What is the best CFD trading app in the UAE?
Verdict
- Pepperstone is our pick for the best CFD trading app in the UAE: more than 1,350 markets on its UAE site, an AED account, negative balance protection for retail clients and five platforms including its own app.
- UAE retail leverage at Pepperstone runs from 1:200 on major FX, gold and major indices down to 1:20 on shares, energies and BTC/USD.
- Capital.com is our second choice, with a Dubai company licensed by the UAE CMA and a swap-free account for UAE residents; XS is third.
- Pepperstone's caveat: its UAE retail CFDs are issued by its Bahamas company, and it offers no swap-free account to UAE residents.
A CFD app should give you a wide range of markets, transparent pricing on each, and protection if a trade goes badly wrong. Pepperstone's app covers all three for UAE residents, so it is our first choice, ahead of Capital.com and XS.
Pepperstone: the CFD range, priced and protected
Pepperstone's account tables, using data from March 2025, list 93 forex pairs, 26 indices, 40 commodities, 1,162 shares and 95 ETFs, and its international and Australian tables add 31 crypto CFDs; the UAE site sums its range as more than 1,350 markets. Prices are published per product: a 0.1-pip EUR/USD average on Razor, 0.12 on gold, spread-only indices, and $0.02 per share on US stocks. Its UAE risk disclosure says retail clients are entitled to negative balance protection. The CFDs are issued by Pepperstone Markets Limited, licensed in the Bahamas (SIA-F217); the group's DIFC company is regulated by the DFSA (F004356). You can fund in AED from $10.
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What are the best mobile apps for CFD trading?
For UAE residents, our order is Pepperstone, Capital.com, then XS. Each has its own app as well as third-party platforms:
| Pepperstone | Capital.com | XS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Own app | Pepperstone app | Capital.com mobile app | XS Trading App |
| Other platforms | MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView | MT4, MT5, TradingView | MT4, MT5 |
| Retail leverage, major FX | 1:200 | 300:1 (500:1 on 15 majors) | Up to 1:2000 dynamic; entity not named |
| Negative balance protection | Yes, retail | Yes, retail (per its help centre) | Not in our data |
| Holding company in the UAE | Bahamas issuer; DFSA company in the DIFC | CMA-licensed Dubai company | Dubai company is a consultancy |
Leverage by CFD type at Pepperstone (UAE retail)
- Major and minor FX, major indices, gold: up to 1:200.
- Minor indices: 1:100; soft commodities: 1:50.
- Energies, shares and ETFs, BTC/USD and ETH/USD: 1:20.
- Other metals: 1:10; other crypto: 1:2.
Choosing between the three
Capital.com is the better pick if the company holding your account must be licensed onshore by the UAE CMA, or if you need a swap-free account. Its Dubai company also allows higher retail leverage than Pepperstone, which suits fewer traders than it attracts. XS fits MetaTrader users who fund in dollars and want automatic swap-free status; its Elite account matches Pepperstone's cTrader price on EUR/USD but asks for $500.
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Sources
Broker-published product ranges, leverage and protections.
Can I trade share CFDs on Pepperstone's app in the UAE?
Yes. Share CFDs are charged a commission per side, $0.02 per share on US stocks, and UAE retail leverage on shares is 1:20.
Does Pepperstone's CFD app offer guaranteed stops?
Pepperstone publishes no guaranteed stop-loss. Capital.com's help centre describes one.
Is there a swap-free CFD app for UAE residents?
Capital.com and XS offer swap-free accounts to UAE residents; Pepperstone does not.
Contracts for difference are complex and leveraged; most of the risk comes from how fast losses can grow. Market counts and leverage limits are as published by brokers and change over time. This is not investment advice.