Interactive Brokers vs BlackBull Markets 2026

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 vs. BlackBull Markets: Interactive Brokers was founded in 1977 and is publicly traded, while BlackBull Markets, founded in 2014, is privately held. Neither company is a bank.

Regulation and trust: Interactive Brokers holds 8 Tier-1 licenses (considered highly trusted by ForexBrokers.com) and 2 Tier-2 licenses (trusted), compared with BlackBull’s 1 Tier-1 and no Tier-2 licenses. On ForexBrokers.com’s 99-point Trust Score, Interactive Brokers scores 99 (highly trusted; 90–99), while BlackBull Markets scores 77 (average risk; 70–79).

Feature	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
Year Founded info	1977	2014
Publicly Traded (Listed) info	Yes	No
Bank info	No	No
Tier-1 Licenses info	8	1
Tier-2 Licenses info	2	0
Tier-3 Licenses info	0	0
Tier-4 Licenses info	0	1

Fees

Interactive Brokers (IBKR) uses a pure commission model for forex, aggregating prices from 17 major banks and avoiding spread markups. While IBKR doesn’t publish average forex spreads, Q3 2024 data shows the EUR/USD around 0.19 pips, with an effective all-in cost near 0.59 pips after commission. Commissions start at 0.2 basis points per side (about $20 per million per side, $40 round turn) with a $2 minimum per side, which can make sub-100k trade sizes proportionally pricier. Active traders can qualify for discounts down to 0.08 basis points per side and lower minimums ($1.50–$1 per order). A typical $100,000 EUR/USD round trip carries roughly 0.40 pips in commissions, plus the prevailing spread. IBKR earns 5/5 stars and ranks #2 of 63 for Commissions and Fees.

BlackBull Markets offers three account types. The Standard account is commission-free with higher spreads and no minimum deposit. The Prime account requires $2,000, charges $3 per side ($6 round turn) per standard lot, and had an average EUR/USD spread of 0.16 in March 2024—about 0.76 pips all-in after commission. The ECN Institutional account targets higher balances ($20,000+) with $2 per side ($4 round turn). Overall pricing sits around industry average, with the Prime account typically delivering the best value for tighter spreads. BlackBull Markets earns 4.5/5 stars and ranks #9 of 63 for Commissions and Fees.

Bottom line: For forex, IBKR’s all-in EUR/USD cost (about 0.59 pips) can be lower than BlackBull’s Prime account (about 0.76 pips), especially for larger or high-volume traders who unlock IBKR’s tiered discounts. That said, IBKR’s $2-per-side minimum can tilt costs higher on smaller trade sizes, while BlackBull’s Standard account offers simplicity with no commissions but wider spreads.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
Minimum Deposit info	$0	$0
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account info	0.226 info	1.16 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info	0.226 info	0.76 info
Non-wire bank transfer info	Yes	No
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info	No	No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info	No	Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info	Yes	Yes

Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.

Range of investments

Interactive Brokers and BlackBull Markets both deliver wide investment menus. BlackBull lists more total tradeable symbols (26,000 vs. 8,500), while Interactive Brokers offers more forex pairs (90 vs. 72). Each provides forex trading either as CFDs or in the spot market, and both let you buy exchange‑traded stocks on U.S. and international exchanges.

Key differences: BlackBull supports copy trading, whereas Interactive Brokers does not. For crypto, Interactive Brokers lets you buy actual cryptocurrency, while BlackBull focuses on crypto CFDs rather than the underlying coins. Both brokers earn 5 stars for Range of Investments, with Interactive Brokers ranked #1 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, and BlackBull Markets ranked #7.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info	Yes	Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info	8500	26000
Forex Pairs (Total) info	90	72
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info	Yes	Yes
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info	Yes	Yes
Copy Trading info	No	Yes
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info	Yes	No
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) info	No	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 BlackBull Markets both provide paper trading with a free virtual demo, plus Windows desktop and web-based trading platforms. Each lets you place orders directly from charts. Interactive Brokers stands out by offering a proprietary platform developed in-house, while BlackBull Markets relies on third-party platforms. If you need copy trading or MetaTrader 4/MetaTrader 5, BlackBull Markets supports both MT4 and MT5 and offers copy trading; Interactive Brokers does not support copy trading or MetaTrader.

