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 Saxo'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 Saxo'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.
Saxo
Regulated in your country Saxo is allowed by FCA to onboard clients residing in the UK.
65% 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 Saxo are best suited to, based on what each one actually offers in United Kingdom.IG Markets is better than Saxo for professional traders, while Saxo is better for long-term investors. Day traders, high-volume traders and scalpers can choose either IG Markets or Saxo.
| Overall score | IG Markets 90 88 -1 | Saxo 89 -1 89 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Saxo.IG Markets and Saxo are both regulated in the UK, by the FCA.
| Section score | IG Markets 100 100 | Saxo 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 Saxo have in place to protect your money in United Kingdom.IG Markets and Saxo both offer segregated client funds and an investor compensation scheme. Both IG Markets and Saxo are licensed banks. Saxo also offers additional money insurance.
| Section score | IG Markets 91 -2 91 -2 | Saxo 93 93 |
|---|---|---|
| Company info | ||
| Is it publicly traded i | ||
| Is it a bank i | ||
| Year founded i | 1974 | 1992 |
| Parent company i | IG Group Holdings plc | Saxo Bank A/S |
| CEO i | Breon Corcoran | Kim Fournais |
| Money safety | ||
| Segregated client funds i | ||
| Two-factor authentication i | ||
| Investor compensation scheme i | ||
| Additional money insurance i | ||
| Partner bank i | Barclays|Lloyds | Citibank |
| Brand power | ||
| Number of customers worldwide i | 820,000 | 1,200,000 |
| Annual revenue i | USD 987,300,000 | USD 727,595,340 |
| Monthly website search traffic i | 97.1K monthly visits | 1.7M monthly visits |
Costs
What we compare A comparison of what it costs to trade with IG Markets and with Saxo in United Kingdom, both on each trade and on holding the account.IG Markets is better than Saxo for CFD/FX costs, since IG Markets is cheaper on EUR/USD, at 5.08 USD per lot (against Saxo's 7 USD), and has tighter S&P 500 CFD spreads, at 0.4 points (against Saxo's 0.5 points). Neither IG Markets nor Saxo charges inactivity fees or account maintenance fees.
IG Markets is better than Saxo for real stock costs, because IG Markets does not charge US stock fees (against Saxo's 0.02 USD), does not charge ETF fees (against Saxo's 0.02 USD), and charges lower futures fees, at 2 USD per contract (against Saxo's 3 USD). Neither IG Markets nor Saxo charges inactivity fees or account maintenance fees.
| Section score | IG Markets 87 Best 75 Best | Saxo 81 -6 71 -4 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 5.075 | USD 7 |
| S&P 500 fees (CFD) i | 0.4 points | 0.5 points |
| Gold fees (CFD) i | 0.3 points | 0.25 points |
| Bitcoin fees (CFD) i | USD 36 | |
| US stocks fees (CFD) i | USD 0.02 | USD 0.02 |
| Fees on stocks | ||
| Stock fee type i | Commission | Commission, Percentage |
| US stocks fees (real) i | Free | USD 0.02 |
| ETF fees (real) i | Free | USD 0.02 |
| Management costs i | ||
| Connection costs i | ||
| Fees on futures | ||
| Futures fees per contract i | USD 2 | USD 3 |
| Platform fees i | ||
| Fees on options | ||
| Options fees per contract i | USD 2 | 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 IG Markets and with Saxo in United Kingdom, and of how many instruments each one gives access to.IG Markets and Saxo are equally good for CFD/FX markets, as IG Markets offers options on stocks. On the other hand, Saxo gives access to 71,000 tradable symbols (against IG Markets' 17,000), and lets you own bonds, ETFs, funds and stocks outright. Both IG Markets and Saxo offer CFDs on commodities, forex, indices and stocks, and offer futures on indices and commodities.
