Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as CFD/FX brokers (leveraged trading on forex, indices, commodities and crypto), using the data of IG Markets' UK entity and Interactive Brokers' UK entity. Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as stock brokers (real shares and ETFs you own outright), using the data of IG Markets' UK entity and Interactive Brokers' UK entity.
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.
Interactive Brokers
Regulated in your country Interactive Brokers is allowed by FCA to onboard clients residing in the UK.
57.9% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
Best for
What we compare A comparison of the kinds of traders IG Markets and Interactive Brokers are best suited to, based on what each one actually offers in United Kingdom.Interactive Brokers is better than IG Markets for long-term investors. Day traders, professional traders and high-volume traders can choose either Interactive Brokers or IG Markets.
| Overall score | IG Markets 90 Best 88 Best | Interactive Brokers 86 -4 85 -3 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 IG Markets and the ones that supervise Interactive Brokers.IG Markets and Interactive Brokers are both regulated in the UK, by the FCA.
| Section score | IG Markets 100 100 | Interactive Brokers 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 IG Markets and Interactive Brokers have in place to protect your money in United Kingdom.Both IG Markets and Interactive Brokers offer segregated client funds and an investor compensation scheme. IG Markets is also a licensed bank. Interactive Brokers also offers additional money insurance.
| Section score | IG Markets 91 -4 91 -4 | Interactive Brokers 95 Best 95 Best |
|---|---|---|
| Company info | ||
| Is it publicly traded i | ||
| Is it a bank i | ||
| Year founded i | 1974 | 1978 |
| Parent company i | IG Group Holdings plc | IBG LLC |
| CEO i | Breon Corcoran | Milan Galik |
| Money safety | ||
| Segregated client funds i | ||
| Two-factor authentication i | ||
| Investor compensation scheme i | ||
| Additional money insurance i | ||
| Partner bank i | Barclays|Lloyds | N/A |
| Brand power | ||
| Number of customers worldwide i | 820,000 | 3,337,000 |
| Annual revenue i | USD 987,300,000 | USD 6,205,000,000 |
| Monthly website search traffic i | 97.1K monthly visits | |
Costs
What we compare A comparison of what it costs to trade with IG Markets and with Interactive Brokers in United Kingdom, both on each trade and on holding the account.IG Markets and Interactive Brokers are equally good for CFD/FX costs, as IG Markets does not charge forex commissions (against Interactive Brokers' 4.65 USD per lot), and does not charge withdrawal fees. On the other hand, Interactive Brokers is cheaper on EUR/USD, at 3.33 USD per lot (against IG Markets' 5.08 USD), and charges lower US stock CFD fees, at 0.01 USD (against IG Markets' 0.02 USD). Neither IG Markets nor Interactive Brokers charges inactivity fees or account maintenance fees.
IG Markets and Interactive Brokers are equally good for real stock costs, since IG Markets does not charge US stock fees (against Interactive Brokers' 2.1 USD), and does not charge ETF fees (against Interactive Brokers' 8.12 USD). On the other hand, Interactive Brokers charges lower futures fees, at 0.85 USD per contract (against IG Markets' 2 USD), and charges lower options fees, at 0.65 USD per contract (against IG Markets' 2 USD). Neither IG Markets nor Interactive Brokers charges inactivity fees or account maintenance fees.