For trading platforms and tools, ForexBrokers.com rates Interactive Brokers 5 stars and ranks it #2 out of 63 brokers, while BlackBull Markets earns 4 stars and ranks #25. In short, pick Interactive Brokers if you want an in-house platform with high marks, or choose BlackBull Markets if you prefer MetaTrader or want access to copy trading.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
Virtual Trading (Demo) info	Yes	Yes
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info	Yes	No
Desktop Platform (Windows) info	Yes	Yes
Web Platform info	Yes	Yes
Copy Trading info	No	Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info	No	Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info	No	Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info	155	109
Charting - Trade From Chart info	Yes	Yes

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

Forex trading apps

Interactive Brokers and BlackBull Markets both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android. Each app includes stock and forex price alerts, synced watchlists that carry across mobile and your online account, and the ability to draw trendlines on charts. In short, both the Interactive Brokers mobile app and the BlackBull Markets mobile app cover the core tools traders expect for managing positions on the go.

The main differences show up in charting depth and workflow. Interactive Brokers delivers 155 technical studies, far more than BlackBull Markets’ 30, making it better suited for traders who rely on a wide range of indicators. BlackBull Markets, however, auto-saves chart drawings, while Interactive Brokers does not. For overall quality, Interactive Brokers earns 5 out of 5 stars and ranks #4 out of 63 brokers for Mobile Trading Apps on ForexBrokers.com, compared with BlackBull Markets at 4 out of 5 stars and #27. If you want extensive indicators, Interactive Brokers stands out; if auto-saving drawings matters most, BlackBull Markets has the edge.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
Android App info	Yes	Yes
Apple iOS App info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info	155	30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info	No	Yes

Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.

Market research

Interactive Brokers and BlackBull Markets both deliver daily market commentary, an economic calendar, and sentiment tools that show the share of long vs. short positions. Where they differ is in third-party research. Interactive Brokers adds premium forex news from top-tier sources (like Bloomberg/Reuters-style feeds), plus tools from Trading Central, TipRanks, and Acuity Trading. BlackBull Markets counters with Autochartist for automated pattern recognition, but it doesn’t include those premium news feeds or the Trading Central, TipRanks, or Acuity suites.

If you want wider news coverage and a fuller menu of research add‑ons, Interactive Brokers stands out with a 5-star Research rating and a #3 ranking out of 63 brokers. BlackBull Markets still offers strong research—especially for chart pattern ideas via Autochartist—with a 4.5-star rating and a #16 ranking. Traders who value premium news and multiple research sources may prefer Interactive Brokers, while those who like Autochartist-driven setups and can source news elsewhere may find BlackBull Markets a good fit.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info	Yes	Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info	Yes	No
Autochartist info	No	Yes
Trading Central info	Yes	No
Client sentiment data info	Yes	Yes
TipRanks info	Yes	No
Acuity Trading info	Yes	No
Economic Calendar info	Yes	Yes

Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.

Beginners and education

Interactive Brokers and BlackBull Markets both give beginners a strong starting point. Each runs live client webinars at least monthly and offers a library with 10+ beginner-focused videos, plus 10+ advanced videos for when you’re ready to level up. Where they differ is recognition and overall depth: Interactive Brokers holds a 5-star Education rating and is ranked #1 out of 63 brokers by ForexBrokers.com, while BlackBull Markets earns 4.5 stars and ranks #24.

If top-tier learning is your priority, Interactive Brokers stands out for its highly rated curriculum and clear path from first steps to advanced strategies. BlackBull Markets is also a good pick for new traders who want plenty of videos and regular webinars, but it trails Interactive Brokers in third-party rankings. Either way, both brokers make it easy to start learning and keep improving.

