Quick Answer · Updated August 2026
CFD trading has three core costs: the spread (the gap between buy and sell price, paid on every trade), commission (a fixed fee per lot on raw-spread accounts — e.g. $6 round-turn at SCapitalFX), and swap (overnight interest, avoidable with swap-free accounts). Everything else — deposit, withdrawal and inactivity fees — varies by broker and should be published openly.
Most traders obsess over strategy and ignore costs, but costs are the one part of trading you can control completely. Here is every cost in CFD trading, with real numbers you can verify.
1. The spread — the cost of every trade
The spread is the difference between the buy (ask) and sell (bid) price. Buy at 1.10010, sell price is 1.10000 — that 1-pip gap is the cost of entering. On one standard lot of EUR/USD, 1 pip ≈ $10; on a micro lot, about $0.10. Full explainer: what is the spread.
2. Commission — only on raw-spread accounts
Brokers price trades two ways:
| Model | How you pay | Example (SCapitalFX) |
|---|---|---|
| Spread-only (“Standard”) | Cost built into a wider spread, $0 commission | Standard account, from $10 minimum |
| Raw + commission | Spreads from 0.0 pips + fixed fee per lot | Raw Spread account, $6 round-turn per lot |
“Round-turn” means the fee covers both opening and closing. Which model is cheaper depends on your volume — the math is worked through in Standard vs Raw Spread.
3. Swap — the overnight cost
Hold a position past the daily rollover and you pay (or occasionally receive) swap — interest based on the rate difference between the two currencies. Swaps triple on Wednesdays to cover the weekend. Day traders barely notice swaps; swing traders must price them in — or use an Islamic swap-free account. Details: swap fees explained.
The costs nobody advertises
- Deposit fees. Should be zero. At SCapitalFX the full deposit amount is credited.
- Withdrawal fees. Watch for percentage cuts. A flat fee is fairer — SCapitalFX charges a flat $1 per withdrawal.
- Inactivity fees. Some brokers charge monthly after a few dormant months. Check the terms.
- Slippage around news. Not a fee, but a real cost: fills can differ from the quoted price in fast markets. Honest brokers say so instead of promising impossible fills.
A real cost example
Say you trade 0.10 lots of EUR/USD on each model:
- Standard: 1.2-pip all-in spread ≈ $1.20 per round trip, nothing else.
- Raw: 0.1-pip spread ($0.10) + $0.60 commission (0.10 × $6) ≈ $0.70 per round trip.
At this size Raw saves about $0.50 per trade — roughly $50 per 100 trades. Below ~a few lots per month, Standard’s simplicity usually wins.
Compare everything on one page
Every number in this article — spreads model, commissions, leverage per market, and all funding fees — is published on the SCapitalFX Trading Conditions page, updated as of August 2026. That is the page to bookmark and hold any broker against.
Risk warning: trading forex and CFDs carries a high level of risk and you can lose your invested capital. This article is education, not financial advice.
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