FBS

Regulatory Overview: FBS operates worldwide and holds licences from several respected regulators, including CySEC (Cyprus), the FSC of Belize, and—importantly for Australian traders—the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) through its entity Intelligent Financial Markets Pty Ltd, trading as FBS Oceania (AFSL No. 426359). This licence authorizes FBS to provide financial services to Australian clients under full regulatory oversight.

Regulation for Australian Traders: As an ASIC-regulated broker, FBS Oceania must adhere to Australia’s strict financial standards, including robust client asset protections, transparent operations, and independent dispute resolution via the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA). This makes trading with FBS in Australia both safer and more reliable compared to offshore-only operations.

Client Protection Measures

• Segregated Client Funds: Client deposits are held in separate trust accounts, safeguarding funds from operational liabilities.
• Negative Balance Protection: ASIC regulations require brokers to prevent clients from losing more than their account balance in volatile market conditions.
• Dispute Resolution & Compensation Access: Australian clients can access AFCA for independent dispute resolution and may benefit from compensation schemes if the broker fails to meet its obligations.

In summary, FBS offers strong regulatory protection for Australian traders through its ASIC-regulated entity, significantly enhancing transparency, security, and recourse compared to offshore alternatives.

Overview: Australian traders registered under the ASIC-regulated FBS Oceania entity have access to a diverse range of CFDs across multiple asset classes.

• Forex (up to 1:30): Includes 37+ currency pairs covering majors, minors, and selected exotics. Major pairs such as EUR/USD and GBP/USD are available with competitive spreads and fast execution.
• Metals (up to 1:20): Precious metals like gold and silver for portfolio diversification or safe-haven strategies.
• Indices (up to 1:20): CFDs on popular global indices, including the S&P 500, NASDAQ 100, DAX 40, and ASX 200.
• Energies (up to 1:10): Crude oil (Brent and WTI) and natural gas CFDs.
• Shares (up to 1:5): CFDs on well-known Australian and international companies, allowing both long and short positions.
• Cryptocurrencies (up to 1:2): Trade popular crypto CFDs such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, with reduced leverage in line with ASIC’s restrictions.

Under ASIC rules, maximum leverage for retail clients is set at 1:30 for major forex pairs, scaling down for more volatile assets such as gold, oil, and cryptocurrencies. This is considerably lower than the offshore FBS leverage of up to 1:3000, but is intended to reduce the risk of rapid losses for retail traders.

While leverage is limited, Australian traders benefit from ASIC’s robust oversight, ensuring fair pricing, transparent execution, and strong investor protection.

It took us about 5 minutes to open an account at FBS and once our documentation had been submitted our accounts were ready for trading immediately. As an Australian trader, you are eligible to open an account at FBS as long as you meet the minimum deposit requirement of 50 AUD for all accounts.

Australian clients trade under the ASIC-regulated FBS Oceania entity and have access to three live account types: Cent, Standard, and Ultra—each designed to cater to different trading preferences and experience levels.

Cent Account

A micro-lot account ideal for beginners and strategy testing. Minimum deposit: AUD 50. Spreads start from approximately 0.6–0.7 pips (EUR/USD). No commission. Leverage up to 1:30 in line with ASIC limits.

Standard Account

Commencement account for most retail traders. Same AUD 50 minimum deposit. Floating spreads average around 0.7–1.1 pips (EUR/USD). Commission-free. Leverage capped at 1:30.

Ultra Account

A low-spread account for high-volume traders. Minimum deposit: AUD 50. Spreads average as low as 0.1 pips (EUR/USD), but a commission applies (approx. USD 6 per standard lot) when trading in AUD. ASIC leverage caps still apply.

Fee Structure

• Cent & Standard accounts: No commission—costs included in spreads
• Ultra account: Commission applies (~USD 6 per lot) in exchange for ultra-tight spreads
• No deposit or inactivity fees from FBS; however, payment methods may incur third-party charges

Demo Accounts

Demo versions of all three account types are available and simulate ASIC-regulated trading conditions, including leverage limits and spreads.

Australian traders can access their accounts and trade the markets using the FBS Trader mobile app or the MetaTrader 5 (MT5) mobile application. Both are available for iOS and Android devices, offering flexibility for trading on the go.

FBS Trader App

The FBS Trader app is the broker’s proprietary mobile platform, designed for speed and ease of use. Key features include:

• Real-time price quotes and interactive charts
• Simple trade execution and order management
• Built-in deposit and withdrawal functionality
• Market news and basic analysis

This app is best suited for beginners or traders who prefer a streamlined, mobile-first experience.

