Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of IG vs Alpari, 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.
IG and Alpari are two prominent players in the online brokerage world, each with distinct offerings and levels of trustworthiness. Established in 1974, IG is a time-tested institution, publicly traded, and recognized as a bank. In contrast, Alpari, founded in 1998, is neither publicly traded nor a bank. IG boasts an impressive collection of regulatory credentials with 8 Tier-1 licenses, deemed highly trusted, and 2 Tier-2 licenses, reflecting a strong level of overall trust. Meanwhile, Alpari holds no Tier-1 or Tier-2 licenses, highlighting differences in regulatory oversight.
The Trust Score ratings by ForexBrokers.com further emphasize this gap, as IG holds a near-perfect score of 99, ranking it as a highly trusted broker. Alpari, on the other hand, has a score of 68, which places it in the high-risk category. These factors can play a crucial role for users in selecting a broker as IG offers stronger assurances in terms of safety and reliability compared to Alpari. With IG’s extensive regulatory backing and status as a publicly traded bank, it stands out as a compelling choice for those prioritizing trust and transparency.
| Feature |
IG
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1974 | 1998 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | Yes | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 0 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
IG offers clearer, more detailed pricing for traders comparing commissions and fees. On its spread-only CFD account, typical EUR/USD spreads during the main session averaged 0.69 pips in July 2023, and 0.98 pips across all sessions globally (1.18 pips for IG US). High-volume traders can qualify for active-trader rebates that trim spreads by 10% to 20%, potentially bringing costs down to about 0.60 pips. IG’s DMA “Forex Direct” account (minimum £1,000) averaged 0.62 pips on EUR/USD in July 2023 before commission; with tiered commissions from $60 per million down to $10 per million per side for the largest volumes, the all-in cost can land around 0.82 pips. For commissions and fees, IG is rated 5/5 stars and ranked #8 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
Alpari does not publish average spread data, making direct cost comparisons harder. While its fees will depend on your account type and region, the lack of standardized averages means less pricing clarity than IG. For most active traders seeking transparency, DMA access, and volume-based discounts, IG is typically easier to evaluate and can be more cost-competitive. For commissions and fees, Alpari is rated 4/5 stars and ranked #42 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com.
| Feature |
IG
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £250.00 | $20 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.98 | N/A |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.82 | N/A |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
IG offers a much wider range of investments than Alpari. IG lists 19,537 tradeable symbols and 97 forex pairs, compared with Alpari’s 105 symbols and 46 pairs. Both brokers support forex trading as CFDs or spot. IG also lets clients buy exchange‑traded shares (not CFDs) on both U.S. and international exchanges, while Alpari offers exchange‑traded shares on international markets only.
Feature-wise, Alpari includes copy trading, which IG does not. For crypto, IG supports both actual coins and crypto CFDs; Alpari offers crypto CFDs only. Reflecting this coverage, IG is rated 5 stars and ranked #4 by ForexBrokers.com for range of investments, while Alpari is rated 3 stars and ranked #64. Choose IG if you want the broadest market access, or Alpari if copy trading is a must-have.
| Feature |
IG
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 19537 | 105 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 97 | 46 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| 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.
IG and Alpari both tick key boxes for everyday traders: each offers a free demo (paper) account, an in-house platform, Windows desktop software, and a web-based platform. You can trade straight from charts with both brokers, and MetaTrader 4 (MT4) is supported at IG and Alpari alike—useful if you rely on popular indicators and Expert Advisors.
The big differences are in extras. Alpari supports copy trading and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), while IG does not. If you need social-style strategies or MT5’s newer features, Alpari has the edge. For overall platform quality, IG stands out with a 5-star rating and a #2 ranking out of 63 brokers for Trading Platforms and Tools, compared with Alpari’s 4-star rating and #56 ranking, according to ForexBrokers.com.
| Feature |
IG
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| 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) | Yes | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 33 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Comparing IG vs. Alpari for mobile trading apps, both brokers offer iPhone and Android apps with price alerts and the ability to draw trendlines on charts. IG provides 33 technical studies for mobile charting, slightly edging out Alpari’s 30. These tools make it easy to analyze forex and other markets on the go.
