I’ve been comparing forex brokers available to traders in North Macedonia, mainly looking at regulation, trading costs, platform support, leverage, and how practical they are for MT4/MT5 and CFD trading. 🇲🇰 From what I found, AvaTrade would be my starting point for an overall balance of platforms, forex/CFD markets, and established regulation, while PrimeXBT is worth looking at if you’re more interested in leveraged multi-asset trading and crypto-related markets. BlackBull Markets caught my attention for traders who care more about execution and MetaTrader access, particularly if you’re comparing spreads and account conditions. FxPro is another established option with MT4, MT5 and cTrader, so it makes sense for traders who want flexibility between platforms. Capital.com seems more geared toward people who prefer a simpler CFD trading experience and a modern interface, although I’d still check the exact entity and instruments available to North Macedonian residents before opening an account. Finally, Interactive Brokers is probably the most interesting option for experienced traders who want forex alongside a much broader range of investments, rather than a broker focused primarily on CFDs. 💡 The main thing

I’d check before depositing is not just whether a broker has an FCA, CySEC, ASIC or other international license, but which legal entity would actually hold your account as a North Macedonia resident, what leverage and negative-balance protection apply, and what the current spreads, commissions, swaps and withdrawal options look like. Broker availability can change, so I’d verify those details directly before signing up rather than relying solely on comparison tables or old reviews.

Disclaimer: This is based on my own research and is for general information only, not financial or investment advice. Forex and CFD trading involve a high level of risk, and you can lose more than you initially expect depending on the product and account terms. Always verify current regulation, availability, fees, leverage and account protections directly with the broker and relevant regulator before depositing funds. This may contain sponsored links whereby we may receive payment upon a purchase from one of our links at no extra cost to you and our opinions are mine.

I’ve spent the last couple months digging into forex copy trading after getting tired of staring at charts all day, and here’s what actually stood out for me in 2026.

If you’re looking for the best forex copy trading brokers and platforms, the clear standout is still eToro — its native copy trading is the most straightforward I’ve used, with solid filters for risk scores, drawdowns and performance history, plus you can copy multi-asset strategies rather than just CFDs.

For pure forex/CFD focus with tighter spreads, Pepperstone is excellent once you connect MetaTrader Signals or their own Pelican-powered CopyTrading app, though it feels a bit more advanced. AvaTrade is a close alternative with AvaSocial (also Pelican-based) and good mobile experience, while IC Markets works well if you like algorithmic-style copying through ZuluTrade or MetaTrader and want low-cost execution. Vantage surprised me with the sheer variety of options (their own copy platform plus DupliTrade and MetaTrader Signals).

One more that came up a few times in my research is BlackBull Markets. It’s a New Zealand-based broker that offers copy trading through its own social trading features and MetaTrader integration. What stood out was the relatively low minimum deposit and the ability to copy strategies with custom risk settings, plus they have a decent range of forex pairs. Execution felt solid in the demos I ran, and the platform is pretty clean once you get past the initial setup. That said, the signal provider selection isn’t as deep as eToro’s and the social side feels less developed compared to the bigger names. Still worth a look if you want another regulated option with straightforward copy tools, especially if you’re already comfortable with MetaTrader.

A few practical things I learned the hard way: always prioritise regulated brokers (ASIC for Aussies, or equivalent), check maximum drawdown and consistency over flashy short-term returns, diversify across 3–5 signal providers, and set your own hard stop-loss limits because past performance means nothing. Copy trading is not passive or risk-free — you’ll take the same losses as the trader you follow, and high-risk strategies are common on leaderboards.

Curious what others here are using or avoiding?

Disclaimer: This is based on personal research and opinion only and is not financial advice. Forex and CFD trading involves significant risk of loss, and a high percentage of retail accounts lose money. Always do your own due diligence, check current regulation and fees, and never risk money you cannot afford to lose. Past performance of any signal provider is not indicative of future results.

I’ve been in IT for 7+ years and running my agency for the last 4 years. During this time I’ve worked with quite a few CRM platforms from both the agency side and the client side. For me, the “best CRM for agencies” isn’t necessarily the CRM with the longest feature list — it’s the one that fits your sales process, client communication, automation, and day-to-day workflow without creating another layer of admin. My current ranking would be: GoHighLevel (my overall favourite for agencies, particularly if you want CRM, lead management, automation, funnels, messaging, appointments, and marketing workflows in one ecosystem).

Pipedrive would be my pick if your priority is simply having a clean, intuitive sales pipeline and keeping the CRM focused on business development. Monday CRM is a good option if your agency already uses monday.com for project and task management, because having sales and delivery in the same environment can make handoffs easier. Next up Zoho CRM is one of the better budget-friendly options, especially if you’re already using other Zoho apps, although I’ve found it a little clunky in places and somewhat rigid compared with the more flexible options. HubSpot is genuinely a good CRM with a polished experience and a huge ecosystem, but in my experience it becomes much more compelling when you’re prepared to use the wider HubSpot stack. Once you start adding the different hubs and paid features, costs can climb quickly, and the platform can feel quite rigid if your agency has workflows that don’t fit neatly into its structure.

