BrokerNotes.co is committed to the highest ethical standards and reviews services independently. Learn How We Make Money

Interactive Brokers vs Plus500 2024

BrokerNotes.co

Written by BrokerNotes.co

August 06, 2024

Trying to decide between Interactive Brokers and Plus500? We’ve taken the guesswork out of the equation with our Comparison Tool. Use our tool to compare hundreds of data points, side-by-side, to see how these two brokers stack up against each other.

Based on our extensive research, hands-on testing, and expert analysis of over a hundred data-driven variables, we've determined that, overall, Interactive Brokers ranks more highly than Plus500.

Select Brokers

×
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxActivTrades
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxACY Securities
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxAdmirals
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxAlpari
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxATFX
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxAvaTrade
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxAxi
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxBDSwiss
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxBlackBull Markets
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCapital.com
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCharles Schwab
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCity Index
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCMC Markets
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxDooPrime
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxeasyMarkets
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxEightcap
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxeToro
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxExness
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFinecoBank
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFOREX.com
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxForex4you
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFP Markets
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFXCM
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFXGT.com
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFXOpen
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFXPrimus
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFxPro
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxGBE brokers
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxHFM
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxHYCM (Henyep Capital Markets)
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxIC Markets
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxIFC Markets
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxiFOREX
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxIG
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxInteractive Brokers
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxIronFX
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxLegacyFX
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxLibertex (Forex Club)
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxMarkets.com
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxMoneta Markets
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxMultiBank
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxOANDA
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxOcta
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxPepperstone
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxPlus500
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxRoboForex
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxSaxo
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxSpreadex
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxSwissquote
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxtastyfx
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTeleTrade
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxThinkMarkets
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTickmill
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTMGM
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTopFX
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTrade Nation
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTrade360
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTrading 212
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxVantage
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxVT Markets
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxXM Group
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxXTB
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxXtrade

Compare

0 of 5
Overall Rating Interactive Brokers Plus500
Overall Rating star 9.9 /10 star 8.6 /10
Offering of Investments star 10 /10 star 8.5 /10
Commissions & Fees star 10 /10 star 8.0 /10
Platform & Tools star 10 /10 star 8.5 /10
Research star 10 /10 star 8.0 /10
Mobile Trading star 9.5 /10 star 8.5 /10
Education star 10 /10 star 7.5 /10
Account Type Interactive Brokers Plus500
Standard Trade Size (100,000 units) info Yes Yes
Mini Trade Size (10,000 units) info Yes Yes
Micro Trade Size (1,000 units) info No Yes
Islamic Account info No No
Deposit/Withdrawal Options Interactive Brokers Plus500
Minimum Deposit info $0 €100
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) info No Yes
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info No Yes
ACH or SEPA Transfers info Yes No
Copy Trading Interactive Brokers Plus500
Social Trading / Copy Trading info No No
DupliTrade info No No
ZuluTrade info No No
Cryptocurrency Interactive Brokers Plus500
Cryptocurrency (Physical) info Yes No
Cryptocurrency (Derivative) info No Yes info
Bitcoin info Yes Yes
Ethereum info Yes Yes
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) Interactive Brokers Plus500
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes info
Mobile Trading - Forex or CFDs info Yes Yes
Indices (Index CFDs) Interactive Brokers Plus500
DAX info Yes Yes
Dow Jones info Yes Yes
FTSE info Yes Yes
NASDAQ 100 info Yes Yes
Nikkei info Yes Yes
SP 500 info Yes Yes
Investments Interactive Brokers Plus500
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes info
Spread Betting info No No
Social Trading / Copy Trading info No No
Metals info Yes Yes
Energies info Yes Yes
Agriculturals info Yes Yes
ETF info Yes Yes info
U.S. Stocks (CFD) info Yes Yes
Trading Platforms Interactive Brokers Plus500
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Android App info Yes Yes
Proprietary Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes No
Web Platform info Yes Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info No No
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info No No
Regulatory Licenses Interactive Brokers Plus500
Tier-1 Licenses info 9 6
Australia (ASIC Authorised) info Yes Yes
Canada (CIRO Authorised) info Yes No
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) info Yes No
Japan (SFC Authorised) info Yes Yes
Singapore (MAS Authorised) info Yes Yes
Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) info No No
United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) info Yes Yes
USA (CFTC Authorized) info Yes No
New Zealand (FMA Authorised) info No Yes
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info Yes info
Tier-2 Licenses info 2 3
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Research, Education Interactive Brokers Plus500
Trading Central (Recognia) info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes No
Daily Market Commentary info Yes Yes
Autochartist info No No
Investor Dictionary (Glossary) info Yes No
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes Yes info
Trading Costs Interactive Brokers Plus500
Minimum Deposit info $0 €100
Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard info 0.63 info 1.5 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.63 info 1.5 info
Active Trader or VIP Discounts info Yes No
Trading Tools Interactive Brokers Plus500
Watchlists - Total Fields info 640 10
Mobile Watchlist info Yes Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 128 114
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 70 110
Trust Factors Interactive Brokers Plus500
Year Founded info 1977 2008
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes Yes
Bank info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info Yes info
Trust Score info 99 99
arrow_upward

Interactive Brokers vs Plus500 Comparison

Comparing forex brokers side by side is no easy task. Our research team has collected thousands of data points, written hundreds of thousands of words of research, and tested over 60 brokers to help you find the best forex brokers in the industry. Trying to decide between Interactive Brokers and Plus500? Our independent database powered by our unbiased research will help you compare Interactive Brokers vs Plus500 side-by-side.

What is Trust Score?

Trust Score is a data-driven rating system that provides an at-a-glance rating of a broker’s overall trust by tracking 60+ brokers and over 100 regulatory jurisdictions across the globe. To make things clearer for everyday traders, we’ve created a five-tier system for regulators and Trust Score rating labels. Learn more about Trust Score, and check out our country guides to see the most trusted brokers in your country of residence.

