menuclose
Back to Main Menu
ForexBrokers.com is committed to the highest ethical standards and reviews services independently. Learn How We Make Money
Home ‣ Compare ‣ Interactive Brokers vs Alpari 2025

Interactive Brokers vs Alpari 2025

ForexBrokers.com

Written by ForexBrokers.com

February 05, 2025

In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs Alpari, 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
Alpari
3.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $20
  • Trust Score: 68
  • Tradeable Symbols (Total): 105

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

When it comes to choosing an online broker, understanding their trust levels can be crucial. Interactive Brokers, established in 1977, stands out as a highly trusted platform with a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 99. It holds an impressive nine Tier-1 licenses, the highest level of trust. The company is also publicly traded, which adds another layer of transparency for its users. Although not a bank itself, Interactive Brokers still provides a secure environment for online trading.

In contrast, Alpari, founded in 1998, holds a more modest position on the trust scale with a ForexBrokers.com Trust Score of 68, categorizing it as high risk. Unlike Interactive Brokers, Alpari does not hold any Tier-1 or Tier-2 licenses, and is not publicly traded, aspects that may impact its transparency and perceived reliability. Both Interactive Brokers and Alpari operate as non-banking financial services providers, yet the difference in their creditability speaks volumes when evaluating which broker to trust with your investments.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Alpari logoAlpari
Year Founded info 1977 1998
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes No
Bank info No No
Tier-1 Licenses info 9 0
Tier-2 Licenses info 2 0
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 0 1

Fees

Comparing commissions and fees, Interactive Brokers (IBKR) earns 5/5 stars and ranks #2 of 63 at ForexBrokers.com, while Alpari earns 4/5 stars and ranks #42. A key difference is pricing visibility: IBKR doesn’t publish average forex spreads broadly, but Q3 2024 data showed an average EUR/USD spread of 0.19 pips and an effective all-in cost around 0.59 pips after commission. For Alpari, average spread data is not available, which makes direct, apples-to-apples comparisons harder.

IBKR charges a commission instead of marking up spreads, aggregating quotes from 17 major interbank dealers. Forex commissions start at 0.00002 (0.2 basis points) of the U.S. dollar trade value per side, with a $2 minimum per order ($4 round turn), roughly $16–$40 per million round turn. On a $100,000 EUR/USD buy-and-sell, the commission is about 0.40 pips on top of the spread. Because of the $2-per-side minimum, trading smaller than 100,000 units becomes proportionally more expensive. High-volume traders can qualify for lower minimums ($1.50 per order above $1B in monthly volume, $1 at $5B). IBKR’s forex trading is not commission-free (including IBKR Lite and IBKR Pro).

With Alpari’s average spread data unavailable, prospective clients should check live spreads and any per-trade or per-lot commissions for their specific account type and typical trade size. In short: IBKR’s published structure and third-party data point to very competitive all-in costs—especially for larger or higher-volume orders—while Alpari’s 4/5-star, #42 ranking signals that its pricing may be less competitive or less transparent than top-tier peers.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Alpari logoAlpari
Minimum Deposit info $0 $20
Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard info 0.59 info N/A info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.65 info N/A info
Active Trader or VIP Discounts info Yes Yes
ACH or SEPA Transfers info Yes No
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info No No
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 vs Alpari: When it comes to the range of investments, Interactive Brokers offers far more choice with 8,500 tradeable symbols and 90 forex pairs, compared with Alpari’s 105 symbols and 46 pairs. Both brokers support forex trading as CFDs or spot. Interactive Brokers lets clients buy exchange-traded securities on both U.S. and international exchanges, while Alpari provides access to international shares but not U.S. stocks. For crypto, Interactive Brokers supports buying actual cryptocurrency as well as crypto derivatives; Alpari only supports crypto derivatives. Alpari does offer copy trading, whereas Interactive Brokers does not.