Feature	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
Webinars info	Yes	Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info	Yes	Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos 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 BlackBull Markets. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall rank of #2, while BlackBull Markets finished with an overall rank of #22.

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	BlackBull Markets
Overall Rating info
Trust Score info	99	77
Range of Investments
Trading Fees
Trading Platforms
Research
Mobile Trading
Education

FAQs

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What funding options does each broker offer?

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Overall Rating	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
Overall Rating info
Trading Fees
Range of Investments
Trading Platforms
Mobile Trading
Research
Education
Trust Score info	99	77
Winner	check_circle
Review	Interactive Brokers Review	BlackBull Markets Review

Broker Screenshots	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
Broker Gallery (click to expand) info

Regulation	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
Trust Score info	99	77
Year Founded info	1977	2014
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	8	1
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	BlackBull Markets
Australia (ASIC Authorised) info	Yes	No
Canada (CIRO Authorised) info	Yes	No
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) info	Yes	No
Japan (FSA 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	Yes
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). info	Yes info	No info

Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted)	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
Kenya (CMA Authorised) info
Israel (ISA Authorised) info	No	No
South Africa (FSCA Authorised) info	No	No
UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) info	Yes	No
India (SEBI Authorised) info	Yes	No
Jordan (JSC Authorised) info

Investments	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) info	Yes	Yes
Tradeable Symbols (Total) info	8500	26000
Forex Pairs (Total) info	90	72
U.S. Stocks (Shares) info	Yes	Yes
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) info	Yes	Yes
Copy Trading info	No	Yes
Cryptocurrency (Underlying) info	Yes	No
Cryptocurrency (CFDs) info	No	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 account info	0.226 info	1.16 info
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active info	0.226 info	0.76 info
Inactivity Fee info	No	No
Order execution: Agency info	Yes	No
Order execution: Market Maker info	No	Yes

Funding	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
Minimum Deposit info	$0	$0
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) info	No	No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) info	No	Yes
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) info	Yes	Yes
Non-wire bank transfer info	Yes	No

Trading Platforms	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform info	Yes	No
Desktop Platform (Windows) info	Yes	Yes
Web Platform info	Yes	Yes
Copy Trading info	No	Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) info	No	Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) info	No	Yes
cTrader info	No	Yes

Trading Tools	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
Virtual Trading (Demo) info	Yes	Yes
Price Alerts info	Yes	Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) info	155	109
Charting - Trade From Chart info	Yes	Yes
Charts can be saved info	Yes	Yes

Mobile Trading	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
Android App info	Yes	Yes
Apple iOS App info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Price Alerts info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] info
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies info	155	30
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines info	Yes	Yes
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave info	No	Yes
Mobile Research - Economic Calendar info	Yes	Yes

Research	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
Daily Market Commentary (Articles) info	Yes	Yes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) info	Yes	No
Autochartist info	No	Yes
Trading Central info	Yes	No
TipRanks info	Yes	No
Client sentiment data info	Yes	Yes
Economic Calendar info	Yes	Yes

Education	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
Webinars info	Yes	Yes
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos info	Yes	Yes
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos info	Yes	Yes

Major Forex Pairs	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
GBP/USD [DELETED] info
USD/JPY [DELETED] info
EUR/USD info	Yes	Yes
USD/CHF [DELETED] info
USD/CAD [DELETED] info
NZD/USD [DELETED] info
AUD/USD [DELETED] info
Review	Interactive Brokers Review	BlackBull Markets Review

Overall	Interactive Brokers	BlackBull Markets
Overall Rating info
Trading Fees
Range of Investments
Trading Platforms
Mobile Trading
Research
Education
Trust Score info	99	77
Winner	check_circle
Review	Interactive Brokers Review	BlackBull Markets Review