How it compares

Skilling review

Where Skilling wins and loses against the rest of the field, spec by spec.

Last checked

Skilling loses more of these comparisons than it wins, and it is worth seeing which, because a broker that is behind on cost and ahead on protection may still be the right pick for you. Regulated by CySEC (357/18); Seychelles FSA (SD042), offering Skilling Trader, cTrader, MetaTrader 4, TradingView.

Our rating

7.5/10

One rating, identical across our sites - only the way it is shown changes. It averages six assessments: regulation, trading costs, platforms, markets, support and education.

What it costs to trade

8.4/10
Spread from
0.1 pips
EUR/USD spread
Approx. 0.2 pips, Premium
GBP/USD spread
Approx. 0.5 pips, Premium
Commission
$3.50 per side / $7 round turn, Premium
All-in cost, EUR/USD
Approx. 0.9 pips
Spread type
Variable
Overnight swap
Both: overnight swaps apply; swap-free accounts available
Inactivity fee
€10/month after 12 months inactivity
Deposit fee
None internally
Withdrawal fee
None internally
Currency conversion
Currency conversion at applicable exchange rate

Cost comparisons only hold when the account types are the same, so this compares like with like.

A quoted spread from 0.1 pips is a raw-spread figure, which almost always means a separate commission per lot. Compare the two together - a "zero spread" account with a high commission can cost more than a wider spread with none.

Quoted spreads are best-case figures on the most liquid pair, in normal conditions. What you actually pay widens around news and at the session open.

Skilling lists a minimum deposit of $100. Treat it as the cost of opening an account, not the cost of trading one - position sizing on a small balance is what tends to cause damage.

Markets and execution

8.0/10
Markets
Forex, Shares, Indices, Commodities, Cryptocurrencies
Currency pairs
73
Total instruments
900+
Crypto CFDs
Yes
Maximum leverage
1:30
Execution model
Market maker / principal
Execution speed
Approx. 50ms
Order types
Market, limit, stop, stop-loss, take-profit, trailing stop
Servers
London and global financial data-centre infrastructure

Leverage is capped at 1:30, which is the retail limit under tier-one regulation. It is a protection rather than a restriction: it caps how quickly a position can move against your balance.

Skilling covers forex, shares, indices, commodities, cryptocurrencies. A wider range matters less than depth in the instruments you actually trade.

Funding options: visa, mastercard, bank transfer, skrill, neteller and regional payment methods. Check withdrawal routes as well as deposit ones - they are often not the same, and the difference only becomes apparent when you try to take money out.

Platforms and tools

9.0/10
Platforms
Skilling Trader, cTrader, MetaTrader 4, TradingView
Own platform
Yes, Skilling Trader
Mobile app
Both proprietary and third-party
Browser trading
Yes
Automated trading
Yes, MT4 Expert Advisors and cTrader algorithmic trading
Copy trading
Yes, cTrader Copy
Indicators
100+ through TradingView; 30+ MT4; extensive cTrader indicators
Third-party tools
TradingView, cTrader, MetaTrader 4
API access
Yes, cTrader Open API/FIX API

MetaTrader 4 remains the most widely supported platform for expert advisors. If you rely on an existing EA, this is usually the deciding factor.

cTrader shows depth of market and level II pricing, and is usually paired with raw-spread accounts rather than fixed-spread ones.

TradingView integration lets you trade from charts you may already use, removing the need to run a second platform for analysis.

Regulation and safety

8.5/10
Regulated by
CySEC (357/18); Seychelles FSA (SD042)
Regulator tier
Tier 1
Register entry
CySEC CIF Register, licence 357/18
Client money segregated
Yes
Held at
Regulated credit institutions
Negative balance protection
Yes
Compensation scheme
Investor Compensation Fund up to €20,000 for eligible CySEC clients
Audited by
Independent external auditors
Not available to
Belgium, Australia, United States, United Kingdom, North Korea, Iran and other jurisdictions where services are prohibited

This is the comparison where brokers separate most sharply, and it is rarely close.

Skilling holds a tier-one authorisation from CySEC. That matters more than any headline spread: it determines your leverage cap, whether losses can exceed your deposit, and what happens to your money if the firm fails.

It also operates an offshore entity (FSA). Which one you are onboarded to depends on where you live, and the two carry very different protections - worth confirming before you deposit.

CySEC licences passport across the EU and follow the 1:30 retail leverage cap, with the Investor Compensation Fund covering eligible claims.

An FSA licence here is usually the Seychelles authorisation - an offshore entity, with lighter obligations than a tier-one regulator.

Check the licence yourself: the CySEC register of investment firms, the Seychelles FSA list of regulated entities.

Accounts

Minimum deposit
$100
Account types
Standard, Premium, MT4, MT4 Premium, Professional, Corporate, Islamic/Swap-Free, Unleveraged, Demo
Account currencies
EUR, USD, GBP, NOK, SEK
Islamic account
Yes
Demo account
Yes
Professional account
Yes
Minimum trade size
0.01 lots
Time to open
Typically a few minutes

Deposits and withdrawals

Deposit methods
Visa, Mastercard, bank transfer, Skrill, Neteller and regional payment methods
Withdrawal methods
Bank transfer, cards, Skrill, Neteller and supported original funding methods
Deposit time
Instant for most cards/e-wallets; bank transfers typically 1-3 business days
Withdrawal time
Typically processed within 1 business day; settlement varies by method
Minimum withdrawal
€50
Local payment methods
Trustly and jurisdiction-specific local bank/electronic payment methods

Support and education

6.2/10
Support hours
24/5
Contact channels
Live chat, email, phone, Help Centre
Languages
Multilingual
Telephone
+357 22 276710
Email
support@skilling.com
Live chat response
Typically under 2 minutes
Education
Extensive: educational articles, trading guides, platform tutorials, webinars and trading education
Research
Market analysis, trading insights, technical/fundamental commentary and market news

The company behind the brand

Legal entity
Skilling Limited
Company number
HE373524
Headquarters
Nicosia, Cyprus
Founded
2016
Publicly listed
No
Parent company
Independent
Employees
Approx. 50-200
Also trades as
Skilling

Questions people ask about Skilling

How many instruments can I trade at Skilling?

Skilling lists 900+, across forex, shares, indices, commodities, cryptocurrencies. A long instrument list is worth little if the ones you actually trade are not on it, so the count matters less than the coverage.

Is Skilling a market maker or does it pass orders through?

Skilling runs a market maker / principal model, which means it takes the other side of your trade. That is not dishonest in itself, and it does mean its book and your position point in opposite directions.