Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as CFD/FX brokers (leveraged trading on forex, indices, commodities and crypto), using the data of Forex.com's Cyprus entity and IG Markets' Germany entity. Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as stock brokers (real shares and ETFs you own outright), using the data of Forex.com's Cyprus entity and IG Markets' Germany entity.
Forex.com
77% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
IG Markets
74% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
Best for
What we compare A comparison of the kinds of traders Forex.com and IG Markets are best suited to, based on what each one actually offers in .IG Markets is better than Forex.com for long-term investors and options traders. Professional traders, high-volume traders and scalpers can choose either IG Markets or Forex.com.
| Overall score | Forex.com 81 -8 not offered | IG Markets 89 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 Forex.com and the ones that supervise IG Markets.Forex.com and IG Markets are both regulated by top-tier authorities, Forex.com by CySEC, ASIC (Australia) and the SFC (Hong Kong) and IG Markets by BaFin, ASIC (Australia) and the FCA (United Kingdom).
| Section score | Forex.com 100 not offered | IG Markets 100 100 |
|---|---|---|
| Tier-1 regulators | ||
| ESMA (European Union) i | CySEC (Cyprus) | BaFin (Germany) |
| 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 Forex.com and IG Markets have in place to protect your money in .Both Forex.com and IG Markets offer segregated client funds and an investor compensation scheme. IG Markets is also a licensed bank.
| Section score | Forex.com 86 -5 not offered | IG Markets 91 Best 91 |
|---|---|---|
| Company info | ||
| Is it publicly traded i | ||
| Is it a bank i | ||
| Year founded i | 1999 | 1974 |
| Parent company i | StoneX Group (via GAIN Capital) | IG Group Holdings plc |
| CEO i | Glenn Stevens | 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 | UniCredit Bank AG, UniCredit S.p.A., J.P. Morgan SE, CaixaBank, Citigroup, BNP Paribas |
| Brand power | ||
| Number of customers worldwide i | 400,000 | 320,000 |
| Annual revenue i | USD 169,500,000 | USD 987,300,000 |
| Monthly website search traffic i | 1.9M monthly visits | 97.1K monthly visits |
Costs
What we compare A comparison of what it costs to trade with Forex.com and with IG Markets in , both on each trade and on holding the account.IG Markets is better than Forex.com for CFD/FX costs, since IG Markets is cheaper on EUR/USD, at 8.5 USD per lot (against Forex.com's 14.5 USD), charges lower Bitcoin CFD fees, at 36 USD (against Forex.com's 40 USD), and does not charge inactivity fees, unlike Forex.com. Neither Forex.com nor IG Markets charges account maintenance fees or deposit fees.
There is no like-for-like comparison for real stock costs, as Forex.com is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.
| Section score | Forex.com 31 -44 not offered | IG Markets 75 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 | USD 10About this value. This is the forex commission per lot at StoneX Europe Ltd (CySEC). At Forex.com's other companies: USD 14 (Canada), USD 10 (other accepted countries), Free (the UK, Japan), USD 5 (Australia). | FreeAbout this value. This is the forex commission per lot at IG Europe GmbH (BaFin). At IG Markets' other companies: USD 6 (Australia, other accepted countries), Free (the UK, Japan). |
| 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 14.5 | USD 8.5 |
| S&P 500 fees (CFD) i | 0.4 points | 0.4 points |
| Gold fees (CFD) i | 0.1 points | 0.3 points |
| Bitcoin fees (CFD) i | USD 40 | USD 36 |
| US stocks fees (CFD) i | USD 0.018 | USD 0.02 |
| Fees on stocks | ||
| Stock fee type i | Commission, Percentage | 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 2 | |
| Platform fees i | ||
| Fees on options | ||
| Options fees per contract i | 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 Forex.com and with IG Markets in , and of how many instruments each one gives access to.IG Markets is better than Forex.com for CFD/FX markets, since IG Markets offers CFDs on ETFs, which Forex.com does not, gives access to 17,000 tradable symbols (against Forex.com's 150), and lets you own stocks and ETFs outright, which Forex.com does not. Both Forex.com and IG Markets offer CFDs on commodities, crypto, forex, indices and stocks.
Forex.com does not offer real stocks, being a CFD broker, so IG Markets and Forex.com cannot be compared for real stock markets.
| Section score | Forex.com 85 -15 not offered | IG Markets 100 Best 100 |
|---|---|---|
| Total tradable symbols i | 150 | 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, Crypto, ETF, Forex, Indices, Stocks |
| Futures i | ||
| Options i | Commodities, Forex, Indices, Stocks | |
| Assets you can own i | Stocks, ETF |
Platform
What we compare A comparison of the trading platforms that Forex.com and IG Markets make available to their clients in .There is little between Forex.com and IG Markets on platforms, as both offer a proprietary platform and MetaTrader 4. IG Markets goes a step further, as it offers TradingView.
