Page Summary
In this guide, we go over the best trading platforms in the Cook Islands. We have analysed 174 brokers and evaluated their platforms in 8 major categories. We measured all aspects of their service including trading platforms, fees, mobile trading, deposits & withdrawals, assets, regulation, research & education, customer support, and Islamic account options.
Trading platforms that reached the highest scoring are considered in the following list:
Top 6 Trading Platforms in the Cook Islands
- eToro – Best trading platform Overall
- Interactive Brokers – Great Overall Pick
- Saxo Bank – Best For High Volume Traders
- TD Ameritrade – No minimum deposit required
- CMC Markets – Award-winning trading experience
- IQ Option – Best Platform For Investors and Traders
Best Online Trading Platforms the Cook Islands
| RANK | BROKER | GENERAL | PLATFORM SCORE | MINIMUM DEPOSIT | WEBSITE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | eToro | Best trading platform Overall | 4,9/5 | $200 | Official website |
| #2 | Interactive Brokers | Great Overall Pick | 4,9/5 | $0 | Official website |
| #3 | Saxo Bank | Best For High Volume Traders | 4,9/5 | $10.000 | Official website |
| #4 | TD Ameritrade | No minimum deposit required | 4,1/5 | $0 | Official website |
| #5 | CMC Markets | Award-winning trading experience | 4,0/5 | $0 | Official website |
| #6 | IQ Option | Best Platform For Investors and Traders | 3,3/5 | $10 | Official website |
The below section breaks down the best trading platforms in the Cook Islands beginning with the highest rated…
1. eToro – Best trading platform Overall
Min Deposit: $200
Fees: 4.8
Assets available: 4.8
Total Fees:
79% 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. eToro AUS Capital Ltd ACN 612 791 803 AFSL 491139. OTC Derivatives are speculative and leveraged. Not suitable for all investors. Capital at risk. See PDS and TMD
eToro is a reputable global brand and industry leading broker for copy trading. Their robust and cutting edge copy trading platform and social trading features allow users to copy trades and portfolios from professional traders and investors.
As a CFD multi asset broker, eToro allows users to trade on over 3075 different symbols including stocks, forex, cryptos, indices and commodities. Trading spreads are wide, deposits are free and account minimum is low. There are conversion and inactivity fees. eToro provides a comprehensive list of technical tools, charts, and newsfeeds. Their customer support is available through email and live chat in Arabic and English.
eToro is a well established market maker broker with a clean history record, regulated by top tier regulators.
68% 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.
Pros
- Access to over 4000+ tradable symbols
- Great overall market coverage
- Easy to use mobile trading app and platforms
- Industry leading social/copy trading app
- Great cryptocurrency trading features
- Responsive customer support
Cons
- Algorithmic trading not available
- Forex and CFD fees above industry average
- Education and research tools missing
Key features
- Sophisticated social-copy trading features
- Multiple different payment options
- Crypto exchange and brokerage services on the same dashboard
- Super fast registration and KYC on-boarding process
- Zero commission stock trading
- Great ease of use level
2. Interactive Brokers – Great Overall Pick
Min Deposit: 0 ($2000 for margin account)
Fees: 4.9
Assets available: 4.9
Total Fees:
All trading involves risk. More than 80% of investors lose in spread bet and CFD trading. As these complex instruments allow for the use of leverage, there is a high risk of losing more money than you have deposited. Before attempting to participate in spread bets and CFDs, consider how well you understand them and if you can afford to lose your money.
Interactive Brokers is a highly trusted global broker with a well-rounded offer of tradable markets, great educational content and sophisticated order type configuration. It is a high trusted and well capitalize company with an industry leading trading platform, a competitive fee structure and great global market access. Their low entry level and the Global Trader platform, which is intuitive and easy to use trading station, make this broker s great choice for beginners and advanced forex traders.
Professional and seasoned traders will appreciate the great selection of advanced trading tools and order type configurations available on their proprietary Trader Workstation desktop platform (TWS).
Pros
- Best market coverage in the industry (100k+ assets on different instruments)
- Access to 16,500 shares and 8,000 stocks as CFDs
- Professional trading platform suitable for different types of traders
- Intuitive and easy to use mobile trading app
- Industry leading fee structure
- Compatible features for casual and professional traders
- Responsive customer support
Cons
- Few deposit and withdrawal options
- Research and education materials missing
Key features
- Margin loan rates on stocks of 1.3%
- Access to 135+ global markets
- Advanced order types, tools and features
- Access to frictional shares
- Lowest commissions in the industry
3. Saxo Bank – Best For High Volume Traders
Min Deposit: $2000
Fees: 4.7
Assets available: 4.9
Total Fees:
69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
Saxo Bank is a reputable global brand known for its complete overall offer and exclusive conditions for high volume traders and investors. Users can enjoy cutting edge trading technology paired with a premium interface and great trade execution on mobile and desktop. The Saxo Bank trading platform offers a feature rich trading experience, easy to use interface, competitive margin rates, and trading on over 40,000 financial instruments. This makes them an industry leader in trading assets coverage as an ECN broker.
