These days many people are driving towards CFDs. You probably have come across ads on social media, YouTube, and other networks.

Many people want to hop on this train. This is due to the considerable flexibility that this type of derivative trading provides.

Thanks to the top CFD brokers, you may profit from both sides of the market and trade in some of the most secure, low-fee trading settings.

In this guide, we'll talk specifically about CFD trading platforms in South Asia. As the region is one the most populous globally, many CFD brokers want to cash in on this opportunity. 

So, here's a list of the top five CFD trading platforms in South Asia: 

1. Top1 Markets 

Top1 Markets is an Australian and Vanuatu-based FX and CFD company.

The broker offers forex, commodities, stocks, indices, and other goods for investment.

As a South Asian, you can trade all CFD products with competitive spreads through the brokerage platform. The broker is owned and run by a corporation regulated by ASIC (Australian Securities and Investments Commission).

This is a major advantage because ASIC is one of the most regarded regulatory authorities. 

One of the most important laws they impose is the use of separate accounts. This notion prohibits brokers from combining clients' funds with the company's, preventing some types of fraud. 

In addition, brokers regulated in Australia must also allow frequent audits and have at least AUD 1 million in the capital. 

Top1 Markets offers over 80 instruments, including currency pairs, CFDs on equities, indices, precious metals, and cryptocurrency pairs as trading options. 

The brokerage firm provides three account types, ECN, Premium leverage, and an Islamic account. 

By directly linking currency market players over electronic communication networks, you can get real-time pricing, quicker order execution, and tighter spreads with an ECN trading account.

Top1 platinum account is meant for pro traders. It also provides stock trading as CFDs. The minimum deposit for the platinum account is $50.

If you want no overnight charges complying with Sharia law, you will be glad to know that Top1 offers an Islamic account. This account provides similar trading conditions as the other two accounts.  

Traders always appreciate a diverse product assortment, as well as the MetaTrader5 (MT5) platform's availability. Top1's MetaTrader 5 is one of the most advanced platforms with plenty of technical tools.

At Top1 Markets, you can have a maximum leverage of 1:100, with a minimum spread of 0.8 on EUR/USD. This is highly competitive. Also, the leverage of 1:100 is not too high, so you can play with it. 

The broker also offers several deposit and withdrawal methods. If users have limited payment possibilities, then this is a great option. 

One of the primary reasons Top1 Markets appeals to both expert and novice traders is its extensive education section. This area includes ebooks, video courses, and webinars, among other training items.

Overall, Top1 provides you with professional market analysis and fair pricing with no shady costs. 

Pros

● Licensed by ASIC

● Lower spreads 

● Plenty of deposit and withdrawal methods

● Responsive customer support service

● Several account opening currencies

● Allows auto-trading

● Offers MT5 platform

Cons

● No MT4 platform

2. FBS

CySEC (Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission) regulates FBS and is owned by Tradestone Ltd in the EU. FBS Markets Inc., regulated by IFSC (Belize's International Financial Services Commission), manages the worldwide branch.

Cyprus is a member of the EU and offers international financial businesses a great balance of regulation and freedom.

FBS offers 75 financial CFD products to South Asian traders, including forex, indices, energies, commodities, and stocks.

FBS offers five trading accounts. These include cent, micro, zero spread standard, and an ECN account. 

Each account comes with predefined terms and advantages. Commissions are not charged on the cent, micro, or standard accounts, for example. These accounts provide fixed or floating spread choices and $1 to $100 minimum initial deposits.

As the name implies, the zero spread accounts feature a set spread of zero pips and leverage of 1:3000. You may also create an ECN account with a $1,000 minimum deposit, $6 per lot fees, variable spreads as low as one pip, and up to 1:500 leverage.

FBS offers various trading platforms for both novice and expert traders, allowing you to trade across a wide range of asset classes.

FBS also offers MetaTrader 4 and 5 web trader platforms for trading. There's no need to download anything, and you may trade on a variety of asset classes using one-click trading.

FBS allows mobile trading using the MT4, MT5, and FBS Trader mobile trading apps available for Android and iOS.

FBS has an app called FBS CopyTrade that you may use. This allows you to imitate other traders' trades. In exchange for a set 5% monetary incentive, it also supports fund managers in sharing their transactions. This account may be managed directly from your client portal.

