAX does not offer Cent, Micro, Swap-Free/Islamic, VIP or managed accounts, though it's also described elsewhere as having a "Prime Account" for professional/institutional clients with top-tier bank liquidity access -- worth double-checking the Islamic-account absence directly before relying on it.
Execution modelECN, no-dealing-desk, positioned as institutional-grade with direct liquidity access -- LMAX Broker Europe is a retail/intermediary extension of the group's institutional ECN infrastructure. Worth knowing: this Cyprus entity was an acquired and renamed shell (formerly CB Capital Business Ltd) rather than an organically built Cyprus operation.
Withdrawals & depositsNo deposit or withdrawal fee from LMAX itself (bank/provider fees may apply); minimum withdrawal $100. The minimum deposit is notably high at $10,000, consistent with LMAX's institutional/professional-client positioning. A separate, possibly outdated reference to a $300/month platform fee may apply only to a specific professional platform tier and wasn't clearly reconciled.
Overnight financing (swap)Not found -- no rate-calculation methodology was located, consistent with the apparent absence of an Islamic/swap-free account on this entity.
Currency conversion costNot found -- no specific fee or percentage was located.
Inactivity feeOne source states $10/month; single-source, not cross-confirmed.
Customer serviceNot found in detail. Its Trustpilot rating is notably low (2.2/5) but from only around 18 reviews -- a small sample consistent with LMAX's institutional/professional client base rather than a mass-market retail broker, so this shouldn't be read the same way as a low score from thousands of retail reviews.
Mobile experienceNo app-store rating was found; platforms listed are FIX API, a web GUI, a mobile app, and REST/WebSocket access.
Educational offeringNot found in detail.

See how LMAX's spread cost compares across every researched broker → · Forex broker fees explained

Frequently asked questions

Is LMAX regulated?

Yes -- CySEC No. 310/16 + FCA-licensed (FRN unconfirmed). See the regulation dossier on this page for the underlying licence numbers.

Is my money protected if LMAX fails?

Via its FCA-regulated UK entity, eligible clients are covered by the UK's Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) up to £85,000 per person if the firm fails. Via its CySEC-regulated Cyprus entity, eligible clients are covered by Cyprus's Investor Compensation Fund (ICF) up to €20,000 per person if the firm fails.

What is the minimum deposit at LMAX?

Our research confirms a minimum deposit of $10,000.

What trading platforms does LMAX offer?

LMAX offers MT4, MT5, Proprietary (LMAX Trader).

What is LMAX's average spread on EUR/USD?

Our research confirms an average EUR/USD spread of 0.3 pips. See our cost calculator to compare this across every broker we've reviewed.

When was LMAX founded?

LMAX was founded in 2010.

How is LMAX's overall score calculated?

LMAX currently scores 3.36/5 overall under our disclosed nine-category methodology -- regulation & client protection 30%, trading costs 20%, non-trading fees 10%, platforms & tools 10%, execution/trading conditions 10%, product range 5%, deposits/withdrawals 5%, transparency 5%, track record 5%. It is not a comparison to other brokers and not based on hands-on testing.

How this score is calculated: Nine weighted categories against a fixed, disclosed rubric -- regulation & client protection 30%, trading costs 20%, non-trading fees 10%, platforms & tools 10%, execution/trading conditions 10%, product range 5%, deposits/withdrawals 5%, transparency 5%, track record 5% -- not a ranking relative to other brokers, and not hands-on tested. See the full methodology. Verify current terms directly with the broker and its regulator's public register before depositing funds. This is not personalized financial advice.

Recent changes

A dated log of when our own published data about this broker actually changed -- not a reconstructed history of what the broker itself did. See the full change log tool for every broker.

01 8 October 2026 Baseline recorded -- change tracking starts here. No prior change history is available for this broker.

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