There is no like-for-like comparison for platforms, as Forex.com is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.
| Section score | Forex.com 88 -3 not offered | IG Markets 91 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 Forex.com and IG Markets in , and of what each one lets you do from your phone.Forex.com and IG Markets are equally good for mobile trading, as both offer a proprietary mobile app and the MetaTrader 4 app.
There is no like-for-like comparison for mobile trading, as Forex.com is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.
| Section score | Forex.com 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 Forex.com and IG Markets allow on their platforms in .Forex.com and IG Markets are equally good for CFD/FX trading features, since Forex.com executes orders faster, within 3 ms (against IG Markets' 14 ms), and allows for high-frequency trading. On the other hand, IG Markets offers guaranteed stop losses. Both Forex.com and IG Markets offer negative balance protection and trailing stops.
IG Markets and Forex.com cannot be compared for real stock trading features, because IG Markets is a broker offering both CFDs and stocks while Forex.com is a CFD broker.
| Section score | Forex.com 87 -2 not offered | IG Markets 89 85 |
|---|---|---|
| Trade execution | ||
| Broker type i | Agency | Agency |
| Average execution time i | 3 ms | 14 ms |
| Slippage occurrence i | 11% | |
| Requotes occurrence i | ||
| Tier-1 liquidity providers i | ||
| PFOF i | ||
| Leverage | ||
| Major FX pairs leverage i | 30:1About this value. This is the major fx pairs leverage at StoneX Europe Ltd (CySEC). At Forex.com's other companies: 50:1 (Canada), 200:1 (other accepted countries), 30:1 (the UK, Australia), 25:1 (Japan). | 30:1About this value. This is the major fx pairs leverage at IG Europe GmbH (BaFin). At IG Markets' other companies: 30:1 (Australia, the UK), 200:1 (other accepted countries), 25:1 (Japan). |
| Minor/Exotic FX pairs leverage i | 20:1About this value. This is the minor/exotic fx pairs leverage at StoneX Europe Ltd (CySEC). At Forex.com's other companies: 33:1 (Canada), 200:1 (other accepted countries), 20:1 (the UK, Australia), 25:1 (Japan). | 20:1About this value. This is the minor/exotic fx pairs leverage at IG Europe GmbH (BaFin). At IG Markets' other companies: 20:1 (Australia, the UK), 133:1 (other accepted countries), 25:1 (Japan). |
| Major indices leverage i | 20:1About this value. This is the major indices leverage at StoneX Europe Ltd (CySEC). At Forex.com's other companies: 10:1 (Canada, Japan), 400:1 (other accepted countries), 20:1 (the UK, Australia). | 20:1About this value. This is the major indices leverage at IG Europe GmbH (BaFin). At IG Markets' other companies: 20:1 (Australia, the UK), 200:1 (other accepted countries), 10:1 (Japan). |
| Minor indices leverage i | 10:1About this value. This is the minor indices leverage at StoneX Europe Ltd (CySEC). At Forex.com's other companies: 6:1 (Canada), 100:1 (other accepted countries), 10:1 (the UK, Australia, Japan). | 10:1About this value. This is the minor indices leverage at IG Europe GmbH (BaFin). At IG Markets' other companies: 10:1 (Australia, the UK, Japan), 200:1 (other accepted countries). |
| Gold leverage i | 20:1About this value. This is the gold leverage at StoneX Europe Ltd (CySEC). At Forex.com's other companies: 13:1 (Canada), 200:1 (other accepted countries), 20:1 (the UK, Australia). | 20:1About this value. This is the gold leverage at IG Europe GmbH (BaFin). At IG Markets' other companies: 20:1 (Australia, the UK, Japan), 200:1 (other accepted countries). |
| Commodities leverage i | 10:1About this value. This is the commodities leverage at StoneX Europe Ltd (CySEC). At Forex.com's other companies: 25:1 (Canada), 100:1 (other accepted countries), 10:1 (the UK, Australia). | 10:1About this value. This is the commodities leverage at IG Europe GmbH (BaFin). At IG Markets' other companies: 10:1 (Australia, the UK), 67:1 (other accepted countries), 20:1 (Japan). |
| Equities leverage i | 5:1About this value. This is the equities leverage at StoneX Europe Ltd (CySEC). At Forex.com's other companies: 3:1 (Canada), 20:1 (other accepted countries), 5:1 (the UK, Australia, Japan). | 5:1About this value. This is the equities leverage at IG Europe GmbH (BaFin). At IG Markets' other companies: 5:1 (Australia, the UK, Japan), 20:1 (other accepted countries). |
| Cryptocurrency leverage i | 2:1About this value. This is the cryptocurrency leverage at StoneX Europe Ltd (CySEC). At Forex.com's other companies: 100:1 (other accepted countries), 2:1 (Australia). | 2:1About this value. This is the cryptocurrency leverage at IG Europe GmbH (BaFin). At IG Markets' other companies: 2:1 (Australia), 10:1 (other accepted countries). |
| 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 Forex.com and at IG Markets in , and of who each one is meant for.Forex.com is better than IG Markets for CFD/FX account types, since Forex.com offers an Islamic account, a swap-free account and a raw spread account, which IG Markets does not. Both Forex.com and IG Markets offer a demo account and a professional traders account.