| Section score | IG Markets 87 75 | Interactive Brokers 85 -2 74 -1 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | USD 4.65 |
| 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 5.075 | USD 3.325 |
| S&P 500 fees (CFD) i | 0.4 points | |
| Gold fees (CFD) i | 0.3 points | |
| Bitcoin fees (CFD) i | USD 36 | |
| US stocks fees (CFD) i | USD 0.02 | USD 0.005 |
| Fees on stocks | ||
| Stock fee type i | Commission | Commission, Percentage |
| US stocks fees (real) i | Free | USD 2.1 |
| ETF fees (real) i | Free | USD 8.12 |
| Management costs i | ||
| Connection costs i | ||
| Fees on futures | ||
| Futures fees per contract i | USD 2 | USD 0.85 |
| Platform fees i | ||
| Fees on options | ||
| Options fees per contract i | USD 2 | USD 0.65 |
| 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 IG Markets and with Interactive Brokers in United Kingdom, and of how many instruments each one gives access to.IG Markets and Interactive Brokers are equally good for CFD/FX markets, since IG Markets gives access to 17,000 tradable symbols (against Interactive Brokers' 15,000). On the other hand, Interactive Brokers lets you own bonds, crypto, ETFs, funds, forex and stocks outright, and offers futures on bonds, crypto and forex. Both IG Markets and Interactive Brokers offer CFDs on commodities, forex, indices and stocks, and offer futures on indices and commodities.
IG Markets and Interactive Brokers are equally good for real stock markets, as IG Markets gives access to 17,000 tradable symbols (against Interactive Brokers' 15,000). On the other hand, Interactive Brokers lets you own bonds, crypto, ETFs, funds, forex and stocks outright, and offers futures on bonds, crypto and forex. Both IG Markets and Interactive Brokers offer futures on indices and commodities, and offer options on commodities, forex, indices and stocks.
| Section score | IG Markets 100 100 | Interactive Brokers 100 100 |
|---|---|---|
| Total tradable symbols i | 17,000 | 15,000 |
| Currency pairs i | ||
| Indices i | ||
| Commodities i | ||
| Stocks i | ||
| ETF i | ||
| Cryptocurrencies i | ||
| Bonds i | ||
| Interest rates i | ||
| Portfolios i | ||
| CFDs i | Commodities, Forex, Indices, Stocks | Commodities, Forex, Indices, Stocks |
| Futures i | Indices, Commodities | Bonds, Commodities, Crypto, Forex, Indices |
| Options i | Commodities, Forex, Indices, Stocks | Bonds, Commodities, Crypto, ETF, Forex, Indices, Stocks |
| Assets you can own i | Bonds, Crypto, ETF, Funds, Forex, Stocks |
Platform
What we compare A comparison of the trading platforms that IG Markets and Interactive Brokers make available to their clients in United Kingdom.IG Markets is better than Interactive Brokers for platforms, given that IG Markets offers MetaTrader 5, MetaTrader 4 and AutoChartist, which Interactive Brokers does not. Both IG Markets and Interactive Brokers offer a proprietary platform and TradingView.
| Section score | IG Markets 91 Best 91 Best | Interactive Brokers 80 -11 80 -11 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 IG Markets and Interactive Brokers in United Kingdom, and of what each one lets you do from your phone.IG Markets is better than Interactive Brokers for mobile trading, since IG Markets offers the MetaTrader 5 app, the MetaTrader 4 app and mobile trading signals, which Interactive Brokers does not. IG Markets and Interactive Brokers both offer a proprietary mobile app and mobile price alerts.
| Section score | IG Markets 93 Best 93 Best | Interactive Brokers 80 -13 80 -13 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 IG Markets and Interactive Brokers allow on their platforms in United Kingdom.IG Markets is better than Interactive Brokers for CFD/FX trading features, since IG Markets offers guaranteed stop losses and VPS hosting, which Interactive Brokers does not. Both IG Markets and Interactive Brokers offer negative balance protection and trailing stops.