IG Markets and Saxo are equally good for real stock markets, since IG Markets offers options on stocks. On the other hand, Saxo lets you own bonds, ETFs, funds and stocks outright, and gives access to 71,000 tradable symbols (against IG Markets' 17,000). Both IG Markets and Saxo offer futures on indices and commodities, and offer options on commodities, forex and indices.
| Section score | IG Markets 100 100 | Saxo 100 100 |
|---|---|---|
| Total tradable symbols i | 17,000 | 71,000 |
| 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 | Commodities, Forex, Indices |
| Options i | Commodities, Forex, Indices, Stocks | Commodities, Forex, Indices |
| Assets you can own i | Bonds, ETF, Funds, Stocks |
Platform
What we compare A comparison of the trading platforms that IG Markets and Saxo make available to their clients in United Kingdom.IG Markets is better than Saxo for platforms, given that IG Markets offers MetaTrader 5, MetaTrader 4 and TradingView, which Saxo does not. IG Markets and Saxo both offer a proprietary platform and AutoChartist.
| Section score | IG Markets 91 Best 91 Best | Saxo 86 -5 86 -5 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Saxo in United Kingdom, and of what each one lets you do from your phone.IG Markets is better than Saxo for mobile trading, since IG Markets offers the MetaTrader 5 app and the MetaTrader 4 app, which Saxo does not. Both IG Markets and Saxo offer a proprietary mobile app and mobile trading signals.
| Section score | IG Markets 93 Best 93 Best | Saxo 87 -6 87 -6 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Saxo allow on their platforms in United Kingdom.IG Markets is better than Saxo for CFD/FX trading features, since IG Markets has less slippage, at 11% (against Saxo's 20.7%), offers guaranteed stop losses, which Saxo does not, and allows for hedging. Both IG Markets and Saxo offer negative balance protection and trailing stops.
IG Markets is better than Saxo for real stock trading features, given that IG Markets has less slippage, at 11% (against Saxo's 20.7%), and offers fractional shares, which Saxo does not. Both IG Markets and Saxo offer trailing stops and tier-1 liquidity providers.
| Section score | IG Markets 89 Best 92 Best | Saxo 85 -4 77 -15 |
|---|---|---|
| Trade execution | ||
| Broker type i | Agency | NDD |
| Average execution time i | 14 ms | 12 ms |
| Slippage occurrence i | 11% | 20.7% |
| 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 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 IG Markets and at Saxo in United Kingdom, and of who each one is meant for.IG Markets and Saxo are equally good for CFD/FX account types, as IG Markets offers a professional traders account and a spread betting account while Saxo offers a managed account. IG Markets and Saxo both offer a demo account and a corporate account.
Saxo is better than IG Markets for real stock account types, given that Saxo offers a stock investing account, a managed account and a margin investing account, which IG Markets does not. Both IG Markets and Saxo offer a demo account and a corporate account.
| Section score | IG Markets 46 29 -54 | Saxo 46 83 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 Saxo in United Kingdom.Saxo is better than IG Markets for account opening, because Saxo offers 2 account base currencies (against IG Markets' 1), and has no minimum withdrawal (against IG Markets' 100 USD). Neither IG Markets nor Saxo requires a minimum deposit.
| Section score | IG Markets 62 -3 62 -3 | Saxo 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 | EUR, USD |
| Deposit waiting time i | Instant | up to 2 business days |
| 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 Saxo in United Kingdom, in how it can be reached and how fast it answers.Saxo is better than IG Markets for customer care, since Saxo offers customer support in 15 languages (against IG Markets' 12), and offers priority support, which IG Markets does not. IG Markets and Saxo both offer a dedicated account manager and phone support.
| Section score | IG Markets 78 -9 78 -9 | Saxo 87 Best 87 Best |
|---|---|---|
| Number of languages supported i | 12 | 15 |
| Website languages i | Arabic, Danish, German, English, French, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish | Arabic, Danish, English, French, Hungarian, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian, Polish, Russian, Slovenian, Chinese |
| Website available in English i | ||
| Customer support languages i | Arabic, Danish, German, English, French, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish | Arabic, Czech, German, English, Finnish, French, Hungarian, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian, Polish, Russian, Slovenian, 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 Saxo provide to their clients in United Kingdom.IG Markets and Saxo are equally good for learning, as both offer education for advanced traders and webinars.
| Section score | IG Markets 100 100 | Saxo 100 100 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||
IG Markets vs Saxo: which one should you choose?
IG Markets
CFD/FX Choose IG Markets if you want a CFD and forex broker with low trading costs, several trading platforms and a guaranteed stop loss.
Stocks Choose IG Markets if you want a share dealing service with commission-free US stocks and several trading platforms.
Open Account 70% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
Saxo
CFD/FX Choose Saxo if you want an online CFD broker with a wide choice of markets and fast execution.
Stocks Choose Saxo if you want a broker for securities investing with a wide choice of markets, a wide range of assets to own and fast execution.
Open Account 65% 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 Saxo, each scored with the same data and method as this page.
