Investing in Gold in 2025: Complete Guide with 5 Trusted Platforms to Manage from Home

Why Gold Remains a Relevant Investment Option

Over the past five decades, gold has proven to be much more than a simple precious metal. Its journey is impressive: it has evolved from trading at 35 dollars per ounce to reaching approximately 4200 dollars in the second half of 2025, representing a growth of over 120 times. Since the beginning of 2024, this commodity has continuously set new all-time highs, with an appreciation of over 103% in less than a year.

This strength of gold responds to its proven ability to preserve wealth in times of economic uncertainty, its effectiveness as a hedge against inflation erosion, and its global recognition as a store of value. For those seeking diversification strategies, gold represents an essential complement in any investment portfolio.

Five Ways to Access the Gold Market: Know Each Option

There is no single way to invest in this precious metal. Depending on your risk profile, initial capital, and experience, you can choose among different modalities. Below, we analyze each one.

Physical gold: tangibility with practical challenges

Buying gold bars or jewelry offers the certainty of owning the asset directly. This approach provides peace of mind to many investors because it does not depend on financial intermediaries and maintains its intrinsic value in any crisis scenario.

However, this method presents significant complications. Secure storage requires bank safes or safety deposit boxes, which increases costs. Reselling is slow and laborious, and there is a constant risk of theft. Additionally, in many jurisdictions, profits from the sale of physical gold face higher tax burdens than other financial instruments.

CFDs: speculation without ownership of the asset

A Contract for Difference allows two parties to exchange the difference in value between the opening and closing of a position. You never own the metal; you only bet on its price movement. This modality is particularly attractive for those starting their investing journey or with limited capital (less than 1000 dollars).

Through CFDs, you access multiple instruments: gold, silver, currencies, stocks, and more, all from a single platform. Leverage allows you to multiply your exposure with minimal investment. Additionally, you can benefit from both rising and falling prices through short positions.

The downside is that leverage also amplifies your losses. It requires discipline and rigorous risk management.

Mining and processing stocks: indirect investment

Companies such as Wheaton Precious Metals Corp (WPM), Dundee Precious Metals Inc (DPM.TO), and DRDGold Limited (DRD) have quotes strongly correlated with the gold price. Investing in these stocks exposes you to the metal indirectly.

This strategy requires in-depth financial analysis: reviewing balance sheets, operating margins, production forecasts. Stocks are influenced both by the overall gold price and by company-specific factors: operational management, discovery of new deposits, production efficiency. The potential for dividends adds an additional income stream, but stock risk persists.

Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs): instant diversification

ETFs group multiple assets into a single traded instrument. Funds like SPDR Gold Shares, iShares Gold Trust, and SPDR Gold MiniShares Trust replicate the behavior of gold or invest in sector companies.

Their main advantage is automatic diversification: with a single purchase, you access multiple positions. Liquidity is high, allowing quick entry and exit from the market. However, you lose autonomy in management: you do not decide which companies compose the fund or when to execute individual moves. Management fees reduce your final returns.

The Best Platforms to Start Investing in Gold: Analysis of Five Brokers

To trade gold online, it is essential to select regulated brokers recognized internationally. The following five options hold licenses from reliable supervisory bodies and offer competitive conditions.

( Mitrade: the most democratic access with flexible leverage

Mitrade is an Australian broker regulated by ASIC, CIMA, and FSC, ensuring a safe and fully legal operating environment. Its strength lies in accessibility: with an initial deposit of just 20 dollars, it positions itself as the lowest barrier to entry.

The platform is intuitive, available on mobile and desktop, and allows managing CFDs on gold, silver, cryptocurrencies, and stocks from a single account. Flexible leverage )1 to 100 times### adapts to different risk tolerances. It accepts multiple payment methods: credit cards, Skrill, Neteller, and bank transfers. Although relatively new in Spanish-speaking markets, it already has over 5 million global users, supporting its operational solidity.

Key advantages:

• Zero deposit commissions; one free withdrawal per month
• Practice account without risk to familiarize with the platform
• Periodic promotions and welcome bonuses
• Optimized mobile app

( eToro: social trading to learn from experts

Founded in 2007, eToro is a veteran with over 30 million users. Its differentiator is CopyTrader™, a feature that allows you to automatically replicate the trades of top traders. This is useful both for learning and automating your investment.

The platform hosts over 5000 assets, including nearly 100 cryptocurrencies. The minimum deposit is 100 dollars. However, its fee structure is less competitive: it charges a $10 monthly inactivity fee if the account does not operate for 12 consecutive months.

Main advantages:

• Collaborative tools ideal for beginners
• Simple and user-friendly interface
• Active trader community
• Free demo account

) AvaTrade: in-depth analysis and multiple trading platforms

AvaTrade, operating since 2006, manages over 400,000 client accounts. It stands out for its comprehensive suite of technical and fundamental analysis tools, as well as real-time economic news feeds. It allows trading gold both in spot market and via futures contracts, offering strategic flexibility.

