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Pepperstone vs Plus500 for US stocks
Both give you CFD exposure without ownership, so the decision comes down to cost, country eligibility and platform.
Pick Pepperstone if non-US residents trading US shares as CFDs. Pick Plus500 if simple one-screen CFD trading.
A CFD and spread-betting broker, not a US stockbroker. It is on this site because for most non-US traders it is one of the few regulated routes to US-share exposure with leverage.
Visit PepperstoneDeliberately minimal. Fine as a CFD terminal, wrong tool for building a long-term US portfolio.
Visit Plus500Side by side
| Pepperstone | Plus500 | |
|---|---|---|
| What you hold | A CFD on the price | A CFD on the price |
| US stock access | 1,000+ US share CFDs | Several hundred US share CFDs |
| Minimum deposit | None | $100 |
| Fractional shares | n/a | n/a |
| Published pricing | US share CFDs are commission-based on the Razor account and spread-based on Standard; overnight financing applies to positions held past the close. | Costs are spread-only with no separate commission; overnight funding and an inactivity fee apply. |
| Platforms | MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, TradingView | Plus500 web, Plus500 mobile |
| Extended hours | Selected US share CFDs only — check the instrument schedule | Not offered |
| Regulation | FCA 684312, ASIC 414530, CySEC 388/20, DFSA F004356, BaFin 151148 | FCA 509909, CySEC 250/14, ASIC 417727 |
| Founded | 2010 | 2008 |
Where each one wins
Pepperstone
- Non-US residents trading US shares as CFDs
- Leveraged short-term positions
- MetaTrader and TradingView users
- CFDs are leveraged: you do not own the share, get no shareholder rights, and can lose more than you expect
- Not available to US residents
Plus500
- Simple one-screen CFD trading
- No share ownership
- Inactivity fee
- No third-party platforms
Frequently asked questions
Pepperstone or Plus500 — which is better for US stocks?
Both give you CFD exposure without ownership, so the decision comes down to cost, country eligibility and platform. Pepperstone: non-US residents trading US shares as CFDs. Plus500: simple one-screen CFD trading.
Which is cheaper?
Pepperstone: US share CFDs are commission-based on the Razor account and spread-based on Standard; overnight financing applies to positions held past the close. Plus500: Costs are spread-only with no separate commission; overnight funding and an inactivity fee apply. Both figures are restated from each broker's own pricing page; for small non-USD accounts, currency conversion usually costs more than commission does.
Which is better regulated?
Pepperstone is authorised by FCA, ASIC, CySEC, DFSA, BaFin; Plus500 by FCA, CySEC, ASIC. What matters is which entity holds your account, since that determines your compensation scheme and leverage limits.
Reviewed August 2026. Figures restated from each broker's published pages.