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 Robinhood's 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 Robinhood's 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.
Robinhood
Regulated in your country Robinhood is allowed by FCA to onboard clients residing in the UK.
73-89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs.
Best for
What we compare A comparison of the kinds of traders IG Markets and Robinhood are best suited to, based on what each one actually offers in United Kingdom.IG Markets is better than Robinhood for professional traders, high-volume traders and scalpers. Robinhood, on the other hand, is better for long-term investors. Day traders, swing traders and futures traders can choose either IG Markets or Robinhood.
| Overall score | IG Markets 90 88 Best | Robinhood not offered 78 -10 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Robinhood.IG Markets and Robinhood are both regulated in the UK, by the FCA.
| Section score | IG Markets 100 100 | Robinhood not offered 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 Robinhood have in place to protect your money in United Kingdom.Both IG Markets and Robinhood offer segregated client funds and an investor compensation scheme. IG Markets is also a licensed bank. Robinhood also offers additional money insurance.
| Section score | IG Markets 91 91 Best | Robinhood not offered 87 -4 |
|---|---|---|
| Company info | ||
| Is it publicly traded i | ||
| Is it a bank i | ||
| Year founded i | 1974 | 2013 |
| Parent company i | IG Group Holdings plc | Robinhood Markets, Inc. |
| CEO i | Breon Corcoran | Vlad Tenev |
| Money safety | ||
| Segregated client funds i | ||
| Two-factor authentication i | ||
| Investor compensation scheme i | ||
| Additional money insurance i | ||
| Partner bank i | Barclays|Lloyds | Sutton Bank |
| Brand power | ||
| Number of customers worldwide i | 820,000 | 27,400,000 |
| Annual revenue i | USD 987,300,000 | USD 3,570,000,000 |
| 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 Robinhood in United Kingdom, both on each trade and on holding the account.Robinhood does not offer CFD/FX, being a stockbroker, so IG Markets and Robinhood cannot be compared for CFD/FX costs.
Robinhood is better than IG Markets for real stock costs, since Robinhood charges lower futures fees, at 0.75 USD per contract (against IG Markets' 2 USD), charges lower options fees, at 0.5 USD per contract (against IG Markets' 2 USD), and does not charge real-time market data fees, unlike IG Markets. Neither IG Markets nor Robinhood charges inactivity fees or account maintenance fees.
| Section score | IG Markets 87 75 -12 | Robinhood not offered 87 Best |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| Fees on stocks | ||
| Stock fee type i | Commission | Free |
| US stocks fees (real) i | Free | Free |
| ETF fees (real) i | Free | Free |
| Management costs i | ||
| Connection costs i | ||
| Fees on futures | ||
| Futures fees per contract i | USD 2 | USD 0.75 |
| Platform fees i | ||
| Fees on options | ||
| Options fees per contract i | USD 2 | USD 0.5 |
| 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 Robinhood in United Kingdom, and of how many instruments each one gives access to.Only IG Markets can be assessed for CFD/FX markets, since Robinhood is a stockbroker and does not offer CFD/FX.
IG Markets and Robinhood are equally good for real stock markets, as IG Markets gives access to 17,000 tradable symbols (against Robinhood's 10,818), and offers options on commodities, forex and stocks. On the other hand, Robinhood lets you own crypto, ETFs and stocks outright, and offers futures on crypto. Both IG Markets and Robinhood offer futures on indices and commodities, and offer options on indices.
| Section score | IG Markets 100 100 | Robinhood not offered 100 |
|---|---|---|
| Total tradable symbols i | 17,000 | 10,818 |
| 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 | |
| Futures i | Indices, Commodities | Commodities, Crypto, Indices |
| Options i | Commodities, Forex, Indices, Stocks | Indices |
| Assets you can own i | Crypto, ETF, Stocks |
Platform
What we compare A comparison of the trading platforms that IG Markets and Robinhood make available to their clients in United Kingdom.IG Markets and Robinhood cannot be set side by side for platforms, as Robinhood is a stockbroker and does not offer CFD/FX, unlike IG Markets.
IG Markets is better than Robinhood for platforms, as IG Markets offers MetaTrader 5, MetaTrader 4 and TradingView, which Robinhood does not. Both IG Markets and Robinhood offer a proprietary platform and real-time pricing.
| Section score | IG Markets 91 91 Best | Robinhood not offered 68 -23 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Robinhood in United Kingdom, and of what each one lets you do from your phone.IG Markets and Robinhood cannot be set side by side for mobile trading, as Robinhood is a stockbroker and does not offer CFD/FX, unlike IG Markets.
