FTSE 100 Spread Comparison

Checking which broker has the lowest FTSE spread

FTSE spreads from different brokers​

Right, FTSE spreads… all you traders who still play the FTSE, who’s the tightest?

Because let’s be honest… is there any point paying more to trade the exact same thing elsewhere?

Probably not. Trading’s hard enough without paying more than you need to.

So, in my mega scientific way, I screenshotted ten different CFD and spread betting brokers at the same time. (Actually squeezed them all into one window, so I could get the prices all at once…)

Live prices at exactly the same moment. 09.10 am on Thursday, 23rd April 2026, to be exact. Normal cash session, no data coming out, no particularly wild volatility. Just a fair fight.

I just logged what I found…

Because we don’t care about so-called headline spreads. “From 0.8pts” means nothing to you and me.

Anyone can be the cheapest at some random time just to claim to be the cheapest.

What we want to know is the real-world spread, at a moment when traders are actually trading… That’s what matters.

Right, so here goes. I took live FTSE prices (or UK100, as many brokers call it) from ten CFD and spread betting brokers.

  1. Capital
  2. CMC Markets
  3. IG
  4. City Index
  5. FXCM
  6. Pepperstone
  7. SpreadEx
  8. Trading 212
  9. Oanda
  10. Plus 500

And so at 09:10 on Thursday, 23rd April 2026, these were the spreads in no particular order (I’ll rank them in a bit, these were just how the windows sat on my screen)

  • CMC Markets = 1pt
  • IG = 1pt
  • Capital = 1pt
  • Pepperstone = 1.1pt
  • City Index = 1pt
  • FXCM = 1pt
  • Plus 500 = 2pts
  • Trading 212 = 1.6pts
  • SpreadEx = 1.2pts
  • Oanda = 1.5pts

Ok, those were the real results.

Now, it’s worth noting that on my screenshot, Pepperstone showed 1.1 pts, but the spread varied quite a bit.
I watched it for a few minutes and saw it go as high as 1.6pts at one point.

FTSE 100 spreads ranked from best to worst

  1. Capital, City Index, FXCM, IG, CMC 1pt
  2. Pepperstone 1.1pts
  3. SpreadEx 1.2pts
  4. Oanda 1.5pts
  5. Trading 212 1.6pts
  6. Plus 500 2pts

So, it was joint first for Capital, City Index, FXCM, IG and CMC, all coming in at a decent 1pt spread for the FTSE.

Plus 500 bringing up the rear at double with 2pts. Which I think is wild… paying twice as much for the same instrument!

It just goes to show, brokers aren’t tight on all markets; the findings were totally different on the DAX spread comparison.

As always, do your own due diligence, spreads change, markets move. Capital, City, FXCM, IG and CMC topped this one, but whoever you use, make sure you’re not overpaying on the market you trade most.