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Interactive Brokers vs Admirals 2025

ForexBrokers.com

Written by ForexBrokers.com

February 05, 2025

In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs Admirals, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.

Interactive Brokers
5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0
  • Trust Score: 99
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 8500
Admirals
4.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $100
  • Trust Score: 93
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 8702

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.

Regulation

Interactive Brokers, founded in 1977, is a highly trusted online broker with a top-notch Trust Score of 99 out of 99, according to ForexBrokers.com. As a publicly traded entity on a recognized stock exchange, Interactive Brokers distinguishes itself with an impressive array of 9 Tier-1 licenses, reflecting its strong regulatory compliance. Additionally, it holds 2 Tier-2 licenses, reinforcing its position as a secure choice for traders.

Founded in 2001, Admirals also demonstrates a strong trust factor with a commendable Trust Score of 93. Although it is not publicly traded, it maintains a reputable standing with 4 Tier-1 licenses, ensuring high trust in its operations. Admirals fortifies this assurance with 3 Tier-2 licenses, further underscoring its commitment to regulatory standards. Both brokers are not banks, and their regulatory frameworks offer potential investors a sense of security and trust in their trading platforms.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Admirals logoAdmirals
Year Founded info 1977 2001
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes No
Bank info No No
Tier-1 Licenses info 9 4
Tier-2 Licenses info 2 3
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 0 1

Fees

When comparing the commissions and fees between Interactive Brokers and Admirals, Interactive Brokers emerges as a leader with a rating of 5 stars and ranks #2 out of 63 brokers according to ForexBrokers.com. Interactive Brokers offers competitive pricing, especially for forex trading. Although they do not publish average forex spreads transparently, in Q3 2024, the EUR/USD spread was around 0.19 pips, leading to an all-in spread of approximately 0.59 pips after including commissions. Commissions start at 0.2 basis points with a minimum of $2 per order, providing reasonably low costs for active forex traders who can enjoy further discounts with higher trading volumes.

Interactive Brokers charges a commission per trade, which ranges between $16 to $40 per million for a round turn ($8 to $20 per side), effectively avoiding marked-up spreads by aggregating prices from major interbank dealers. Active traders benefit significantly as trading over $1 billion per month reduces the minimum charge from $2 to $1.5 per order, potentially dropping to $1 for over $5 billion in monthly trades. These attractive rates and discounts underscore Interactive Brokers' appeal to active forex traders.

On the other hand, Admirals earns a respectable 4.5-star rating and ranks #17 for commissions and fees. Admirals is known for its competitive pricing as well, offering typical forex spreads around 0.8 on both their Trade and Zero account types. While both brokers provide cost-effective trading solutions, Interactive Brokers seems to offer better pricing for exceptionally active traders through its various discounts and low commission rates, setting it apart in the industry.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Admirals logoAdmirals
Minimum Deposit info $0 $100
Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard info 0.59 info 0.8 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.59 info 0.8 info
Active Trader or VIP Discounts info Yes Yes
ACH or SEPA Transfers info Yes Yes
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info No Yes
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info No Yes
Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) info No Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.

Featured Offers


Range of investments

Interactive Brokers and Admirals both provide a comprehensive selection of investment options, appealing to a wide array of traders and investors. Interactive Brokers offers 8,500 tradeable symbols, while Admirals slightly surpasses this with 8,702 symbols. Forex traders will find competitive offerings as well, with Interactive Brokers providing 90 tradeable forex pairs compared to Admirals' 82 pairs. Both brokers allow clients to buy exchange-traded securities on U.S. and international exchanges, ensuring access to a global marketplace. However, when it comes to cryptocurrencies, Interactive Brokers stands out by allowing the purchase of actual cryptocurrencies, while Admirals limits clients to cryptocurrency derivatives.

In terms of tailored trading features, Admirals offers copy trading, which can be beneficial for beginner traders looking to mirror the trades of experienced investors, while Interactive Brokers does not provide this feature. Despite these differences, Interactive Brokers earns a perfect 5-star rating for its range of investments, and it's ranked #1 out of 63 brokers in this category by ForexBrokers.com. Admirals also boasts a strong range with a 4.5-star rating, though it ranks #19 in the same comparative list. These insights suggest that while both platforms offer significant trading opportunities, Interactive Brokers may appeal more to those seeking a broader range of investment options and top-tier market access.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Admirals logoAdmirals
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 8500 8702
Forex Pairs (Total) info 90 82
U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) info Yes Yes
Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) info Yes Yes
Social Trading / Copy Trading info No Yes
Cryptocurrency (Physical) info Yes No
Cryptocurrency (Derivative) info 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.

