The best commodity trading platforms in India just make trading that little bit easier. The trading itself does not change, but the interface and the way you trade makes a big difference to the experience. There are may ways to consider top platforms these days, but ease of use, information access, speed, and trust are really important. Commodity trading has attracted speculators and investors for hundreds of years. Those trading metals, oil, and soft commodities such as coffee and cotton can make (or lose) money buying and selling relatively tangible assets. In-depth research techniques using fundamental analysis and technical analysis can help, but many in the market also incorporate gut instinct or industry knowledge about a precious resource and whether it is due a change in price.
The situation has moved on from merchants doing direct trades with each other, and modern online brokerage platforms allow anyone to access the markets and put on a position. Getting a trading decision right is always open to market risk and the chance that price might move in the wrong direction, but one risk that can be managed is operational risk. This relates to your choice of broker platform and can be more important than whether to buy or sell gold, oil, copper or soya beans. If you sign up with a scam broker, you can lose all your money overnight. This review of the best commodity trading platforms in India will outline the pros and cons of each and forms a shortlist of well-regarded brokers that are worth trying out.
#1Octa
What We Liked
- Multi-award-winning broker with a long history of supporting Indian traders
- Ultra-low spreads
- Wide range of assets: currency pairs, metals, energies, crypto, stocks, shares
- Demo contest with real money prizes up to $500
- Regular contests with good prizes and special offers
- Customised smart feed Space with free trading ideas from experts
- 0% commissions and no overnight charges
Octa was one of the first offshore brokers to take the India market seriously. Its T&Cs are designed to help Indian traders access the global financial markets, and it has a strong track record in the commodity markets.
There are three different regulated entities of Octa, each specifically delivering towards a diverse regulatory framework. Octa Markets Ltd is licensed by MIISA number HY00623410, and has an international clearing house number T2023320. Octa Markets Cyprus Ltd, is CySEC regulated (licence number: 372/18 at Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission), whilst Orinoco Capital holds a licence and regulation from the FSCA in South Africa (51913). As an Indian trader, you would be supported by Octa Markets Ltd.
Awards seem to have been on the agenda for Octa each year since inception, with now 70 awards to their name. The latest of which, including Most Reliable Broker Asia 2023’ award from Holiston Media and the ‘Best Forex Broker 2023’ award from AllForexRating give an indication of the esteem the broker holds in the industry.
Looking to the actual trading, and the platform range is strong. You can choose to trade on MT4, MT5, or via OctaTrader; each offering unique views on the market. Whilst both MetaTrader platforms are strong, they have been explained many times over, and it is therefore the OctaTrader platform where the broker can stand out a little. New intuitive features such as the ‘Space’ area helps give traders a more broader view of opinions, both from traders, and news sources in a simple to use feed. Where some platforms are overcomplicated, this one makes things easy, and the app form just works.
#2HFM (HF MARKETS)
What We Liked:
- Regulatory compliance with seven individual regulatory bodies
- Broad array of tradable instruments exceeding 3500 items
- CFD trading in Forex, stocks, commodities, ETFs, indices, metals, energies, bonds and cryptos
- Direct ownership of global stocks also supported
- Reasonably competitive spreads
- MT4 and MT5 offered, along with HFM proprietary trading platform
- High leverage levels, as high as 1:2000 in some select cases
- Variety of account classifications, including a free demo account
- Upgraded process for opening accounts
Since its foundation in 2010, HF Markets (HFM) has grown dramatically, recording over 3.5 million account openings. Over that same period, it has garnered over 60 coveted industry awards for excellence in nearly every aspect of the business. Its product portfolio of 3500+ instruments is at the top end of industry offerings, and safety and reliability are ensured due to compliance with a host of global regulators.
Recently, the company announced that it had upgraded its website to offer a more intuitive and user-friendly trading experience. A new and improved onboarding process ensures new traders can open an account quickly and be trading in just a few minutes. HF Markets offers a top-class service and is well worth your consideration.
#3Tickmill
What We Liked:
- Some of the lowest-cost trading in the market
- Leverage up to 1:500
- Available in more than 200 countries, including India
- A choice of market-leading trading platforms: MT4, MT5 and WebTrader
- Trade commodities including Brent and WTI oil futures, and gold and silver
- Ultra-fast trade execution speeds – average trading speed for metals is 0.20s
- Additional trading tools to help you identify trade entry and exit points
- Innovative features to enhance and support the trading experience
- Transparent reporting of T&Cs
- Supports a wide range of strategies, including scalping, hedging and automated trading
- Minimum opening balance of $/€/£100
- Sharia-compliant Islamic accounts are available
Tickmill is a mid-sized broker that focuses on providing a high-quality service to its clients. It supports traders around the world, including India, and is favoured by those looking for cost-effective and reliable trading conditions.
Tickmill Asia Ltd – regulated by the Financial Services Authority of Labuan Malaysia (Licence Number: MB/18/0028 and Registered Office: Unit B, Lot 49, 1st Floor, Block F, Lazenda Warehouse 3, Jalan Ranca-Ranca, 87000 F.T. Labuan, Malaysia).
Tickmill UK Ltd is authorised and regulated by the FCA and is registered with number 717270.
Registered Office: 3rd Floor, 27-32 Old Jewry, London EC2R 8DQ, England.
