Deriv review 2026

Is Deriv legit? Deriv is a long-running, widely used trading platform, and its own pages list regulators for different group companies: the MFSA, the LFSA, the VFSC and the BVI FSC. In our record we hold one licence in full detail: licence IS/70156, held by Deriv Investments (Europe) Limited, supervised by the MFSA, the Malta Financial Services Authority. We link the company's terms document and the MFSA register as sources. We do not hold licence numbers for the other regulators, so we do not state any.

The key point for you is this. The European company in our record is not the same company that offers the highest leverage. Deriv says leverage up to 1:1000 is for non-EU entities. If you live in Africa, Asia or Latin America you will probably be served by one of those other entities, not by the Malta one. So the MFSA licence is a sign that the group is serious and regulated in Europe, but it may not be the licence that covers your account.

Before you deposit, find out which Deriv company will hold your account, check that company in the regulator's register, and read what protection it gives you.

MFSA licence (Deriv Investments (Europe) Limited)

The MFSA is the Malta Financial Services Authority. Our record shows licence IS/70156 for Deriv Investments (Europe) Limited, with the company's terms and conditions document as the source. This is the Deriv entity that serves clients in the European market.

What this means: it shows that part of the Deriv group works under European rules, which are stricter than many offshore rules. It does not automatically cover clients who open an account with a different Deriv company. Always read the company name in your own agreement.

Here is how to check the licence yourself, step by step. It takes about ten minutes and it is the most useful habit a new trader can build.

1. Open the website of the MFSA, the regulator. Type the address yourself or use the register link in our sources, not a link sent to you in a message.
2. Go to the public register of regulated firms and search for Deriv Investments (Europe) Limited or for the licence number shown above.
3. Open the firm's entry and read the status. It should say the licence is active, not suspended or withdrawn.
4. Read the list of services the firm may offer. Make sure it covers the products you want to trade.
5. Compare the website address and company name on the register with the ones in Deriv's client agreement. If they do not match, stop and ask Deriv support in writing.

A licence is not a promise that you will make money, and it does not remove market risk. It only tells you that a regulator knows the firm and can act on complaints. Save a screenshot of the register entry on the day you open your account.

We could not confirm spread figures or commission amounts for Deriv from the pages we checked, so we do not quote any. Deriv has several kinds of product, and each one charges in a different way. CFDs on Deriv MT5 or Deriv cTrader charge through spreads and sometimes commissions. Options products on Deriv Trader work differently: you pay a stake and the payout is fixed in advance, so the cost is built into the payout rather than shown as a spread.

What should you do? On the Deriv website, open the page for the product you want and read the cost table. Then open a demo account, which Deriv offers on its platforms, and look at the live spread of the pair you trade at different times of day.

A spread is the small gap between the price you buy at and the price you sell at. If the buy price is a little higher than the sell price, that gap is the spread, and you pay it every time you open a trade. A pip is the standard small step in a currency price; on most pairs it is the fourth decimal place. Spreads are quoted in pips, so a lower number means a cheaper trade.

Some accounts add a commission, which is a fixed fee per trade, usually charged per lot. A lot is the standard contract size for forex. Accounts with very tight spreads often charge commission, while accounts with wider spreads often charge none. Neither is automatically cheaper. To compare, add the spread and the commission together for the pair and trade size you actually use.

A third cost is the swap, also called the overnight fee. If you keep a position open past the daily rollover time, Deriv may charge or pay a small amount depending on the pair and the direction of your trade. Swap rates change, so they are listed in the platform rather than fixed on a website page. Spreads also widen during news releases and at the daily market open and close, so the spread you see at a quiet moment is not the spread you will always get.

Before you fund a live account, run this simple test. Open a demo account, pick the pair you plan to trade and write down the spread at three different times of day. Then read the commission line on the account page and add the two together. Do the same for the next broker on your list. The cheapest account for a scalper who trades often may not be the cheapest for a swing trader who holds positions for days, because the swap then matters more. Our figures are the ones Deriv publishes on its own pages and we link each source, but live prices in your platform are always the final word.

In our record, the account types named by Deriv are Deriv MT5 Standard and Swap-free accounts, plus accounts for Deriv cTrader, TradingView, Deriv Trader and Deriv Bot. A Swap-free account does not charge the overnight fee, which is designed for clients who cannot receive or pay interest for religious reasons. It may use another way to charge, such as a fee, so ask what that is.

Deriv Trader and Deriv Bot are different from the MetaTrader style. Deriv Trader is for options-style trading, where you choose a market, a direction and a stake. Deriv Bot lets you build automated trading rules with blocks instead of code. Automation does not remove risk. A rule that is wrong will lose money very consistently.

How should a beginner choose between account types? Start with how you will trade. If you place a few trades a week and hold them for hours or days, a simple account with no commission and a slightly wider spread is easy to understand. If you trade often, a raw or zero style account with a commission may cost less over a month, because the spread is so small. Do not choose an account only because it sounds more professional. Choose the one where you can clearly explain, in one sentence, how you pay.

