Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as CFD/FX brokers (leveraged trading on forex, indices, commodities and crypto), using the data of AvaTrade's British Virgin Islands entity and IG Markets' UK entity. Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as stock brokers (real shares and ETFs you own outright), using the data of AvaTrade's British Virgin Islands entity and IG Markets' UK entity.
AvaTrade
Not available in your country AvaTrade is not available in the UK.
76% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
IG Markets
Regulated in your country IG Markets is allowed by FCA to onboard clients residing in the UK.
70% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
Best for
What we compare A comparison of the kinds of traders AvaTrade and IG Markets are best suited to, based on what each one actually offers in United Kingdom.AvaTrade is better than IG Markets for crypto traders, while IG Markets is better for day traders and algo traders. Both are a good fit for professional traders, high-volume traders and scalpers.
| Overall score | AvaTrade 85 -5 not offered | IG Markets 90 Best 88 |
|---|---|---|
| Day trading i | ||
| Long-term investing i | ||
| Professional traders i | ||
| High-volume traders i | ||
| Scalpers i | ||
| Swing traders i | ||
| News traders i | ||
| Algo traders i | ||
| Stock traders i | ||
| Crypto traders i | ||
| Futures traders i | ||
| Options traders i |
Regulation
What we compare A comparison between the financial authorities that supervise AvaTrade and the ones that supervise IG Markets.Only IG Markets is regulated in the UK, by the FCA. AvaTrade holds no licence in the UK and is regulated by CBI Ireland, ASIC (Australia) and the CIRO (Canada). AvaTrade does not operate in the UK.
| Section score | AvaTrade 100 not offered | IG Markets 100 100 |
|---|---|---|
| Tier-1 regulators | ||
| ESMA (European Union) i | ||
| FCA (United Kingdom) i | ||
| ASIC (Australia) i | ||
| CFTC (United States) i | ||
| NFA (United States) i | ||
| SEC (United States) i | ||
| CIRO (Canada) i | ||
| MAS (Singapore) i | ||
| SFC (Hong Kong) i | ||
| JFSA (Japan) i | ||
| FINMA (Switzerland) i | ||
| Tier-2 regulators | ||
| FMA (New Zealand) i | ||
| CBR (Russia) i | ||
| FSCA (South Africa) i | ||
| DFSA (Dubai) i | ||
| CSRC (China) i | ||
| ISA (Israel) i | ||
| LFSA (Malaysia) i | ||
| JSC (Jordan) i | ||
| CMA (Kenya) i | ||
| Tier-3 regulators | ||
| FSA (Seychelles) i | ||
| MMA (Maldives) i | ||
| SCB (Bahamas) i | ||
| FSC (Mauritius) i | ||
| VFSC (Vanuatu) i | ||
| FSC (Belize) i | ||
| CIMA (Cayman Islands) i | ||
| SV FSA (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) i | ||
| FSRC (St. Kitts & Nevis) i | ||
| BMA (Bermuda) i | ||
| BVI FSC (British Virgin Islands) i | ||
| EDR (External Dispute Resolution) i | ||
Safety
What we compare A comparison of the tools and services that AvaTrade and IG Markets have in place to protect your money in United Kingdom.AvaTrade and IG Markets both offer segregated client funds and two-factor authentication. AvaTrade also offers additional money insurance. IG Markets also offers an investor compensation scheme, and is a licensed bank.
| Section score | AvaTrade 74 -17 not offered | IG Markets 91 Best 91 |
|---|---|---|
| Company info | ||
| Is it publicly traded i | ||
| Is it a bank i | ||
| Year founded i | 2006 | 1974 |
| Parent company i | Ava Trade Ltd | IG Group Holdings plc |
| CEO i | Dáire Ferguson | Breon Corcoran |
| Money safety | ||
| Segregated client funds i | ||
| Two-factor authentication i | ||
| Investor compensation scheme i | ||
| Additional money insurance i | ||
| Partner bank i | N/A | Barclays|Lloyds |
| Brand power | ||
| Number of customers worldwide i | 9,000,000 | 820,000 |
| Annual revenue i | USD 987,300,000 | |
| Monthly website search traffic i | 97.1K monthly visits | |
Costs
What we compare A comparison of what it costs to trade with AvaTrade and with IG Markets in United Kingdom, both on each trade and on holding the account.IG Markets is better than AvaTrade for CFD/FX costs, because IG Markets is cheaper on EUR/USD, at 5.08 USD per lot (against AvaTrade's 8 USD), has tighter S&P 500 CFD spreads, at 0.4 points (against AvaTrade's 0.5 points), and has tighter gold CFD spreads, at 0.3 points (against AvaTrade's 0.34 points). Neither AvaTrade nor IG Markets charges account maintenance fees or deposit fees.
