Vantage offers three account types, and the differences come down to one thing: how you prefer to pay for your trades. All three accounts access the same instruments, the same MT4/MT5 platforms, and the same execution infrastructure. The choice is purely about spread structure, commission, and whether the cost savings of ECN pricing are worth it at your trading frequency.
This guide breaks down each account with real cost calculations so you can make the decision based on numbers, not marketing language.
- Full comparison of all three account types
- Real trading cost calculations per account
- Standard STP vs Raw ECN: which actually costs less?
- Is Pro ECN worth the $10,000 minimum?
- Account recommendations by trading style
All Three Account Types at a Glance
| Feature | Standard STP | Raw ECN | Pro ECN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Min. Deposit | $50 USD | $50 USD | $10,000 USD |
| Min Spread (EURUSD) | 1.0 pips | 0.0 pips | 0.0 pips |
| Avg Spread (EURUSD) | ~1.32 pips | ~0.12 pips | ~0.0 pips |
| Commission | None | $3/lot (one way) | $2/lot (one way) |
| All-in Cost/Lot (EURUSD) | ~$13 | ~$7.20 | ~$4 |
| Islamic Account | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Platforms | MT4 / MT5 / ProTrader | ||
| Max Leverage | Up to 1:500 (region dependent) | ||
| Neg. Balance Protection | ✅ (depends on regulatory entity) | ||
| Best For | Beginners, swing traders | Active traders, scalpers | High-frequency, large volume |
- Leverage limits depend on your regional regulatory entity. Most international traders outside Australia and UK trade under the VFSC entity, where leverage up to 1:500 is available
- Spreads are floating — they widen during major data releases and low-liquidity sessions. The figures above are typical under normal market conditions
Standard STP — Zero Commission, Simple Pricing
What Standard STP Actually Offers
Standard STP is Vantage’s entry-level account. The design logic is straightforward: no commission, all costs are in the spread. You never need to calculate a separate per-trade fee. The EUR/USD average spread of ~1.32 pips translates to approximately $13 per standard lot round-turn.
For swing traders or position traders who aren’t executing dozens of trades per week, $13/lot is a manageable cost. Where it starts to matter is at higher frequencies — if you’re scalping or running an EA that fires 50+ trades per day, the cost gap versus Raw ECN becomes significant very quickly.
Best for: Traders new to MT4/MT5, swing and position traders, anyone who prefers simple cost tracking without per-trade commissions, and traders who want to test the platform before committing to an ECN structure.
Raw ECN — The Best Value for Most Active Traders
What Raw ECN Actually Offers
Raw ECN provides near-market spreads from 0.0 pips with a $3/lot per-side commission ($6 round-turn). The all-in EUR/USD cost is approximately $7.20/lot — roughly 45% less than Standard STP.
Given that Raw ECN and Standard STP have the same $50 minimum deposit, Raw ECN is almost always the better choice for traders who execute more than a few trades per week. The commission-based pricing requires slightly more mental tracking, but the cost savings are real and compound meaningfully at higher trade volumes.
| Instrument | Avg Spread | Commission (round-turn) | All-in Cost/Lot |
|---|---|---|---|
| EURUSD | ~0.12 pips | $6 | ~$7.20 |
| XAUUSD (Gold) | ~0.10 pips | $6 | ~$7.00 |
| US30 (Dow Jones) | ~1.2 pips | $6 | ~$18.00 |
| BTCUSD | ~18 pips | $6 | ~$24.00 |
Best for: Active traders, scalpers, EA operators, and anyone looking to minimize per-trade cost without the $10,000 barrier of Pro ECN. Since the minimum deposit is identical to Standard STP, there’s no reason not to at least start here if you’re trading more than occasionally.
Pro ECN — For High-Volume Traders Who’ve Outgrown Raw ECN
What Pro ECN Actually Offers
Pro ECN takes Raw ECN one step further: near-zero spreads with commission reduced to $2/lot per side ($4 round-turn). All-in EUR/USD cost is approximately $4/lot. The catch: the minimum deposit is $10,000 USD.
Pro ECN makes sense for traders whose monthly volume is large enough that the $3.20/lot saving over Raw ECN actually adds up to a material number. For most retail traders, that threshold is higher than it might sound — you’d need to be trading hundreds of lots per month before Pro ECN’s lower commission justifies tying up $10,000 at the entry level. If you’re not sure whether your volume warrants it, it probably doesn’t yet.
Best for: High-frequency traders and institutional-style retail traders whose monthly lot volume makes the per-lot cost difference between Raw ECN and Pro ECN meaningful. For most retail traders, Raw ECN is sufficient and Pro ECN’s $10,000 entry is not necessary.
Monthly Cost Comparison — Real Numbers
Assuming 100 standard lots traded per month on EUR/USD:
| Account | Cost/Lot | Monthly Cost (100 lots) | vs Standard STP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard STP | ~$13 | ~$1,300 | Baseline |
| Raw ECN | ~$7.20 | ~$720 | Save ~$580 |
| Pro ECN | ~$4 | ~$400 | Save ~$900 |
The Raw ECN saving at 100 lots/month is approximately $580. At 500 lots/month — a realistic volume for active scalpers or EA traders — that saving grows to roughly $2,900. These are not trivial numbers, and they compound year-over-year.
Account Recommendations by Trading Style
| Your Situation | Recommended Account | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| New to MT4/MT5 | Standard STP | No commission, simplest cost structure to learn on |
| Swing or position trader (few trades per week) | Standard STP | Low trade frequency means the spread difference has limited impact |
| Active trader (multiple trades per day) | Raw ECN | Cost is roughly half of Standard at the same $50 entry |
| Scalping strategy | Raw ECN | Tight raw spreads are essential for scalping profitability |
| EA automated trading | Raw ECN | Execution speed and low spreads are critical for EA performance |
| High-frequency, 500+ lots/month | Pro ECN | $10,000 minimum buys the lowest available cost structure |
