Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Interactive Brokers vs BlackBull Markets, 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.
When comparing Interactive Brokers and BlackBull Markets, regulatory information plays a crucial role. Founded in 1977, Interactive Brokers holds a top-tier Trust Score of 99 out of 99 from ForexBrokers.com, showcasing high trust and credibility. As a publicly traded company, Interactive Brokers boasts 9 Tier-1 licenses and 2 Tier-2 licenses, reinforcing its strong regulatory standing. Despite not being a bank, Interactive Brokers' extensive licensing provides clients with confidence in its security and reliability.
In contrast, BlackBull Markets, established in 2014, holds a Trust Score rating of 78 from ForexBrokers.com, indicating an average risk level. While it is not publicly traded, BlackBull Markets operates under 1 Tier-1 license and does not have any Tier-2 licenses. Like Interactive Brokers, it is not a bank, but its fewer licenses and lower trust score suggest a different level of regulatory assurance compared to its competitor. This distinction helps potential investors understand the varying degrees of safety and trust these brokers offer.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
BlackBull Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2014 |
| 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 earns 5/5 stars and ranks #2 of 63 for Commissions and Fees, while BlackBull Markets scores 4.5/5 stars and ranks #19 of 63. On EUR/USD, our Q3 2024 data shows Interactive Brokers with a 0.19‑pip average spread and an estimated 0.59‑pip all‑in cost after commission. BlackBull’s Prime account averaged a 0.16‑pip spread in March 2024, but with commission its all‑in came to about 0.76 pips. In short, IBKR tends to be cheaper on an all‑in basis for typical lot sizes, especially for active traders.
Interactive Brokers uses an agency, commission‑based model, aggregating quotes from 17 major FX dealers and charging instead of marking up the spread. Commissions start at 0.00002 of trade value (0.2 bps) per side with a $2 minimum per order ($4 round turn), roughly $16–$40 per million round turn, with discounts for larger monthly volumes (as low as 0.08 bps and $1–$1.50 minimums for very high activity). Note: the $2 per‑side minimum makes sub‑100k trades proportionally more expensive, but for a standard $100,000 EUR/USD trade the commission works out to about 0.40 pips added to the prevailing spread, producing that 0.59‑pip all‑in figure in our testing period.
BlackBull Markets’ costs vary by account. The Standard account is commission‑free with higher spreads and no minimum deposit. The Prime account requires $2,000 and charges $3 per side ($6 round turn) with tighter spreads; its recent EUR/USD average was 0.16 pips and about 0.76 pips all‑in. The ECN Institutional tier needs $20,000 and lowers commission to $2 per side ($4 round turn). For traders who want zero commissions and a small initial deposit, Standard is the simplest path, but for lower all‑in pricing on larger or more frequent trades, IBKR generally has the edge.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
BlackBull Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 |
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.59 | 0.71 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.65 | 0.71 |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes |
| ACH or SEPA Transfers | Yes | No |
| 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.
When comparing Interactive Brokers and BlackBull Markets in terms of available investment options, both platforms excel in offering a wide range of choices with top ratings. Interactive Brokers provides access to 8500 tradeable symbols, including 90 forex pairs, while BlackBull Markets boasts an impressive 26000 tradeable symbols, albeit with fewer forex pairs at 72. Forex trading is available as both CFD and spot contracts on both platforms. In addition to forex, Interactive Brokers and BlackBull Markets allow clients to invest in exchange-traded securities on U.S. and international exchanges, making it possible to purchase shares of companies like Apple and Vodafone. Both brokers also support the trading of cryptocurrency derivatives, though only Interactive Brokers offers the purchase of actual cryptocurrencies.
One area where BlackBull Markets sets itself apart is the availability of copy trading, a feature not offered by Interactive Brokers. Despite this, Interactive Brokers claims the top spot for Range of Investments, according to ForexBrokers.com, while BlackBull Markets ranks sixth in the same category. With both platforms rated 5 stars for their investment offerings, traders can choose either Interactive Brokers or BlackBull Markets with confidence depending on their specific needs and trading strategies.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
BlackBull Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 26000 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 72 |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes |
| 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 vs BlackBull Markets: both brokers provide free paper trading (demo accounts), Windows desktop and web platforms, and the ability to trade directly from charts. Interactive Brokers adds a proprietary platform built in-house, while BlackBull Markets does not. For third‑party options, BlackBull supports MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5) plus ZuluTrade for copy trading (no DupliTrade), whereas Interactive Brokers does not offer MT4/MT5 or copy trading. For charting, Interactive Brokers lists 85 drawing tools compared with 60 at BlackBull.
