Varianse OverviewTrading PlatformProductsSpreads & CommissionsLeverageMobile TraderPayment MethodsDemo AccountDeals & PromotionsRegulation & LicensingAdditional FeaturesAccount TypesBenefitsDrawbacksTrading HoursCustomer SupportClient SecurityVarianse VerdictAccepted CountriesAlternatives to VarianseFAQ
Varianse is a licensed, UK-based forex broker providing online, mobile and demo trading. Clients have access to a free MT4 platform download and a variety of charts, indicators and analysis tools. To find out whether to sign up, read our review of Varianse, which covers their offers, deposit methods, features and how to contact their customer service team.
Varianse Overview
Varianse was created in 2015 by a team of financial markets professionals. The broker’s headquarters are in London. Varianse is owned by VDX Ltd., and operates under a trading license from the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Since 2015, the online brokerage has attracted thousands of retail traders worldwide and picked up multiple awards.
Trading Platform
Varianse offers MetaTrader 4 (MT4), one of the most widely used platforms for forex day trading. MT4 can be downloaded from Varianse’s website and provides a data-rich trading environment alongside a myriad tools for market analysis.
MT4 boasts over 50 technical indicators, 30 advanced charting tools and nine time periods. There are also customisable indicators, advanced algorithmic trading options and an expansive historical database. With its intuitive design and range of features, MT4 is accessible for new traders while also preferred by many experienced traders.
Varianse MT4 platform
Products
All Varianse clients can trade on 45 forex pairs. Classic and ECN Pro account holders also get access to CFDs on precious metals, energies, futures, and 10 global stock indices.
Custom Baskets
In addition, Varianse offers custom calculated forex baskets and indices. These are groups of forex pairs, each individually weighted, producing an instrument that is priced and tracked similarly to a regular forex pair. Forex baskets can mitigate the risk of losses from fluctuating currency prices.
Trade Weighted Index
Trade weighted indices (TWIs) are based on the currencies in a central bank’s index, weighting each of the constituent currencies with respect to their influences on the index. TWIs measure the performance of a currency against the group of its major competitors, capturing the medium-term effects of inflation and exchange rate fluctuations. There are eight major currencies for which these indices are calculated, including the Great British Pound, US Dollar and Euro.
Commodity Index
The Varianse commodity index tracks the performance of the US Dollar against the Australian Dollar, Canadian Dollar and New Zealand Dollar. The strength of each of these three currencies largely depends on the export of commodities. Grouping currencies with such high sensitivity to commodity price changes open the door to complex and potentially high-reward trading strategies.
Volatility Index
Varianse calculate a currency volatility index, providing a benchmark of investors’ expectations of future volatility. The index is constructed of the nine most liquid crosses, with weights calculated using the average daily turnover of each cross.
Spreads & Commissions
Varianse makes its money from a combination of variable spreads and commissions. Prime and ECN Pro account holders benefit from more liquid markets and are offered competitive spreads that can be as low as zero on major forex pairs.
Classic accounts, on the other hand, come with less competitive spreads, starting at 1 pip during periods of high liquidity. For reference, average spreads for the ECN Pro account are 0.1 for EUR/USD, 0.6 for GBP/USD and 0.9 for EUR/GBP, which are tight compared to competitors.
Commissions for Prime accounts start at $3 per lot for trade volumes up to $0.5 billion per month. ECN Pro accounts are charged $3.50 per lot and Classic accounts are not charged commissions at all, with the broker taking its fee from the spread.
Varianse does not charge a fee for account inactivity, however, swap fees are implemented for positions that are held overnight. These swap fees can be negative or positive depending on the instrument held.
Leverage
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) is an EU regulatory agency that limits leverage for retail clients to 1:30, protecting traders from high levels of risk. Professional traders with Classic or ECN Pro accounts benefit from leverage rates up to 1:400, although Prime account holders can only access leverage up to 1:200.
Mobile Trader
Varianse clients can use the MetaTrader 4 mobile application. The Varianse app can be downloaded to iOS, Android and Windows-powered smartphones and tablets as well as pocket PCs. Fully integrated with the desktop platform and complete with over 30 indicators, the Varianse mobile app is perfect for trading on-the-go. There is also the option to set up alerts for positions and market news so opportunities aren’t missed.
Varianse mobile trading
Payment Methods
Varianse accounts can be funded and emptied with bank transfers, e-wallets and Visa or Mastercard payment cards. The broker does not charge for deposits, however, some banks and payment processors may charge their own fees. Deposits using bank transfers can be made in GBP, EUR, USD, JPY, PLN, and AUD, though e-wallets and payment cards may only use GBP, EUR, and USD. All deposits will reach the account within the same day if made between 09:00 and 18:00 GMT.
Withdrawals can be made using the same methods as deposits, however additional processing fees of £5 for cards and £30 for bank transfers may apply.
Demo Account
Varianse offers a free demo account, allowing exploration of trading strategies, trading platforms and charting types. The account is loaded with virtual money, so there is no risk to your capital.
Deals & Promotions
There are no deposit bonuses, deals, or promotion codes offered by Varianse. However, traders are incentivised with a one-month free trial of MetaStock XENITH, a powerful financial analysis suite with forex calculators, heatmaps, charting tools and economic events worth $150.
