LiveRisk-On · 69Vol: moderateVIX 15.49DXY 99.88S&P +1.22%Gold +1.97%JPY strength -0.1910Y-2Y spread 0.46Updated 43m agoFull regime data →
Methodology

How we actually test things before we review them

Every stat on a review page here comes from a real, dated check, not a rewritten spec sheet. Here's exactly what that process looks like, per category, and what you can go verify yourself.

Brokers

We open a real MT5 account with the broker’s minimum deposit and stream live spread data from it continuously. We submit a real withdrawal request and time it, start to finish, publishing the screenshot where we can. Every regulator claim is checked against that regulator’s own public register, not taken from a badge on the broker’s site.

EAs

We run the EA against real historical price data and, where possible, on a live or demo account over a real time window, not a single cherry-picked backtest chosen to look good. Win rate, drawdown, and consistency are things we observe directly, and we flag plainly when a result is backtest-only versus live-verified.

Indicators

We check for repaint behavior directly on the chart rather than trusting the seller’s claim. Where an indicator is linked to a live signal feed, its call history is tracked and tallied over time instead of relying on a one-off example screenshot.

Strategies

We evaluate a strategy against the market regime it’s meant for, not in isolation. Confluence with other tools, realistic win-rate expectations, and where a strategy tends to break down are all covered, instead of presenting a single equity curve as proof.

Regulator coverage

We check regulator claims against the regulator, not the broker. Where a regulator publishes a free, structured lookup, such as the UK's FCA Financial Services Register, we check it directly through that system. Where it doesn't, the check is manual against that regulator's own published register. This isn't limited to one regulator, here's what's actually on file right now, pulled live from every broker's regulation record:

CySEC · 8 brokers, 8 active
FSCA · 6 brokers, 6 active
ASIC · 5 brokers, 5 active
FCA · 5 brokers, 5 active
FSA Seychelles · 4 brokers, 4 active
VFSC · 3 brokers, 3 active
FSA · 2 brokers, 2 active
FSC Belize · 1 broker, 1 active
Financial Services Authority (Seychelles) · 1 broker, 1 active
MISA · 1 broker, 1 active
SCB · 1 broker, 1 active
CIMA · 1 broker, 1 active
The Safety Score, broken down

Every broker's Safety Score is computed, not typed in by an admin. It sums five factors out of a possible 100 points, and the same breakdown is shown on the broker's own page so you can see exactly why a score is what it is.

Regulatory oversight · 40 pts
Active regulator entries, each linked to its own public register entry
Verification recency · 20 pts
How recently we last rechecked the facts on the page
Verification history depth · 20 pts
How many separate, dated verification checks are on record
Live account transparency · 12 pts
Whether we hold a real live account streaming spread data
Written methodology · 8 pts
Whether a specific verification note is on file for this broker
How we score EAs

Every EA review carries an editorial score out of 5, built from five weighted categories:

Performance · 30%
Absolute and risk-adjusted returns, maximum drawdown, and recovery factor — consistency weighs more than a peak number
Risk management · 25%
Lot-sizing logic, stop-loss implementation, and whether martingale or grid elements carry hidden tail risk
Transparency · 20%
Live-verified results versus backtest-only, and how clearly the vendor explains its own strategy logic
Value for money · 15%
Price against verified performance, licensing terms, and whether a cheaper alternative delivers similar results
Support & updates · 10%
Setup documentation, responsiveness, and whether the EA is still actively maintained
What we check for
  • ×Backtest-only results with no live or forward-tested track record
  • ×Unrealistic profit claims (100%+ monthly with minimal drawdown)
  • ×No independently verifiable live account (Myfxbook, FX Blue, or equivalent)
  • ×Hidden martingale or grid position sizing not disclosed in the marketing
  • ×Countdown timers and "only X copies left" pressure tactics
How we score indicators

Every indicator review carries an editorial score out of 5, built from five weighted categories:

Repaint behavior · 30%
Whether signals hold once plotted, checked directly on the chart rather than taken from the seller's claim
Signal reliability · 25%
How consistent the indicator's calls are across different market conditions, not one cherry-picked example
Transparency · 20%
Whether the vendor explains the underlying logic and discloses known limitations
Value for money · 15%
Price against what the indicator actually does, and whether platform-specific pricing gaps are justified
Usability · 10%
Clarity of signals on the chart, alert options, and whether it needs heavy manual tuning to be useful
What we check for
  • ×A "non-repainting" claim with no way to verify it against live chart history
  • ×Screenshot-only proof instead of a checkable multi-week signal log
  • ×Marketing that promises a fixed win rate for a tool that's just one input among several
  • ×No disclosed platform differences when the same name is sold separately for MT4 and MT5
Corrections and updates

Facts change: a broker changes its minimum deposit, a regulator status lapses, a spread widens. When we find something out of date, we correct it and log a new dated entry in that page's verification history rather than silently editing the number. If you spot something that looks wrong, tell us and we'll recheck it.

Affiliate disclosure
Some links on this site are affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission if you sign up through them, at no extra cost to you. That relationship never changes what we publish about execution quality, drawdown, or repaint behavior, the testing happens first, the write-up reflects what we actually found either way.
Who does the testing
A
Alex Jhonas
Lead Reviewer, FirstBuckFX
Runs FirstBuckFX's reviews end to end, testing every broker, EA, and indicator personally before it's published, while also building the data desk this site runs on.