Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs ACY Securities, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 51% and 89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Interactive Brokers, established in 1977, and ACY Securities, founded in 2011, stand as notable entities in the online brokerage industry. Interactive Brokers is publicly traded, allowing greater transparency, while ACY Securities remains privately owned. Neither of the two companies functions as a bank, ensuring they are focused solely on providing brokerage services. Interactive Brokers distinguishes itself with an impressive nine Tier-1 licenses, the highest level of regulatory trust, along with two additional Tier-2 licenses. This robust regulatory framework reflects its commitment to security and reliability. In contrast, ACY Securities holds a single Tier-1 license, lacking any Tier-2 validations, suggesting a less extensive regulatory backing.
The Trust Score provided by ForexBrokers.com further cements Interactive Brokers' reputation, as it achieves a perfect score of 99 out of 99, placing it firmly in the highly trusted category. Meanwhile, ACY Securities receives a Trust Score of 75, indicating an average level of risk. These scores reflect the brokers’ adherence to safety standards and reliability, informing potential users about the different levels of assurance they can expect. For traders seeking a highly trusted brokerage platform with extensive regulatory oversight, Interactive Brokers appears to hold the edge over ACY Securities.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
ACY Securities
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2011 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 9 | 1 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
Interactive Brokers vs. ACY Securities: both are known for competitive commissions and fees, but they cater to different needs. Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars and ranks #2 out of 63 for Commissions and Fees, while ACY Securities earns 4.5 stars and ranks #22 out of 63. IBKR shines for active and high-volume forex traders with agency-style pricing, whereas ACY offers flexible account choices, including a commission-free option with a very low minimum deposit.
Interactive Brokers does not publish average forex spreads, but in Q3 2024 the EUR/USD averaged 0.19 pips, with an effective all-in cost of 0.59 pips after commission. Forex commissions start at 0.00002 (0.2 bps) of the USD trade value per side with a $2 minimum per order ($4 round turn), comparable to $16–$40 per million round turn. On a $100,000 EUR/USD trade, the commission-equivalent is roughly 0.40 pips plus whatever the spread is. Note that the $2 minimum per side makes smaller-than-100k trades proportionally pricier. High-volume discounts can reduce the minimum to $1.50 per order above $1B in monthly volume, and to $1 at $5B; IBKR also supports RFQ for large orders and aggregates prices from 17 interbank dealers.
ACY Securities offers three account types. The Standard account is commission-free, averaged about 1.2 pips on EUR/USD in September 2021, and requires just a $50 deposit—ideal if you want simplicity but can accept wider spreads. Its commission-based ProZero and Bespoke accounts had average spreads around 0.25 pips during the same period, with $6 and $5 round-turn commissions, and $200 and $10,000 minimum deposits, respectively. If you reside in Australia, ProZero’s commission drops to $3 round turn, bringing the effective spread to 0.55 pips (September 2021). ACY also runs a 10-tier active trader program that can trim costs by 0.5 pips per lot once you exceed 50 standard lots per month.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
ACY Securities
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $50 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.59 | 1.2 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.65 | 0.85 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Interactive Brokers delivers a wider range of investments than ACY Securities, with 8,500 tradeable symbols versus ACY’s 2,200 and 90 forex pairs versus 66. Both brokers support forex trading (CFD or spot, depending on your location). Only Interactive Brokers lets you buy exchange-traded securities (not CFDs) on U.S. and international exchanges, so you can purchase actual shares like Apple or Vodafone. For crypto, Interactive Brokers offers both actual coins and crypto derivatives, while ACY Securities focuses on crypto derivatives only. ACY adds copy trading, which Interactive Brokers does not provide.
For range of investments, Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars and ranks #1 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while ACY Securities earns 4 stars and ranks #31. Choose Interactive Brokers if you want the broadest market access—including real stocks and cryptocurrencies—across global exchanges. Pick ACY Securities if you mainly trade CFDs, want copy trading, and are comfortable with a smaller but still varied lineup of markets.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
ACY Securities
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 2200 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 66 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | Yes | No |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | Yes | Yes |
| Disclaimers | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
Interactive Brokers and ACY Securities both check the basics for platform access: each offers a free paper trading (demo) account, a proprietary in-house platform, a Windows desktop download, a web-based platform, and the ability to trade directly from charts. Where they differ is in extras. ACY Securities supports copy trading and also offers MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), while Interactive Brokers does not. Neither broker supports ZuluTrade or DupliTrade.