These differences are reflected in industry reviews: Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #1 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Alpari holds 3 stars and ranks #64. In short, Interactive Brokers suits investors who want the widest selection of markets, including U.S. and global shares and real crypto purchases, while Alpari may appeal to traders focused on forex and copy trading tools.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Alpari logoAlpari
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 8500 105
Forex Pairs (Total) info 90 46
U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) info Yes No
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 Alpari both provide paper trading (free demo accounts), their own in-house platforms, Windows desktop downloads, and web-based platforms. Each broker also lets you place trades directly from charts. The big split is in platform choices: Alpari supports copy trading and offers MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), while Interactive Brokers does not support copy trading or MT4/MT5. Neither broker connects to DupliTrade or ZuluTrade.

When it comes to tools, Interactive Brokers favors depth with 85 chart drawing tools and as many as 659 watchlist columns. Alpari keeps things simpler with 15 drawing tools and 7 watchlist fields, while adding the familiar MetaTrader and social-copy options. According to ForexBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars and ranks #3 for Trading Platforms and Tools, whereas Alpari earns 4 stars and ranks #56.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Alpari logoAlpari
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 15
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

Interactive Brokers and Alpari both offer iPhone and Android trading apps with price alerts and real-time watchlists. The key difference is syncing: Interactive Brokers syncs watchlists between the mobile app and your online account, while Alpari does not. For charting, Interactive Brokers provides 97 technical studies versus Alpari’s 30. Both apps let you draw trendlines and switch between multiple time frames (such as daily, weekly, or intraday). Neither app auto-saves your chart drawings.

In independent testing, Interactive Brokers earned 5 stars and ranked #4 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps, while Alpari received 4 stars and ranked #57. If you want more in-depth charting and seamless watchlist syncing across devices, Interactive Brokers is the stronger pick; if you only need core features for basic analysis, Alpari covers the essentials.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Alpari logoAlpari
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 No
Mobile Watchlist info Yes Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.

Market research

Interactive Brokers vs Alpari for market research: Interactive Brokers stands out with daily market commentary, top-tier forex news (e.g., Bloomberg/Reuters), Trading Central tools, a sentiment gauge showing long/short positioning, TipRanks insights, Acuity Trading tools (e.g., Signal Centre), and an economic calendar. Alpari includes top-tier forex news, Autochartist for technical and fundamental ideas, and an economic calendar, but it does not offer daily commentary, a sentiment tool, or Trading Central. Integration with TipRanks and Acuity Trading for Alpari is not indicated.

Based on independent reviews, Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars for Research and ranks #3 out of 63 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while Alpari scores 3 stars and ranks #58. If you want deeper in-platform research and sentiment data, Interactive Brokers is the stronger pick; if you mainly need Autochartist plus news and a calendar, Alpari may suffice.

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

Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.

Beginners and education

For beginners eager to dive into the world of forex and CFDs trading, both Interactive Brokers and Alpari offer fundamental educational resources. Interactive Brokers provides a comprehensive array of at least ten diverse educational materials, which include articles, videos, and webinar archives focused on forex and CFDs. Alpari matches this offering, ensuring that novices have access to ten similar educational pieces. However, when it comes to ongoing learning opportunities such as monthly client webinars, Interactive Brokers maintains an edge by hosting regular sessions and provides users with a searchable archive of past webinars. Unfortunately, Alpari lags in this respect, offering neither monthly webinars nor an archive of recorded sessions.

When comparing specific resources for beginners, both brokers provide an ample selection of at least ten beginner-focused videos covering essential trading concepts. Interactive Brokers further extends its educational offering with more advanced video content, which Alpari does not provide to the same extent. Additionally, both brokers feature investor dictionaries, each covering at least 50 key investing terms, allowing traders to better understand the market jargon. Thanks to these extensive educational services, Interactive Brokers earns a stellar five-star rating and ranks third among 63 brokers in the education category, leaving Alpari with a moderate three-star rating and a rank of 48th, highlighting the gap in their education offering for traders.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Alpari logoAlpari
Education (Forex or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Client Webinars info Yes No
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes No
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes No
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 Alpari. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while Alpari finished with an overall rank of #58.

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
Alpari logoAlpari
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 68
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with Interactive Brokers or Alpari?

Interactive Brokers allows users to buy both actual delivered cryptocurrency and cryptocurrency derivatives, while Alpari only offers the option to trade cryptocurrency derivatives and does not provide access to actual delivered cryptocurrency.

