Gold moves in dollars per ounce and a standard lot is 100 ounces — so the broker matters less than your position size. These brokers offer gold with a free demo to learn that on.
5 regulated brokers ranked for this, each with a free demo. Rankings reflect our editorial criteria — verify the details before you deposit.
Ultra-fast withdrawals and tight spreads, huge in Asia.
Raw spreads and deep liquidity for cost-sensitive traders.
CFDs are complex instruments with a high risk of losing money rapidly.
AI-assisted CFD platform with a $20 start and great education.
CFDs are complex instruments with a high risk of losing money rapidly.
Beginner-friendly with generous education and micro accounts.
Established multi-regulated broker with pro-grade execution.
CFDs are complex instruments with a high risk of losing money rapidly.
Gold — quoted as XAU/USD, the price of one troy ounce in US dollars — is one of the most traded instruments in the world and a perennial beginner favourite. It trends, it's endlessly analysed, and it moves on things people find intuitive: the dollar, real interest rates, and fear.
It is also far more volatile than newcomers expect, and the sizing catches people out. Gold moves in dollars per ounce and a standard lot is 100 ounces, so a $20 daily swing — completely ordinary — is $2,000 on one lot. The instrument isn't dangerous; the size people trade it in is.
Gold's trends are what make it attractive and its volatility is what makes it expensive to learn on. If you trade it, trade it smaller than feels reasonable — most gold blowups are sizing errors, not bad analysis.
Free · no deposit · most beginners lose money trading real funds