IG vs FlowBank Comparison
Comparing forex brokers side by side is no easy task. For our 2023 annual forex broker review, we spent hundreds of hours assessing 39 forex and CFD brokerages to find the best forex broker. Let's compare IG vs FlowBank.
Can I trust IG?
IG has a trust score of 99, giving it a "Highly Trusted" trust label. Here's what each trust score label means:
- "Highly Trusted" (90-99) - These brokers are considered the most trustworthy firms in the industry. Simply put, we would not hesitate to open and fund an account with a Highly Trusted broker.
- "Trusted" (80-89) - These brokers are reliable and trustworthy. "Trusted" firms are a solid choice, and may simply hold fewer regulatory licences or feature different corporate structures than those brokers that have earned our top Trust Score rating.
- "Average Risk" (70-79) - Average Risk brokers are firms we generally consider to be safe, but that may warrant a closer inspection before you open and fund a live trading account. At the least, we always encourage traders to check the regulatory licenses for Average Risk firms to verify that they are regulated in their own country of residence.
- "High Risk" (60-69) - High-risk firms should be scrutinized and carefully reviewed before opening an account. These forex brokers are – in most cases – operating without credible regulatory licensing, and likely have a history of legal or financial issues. Before considering an account with a high-risk firm, we recommend checking our country guides for your country of residence to see if a more trusted broker is available.
- "Do Not Trust" (<59) - We do not recommend opening an account of any kind with a broker that earns a “Do Not Trust” rating.
Can I trust FlowBank?
FlowBank has a trust score of 77, giving it a "Average Risk" trust label.
Is IG a good broker?
We consider IG to be the best overall broker in the industry, due to its excellent pricing, outstanding educational materials, comprehensive research, vast range of markets, and its powerful trading platform suite. IG also continues to acquire more regulatory licenses, bolstering its status as a trustworthy broker.
Is FlowBank a good broker?
FlowBank is a relatively new forex broker that has quickly expanded its offering of investment products, and traders at FlowBank enjoy the benefits associated with holding a Swiss bank account alongside the ability to trade forex and CFDs. FlowBank is regulated in Switzerland, but lacks the additional regulatory licenses held by the most trusted brokers.
What tier-1 jurisdictions is each broker regulated in?
Tier-1 regulators go above and beyond by requiring additional capital requirements, checking in on brokers more frequently, and putting brokers through a tougher screening process. IG is Australia (ASIC Authorised), Japan (SFC Authorised), Singapore (MAS Authorised), New Zealand (FMA Authorised), United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) and USA (CFTC Authorized), while FlowBank is none.. Neither have Canada (CIRO Authorised), Hong Kong (SFC Authorised), CBI Authorised (Ireland) and Switzerland (FINMA Authorised)
What tier-2 jurisdictions is each broker regulated in? What about tier-3?
Tier-2 and tier-3 licenses are still important in evaluating the overall trustworthiness of forex brokers. As far as tier-2 licenses go, IG is South Africa (FSCA Authorised) and UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised), while FlowBank is none.. Neither have China (CBRC Authorised), Cyprus (CySEC Authorised), India (SEBI Authorised), Israel (ISA Authorised), Russia (CBR Authorised) and Thailand (SEC Authorised). When comparing tier-3 licenses IG is Bermuda (BMA Authorised), while FlowBank is none.. Neither have Bahamas (SCB Authorised), Belize (FSC Authorised), British Virgin Islands (FSC Authorised), Cayman Islands (CIMA Authorised), Mauritius (FSC Authorised) and Vanuatu (VFSC Authorised).
Which broker offers more trading platforms?
Both IG and FlowBank offer a Proprietary Platform and Desktop Platform (Windows).. Neither have cTrader, DupliTrade and ZuluTrade
Does IG offer MetaTrader? Does FlowBank offer MetaTrader?
For MetaTrader IG provides MetaTrader 4 (MT4), while FlowBank provides MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5). If MetaTrader is a must for you, read our guides on the best MT4 brokers or best MT5 brokers.
How do IG and FlowBank differ in terms of minimum deposit? What about average spreads and funding options?
IG requires a minimum deposit of £250.00, while FlowBank requires a minimum deposit of $0.00. From our testing we found IG offers spreads of 0.86, while FlowBank offers spreads of N/A. IG supports Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw), Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) and PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) for popular funding options, where FlowBank supports Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw).. Neither have Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw)
Which brokers offers more tradeable asset classes, IG or FlowBank?
IG offers a more diverse selection of investment options than FlowBank allowing you to trade Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs), Spread Betting, Social Trading / Copy Trading, Metals, Energies, Agriculturals, ETF and U.S. Stocks (CFD). Looking at total tradeable symbols, IG has 19537, compared to 408600 from FlowBank.
Can I trade cryptocurrency with IG or FlowBank?
Crypto trading is popular with forex traders. Most crypto assets are offered either as the underlying physical asset or as a CFD or other derivative — including spot forex contracts. In terms of trading physical cryptocurrency neither IG nor FlowBank allow you to trade physical cryptocurrencies.
Who offers more research tools, IG or FlowBank?
In terms of research and research tools IG gives traders the following tools: Autochartist, Daily Market Commentary, Stock Charts, Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) and Social Trading / Copy Trading. In comparison FlowBank has the tools listed here: Daily Market Commentary, Stock Charts, Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) and Social Trading / Copy Trading.. Neither have Trading Central (Recognia)
Broker Reviews
Overall winner: IG
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We review each broker’s overall global offering – a “Yes” checkmark in our Compare Tool does not guarantee the availability of any specific features in your country of residence. To verify the availability of any features within your country of residence, please contact the broker directly.