FBS offers a wide range of educational options. There are also links to forex guidebooks, trader Tips, webinars, and a glossary section.

Pros 

● Access to commission-free trading

● ECN accounts are available.

● Allows MetaTrader 4/5 and FBS Trader.

● FBS CopyTrade 

● Great customer support service

● Wide range of deposit methods

Cons

● A limited number of tradable products

● Limited education and research content

3. Exness

Exness is the name of an international brokerage firm based in Seychelles with two major offices. It is also a Cyprus Broker.

With 107 currency pairings accessible, Exness offers one of the most comprehensive forex market coverages available today. As a South Asian trader, you will be pleased with the selection. In addition, assets include seven cryptos and commodities.

For cross-asset diversification, there are 40 stock and index CFDs available. In addition, Exness, as a forex broker, offers a market-leading asset selection to its clients. 

Exness offers four account types. Although on their website, they mention five accounts, there isn't an ECN account.  A $1 minimum deposit is required for the Standard Account, with a maximum leverage of 1:2000.

The raw spread, zero, and pro accounts require a $200 minimum deposit. From these accounts, the pro is the best option for many traders due to its efficient trading conditions.

You can trade on the well-known MetaTrader 4 and 5 trading platforms for Windows, Mac, Linux, and the Web through Exness. You may also trade via the Exness Web Terminal, which has restricted capabilities but provides the quick and easy trading capability.

Exness has a complicated fee and commission model that is based on the account types mentioned above. Many traders would likely prefer the pro account's terms, which start with a 0.6 pip commission-free mark-up on the EUR/USD. On overnight positions, there are swap rates as well as third-party deposit/withdrawal costs.

Exness' leverage is one of its greatest suits. On a Standard account, it can give up to 1:2000 leverage. However, you must exercise caution since leverage is a two-edged sword.

Exness provides traders with outstanding in-house analysis, which might be the broker's most valuable asset. The Weekly Forex Data provides you with in-depth analyses of key impending events as well as trading suggestions. In addition, the bi-weekly technical analysis, which includes detailed descriptions of transactions, provides value.

In March of this year, Exness revealed its cutting-edge social trading network. It's the ideal instrument for investors who don't have much time to participate in forex.

On this platform, you may find a competent forex trader and imitate their moves. You gain money based on the ratio of your funds if that trader makes money.

Pros

● Commission-free trading available

● Access to multiple trading accounts 

● 24/7 customer support in English/Chinese/Thai

● Wide range of forex pairs to trade

Cons

● Offshore regulation

● Only a handful of U.S. stocks are available

4. OctaFX

OctaFX was formed in Cyprus in 2011. Since then, they've come a long way to become one of the industry's top forex brokers. They are subject to CySEC and Saint Vincent and Grenadine regulations.

There are 28 forex currency pairs available to trade with this broker. Depending on your account type, spreads start at a very competitive zero pips with a $5 per side per lot charge or as low as 0.2 pips with no commission.

Aside from that, the broker provides four commodities, ten indices, and three cryptocurrencies.

OctaFX offers four different types of accounts: MT4 micro, MT5 pro, cTrader, and an Islamic account. One of the best alternatives as a beginner trader with OctaFX is an MT4 micro account. For novices and little investments, this account is ideal. A $5 minimum deposit is required for this type of account.

For the more experienced traders, they recommend the OctaFX MT5 pro account. Despite this, the minimum deposit is still modest ($500), allowing all sorts of traders to participate. 

Another popular choice for traders is the cTrader account. The minimum deposit for this account is incredibly low, beginning at just $100.

If you're looking for an OctaFX Islamic account, they're also accessible. You will be able to create a Sharia-compliant account here.

The OctaFX Champion is a contest where you can establish a demo account and trade for four weeks. During this time, your simulated transactions will be shown on a scoreboard to reach the top, where actual rewards of up to $1,000 in withdrawable money on MT4 and $150 on cTrader will be awarded. 

OctaFX's research tools include a well-detailed economic calendar that keeps you up to speed on all major economic events and how they may affect you.