The key differences show up in day-to-day use. IG syncs watchlists between mobile and web, while Alpari does not. IG also auto-saves chart drawings so your work is there the next time you log in; Alpari’s app does not save drawings automatically. Reflecting these advantages, IG is rated 5 stars and ranks #1 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps, whereas Alpari earns 4 stars and ranks #57.
| Feature |
IG
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 33 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
In the IG vs Alpari market research matchup, IG offers a deeper toolkit. IG provides daily market commentary, forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, or Dow Jones, Autochartist tools, a sentiment tool showing long/short positioning, TipRanks insights, and research from Acuity Trading (Signal Centre). Alpari delivers forex news from top-tier sources, Autochartist, and an economic calendar, but it does not provide daily commentary or a sentiment tool, and it does not list TipRanks or Acuity Trading among its research. Both brokers include an economic calendar, and neither offers Trading Central.
For overall research quality, IG earns 5 stars and ranks #2 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Alpari earns 3 stars and ranks #58. If you want frequent updates, sentiment data, and a wider mix of third-party research, IG is the stronger choice; if you just need news, Autochartist, and an economic calendar, Alpari covers the basics.
| Feature |
IG
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No |
| TipRanks | Yes | |
| Acuity Trading | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Comparing IG vs Alpari for beginner education, IG stands out for ongoing guidance and depth. IG hosts online educational webinars at least once a month, giving new traders a chance to ask questions and learn in real time, while Alpari does not run monthly educational webinars. Both brokers offer at least 10 beginner-friendly trading videos to help you learn the basics, but only IG also provides 10 or more advanced videos for when you’re ready to go further, whereas Alpari lacks that advanced video depth.
Independent ratings back up this difference in quality: IG earns 5 stars for Education and ranks #1 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Alpari holds 3 stars and ranks #48. For beginners who want structured learning, frequent live sessions, and room to grow into more advanced topics, IG is the stronger choice. Alpari can still work for basic video lessons, but it offers fewer learning paths and no monthly webinars.
| Feature |
IG
|
Alpari
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that IG is better than Alpari. IG finished with an overall rank of #1, while Alpari finished with an overall rank of #58.
IG offers the ultimate comprehensive trading package, featuring excellent trading and research tools, industry-leading education, and an extensive range of tradeable markets.
| Feature |
IG
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Alpari
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|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 99 | 68 |
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Comparing online brokers IG and Alpari: IG lets you buy actual delivered cryptocurrency and trade cryptocurrency CFDs, while Alpari only offers crypto CFDs and does not support buying real, delivered crypto.
For deposit and withdrawal methods, IG supports ACH/SEPA transfers, PayPal, and bank wires (but not Skrill), whereas Alpari does not support ACH/SEPA and the availability of PayPal, Skrill, Visa/Mastercard, and bank wires was 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 | IG | Alpari | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 68 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IG Review |
| Broker Screenshots | IG | Alpari | |
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| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Regulation | IG | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 68 | |
| Year Founded | 1974 | 1998 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 8 | 0 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 2 | 0 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | IG | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | No | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | No | 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) | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | IG | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | |||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | No | |
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or SCA Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | No | |
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) |
| Investments | IG | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 19537 | 105 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 97 | 46 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| 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 | IG | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 0.98 | N/A | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.82 | N/A | |
| Inactivity Fee | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | Yes | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | IG | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | £250.00 | $20 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | ||
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | ||
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | IG | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | IG | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 33 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | IG | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 33 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | IG | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | No | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | ||
| Client sentiment data | Yes | No | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | IG | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | No | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | No |
| Major Forex Pairs | IG | Alpari | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | IG Review |
| Overall | IG | Alpari | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 68 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | IG Review |
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