The platform is compatible with MetaTrader 4, an industry standard for professional trading. The minimum deposit is around 100 dollars. An important consideration: it applies a $10 monthly inactivity fee if the account remains inactive for more than 2 months ###situation more restrictive than other competitors###.

Main advantages:

• Access to gold futures instruments
• Professional analysis tools
• Regulated presence in multiple jurisdictions
• Compatibility with MetaTrader

( TIOmarkets: highly trusted regulation from the UK

TIOmarkets, operating since 2019, has quickly gained respect under regulation of the FCA in the UK, considered one of the most demanding globally. Its cost structure is competitive: users can choose among different account types with variable commissions, with no withdrawal fees.

The platform offers unlimited leverage, allowing you to significantly increase your exposure. However, its interface requires some learning curve, being less intuitive than retail-focused competitors.

Outstanding advantages:

• FCA regulation of the highest standards
• Unlimited leverage
• Variety of account types
• Compatibility with MetaTrader

) Tickmill: low costs for disciplined traders

Tickmill, in operation since 2014, has built its reputation through competitive costs and multiple regulation by FCA, FSA, and CySEC. With over 785,000 accounts opened, it demonstrates solid operational scale and instrument diversity.

Normal account holders face no explicit commissions, although spreads ###bid-ask spread### are slightly wider. The minimum deposit is 100 dollars. Like eToro and AvaTrade, it charges a $10 monthly inactivity fee after 12 months of no activity.

Key advantages:

• Robust regulation by three authorities
• Competitive spreads for committed traders
• Wide instrument catalog
• Occasional promotions and special benefits

Profitability with Gold: Taking Advantage of Price Drops Through Short Positions

Contrary to common belief, you don’t need gold to rise to make money. By short selling, you can profit from price declines. This involves selling an asset you do not own, anticipating a decrease, to buy it back at a lower price.

Imagine gold is trading at 1800 dollars per ounce and your analysis suggests a fall toward 1700 dollars. You short at 1800. When it drops as expected, you buy back at 1700, securing a profit of 100 dollars per ounce.

( Step-by-step procedure for short selling

Step 1: Technical and fundamental analysis of the expected movement

Access your platform and identify weakness signals. Use indicators like moving averages, trend lines, and MACD. Also, check the economic calendar for news that negatively affects the metal. If multiple bearish signals converge, consider opening a short position.

Step 2: Setting up the trade

In the order window, select the sell )or short### option. Define these critical parameters:

• Order type: Market order executes immediately at the current price; pending order waits for a specific predetermined level.
• Volume: Expressed in lots. A standard lot equals 100 ounces. Adjust according to your capital capacity and risk tolerance.
• Leverage: Multiplies your initial investment. Use it strategically: higher leverage amplifies gains but also losses.

Step 3: Protection with take profit and stop loss

Before executing, set two exit levels:

• Take profit: Define where to close to secure gains. Use supports, resistances, or Fibonacci retracements.
• Stop loss: Specify the maximum tolerated loss level. This discipline prevents unpleasant surprises.

Step 4: Execution and monitoring

Confirm the operation. Stay alert to market developments: economic news, inflation data, central bank movements. Adjust positions if necessary, but stick to your initial plan.

Analysis of advantages and limitations: Is investing in gold really worthwhile?

( Factors favoring gold investment

Safe haven in turbulent times: Gold acts as a “safe asset.” When markets collapse, investors flock to gold. For example, during the 2008-2012 financial crisis, gold prices appreciated by over 100%.

Protection against inflation: When inflation erodes the dollar’s purchasing power, gold typically appreciates. This inverse correlation provides natural hedging.

Portfolio diversification: Adding gold reduces overall volatility because it does not respond identically to other assets. In scenarios where stocks, bonds, and currencies decline simultaneously, gold often behaves independently.

) Disadvantages to consider

Moderate returns: Gold is not particularly volatile. Do not expect exponential growth like in tech sectors or cryptocurrencies. This means less opportunity to multiply capital quickly.

Storage and custody costs: Owning physical gold incurs expenses: insurance, safes, transportation. These frictions erode net returns.

High tax burden: In many jurisdictions, profits from physical gold face higher tax rates than currency or stock trading.

Final reflection: where to invest in gold depends on your profile

Choosing among the different ways to invest in gold is a personal decision. If you seek access with minimal initial investment and operational flexibility, Mitrade with a 20-dollar entry is your best option. If you prefer to learn from established experts, eToro offers that community. For demanding professional traders, TIOmarkets and Tickmill provide advanced tools. AvaTrade offers a versatile balance.

2025 presents a dynamic gold market. The question is not whether to invest, but how to do so aligned with your goals and circumstances.