IG Markets and Forex.com cannot be compared for real stock account types, because IG Markets is a broker offering both CFDs and stocks while Forex.com is a CFD broker.
| Section score | Forex.com 52 Best not offered | IG Markets 48 -4 35 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Forex.com and with IG Markets in .Forex.com and IG Markets are equally good for account opening, since Forex.com offers 3 account base currencies (against IG Markets' 1), and has no minimum withdrawal (against IG Markets' 150 USD). On the other hand, IG Markets does not require a minimum deposit (against Forex.com's 100 USD), and credits deposits faster, within the same day (against Forex.com's 2 days). Both Forex.com and IG Markets offer credit cards and debit cards.
Only IG Markets can be assessed for account opening, since Forex.com is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.
| Section score | Forex.com 67 not offered | IG Markets 65 -2 65 |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit i | USD 100About this value. This is the minimum deposit at StoneX Europe Ltd (CySEC). At Forex.com's other companies: USD 100 (Canada, other accepted countries, the UK, Japan), USD 106 (Australia). | USD 0 |
| Minimum withdrawal i | USD 0 | USD 150 |
| Wire transfers i | ||
| Credit cards i | ||
| Debit cards i | ||
| eWallets i | PayPalAbout this value. This is the ewallets at StoneX Europe Ltd (CySEC). It is different at Forex.com's companies in other accepted countries. | PayPal |
| Local payment methods i | ||
| Account base currencies i | EUR, GBP, USDAbout this value. This is the account base currencies at StoneX Europe Ltd (CySEC). It is different at Forex.com's companies in Australia. | EURAbout this value. This is the account base currencies at IG Europe GmbH (BaFin). It is different at IG Markets' companies in Australia, other accepted countries, the UK and Japan. |
| Deposit waiting time i | up to 2 business days | Instant |
| Withdrawal waiting time i | up to 2 business days | up to 1 business days |
| Bonus program i |
Customer care
What we compare A comparison of the customer support of Forex.com and IG Markets in , in how it can be reached and how fast it answers.IG Markets is better than Forex.com for customer care, given that IG Markets offers customer support in 12 languages (against Forex.com's 2), and has a website in 12 languages (against Forex.com's 7). Both Forex.com and IG Markets offer a dedicated account manager and phone support.
Only IG Markets can be assessed for customer care, since Forex.com is a CFD broker and does not offer real stocks.
| Section score | Forex.com 66 -12 not offered | IG Markets 78 Best 78 |
|---|---|---|
| Number of languages supported i | 7 | 12 |
| Website languages i | Arabic, German, English, Japanese, Polish, Spanish, Chinese | Arabic, Danish, German, English, French, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish |
| Website available in English i | ||
| Customer support languages i | English, 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 Forex.com and IG Markets provide to their clients in .IG Markets is better than Forex.com for learning, because IG Markets offers an economic calendar, which Forex.com does not. Both Forex.com and IG Markets offer education for advanced traders and webinars.
IG Markets and Forex.com cannot be compared for learning, because IG Markets is a broker offering both CFDs and stocks while Forex.com is a CFD broker.
| Section score | Forex.com 95 -5 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 | ||
Forex.com vs IG Markets: which one should you choose?
Forex.com
CFD/FX Choose Forex.com if you want a CFD and forex broker with fast order execution and fixed-spread accounts.
Open Account 77% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
IG Markets
CFD/FX Choose IG Markets if you want an online CFD broker with TradingView, ProRealTime and no minimum deposit.
Stocks Choose IG Markets if you want a broker for securities investing with commission-free US stocks.
Open Account 74% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.Other popular comparisons
Below are other head-to-head comparisons that include Forex.com or IG Markets, each scored with the same data and method as this page.