Regular market updates, including trading ideas, predictions, and technical analysis, are also provided by the OctaFX team, as well as frequent forex market news and frequently updated exchange, interest, and other rates that may influence you as a trader.

Pros

● Great research section

● Multiple account types

● Excellent language support for South Asian traders

● MT4 and MT5 platforms are available 

Cons

● Non-EU traders fall under the Saint and Grenadine regulation

5. HotForex

HotForex was founded in 2010 and is licenced by numerous international authorities, making it a safe broker for trading forex and CFDs. The broker is regulated by CySEC, FCA, FSCA, DFSA, and FSC.

The broker supports a wide variety of forex currency pairings. There are 45 to trade in all, with a modest spread that starts from 0 pips depending on the account you choose. There are also 15 commodities, 22 indexes, 55 stocks, and three bonds to choose from.

When it comes to selecting a trading account at HotForex, you have a lot of options. For South Asian traders, the broker provides premium accounts, zero spread accounts, copy accounts, premium pro accounts, and an Islamic account. 

For many South Asian traders, the premium account is the most frequent account type. A $100 or similar deposit is required. Trading spreads on this account start at one pip across all assets, which is a great option.

The zero spread account provides the best value in terms of spreads starting at 0 pips and is excellent for scalpers and EA users who want to trade at the lowest possible cost. 

If you're looking to copy trade, then HFcopy is the account for you. The minimum deposit required here varies based on the type of account you choose to create.

The minimum deposit ranges from $300 to $1000 depending on the location if you want to be copied and provide your trading system to others. On the other hand, if you want to follow other traders, your deposit will be between $100 and $300.

The premium pro account requires a $500 initial deposit. While the spread is still one pip, the leverage is boosted to 400:1 with this account.

Where required, the HotForex Islamic account is accessible, with the minimum deposit varying based on the account type.

Under the HF Markets Group, research is well-served. This can take various forms, ranging from technical analysis of the various markets to more fundamental research, comprehensive insights from market specialists, and various publications.

Pros

● Website available in all South Asian languages

● Extensive research and education section

● Multiple account types

● Highly regulated

Cons

● Not every account type is available for South Asian traders

● High overnight charges 

CFDs explained 

Now that you know what the best CFD platforms are for South Asian traders, it's time to mention what CFDs are and their advantages and disadvantages. 

Investors and financial institutions enter into contracts for differences (CFDs) in which the investors speculate on the asset's future worth.

Using CFDs, you can predict the future market movements of an asset without actually owning it. In addition, all CFDs are traded online, so it saves the hassle of owning the physical product.

CFDs may be traded on a variety of underlying assets, including stocks, commodities, and currencies. CFDs are leveraged products, which means that to create a position, you only need to deposit a tiny proportion of the total value of the transaction. This is called margin trading or margin requirement.

While margin trading magnifies your profits, it also magnifies your losses because they are based on the whole amount of the position. This implies you might lose all of your money, but because the account is protected against negative balances, you can't lose more than the account's worth.

Advantages of trading CFDs

● CFD trading enables you to open positions in both up and down markets, allowing you to profit from any market movement.

● Given the inherent volatility of CFD holdings, many brokers provide a variety of trade size choices. Brokerages can accommodate a wide spectrum of traders, including beginners, as a result of this.

● CFD brokerage costs are often less expensive than those associated with more traditional trading methods.

● CFDs, unlike other financial products, do not lose value over time. They also have fewer constraints on closing a position than other investments, such as futures, because they don't have defined expiration dates.

● Many CFD brokers provide goods in all of the world's main markets, allowing traders to trade at any time of day or night. In addition, you can trade CFDs on several global markets.

Disadvantages of trading CFDs

● While CFDs are an attractive alternative to traditional trading, they are some risks associated with them. For starters, paying the spread on entry and exits reduces the possibility of profiting from tiny changes.

● CFD trading is fast-paced that demands constant attention. If you can't cover price drops, your broker may liquidate your position, and you'll be liable for the loss regardless of what happens.

Final thoughts 

So, there you have it! All of the above platforms mentioned above provide great trading conditions for CFDs. As a South Asian trader, you need to consider several factors like account types you can open, leverage, spreads, and the broker's regulations. If you are just starting out, make sure to do your research before jumping into the CFD pool.