If you can afford the minimum deposit of $10.000, this is the go to broker for traders and investors at all levels. They combine high-quality in-house research with top-tier third-party providers and a diverse portfolio of investment options.
Investors who are looking to trade in accordance with Sharia Law can open an islamic account. Saxo Bank also offers high quality customer service in Arabic and English language via phone, email or in person at their local office with guaranteed satisfying answers.
Pros
- Industry leading market coverage
- Excellent Trading Features with SaxoTraderGo
- Advanced order type and account protection features
- Intuitive and easy to use mobile trading app
- Great education and research materials
- Competitive fee structure for active traders
Cons
- $10,000 minimum deposit for UAE users
- High time investment to set up
- Only for advanced traders
Key features
- 40.000 tradable symbols available (crypto derivatives, forex options and futures)
- Advanced account protection and order types
- Fast execution of trades
- $2.000 minimum deposit
- “Best in class” educational resources
- Great ease of use level combined with advanced features
4. TD Ameritrade – No minimum deposit required
TD Ameritrade is one of the oldest, biggest, and most reputable US-based stockbrokers that is regulated by the SEC, FINRA, and CFTC. It is founded in 1975 and offers users the opportunity to trade and or invest in stocks, ETFs, forex, mutual funds, bonds, options, futures, crypto, and other financial instruments.
On TD Ameritrade’s thinkorswim trading platform, users can buy, sell, and trade thousands of assets at low fees. TD Ameritrade also has a powerful mobile trading app available that is even compatible with Apple Watch.
You can open a free TD Ameritrade demo paper trading account to familiarize yourself with the platform and test trading strategies or open a real account by depositing any amount of money. Note that opening a real TD Ameritrade account can take up to 3 business days and that you will have to provide documentation such as identity documents, proof of address, and source of funding.
Although TD Ameritrade offers phone and email support from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM ET, Monday – Friday, opening an account with them as a UAE resident is not possible as of writing this TD Ameritrade review.
Pros
- Commissionless stock and ETF trading
- Excellent desktop and mobile trading platforms
- Wide range of tradable assets
Cons
- Account opening is not possible for UAE residents
- Mostly US markets and assets
- Only accept bank wire transfers
- Doesn’t offer fractional shares
Key features
- Provides access to thousands of stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and other financial instruments
- No minimum deposit required
- Broad range of educational material available for both beginners and experienced traders
- Daily market analysis in the form webinars, webcasts, and podcasts
- Users have access to IPOs, annuities, fixed income products, and lending programs
- Regulated by SEC, FINRA, and CFTC
5. CMC Markets – Award-winning trading experience
Min Deposit: 0
Fees: 3.7
Assets available: 3.2
Total Fees:
CMC Markets is a reputable online broker known for its award winning trading experience, excellent selection of tradable instruments and industry leading pricing. With over 12.500 tradable instruments across all asset classes, CMC is among industry leaders in market coverage.
Their proprietary trading platform called Next Generation is reliable, fast executing and fully packed with useful trading tools and indicators. It features an impressive education and research section full of quality in-house and third party content.
CMC Market offers the lowest commissions and fees in the industry. Low spread fees (0.73 pip on EUR/USD) are available for traders at all levels and accounts. Additional bonuses and rebates for active traders makes CMC Markets a market leader in costs and fees.
Pros
- Wide range of available assets
- Free demo paper trading account
- Excellent customer support
Cons
- Offers only CFD trading and spread betting
- Few education and research tools available
- High fees compared to other brokers
Key features
- Access to 9000+ shares and ETF CFDs
- 300+ tradable forex pairs
- Cryptocurrency CFD trading available
- Compatible with metaTrader 4
- Well-suited for beginner and advanced traders
- Gives spread rebates
6. IQ Option – Best Platform For Investors and Traders
Min Deposit: $10
Fees: 3.3
Assets available: 2.0
Total Fees:
IQ Option is a well established online broker great for users looking to trade forex, options and CFDs on a intuitive trading platform. Their well rounded offer consists of low spreads, a sophisticated trading platform, free demo account option, and responsive customer support in English language. They offer islamic accounts and copy trading in Arabic language which allows you to copy portfolios from seasoned investors and traders.
IQ Option is a trustworthy and reliable market maker broker commissioned by CySEC and subject to the highest standards of regulation in the industry. Options trading is no longer available.
Pros
- Multi-chart platform layout with technical analysis
- Fast trade execution
- 24/7 customer support in Arabic and English
- Free demo account with $10.000 virtual money
- Leverage of up to 1:1000
Cons
- Trading fees are above industry average
- Inactivity fee $10/90days
Key features
- Access to a wide variety of markets
- Great research and education tools
- User friendly platform
- $10 minimum deposit and $1 minimum trade requirement
- Access to 3000+ tradable symbols
How To Pick The Right Platform?
The main criteria to consider when choosing a trading platform in the Cook Islands include: fees, trading platform, mobile trading, deposits & withdrawals, assets, customer support, liquidity, and security.