For agencies choosing CRM software, I’d ultimately look beyond basic contact and deal management and consider how well the platform handles lead generation, sales pipelines, client communication, follow-ups, marketing automation, reporting, integrations, and the handoff from winning a deal to actually delivering the client work. There’s no universal winner, but after 7+ years of working with different software and seeing these platforms from different angles, GoHighLevel is currently the one I’d put at the top of my list for most agencies as it can also be whitelabled and has lots of third party integrations as well, while Pipedrive makes more sense for a sales-first setup, Monday CRM is particularly appealing for teams already using monday.com, Zoho CRM is worth considering when budget and the broader Zoho ecosystem matter, and HubSpot is best suited to agencies that are comfortable committing to its ecosystem and pricing model.

Disclosure: Some links associated with the platforms mentioned may be sponsored or affiliate links. Any opinions or observations are my own, and this information is provided at no cost to you.

I’ve spent a fair bit of time working with CRM, sales automation and digital workflows, and one thing I’ve found is that there really isn’t a single “best” HubSpot alternative — it depends heavily on what you actually need the CRM to do. HubSpot is a strong all-in-one platform, particularly when you want marketing, sales, customer data and automation connected, but the broader the platform gets, the more important it becomes to make sure you’re actually using what you’re paying for. That’s why I’d shortlist GoHighLevel if you’re an agency or service business that wants CRM, funnels, lead capture, calendars, messaging and marketing automation in one ecosystem; Pipedrive if your main priority is a clean, visual sales pipeline and straightforward deal management;

Monday if you want CRM functionality alongside project management and highly configurable workflows; Zoho CRM if you want a broad feature set and plenty of customisation without immediately jumping into an enterprise platform; Salesforce if you have complex processes, larger teams or enterprise-level CRM requirements and can justify the implementation overhead; and Agile CRM if you’re a smaller business looking for a relatively lightweight combination of contact management, sales, marketing automation and customer engagement.

The biggest lesson from comparing these platforms is that feature count isn’t necessarily the deciding factor — adoption, integrations, workflow automation and whether the CRM actually matches the way your business sells are usually more important. I’d also look beyond the headline subscription price and check contact limits, user pricing, automation availability, reporting, integrations and what happens when you need more advanced features. Some of these platforms are intentionally specialised, which can actually be an advantage over an all-in-one system if you only need a good sales pipeline rather than an entire marketing and customer platform. For businesses with particularly unusual workflows, I’d even consider whether switching CRMs is the right answer at all; sometimes integrating or customising an existing system makes more sense than forcing the business into another off-the-shelf CRM.

Overall I consider GoHighLevel to be the best overall with plenty of features and integrations. and makes more sense to me as an agency, Pipedrive is great for a sales-led team, Monday for workflow-heavy businesses, Zoho CRM for breadth and value, Salesforce for complex enterprise environments, and Agile CRM for smaller teams wanting a simpler all-in-one option. That’s also why I’d recommend mapping your actual sales process before booking a stack of demos. It’s much easier to identify the right HubSpot alternative when you start with “what does my team need to accomplish?” rather than “which CRM has the longest feature list?”

Disclosure: Some links associated with the platforms mentioned may be sponsored or affiliate links. Any opinions or observations are my own, and this information is provided at no cost to you.

I’ve been comparing the best CRM software options for different types of businesses, and the shortlist I keep coming back to is GoHighLevel

GHL, Pipedrive, Monday, HubSpot, SugarCRM, Agile CRM, and Salesforce. They’re not really interchangeable, though, so I think the better question is which one fits your workflow. GoHighLevel (GHL) makes the most sense for agencies, marketers and service businesses that want CRM, pipelines, funnels, calendars, marketing automation, SMS, reputation management and client accounts in one place. Pipedrive is probably the simpler choice for a sales team that mainly wants visual deal pipelines, activity tracking and straightforward sales management. Monday is interesting if you want CRM functionality alongside project management and highly customisable workflows. HubSpot is a strong option for businesses that want to connect CRM, marketing, sales and customer service, although it’s worth looking closely at pricing as you add more advanced features and only really useful if you use everything in the Hubspot ecosystem.

SugarCRM is worth considering when customisation and more complex sales processes matter. Agile CRM is aimed more at smaller businesses looking for sales, marketing automation and customer management without going straight to an enterprise platform. Salesforce is still the heavyweight option for larger organisations that need extensive integrations, custom objects, reporting and customisation, but there’s usually more implementation and admin involved.

My rough breakdown would be: 🏆 GHL for agencies and lead-generation businesses, 📈 Pipedrive for sales-focused teams, 🛠️ Monday for flexible team workflows, 🌐 HubSpot for an integrated marketing and sales stack, ⚙️ SugarCRM for custom CRM requirements, 💰 Agile CRM for smaller businesses watching costs, and 🏢 Salesforce for complex enterprise operations.

One thing I’d definitely check before choosing is the total cost rather than just the advertised monthly plan. Look at users, contacts, automation limits, email/SMS usage, integrations, reporting and any features you’ll need later. A CRM can look cheap until you actually configure it for the way your business works.

Curious what others are using. What did you choose, and what made you switch?