This page exists because the numbers are scattered. Every article about brokerage startup costs quotes a different total, sourced from a vendor with something to sell. Below is our independent 2026 benchmark set — the same data that powers our interactive cost estimator — itemized by cost bucket and jurisdiction, in one place.
Writers, analysts and researchers: you may cite or reproduce any figure or table on this page with attribution and a link to this URL. That’s what it’s for.
Last reviewed: July 2026. All figures are indicative first-year ranges in USD thousands unless noted, and change over time — see the methodology note at the end.
The headline numbers
- First-year all-in cost of launching a forex brokerage: roughly $100k to $1m+, depending almost entirely on jurisdiction, dealing model and technology route.
- Regulatory capital spans three orders of magnitude: effectively nil for a registration-level offshore entity, USD 100k minimum in Seychelles (raised from 50k in 2024), €50k–€730k at CySEC depending on model, and up to ~£730k for a full-scope FCA firm.
- Technology is a 20× decision: a white-label launch runs ~$5k–30k in year one; building your own stack runs ~$300k–700k.
- Time-to-market ranges from weeks to 18 months: registration-level offshore in weeks, Seychelles/Vanuatu ~2–6 months, CySEC ~6–12 months, FCA ~9–18 months.
Benchmark 1 — Cost buckets by jurisdiction (first year, USD thousands)
| Cost bucket | Offshore | Mauritius | CySEC (EU) | FCA (UK) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensing & regulatory capital¹ | 50–120 | 80–180 | 150–300 | 200–500 |
| Liquidity & payments setup | 15–40 | 20–50 | 25–70 | 30–90 |
| Compliance & operations | 10–30 | 25–60 | 60–140 | 90–200 |
¹ A large share of the licensing figure is capital you must hold, not money you spend — but it is locked up, so it is a real cost of the choice. “Offshore” here means a genuine licensed regime (Vanuatu, Seychelles); registration-level jurisdictions (St Vincent, Comoros) sit below this band.
Benchmark 2 — Dealing-model capital buffer (added to licensing)
| Dealing model | Additional buffer (USD thousands) | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A-book (agency/STP) | 0 | Risk passes to liquidity providers |
| Hybrid | 30–150 | Partial warehousing requires a risk buffer |
| B-book (market maker) | 50–200 | You warehouse client risk and must capitalize it |
Benchmark 3 — Technology route (first year, USD thousands)
| Route | First-year cost | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| White label | 5–30 | Fastest and cheapest to start; ongoing per-month fees and platform dependence |
| Turnkey stack | 50–150 | More ownership and control; more integration and upfront cost |
| In-house build | 300–700 | Full ownership; only rational at scale or with a genuine product edge |
Benchmark 4 — Marketing & client acquisition (first year, USD thousands)
| Posture | Budget |
|---|---|
| Lean / network-led | 20–60 |
| Standard | 60–150 |
| Aggressive paid acquisition | 150–400 |
This is the bucket founders most consistently under-budget. A working brokerage with no clients is just an expense.
Benchmark 5 — Three worked scenarios (sum of the buckets above)
| Scenario | First-year all-in (USD thousands) |
|---|---|
| Lean offshore: A-book, white label, lean marketing | 100–280 |
| Mid-tier: Mauritius, hybrid, turnkey, standard marketing | 265–740 |
| EU-regulated: CySEC, hybrid, turnkey, standard marketing | 375–960 |
An FCA launch with aggressive acquisition extends past $1m. You can build your own scenario with the same data in the interactive cost estimator.
Benchmark 6 — Regulatory capital and timelines by jurisdiction
| Jurisdiction | Minimum capital (indicative) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| St Vincent / Comoros (registration) | Minimal | Weeks |
| Vanuatu (VFSC) | ~USD 50k | ~2–6 months |
| Seychelles (FSA) | USD 100k (up to ~250k risk-based) | ~2–6 months |
| Mauritius (FSC) | Mid five figures+ | Several months |
| CySEC (Cyprus, EU) | €50k–€730k by model | ~6–12 months |
| FCA (UK) | Up to ~£730k full scope | ~9–18 months |
For the reasoning behind these figures — and the trade-offs the table can’t capture — see What a forex license really costs and the full cost walkthrough in What it really costs to start a brokerage.
Methodology & caveats
These benchmarks are compiled and maintained by Broker Origin from regulator fee and capital schedules, 2026 licensing-market sources, and vendor quotes observed in independent advisory work. They are directional planning ranges, not quotes: capital requirements depend on your license category and dealing model, fees change (Seychelles’ 2024 capital increase is a recent example), and individual vendor pricing varies widely. Verify current figures with the relevant regulator and current quotes before budgeting.
Citing this data: you’re welcome to reproduce any figure or table with attribution to Broker Origin and a link to this page. For interview comment or a custom breakdown, book a consult →.
Part of our independent guide to launching a brokerage. See also: How to start a forex or multi-asset brokerage · What it really costs to start a brokerage · What a forex license really costs.
Broker Origin provides commercial and strategic advisory. It is not a law firm and does not provide legal or regulated financial advice. All figures are indicative and change over time — obtain current quotes and verify capital requirements with the relevant regulator before relying on them.