it has slight differences, on a personal note, the execution on demo is an instant, but on live it can be found a bit different, slippage is something unavoidable especially if you have a couple of hundred thousands executing orders at the same time, usually i tell people to try live for the first time with a very small amount just to get used to the feeling of trading live.
I think you are doing the right thing by asking other users and doing your research.
I agree with ‘treading carefully’ and you should only use a trusted broker.
If you are looking for recommendations then i would recommend First Rate FX.
I hope this helps.
You need to know first if a broker has been around for at least 5 years. Then you narrow down the list of brokers. Ask yourself about what you are looking for then find the broker that offers those for you. 
Yes, that’s it, to find the broker that suits you best you need to know first what you are expecting from it. When I’m in need to choose a new broker, I always have in mind that it is a regulated one and start with small amounts to try. There are several trusted brokers who offer micro accounts with very low minimum deposit to start, so I think one of these is perfect to test the broker.
On the top of my list is the leverage and payments ( withdrawals) !!