The tightest GBP/USD spread across the
10 UK brokers
we checked was 0.4 pips at
CMC Markets.
Pepperstone
followed at 0.8 pips, with Capital.com and IG tied at 0.9 pips.
By Mark Holstead
· Traders Mastermind |
Data checked
Brokers with the best spreads on GBP/USD for October 2026
CMC Markets recorded the lowest spread at 0.4 pips.
Pepperstone came next at 0.8 pips, followed by Capital.com
and IG at 0.9 pips. Three brokers are featured below.
Full results follow.
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and/or trading CFDs with this provider.
SB = spread betting · CFD = contracts for difference ·
TV = TradingView · Own = broker's own platform.
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Account and platform availability varies by product.
These are the spreads recorded in our October check,
not a guarantee of current pricing.
THE TRACK RECORD
Monthly GBP/USD spread results
Consistently tight or a lucky snapshot? We check spreads each
month so you can see who stays competitive over time.
MONTH CHECKED
TIGHTEST BROKER(S)
GBP/USD SPREAD
October 2026
CMC Markets
0.4 pips
September 2026
Pepperstone
0.8 pips
August 2026
Pepperstone
0.8 pips
July 2026
Pepperstone
0.8 pips
June 2026
CMC Markets, Pepperstone, IG, FXCM* & SpreadEx
0.9 pips
May 2026
CMC Markets, Pepperstone, IG, FXCM & SpreadEx
0.9 pips
*Variable spread. Results reflect the quotes recorded during
each monthly check. Spreads can change with market conditions.
BEHIND THE NUMBERS
GBP/USD spreads compared across ten different brokers
I wanted to find out which broker has the lowest spreads
on GBP/USD. So I ran a little experiment of my own.
Rather than just reading the headline spreads, or the
“GBP USD from XXXX” adverts, I figured the best way
was to do a little broker spread test for myself.
So I loaded up ten CFD or
spread betting
brokers, squashed them all onto one screen and took
a screenshot of all of them at once.
That way, it mimics a typical trader’s flow, right?
You see a pattern setting up on the chart, load up
your platform and place a trade. No one is waiting
for the spread to narrow… if you see an opportunity,
you want to take it.
Lowest GBP/USD Spread: My Method
So that’s what I did.
The latest figures were checked on 30th October 2026.
Same approach: compare the spreads at the same time,
rather than cherry-picking the best quote from each broker.
For these checks, I look for a typical trading session
in Sterling, without something unusual going on, like
a wild market or imminent economic data that could
affect price action.
The brokers included in the October check were:
IG
CMC Markets
Pepperstone
StoneX
Plus500
FXCM
Capital.com
OANDA
Forex.com
XTB
Lowest GBP/USD Spreads
Here’s how they lined up in October, from the tightest
spread to the widest:
CMC Markets: 0.4 pips
Pepperstone: 0.8 pips
Capital.com and IG: 0.9 pips
FXCM: 1.0 pips
OANDA: 1.1 pips
Plus500: 1.2 pips
XTB: 1.3 pips
StoneX and Forex.com: 1.7 pips
The tickets below are from earlier checks. They show
how quotes can differ between brokers and, in FXCM’s
case, move around during the observation period.
The October figures are in the results above.
So, CMC Markets had the lowest GBP/USD spread in our
October check at 0.4 pips. Pepperstone was next at
0.8 pips, followed by Capital.com and IG at 0.9 pips.
That changes the order at the top.
Pepperstone had recorded the lowest or joint-lowest
GBP/USD spread in every monthly check from May through
September 2026, five consecutive checks.
It was joint-lowest at 0.9 pips in May and June, then
outright lowest at 0.8 pips in July, August and September.
It held that 0.8-pip spread in October, but CMC came
in tighter at 0.4 pips.
And that’s why I keep checking. A broker that tops
the table one month might not be the cheapest next time.
Remember that spreads can change at different times,
under different market conditions or just because of
a commercial decision by the broker. They often look
at competitors and adjust to stay competitive.
What’s important is tight spreads on the markets you
specifically like to trade. Not headline stuff, but real world…