There is no like-for-like comparison for real stock costs, as AvaTrade is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.
| Section score | AvaTrade 69 -18 not offered | IG Markets 87 Best 75 |
|---|---|---|
| Broker fees | ||
| Deposit fees i | ||
| Withdrawal fees i | ||
| Overnight fees i | ||
| Inactivity fees i | ||
| Currency conversion fees i | ||
| Discounts on volume i | ||
| Real time market data fee i | ||
| Dividend withholding i | ||
| Account opening fees i | ||
| Account maintenance fee i | ||
| Portfolio management fee i | ||
| Fees on CFDs | ||
| Forex commission per lot i | Free | Free |
| EUR/USD average standard spread i | ||
| EUR/USD average raw spread i | ||
| EUR/USD average fixed spread i | ||
| EUR/USD total cost per lot i | USD 8 | USD 5.075 |
| S&P 500 fees (CFD) i | 0.5 points | 0.4 points |
| Gold fees (CFD) i | 0.34 points | 0.3 points |
| Bitcoin fees (CFD) i | USD 36 | |
| US stocks fees (CFD) i | USD 2.6 | USD 0.02 |
| Fees on stocks | ||
| Stock fee type i | Percentage, Spread | Commission |
| US stocks fees (real) i | Free | |
| ETF fees (real) i | Free | |
| Management costs i | ||
| Connection costs i | ||
| Fees on futures | ||
| Futures fees per contract i | USD 1.75 | USD 2 |
| Platform fees i | ||
| Fees on options | ||
| Options fees per contract i | Free | USD 2 |
| Event fees i | ||
| Fees on savings plans | ||
| IRA opening fee i | ||
| IRA maintenance fee i | ||
| 401k opening fee i | ||
| 401k maintenance fee i | ||
Available markets
What we compare A comparison of the markets and products you can trade with AvaTrade and with IG Markets in United Kingdom, and of how many instruments each one gives access to.AvaTrade and IG Markets are equally good for CFD/FX markets, since AvaTrade offers CFDs on crypto, and offers futures on crypto and forex. On the other hand, IG Markets gives access to 17,000 tradable symbols (against AvaTrade's 1,250), and offers options on commodities, indices and stocks. Both AvaTrade and IG Markets offer CFDs on commodities, forex, indices and stocks, and offer futures on commodities and indices.
IG Markets and AvaTrade cannot be compared for real stock markets, because IG Markets is a broker offering both CFDs and stocks while AvaTrade is a CFD broker.
| Section score | AvaTrade 100 not offered | IG Markets 100 100 |
|---|---|---|
| Total tradable symbols i | 1,250 | 17,000 |
| Currency pairs i | ||
| Indices i | ||
| Commodities i | ||
| Stocks i | ||
| ETF i | ||
| Cryptocurrencies i | ||
| Bonds i | ||
| Interest rates i | ||
| Portfolios i | ||
| CFDs i | Commodities, Crypto, Forex, Indices, Stocks | Commodities, Forex, Indices, Stocks |
| Futures i | Commodities, Crypto, Forex, Indices | Indices, Commodities |
| Options i | Forex | Commodities, Forex, Indices, Stocks |
| Assets you can own i |
Platform
What we compare A comparison of the trading platforms that AvaTrade and IG Markets make available to their clients in United Kingdom.AvaTrade is better than IG Markets for platforms, since AvaTrade offers cTrader, social trading and copy trading, which IG Markets does not. AvaTrade and IG Markets both offer a proprietary platform and MetaTrader 5.