If you value deep customization, Interactive Brokers offers 659 watchlist fields versus 6 at BlackBull. According to ForexBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers earns 5 stars and ranks #3 of 63 for Trading Platforms and Tools, while BlackBull Markets earns 4 stars and ranks #31. In short: choose Interactive Brokers for advanced platform depth and customization; pick BlackBull Markets if you want MT4/MT5 and built-in copy trading choices.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
BlackBull Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No |
| 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 | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 109 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 85 | 60 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 659 | 6 |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Interactive Brokers and BlackBull Markets both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, with core features like price alerts, real-time quote watchlists, and watchlist syncing between mobile and your online account. In independent testing by ForexBrokers.com, Interactive Brokers earned 5 stars and ranked #4 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps, while BlackBull Markets received 4 stars and ranked #33.
For charting, Interactive Brokers provides a larger set of technical studies (97 vs. BlackBull’s 30), along with trendline tools and multiple time frames on both apps. One notable difference: BlackBull’s app auto-saves your chart drawings, whereas Interactive Brokers does not. Choose Interactive Brokers if you want the widest set of indicators and a top-rated overall experience; pick BlackBull Markets if you prefer simpler charts that remember your drawings automatically.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
BlackBull Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | Yes |
| 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 BlackBull Markets both provide daily market commentary and economic calendars, but there are notable differences in their research offerings. Interactive Brokers stands out with its access to forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, whereas BlackBull Markets does not provide such premium news sources. For traders who rely on technical analysis, BlackBull Markets offers tools from Autochartist, while Interactive Brokers offers tools from Trading Central. Both brokers provide sentiment-based trading tools to assist traders in making informed decisions.
The research capabilities of Interactive Brokers are comprehensive, with additional resources like TipRanks and Acuity Trading, which are not available at BlackBull Markets. As a result, Interactive Brokers has earned a higher research rating of 5 stars and is ranked #3 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com. In comparison, BlackBull Markets holds a solid 4-star rating and is ranked #18, making it a respectable choice but less extensive in research tools compared to Interactive Brokers.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
BlackBull Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No |
| Autochartist | No | Yes |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes |
| 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, both Interactive Brokers and BlackBull Markets provide extensive offerings designed to help newcomers gain confidence in trading. Both platforms feature over 10 educational pieces on forex and CFDs, providing a range of articles, videos, and archived webinars. They also hold regular monthly webinars, contributing to a solid foundation for learning. Added to these, both brokers maintain a searchable archive of past webinars for easy access to previous knowledge sessions. New traders can also find a wealth of beginner-specific videos to better understand trading strategies and techniques, ensuring they are well-prepared for their trading journey.
For more advanced education, Interactive Brokers and BlackBull Markets continue catering to traders' needs with over 10 advanced educational videos dedicated to the seasoned trader. They both offer investor dictionaries with comprehensive definitions of more than 50 terms to improve understanding. When ranked by ForexBrokers.com on educational quality, Interactive Brokers is esteemed with a 5-star rating and ranks 3rd out of 63 brokers, setting a high standard for educational resources. In comparison, BlackBull Markets holds a 4-star rating and ranks 29th, indicating a respectable but slightly lesser offering in the educational materials provided to clients.
| Feature |
Interactive Brokers
|
BlackBull Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | 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 BlackBull Markets. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while BlackBull Markets finished with an overall rank of #24.
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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BlackBull Markets
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 78 |
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Interactive Brokers allows direct purchase of actual cryptocurrencies, whereas BlackBull Markets does not; however, both platforms offer cryptocurrency derivatives, enabling traders to engage in crypto markets without buying the actual assets.
Interactive Brokers stands out by offering ACH and SEPA transfers along with bank wire options for deposits and withdrawals, while BlackBull Markets, offering bank wires, distinguishes itself by accepting Skrill and Visa or Mastercard payments, but lacks ACH and SEPA transfer 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 | BlackBull Markets | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 78 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | BlackBull Markets Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Interactive Brokers | BlackBull Markets | |
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| Regulation | Interactive Brokers | BlackBull Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 78 | |
| Year Founded | 1977 | 2014 | |
| 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 | BlackBull Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| 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 | Yes | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | Yes | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Interactive Brokers | BlackBull Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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) |
| Investments | Interactive Brokers | BlackBull Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 8500 | 26000 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 90 | 72 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | BlackBull Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 0.59 | 0.71 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 0.65 | 0.71 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | Yes | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | Interactive Brokers | BlackBull Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 | |
| 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 | No |
| Trading Platforms | Interactive Brokers | BlackBull Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No | |
| 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 | Yes | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | Yes |
| Trading Tools | Interactive Brokers | BlackBull Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 659 | 6 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 155 | 109 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 85 | 60 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Interactive Brokers | BlackBull Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 | Yes |
| Research | Interactive Brokers | BlackBull Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | No | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | Yes | No | |
| TipRanks | Yes | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Interactive Brokers | BlackBull Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Interactive Brokers | BlackBull Markets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | BlackBull Markets Review |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 78 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Interactive Brokers Review | BlackBull Markets Review |
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