Minimum Deposit

The minimum deposit is the smallest amount a broker will accept to open and fund a live account. It is usually set per account type rather than per firm — an entry tier may open on a modest sum while a raw-spread account or professional status asks for substantially more, and the same brand can apply different thresholds through different entities. It is the most visible number in any comparison and one of the least informative, because it says nothing about what the account costs to run. The figure worth weighing it against is the balance the plan actually needs: a deposit that clears the threshold but cannot carry a sensible position size at a sensible risk per trade forces oversized positions, and the minimum is silent about that. Check too whether it applies to the first deposit only, whether it varies by funding method, and whether falling below it later changes the account's pricing tier.