| MM | STP | DMA | ECN | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Market Maker | Straight Through Processing | Direct Market Access | Electronic Communication Network |
| Broker structure | DD | STP + NDD | DMA + STP + NDD | ECN + DMA + STP + NDD |
| Dealing model | Dealing Desk | No Dealing Desk | No Dealing Desk | No Dealing Desk |
| Execution | Instant Execution | Instant & Market Execution | Instant & Market Execution | Instant & Market Execution |
| Spreads | fixed | fixed & floating | floating | floating |
| Pricing | 4 & 5 digits | 4 & 5 digits | 5 digits | 5 digits |
| Commission | no | no | no & yes | yes |
| Who is on the other side of your trade | Your broker | Orders sent to another broker | Orders sent to several other brokers/banks | Orders sent to the ECN network |
| Conflict of interests | yes | no | no | no |
| Depth of the Market (DOM) | no | no | no & yes | yes |
| Speed of execution | regular | regular | fast | fast |
| Re-qoutes | yes | yes | no | no |
| Slippage | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| News trading | no | no | yes | yes |
| Scalping | yes & no | yes & no | yes | yes |
| Deposit requirements amount | low | low | average | high |
| Spread cost | high | average | low | very low |