MetaTrader 5 (Mobile)

MT5’s mobile app offers more advanced charting and trading features than FBS Trader, including:

• Advanced charting with multiple timeframes
• Access to 38+ built-in indicators
• One-click trading and real-time market depth (DOM)
• Full integration with desktop MT5 accounts

MT5 mobile is ideal for traders who want professional-grade tools in their pocket.

FBS does not offer MT4, cTrader, or TradingView in Australia. Local traders must choose between MT5 and the FBS Trader app for their trading needs.

MetaTrader 5 (MT5)

MT5 is FBS’s sole desktop platform in Australia, available for Windows, Mac, and as a browser-based WebTrader. It is designed for multi-asset trading and advanced technical analysis. Features include:

• 21 timeframes and advanced charting options
• 38 built-in indicators with support for unlimited custom indicators
• Integrated economic calendar
• Hedging and netting account systems
• Enhanced strategy tester for Expert Advisors (EAs)
• One-click trading and depth of market view

Trading Tools

• Economic Calendar: Available on MT5 and the FBS website to track upcoming market events.
• Forex Calculators: Margin, pip value, and currency conversion calculators.
• VPS Hosting: Offered to qualifying clients for uninterrupted automated trading.
• Market Analysis: Regular news updates and educational content from FBS analysts.

Trading Tools Comparison

Broker

Economic Calendar

Autochartist

Trading Central

Trading View

Free VPS

VPS services are usually offered free with a minimum trade volume, otherwise a monthly subscription fee will apply. VPS services are usually hosted by third-party companies.

FBS

Yes

No

No

No

No

FP Markets

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

XM

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

In line with Anti-Money Laundering policies, deposits and withdrawals at FBS cannot be made to/from third-party accounts.  

Trading Account Currencies: Deposits to trading accounts can be made in most national currencies, which are subsequently converted into USD, EUR, or AUD.

While this is good for Australian traders with AUD accounts, it may still be better for traders that trade in large volumes (more than 10 lots a month) to open an account denominated in USD at a digital currency bank, especially for trading on assets such as the EUR/USD. This is because when trading a USD quoted currency pair with another currency, other than AUD, there will be a small conversion fee for every trade made.  Additionally, FBS charges a conversion fee of 0,5%, which is expensive compared to other similar brokers.

Deposit and Withdrawal Fees: FBS does not charge for making deposits to a live trading account, but it charges fees for withdrawals under certain conditions. Deposits made via electronic payment systems are processed instantly, and deposit requests via other payment systems are processed within 1-2 hours.

FBS’ market research is average compared to most other large international brokers.

The FBS Market Analysis is broken down into technical analysis and fundamental analysis.  The technical analysis is somewhat limited, but the fundamental analysis is more detailed and offers Forex traders basic coverage of key topics.

Market analysis materials at FBS is free of charge for all visitors, and is divided into three separate sections:

• Forex News – A regular news feed of the day’s important events that will have fundamental effects on Forex trades. It is concise, updated frequently, and well written.
• Daily Market Analysis – Here you will find short analytical articles on the day’s events, which is very useful for new traders.
• FBS Analytics channel on Telegram – FBS daily shares educational insights on strategies and risk management and accurate trade ideas, runs live trading sessions, daily market news updates, and runs Q&A with analysts.

Overall, FBS offers a range of market analysis materials that are useful for traders of all experience levels, but it is not as comprehensive as what is offered by other brokers.

FBS is one of the better brokers for beginners – the education section is comprehensive and well-structured, and the market analysis is up-to-date and well explained.

 Education is split into four sections:

• FBS Academy – the core of the education section, this is one of the better guides to Forex trading we have seen. It is split into chapters for Beginner and Advanced traders. This guidebook will be helpful in some form for almost all readers.
• Traders Blog –  a frequently updated blog with useful posts covering various aspects of trading in an erudite and informal format. Recent blog posts include Top 5 Types of Doji Candlestick Patterns and ESG Investing.
• Webinars – includes a schedule and register of upcoming webinars. FBS partners hold webinars weekly from its offices around the world, and registration is a simple procedure.
• Video Tutorials – as you would expect, this is a collection of short videos covering various aspects of Forex trading – good for those who prefer watching to reading, but not as comprehensive as the Academy

Support is available by email, live chat, and social media, in 14 different languages.

We found the customer service responsive, polite, and resourceful.  They were able to answer all our questions satisfactorily.