For charting and data depth, Interactive Brokers stands out with 85 drawing tools and highly detailed watchlists with up to 659 fields, compared with ACY Securities’ 15 drawing tools and 7 watchlist fields. That depth helps data-focused traders, whereas ACY’s MT4/MT5 access and copy trading may appeal to those who want familiar third-party tools and social features. Reflecting this, ForexBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers 5 stars and ranks it #3 out of 63 for Trading Platforms and Tools, while ACY Securities earns 4 stars and ranks #42.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
ACY Securities
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| DupliTrade | No | No |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 30 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 85 | 15 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 659 | 7 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Interactive Brokers and ACY Securities both offer iPhone and Android apps with price alerts, real-time watchlists, trendline drawing, and multiple chart time frames for stocks and forex. A key difference is watchlist syncing: Interactive Brokers syncs symbols between the mobile app and the web platform, while ACY Securities does not. On the flip side, ACY’s app auto-saves chart drawings, whereas Interactive Brokers does not.
For charting depth, Interactive Brokers lists 97 technical studies compared with ACY Securities’ 30, which can matter if you rely on indicators. In independent reviews, Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars and ranks #4 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps, while ACY Securities earns 4 stars and ranks #41. In short, Interactive Brokers suits traders who want more tools and seamless watchlist syncing, while ACY Securities appeals to those who value simpler tools and auto-saved annotations.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
ACY Securities
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 97 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Interactive Brokers and ACY Securities both provide daily market commentary and a global economic calendar. The differences show up beyond the basics: Interactive Brokers delivers premium forex news from top-tier sources such as Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, while ACY does not. Interactive Brokers also includes Trading Central analysis, a sentiment tool that shows long and short positioning, TipRanks insights, and tools from Acuity Trading. Neither broker offers Autochartist, and ACY lacks Trading Central, TipRanks, Acuity, and a sentiment gauge altogether.
These extras help Interactive Brokers earn a 5-star Research rating and a #3 ranking out of 63 brokers from ForexBrokers.com. ACY Securities holds a 3.5-star rating and ranks #46. For traders who want richer research and third-party analytics, Interactive Brokers is the stronger option; if you mainly want basic commentary and a calendar, ACY covers core needs.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
ACY Securities
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | Yes | No |
| Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) | Yes | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
When it comes to educational resources for beginners, Interactive Brokers and ACY Securities both offer a comprehensive range of materials catering to those interested in forex and CFDs. Both brokers provide at least ten educational pieces, such as articles, videos, and archived webinars, focusing on these subjects. They also host monthly educational webinars and maintain accessible archives of past sessions, offering a convenient way for learners to revisit valuable content. For beginners keen to dive into trading topics, both Interactive Brokers and ACY Securities deliver at least ten beginner-friendly educational videos. However, Interactive Brokers goes a step further by offering over ten advanced videos, which ACY Securities does not.
Interactive Brokers stands out with its investor dictionary containing over 50 investing terms, assisting newcomers in building a solid investment vocabulary. In contrast, ACY Securities does not offer a similar resource. As a result, Interactive Brokers has a stellar educational rating of five stars and ranks third among 63 brokers in the Education category on ForexBrokers.com. ACY Securities, on the other hand, receives a 3.5-star rating and is ranked 43rd in the same category. This makes Interactive Brokers a stronger contender for those seeking a more extensive educational foundation in the trading world.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
ACY Securities
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Interactive Brokers is better than ACY Securities. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while ACY Securities finished with an overall rank of #41.
Interactive Brokers is a highly trusted multi-asset broker with an extensive offering of tradeable global markets. It delivers competitive fees and high-quality research and education, as well as a modern, institutional-grade trading platform suite.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
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ACY Securities
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| Trust Score | 99 | 75 |
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Interactive Brokers provides the option to purchase actual delivered cryptocurrency as well as cryptocurrency derivatives, while ACY Securities offers only cryptocurrency derivatives without the ability to buy actual delivered cryptocurrency.
Interactive Brokers and ACY Securities both support ACH or SEPA transfers and bank wires for depositing and withdrawing account funds, yet they differ as ACY Securities uniquely offers Skrill, Visa, and Mastercard services, while neither broker provides PayPal options.
Please 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.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Interactive Brokers | ACY Securities | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 75 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | ACY Securities Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | ACY Securities | |
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| Regulation | Interactive Brokers | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 75 | |
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2011 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 9 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Japan (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | Yes | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | No | |
| UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | Interactive Brokers | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 2200 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 66 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | Yes | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (Derivative) | Yes | Yes | |
| Disclaimers | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). |
| Cost | Interactive Brokers | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.59 | 1.2 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.65 | 0.85 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | No | No |
| Funding | Interactive Brokers | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $50 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | Interactive Brokers | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Interactive Brokers | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 659 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 30 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 85 | 15 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Interactive Brokers | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 97 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Economic Calendar | Yes | No |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Forex or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | Interactive Brokers | ACY Securities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | ACY Securities Review |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 75 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | ACY Securities Review |
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