Trading platforms and tools

Interactive Brokers and Admirals both provide a range of trading platforms and tools for investors. Both brokerages offer simulated or paper trading options with a free virtual demo account, making it easy for beginners to practice without financial risk. Each also boasts a proprietary platform and supports trading on a Windows-based desktop platform as well as a web-based browser platform. However, Admirals provides additional options, such as copy trading and support for MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), which are not available with Interactive Brokers.

In terms of charting, Admirals offers a greater variety with 106 drawing tools compared to 85 available from Interactive Brokers. For those who rely heavily on watch lists, Interactive Brokers stands out with 659 fields for watch lists, substantially more than the seven offered by Admirals. Both platforms allow for trading directly from a stock chart, enhancing convenience. Rated highly for its trading platforms and tools, Interactive Brokers earns a perfect five-star rating, ranking third out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com. Admirals, while still commendable, secures a four-star rating and ranks 19th among its peers.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Admirals logoAdmirals
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Proprietary Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Social Trading / Copy Trading info No Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info No Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info No Yes
DupliTrade info No No
ZuluTrade info No No
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 155 30
Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) info 85 106
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes
Watchlists - Total Fields info 659 7

Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.

Forex trading apps

When it comes to mobile trading apps, Interactive Brokers and Admirals both offer extensive options for traders on the go. Both provide apps for iPhone and Android, ensuring accessibility for the majority of mobile users. Additionally, they allow users to receive stock or forex price alerts and draw trendlines on their charts—features crucial for active traders. While both platforms support viewing various time frames, such as daily or intraday, Interactive Brokers stands out with 97 technical studies available for charting compared to Admirals' offering of 30. A key difference between the two is that Interactive Brokers does not auto-save your chart drawings, whereas Admirals does, potentially offering more ease for those who frequently analyze charts.

Interactive Brokers offers superior watchlist management with symbol syncing between mobile and online accounts, a feature Admirals does not provide. Both apps allow users to create watchlists with real-time quotes, but only Interactive Brokers ties your customizations seamlessly across devices. Ratings further distinguish the two: Interactive Brokers earns a full 5-star rating for its mobile app, ranking #4 out of 63 brokers on ForexBrokers.com, while Admirals achieves a 4-star rating and is ranked at #23. For those seeking a highly ranked, feature-rich mobile trading experience, Interactive Brokers may present a more appealing choice.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Admirals logoAdmirals
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields info Yes Yes
Watchlist Syncing info Yes No
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 97 30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave info No Yes
Mobile Watchlist info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.

Market research

Interactive Brokers and Admirals both equip traders with comprehensive market research tools, enhancing the trading experience. Each platform provides daily market commentary and reliable forex news from notable sources like Bloomberg and Reuters. They offer sentiment-based trading tools and market insights from TipRanks, along with access to Trading Central's analysis tools. Traders on either platform can also utilize economic calendars to keep abreast of global economic events. Both brokers feature research tools from Acuity Trading as well, though neither offers resources from Autochartist.

Despite their similarities, there's a difference in how they’re rated for research—Interactive Brokers earns a perfect 5-star rating, whereas Admirals holds a respectable 4 stars. Among 63 brokers, Interactive Brokers is ranked 3rd by ForexBrokers.com in the Research category, while Admirals stands at 15th. This indicates that, while both brokers are equipped with similar research capabilities, Interactive Brokers is slightly favored for its research prowess, providing a slight edge for traders who prioritize top-tier research resources.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Admirals logoAdmirals
Daily Market Commentary info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes Yes
Autochartist info No No
Trading Central (Recognia) info Yes Yes
Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs info Yes Yes
TipRanks info Yes Yes
Signal Centre (Acuity Trading) info Yes Yes
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.

Beginners and education

Interactive Brokers and Admirals both offer extensive educational resources for beginners interested in forex or CFDs trading. Interactive Brokers shines with its top-rated educational offerings, featuring over 10 educational pieces focused on forex or CFDs, monthly online webinars, and a comprehensive archive of recorded sessions. Beginners will appreciate the dedicated range of beginner videos and an investor dictionary that includes definitions for over 50 essential trading terms. Ranking third among 63 brokers in the Education category at ForexBrokers.com and receiving a five-star rating for education, Interactive Brokers positions itself as an excellent choice for new traders looking to enhance their knowledge.

Admirals also provides a quality educational experience, with resources that include a substantial selection of articles, videos, and webinars aimed at teaching the basics of forex and CFDs trading. Admirals hosts monthly live webinars and maintains a searchable archive, allowing learners to revisit sessions at their convenience. They similarly offer a collection of beginner educational videos and an expansive investor dictionary. Admirals receives a four-star rating for education and ranks 12th out of 63 brokers in this category. While perhaps not scoring as highly as Interactive Brokers, Admirals still offers valuable learning tools for those starting their trading journey.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Admirals logoAdmirals
Education (Forex or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Client Webinars info Yes Yes
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Investor Dictionary (Glossary) info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.

