The best broker for gold trading is the one with the lowest all-in cost per XAUUSD round turn during the sessions you actually trade, that keeps its spread usable through United States data releases, and that allows the complete gold trade history to be exported for independent review. Gold pricing is configured separately from foreign exchange pricing at most firms, so a broker with excellent major-pair conditions can be uncompetitive on gold.
Five criteria decide the shortlist in order of importance: total cost per round turn combining spread, commission and overnight swap on the gold symbol; spread stability around inflation, employment and Federal Reserve announcements rather than the quiet-hours quote used in advertising; the overnight swap rate that determines whether multi-day gold positions are viable; the minimum volume and stop level policy on gold, which determines whether correct position sizing is possible on a smaller account; and regulation in your own jurisdiction alongside a full trade history export.
The measurement takes one week and no capital. Open demo accounts on each candidate, place identical small gold tickets at matched times across five sessions, and record the spread at entry, the slippage against the intended price and the commission charged, then connect those accounts to a gold trade journal so the comparison is recorded as data. Warning signs specific to gold include advertised spreads that only appear in illiquid hours, scalping or hedging restrictions applied to the gold symbol alone, minimum stop distances wide enough to force oversized positions, and any refusal to provide a complete history export.