(Source: Tickmill)
#4FXTM
What We Liked:
- Great regulatory framework operating under licence from Tier-1 regulators
- A global client base, with the platform being home to more than 2 million traders
- Trade commodities including oil, gas, gold and silver
- Very strong in user education and trade research and analysis materials
- MetaTrader’s ever-popular MT4 platform and MT5 platform coming soon
- Track record of adding neat new features such as FXTM Invest aimed at helping traders improve their returns
- Free demo account
- Multilingual customer support available in 18 languages
- Great entry-level services – the Cent Account has a minimum opening balance of $10
- ECN-grade trading available for balances above $/€/£500
- Sharia-compliant Islamic accounts are available
The FXTM trading platform is all about giving traders just what they want. The Cent Account helps FXTM stand out from the crowd as it has a super-low $10 minimum balance requirement, which is ideal for beginners. All standards of traders are catered for, with the broker offering competitive pricing and market-leading trading infrastructure, which has proved popular with novice and experienced traders alike.
ForexTime (www.forextime.com/uk) is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority with licence number 777911.
Exinity Limited (www.forextime.com) is regulated by the Financial Services Commission of the Republic of Mauritius with an Investment Dealer Licence bearing licence number C113012295.
(Source: FXTM)
#5BlackBull Markets
What We Liked:
- Fintech background ensures that the platform has all the latest technical features
- Trade commodities including oil, gas, gold and silver
- Super-tight trading spreads start at 0.0 pips
- Trade using leverage as high as 1:500
- Market-leading, high-tech trading architecture ensures low-cost and reliable trade execution
- Online learning tools such as webinars are ideal for beginners
- Sharia-compliant Islamic accounts are available
BlackBull Markets is a New Zealand-based, new-entrant broker that is making waves in the broker sector. Set up by traders who spotted a gap in the market, the strong tech background of the management team has resulted in them creating a platform that is market leading in terms of operational functionality. Add to that the competitive pricing and strong regulatory structure, and it’s easy to see why the broker is attracting new clients.
BBG Limited is incorporated and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) of Seychelles.
“Black Bull Group Limited (trading name: BlackBull Markets) is a company registered and incorporated in New Zealand (NZBN 9429041417799).
Located at Level 22, 120 Albert Street, Auckland 1010. Black Bull Group Limited is a registered Financial Services Provider (FSP403326) and holds a Derivative Issuer Licence issued by the Financial Markets Authority.”
(Source: Black Bull Markets)
#6IQ Option
What We Liked
- Over 17 million registered users
- User-friendly platform with an attractive aesthetic
- Trade commodities including oil, gas, gold and silver
- Neat research tools in place to help trader performance
- Multilingual support staff available 24/7
- Transparent reporting of T&Cs
- Lots of educational tools that break down trading terms into easy-to-understand language
- Low minimum deposit and easy account opening process
- Sharia-compliant Islamic accounts are available
IQ Option has set out to make accessing the commodity markets easy to do. The broker has grown its market share in a very short period of time thanks to making the onboarding process fast and straightforward. Once on the trading platform, the neat functionality allows users to draw on expert advice and book trades from desktop or mobile devices. The 24/7 customer support is another nice-to-have feature that will be appreciated by both novice and experienced traders.
Headquarters: Yiannis Nicolaides Business Center, Agiou Athanasiou Avenue 33, 4102, Agios Athanasios, Limassol, Cyprus.
IQ Option Europe Ltd. holds Licence No. 247/14, issued by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission, an independent public oversight agency responsible for regulating the investment services market in Cyprus.
#7FBS
What We Liked
- Popular and easy-to-use trading platform
- 24/7 customer support
- Trade commodities including oil, gas, gold and silver
- Leverage up to 1:500
- Choose from MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, and proprietary FBS Trader platforms
- Beginner-friendly Cent Account has a minimum opening balance of $10
- Market analysis and research services include in-house TV channel
- Video tutorials, guidebooks and webinars to develop trading skills
- Super-fast trade execution speeds
- No commission charges on deposits and withdrawals
- Sharia-compliant Islamic accounts are available
FBS has been operating for more than 10 years and has in that time built up a loyal customer base of more than 13 million account holders. Those who try the service appear to like it, and more than 80% asked said that they wouldn’t consider moving to another platform.
FBS is owned and operated by Tradestone Limited (address: 89, Vasileos Georgiou Street, 1st Floor, Office 101, Potamos Germasogeias, 4048 Limassol, Cyprus), registration number HE 353534, authorised by Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission, licence number 331/17.
(Source: FBS)
#8GKFX
What We Liked
- Lightning-fast trade execution thanks to a network of super-powerful servers
- Competitive spreads – some of the lowest-cost trading around
- Much-loved third-party research tools Autochartist and Trading Central are available
- Dedicated account managers
- Provides ‘Week Ahead’ videos and daily updates on the market
- 24/5 customer support
- Trade commodities including oil, gas, gold and silver
- MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5 and WebTrader platforms are available and VPS trading supported
- Sharia-compliant Islamic accounts are available
GKFX is a fast-growing and well-regulated broker offering fast and cost-effective access to the commodity markets. The additional research services provided by Autochartist and Trading Central are ideal for those who want to develop their understanding of how to spot trade entry and exit points.
“GKFX is the registered trademark of AKFX Financial Services Limited, which is ultimately subject to the same ownership and control of other businesses forming part of the Global Kapital Group.
AKFX Financial Services Ltd, bearing company registration number C60473, is licensed in terms of the Investment Services Act Chapter 370 of the Laws of Malta. with a Category 2 licence and is regulated by the Malta Financial Services Authority (“MFSA”) (license number IS60473).”
(Source: GKFX)
