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Is Exness a Market Maker Broker? The Truth Behind Exness’s Trading Model

If you’re researching brokers and wondering “Is Exness a market maker broker?”, the quick answer is: Exness is a hybrid broker.

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That means Exness can act as both a market maker and a non-dealing desk (NDD) broker, depending on the account type and the specific trade you place.

In this article, we’ll dive deep into what this really means — breaking down Exness’s execution model, how it handles trades, and whether that’s good or bad for you as a trader.

What Exactly Is a Market Maker Broker?

Let’s start with the basics.

A market maker broker is a broker that literally makes the market by offering its own buy (bid) and sell (ask) prices to traders. When you trade with a market maker:

  • The broker becomes your counterparty.If you buy EUR/USD, the broker sells to you; if you sell, the broker buys.

  • The broker can choose to hedge your trade in the external market, or keep it “in-house.”

  • Profits come mainly from spreads and, in some cases, from the difference between clients’ losses and the broker’s hedge positions.

This setup isn’t necessarily bad. Market makers often provide faster execution, stable spreads, and deep liquidity. However, some traders worry about conflicts of interest, since the broker could profit when clients lose.

What About ECN and STP Brokers?

To understand Exness, it helps to compare it with other execution types:

  • ECN (Electronic Communication Network) brokers connect traders directly with liquidity providers — banks, hedge funds, and other traders. Prices are true market quotes, with variable spreads and small commissions.

  • STP (Straight Through Processing) brokers automatically route trades to liquidity providers without a dealing desk.

In both ECN and STP models, the broker is not your counterparty. They simply pass your order through and earn from commissions or markups.

Many modern brokers, including Exness, combine these models — using market-making for smaller orders or specific account types, and STP/ECN for others.

So, Is Exness a Market Maker?

The Short Answer

Exness operates as both a market maker and an ECN/STP broker.

That means:

  • For certain account types (like Standard or Cent), Exness may act as a market maker, handling orders internally to ensure instant execution and tight spreads.

  • For professional accounts (like Raw Spread, Pro, and Zero), Exness acts more like an ECN/STP broker, passing trades to external liquidity providers.

This hybrid structure allows Exness to offer both affordability and professional-level execution, depending on what traders need.

A Closer Look at Exness Account Types and Execution

Exness currently offers several main account types (as of 2025):

1. Standard and Standard Cent Accounts

These are entry-level accounts designed for beginners.

  • Execution model: Market maker / Dealing desk

  • Spreads: From 0.3 pips (no commission)

  • Minimum deposit: Low (varies by region)

  • Advantages: Fast execution, no commission, ideal for small lots

  • Disadvantages: Potential conflict of interest (broker is counterparty)

In these accounts, Exness typically internalizes orders — meaning it acts as the market maker. This ensures quick fills even when liquidity is thin.

2. Pro Account

The Pro account is more advanced and leans toward STP execution.

  • Execution model: No-dealing-desk (STP)

  • Spreads: From 0.1 pips

  • Commission: None

  • Advantages: Better pricing, suitable for active traders

  • Disadvantages: Still variable spreads under volatility

While Exness may still aggregate liquidity internally, Pro accounts generally route trades through external liquidity providers — reducing conflict of interest.

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3. Raw Spread and Zero Accounts

These are ECN-style accounts with direct access to the interbank market.

  • Execution model: ECN / STP

  • Spreads: Starting from 0.0 pips

  • Commission: From $3.50 per lot (each side)

  • Advantages: Transparent pricing, ideal for scalpers and algorithmic traders

  • Disadvantages: Commission-based, requires larger deposits

In these accounts, Exness acts as a bridge — transmitting your orders to liquidity providers, rather than taking the opposite side of your trade.

How Exness Executes Orders in Practice

Exness’s internal systems decide where to send your order — either internally (market making) or externally (liquidity providers).

Here’s how it typically works:

  1. For small or retail trades, Exness may internalize them to ensure smooth and instant execution.

  2. For large trades or professional accounts, orders are routed to the external market via ECN/STP connections.

  3. Risk management systems continuously balance internal and external exposure, so the company doesn’t hold too much unhedged risk.

This dynamic approach allows Exness to maintain ultra-low spreads, high liquidity, and strong stability even during high-volatility events.

Why Exness Uses a Hybrid Model

There are solid reasons why Exness doesn’t stick to one execution model:

  1. Liquidity efficiency: Market making for small trades reduces the cost and delay of routing every tiny order externally.

  2. Client flexibility: Traders can choose between simple market-maker accounts or advanced ECN setups.

  3. Risk control: By mixing both, Exness can better manage liquidity and protect against price slippage during news events.

  4. Scalability: With millions of traders worldwide, hybrid execution keeps trading fast and reliable for everyone.

In short, Exness uses market making strategically, not deceptively.

Transparency and Regulation

One of the biggest factors in judging any broker is transparency.

Exness is regulated by several reputable authorities, including:

  • FCA (UK) – Financial Conduct Authority

  • CySEC (Cyprus) – Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission

  • FSCA (South Africa)

  • FSC (Mauritius)

Under these regulators, Exness must segregate client funds, provide audit reports, and avoid abusive trading practices.

This means even though Exness sometimes acts as a market maker, it cannot manipulate prices or trade against clients in an unfair way — such behavior would violate licensing conditions.

Does Being a Market Maker Affect You Negatively?

Many new traders think “market maker” automatically means “scam.” That’s not true.

A market maker model can actually benefit retail traders by:

  • Offering instant order execution

  • Keeping spreads tighter

  • Allowing micro-lot trading and small deposits

  • Preventing slippage during thin markets

Problems only arise when brokers are unregulated, non-transparent, or deliberately manipulate prices — which is not the case with Exness.

Exness publishes detailed trade statistics, including execution speed and slippage reports, and has a long record of timely withdrawals and fair practices.

Pros and Cons of Exness’s Hybrid Model

✅ Pros

  • Ultra-fast order execution

  • Choice between low-spread ECN and commission-free market maker accounts

  • Reliable regulation and fund security

  • Tight spreads and high leverage

  • Transparent pricing and trading data

⚠️ Cons

  • Market maker structure on Standard accounts may create perceived conflicts

  • ECN accounts require higher deposits

  • Spreads can widen during high volatility

Overall, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages — especially for traders who understand which account type suits their strategy.

Which Type of Trader Should Choose Which Exness Account?

If you’re trying to decide whether to use a market maker or ECN setup within Exness, here’s a quick guide:

  • New traders / small capital: Go with Standard or Cent accounts. The market maker model ensures stable, predictable trading.

  • Experienced or professional traders: Choose Raw Spread, Zero, or Pro accounts for direct market access and lower spreads.

  • Scalpers / EA users: ECN-type accounts (Raw Spread or Zero) are best for algorithmic precision.

In other words, Exness gives you both worlds — you decide how deep into the market you want to go.

Final Verdict: Is Exness a Market Maker Broker?

Yes — but not entirely.

Exness operates as a hybrid broker, using a market maker model for entry-level accounts and ECN/STP execution for professional ones.

This approach allows Exness to serve a massive global audience efficiently while maintaining competitive spreads, excellent execution speed, and strong transparency.

If you trade with Exness, you can be confident that your experience depends more on your chosen account type and strategy than on whether the broker is technically a “market maker.”

✅ Trade with Exness now: Open An Account or Visit Brokers 👈

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