Page Summary
In this guide, we go over the best trading platforms in China. 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 5 Trading Platforms in China
- Interactive Brokers – Best trading platform overall
- TD Ameritrade – Wide range of tradable assets
- Saxo Bank – Best For Premium Trades And CFD Trading
- XTB – Ideal for users looking to trade forex and CFDs
- Capital.com – Best For Research and Education (Discount Broker)
Best Online Trading Platforms in China
| RANK | BROKER | GENERAL | PLATFORM SCORE | MINIMUM DEPOSIT | WEBSITE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Interactive Brokers | Best trading platform overall | 4,9/5 | $0 | Official website |
| #2 | TD Ameritrade | Wide range of tradable assets | 4,1/5 | $0 | Official website |
| #3 | Saxo Bank | Best For Premium Trades And CFD Trading | 4,2/5 | $10.000 | Official website |
| #4 | XTB | Ideal for users looking to trade forex and CFDs | 3,4/5 | $250 | Official website |
| #5 | Capital.com | Best For Research and Education (Discount Broker) | 4,8/5 | $0 | Official website |
Below section breaks down the best trading platforms in China beginning with the highest rated…
1. Interactive Brokers – Best trading platform overall
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
2. TD Ameritrade – Wide range of tradable assets
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
3. Saxo Bank – Best For Premium Trades And CFD Trading
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. XTB – Ideal for users looking to trade forex and CFDs
Min Deposit: $0
Fees: 3.7
Assets available: 2.9
Total Fees:
XTB is a trusted online broker ideal for users looking to trade forex and CFDs on a great performing proprietary platform (xStation 5). Traders like the minimalist design, extensive selections of features, powerful trading tools and great order execution. As a multi-asset broker, XTB offers a vast selection of tradable instruments spread across all markets. They provide CFDs on stocks, commodities, ETFs, cryptos, Indices and forex currency pairs. XTB pricing is industry average across all accounts.
Beginner traders will like the outstanding customer support, excellent research + education section and the easy to use proprietary platform. With an overall great offer, it should be considered by any trader looking to trade forex and CFDs.
Pros
- Low trading fees
- Multilingual support (Available in Arabic)
- Cashback rebates and free paper trading account
Cons
- Only CFD trading
- Charges inactivity fees
Key features
- Access to 2,100+ of CFDs on stocks, indices, and commodities and 48 FX pairs
- Commission-less Stock and ETF CFD trading
- Daily market analysis videos, price tables, and economic calendar
- Micro-lot trading available
- Beginner-friendly mobile app (xStation Mobile)
- Multi-lingual support in English, Arabic and over 10 other languages
5. Capital.com – Best For Research and Education (Discount Broker)
Min Deposit: $20
Fees: 4.8
Assets available: 4.7
Total Fees:
Capital.com is a top choice for traders looking for a discount broker with great educational content and resources, advanced research tools and a premium trading interface. They offer a wide range of tradable assets including CFDs on cryptos, stocks, indices, commodities and forex pairs.
Founded in 2016, Capital.com is an international fintech company which has group of entities authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”), the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (“ASIC”), the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (“CySEC”), and the Financial Services Authority of Seychelles (“FSA”). It does not operate a bank and is not publicly traded.
Choose Capital.com if you are looking for a great mobile trading experience, professional web trading interface, day trading features. Beginner traders will like the low minimum deposit ($20), industry leading commission structure, and award winning education section.
Pros
- Newsroom grade educational videos and analysis
- Award winning education and research section
- New age mobile trading app
- Real time market updates and price alerts
- Hedging and risk management tools
Cons
- MT4 and MT5 not available
- Market access is industry average
Key features
- Access to 6.000 tradable symbols and 477 cryptocurrency CFDs
- High quality research and educational content
- Patented AI trade bias system
- $20 minimum deposit
- No inactivity fees
How To Pick The Right Platform?
The main criteria to consider when choosing a trading platform in China 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 Chinese 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. Chinese 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 a 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 China
Online trading in China is available on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, Beijing Stock Exchange, and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. The Shanghai Stock Exchange is founded in 1990 and it is the world’s 3rd largest stock exchange. On this stock exchange, you can only trade Chinese stocks and all transactions are overseen by Chinese mainland authorities. If you want to trade international stocks, forex, cryptocurrencies, or other financial instruments we recommend trading with the trusted brokers and trading platforms mentioned in this guide instead. It is legal to trade with foreign brokers, but you should report profits made and pay 45% income tax.
Online Trading Regulation
The China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) is the main regulatory body to oversee all online trading activities in China. All companies based in China that want to offer online trading services to Chinese citizens have to be authorised by the CBIRC. They have legal authority to fine and prosecute brokers who are offering brokerage services without a regular license. Offshore brokers don’t have to be authorised by the CBIRC to offer online trading services to Chinese citizens. Cryptocurrency trading is illegal in China.
License Verification
You can verify the validity of a brokers license by going to the official website of the CMF, clicking on ‘Financial Regulation Research’, and searching the database for the name of the broker. If the broker is based outside of China, 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 China mentioned in this guide instead.
Conclusion
Based on our review, we consider Interactive Brokers as the best trading platform for Chinese residents. They offer a low minimum deposit, competitive fees, advanced charting tools, social trading features and a responsive customer support.
TD Ameritrade is the second best trading platform for Chinese residents, because of their low fees, advanced trading tools, copy trading features, and a responsive customer support. Saxo Bank, XTB, and Capital.com 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 China?
Yes, there are trading platforms available in China that offer 0% commission trading like eToro and AvaTrade.
How Much Should I Invest When Trading Online in China?
You should always invest at least the minimum deposit amount Chinese and international brokers require you to open an account. In most cases, this is about $50.
Is Crypto Trading Available In China?
Yes, crypto trading is available to Chinese citizens. The leading trading platforms offer Bitcoin trading via CFDs.
How To Check If A Trading Platform 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 Chinese brokers, you can check the official website of the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory 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.