GBP/USD Spread Comparison UK: 10 Brokers Tested (2026)

Which broker has the lowest GBP/USD spread?

Last updated: 31st July 2026 

As of 31st July 2026, the tightest GBPUSD spread across the 10 UK brokers we checked was 0.8 pips from Pepperstone.

Month Checked Tightest broker(s) GBP/USD Spread
July 2026 Pepperstone 0.8pips
June 2026 Pepperstone, CMC, IG, FXCM* & SpreadEx 0.9pips
May 2026 Pepperstone, CMC, IG, FXCM & SpreadEx 0.9pips

* Variable spread

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GBP USD spreads compared from 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.

On Monday 27th July 2026, I checked all the spreads at the same time,

I made sure we had nothing unusual going on, like some sort of wild market, imminent economic data, or something else that could affect price action.

In fact, it was just a typical Monday afternoon in Sterling.

I selected these brokers:

  • IG
  • CMC Markets
  • Pepperstone
  • City Index
  • Plus 500
  • FXCM
  • Capital.com
  • Oanda
  • Forex.com
  • SpreadEx
GBP/USD Spread Capture

Lowest GBP/USD Spreads

  1. Pepperstone 0.8 pips
  2. SpreadEx, CMC, FXCM and IG 0.9 pips
  3. Capital.com and Oanda 1.3 pips
  4. Plus 500 1.4 pips
  5. Forex.com on 1.5 pips
  6. City Index 1.7 pips 
CMC 0.9 pips spread on GBP/USD
IG 0.9 pips on GBP/USD

Did the top spreads hold during volatility?

And just to be sure the top ones weren’t a fluke, I logged in the next evening to check things hadn’t changed with the top brokers. 

Now, interestingly, when I logged in, GBP/USD was having a multi-day breakout.

Pepperstone, IG, SpreadEx and CMC were still on the same spreads.

FXCM was still variable between 0.9 pips and 1 pip (and as I was typing this up a few minutes later, it went to 1.2 pips)

FXCM Variable GBP/USD Spread 0.9 pips
FXCM Variable GBP/USD Spread 1.0 pips
FXCM Variable GBP/USD Spread 1.2 pips

 So the winner of the lowest GBP/USD spread was…

Pepperstone  with 0.8 pips

If you want to explore these brokers for yourself, you can (and should) do your own due diligence.

  1. Pepperstone’s GBP/USD spreads
  2. CMC Markets
  3. IG
  4. SpreadEx
  5. FXCM  (although these guys were variable, unlike the other top brokers)

Remember that spreads can change, different times, under different market conditions or just 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…

I also did this same experiment on other markets:

Spread comparison pages: FTSE, DAX, DOW, Nasdaq, S&P 500, Oil, GOLD, EUR/USD and USD/JPY.
Or see all the results in my spread checker tool.

And if you’re in the UK trading via a spread betting account, then have a look at my spread betting strategies page for some setup inspiration.