Fees: Choose a broker with a transparent fee structure and avoid brokerage accounts with high fees on trades, overnight fees, and hidden fees. Commission and spread fees are common with the Cook Islands brokerage accounts. Spreads should vary between 0.03% to 0.5% depending on your trading volume.
Trading platforms: They should be user friendly, grant access to trading tools and indicators and suitable to traders at all levels. We recommend you opt for a platform with a technical charting interface and built-in market data. A comprehensive market news feed and access to advanced features are a must.
Mobile Trading: Mobile trading apps should offer the same trading tools and charts as their web versions. Choose mobile platforms with full-screen charting options and social feeds.
Deposit & Withdrawal: Deposit and withdrawal needs to be fast and simple. Choose an broker that offers your preferred payment method and industry leading commission and fee structures.
Assets: Look for coverage of preferred assets. the Cook Islands traders are allowed to access all tradable asset classes including forex, stocks, indexes, options, FOPs, commodities, futures, indices, bonds, swaps, mutual funds, hedge funds, spot gold, ETFs and cryptos.
Regulation: Brokers with top-tier licenses follow strict rules enforced by trustworthy regulators and offer high security standards. We recommend users to choose platforms with FCA, CySEC, and ASIC licenses and tier one regulations.
Research & education: Beginner and average traders and investors should choose a broker with research and education tools including: weekly webinars, daily news updates, personal account manager, personal training and room access.
Customer support: Beginner traders should look out for responsive and professional customer support available in their language.
*Islamic Accounts: All platforms from our list offer Islamic account options. This gives users the chance to trade online in compliance to the Sharia law.
Online Trading In the Cook Islands
Online trading in the Cook Islands is available through service offers by online brokers and cryptocurrency exchanges. There is no state stock exchange on the Cook Islands. Cook Islands citizens can participate in online trading through offshore brokers mentioned in this guide. It is legal to trade with foreign brokers, but the government of the Cook Islands does not guarantee the safety of your traded funds. Capital profits made with online trading and not subject to taxation and do not need to be reported to the government.
Online Trading Regulation
The Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) regulates online trading and oversees financial activities on the Cook Islands. All Cook Islands-based brokers that offer online trading to citizens of the Cook Islands have to be authorised by the FSC. Brokers that operate without a license are subject to criminal prosecution and penalisation. Offshore brokers can offer online trading services on the Cook Islands without authorisation by the FSC. Cryptocurrency trading is legal in the Cook Islands.
License Verification
You can verify the validity of a broker’s or trading platform’s license by going to the official website of the FSC, clicking on ‘Licensees’, and searching the list of Trustee Companies for the name of the broker. If the broker is based outside of the Cook Islands, you can visit the official websites of CySEC, FCA, BaFIN, ASIC, or FINRA and check their database of ‘Registered Entities’ for the name of the company you want to trade with. If nothing shows up, you might be dealing with an unregulated broker or trading platform and we recommend trading with one of the best trading platforms in the Cook Islands mentioned in this guide instead.
Conclusion
Based on our review, we consider eToro as the best trading platform for the Cook Islands residents. They offer a low minimum deposit, competitive fees, advanced charting tools, social trading features and a responsive customer support.
Interactive Brokers is the second best trading platform for the Cook Islands residents, because of their low fees, advanced trading tools, copy trading features, and a responsive customer support. Saxo Bank, TD Ameritrade, CMC, and IQ Option are finishing up our list of top platforms with a great overall offer and above average ratings.
FAQ
Are There Commission-Free Trading Platforms In the Cook Islands?
Yes, there are trading platforms available in the Cook Islands that offer 0% commission trading.
How Much Should I Invest When Trading Online in the Cook Islands?
You should always invest at least the minimum deposit amount the Cook Islands and international brokers require you to open an account. In most cases, this is about $50.
Is Crypto Trading Available In the Cook Islands?
Yes, crypto trading is available to the Cook Islands citizens. The leading trading platforms offer Bitcoin trading via CFDs.
How To Check If a Broker Has a Valid License?
You can check if a broker or trading platform has a valid license by checking the ‘Registered Entities’ databases on the official websites of regulatory bodies like the CySEC, FINRA, ASIC, BaFin, or FCA. For the Cook Islands-based brokers, you can check the official website of The Financial Supervisory Commission instead.
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Disclaimer
eToro is a multi-asset platform which offers both investing in stocks and cryptoassets, as well as trading CFDs.
Please note that CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 68% 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.
Past performance is not an indication of future results. Trading history presented is less than 5 complete years and may not suffice as basis for investment decision.
Copy trading is a portfolio management service, provided by eToro (Europe) Ltd., which is authorised and regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission.
Cryptoasset investing is unregulated in some EU countries and the UK. No consumer protection. Your capital is at risk.
eToro USA LLC does not offer CFDs and makes no representation and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the content of this publication, which has been prepared by our partner utilizing publicly available non-entity specific information about eToro.