Regulation & Licensing
Varianse is run by VDX Ltd., a company that is licensed and regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority. Traders are also protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), which reimburses clients up to £50,000 if their broker is unable to provide services. Also, all client capital is segregated from the broker’s own money in ring-fenced accounts with Barclays Bank.
Additional Features
Varianse provides more than just a basic trading service, offering a range of attractive extras. Firstly, all retail clients receive negative balance protection. Varianse also offers virtual private servers (VPS), which reduce latency, resulting in a greater range of market opportunities and potential profits. The lower latency works to increase both the speed of executions and the time taken to update prices. Cross-connected VPS are even faster at carrying out functions, with latency speeds reaching less than 0.4ms.
The broker’s one-month free trial of MetaStock XENITH provides a high-end market analysis suite. Complete with real-time economic news and data from thousands of journalists, FX heatmaps, plus sophisticated indicators and charting methods, MetaStock XENITH provides retail clients with institutional-level analysis.
Varianse XENITH
Account Types
Alongside the demo account, there are three live trading accounts offered by Varianse, each designed for a different experience and trading volume levels. All accounts offer hedging, scalping, automated trading, and segregation of client money.
Classic
Professional leverage 1:400
No free X-connected VPS
Minimum deposit $500
Spreads start at 1 pip
100+ instruments
No commissions
CFDs offered
ECN Pro
Professional leverage 1:400
$3.50 commission per lot
No free X-connected VPS
Minimum deposit $5,000
Spreads start at 0 pips
100+ instruments
CFDs offered
Prime
Variable commission based on trading volume
Professional leverage 1:200
Minimum deposit $50,000
Spreads start at 0 pips
Free X-connected VPS
60+ instruments
No CFDs offered
Benefits
Pros of opening an account with Varianse include:
MetaTrader XENITH free trial
Ultra-fast execution times
No maximum trade size
Automated trading
Forex baskets
Low spreads
Drawbacks
Despite its advantages, Varianse could improve in the following areas:
Limited customer support hours
No cryptocurrency trading
No educational resources
No social trading
Withdrawal fees
Trading Hours
All Varianse instruments are open for trading almost 24/7. The trading hours are 22:05 to 22:00 GMT Sunday through Monday, with a daily trading break from 22:00 to 22:05 GMT and a daily MT4 maintenance break from 04:00 to 04:03 GMT. FIX API connections may follow different maintenance times.
Customer Support
Clients can contact Varianse using the online chat function on the right of the website, though this is only open during trading hours. The customer support team is available between the hours of 9.00 and 18.00 GMT Monday to Friday. The broker is contactable via telephone and email:
Phone – +44 203 475 2285
Email – service@varianse.com
Customer reviews of the support available are mostly positive, with representatives able to help with most queries.
Note, Varianse’s registered office address is in London.
Client Security
Varianse uses sophisticated cybersecurity measures to ensure the security of personal data. Server authentication and firewalls are used alongside several data encryption techniques provided by Cisco, including secure sockets layer (SSL) 3.0.
Varianse Verdict
Varianse provides access to some of the industry’s lowest latency times and most advanced analysis tools. With a range of tradeable assets including forex baskets, the broker is a strong combatant in the FX trading arena. However, the lack of tradeable cryptocurrencies and educational resources hold Varianse back. Therefore, we would recommend Varianse to traders with a strong background in trading, and direct newer traders towards other brokers first.
Accepted Countries
Varianse accepts traders from Australia, Thailand, Canada, United Kingdom, South Africa, Singapore, Hong Kong, India, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Italy, Denmark, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Qatar and most other countries.
Traders can not use Varianse from Bahamas, Botswana, Cambodia, Ghana, Iceland, Mongolia, Pakistan, Panama, Syria, Trinidad And Tobago, Yemen, Zimbabwe, Korea, Iran, Iraq, United States.
Alternatives to Varianse
If you are looking for alternatives to Varianse we have compiled a list of the top 5 brokers that are similar to Varianse below. This list of brokers like Varianse is in order of similarity and only includes companies that accept traders from your location.
OctaFX – OctaFX offers multi-asset trading on a range of platforms and mobile solutions.
IronFX – IronFX offers online trading in forex, stocks, futures and commodities
Swissquote – Swissquote is an FCA-regulated FX & CFD broker offering 160+ trading products.
ActivTrades – ActivTrades offers online trading on the MT4, MT5 and ActivTrader platforms.
Hantec Markets – Hantec Markets is a multi-regulated online FX broker offering MT4 and a tailored service providing flexibility to suit any trader.
FAQ
What is the minimum deposit required to sign up with Varianse?
For a Classic account, $500 is the minimum deposit. For ECN Pro and Prime accounts, the minimum deposit is $5,000 and $50,000, respectively.
Is Varianse a safe broker?
Varianse is licensed and regulated by the FCA, a rigorous regulator responsible for tens of thousands of financial services companies. Furthermore, all client funds are segregated from the broker’s money and Varianse is a member of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.
What trading platform does Varianse have?
Varianse offers a free MetaTrader 4 download for all account holders. MT4 is also available on iOS and Android mobile devices.
Does Varianse have a demo account?
Yes, traders can sign up for a free practice account funded with virtual cash to test the platform and trading strategies. Once users are comfortable, they can then open a live trading account.
Can I open a Varianse account in the USA?
No, Varianse is only licensed to operate in the United Kingdom. See our list of brokers for providers that do offer trading services in the US.