AvaTrade does not offer real stocks, being a CFD broker, so IG Markets and AvaTrade cannot be compared for platforms.
| Section score | AvaTrade 94 Best not offered | IG Markets 91 -3 91 |
|---|---|---|
| Proprietary platform i | ||
| MetaTrader 4 i | ||
| MetaTrader 5 i | ||
| cTrader i | ||
| Social trading platform i | ||
| Copy trading platform i | ||
| ZuluTrade i | ||
| TradingView i | ||
| Duplitrade i | ||
| Mirror Trader i | ||
| NinjaTrader i | ||
| AutoChartist i | ||
| Real time pricing i | ||
| 5 digit pricing i | ||
| One-click trading i |
Mobile
What we compare A comparison of the mobile apps of AvaTrade and IG Markets in United Kingdom, and of what each one lets you do from your phone.AvaTrade and IG Markets are equally good for mobile trading, as both offer a proprietary mobile app and the MetaTrader 5 app.
AvaTrade does not offer real stocks, being a CFD broker, so IG Markets and AvaTrade cannot be compared for mobile trading.
| Section score | AvaTrade 93 not offered | IG Markets 93 93 |
|---|---|---|
| Proprietary app i | ||
| Social trading app i | ||
| Copy trading app i | ||
| MetaTrader 4 app i | ||
| MetaTrader 5 app i | ||
| cTrader app i | ||
| Mobile trading signals i | ||
| Mobile alerts i | ||
| Mobile charting tools i | ||
| Mobile drawing tools i | ||
| Mobile watchlist i | ||
| Smartwatch app i |
Trading features
What we compare A comparison of the trading tools and strategies that AvaTrade and IG Markets allow on their platforms in United Kingdom.IG Markets is better than AvaTrade for CFD/FX trading features, given that IG Markets offers guaranteed stop losses and tier-1 liquidity providers, which AvaTrade does not, and allows for automated trading. Both AvaTrade and IG Markets offer negative balance protection and trailing stops. The leverage shown for AvaTrade is set by its British Virgin Islands entity and exceeds the retail limit in the UK (30:1 on major currency pairs).
AvaTrade does not offer real stocks, being a CFD broker, so IG Markets and AvaTrade cannot be compared for real stock trading features.
| Section score | AvaTrade 81 -8 not offered | IG Markets 89 Best 92 |
|---|---|---|
| Trade execution | ||
| Broker type i | Agency | Agency |
| Average execution time i | 14 ms | |
| Slippage occurrence i | 11% | |
| Requotes occurrence i | ||
| Tier-1 liquidity providers i | ||
| PFOF i | ||
| Leverage | ||
| Major FX pairs leverage i | 400:1 | 30:1 |
| Minor/Exotic FX pairs leverage i | 400:1 | 20:1 |
| Major indices leverage i | 200:1 | 20:1 |
| Minor indices leverage i | 100:1 | 10:1 |
| Gold leverage i | 200:1 | 20:1 |
| Commodities leverage i | 200:1 | 10:1 |
| Equities leverage i | 10:1 | 5:1 |
| Cryptocurrency leverage i | 100:1 | |
| Risk management | ||
| Stop losses i | ||
| Take profits i | ||
| Limit orders i | ||
| Trailing stop i | ||
| Margin call i | ||
| OCO orders i | ||
| Guaranteed stop loss i | ||
| Negative balance protection i | ||
| Minimum trade size (FX) i | 0.01 lots | 0.01 lots |
| Minimum trade size (stocks) i | USD 0 | USD 0 |
| Fractional stocks i | ||
| Trading compliance | ||
| Scalping strategies allowed i | ||
| Hedging strategies allowed i | ||
| Automated trading strategy allowed i | ||
| EAs use allowed i | ||
| HFT strategy allowed i | ||
| VPS use allowed i | ||
| API use allowed i | ||
| Price scraping allowed i | ||
| FIFO rule applies i | ||
Account types
What we compare A comparison of the kinds of account you can open at AvaTrade and at IG Markets in United Kingdom, and of who each one is meant for.AvaTrade is better than IG Markets for CFD/FX account types, as AvaTrade offers an Islamic account, a copy trading account and a swap-free account, which IG Markets does not. Both AvaTrade and IG Markets offer a demo account and a professional traders account.
