Best Brokers With High Leverage In The UK 2026

Author

Christian Harris

Christian is a UK-based investment writer who's been actively trading an array of financial instruments for over 10 years. Having used most of the major brokers in the UK, Christian provides valuable insights on all things investing for British traders.

Christian Harris Profile Page

Editor

James Barra

James is a UK-based writer and investor with consultancy experience at some of Britain's largest financial organisations. James authors, edits and fact-checks content for a row of investing websites.

James Barra Profile Page

Fact Checker

Tobias Robinson

Tobias is a UK director and partner at Investing.co.uk. He provides commentary on the financial markets in the UK and supports the testing team with first-hand observations from over two decades of active trading.

Tobias Robinson Profile Page

High leverage trading sounds attractive – I know I’ve traded with up to 1:2000 leverage. With a small amount of money, you can control a much larger position. This can mean bigger profits, but also much bigger losses, making it best suited to experienced traders.

Dig into the top brokers for trading with high leverage. We also break down the essentials you should know when opening a high-leverage account, including the limits and trade-offs.

How Investing.co.uk Chose The Best High-Leverage Brokers

To create our rankings, we looked beyond just the headline leverage figures. While we recorded the maximum leverage available on key asset classes, we also considered each broker’s reputation and safeguards designed to protect traders.

Factors we assessed included:

• Availability of risk management tools such as stop-loss orders
• Whether brokers offer negative balance protection to limit losses
• Use of segregated client accounts to safeguard funds
• Overall trust and regulatory standing

All brokers were then ranked by our overall ratings system, which covers more than 200 data points including pricing, platform reliability, and customer support. This ensures our recommendations balance the appeal of higher leverage with trader safety and service quality.

What To Consider When Picking A High Leverage Broker

If you’ve decided you want a high-leverage account, here are the main factors to check:

• Regulation & Safety – First, ask yourself: do you want FCA protection or not? FCA brokers mean security but capped leverage. Offshore brokers mean high leverage but less protection. Be clear on which trade-off you’re choosing.
• Negative Balance Protection – High leverage means you can lose money fast. Negative balance protection stops you from owing more than your deposit. FCA brokers must provide this. Offshore brokers may not. If you go offshore, be sure to check this rule carefully.
• Margin Requirements – Margin is the deposit you need to open a position. High leverage lowers margin, but not all brokers set it the same way. Compare margin requirements for the instruments you trade most often.
• Stop-Out Levels – Stop-out is when the broker automatically closes your trades to protect itself from potential losses. Some brokers close positions when your margin level hits 20%. Others wait until 50%. The higher the stop-out level, the earlier your trades get cut off. This matters a lot when trading with high leverage.
• Professional Account Options – If you qualify for a professional trading account, you may obtain leverage of up to 1:500 while working with an FCA-regulated broker. To do this, you usually need:
  • Proof of frequent large trades.
  • A portfolio worth over €500,000.
  • Relevant professional experience.
• Not everyone can qualify, but if you do, it gives you higher leverage without losing FCA protections.
• Instruments You Trade – Leverage is not the same across all markets. Major forex pairs usually get the best levels. Indices, metals, and commodities get lower. Stocks and crypto have the lowest. If you mainly trade one type of instrument, look at the leverage rules specific to that asset.

What High Leverage Really Means

Leverage is borrowing money from your broker to open a position larger than your deposit. If you put in £200 and your broker gives you 1:30 leverage, you can trade £6,000. At 1:500, that same £200 controls £100,000.

It works like a double-edged sword. A small price move in your favour can grow your account quickly. But a small move against you can wipe it out just as fast.

For example:

• With 1:30 leverage, a 1% move against you on a £6,000 position means a £60 loss. That’s about 30% of your £200 deposit.
• With 1:500 leverage, a 1% move against you on a £100,000 position means a £1,000 loss. That’s five times your deposit—leaving you owing money if there’s no protection.

So, high leverage is not about easy profits. It’s about increased risk. This is the first thing to accept before looking at brokers.

Trading forex on eToro with leverage lets you control larger positions with less capital

FCA Rules On Leverage In The UK

In the UK, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) sets leverage limits for retail traders. These are:

• 1:30 for major forex pairs (like GBP/USD or EUR/USD).
• 1:20 for minor forex pairs, gold, and major indices.
• 1:10 for other commodities.
• 1:5 for individual stocks.
• 1:2 for cryptocurrencies.

This means if you open an account with an FCA-regulated broker as a retail trader, these are the maximum levels you’ll see.

The rules came into effect to protect traders. Before the cap, many people were trading with 1:500 or 1:1000 leverage and losing more than they had deposited. The FCA stepped in to reduce that risk.

Offshore Brokers & Higher Leverage

Due to these rules, many UK traders turn to offshore brokers. Some of these firms offer leverage as high as 1:2000.

The trade-off is safety. Offshore brokers are not subject to FCA regulation. This means:

• You won’t have access to the Financial Ombudsman if something goes wrong.
• You may not get negative balance protection.
• Your money may not be held in the same secure way as with an FCA broker.

Some traders accept this risk for the flexibility that higher leverage offers. Others prefer to stay within FCA protection, even if leverage is lower. The right choice depends on how much you value safety versus access to bigger leverage.

Who High Leverage Suits

High leverage is not for every trader. It’s most suited for:

It’s not ideal for beginners or for individuals who hold trades for the long term. Even small mistakes can quickly empty an account.

Many experienced traders use lower leverage than what is offered. For example, even with a 1:500 leverage ratio available, you might only use a 1:10 or 1:20 leverage on most trades.

The point of access to high leverage is flexibility, not necessarily using it to the max.

My first run with 1:2000 leverage felt powerful, but a single bad move wiped me out quickly. I learned it’s less about big wins and more about control. Now I use high leverage sparingly, only when I’m confident of the trade.

Christian Harris

Author

Risks You Can’t Ignore

With high leverage, the risks are bigger than many traders expect. These include:

This is why risk management is essential. Before you open a trade, decide how much you’re willing to lose and stick to it.

Bottom Line

In the UK, retail traders are capped at 1:30 on forex and even less on other markets. If you want more, you either need to qualify as a professional or use an offshore broker.

The choice depends on what matters more to you—safety or access to higher leverage. FCA brokers mean security but lower limits. Offshore brokers mean higher leverage but less protection.

Whichever you choose, remember that leverage is a tool. It can work for you or against you.

The best broker for high leverage is not simply the one with the biggest number. It’s the one that matches your trading style, risk tolerance, and the markets you trade.