Broker to Trading

The online trading platform is the tool the trader uses to trade markets (for example, Forex or Stocks CFDs). The beginner trader typically opens an account at a broker they have chosen then either downloads the platform to desktop or mobile or opens the platform on a web browser. They will see a chart typically and various boxes. Upon inspection these can be seen as boxes for choosing markets to trade and information such as orders placed and other trading account information.

The chart itself can be seen as having a representation of the movement in value of a particular market. There will be icons to bring up tools to analyse markets, such as technical indicators and graphical objects (used to place trend lines for example on the chart). This is the basic layout platforms typically possess.

However the beginner may find some platforms easier to use than others, at least initially. This is because some platforms are designed to be very user friendly. They use fonts and space to make it more evident to the human trader how to use the platform. In essence they simplify the platform to an extent to make it easier to use. Brokers typically offer apps versions of these which then aim to continue their user friendly design on smaller screens.

For platforms which are not necessarily designed this way, the beginner trader can take time to read the instructions for the platform and then try it out on a demo account and thus make it more user friendly. This is a good idea for any platform, no matter how user friendly. Thus any platform can in principle become user friendly for the trader. This is something to consider in terms of the potential of the platform. For example some platforms contains tools and functionality that the trader may wish to make use of later when they are more experienced (for example automated trading).

This page has chosen six platforms which are arguably easy to use for the beginner. It should be noted that an easy to use platform does not make trading any less hard but can rather potentially facilitate some of the processes involved in trading. The platforms chosen are eToro's web trader, Pepperstone's cTrader platform, FOREX.com's web trader, IQ Option's platform and Trading 212's web trader.

eToro offers a user friendly platform with social and copy trading tools integrated with the platform. It can be argued that these tools may be helpful to the beginner as they enable the beginner to rely on more experienced traders, from seeing their views to actually copying their trades, with the caveat that a trader who performed well in the past will not necessarily perform well in the future. However eToro's platform has a full compliment of charting tools to let the trader develop their own analytical skills.

The next pick is FOREX.com's web trader (called Web Trader) which is a user friendly platform for trading the range of markets FOREX.com provides. FOREX.com offers other platforms, namely its Advanced Platform and is a major MetaTrader 4 (MT4) broker. These two platforms offer more advanced capabilities than a web trader. The Advanced Platform has tools such as the capacity to use and design charting signals. MT4 is a third party platform with an extensive online community and the capability to automate trades using online trading robots (supported by FOREX.com). So this broker is an example of one where the trader may start on the web trader and having become familiar with the basic functionality of any platform and trading itself then try the more advanced features of its other platforms, offering a kind of route for the trader to potentially scale their trading from beginner to more advanced.

Pepperstone is chosen for its offering of cTrader and its support for a wide range of trading styles. cTrader is a third party platform which has advanced trading features, but is a platform which is arguably user friendly in that it has a clear layout and design, and potentially suited to the trader who wants to start with a user friendly platform (albeit with a wide range of features) and then expand their use of the same platform. As well as cTrader, Pepperstone provides MT4 and the successor to MT4, MetaTrader 5 (MT5), which has a number of upgrades on MT4 and TradingView.

IQ Option is picked because it has a focus on offering features for the beginner trader, from a very small minimum deposit ($10 in non-EEA countries and $20 in the EEA) to a very low minimum order size ($1). The platform itself is clear and user friendly and allows the trader to switch from a demo to real account. The small minimum trade size and order size means that the trader may trade on a real account risking smaller sums. Additionally, IQ Option provides an Earning Calendar, a Forex Calendar and a Crypto Calendar as well as News. Calendars can provide fundamental data, which can be allied with IQ Option's technical tools including 100+ technical indicators.

Finally, Trading 212 offers a user friendly web trader, a low minimum deposit and the choice of a wide range of Stocks CFDs to trade and offers real Stocks to own, thus enabling trading and investing on the same platform and the capacity to switch between CFD and Invest accounts, as well as demo and real accounts.

Easiest Trading Platform For Beginners

Since this page is about an easiest platform, one needs to be picked. However what is the easiest depends on a range of factors which may be particular to the trader and one trader may find another easier to use. All these brokers offer demo accounts so the trader may try out these platforms without risking any money. All of the platforms let the trade switch between demo and live accounts as well, thus the trader can take a break at any time and practice ideas, try out platform features or work on their trading.

However the pick for easiest trading platform for beginners is eToro. This is because the social trading tools on the platform, allied with its user friendly layout and its capacity to switch easily between demo and real accounts may make for an easier platform to use for a beginner. But markets are complex and trading is not easy, thus an easy to use platform does not make trading any easier. However a beginner may have particular requirements which eToro's platform may be seen as catering to, from ease of use to the capacity to draw on the ideas of other traders.