I've been reading about the difference between market makers and ECN brokers and I'm confused about which type is actually better for someone starting with three thousand. There seem to be strong opinions on both sides of this debate.

The market maker versus ECN distinction matters but perhaps less dramatically than forum debates suggest for a beginner with modest capital. Market makers take the other side of your trades internally, which creates theoretical conflict of interest concerns, but regulated market makers in major jurisdictions operate under rules that limit the worst abuses. ECN brokers pass orders to liquidity providers with tighter spreads but charge explicit commissions that can make small trades proportionally expensive. For three thousand and smaller position sizes, a well-regulated market maker with transparent pricing is often more cost-effective than ECN minimums.

Spent considerable time convinced ECN was categorically superior based on forum consensus before actually running the numbers for my specific trading style and account size. With positions I was trading on three thousand, the ECN commission structure was actually more expensive than a good regulated market maker's spread on many trades. The theoretical advantages of ECN become more meaningful at larger account sizes and higher trading frequencies than I was operating at initially: https://brokers-obzor.com/en/3k-investment/