IG Markets is better than Robinhood for mobile trading, since IG Markets offers the MetaTrader 5 app, the MetaTrader 4 app and mobile trading signals, which Robinhood does not. IG Markets and Robinhood both offer a proprietary mobile app and mobile price alerts.
| Section score | IG Markets 93 93 Best | Robinhood not offered 74 -19 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Robinhood allow on their platforms in United Kingdom.Only IG Markets can be assessed for CFD/FX trading features, since Robinhood is a stockbroker and does not offer CFD/FX.
IG Markets is better than Robinhood for real stock trading features, as IG Markets has no minimum trade size on stocks (against Robinhood's 1 USD), offers tier-1 liquidity providers, which Robinhood does not, and allows for automated trading. Both IG Markets and Robinhood offer trailing stops and fractional shares.
| Section score | IG Markets 89 92 Best | Robinhood not offered 65 -27 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Minor/Exotic FX pairs leverage i | 20:1 | |
| Major indices leverage i | 20:1 | |
| Minor indices leverage i | 10:1 | |
| Gold leverage i | 20:1 | |
| Commodities leverage i | 10:1 | |
| Equities leverage i | 5:1 | 2:1 |
| 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 | |
| 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 Robinhood in United Kingdom, and of who each one is meant for.Robinhood does not offer CFD/FX, being a stockbroker, so IG Markets and Robinhood cannot be compared for CFD/FX account types.
Robinhood is better than IG Markets for real stock account types, since Robinhood offers a stock investing account, a margin investing account and a retirement account, which IG Markets does not. Both IG Markets and Robinhood offer a standard account.
| Section score | IG Markets 46 29 -15 | Robinhood not offered 44 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 Robinhood in United Kingdom.IG Markets and Robinhood cannot be set side by side for account opening, as Robinhood is a stockbroker and does not offer CFD/FX, unlike IG Markets.
Robinhood is better than IG Markets for account opening, given that Robinhood has no minimum withdrawal (against IG Markets' 100 USD). Neither IG Markets nor Robinhood requires a minimum deposit.
| Section score | IG Markets 62 62 -3 | Robinhood not offered 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 | USD |
| Deposit waiting time i | Instant | Instant |
| Withdrawal waiting time i | up to 1 business days | up to 2 business days |
| Bonus program i |
Customer care
What we compare A comparison of the customer support of IG Markets and Robinhood in United Kingdom, in how it can be reached and how fast it answers.Robinhood does not offer CFD/FX, being a stockbroker, so IG Markets and Robinhood cannot be compared for customer care.
IG Markets is better than Robinhood for customer care, given that IG Markets offers customer support in 12 languages (against Robinhood's 1), has a website in 12 languages (against Robinhood's 1), and offers a dedicated account manager, which Robinhood does not. Both IG Markets and Robinhood offer phone support and live chat.
| Section score | IG Markets 78 78 Best | Robinhood not offered 42 -36 |
|---|---|---|
| Number of languages supported i | 12 | 1 |
| Website languages i | Arabic, Danish, German, English, French, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish | English |
| Website available in English i | ||
| Customer support languages i | Arabic, Danish, German, English, French, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish | English |
| 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 Robinhood provide to their clients in United Kingdom.Robinhood does not offer CFD/FX, being a stockbroker, so IG Markets and Robinhood cannot be compared for learning.
IG Markets is better than Robinhood for learning, as IG Markets offers webinars, daily market commentary and an economic calendar, which Robinhood does not. Both IG Markets and Robinhood offer education for advanced traders and professional reports.
| Section score | IG Markets 100 100 Best | Robinhood not offered 70 -30 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Robinhood: which one should you choose?
IG Markets
CFD/FX Choose IG Markets if you want a CFD and forex broker for scalping and automated trading, with low trading costs.
Stocks Choose IG Markets if you want an online broker for stocks with a wide choice of markets and a demo account.
Open Account 70% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
Robinhood
Stocks Choose Robinhood if you want a stockbroker with fractional trading and crypto to own outright.
Open Account 73-89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs.Other popular comparisons
Below are other head-to-head comparisons that include IG Markets or Robinhood, each scored with the same data and method as this page.