What funding options does each broker offer?

Interactive Brokers stands out by supporting ACH and SEPA transfers alongside bank wires for depositing and withdrawing funds, unlike Alpari, which does not offer these transfer options but instead provides Skrill and Visa/Mastercard services, both brokers do not support PayPal transactions.

More Comparisons

Interactive Brokers vs XTB Interactive Brokers vs Spreadex Interactive Brokers vs GBE brokers Interactive Brokers vs RoboForex Interactive Brokers vs Xtrade Interactive Brokers vs easyMarkets Alpari vs Markets.com Alpari vs TopFX Alpari vs ACY Securities Alpari vs Octa Alpari vs Pepperstone Alpari vs Moneta Markets

Show all



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.

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_boxEarn
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxeasyMarkets
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxEightcap
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxeToro
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxExness
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFineco
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFOREX.com
  • 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_boxIUX
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxLegacyFX
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxLibertex (Forex Club)
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxMarkets.com
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxMarkets4you
  • 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_boxQuestrade
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxRoboForex
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxSaxo
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxSpreadex
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxSwissquote
  • 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_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
× Interactive Brokers
× Alpari
Sponsored

+ Add Broker

Close Menu ×

navigate_before navigate_next
Overall Rating Interactive Brokers Alpari
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 68
Winner check_circle
Review Interactive Brokers Review
Broker Screenshots Interactive Brokers Alpari
Broker Gallery (click to expand) info
IBKR mobile watchlist. IBKR Desktop platform charts. Interactive Brokers research Traders Insight daily analysis article detail Interactive Brokers IBKR Podcast video.
Regulation Interactive Brokers Alpari
Trust Score info 99 68
Year Founded info 1977 1998
Publicly Traded (Listed) info Yes No
Bank info No No
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info Yes info No info
Tier-1 Licenses info 9 0
Tier-2 Licenses info 2 0
Tier-3 Licenses info 0 0
Tier-4 Licenses info 0 1
Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) Interactive Brokers Alpari
Australia (ASIC Authorised) info Yes No
Canada (CIRO Authorised) info Yes No
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) info Yes No
Japan (SFC Authorised) info Yes No
Singapore (MAS Authorised) info Yes No
Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) info Yes
United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) info Yes No
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 No info
Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) Interactive Brokers Alpari
Kenya (CMA Authorised) info
Israel (ISA Authorised) info No No
South Africa (FSCA Authorised) info No No
UAE (DFSA/Central Bank Authorised) info Yes No
India (SEBI Authorised) info Yes No
Jordan (JSC Authorised) info
Investments Interactive Brokers Alpari
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info 8500 105
Forex Pairs (Total) info 90 46
U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) info Yes No
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 Alpari
Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard info 0.59 info N/A info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info 0.65 info N/A info
Active Trader or VIP Discounts info Yes Yes
Inactivity Fee info No No
Execution: Agency Broker info Yes Yes
Execution: Market Maker info No Yes
Funding Interactive Brokers Alpari
Minimum Deposit info $0 $20
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info No No
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 No
Trading Platforms Interactive Brokers Alpari
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 Alpari
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 15
Charting - Trade From Chart info Yes Yes
Charts can be saved info Yes Yes
Mobile Trading Interactive Brokers Alpari
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 No
Mobile Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Research Interactive Brokers Alpari
Daily Market Commentary info Yes No
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info Yes Yes
Autochartist info No Yes
Trading Central (Recognia) info Yes No
TipRanks info Yes
Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs info Yes No
Economic Calendar info Yes Yes
Education Interactive Brokers Alpari
Education (Forex or CFDs) info Yes Yes
Client Webinars info Yes No
Client Webinars (Archived) info Yes No
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info Yes Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info Yes No
Investor Dictionary (Glossary) info Yes Yes
Major Forex Pairs Interactive Brokers Alpari
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
Overall Interactive Brokers Alpari
Overall Rating info 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Mobile Trading 5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Trust Score info 99 68
Winner check_circle
Review Interactive Brokers Review
arrow_upward

close
navigate_before navigate_next