Can I trust Interactive Brokers?

Interactive Brokers has a Trust Score of 99, giving it a "Highly Trusted" Trust Score Label.

Can I trust Plus500?

Plus500 has a Trust Score of 99, giving it a "Highly Trusted" Trust Score Label.

Is Interactive Brokers a good broker?

Founded in 1977, Interactive Brokers is a long-standing highly trusted broker that holds a stunning nine Tier-1 licenses from regulatory jurisdictions across the globe numerous regulatory licenses. We've consistently rated Interactive Brokers as an excellent choice for professional traders, and its Trader Workstation (TWS) platform offers a variety of advanced trading tools that will be appreciated by experienced traders. Interactive Brokers delivers access to over 100 markets, including forex and CFDs. IBKR's recently introduced web-based platform is a great choice for beginner forex traders, and its powerful research and extensive educational content make for a balanced experience for newcomers and professionals alike.

Is Plus500 a good broker?

Plus500 is a highly-trusted broker that holds six Tier-1 regulatory licenses from reputable jurisdictions around the globe and has a Trust Score rating of 99. Traders at Plus500 gain access to share trading via the Plus500 Invest platform, and CFD traders will find good selection of CFDs available via the broker’s separate Plus500 CFD platform. Though Plus500 does not provide access to the popular MetaTrader suite, we found its proprietary trading platform to be intuitive. While its educational content and range of research trails category leaders, Plus500 is still a great choice for less demanding traders.

What Tier-1 jurisdictions is each broker regulated in?

Tier-1 is reserved for the strictest, most stringent regulatory jurisdictions in the world. Tier-1 regulators impose additional capital requirements and require a tougher initial screening process. Interactive Brokers holds regulatory licenses in the following Tier-1 jurisdictions: 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). Plus500, on the other hand, is licensed in these Tier-1 regulatory jurisdictions: Australia (ASIC Authorised), Japan (SFC Authorised), Singapore (MAS Authorised), New Zealand (FMA Authorised) and United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised). 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, Interactive Brokers is India (SEBI Authorised), while Plus500 is Cyprus (CySEC Authorised), Israel (ISA Authorised), South Africa (FSCA Authorised) and UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised).. Neither have China (CBRC Authorised), Russia (CBR Authorised) and Thailand (SEC Authorised). When comparing tier-3 licenses unfortunately, neither Interactive Brokers nor Plus500 are Bahamas (SCB Authorised), Belize (FSC Authorised), Bermuda (BMA Authorised), British Virgin Islands (FSC Authorised), Cayman Islands (CIMA Authorised), Mauritius (FSC Authorised) and Vanuatu (VFSC Authorised).. Neither have Vanuatu (VFSC Authorised).

Which broker offers more trading platforms?

Whether your broker develops its own proprietary platforms or provides access to popular third-party platforms, you should make sure you can use your preferred type of trading platform. In our testing, we found that Interactive Brokers offers a Proprietary Platform and Desktop Platform (Windows), whereas Plus500 supports a Proprietary Platform. Neither have cTrader, DupliTrade and ZuluTrade

Does Interactive Brokers offer MetaTrader? Does Plus500 offer MetaTrader?

Neither Interactive Brokers or Plus500 offer MT4 or MT5. If MetaTrader is a must for you, read our guides on the best MT4 brokers or best MT5 brokers.. Neither have MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5)

How do Interactive Brokers and Plus500 differ in terms of minimum deposit? What about average spreads and funding options?

Interactive Brokers requires a minimum deposit of $0, while Plus500 requires a minimum deposit of €100. It's also important to ensure your broker accepts the funding options and deposit methods that work best for you. In our research, we've found that Interactive Brokers supports Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) for funding and deposit methods, whereas Plus500 supports Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw), Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit), PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) and Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw)

Which broker offers more tradeable asset classes, Interactive Brokers or Plus500?

When choosing a broker, it’s important to check the availability of your preferred investment products and asset classes. We’ve tested each broker’s individual offering of investments to help you pick the right broker for what you want to trade. We found that both Interactive Brokers and Plus500 offer Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs), Metals, Energies, Agriculturals, ETF and U.S. Stocks (CFD). Neither have Spread Betting and Social Trading / Copy Trading.

We also keep track of each broker’s total number of tradeable symbols; Interactive Brokers offers 8500, and Plus500 offers a total of 5500 tradeable symbols.

Can I trade cryptocurrency with Interactive Brokers or Plus500?

Crypto trading has become popular among forex traders across a range of international jurisdictions. As a result, many forex brokers now offer crypto products to their clients; most crypto assets are offered either as an underlying physical asset (such as when you own actual bitcoin assets, for example) or as a derivative product like a CFD. If you are looking to trade physical cryptocurrencies, you’ll find that Interactive Brokers offers clients access to trading physical cryptocurrencies while Plus500 does not.

Who offers more research tools, Interactive Brokers or Plus500?

Market research plays a huge role in any forex trader’s ability to conduct analysis within the global forex market. We test each broker’s research offering to help you decide which broker is right for your technical or fundamental analysis needs. Interactive Brokers delivers the following research tools: Daily Market Commentary, Stock Charts, Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) and Trading Central (Recognia). Plus500, on the other hand, provides the tools listed here: Daily Market Commentary, Stock Charts and Trading Central (Recognia). Neither have Autochartist and Social Trading / Copy Trading

Broker Reviews

Still looking for more information, read our broker reviews.

Interactive Brokers Review

Plus500 Review

Overall winner: Interactive Brokers

Popular Forex Guides

More Forex Guides

Popular Forex Reviews

announcementPlease note:

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.


close