IG Markets is better than Interactive Brokers for real stock trading features, as IG Markets has no minimum trade size on stocks (against Interactive Brokers' 1 USD). Both IG Markets and Interactive Brokers offer trailing stops and fractional shares.
| Section score | IG Markets 89 Best 92 Best | Interactive Brokers 81 -8 85 -7 |
|---|---|---|
| Trade execution | ||
| Broker type i | Agency | NDD |
| 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 | 30:1 | 30:1 |
| Minor/Exotic FX pairs leverage i | 20:1 | 20:1 |
| Major indices leverage i | 20:1 | 20:1 |
| Minor indices leverage i | 10:1 | 10:1 |
| Gold leverage i | 20:1 | 20:1 |
| Commodities leverage i | 10:1 | 10:1 |
| Equities leverage i | 5:1 | 5:1 |
| Cryptocurrency leverage i | ||
| 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 1 |
| 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 IG Markets and at Interactive Brokers in United Kingdom, and of who each one is meant for.Interactive Brokers is better than IG Markets for CFD/FX account types, since Interactive Brokers offers an Islamic account, a micro account and a swap-free account, which IG Markets does not. Both IG Markets and Interactive Brokers offer a demo account and a professional traders account.
Interactive Brokers is better than IG Markets for real stock account types, because Interactive Brokers offers a stock investing account and a retirement account, which IG Markets does not. IG Markets and Interactive Brokers both offer a demo account and a standard account.
| Section score | IG Markets 46 -8 29 -24 | Interactive Brokers 54 Best 53 Best |
|---|---|---|
| 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 IG Markets and with Interactive Brokers in United Kingdom.Interactive Brokers is better than IG Markets for account opening, given that Interactive Brokers offers 17 account base currencies (against IG Markets' 1), and has no minimum withdrawal (against IG Markets' 100 USD). Neither IG Markets nor Interactive Brokers requires a minimum deposit.
| Section score | IG Markets 62 -3 62 -3 | Interactive Brokers 65 Best 65 Best |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit i | USD 0 | USD 0 |
| Minimum withdrawal i | USD 100 | USD 0 |
| Wire transfers i | ||
| Credit cards i | ||
| Debit cards i | ||
| eWallets i | ||
| Local payment methods i | ||
| Account base currencies i | GBP | AUD, CAD, CHF, CNY, CZK, EUR, GBP, HKD, HUF, JPY, MXN, NOK, NZD, RUB, SEK, SGD, USD |
| Deposit waiting time i | Instant | up to 1 business days |
| 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 IG Markets and Interactive Brokers in United Kingdom, in how it can be reached and how fast it answers.IG Markets is better than Interactive Brokers for customer care, since IG Markets offers customer support in 12 languages (against Interactive Brokers' 8), has a website in 12 languages (against Interactive Brokers' 8), and offers a dedicated account manager, which Interactive Brokers does not. IG Markets and Interactive Brokers both offer phone support and live chat.
| Section score | IG Markets 78 Best 78 Best | Interactive Brokers 58 -20 58 -20 |
|---|---|---|
| Number of languages supported i | 12 | 8 |
| Website languages i | Arabic, Danish, German, English, French, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish | German, English, French, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, Chinese |
| Website available in English i | ||
| Customer support languages i | Arabic, Danish, German, English, French, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish | German, English, French, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, Chinese |
| 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 IG Markets and Interactive Brokers provide to their clients in United Kingdom.IG Markets is better than Interactive Brokers for learning, given that IG Markets offers daily market commentary, which Interactive Brokers does not. Both IG Markets and Interactive Brokers offer education for advanced traders and webinars.
| Section score | IG Markets 100 Best 100 Best | Interactive Brokers 92 -8 92 -8 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||
IG Markets vs Interactive Brokers: which one should you choose?
IG Markets
CFD/FX Choose IG Markets if you want a CFD and forex broker with a wide choice of markets, a guaranteed stop loss and fast execution.
Stocks Choose IG Markets if you want a broker for securities investing with commission-free US stocks and a wide choice of markets.
Open Account 70% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
Interactive Brokers
CFD/FX Choose Interactive Brokers if you want an online CFD broker with tight spreads and several account base currencies.
Stocks Choose Interactive Brokers if you want a stock brokerage service with a wide range of assets to own and several account base currencies.
Open Account 57.9% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.Other popular comparisons
Below are other head-to-head comparisons that include IG Markets or Interactive Brokers, each scored with the same data and method as this page.
