Exness opened in St. Petersburg in October 2008, the same month Lehman Brothers collapsed, and moved its headquarters to Limassol, Cyprus, in 2013. It has since become one of the highest-volume retail CFD brokers: in August 2023 it reported US$4.52 trillion in monthly trading volume from more than 625,000 active clients, the first CFD broker to pass US$4 trillion in a month. This Exness review explains what sits behind those numbers as of November 2026, from the $10 Standard account to leverage that can be unlimited. Our verdict: Exness is cheap to start with and technically strong, but most retail clients are served by offshore entities, and that should shape how much you deposit.
Exness at a glance
| Item | Details (as of November 2026) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2008 (St. Petersburg); HQ in Limassol, Cyprus since 2013 |
| Main global entity | Exness (SC) Ltd, FSA Seychelles licence SD025 |
| Regional retail licences | FSCA South Africa (FSP 51024), CMA Kenya (licence 162) |
| Top-tier licences | FCA and CySEC, but those companies do not take retail clients |
| Accounts | Standard, Standard Cent, Pro, Raw Spread, Zero |
| Minimum deposit | From about $10 (Standard) |
| Platforms | MT4, MT5, Exness Terminal, Exness Trade app |
| Leverage | Up to unlimited (global, eligible accounts); 1:400 in Kenya |
Regulation and safety
Exness publishes a list of ten legal entities. Reading it closely is the most important step in any Exness review, because the strongest licences do not cover ordinary traders.
Top-tier licences that exclude retail clients
Exness (UK) Ltd is on the FCA register under number 730729, and Exness (Cy) Ltd holds CySEC licence 178/12. Exness states that both companies do not offer services to retail clients. A retail trader in the UK or EU therefore cannot open a regular Exness account under those licences.
Entities behind exness.com
For most of the world, the global site is operated by offshore companies: Exness (SC) Ltd, licensed by the Seychelles FSA as a securities dealer (SD025); Exness B.V., licensed by the Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten (0003LSI); Exness (VG) Ltd, licensed by the BVI FSC (SIBA/L/20/1133); and Forexite Ltd in Belize. These regimes allow the very high leverage Exness is known for, but they offer weaker oversight and no compensation scheme comparable to the UK’s FSCS.
Regional licences
South African clients can use Exness ZA (PTY) Ltd, FSP 51024 with the FSCA, and Kenyan clients use Exness (KE) Limited, a non-dealing online forex broker licensed by the Capital Markets Authority (licence 162). There is also a Jordanian company and a Mauritius company that, per Exness, does not currently provide retail services. Independent reviews report negative balance protection and segregated client funds across accounts, which limits but does not remove counterparty risk.
Fees and spreads
Exness offers five live account types, split between spread-only and commission-based pricing:
| Account | Spread from | Commission | Minimum deposit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard / Standard Cent | 0.2 pips | None | About $10 |
| Pro | 0.1 pips | None | $500 (Kenya); varies by region |
| Raw Spread | 0.0 pips | Up to $3.50 per lot per side | $500 (Kenya) |
| Zero | 0.0 pips on top 30 instruments for about 95% of the day | From about $0.05 per lot per side, varies by instrument | $500 (Kenya) |
The Zero account is the unusual one. Spreads stay at zero on its 30 most-traded instruments for most of the trading day, and the cost moves into a commission that changes by symbol. Raw Spread works like a classic ECN account with a capped fee. For small balances, Standard Cent shows the balance in cents, which makes position sizing easier when testing strategies with real money. Exness does not charge deposit fees on its Kenyan methods, though banks and card issuers may. Overnight swaps apply, and swap-free conditions are available in some regions and on some instruments.
Leverage: the headline feature and the biggest risk
On the global entity, independent reviews report leverage of up to unlimited for eligible accounts, with a 60% margin call and a 0% stop-out level. Exness reduces limits around major news and over weekends. Regional rules are tighter; in Kenya, the cap on major pairs is 1:400. Unlimited leverage means a small price move can erase a whole deposit, so most traders should set their own much lower limit in the Personal Area.
Platforms and markets
Exness offers MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, its browser-based Exness Terminal and the Exness Trade app for iOS and Android. A free demo is available on these platforms. The product range covers more than 100 forex pairs plus metals, energies, indices, stocks and crypto CFDs, which Exness combined into a single account in 2018. Exness does not publish a clear total on the pages we could open, so check the contract specifications for the instruments you need.
Deposits and withdrawals
Funding methods depend on your country. They include cards, bank transfers, Skrill, Neteller and crypto, plus local options such as M-Pesa and Airtel Money in Kenya. The Kenyan site says over 98% of withdrawals are processed automatically, and M-Pesa withdrawals often arrive within minutes, 24/7. Neteller withdrawals start from $4. Fast, automated withdrawals are a real Exness strength.
Who Exness suits
- Suits: experienced traders outside the UK and EU who want low entry costs, raw or zero-spread pricing and fast local payments, especially in Africa and Asia.
- Avoid: beginners attracted by unlimited leverage, and anyone who needs a top-tier regulator and compensation scheme for retail accounts.
Final Exness review verdict
Exness combines a $10 entry point, five account types, and spreads from 0.0 pips on its Raw Spread and Zero accounts with a mature MetaTrader set-up and highly automated withdrawals. Its scale is real. The weakness is regulatory: the FCA and CySEC licences do not apply to retail traders, so most clients rely on Seychelles, Curaçao or BVI oversight, or on FSCA and CMA in South Africa and Kenya. Use Exness with modest deposits, conservative leverage and a clear view of which entity holds your money. Most retail traders lose money with leveraged CFDs.
Compare Exness with the other top forex brokers, or read our Pepperstone review and XM review.
FAQ
Is Exness regulated?
Yes, but mostly through offshore and regional licences for retail clients. The global site exness.com is run by entities licensed in Seychelles (FSA, SD025), Curaçao (CBCS), the BVI (FSC) and Belize, while local sites operate under South Africa’s FSCA and Kenya’s CMA. The FCA- and CySEC-licensed companies state that they do not serve retail clients.
What is the minimum deposit at Exness?
The Standard account starts from about $10, depending on the payment method. Exness’s Kenyan site lists $500 for the Pro, Raw Spread and Zero accounts; the threshold can vary by region, so check your Personal Area before funding.
Does Exness really offer unlimited leverage?
Independent reviews report that eligible accounts on the global entity can use unlimited leverage, subject to equity and margin rules, with lower limits around news and weekends. Regional entities are stricter: Kenyan clients are capped at 1:400 on major pairs. Very high leverage can wipe out an account quickly.
What commission does Exness charge?
Standard and Pro accounts have no commission. As of November 2026, Raw Spread charges up to $3.50 per lot per side, and Zero charges from about $0.05 per lot per side, with the rate depending on the instrument.
Which platforms does Exness support?
Exness offers MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, its browser-based Exness Terminal and the Exness Trade mobile app. A demo account is available on these platforms.
Facts compiled on 8 November 2026 from the official website, regulator registers and independent reviews listed in the sources. Fees and conditions change; confirm on the official site before opening an account.
