GuideBeginner3 min readNovember 5, 2026

Commission vs Spread-Only Accounts for Gold: Which One Is Cheaper for You?

How raw-spread and standard accounts charge for XAUUSD, a break-even calculation by trading frequency, and when each account type makes sense.

LinGold trader

Lin's Take

I wrote this guide based on how I actually trade gold. No theory — just what works after 10 years.

Key takeaways

| | Standard account | Raw-spread account |
Turn both into dollars for one standard lot (100 oz) opened and closed:
| Lots traded per month | Saving at 11 dollars per lot |
1. Commission currency and basis. Some brokers quote commission per side, others per round turn. Some quote it per 10...
1. Estimate your lots per month from your journal.
Is an ECN account better quality, not just cheaper? Not necessarily. Execution quality depends on the broker and its ...

Most brokers offer two kinds of account: a standard account with a wider spread and no commission, and a raw or ECN-style account with a tighter spread plus a commission per lot. For gold, which is cheaper depends on how you trade.

How each account charges

	Standard account	Raw-spread account
Spread on XAUUSD	Wider	Close to the underlying market
Commission	None	Fixed amount per lot, charged on open and close
Typical minimum deposit	Lower	Often higher
Best for	Occasional trades, small sizes	Frequent trading, larger sizes

Compare cost per round-trip lot

Turn both into dollars for one standard lot (100 oz) opened and closed:

Standard: spread in dollars × 100. A 0.30-dollar spread = 30 dollars.
Raw: spread in dollars × 100 + commission for both sides. A 0.12-dollar spread plus 7 dollars round-trip = 19 dollars.

In this example the raw account saves 11 dollars per lot.

Break-even by trading frequency

Lots traded per month	Saving at 11 dollars per lot
2	22 dollars
10	110 dollars
50	550 dollars

For someone trading two lots a month, the difference is small, and a lower minimum deposit or simpler pricing may matter more. For an active trader, the raw account is usually cheaper.

Watch for these details

Commission currency and basis. Some brokers quote commission per side, others per round turn. Some quote it per 100,000 units of currency, which for gold must be translated into per-lot terms; check the instrument page.
Gold may be priced differently from forex. A broker's headline raw spread is often for EURUSD. Check XAUUSD specifically.
Swaps can differ between account types.
Minimum lot size. Make sure both accounts allow 0.01 lot if you trade small.

How to decide

Estimate your lots per month from your journal.
Measure the real spread on both account types at your trading times: how to measure your gold spread.
Multiply out the monthly cost and pick the cheaper one.

Questions traders ask

Is an ECN account better quality, not just cheaper? Not necessarily. Execution quality depends on the broker and its regulator more than the account label; see market maker vs ECN.

Can I switch account types later? Usually yes, by opening a second account under the same profile.

Does commission count towards my loss on a trade? Yes. Include it when you calculate risk: a trade that hits its stop costs the stop distance plus spread plus commission.

I don't predict. I prepare. Every trade I share here is placed with real money, in real time. No indicators, no noise — just price action and experience.

— Happy trading, Lin