Written by ForexBrokers.com
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.
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, 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
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | No | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 9 | 4 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 3 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
Interactive Brokers (IBKR) earns 5/5 stars and ranks #2 out of 63 for Commissions and Fees, while Admirals earns 4.5/5 stars and ranks #18 out of 63. IBKR doesn’t publish average forex spreads, but in Q3 2024 we observed an average EUR/USD spread of 0.19 pips, with an estimated all-in cost of about 0.59 pips after commission. Admirals lists typical EUR/USD spreads of about 0.8 pips on its Trade account, with similar pricing on the Zero account.
IBKR aggregates quotes from 17 major banks and charges a commission instead of marking up spreads. Forex commissions start at 0.00002 (0.2 bps) of trade value per side, with a $2 minimum per order ($4 round turn), and can drop to 0.08 bps for very high volumes. That equates to roughly $16–$40 per million round turn ($8–$20 per side). A $100,000 EUR/USD buy-and-sell would add about 0.40 pips in commission on top of the spread. Note the $2 minimum per side makes smaller-than-100k trades proportionally pricier. Active-trader discounts reduce the minimum to $1.50 per order above $1B monthly volume, and to $1 at $5B. IBKR Lite and IBKR Pro support forex but are not commission-free, and large orders can be handled via RFQ.
Admirals’ appeal is its simple, spread-based pricing: typical EUR/USD spreads around 0.8 pips on the Trade account (with similar pricing on the Zero account). In practice, IBKR’s commission model can deliver lower all-in costs for larger or high-volume trades, while Admirals can be competitive for smaller tickets or those who prefer a straightforward spread without separate commission tiers.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.59 | 0.8 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.65 | 0.8 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Interactive Brokers vs Admirals: both brokers offer forex trading (CFD or spot), plus access to exchange-traded stocks on U.S. and international exchanges (think Apple on NASDAQ and Vodafone in London). Admirals lists 8,702 tradeable symbols, slightly edging out Interactive Brokers at 8,500, while Interactive Brokers provides more forex pairs (90 vs 82).
Key differences: Admirals supports copy trading; Interactive Brokers does not. For crypto, Interactive Brokers lets you buy actual cryptocurrency as well as crypto CFDs, while Admirals offers crypto only via CFDs. Ratings from ForexBrokers.com reflect this breadth: Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars and ranks #1 of 63 for Range of Investments; Admirals earns 4.5 stars and ranks #20. Choose Interactive Brokers if you want real crypto and more forex pairs; pick Admirals if you prefer copy trading and a slightly larger overall symbol list.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 8702 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 82 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | No |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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 Admirals both check key boxes for trading platforms and tools. Each offers a free paper trading demo, a proprietary platform, a Windows desktop download, a web-based platform, and the ability to trade directly from charts. The big differences: Admirals supports copy trading and integrates MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), while Interactive Brokers does not. If you want MT4/MT5 or copy trading, Admirals has the edge; if you prefer an in-house platform and don’t need those extras, both brokers deliver strong options for everyday trading.
For overall quality, Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars and ranks #3 out of 63 brokers for Trading Platforms and Tools at ForexBrokers.com, while Admirals earns 4 stars and ranks #19. In short, IB is the higher-rated choice for platform depth, whereas Admirals stands out for traders who value MT4/MT5 compatibility and copy trading alongside accessible web and desktop experiences.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
In this Interactive Brokers vs Admirals mobile trading app comparison, both brokers offer iPhone and Android apps. Each provides stock and forex price alerts and lets you draw trendlines on charts, so you can monitor markets and mark up setups on the go.
Interactive Brokers stands out with watchlist syncing between mobile and your online account and far more built-in technical studies (97 vs 30). Admirals, however, autosaves your chart drawings, while IB does not. In independent testing by ForexBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers earned 5 stars and ranked #4 of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps; Admirals earned 4 stars and ranked #23. Choose IB if you want deeper charting and synced watchlists; pick Admirals if autosaving chart annotations matters most.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Admirals
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|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 97 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
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
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Admirals
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|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes |
| TipRanks | Yes | Yes |
| Acuity Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Interactive Brokers vs Admirals for beginner education: both brokers invest in learning. Each runs client webinars at least monthly and offers a sizable catalog of beginner videos—10 or more—covering trading basics, platform know-how, and risk control. As you progress, both also provide 10+ advanced videos, so you can keep learning in the same place. Their materials include content about forex and CFDs presented through videos and live sessions, helping first-time traders pick up key concepts at their own pace.
In overall quality, Interactive Brokers takes the lead: it earns 5 out of 5 stars for Education and ranks #3 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com. Admirals is close behind with 4 out of 5 stars and a #12 ranking. If you want the strongest overall education experience, Interactive Brokers has the edge, while Admirals remains a dependable choice with plenty of webinars and beginner-friendly videos.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
Admirals
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
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 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 |
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Admirals
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| Trust Score | 99 | 93 |
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Interactive Brokers allows investors to buy actual (delivered) cryptocurrency and trade cryptocurrency CFDs, whereas Admirals offers cryptocurrency CFDs only and does not provide access to delivered crypto.
Interactive Brokers and Admirals both support ACH or SEPA transfers to deposit or withdraw account funds; Interactive Brokers also supports bank wire transfers and does not support PayPal or Skrill, while Visa/Mastercard for Interactive Brokers and the availability of PayPal, Skrill, Visa/Mastercard, and bank wires at Admirals are not specified.
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 | Admirals | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Admirals Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | Admirals | |
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| Regulation | Interactive Brokers | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 93 | |
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2001 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 9 | 4 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | Yes | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | Yes | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | Yes | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | Yes |
| Investments | Interactive Brokers | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 8702 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 82 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | Yes | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | 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 account | 0.59 | 0.8 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.65 | 0.8 | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | Interactive Brokers | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $100 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | ||
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | ||
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | Interactive Brokers | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Interactive Brokers | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Interactive Brokers | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 97 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | No | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | Yes | Yes | |
| TipRanks | Yes | Yes | |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Interactive Brokers | Admirals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Admirals Review |
| Overall | Interactive Brokers | Admirals | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 93 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | Admirals Review |
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