IG vs Interactive Brokers 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 Interactive Brokers.
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 Interactive Brokers?
Interactive Brokers has a trust score of 99, giving it a "Highly Trusted" 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 Interactive Brokers a good broker?
Interactive Brokers is a long-standing and highly-trusted broker that holds numerous regulatory licenses across the globe. We've rated IBKR as the best broker for professional traders, and it provides traders with access to over 100 markets, including forex and CFDs. IBKR's recently introduced web-based platform caters well to beginners, and its powerful research and extensive educational content makes for a balanced experience for newcomers and professionals alike.
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 Interactive Brokers is Australia (ASIC Authorised), Canada (CIRO Authorised), Hong Kong (SFC Authorised), CBI Authorised (Ireland), Japan (SFC Authorised), Singapore (MAS Authorised), United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) and USA (CFTC Authorized).. Neither have 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 Interactive Brokers is India (SEBI Authorised).. Neither have China (CBRC Authorised), Cyprus (CySEC Authorised), Israel (ISA Authorised), Russia (CBR Authorised) and Thailand (SEC Authorised). When comparing tier-3 licenses IG is Bermuda (BMA Authorised), while Interactive Brokers 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 Interactive Brokers offer a Proprietary Platform and Desktop Platform (Windows).. Neither have cTrader, DupliTrade and ZuluTrade
Does IG offer MetaTrader? Does Interactive Brokers offer MetaTrader?
For MetaTrader IG provides MetaTrader 4 (MT4), while Interactive Brokers provides neither of these. If MetaTrader is a must for you, read our guides on the best MT4 brokers or best MT5 brokers.. Neither have MetaTrader 5 (MT5)
How do IG and Interactive Brokers differ in terms of minimum deposit? What about average spreads and funding options?
IG requires a minimum deposit of £250.00, while Interactive Brokers requires a minimum deposit of $0. From our testing we found IG offers spreads of 0.86, while Interactive Brokers offers spreads of 0.6. IG supports Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw), Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) and PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) for popular funding options, where Interactive Brokers supports Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw).. Neither have Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw)
Which brokers offers more tradeable asset classes, IG or Interactive Brokers?
IG offers a more diverse selection of investment options than Interactive Brokers 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 8500 from Interactive Brokers.
Can I trade cryptocurrency with IG or Interactive Brokers?
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 Interactive Brokers allow you to trade physical cryptocurrencies.
Who offers more research tools, IG or Interactive Brokers?
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 Interactive Brokers has the tools listed here: Daily Market Commentary, Stock Charts, Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) and Trading Central (Recognia).
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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.