Also check three things on the account page: the minimum to open, whether swap-free (Islamic) options exist if you need them, and which platforms work with the account. Not every account works on every platform. Ask Deriv support in writing before you deposit if anything is unclear, and keep the reply.

We could not confirm a minimum deposit for Deriv from its pages, so we do not state a figure. This may be because the minimum depends on the payment method, and Deriv lists many methods. Open the payment methods page that we link to see the limits for your country and your chosen method, and compare them before you pick one.

A minimum deposit is the smallest amount Deriv lets you put in to open or fund an account. Treat it as a ceiling on how little you can start with, not as a sensible amount to trade with. A very small balance leaves almost no room for a normal stop loss, so a single bad trade can end the account. Many new traders do better by starting small but keeping the risk on each trade tiny, and by treating the first months as a paid lesson.

Remember three practical points. First, a payment method can have its own minimum that is higher or lower than the account minimum. Second, if your deposit currency is different from your account currency, someone will convert it, and the conversion rate can include a margin. Third, only deposit money you can afford to lose, never borrowed money and never money needed for rent, food or school fees.

Deriv lists these deposit methods: Visa/Mastercard, Neteller, Skrill, Mobile money (M-Pesa, MTN, Airtel, Vodafone), Bank transfer, Crypto and Deriv P2P. For withdrawals, Deriv states that it uses the same method as the deposit (cards, e-wallets, crypto, Deriv P2P).

Mobile money is the standout. Many brokers do not accept M-Pesa, MTN, Airtel or Vodafone, so Deriv is useful in places where mobile wallets are more common than cards. Deriv P2P is a service where clients trade funds with each other. Be careful with any peer to peer service: only use it inside your Deriv account, check the other person's rating, never release money before you see payment in your own account and never move the conversation to a chat app. Crypto deposits can be fast, but a wrong network or address usually means the money is gone.

Here are the habits that keep payments safe. Use a payment method in your own name, because brokers normally refuse to send money to a third person. Expect to be asked to prove your identity and address before the first withdrawal, so upload clear documents early rather than waiting until you need your money. Withdrawals usually go back to the method you used to deposit. If that method is no longer available to you, ask Deriv support what the alternative is before you deposit.

Never pay a person who contacts you on social media or messaging apps and says they can deposit for you or manage your account. Only fund your account from inside your own client area, on the website address you typed yourself. Check whether a method charges a fee, and whether your bank or wallet adds its own fee on top. Small fees repeated many times become a real cost.

We could not confirm a withdrawal time from Deriv's pages. The terms we found say withdrawals go back through the same method as the deposit, but they do not give a number of hours or days. We therefore state no number.

The Deriv pages on funds and transfers, which we link, explain the rules on moving money in and out. Read them for any holding period, identity checks or limits.

Withdrawal speed is one of the things traders care about most, and it is also one of the hardest things for any review to state honestly, because it depends on the method, the country, the bank, the time of day and whether your account is fully verified. The only way to know is to test it with your own money.

Our advice is simple. Complete identity verification before you deposit. Make a small first withdrawal soon after your first deposit, even if it is only a test, and write down the time you asked and the time the money arrived. Use the same method you deposited with. If a withdrawal is slow, open a support ticket, quote the date and the reference number, and keep screenshots. If the broker does not answer, find the complaint route on the regulator's website named in this review. At The Forex Bridge we run our own timed withdrawal tests with real money, and we will add a verified result to this page once we have one. Until then, do not treat any claimed speed as a promise.

Deriv offers five platforms in our record: Deriv MT5, Deriv cTrader, TradingView, Deriv Trader and Deriv Bot. Deriv MT5 is the Deriv version of MetaTrader 5, with CFDs on forex and other markets. Deriv cTrader is the Deriv version of cTrader. TradingView lets you use its charts. Deriv Trader and Deriv Bot are Deriv's own tools for options-style trading and rule-based trading.

For a beginner who wants to trade currencies, Deriv MT5 is the most standard choice. For someone who wants to try Deriv's options, Deriv Trader has a simple screen. Whatever you choose, start on the demo account.

A trading platform is the program where you see prices, place orders and manage open trades. Most beginners meet MetaTrader first. MT4 is older, simple and stable, with a very large library of add-ons and automated strategies. MT5 is newer, has more built-in tools and more kinds of order, and covers more markets. cTrader is known for a clean look and detailed order handling. TradingView is mainly a charting website that some brokers connect to, so you can place trades from the charts you already use.

Which is best for you? Pick the one you can understand fastest, and practise on a demo account for a few weeks before you use real money. Check that the platform is available on your phone and your computer, because you will want to see your open trades when you are away from your desk. Always log in from the broker's own website or from the official app store listing, and switch on two-step login if Deriv offers it.

Deriv states leverage of up to 1:1000 on Deriv MT5 Standard and Swap-free accounts for non-EU entities. That is a very high number. At that level, a very small price move against you can wipe out your margin. High leverage looks attractive because you can open large trades with little money, but it is the main reason new accounts blow up.