Winner

After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Interactive Brokers is better than Admirals. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while Admirals finished with an overall rank of #18.

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 logoInteractive Brokers
Admirals logoAdmirals
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 93
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with Interactive Brokers or Admirals?

Interactive Brokers allows investors to buy both actual delivered cryptocurrencies and cryptocurrency derivatives, whereas Admirals offers the option to purchase only cryptocurrency derivatives but not the actual delivered cryptocurrencies.

What funding options does each broker offer?

Interactive Brokers and Admirals both support ACH or SEPA transfers and bank wires for depositing or withdrawing account funds, but only Admirals provides additional flexibility with PayPal, Skrill, and Visa or Mastercard options.




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.

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Compare

0 of 5
Overall Rating Interactive Brokers Admirals
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 93
Winner check_circle
Review Interactive Brokers Review Admirals Review
Broker Screenshots Interactive Brokers Admirals
Trading Platforms Gallery (click to expand) info
Mobile Trading Gallery (click to expand) info
Research Gallery (click to expand) info
Education Gallery (click to expand) info
Regulation Interactive Brokers Admirals
Trust Score info 99 93
Year Founded info 1977 2001
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes No
Bank info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info Yes info
Tier-1 Licenses info 9 4
Tier-2 Licenses info 2 3
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 0 1
Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) Interactive Brokers Admirals
Australia (ASIC Authorised) info Yes Yes
Canada (CIRO Authorised) info Yes Yes
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) info Yes No
Japan (SFC Authorised) info Yes No
Singapore (MAS Authorised) info Yes No
Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) info Yes No
United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) info Yes Yes
USA (CFTC Authorized) info Yes No
New Zealand (FMA Authorised) info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info Yes info
Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) Interactive Brokers Admirals
Kenya (CMA Authorised) info No Yes
Israel (ISA Authorised) info No No
South Africa (FSCA Authorised) info No Yes
UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) info Yes No
India (SEBI Authorised) info Yes No
Jordan (JSC Authorised) info No Yes
Investments Interactive Brokers Admirals
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 8500 8702
Forex Pairs (Total) info 90 82
U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) info Yes Yes
Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) info Yes Yes
Social Trading / Copy Trading info No Yes
Cryptocurrency (Physical) info Yes No
Cryptocurrency (Derivative) info 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 Admirals
Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard info 0.59 info 0.8 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.59 info 0.8 info
Active Trader or VIP Discounts info Yes Yes
Inactivity Fee info No Yes
Execution: Agency Broker info Yes Yes
Execution: Market Maker info No Yes
Funding Interactive Brokers Admirals
Minimum Deposit info $0 $100
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info No Yes
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info No Yes
Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) info No Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info Yes Yes
ACH or SEPA Transfers info Yes Yes
Trading Platforms Interactive Brokers Admirals
Proprietary Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Platform (Windows) info Yes Yes
Web Platform info Yes Yes
Social Trading / Copy Trading info No Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info No Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info No Yes
cTrader info No No
DupliTrade info No No
ZuluTrade info No No
Trading Tools Interactive Brokers Admirals
Virtual Trading (Demo) info Yes Yes
Alerts - Basic Fields info Yes Yes
Watchlists - Total Fields info 659 7
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info 155 30
Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) info 85 106
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes
Charts can be saved info Yes Yes
Mobile Trading Interactive Brokers Admirals
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple iOS App info Yes Yes
Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields info Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlist info Yes Yes
Watchlist Syncing info Yes No
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info 97 30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames info Yes Yes
Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave info No Yes
Mobile Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Research Interactive Brokers Admirals
Daily Market Commentary info Yes Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes Yes
Autochartist info No No
Trading Central (Recognia) info Yes Yes
TipRanks info Yes Yes
Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs info Yes Yes
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Education Interactive Brokers Admirals
Education (Forex or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Client Webinars info Yes Yes
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Investor Dictionary (Glossary) info Yes Yes
Major Forex Pairs Interactive Brokers Admirals
GBP/USD info Yes Yes
USD/JPY info Yes Yes
EUR/USD info Yes Yes
USD/CHF info Yes Yes
USD/CAD info Yes Yes
NZD/USD info Yes Yes
AUD/USD info Yes Yes
Review Interactive Brokers Review Admirals Review
Overall Interactive Brokers Admirals
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 93
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Review Interactive Brokers Review Admirals Review
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