AvaTrade does not offer real stocks, being a CFD broker, so IG Markets and AvaTrade cannot be compared for real stock account types.
| Section score | AvaTrade 65 Best not offered | IG Markets 46 -19 29 |
|---|---|---|
| Demo account i | ||
| Unlimited demo account i | ||
| Standard account i | ||
| Micro account i | ||
| Cent account i | ||
| Nano account i | ||
| Raw spread account i | ||
| ECN account i | ||
| Swap-free account i | ||
| Islamic account i | ||
| Professional traders account i | ||
| Fixed spread account i | ||
| Spread betting account i | ||
| Copy trading account i | ||
| Corporate account i | ||
| Managed account i | ||
| Stock investing account i | ||
| Margin investing account i | ||
| Savings account i | ||
| Retirement account i |
Account opening
What we compare A comparison of what it takes to open and fund an account with AvaTrade and with IG Markets in United Kingdom.AvaTrade is better than IG Markets for account opening, given that AvaTrade offers 6 account base currencies (against IG Markets' 1), supports e-wallets, which IG Markets does not, and has no minimum withdrawal (against IG Markets' 100 USD). However, IG Markets does not require a minimum deposit at all (against AvaTrade's 100 USD). AvaTrade does not operate in the UK.
IG Markets and AvaTrade cannot be set side by side for account opening, as AvaTrade is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks, unlike IG Markets. AvaTrade does not operate in the UK.
| Section score | AvaTrade 87 Best not offered | IG Markets 62 -25 62 |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit i | USD 100 | USD 0 |
| Minimum withdrawal i | USD 0 | USD 100 |
| Wire transfers i | ||
| Credit cards i | ||
| Debit cards i | ||
| eWallets i | PayPal, Neteller, Skrill | |
| Local payment methods i | ||
| Account base currencies i | AUD, EUR, GBP, JPY, USD, ZAR | GBP |
| Deposit waiting time i | Instant | Instant |
| Withdrawal waiting time i | up to 1 business days | up to 1 business days |
| Bonus program i |
Customer care
What we compare A comparison of the customer support of AvaTrade and IG Markets in United Kingdom, in how it can be reached and how fast it answers.IG Markets is better than AvaTrade for customer care, given that IG Markets offers a dedicated account manager, which AvaTrade does not. AvaTrade and IG Markets both offer phone support and live chat.
There is no like-for-like comparison for customer care, as AvaTrade is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.
| Section score | AvaTrade 67 -11 not offered | IG Markets 78 Best 78 |
|---|---|---|
| Number of languages supported i | 22 | 12 |
| Website languages i | Afrikaans, Arabic, German, English, Finnish, French, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Mongolian, Malay, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Urdu, Chinese | Arabic, Danish, German, English, French, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish |
| Website available in English i | ||
| Customer support languages i | Afrikaans, Arabic, German, English, Finnish, French, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Mongolian, Malay, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Urdu, Chinese | Arabic, Danish, German, English, French, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish |
| Customer support in English i | ||
| Call back request i | ||
| Email support i | ||
| Phone support i | ||
| Live chat i | ||
| Priority customer support i | ||
| Dedicated account manager i | ||
| Cash sweep i | ||
| Stock lending i | ||
| Distributes proceeds i | ||
| Tax withholding agent i | ||
| Tax assistance i |
Learning
What we compare A comparison of the educational material that AvaTrade and IG Markets provide to their clients in United Kingdom.IG Markets is better than AvaTrade for learning, since IG Markets offers professional reports and traders' sentiment, which AvaTrade does not. Both AvaTrade and IG Markets offer education for advanced traders and webinars.
There is no like-for-like comparison for learning, as AvaTrade is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.
| Section score | AvaTrade 83 -17 not offered | IG Markets 100 Best 100 |
|---|---|---|
| Education | ||
| Education center i | ||
| Education for beginners i | ||
| Education for advanced traders i | ||
| Webinars i | ||
| Tutorials i | ||
| Glossary i | ||
| Research | ||
| Economic calendar i | ||
| Traders' sentiment i | ||
| Daily market commentary i | ||
| Daily trading ideas i | ||
| News via social media i | ||
| Professional reports i | ||
| Watchlist i | ||
AvaTrade vs IG Markets: which one should you choose?
AvaTrade
CFD/FX Choose AvaTrade if you want a CFD and forex broker for copy and social trading, with cTrader and live in a country where it accepts clients.
Not available in the UK 76% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
IG Markets
CFD/FX Choose IG Markets, regulated in the UK by the FCA, if you want an online CFD broker with a wide choice of markets, low trading costs and no minimum deposit.
Stocks Choose IG Markets if you want a broker for securities investing with commission-free US stocks.
Open Account 70% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.Other popular comparisons
Below are other head-to-head comparisons that include AvaTrade or IG Markets, each scored with the same data and method as this page.
