Home › Brokers with synthetic indices › Deriv vs Weltrade
Deriv vs Weltrade for synthetic indices
They are the two names that come up most when someone searches for “synthetic indices broker”, and almost all the comparisons in circulation end with a winner… usually the one that pays the affiliate commission. Not here: this table compares only data that each one declares in its official documentation, with the date on which we checked them, and without declaring a winner.
Data-by-data comparison
| Deriv | Weltrade | |
|---|---|---|
| Contracting entity | Several companies depending on the country; in the EEA, Deriv Investments (Europe) Limited (Malta) | Weltrade Ltd, IBC in Saint Lucia (registration 2023-00055) |
| Declared regulatory status | Supervisors by company (MFSA, LFSA, BVI FSC, VFSC, FSC Mauritius, CIMA, UAE CMA), with published licence documents | It expressly declares its status as offshore and that the client does not have the protections of regulated frameworks or compensation schemes |
| Declared protection | It warns that its products are complex and may not be appropriate for retail clients | Negative balance protection (loss limited to the amount deposited) and absence of deposit insurance |
| Prominent risk warning | “74% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with Deriv” | Dedicated section on the risks of synthetic instruments (algorithmic pricing, no underlying, internal liquidity only, no regulatory review of the design) |
| Name of the synthetics | Derived and synthetic indices, with documents by family: volatility, Crash/Boom, Jump, DEX, Step, Drift Switch | SyntX |
| Specific account for synthetics | Not published under that name: the indices are within its accounts and platforms | Yes: account SyntX |
| Published initial deposit | Not stated on the verified pages | From 1 USD (Micro and SyntX) and from 10 USD (Pro) |
| Platforms | Deriv MT5 and proprietary platforms (trading and automation) | MT4 and MT5; the SyntX account, on MT5 |
| Copy trading | Not verified in this check | It states that it does not offer it: it would be provided by another entity in the group, under separate terms |
| Promotions | Not verified in this check | First deposit and top-up bonuses, a loyalty programme with its own currency, and a synthetic indices competition |
The difference that matters most here: the legal framework
In an OTC product, where the broker is your counterparty, the key question is not 'who has the better website', but who responds if something goes wrong:
- Deriv organises its operations into entities regulated by different supervisors depending on the country and publishes the licence documents. If you reside in the EEA, the European entity is the one that should serve you; if you reside in another country, the corresponding one. That is what you need to verify before signing up.
- Weltrade identifies an offshore entity in Saint Lucia and warns in writing that the usual protections and compensation schemes do not apply. This is information provided by the broker itself: use it as part of your counterparty risk decision, just as you would with any entity.
Neither of the two things is a recommendation or a warning: it is a direct reading of what each one publishes. The detail on what regulation protects (and what it does not) is in how to check that a broker is safe.
How to verify it yourself, in 20 minutes
- Find out which entity serves you from your country of residence (it usually appears in the account registration or in the terms).
- Look it up in the supervisor's register that the broker cites: exact name and licence number.
- Open the demo account and note down, in your time slots, the average spread and the point value per lot for the symbols you are going to trade.
- Check the withdrawal conditions published (methods, minimums, timeframes, fees).
- Date the comparison and repeat it every six months or whenever you are going to change account.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, Deriv or Weltrade?
We do not declare a winner: the company that serves you, the contracts and the cost depend on your country and your trading. This comparison gathers the verifiable data so that you can decide using your own measurements.
Which one is regulated?
Deriv declares entities with different regulators depending on the country. Weltrade identifies an offshore company in Saint Lucia and warns that the usual protections and compensation schemes do not apply. Verify the specific entity in the relevant register.
Which one has lower costs?
We do not publish that comparison without measuring it: cost varies by account, country and time of day. Open a demo account with both, measure the average spread in your time slots and compare it with your own data.
Which platforms do they offer?
Deriv: its Deriv MT5 and proprietary platforms. Weltrade: MT4 and MT5, with the SyntX account on MT5. To automate in MQL5, MT5 is the common ground.
How often should this data be revalidated?
Every six months and always before opening or changing an account: conditions and the group's entities change, and a comparison without a date is useless.
Decide with your own numbers
The best broker for you is the one that passes your filters and fits the way you trade. At the academy, that is how it is chosen: with written criteria and your own measurements, not with lists.
Keep reading
- Deriv and synthetic indices: what it offers and what to verifyDeclared entities and regulators, documented families and its risk warning.
- Weltrade and SyntX: what its documentation saysThe entity, the published account types and the risk warning for synthetics.
- The best broker for your case (without rankings)The four eliminatory filters and what to prioritise according to your profile.
- How to open an account and what to check before depositingThe five pre-checks, the first deposit and the tests of the first 30 days.
See also: Weltrade vs Deriv