Use only a small part of what is available. A safe habit is to pick a position size from your stop loss and your risk percentage first, and only then see how much leverage that needs. Also note that Deriv's options products can lose the whole stake in a single trade, so size them even smaller.

Leverage lets you control a larger position than your own money would allow. With leverage, a small price move can bring a large gain, and it can bring a large loss just as fast. The money you put up to hold a position is called margin. If your losses grow until your margin level falls too low, the broker closes your trades automatically. That is called a stop-out. Stop-out rules differ by broker and account, so read them before you trade.

Some regulators limit the leverage that retail clients can use, and some also require negative balance protection, which means you cannot lose more than the money in your account. Others do not. Ask Deriv in writing which rules apply to your account, because they depend on the company that holds it.

A few habits protect new traders. Risk only a small slice of your account on each trade, such as one to two percent. Always use a stop loss. Do not add to a losing trade. Do not trade during major news until you understand how prices behave then. High leverage is a tool, not a target.

70.78% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs, according to the figure Deriv publishes. A CFD is a contract that follows a price without you owning the asset, and it is a complex product that can lose money quickly.

Deriv is a good match for:

• Traders in Africa and other emerging markets who want to fund an account with mobile money.
• Traders who want to try both CFDs and options in one place.
• People who like a choice of platforms, including Deriv's own tools.

It is less suitable for:

• Traders who need a clear published minimum deposit and cost table before they start.
• Anyone who wants the protection of the European licence but would be served by a non-EU entity.
• Beginners who might be drawn to high leverage and fast options.

If you are in a country where Deriv is available, confirm which entity serves you and which regulator covers it.

If you are brand new, the safest path is slow. Spend your first weeks on a demo account and write a trading plan with entry rules, exit rules and a maximum loss per day. Move to a small live account only when your demo results are steady for a while. Expect to lose some trades; the goal is to keep each loss small. Never trade money you cannot afford to lose, and be careful with anyone who promises fixed profits, signals that never lose, or a managed account with guaranteed returns. Those are common scams, and Deriv is not connected to them.

1. Go to https://deriv.com by typing the address into your browser yourself.
2. Click to create an account and enter your email address, country and a strong password.
3. Confirm your email, then read the name of the Deriv company that will hold your account in the terms.
4. Complete the identity checks that Deriv asks for, with a passport or national ID and proof of address.
5. Choose a platform, such as Deriv MT5, and open a demo account first.
6. Deposit with a method in your own name, such as a card, e-wallet or mobile money.
7. Make a small withdrawal after your first deposit to test the process.

A few tips while you do this. Use an email address that only you can read and a strong, unique password. Have a clear photo of your passport or national ID and a recent document that shows your address, such as a utility bill or bank statement, ready before you start. Make sure the name on the documents matches the name you type into the form. Mismatches are the most common reason for delays. After your account is approved, log in once, read the account settings, and confirm the account currency and the platform before you deposit.

For Deriv, we did not find figures in the pages we checked for inactivity fees, currency conversion margins, withdrawal fees or the stop-out level. We also could not confirm whether negative balance protection applies to your entity. These are not necessarily missing from Deriv's terms; we simply cannot confirm them. Read the terms and conditions document that we link and ask support.

Two Deriv-specific points. First, the leverage you see advertised belongs to non-EU entities, so it is not available to every client. Second, Deriv has more than one regulator across its group, and rules differ between them. Always match the company name in your agreement with a register entry.

The fine print is where many surprises hide, so here is what to read in Deriv's client agreement and fee page before you deposit. Look for inactivity fees, which are charges on accounts you do not use. Look for withdrawal fees and for the currency conversion rate used when your deposit currency differs from your account currency. Check the stop-out level, the rules on negative balances and what happens to open trades if your account is restricted. If a promotion or bonus is offered to you, read the terms about withdrawing it, because some bonuses lock part of your money.

Also read the risk warning, the complaints procedure and the list of countries the entity can serve. A broker may accept your registration but still serve you through a different company in its group from the one you expected. We cannot confirm every one of these points from the broker's public pages, and where we could not, we say so in this review. Where a point is missing, ask Deriv support and keep the answer.

Our verdict: Deriv is a broad platform with strong local payment choices, five platforms and a regulated European arm. Its high leverage on non-EU entities and its options-style products need care, and its costs and withdrawal times are not clearly published. It can work well for informed traders who confirm the legal entity first and start small. It is not a place for beginners to chase fast profits.

Open a demo account, read the terms for your own entity, check the register and make a test withdrawal before you add more money.

Whatever broker you choose, the same rules apply: verify the licence on the regulator's register, test the withdrawal with a small amount, keep the risk on each trade small and keep all of your records. Use this review as a starting point, then check each linked source on Deriv's own site. Trading leveraged products is risky and most retail traders lose money, so only use money you can afford to lose.